#maybe knowing that adam gravely injured him in the fight

[poisonedspider]

Continued for @stagtic

Angel Dust had been leaning against the bar, naturally doing what he did best - flirting with Husk. He had been giggling over his martini, cheeks slightly flushed as him and Husk talked. Ever since the night the bartender had saved him from being roofied, Husk and him had gotten along swimmingly. Husk didn't seem to push Angel away as much, and the spider didn't seem to push his boundaries for attention.

He had been irritated to be interrupted, to say the least, but he knew that something was going on. Alastor hardly acknowledged his existence unless necessary, unless it benefitted him in some way. In fact, the Radio Demon seemed to see the spider as nothing more than a nuisance, who he just so happened to have to tolerate because he was the first sinner in Charlie's little plan.

He also knew that something had to be amiss when Alastor sounded, well, normal. The tinny radio voice not present, which always caught him off guard. It was much like himself - when he was being genuine, Anthony's voice was certainly different. Less high pitched, more thick in his Brooklyn accent. Which is how he knew that Alastor was being serious, genuine, and Angel sighed, finishing off his drink before smiling at Husk, leaving to head across the foyer.

"Yeah, what is it, Smiles?" He knew the other had said to walk with him, but still, he wanted to be able to slightly know what to prepare for. He also knew when something was an order more than a request - far too accustomed to that with Valentino. And even though Alastor didn't hold his chains, it was almost like he could feel it. "As long as yeh' ain't plannin' on murderin' meh', ah'm fine goin' wherever yeh' want."

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms

for june 15 of 2024 with Proverbs 15 and Psalm 15, accompanied by Psalm 89 for the 89th day of Astronomical Spring, and Psalm 17 for day 167 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 15]

A tender answer turns away rage,

but a prickly reply spikes anger.

The words of the wise extend knowledge,

but foolish people utter nonsense.

The Eternal can see all things;

His gaze is fixed on both the evil and the good.

A word of encouragement heals the one who receives it,

but a deceitful word breaks the spirit.

Fools refuse their parents’ guidance,

but sensible children accept correction.

Great treasure may be found where the right-living make their home,

but trouble awaits the wicked at every turn.

When the wise speak, knowledge spreads far and wide,

but fools care nothing about such matters.

When the wicked offer sacrifices, they disgust the Eternal,

but the prayers of those who do right are a pleasure to Him.

The lifestyle of the wicked is repulsive to Him,

while those who do right delight Him.

Harsh punishment is waiting for those who reject the path of life,

and those who hate correction will die.

The grave and destruction are fully exposed before the Eternal;

how much more does He know the thoughts of Adam’s children!

Those who mock others don’t like being corrected,

so they keep their distance from the wise.

A warm, smiling face reveals a joy-filled heart,

but heartache crushes the spirit and darkens the appearance.

Those who have understanding hearts hunger after knowledge,

but those with no understanding feast on foolishness.

The poor and oppressed suffer hardship day after day,

but those with kind hearts continually feast.

It is better to live with less and honor the Eternal

than to have riches and carry the burdens that come with them.

Better to eat only vegetables served lovingly

than a fattened ox served hatefully.

A hot-headed person stirs up trouble,

but one with patience settles a fight.

Lazy people walk a path overgrown with thornbushes,

but those with integrity travel a wide, level road.

A wise child makes his father happy,

but a foolish man despises his mother.

Foolishness brings sheer joy to those who have no sense,

but people with insight steer a straight course through life.

Plans fall apart without proper advice;

but with the right guidance, they come together nicely.

There is great joy in having the right answer,

and how sweet is the right word at the right time!

For the wise the road of life climbs up steep grades

in order to avoid the slide down to the grave.

The Eternal splinters the house of the haughty,

but He secures the property of widows.

The thoughts of the wrongdoers repulse the Eternal,

but kind words are pure pleasure for Him.

Those who take illegal gains injure their families,

but those who refuse a bribe will live in peace.

The right-living think before they speak,

but wrongdoers simply spew evil.

The Eternal stays far from the wrongdoers,

but He listens to the prayer of the right-living.

Bright eyes and a cheerful expression bring joy to the heart,

and good news revives the spirit and renews health.

Those who learn from the lessons of life

will join the others who are wise.

Those who disregard discipline sabotage themselves,

but those who are open to correction gain understanding.

Reverence for the Eternal is the first lesson of wisdom,

and humility always precedes honor.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 15 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

It is ironic that we may have more to fear from the proud and powerful than from the poor and needy. Those who have want more, and so they take it. Oh, maybe they won’t pick your pocket or break into your home. Their ways are more subtle and more effective. As James, Jesus’ brother, wrote, “Isn’t it the rich who step on you while climbing the ladder of success? And isn’t it the rich who take advantage of you and drag you into court?” (James 2:6b). James isn’t describing all the rich, of course, but many have made their fortunes off the backs of others. God is the One who can protect the poor, the One who can reduce the grand houses of the haughty to splinters.

[Psalm 15]

A song of David.

Eternal One, who is invited to stay in Your dwelling?

Who is granted passage to Your holy mountain?

Here is the answer: The one who lives with integrity, does what is right,

and speaks honestly with truth from the heart.

The one who doesn’t speak evil against others

or wrong his neighbor,

or slander his friends.

The one who loathes the loathsome,

honors those who fear the Eternal,

And keeps all promises no matter the cost.

The one who does not lend money with gain in mind

and cannot be bought to harm an innocent name.

If you live this way, you will not be shaken and will live together with the Lord.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 15 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

A recurring theme in the psalms is the dwelling place of God and its importance in worship. This Davidic psalm considers the moral qualities of the person who wishes to approach God.

[Psalm 89]

A contemplative song of Ethan the Ezrahite.

I will sing of Your unfailing love, Eternal One, forever.

I will speak of Your faithfulness to all generations.

I will tell how Your unfailing love will always stand strong;

and how Your faithfulness is established in the heavens above.

You said, “I have made a covenant with My chosen one.

I made My servant, David, this promise:

‘I will establish your dynasty

so that you and your descendants will always be secure.

Your rule will continue for generations to come.’”

[pause]

Let the heavens join in praising the wonderful works of the Eternal.

The holy ones have gathered, singing of Your faithfulness.

For there is no one above who compares to the Eternal,

not one of heaven’s creatures is like Him in the least.

In the council of holy ones, God is lifted high and feared;

His presence overwhelms all who are near Him.

O Eternal God, Commander of heaven’s armies,

who is mighty like You?

You are completely faithful; that’s why we trust You.

The ocean waters are at Your command.

When violent waves rise up, You still them.

You defeated Rahab, that ancient monster of chaos,

and left it lifeless.

You routed Your enemies and scattered them by Your great arm of power.

Everything in the sky above and the earth below are Yours.

The world and all it contains are Yours, for You created them all.

Everything was created by You—the north, the south—

the mountains of Tabor and Hermon echo joyously the song of Your name.

Your arm is strong.

Your grip is powerful.

Your right hand is raised up high.

Your rule is rooted deeply in justice and righteousness—

unfailing love and truth lead from the way ahead of You.

How happy are those who have learned how to praise You;

those who journey through life by the light of Your face.

Every hour of the day, they rejoice at the sound of Your name.

They are lifted up and encouraged by Your righteousness.

For You are the beauty of their strength.

On account of Your favor, our strength, our horn, is increased.

For our shield of protection comes from the Eternal,

and the Holy One of Israel has given us our king.

Long ago You spoke through a vision to Your faithful followers, saying,

“I have given help to a warrior;

I have chosen a hero from among My people.

I have found David, My servant.

With My holy oil, I have anointed him king.

My strong hand will stay with him and sustain him, regardless of trial or foe.

My mighty arm will be his strength and shield.

The deceit of his enemies will not outwit him.

The wicked will not defeat him.

I will pound his enemies right in front of him.

I will strike down all those who hate him.

My faithfulness and unfailing love will never leave him;

through My name, strength and power will be his.

I will extend his rule over the oceans,

his right hand will control the rivers.

He will cry out to Me, ‘You are my Father,

my God, and the Rock of my salvation!’

I will make him My firstborn;

no earthly king shall be greater.

My unfailing love will always be with him, protecting him;

My covenant with him will never be broken.

I will ensure his family’s future forever;

his dynasty will last as long as the heavens.

If his children turn away from Me and forsake My law,

if they refuse to walk according to My judgments,

If they disobey My instructions

and ignore My commandments,

Then I will use the rod to punish their sins

and stripes to deal with their iniquity.

And yet My unfailing love of him will remain steadfast and strong.

I will not be unfaithful to My promise.

I will not violate My covenant,

nor will I alter even one word of what My lips have spoken.

These words I have pledged in My holiness once and for all,

and I will not lie to David.

As long as the sun lights the day before Me, his descendants will continue to rule.

His kingdom will last forever.

His dynasty will stand firm for all time like the moon,

the faithful witness that stands watch in the night sky.”

[pause]

But what now? You have turned Your back and walked away!

Your full fury burns against Your anointed king.

You made a covenant with Your servant, then renounced it,

casting his sacred crown into the dust.

You have broken down the walls that protected Your servant;

his defenses are reduced to a pile of rubble.

Strangers now plunder all that he has left;

he has become a laughingstock among his neighbors.

You have made his adversaries strong.

His enemies celebrate their victory.

You have dulled the blade of his sword,

and You have not helped him stand strong in the battle.

You have brought his days of splendor to an abrupt end;

You have toppled his throne;

it sits in the dust.

You have cut short the days of his youth

and have covered him with shame and despair.

[pause]

How long must we endure, O Eternal One?

Will You hide Yourself forever?

How long will Your wrath burn like fire?

Remember my days are numbered.

Have You created the children of Adam to live futile lives?

Death waits at the gate; who can escape and live?

Does the grave hold exceptions for any of us?

Who can deliver us from the power of the grave?

[pause]

O Lord, where is the unfailing love You showed in times past?

And where is the proof of Your faithfulness to David?

Remember how Your servants are ridiculed, O Lord;

how I carry within me the insults of so many peoples.

Your enemies are mocking me, O Eternal One,

mocking every step Your anointed one made.

Praise the Eternal always. Amen. Amen.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 89 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

Psalm 89 begins on a note of praise and ends with a lament. The heart of this psalm recalls God’s choice of David as king and God’s covenant with him to establish an eternal dynasty (2 Samuel 7).

[Psalm 17]

A prayer of David.

Listen, O Eternal One, to my cry for justice.

These words of mine are true—turn Your ear toward me.

Announce that I am free of all the charges against me—only You can see into my heart to know that to be true.

Treat me with fairness; look at me with justice.

You have searched me—my heart and soul—awakened me from dreaming and tested me.

You’ve found nothing against me.

I have resolved not to sin in what I say.

The path violent men have followed,

I will not travel. Violence is not my way.

Your ways and Your voice now guide my journey.

I will press on—moving steadfastly forward along Your path.

I will not look back. I will not stumble.

I am crying aloud to You, O True God, for I long to know Your answer.

Hear me, O God. Hear my plea. Hear my prayer for help.

Put Your marvelous love on display for all to see.

Liberator of those who long for shelter beside You,

set them safely away from their enemies, ever welcomed by grace.

Keep close watch over me as the apple of Your eye;

shelter me in the shadow of Your wings.

Protect me from the wicked who are poised to attack,

from the enemies swarming around me and closing in quickly.

Like clay baking in the sun, their hearts have hardened;

arrogance spills from their mouths.

They’ve tracked me down like quarry.

They’re surrounding me

and are poised to throw me down into the dirt.

Like a lion—crouching in the brush—they are ready to tear me apart.

Like young lions in their hiding places, they are poised to strike.

Rise up and confront them, O Eternal One! Make them pay.

By Your sword, set me free from my wicked enemies!

May Your rescue find me here.

By Your hand, save me from my enemies, Eternal One.

Save me from men whose hopes are rooted in this world.

But as for those You cherish,

may they feast on all You have set aside for them;

may their children never be in need;

may they have enough so their children will inherit their wealth.

But as for me, my hope is to see Your face.

When I am vindicated, I will look upon the holy face of God,

and when I awake, the longing of my soul will be satisfied in the glow of Your presence.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 17 (The Voice)

[qingxin-s]

༉₊˚✧ꜱᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ : xɪᴀᴏ x ꜰ.ᴀʀᴄʜᴏɴ.ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

synopsis: [y/n], the goddess of hydro, is adamant on fighting in the archon war- desperate to protect her people and nation. xiao however grows to regret letting her take part

genre: angst to fluff

word count: 1,195

warning(s): mentions of injury + blood, mentions of character death, not proof read fully so may be some mistakes

taglist: @senkuwu-chan​

◈ ━━━━━━ 2,000 years ago ━━━━━━ ◈

Wind tapped against the silk curtains, causing them to billow around her figure as she stood on her balcony- looking out at the region she adored so much. But it wasn't the same. The crisp smell of salt water that fluttered through the air had been replaced with the stench of charcoal. The lapis sky had been replaced with dark clouds. Every time more damage occurred to the town, it felt like part of her broke along side it.

"Madame, your weapons are ready" A low voice spoke, breaking her out of her thoughts and causing her to turn her h/c haired head towards them. It was one of her assistants, a large polearm placed on a pillow in their hands.

"Thank you, my dear. I'll be ready in a moment" She smiled in return, walking over to pluck up the weapon. It was light, but she could tell it would pack a lot of punch.

"I've never fought in a war before" She murmured, her e/c hues flickering up to her open window where a figure now stood. This had become the usual thing, she learned to recognise his presence. He huffed in response, taking a few steps inside.

"I still think you're being idiotic, (Y/N). You have no experience, you can't protect them forever" He huffed as his yellow eyes narrowed, and she smiled sweetly in response. By the tone of his voice, she could tell he too was anxious. There had been a rise in the amount of demons spotted in the areas around Liyue, and he was constantly overworking himself to fend them off. She adjusted the polearm in her gloved hands as she stepped towards him.

"You worry too much, Xiao. I'm going to be fine, Fontaine will live to see another day" (Y/N) sighed as she looked back out the window, not noticing his tensed physic. The two had become well acquainted shortly after he was dispatched to fend of the demons, and their bond had only grown since.

"It's not Fontaine i'm worried about. It's you, and you know that" Xiao growled, but she was quick to place her palm on his cheek- which he instantly melted into. He didn't mean to snap like that...he was just worried sick. He didn't want to lose her.

If he lost her, he'd lose part of himself.

"I'm going to be okay. I promise you" She whispered, her palm curling slightly and her thumb brushing over his cheek. Her touch was warm, comforting. Xiao didn't notice that his hands were balled into fists, it was only when he looked down at the floor to avoid her gaze that he realized.

"I'll see you after, Alatus" (Y/N) said softly as she broke away from him, and he so desperately wanted to reach out and throw his arms around her- preventing her from leaving. But all he could do was watch as she walked away.

◈ ━━━━━━━━━━━━ ◈

The war raged for days...and days...and days. And the more she fought, the more she realized the Yaksha was right. She had no battle experience whatsoever, and the most she had ever used her powers for was healing her people. So she was completely and utterly exhausted. Not to mention...she was injured.

A cry left her lips as she collapsed to the sand, feeling numb to the waves of salt water that washed over her as she curled up. Decarabian had gotten the better of her, his attack impaling her and injuring her gravely. He was here to gain yet more power, just to hold over his peoples heads like bait. He was a monster.

Normally for any injuries she may receive, she would just heal them. It was simple and always incredibly effective. But as her life slipped away from her bit by bit, so did her ability to heal. She spluttered as a wave hit her, the water turning crimson as it mixed with her blood. This is what she got for fighting in her human vessel...and for being weak.

"Xiao..." She coughed as the pain she was experiencing melted away, her eyes feeling heavier and heavier with each passing second. Images of the yaksha flashed through her brain as she rested her head on the gritty sand, and a smile graced her chapped lips.

"So long"

◈ ━━━━━━ Now ━━━━━━ ◈

Not a day passed when the yaksha didn't hate himself with every fibre of his being. Not a day passed where he didn't think of the hydro archon. Where was she to calm him down? Where was she to progress through life with him?

Why did her life have to be taken? Why was he the one to come across her lifeless body?

Fontaine seemed to have moved on quickly after her death, even welcoming a new person to take over her power. How dare they? It happened so long ago, but the rage still bubbled inside him like it happened yesterday. The only ones that seemed to care about her death apart from him was Barbatos and Morax- but even then, they didn't fully understand.

They didn't fully understand why he distanced himself, refusing to talk to anyone when he could avoid it. Refusing to take breaks from his work of purging demons off the face of the Earth.

"Xiao, you're scowling" Verr Goldet spoke as she wiped down her desk, causing him to knit his eyebrows even more. All he wanted to do was eat his almond tofu- it was one of the only things he had left to remember her. She had taught him how to make it one day when she was feeling hungry, and it quickly became his favourite thing. He pushed it around with his fork, staring down at it intently. If he ignored the boss, maybe she'd leave him alone.

"Excuse me, I hope i'm not too late. I was wondering if you had any rooms available" A kind voice asked, and his heart skipped a beat. Why was this voice...so familiar? He was just overthinking things, after all- he was just reminiscing on their time together. He heard the boss shuffling around as she flicked through paperwork and finally, he heard the noise of a key.

"Of course. Please take the staircase up next to the young man over there, it's the first room you see" The boss bowed, and he could hear the mystery girl express her thanks. He heard footsteps approach him as she walked towards the staircase and without meaning to, his amber hues looked up- and his body froze.

He was greeted with the same h/c haired hair he loved so dearly. The same e/c orbs that he could get lost in. The same kind smile that guided him away from darkness. How could this be? Her eyes met his, and she sent him a grin- and he quickly jumped up from his seat. He wanted to reach his hand towards her, to hold her in his arms and breath in the salt fragrance he adored so much.

"(Y/N)!" Xiao called as she walked past him, and she froze in her tracks. Slowly, she turned to him- tears rolling down her face as he stumbled towards her.

"I haven't heard that name in so long"

[twinkleton]

at the end of the century - douxie x reader

Whew, this was a douzy to write! I'm so sorry about the wait, maybe it's length will make up for it! This is part two to my last fic, so be sure to give the first part a read if ya haven't! I wanted to include a familiar for the reader, but it just didn't make sense for the story. I'll happily write another fic that has a reader with one if anyone would like! Also, to avoid confusion, this takes place during the "first" battle at killahead. No time travel going on yet, obviously it's changed to where Douxie is involved in the fight. Hope you guys like it!

Tags: @purplesinnerw @clarencebells

As per usual for Camelot, its streets were bustling with its citizens up bright and early for morning shopping. Traders were bartering their newfound treasures, and parents were buying food and supply for their families. For Y/N however, she was neither a trader or a member of a family. She had nothing, except her magic. Of course she felt terrible tricking people into looking the other way while she grabbed onto a loaf of bread or an extra shirt she’d need, but in order to survive it’s what she had to do. After a while, the guilt can subside. She’d rather be doing this than have to rely on anyone ever again.

Still, as she leaned back against a wall, taking a bite out an apple she’d taken earlier, she couldn’t help but feel jealous at the sight of a little girl on top of her father’s shoulders, laughing along with her mother without a care in the world. She’d argued it was because of having to look at someone so privileged, but really it was because of having to look at someone so loved.

---------

Three years later,

Tensions had reached their peak between Morgana and King Arthur, and a war was about to begin against Gunmar and his army of Gumm-Gumms. Morgana had had enough of his mistreatment of magical creatures, therefore her loyalty to him was hanging by a thread. It didn’t seem enough that Arthur seeked help from the trolls of Dyoza, as she believed he only saw them as pawns. 

Back in Merlin’s study, him, Douxie, and Archie were discussing how to prepare for the upcoming battle, more specifically, what to do about Y/N. 

“No, we are not leaving her here!” Douxie shouts at Merlin. Archie gives him a concerned look.

“Douxie…” he says, trying to calm his friend.

“No, Y/N has never given us any reason to doubt her. How could you suggest such an idea as to lock her up until the battle is over? What has she ever done to deserve that?!”

“Hisirdoux, this is not about what she has done, but she potentially could do. We know how close she is to Morgana, and Morgana will say or do anything to persuade her to be on her side. With Y/N she has an advantage, an extra card in her deck. Keeping her here is only a precaution. It’s a way to keep Y/N safe and to keep Morgana from being stronger,” Merlin explains. 

Douxie isn’t convinced by that. He knows Y/N. He knows that she would not want to be stuck here while the rest of them go off and risk their lives for Camelot. And if Morgana sees her on their side, maybe Y/N could be the one to convince her to stop. 

“Clearly you’ve forgotten that she was the one that stopped me from bringing dark shadows into Camelot. Ever since she’s been here she’s done nothing except be the kindest and most understanding out of all of us. There’s nothing Morgana could say or do that would convince her to go against that.”

“I’m with Douxie,” Archie agrees. “Surely Merlin, you can have a little more faith in the girl. And with her training from Morgana, she could be our biggest asset against her and Gunmar.”

Douxie gives him a scratch behind the ear, silently thanking him. Archie beams at him. 

Merlin gives a sigh in defeat, not willing to argue anymore about the subject. “Alright, we won’t keep her here. However, should she side with Morgana, I fear her safety will be gravely-”

“What are the three of you up to?” As if summoned by them talking about her, Y/N walks in. 

All three of them stop in their tracks, faces blanched.

Douxie decides to sacrifice himself in explaining. “N-nothing Y/N! We were just uh..trying to calm down Archie! You know him, always been a scaredy-cat,” he nervously chuckles, picking up Archie and frantically petting him. Archie’s face screams unenthused.

“Ah yes, frightened I am.”

Y/N giggles at the absurdity going on. She walks over to Douxie, saving Archie from him. He relaxes in her arms, belly exposed for Y/N to give light scritches. 

“Aw, it’s alright, Arch. I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you, okay?” she playfully reassures. Despite obviously not needing the comfort, Archie purrs at that. Much like everyone she’s come across since being here, Archie full-heartedly loved her.

Merlin takes the opportunity to leave the room. “I must go. There’s still much to be done before the battle.” He stops at the door, turning to look at Y/N. “We all trust you, Y/N. Please, don’t let that be a mistake.”

She understands what he meant by that, and stays silent. Merlin takes his leave.

Douxie glares at where Merlin was standing moments ago. “Don’t listen to him. We know you’d make the right call with Morgana.”

Y/N lets Archie out of her arms, the familiar jumping onto the table. “I don’t know what to do. Morgana is adamant that Arthur will never see through his hatred with magickind.”

“Don’t you see Y/N? This is the only way to stop my brother and his tyranny.” Morgana had been hiding away, deep in the forest. The only person she trusted with her location was Y/N, on the condition that she swore not to reveal it to anyone else, or else their lives would be the first one targeted in the upcoming war. Y/N agreed to the terms. 

“And you honestly believe Camelot or the world even would be safer with someone like Gunmar? Once he defeats Arthur, there would be nothing to stop him from conquering everyone, including you. The world would be in shambles,” Y/N insists. It pained her heart arguing against Morgana, the first person in the longest time she’d felt safe with. It wasn’t easy for Morgana either. 

“What have I been trying to tell you from the moment you set foot in that castle? Arthur fears us, he fears Gunmar, me, and you. Magic is nothing to be afraid of. You’ve seen the wondrous things magic can do.”

“And I’ve also witnessed the horrible things it’s capable of. I know magic can be good, but people like Gunmar have to be stopped. Please Morgana, you can still do the right thing,” Y/N pleads.

Morgana turns her back on her apprentice, beginning to walk away. “The same could be said for you, my dear.” 

Despite her best efforts, Y/N can’t stop a tear from falling out of her eye. Douxie immediately walks over to comfort her, wrapping his arms around her. 

“I’m afraid, Doux,” she admits, grabbing onto the front of his tunic. “I spent years not trusting anyone, fending for myself, and the whole time I was so lonely.” Soft whimpers could be heard coming from her.

Douxie begins softly petting the back of her head, patiently waiting for her to continue. 

“Morgana was the one who saved me from that life, who gave me hope. She felt like the mother I never had.”

She slightly pulls away from Douxie, wanting to look at him. Looking into her grief-stricken eyes made Douxie almost want to agree to Merlin’s plan of keeping her here, just so she wouldn’t have to face Morgana. He knows she wouldn’t want to do that however.

“What if she’s gone after this? Will I be left all alone again?” Deep down she knows she wouldn’t be alone, but her paranoia was telling her other things.

“Never,” Douxie assures. He pushes her hair away from her face, pressing his hands against her cheeks. “I promise, darling. You will never feel alone ever again,” he swears. Y/N’s fears melt away with his words, her eyes refusing to leave his. They didn’t notice how close they had gotten until Archie interrupted. He hops onto Douxie’s shoulders, causing him to let go of Y/N in order to regain his balance. He lets out a huff of annoyance, with Archie giving him a cheeky smile. 

“Don’t worry dear Y/N. No matter what happens, Doux and I will always be here for you.” She smiles at that, giving Archie a loving pat on his head. 

“Thank you, Archie,” she says, looking back at Douxie to grin at him, implying that their moment wasn’t finished. Douxie gets the hint.

--------

Deya slams her amulet into the bridge, opening up the portal to seal away Gunmar and his army. Y/N had stayed with the trolls of Dyoza to help them against the Gumm-Gumms, leaving Merlin, Douxie, and Archie to defeat Morgana. 

The fight had gone too long for Merlin who was injured, weakening his magic. Archie had been knocked out earlier by a strong blow from Morgana. Douxie was holding his own despite Morgana being far stronger than him, however it didn’t last long. 

Pushing her hands away from her, a huge burst of dark wind cascaded the arena they were in, leaving Douxie and Merlin blind. Morgana seized the opportunity to trap them, tying them up in rope created by her magic. They struggled against them, but there was no use. Morgana started cackling with glee, believing she bested them.

“You fools! You should’ve known better than to go against me. You wasted your lives trying to protect my cowardly brother, and now all your squabbling will be for nothing!” Morgana rises into the air and raises her hand, a strong light pulsing from it, no doubt from her charging her final blow against them. 

Douxie frantically looks around for any sign of help or weapon to use. Finding nothing, his last resort is to use words.

“Morgana! Think about Y/N! You know she doesn’t want this!” he shouts, desperation clear in his words.

“Don’t act as if you care about what she wants! You only see her as your puppet, another pawn for you to use! She and all magickind will finally be free once all of you are gone!” A final pulse comes from her hand, the light so bright it hurts to even glance at. All hope deferred, Douxie’s final wish was for the truth to be heard. 

“You’re wrong! Y/N was the reason I changed for the better! I used to be whiny and immature-”

“Hisirdoux! Now’s not the time for a heart to heart!” Merlin interrupts.

Douxie ignores him, “I used to be bitter about the hand I was given, but Y/N gave me a reason to be grateful for what I had! She’s the brightest out of all of us, and I’m so, so lucky to have met her, befriended her, and fallen in love with her!” A wave of peace fills Douxie, accepting his fate. 

His words have left Morgana speechless. Doubt floods her mind, for the first time since this battle began. However, she snaps back into her fury. 

“Very well, you can die with a peace of mind. I’ll tell Y/N all about your feelings for her while she grieves over your dead body,” she maliciously answers. She throws her hand down, an enormous beam of light launches from her hand.

Douxie closes his eyes, waiting for the feeling of burning skin to come, but it never does.

“There won’t be any need for that, Morgana!”

He recognizes that voice, and his eyes shoot open. The ground beneath them shakes, as Y/N throws up a shield so large, it sends Morgana’s magic flying all across the other side of the room, most of it hitting Morgana herself. She lets out a cry, falling to the floor. 

Y/N sprints over to Merlin and Douxie, freeing them from the ropes.

Douxie gleefully says, “Y/N! You made it! You’re okay- how much of that did you hear?”

Y/N giggles, “Just that last bit. You know, the important bit.”

Douxie lets out an embarrassed chuckle. Archie, having finally woken up, flies over to the couple. “I’d hate to interrupt this lovely reunion, but we do have a ninth-level sorceress to take care of.”

They all turn towards Morgana. “Right, let’s finish this,” Douxie commands.

Douxie and Archie team up, using magic and fire to seal Morgana in a ring of flames. Morgana growls in anger. Y/N puts up shields all around her friends, blocking any of Morgana’s attacks from hitting them. When Morgana shoots her magic at Y/N, Merlin defends her, the bolt ricocheting off his staff and back towards Morgana. Douxie jumps towards Morgana, armed with a sigil designed to freeze her. He successfully reaches her, and the both of them are frozen in the air, except she has no control.

“Hurry! I can’t hold her that long!” Douxie warns. 

“You’ve lost yourself Morgana! Bound to dark magic,” Merlin yells, slamming his staff to the ground, a large sigil of his own covering the floor. 

“I have no choice but to seal you away!” He begins the spell, balls of light rising from the floor. Morgana is able to swing her staff at Douxie, throwing him across the room. However, before she can move, Y/N replaces Douxie, freezing Morgana once more with an even stronger hold. 

“Do it! Finish the spell!” Y/N shouts. 

Morgana screams in frustration. “How dare you, Y/N! I am the reason your life has meaning, I’m the reason for everything you hold dear! You’d be nothing if it weren’t for me!”

“I never was nothing! The only thing I used to be was alone! You’ve given me a family, and for that I’m grateful, but now I have to protect that family! And the only way to do that is to get rid of you!” Y/N turns toward Merlin, “Any day now!”

Merlin chants the final line of the spell, and a beam of light expels from his staff, hitting Morgana at her feet, encasing them in stone. The light slowly works its way up her body.

“I will destroy you all! No matter what it takes, no matter where you go, I will not rest until I’ve ended you and all that you love!” Morgana vows, hitting Y/N with a bolt, knocking her down. Douxie sprints and catches her before she hits the floor. 

Most of Morgana’s body has been encased, leaving only her torso and head free. “I swear on your lives I shall rise again!” 

“And we’ll still be here to stop you once more, buttsnack!” Douxie promises, firmly holding onto Y/N. Once all of her has been frozen, Merlin crosses his arms, finishing the enchantment. Y/N opens up a portal to the Shadow Realm, and Merlin hurls Morgana into it. The last thing heard from Morgana is fearful screaming as Y/N closes the portal.

With the battle finally over, everyone gives a huge sigh of relief, falling to the floor. Archie marches over to Douxie and Y/N, jumping on top of them and licking their faces.

“Arch! That’s disgusting,” Douxie complains with a smile, clearly not meaning it. Y/N hugs Archie, giving him a kiss on the forehead. Douxie beams at the both of them, feeling so content in the moment. 

He puts a hand on her shoulder, “Are you alright, love?” Archie hops off of Y/N, deciding to give them a moment alone.

“I’m okay, more than okay really. She was too far gone, there was nothing more we could do,” Y/N answers. “Now, about your little declaration of love there.”

Douxie nervously giggles, “Yeaahhh, about that. Look desperate times call for desperate measures! Had I known you were just going to waltz in anyway, I would’ve waited for a more romantic evening to confess my undying love for you.”

“Uh-huh.”

“There would’ve been flowers, music, little sweet buns iced with our initials toget-”

Y/N cuts off his rambling by grabbing his tunic with one hand, resting the other on his cheek, and pulling his lips towards hers. Their first kiss is a soft one, with Douxie wrapping his arms around her, pulling her even closer. They let each other go, feeling the sudden urge to laugh at one another for their impeccable timing.

“I love you too, Douxie. More than anything,” Y/N confesses.

Douxie grabs her face and pulls her into another kiss, convinced this is the happiest moment of his life.

Eventually, they remember they’re not alone. They look around to see Merlin passed out on the floor. 

“Merlin!” they both shout, running over to him. Archie apparently had been trying to wake them up, waiting for their moment to be over in order to tell them.

“Why didn’t you tell us he’d passed out?!” Douxie scolds.

Archie waves his paws in defense. “Pardon me, you know I’m all for happy endings. I just didn’t want to be the one to tell you it’s not over yet.” Douxie lets out a groan, slamming his hand to his forehead.

“When do you think he’ll wake up?” Y/N asks.

“Hopefully, soon,” Douxie answers, doubtfully.

--------

Nine centuries later, 

“FUZZBUCKETS!” Douxie screams in the air, being dragged along by a mephit he, Y/N, and Archie were trying to catch. 

“Don’t let go of it!” Y/N shouts, trying to sprint ahead of the creature.

“Ah yes dear, that was the plan all along! To free this poor tortured beast!” he yells sarcastically, before slamming into the ground for the fifth time that night.

“You know it was your sense of humor I fell in love with first!” she quips. She opens up a portal on the floor and jumps into it, opening up another one right in front of the mephit. She draws up a sigil that the mephit bounces off of, knocking him down.

“Ah well, luckily for you I’m quite the jester!” Douxie jokes. 

Archie swoops in and blows fire at the mephit, fatally wounding it. Douxie is then able to cast the creature away. They all let out shouts of victory, Y/N giving each of them a high five. 

“You know, one of these days you two will be the death of me. Maybe don’t start flirting with each other until you’re absolutely certain you’ve caught the shadow mephit,” Archie chides.

Y/N scratches behind Archie’s ear as a way of apology. “I’m so sorry dear husband over there insists on putting his hands on me at every available opportunity. He’s quite the scoundrel,” Y/N teases. 

Douxie scoffs at that remark, pretending to be offended. “Pardon me, dear wife. But if I recall correctly it was you who-” He doesn’t finish his sentence as he’s distracted by the lights suddenly flickering and then bursting. 

“Hisirdoux,” a voice calls out. 

“Is that…?” Y/N questions, looking around.

“I think it is…. Merlin!” Douxie grins in excitement, happy to know his master is finally awake. 

A green sigil lights up from underneath Douxie, making him jump back. Merlin rises up from it, except it’s only a projection of him. 

“Hisirdoux, my faithful apprentice-”

“You darn right I’ve been faithful. Who leaves a guy hanging for almost a millennium? You could’ve sent a raven, or a text! There’s texting you know!” Douxie whines. 

“It’s so good to see you, Merlin,” Y/N says with a smile, giving him a bow. 

Merlin smiles back, “Lovely to see you too, dear Y/N. I see Hisirdoux hasn’t tormented you enough to run to the hills yet.”

Y/N laughs, standing back up, “Actually, he’s done quite the opposite.” She raises her left hand, showing off the ring on her finger. Douxie wraps an arm around her shoulders, eyes staring lovingly at her. Merlin beams at the both of them, glad that they’ve had each other all the years. 

“Congratulations, you two,” Merlin proudly says. 

“Thanks, Master,” Douxie responds gratefully. The last nine hundred have been wonderful with her and Archie at his side.

Merlin clears his throat, “I’ve come here to task you all with a mission. You must bring the Guardians of Arcadia, with haste.” The projection of him fades away, leaving the three of them alone. 

“Errand boys once again, aren’t we?” Archie complains. Douxie lets out a sigh. 

“Don’t think of it as an errand, think of it as another adventure,” Y/N suggests, wrapping her left arm around Douxie and letting Archie climb on top of her shoulders. “It’ll be fun! You’ll see.”

Douxie chuckles, and brings his left hand to her head, pulling it closer to him to press a light kiss against her forehead. “With you, my love, anything’s an adventure.”

--------

Bonus, 

“Wait, so the two of you are wizards?! Not just baristas at the cafe?!” Toby questions. 

“Yup!” Y/N replies. 

“And you’ve been living for nine hundred years?!” 

“Yup!” 

Steve gives Y/N a quick up/down glance, “Well, you certainly don’t look it.”

Douxie glares at him, “Careful, she’s married.”

Steve raises his hands in defense, “I’m just saying! Wait, to you?”

“Yes!” Douxie barks at him. 

“Today’s actually our eight hundred and ninety-sixth anniversary,” Y/N informs them with a smile. 

“And you’re spending it here? Wow Doux, you suck at romance.” Toby criticizes.

Douxie scoffs, “Alright, you go celebrate eight hundred and ninety-five anniversaries and report back to me!”

Y/N lets out a giggle, “Maybe that’s enough questions for now.”

[random-senpai]

Senpai's MILF Otome Game Masterpost

Protagonist and key supporting roles

You, MILF Supreme: The main character of the Otome game. You are an 34 year old single mother of a beautiful 16 year old daughter. You are an absolutely stunning woman with an amazing rack, an ass that won't quit, never takes shit from anybody, and has a tendency to say "Ara ara~" when amused. Due to the hustle and bustle in your life you've taken to styling your gorgeous hair into an easy to maintain side plait. Long ago you fell in love with your childhood friend and became highschool sweethearts. The two of you became married when you got pregnant at 18. Thanks your support for each other the two of you were able to juggle college and raising a newborn daughter together successfully. You thought you would be happy together forever until you found him in bed with another woman at the age of 25. The two of you divorced shortly after and you won main custody of your daughter. 10 years later and now you are an successful businesswoman with only a few superiors at work. But due to the juggling of your career and raising your daughter with care you have little time for love. At least until it finds you instead.

Your Daughter: A beautiful 16 year old girl that takes after you in many ways. She may have her father's eyes but the rest of her is mostly you. She's an otome protagonist in her own story, but not in this one. She can be clumsy and stubborn, especially regarding her own emotions. But you can tell she loves you deeply and wants you to be happy, even if she's going through a rebellious phase in her life. She's taken to cooking, cleaning, and other housework in order to lighten your load when you aren't working. And despite your attempts to tell her otherwise you can tell she carries deep guilt for robbing you of your youth.

MILF BFF #1: A friend of your's since Middle School that's carried out to your whole life. She was there when you started going out with your ex husband and was the first shoulder to cry on when he cheated. She's happily married to a wonderful loving husband and you were the maid of honor at her wedding. She's recently retired from the workforce and is currently a housewife raising twins. She occassionally calls you for advice raising them which you happily give.

MILF BFF #2: A friend you met shortly after you began working after college. Together you raised each other up as you climbed your careers. She's a fellow single mother albeit from her husband dying in an Truck accident instead of a divorce like yourself. She's not looking for love at the moment. And although she's open to it, she says her focus is her son.

(When you are together with your BFFs, the three of you are a holy trinity of sheer MILF power. Many look at you three stunned by your energy and appearance but all of them are too intimidated to actually approach)

Routes

Your Boss: The Manager of your Company's entire branch in the city and one of the few superiors you have at work. He's tough on everyone and has the face to match his nickname of the "Demon Boss". But despite his general harshness he's very accommodating for family. He grew up in poverty in a single mother household and is very understanding to them to particular. Funny enough he lives very modestly despite the money he makes from his high position. He donates most of what he makes to charities and programs, particularly many that support struggling families and single mothers. Often volunteering on his days off to see the good of what his money goes to. Every month he changes the flowers at his mother's grave without fail. He's very adamant about not mixing his personal life and his professional one. A huge tsundere that blushes to a degree most would be surprised to see on a 45 year old man.

Your Daughter's PE teacher: A energetic man with the brightest smile you've ever seen, as well as a passion for sports and his students. Although he serves as the school's PE teacher and coaches various teams (including your daughter's volleyball team) he never pushes the students too hard. He was actually the ace in your college's Football (Soccer) team. Unfortunately he suffered an injury he never quite fully recovered from and never went pro. Long ago you had a chance meeting with him after he got injured and helped give him the strength to move on after losing his dreams. He wanted to ask you out back in college, but as you were married he simply thanked you and moved on.

Your Ex Husband's older brother and your former Brother in Law: A childhood friend that's always been there to support you. He has a scary face as well as a scar from when a cat you took in clawed him in your elementary days. He's been a great uncle to your daughter and helped you throughout your divorce to his brother. A former Yankee, he's never been the brightest in terms of booksmarts. One of your most consistent memories of middle/high school was patching him up after he got into fights. He failed his college exams and became a construction worker, gradually making his way to Crew Leader through hard work. When your Ex Husband cheated on you he beat him to the point where you had to pry him off. Now their relationship has been strained ever since. Despite his imposing presence he's a coward with his emotions. He's liked you since high school but never felt he was good enough for you, especially now that you're so successful and he's just a guy in construction. On the day he graduated he gave you all the buttons from his uniform.

The bar owner of your favorite place to drink: Charming and reassuring, it's incredibly easy to open up to him. He's been there for many a night of your drunk ramblings and even relates to many of your problems as a fellow single parent. Although he never gives details on what happened to his daughter's mom, he absolutely loves to brag about his daughter (who just so happens to be your daughter's best friend). Off the clock he's surprisingly sensual and is a bit of a dirty talker. His smirk in particular can get very seductive. He has an excellent singing voice and even though he insists he's too rusty, he's very talented playing the guitar. Long ago he was actually a musician that never managed to be successful. When he became a father, his own dad taught him the ins and outs of bartending and helped him raise his daughter. His bar was actually inherited from his father. The fact that he was entrusted with it is something he cherishes greatly.

The Young College Intern: A college student shadowing your company for an internship. Due to certain circumstances you've been put in charge of him. His naivety and energy remind you very much of yourself in your youth. He has a very obvious crush on you at first sight and is very bad at hiding it. Considering your age difference you just think it's cute and don't take it seriously at all. He's the eldest of 5 siblings and shows a more serious side when it come to them. Especially now that his parents are currently working abroad for awhile. Outside of interning for your company he also attends classes and works part time. Not wanting to worry anybody he often hides any signs he's tired with a smile on his face.

(Maybe Maybe not route) Your Ex Husband and your first love: A professional comedian, actor, and show host. Along with his older brother the three of you were close growing up. He always found a way to make you laugh and smile, thats why you fell in love with him. On your 2nd year of High School he confessed to you and you started going out. He's always been somewhat childish and immature but very quickly took up responsibility when you became pregnant at 18. The marriage was a shotgun wedding sure, but the two of you were happy. It was a struggle juggling raising a daughter and your subsequent educations and careers but together you made it work. Until you caught him in bed with another woman at 26. He broke your heart and the divorce was messy, numbing you to the possibility of experiencing romantic love for years. Post divorce he's changed his last name and became estranged from the rest of his family, especially his brother. He's been doing very well for himself however and broke out in popularity soon after your divorce. But even so he never lets his busy schedule get in the way of the days he has custody and he's been trying his best to be a good father to your daughter. He seems more mature now than when you were married and you can tell that he's changed. Whether it's for the better or the worse, you don't know. His route is the only one where your daughter doesn't support you and actively objects to it.

Other Supporting Roles

Your dad: Your father whose raised you alone after your mom died in a tragic accident when you were 13. He loves you deeply and spoils his grandaughter a little bit too much. He objected to it when you first married Ex Husband but has never said "I told you so" after the divorce.

Your Daughter's Best Friend and the Bar Owner's Daughter: A sweet girl whose more shy and introverted personality compliments your daughter's well. Beautiful but dresses very plainly. She has a wonderful singing voice and sometimes works part time at her father's bar as a server.

MILF BFF #1's Husband: He loves his wife and children dearly. He was always a little bit awkward even when they were just dating and you love to tease him about that. You can tell at times that he's self conscious about being a good enough provider and husband for his wife.

Boss's Little Sister: The owner of a flower shop in town. She often worries about her big brother and his prickly personality causing misunderstandings. But she understands him well and loves him greatly. The flowers he brings to their mother's grave are oftentimes ones she's grown herself and if she has time she comes with him. Married with 2 sons, she jokes with him about if he's ever going to find anybody.

Your Former In Laws: The parents of your Ex Husband and his older brother. Your late mother and them were very close friends. Even though you've divorced from their son they still proudly call you their daughter. In fact after your divorce they've all but disowned him. They still worry about their eldest and actively compete with your father over whose your daughter's favorite grandparents.

Pro Football (Soccer) player: Another alumni from your college and a member of the pro leagues. He played with the Coach back in the day and they still remain best friends. Although happy with his job and his life, he can't help but feel guilt over him living his best friend's dreams.

Intern's sister: The 2nd eldest of the family. She's a 3rd year on highschool and has taken over a majority of the housework in their mother's absence. She negs her brother over how childish he is, but is also the first to defend him against others. She worries greatly about how he overexerts himself.

[ineffably-good]

It’s The Principality Of It

Summary: Principalities are made for fighting. Like it or not. Or, why not to invite Aziraphale to play laser tag. 

Read it on AO3!

_____________

1.

Aziraphale was an angel full of contradictions. He loved being an angel but wished he could be fully human. He believed in the core virtues but found it very hard to practice some of them, especially those involving temperance and keeping your celestial temple unsullied. He loved the Almighty completely and utterly but found many of her underlings quite tiresome.

And most interestingly, he hated violence in general and fighting in specific, but he was absolutely lethal with a sword.

It was a fact widely acknowledged in Heaven that Principalities were made for fighting. They were guardians, and not in the soft and fluffy sense of a personal guardian angel who appeared over your right shoulder and told you that perhaps you shouldn’t have that last bite of cheesecake or that maybe you should go apologize to your wife. No, Principalities were guardians in the sense of standing alone, flaming sword in hand, on a promontory in the north of Britain and single handedly fighting off the Viking fleet.  

Not that that had happened, though. Aziraphale was pretty sure that there weren’t any witnesses to that event, and he intended to disavow it to his grave.

--

Shortly after Aziraphale was created, he found himself standing in a long line in front of Heaven’s quartermaster, who was a strange little man with curly mustaches and a piercing gaze.

“Let’s see, who’s next,” the man shouted to no one in particular. He consulted his clipboard. “Ah yes, Principality Aziraphale. Principality?”

Aziraphale stepped forward and gave the quartermaster a polite smile. “That would be me, I believe.”

“New, are you?” the Quartermaster asked, crisply. “Always good to meet a Principality. Have they decided what you’ll be protecting yet?”

“I believe it has something to do with Her new special project on Earth,” Aziraphale replied modestly. “I’m not quite clear on the details yet.”

The quartermaster looked him up and down. “Well,” he said, “you’ll probably want to make a few changes to your corporation before you head down. Toughen up a little bit. You look a little soft around the edges, yet. No matter though, let’s see what they’ve issued you for basic equipment, shall we?”

Aziraphale looked down at himself while the quartermaster checked his list. Was he soft? He didn’t see any problem with his corporation; it was healthy and strong and comfortable and he rather liked it. She had made him this way, after all, and he didn’t see any need to modify the Creator’s design. He examined his hands and fingernails, looking for flaws.

A snapping noise brought him back to reality. The quartermaster was snapping his fingers under Aziraphale’s nose, trying to get his attention.

“You are a bit of a strange one, aren’t you?” he asked, not waiting for an answer. “Well it’s your lucky day, because you’ve been issued a piece of rather special equipment. Genuine flaming sword.”

“Ah, well, that’s just lovely, isn’t it?” Aziraphale said, trying to look suitably impressed. He didn’t know too much about himself, being relatively new, but he could already tell he had very little interest in swords and what one did with them.

The quartermaster dug around in a cupboard for a moment and pulled out a large sword with a dramatic flourish. He handed it to Aziraphale, hilt first.

The moment his hand touched the hilt, Aziraphale felt a thrum through his body that he had never experienced before. The sword felt like a natural extension of his arm, and he found himself testing its balance and making a few sweeping movements just to get the feel of it. It felt, he found, very good.

“Isn’t she a beauty?” the quartermaster said. “Now to make it flame, you just –”

FWOMP.

“Ah, I see you already know how to do it,” the man said with a smile. “I should’ve known. You Principalities are made for war.”

Aziraphale widened his eyes and quickly extinguished the sword with a flicker of thought. He was made for what?

“Next!” called the quartermaster. Aziraphale tucked the sword away and tried to find his way back to the rather intriguing scroll room he’d found earlier in the day.

--

It was a relief, really, to give the sword away to Adam and Eve. Despite how good and true it felt in his hand, he’d never cared for the thing. Handling it made him deeply uncomfortable; something about having a weapon in his hand made him feel like his entire being was nothing more than a means to an end. It was true, what the quartermaster had told him so long ago – he was bred for fighting. What he didn’t understand, though, was why his loving creator would make a creature such as him, designed to fight and to decimate one’s enemies, and also instill in them such a deep distaste for the task. Why give him both an almost unbeatable set of fighting skills and a deep abhorrence for violence? It was… what was that word? Ineffable.

Aziraphale watched, long after the demon left, as the light of the flaming sword receded over the desert sands. Adam and Eve were making their way into the world, lit by the weapon he had never wanted. Perhaps it would be of more use to them than it ever had been to him.

It had felt like the right thing to do. He hoped he’d acted correctly.

  2.

Aziraphale managed to go many centuries without ever having to fight, but it occasionally came up. He couldn’t help but be involved in a war here, a skirmish there. Various kingdoms over the years valued prowess in battle over all else, and sometimes it was necessary to provide a demonstration of his skills to gain access to the people he needed to influence. Sometimes he had legitimate reasons to defend a people or a place he cared about, and he did it thoroughly, dispatching the job as quickly as possible and trying to cause as little harm as he could. He rarely lost a fight.

He didn’t know Crawly very well the first time they were called upon to fight each other. They’d been acquaintances and adversaries for quite some time, but only ran into each other every few centuries. This changed when they were both assigned to influence King Cyrus of the Persis empire in his attempt to overtake Babylon and India.

Being a warlike creature intent on conquering most of the known world, the king’s favorite past time was designating two of his men (or women) to fight each other for his amusement. Crawly did his best to stay out of sight during these interludes, but Aziraphale, having been seized upon immediately as someone who was perhaps not in the best trim, physically, had been squared off early against one of the king’s riders for an easy win.

The king was amused and pleased when Aziraphale unexpectedly wiped the floor with his first opponent, revealing himself to be a rather astute fighter despite his soft and fussy exterior. 

After that, the king made a habit of pairing up the angel with increasingly challenging opponents – some with fists, some with weapons, some with just traditional wrestling. Aziraphale defeated each of them without barely breaking a sweat.

—

“You need to let them land a punch or two, angel,” Crawly warned him one evening after the fight had concluded in the usual way. “Bleed a little somewhere unobtrusive. People are beginning to talk. You’re making enemies.”

Aziraphale sighed heavily. “I don’t want to bleed! I don’t want to fight at all! This is most frustrating, having to pummel people for someone else’s amusement. How am I supposed to get my job done when all he wants is to see me beat people up?”

“Well you could, I dunno, lose?” Crawly suggested.

The angel pondered this. “I suppose I could,” he said. “How badly would I have to lose? I truly don’t enjoy pain.”

Crawly felt an idea come squirming up out of the depths. 

“Angel,” he said. “What if I arrange to get myself nominated as your opponent? We’ll make sure it’s wrestling so no one has to seriously injure the other. And you can throw the match.”

Aziraphale frowned. “Oh, and just conveniently you get to win?”

Crawly rolled his eyes. “Seriously, angel, what’s going on with you? Yes, I get to win – because if it’s me, you know I’m not going to bash your head in or give you a concussion or do anything serious.”

“Just wrestling?” Aziraphale said, considering.

“Yeah. And since we both agree on the outcome, we can make it look really good so they think you went down fighting. Should get you out of the ring for a while.”

“All right, it’s worth a try,” the angel said. “How are you going to get yourself put into the arena?”

“Just leave that to me,” Crawly said.

 --

Sure enough, a few nights later, when the wine was flowing heavily and the evening was growing increasingly rowdy, Aziraphale heard the king’s voice calling out for him in the hubbub.

“Yes, my lord?” Aziraphale said, bowing deeply before him.

“You’ve defeated most of my servants, and two of my secretaries, and even my youngest son,” the king said. “So tonight, I have a new challenge for you.”

Aziraphale looked up at him, waiting. The king motioned to his side and, unsurprisingly, Crawly stepped forward. Their eyes met and they both did their best to pretend to coolly assess the other. Good, Aziraphale thought. This was all going according to plan.

“Let’s see how you do against an opponent with less brawn but more cunning,” the king said.

“Wrestling, my lord?” Aziraphale said politely, trying to hide how much he enjoyed the “less brawn” comment.

The king took a moment to answer. “I don’t think that would be a very fair encounter,” he said. “You outweigh him by nearly half.”

Crawly snorted. Aziraphale glowered at him.      

“I think we will have you fight with staffs tonight,” the king said.

Crawly frowned. He hadn’t been planning on encountering Aziraphale with a weapon in his hand. That was suicide. However, he reminded himself, this wasn’t an actual fight, just a simulated one. He could get through this. He trusted the angel.

--

It started as a fair fight. Crawly was fairly sure that only he could tell that Aziraphale was holding back; the angel made it look like he was convincingly testing Crawly’s defenses and finding chinks in his battle strategy that he could exploit. Determined to play his part, he set about making it look good by offering up a variety of jibes and insults.

That may, in retrospect, have been a miscalculation.

“C’mon, is that all you’ve got? I’d heard you know how to fight!” Crawly taunted him as they circled each other, feinting and drawing back. Aziraphale raised an eyebrow and spun his staff impressively and then settled into a highly defensive stance with his feet wider than his shoulders and his left hand holding the base of the staff in an easy grip. He smiled at Crawly in a way that was downright chilling.

Still playing at this, correct? the demon thought.

Crawly took the moment to begin what should have been a devastating downward blow with the upper end of his staff, but Aziraphale smoothly stepped towards him, missing most of the force of the blow, and swung the lower end of his staff in a smooth motion parallel to the ground, hitting Crawly in his flank.

The demon staggered back a step or two and reassessed, circling the angel widely while looking for a weakness. The angel was going to make it possible for him to win this, he knew, but he had to land a few blows first.

Aziraphale charged him and Crawly blocked him easily enough, criss-crossing their staffs expertly as he upended the intended blow and drove the angel back a step or two.

“Not so showy now, are you?” Crawly said, more to the observers than to the angel, although he did notice the angel grimacing in response. He pushed hard against the angel and their staffs disengaged as the angel dropped to one knee

Aziraphale pressed down on the ground with his staff and lumbered to his feet, clearly expecting Crawly to give him a moment to do so, but the demon decided to press his advantage, and surged ahead issuing a strong blow to the angel’s left side, knocking him backwards, and then a follow up blow to his right hip, which pushed him down to the ground.  

An excited murmur arose among the crowd. Could the undefeated champion be facing someone worthy of him?

Crawly, holding the angel down by the force of both hands on his staff, locked eyes with Aziraphale for a tense moment and noted that he had a small trickle of blood rolling down his left temple. Had he hit him in the face? He hadn’t meant to. The angel met his eyes, legitimately struggling for a moment, and when the drop of blood hit his eye Crawly saw something snap in him.

No, angel, no, remember? Crawly shouted psychically. You’re supposed to let me win. I’m doing this because you told me to.

It was no use. Crawly watched the angel’s eyes ignite from their usual soft blue to a more fiery version and he knew, without a doubt, that he was in for it. Aziraphale had lost control of his fighting response and was moving into Principality mode, and before he even had time to move, the angel had sprung to his feet with superhuman strength and was beating him back to the opposite corner with a flurry of blows that landed more rapidly than he could block. Crawly dully heard the cheer of the crowd as their favorite champion beat the crap out of his opposition, but he was too busy trying to stay alive to do anything about it. He blocked, he parried, he ducked one particularly crushing blow, and he tried to keep his footing as the Angel of the Eastern Gate bore down on him in all of his avenging glory.

What may have been thirty seconds or thirty minutes later, Crawly came to his senses laid flat on the dusty ground, Aziraphale’s staff pressed into his solar plexus with such force that a human would not have been able to withstand it without serious injury.

“And we have a winner!” shouted the king, from his seat at the edge of the ring. “Counselor Aziraphale is again victorious!”

Loud whoops and cheers erupted from all sides, and the noise -- finally, thankfully – the noise seemed to wake Aziraphale from his hypnotic-like state. Crawly, fearing for his immortal life, watched as Aziraphale blinked and shook his head, looking around in confusion, and then looked down to find his ineffable adversary, bleeding and defeated at his feet, using all of the force of his will to keep a quarterstaff from breaking his ribs and possibly piercing a lung.

“What on earth?” Aziraphale said, moving his staff aside and offering a hand to help Crawly up.

The demon batted it away. He rolled to his side and carefully made his way to his feet, before meeting Aziraphale’s eyes with an intense glare. He dropped his staff at the angel’s feet in the traditional gesture of defeat, then limped off the combat field. Aziraphale watched as he accepted a flagon of ale from one of his mates and then stalked out of sight towards his tent without ever taking so much as another glance back at the angel.

“Oh dear,” the angel fretted.

 --

Aziraphale waited until darkness had fallen and most of the camp was deeply intoxicated before he made his way to Crawly’s tent. He called out to alert the demon of his presence, and then opened the flap to enter.

Crawly was lying face down on the bundle of furs that served as his bedding. He waved a hand in recognition of the angel and then grunted something.

The angel found himself unsure of what to say. He sank down onto his knees next to Crawly and looked him over. “My dear, are you all right?” he asked.

“Fuck off, angel,” Crowley muttered. “I’m fine. Can take a beating, you know I can. Certainly have taken enough of them, over the years. Never from you before, though. Jerk.”

Aziraphale swallowed in dismay. “I’m so sorry, Crawly – I don’t know what happened, when you made me bleed I just – I just lost control of myself and went into battle mode…”

Crowley groaned and rolled onto his back, then eased himself up into a sitting position. “I noticed,” he said wryly.

“You must believe me that I didn’t intend to do this,” Aziraphale pleaded. “I meant to throw the fight like we discussed, I just found myself… physically unable to do so.”

Crawly looked at the angel. He looked a little green, as if he wanted desperately to be ill. Aziraphale, for all of his training and purpose as a Principality, as a guardian, hated to fight, hated to hurt anyone or anything. There had quite possibly never been anyone quite so at odds with their intended purpose as the angel, Crawly thought, feeling a surge of sympathy for him that almost overcame the deep amount of pissed off he was feeling.

“I know,” the demon hissed. “Back off a little, will you? I need to finish healing myself.”

“Oh, let me,” the angel said, readying to lay hands on him. “It’s the least I could do –”

“ANGEL!” the demon shouted. “You already nearly discorporated me with your staff. Are you truly going to complete the task now by showering me with angelic grace?”

“Oh,” Aziraphale said, falling back. “No of course not. What was I thinking?”  He scooted back several yards and let Crawly get to work.

Aziraphale let the king know the next day that he was making a vow of peace to his gods and would no longer be fighting. The king, having heard the grumblings and discontent of some of his men, wisely accepted this. However, the legends of the counselor to the king who could not be defeated in battle lived on for centuries in stories and song.

 3.

“Laser tag?” Aziraphale said doubtfully. “I really don’t think…”

“It’s what Adam wants to do for his birthday,” Pepper said firmly, a look in her eye that could cow even an angel. “And he wants you two to come. If you say no, you’ll be the ones ruining his birthday and I know you don’t want to do that.”

Aziraphale looked helplessly at Crowley, who shrugged.

And so they came to find themselves strapping on sensor vests and being taught how to shoot a distressingly realistic-looking weapon the following Saturday, along with Adam, Brian, Wensleydale, and Pepper, as well as a few other parents who had decided to join the fun.

“Angel, a word,” Crowley said, pulling him aside as they made their final adjustments.

Aziraphale followed him back into the vestibule. “What is it?”

“I just wanted to be sure that we aren’t going to have any problems today.”

The angel frowned. “What do you mean?”  

Crowley fixed him with a look. “Angel, you know how you get.”

“I most certainly do not!” The angel visibly bristled. “What are you referring to?”

“You know,” Crowley said, waving a hand. “Put you in a fight and you get all – Principalitied up. I don’t want you losing control in there because a twelve year old makes your target light up and taking out the entire place in a swath of angelic rage.”

“Oh I really don’t think…”

“Have you forgotten the quarterstaff fight?”

Aziraphale flushed. “My dear, that was over two thousand years ago.”

“Do you remember who it was that taught the Celts to paint themselves blue and scream so loudly as they ran into battle that some of their enemies dropped dead from fright?”

Aziraphale looked both a tiny bit proud of that one and a bit embarrassed. “Yes, I remember that.”

“How about that joust we no longer talk about in Henry’s court? The one where you were supposed to let the favored contender win but you just couldn’t stop yourself?”

Aziraphale looked deeply distressed. “I healed all of them! Immediately!”

“I could go on,” Crowley said. All signs to the contrary, he was not enjoying this conversation, but he needed to be sure the angel wasn’t going to hurt anyone.

“I didn’t go berserk the last time I held a sword, did I?” the angel muttered. “There have been plenty of times I’ve managed just fine.”

Crowley eyed him. “No, you didn’t,” he said. “But these are children, and it’s bad form to demolish the birthday boy at his own party. If I see you losing control, I’m taking you down.”

“Fine!” Aziraphale sighed. “Do what you must. I will be fine.”

He was secretly relieved as he followed Crowley into the arena, though. It was always good to have someone watching your back.

He cocked his weapon as they’d been shown, and surveyed the landscape, already taking in a few key strategic points. As the lights went out, he went into a tactical crouch, and instinctively headed for cover.

Oh, the humans were onto something with this one, he thought. This was going to be fun.

--

“That was WICKED, uncle Aziraphale,” Adam said, breathless, as they sat around later in the afternoon eating overly sugary cake off of paper plates. “You shot EVERYONE! You were like… like a superhero in there!”

Aziraphale blushed and fidgeted with his plate. “I suppose I got a little overenthusiastic,” he mumbled.

Wensleydale jumped in on the other side. “No way, man, you were the high shooter for the entire arena!” he shouted. “How many people were in there today?”

“Thirty five,” Crowley said dryly, from across the table. Aziraphale met his eyes and Crowley shoveled a large scoop of mostly frosting into his mouth and licked the fork clean, never dropping his gaze.

“And you hit thirty one of them,” Pepper said, grinning. “Everyone except us!”

“Yes,” Crowley said acerbically, “how did you manage it, angel?”

“Never mind him,” Adam said. “He’s just mad because you took him out first.”

Aziraphale coughed on his drink. “I truly didn’t mean to,” he said helplessly. “You surprised me, Crowley, when you popped out from behind that column and I just… got overexcited.”

Crowley continued to glare at him while shoveling cake into his mouth. “It takes three shots to knock a player out, angel,” he said. “You shot me seventeen times.”

“With a light beam,” Aziraphale pointed out. It wasn’t like it was bullets, after all.

“Lucky for you.”

“You can be on our team anytime you want, Uncle Z,” Adam said. “And you have to teach me some of your moves. I swear I saw you do a triple roll and come up shooting.”

Aziraphale took another large bite of the terrible cake and tried to block out the conversation. He was never going to hear the end of this from Crowley.

[ziracona]

I reread your bit about rin in the last chapter and oh my god im crying. You did my girl justice. I'm so proud of her and i'm glad she had fun. I love the thought that she's helping him in little ways. ;') and oh my god. i love the myers siblings. Do you mind if I ask for hcs? because oooohhhmygod. need more

Awww thank you so much! I really liked the Adam-Rin segment too. I wanted to talk about Rin, but being an Onryo made it so I just couldn’t feasibly in the bulk of the story. Really glad I still got to give her her moment in the sun. : ) Adam’s such a great dude too, and I’m so happy he found meaning the way he did and keeps up such an active and deep relationship with someone who’s passed on. It’s not an easy thing to do, but I think it’s kind, and meaningful. And sure! I’m not sure if you mean Laurie and Mikey or Judith too since I got a few Judith asks yesterday, but ima assume this is ILM related and you’re looking for post-fic Laurie & Michael (sorry if that’s not the intended ask TuT). I did more but this is already a lot so I didn’t post them all haha. Here you go!

Laurie would be very unlikely to make the first move in a romantic relationship. She’s so used to prioritising survival, even when she’s okay again her brain is always, “keep homeostasis” as her directive, and adding a relationship does not fall under that listing. That said, she definitely still develops feelings, and would want things to happen. But I think it would be slow. I think with Laurie, she’d be going to lunches and having long talks and drinks and staying up and falling asleep on the couch together, in and out like each others’ presence belongs in their respective homes, come to each other for support and with hard days and for life advice, go to the theatre together and let them buy her a drink like they always do without being asked, brought back a nice gift from a trip, she waits up for them to get home to greet them, for like 1-3 years solid before one day they just take her hand and kind of smile and she realises she’s been in a relationship for two years and they just never said it, and maybe they won’t now, maybe not for another two years, but they know it, and she’s so happy.

Michael never cuts his hair short, but does not mind Laurie making him let her give him ponytails when they’re working on something, because it does get in his face.

Laurie softballs Michael for a while, since, well, she’s trying to help him reintegrate into society as a human being after having had a childhood that was basically just a 15 year stretch of psychological trauma, and being kind and supportive is a must. But after a few years, she’s gotten much more comfortable and sibling-ish in her interactions. She’ll definitely still be serious and supportive if anything happens and he needs it, but she’ll also give him shit for eating her food or not getting up off the bed she’s trying to make. He enjoys annoying her and does it for fun. Will hold eye contact and eat the cupcake she was saving just to watch her flip, like a cat batting an orange off a counter (or, you know, a sibling who’s feeling /that/ vibe rn.)

Laurie is 99% of Michael’s impulse control. If he and Quentin do something together without her, it /will/ be a disaster, because where Laurie inflicts neutral levels of chaos on the group w her lawful, Michael will almost instantaneously get Quentin to swap from lawful to chaos if she’s not there. They will both be fine, but there /will/ be something on fire when she gets back.

Laurie, walking into the house and seeing then throwing objects into a burning wastebasket in the living room: I don’t like what I’m seeing. Bring me up to speed.

Quentin: So, we maybe have illegally destroyed a car—but it’s okay! We had a good reason! Plus, we destroyed the evidence. Let me explain. So, this guy-

Laurie: :/

Michael: *gives her a ‘what’s your problem?’ gesture*

Michael and Laurie physically fight for nostalgia’s sake sometimes (for fun-get exasperated and performatively MMA. They would not actually injure each other).

One time, Laurie and Michael were walking home together from a movie and a guy drove by and whistled at Laurie and said something vulgar, and Michael stepped into the road and smashed the front of his car with his foot. It was beautiful. They did have to flee the scene but Laurie was /gleeful/. The dude in the car saw his gd life flash before his eyes and rethought some life choices.

It is a long time before Michael is willing to take any kind of meds for his psychosis (very understandably), but when Quentin eventually graduates Med school, six or so years later (bless u Jake for forging him some credits), he is willing to try a few given by him. It is not a good or easy couple of months, but he does it.

Michael gets along surprisingly well with the survivors. Most of them are pretty intimidated, but he’s genuinely chill, and they’ve been through weirder shit so 🤷🏻‍♀️ it’s like “Welp. This might as well happen.” and accept him in. Meg is a big thot. She’s into Susie and would never cheat and Susie knows this, but Meg will still flirt like crazy with Michael bc it’s her personality, and Michael, who’s never had this ever happen, is /beyond/ confused. Every time she says something stupid like, “Damn you’re tall. If I wasn’t a married woman, I’d climb you like a jungle gym.” He gives her the exact look Sam gives Gollum when he’s dissing potatoes in lotr.

Since she knew his and his family’s whole names and his wife’s face, Laurie tracks down Sujan’s family and tells them everything she can about what happened and how good he was, and what a difference the first person in the realm who was kind to her made.

Michael really enjoys traveling. He’s been cooped up his whole life. Spent 15 years in one little white room, and then 40 in reproductions of Haddonfield in the realm. Really, except for his solo journey from Wisconsin to home, he’s never left the state of Illinois. He goes with the survivor squad on their group trips, once he’s comfortable enough, and is consistently amazed. He’s not a very visibly emotive person, and can’t physically be bc of his psychosis symptoms, but his eyes will get big seeing the northern lights from a platform, and he’ll grab Laurie or Quentin’s wrist & point to make sure they’re seeing it too, and Laurie has never been so happy. After his first trip, he very much looks forward to the annual event.

Dr. Loomis is the only thing Michael as an adult has ever feared. (Obviously all humans feel temporary fear, like if a car comes at you or someone with a gun. But past instantaneous shock-fear, I don’t think Michael has ever been afraid of anyone else). This is based off of canon, because to me Michael reads as scared of him, especially in Halloween 2. He pauses and then retreats from Loomis in the first film, and when he sees Loomis running down streets looking for him in 2, he hides (I actually really love the Michael pov in Halloween 2 in the open. It was very humanising). Then, at the end of 2, when he’s blind and Laurie and Loomis have filled the room with ether, and Loomis tells him it’s over, he stops trying to find and kill Loomis and freezes. I genuinely think because he was scared of Loomis and has been for years (after that treatment constantly in isolation as a child, how could he not be?) and has known since he was 6 Loomis wants to kill him, so when he basically says “I’m about to kill you,” he believes him and it scares him. It’s the axe that’s been waiting to drop since he was a kid.

Laurie goes to cons with Nea, Quentin, & Min occasionally, and has dressed up as all three OG Star Wars protagonists like the lovely huge nerd she is. Has also made Michael sit down and watch all the movies w her.

Michael and Laurie go visit Judith a lot. They’ll pack a picnic lunch and talk with her and about her at her grave. It was very hard the first time they went there, especially for Michael, but after a while, it helps. It’s a way to deal with what was done in the past that makes it seem surmountable. It also helps to deal with the loss of someone they both cared for. When they go, Laurie always gets Michael to tell her something about her older sister she hast heard yet. David tracks down an old high school album from 1963, and is able to get three pictures of Judith colorised and they’re able to have a nice full-color photo of her to hang up in the house.

[bffhreprise]

Entry 344

 Watching Dani solve crazy puzzles while chatting with the others, I was really glad no one had ever put me through all that work for my birthday.  Dani seemed to be enjoying herself, but all of the time spent searching for presents took away from time spent enjoying the presents!  If anyone shared my thoughts, they weren’t bringing them up, so I kept my mouth shut, other than to comment about how incredibly smart the girl was.  Deyanira would have loved seeing this.  Maybe Mila will show her a recording when she arrives.

 “What was that?” asked one of the twins.

 “Just a little spell I taught him on our honeymoon.  He was letting Dani know his parents are here.” explained Alma, looking weirdly natural with a smile.  “You'd be amazed how much he's taught me as well.”

 “What?” questioned the other twin in blatant disbelief.

 James, smirking at her, asked, “Mila, mind showing me of what Jarod's buckle is composed?”

 A diagram of the belt buckle appeared on a different mirror than the one showing Dani’s hunt.  Looking at the chemical formulas, I was just glad I didn’t have any job that had me reviewing chemistry.  There was little chance such a job would come to me in the first place, but…  I could imagine the pay would be extra good.  Everyone knew Jarod’s average job paid far more than most of ours, but the stuff he did was way out there.  Well, everything he did in that lab of his was way out there.  Sometimes I wondered how a guy like that was still so down to Earth, but he was a great pal, watching James with interest.

 After a few seconds of looking at the diagram, James turned around and glanced at Jarod’s belt.

 “Have a problem with my…  Whoa!  Is this real gold!?” asked Jarod in shock as he caught sight of his new bling.

 My mouth was hanging open.  There had been no transition I could see.  One moment his belt was a typical silver, and then it was gold.

 “That has to be an illusion.  Transforming substances accurately is impossible.” asserted a twin.

 “You'll have to change if he doesn't dismiss it.  That doesn't work with your outfit.” insisted the other one.

 Not doubting James for a second, I quickly exclaimed “I'll take some bling!”

 From off to my side, Dejon asked “Is that how you became so rich?”

 “No.  I wasn't nearly so capable with that type of magic before my honeymoon.” replied James with a smile.

 With one of the twins bent over to examine the buckle, I kept my eyes carefully elsewhere, not wanting my friend to think I was enjoying the view too much  

 Patting her back, Jarod said, “I'll do an analysis on it later.”

 “Should be roughly fourteen karat.” stated James.  “I didn't feel too much gold would be good for a buckle, but I wanted to pay for the inconvenience.”  He playfully winked, but still didn’t reply to me.

As Jarod laughed, I waved my hand in James’ view.  “Seriously.  I don’t mind pure gold.” I told him, picturing myself with a number of shiny adornments.

 “And where would you sell it?” questioned my sis, frowning at me as if I had done something wrong.

 “Sell it?  I really want the bling.” I assured her.  “I figure Jarod or Mila will probably help touch it up as needed.”

 She just rolled her eyes, acting put upon by my tastes.

 Catching my eye, Alma looked almost like her previous self as she said, “You can afford your own bling without troubling my husband.”  Even those words didn’t quite have the kick they did before her honeymoon.  There wasn’t really any hint of danger in her tone.

 “Troubling?  He made that look easy!” insisted Dejon, who surprisingly seemed to be taking my side.

 “The spell was incredibly complex and took a large amount of energy, so not easy by any standard I recognize.” argued one of the twins, who probably had actually watched the spell.

 Sometimes, I did wish I had a knack for using that type of magic, especially when James did something unbelievable, but most of the descriptions sounded like so much work.

 “You really must get used to watching magic around you.” insisted the other twin as she frowned at me.

 As far as I knew, no one had a clue I had ever even seen the energy.  I was taking that secret to my grave if I got to keep skipping out on magic practice.

 Before I could reply, both sets of double doors opened, revealing James’ parents strolling inside.

 “Good morning.” stated Mr. Somerset as he carried a large present into the house.

 Mrs. Somerset waved and asked “Where's the birthday girl?”

 All of us looked up at the screen where Dani seemed deep in conversation with the little fairy from the forest.

 “She has apparently been distracted.  Alma and I hid her presents throughout the yard and house with clues where to find them.” explained James to his folks.

 Alma grinned as she said, “I blame Aaliyah.  She's the one who told us that simply handing over gifts from us was too boring for our daughter.”

 “Dani enjoys the puzzles.” insisted James somewhat defensively.  Seeing him interact with his parents was refreshing, reminding us that he really was still human.  More often than not, he seemed… greater.

 “Jarod, dear, that buckle really doesn't go well with your shirt.” commented Mrs. Somerset, catching sight of the bling.

 “Blame your son.” complained Ai and Mai in unison as they stared daggers at James.

 “Yeah, well… I felt like demonstrating a spell the twins would find difficult, and turning his belt buckle to gold qualified in my mind.” replied James, still sounding defensive.

 Mr. Somerset just shook his head as he said, “Your mother's right, you do have the golden touch.”

 I laughed with the rest.  Who could argue when James was making the company flourish.

 “Happy birthday!” exclaimed Mrs. Somerset, stepping over to embrace Dani.

 With the birthday girl back inside, we had a wonderful breakfast at the long kitchen table with even more varieties of food available than normal.  If not for the few of us with bottomless pits, so much food would go to waste daily.  Over breakfast, Dani pleased with Mr. Somerset to join her in the hunt for presents.  Kayla, of course, couldn’t be left out when Dani’s pleas made the hunt sound so excited.  She almost even had me convinced, but my stuffed belly helped to keep me seated.

 Mrs. Somerset followed the rest of us into the ballroom, where some of us discretely logged into Ancient Tribes of Earth while occasionally glancing over to see how Dani was doing.  I doubted I even got to play for an hour before Dani came inside, but I was looking forward to seeing her reaction to my present.  Despite James, and even Alma, assuring us that we didn’t have to get Dani anything, no one wanted to be the one person who didn’t.

 Knowing that Dani was bound to already have any serious gift I could dream up giving her, I went with a gag gift, surprisingly the only one.  Dani was surprisingly delighted when turning the handle produced music, but seeing her jump as the clown popped out was hilarious!  The shock and slowly-spreading grin were fantastic!  The look she gave as she recovered and thanked me made me a little nervous, but I doubted she’d could one-up me on gags.  Despite seeming almost as old as most of us, Dani had obviously lived in a very secluded part of the world.  Someone with her looks and vibrant skin would have hit the net the day she entered a city if she hadn’t been in the middle of nowhere.

 My jaw dropped open when I had found out that Dani had never seen Star Wars.  As was tradition here, all of us showed up in the theater with full costumes, slightly improved from last time.  Jarod and the twins were oddly in agreement against wearing exactly the same thing twice.  Jarod loved to tinker too much to not make any adjustments on the sabers and utility belts.  The twins were just fashion nuts, two of the few people willing to spend hours talking with Brenna about her modeling jobs.  No kid of mine would ever do modeling, not when there were so many more entertaining things to do.

 Dani was prone to loud exclamations throughout the first movie.  She was probably thinking that she could easily take some of the Jedi in a fight.  With James dressed as Darth Vader, who was going to argue if she declared war on the rest of us?  

 A spontaneous fight broke out after the first movie as a few of us had restroom breaks.  I had expected as much and was raring to go, charging at one of the twins with my lightsaber.  That… didn’t go so well.  I did manage to get a sneaky attack in on Sis before Emma cut me down.  Avoiding Dani turned out as a safe plan than actually fighting the girl for me.

 First off, Dani knew basically nothing about Force powers, having only seen a tiny bit from Episode IV.  She had hurled fire in a couple different ways that seemed unbefitting the force, and she actually threw some real electricity instead of an illusion of it another time.  Then there were the magical traps she had made on the fly…  James straightened her out each time before anyone was injured, but I still felt safer fighting on the other side of the room as her.

 After a good battle, we all had some lunch, which was an even grander affair than breakfast had been.  The fight coming back a little in the kitchen ended with us all being sent to the dining hall.  Marco was adamant that his kitchen would not have any sort of fighting, and James backed him up immediately, apologizing for all of us.

 Though they had plans to head back home after lunch, Dani had easily persuaded her grandparents into staying for another movie… and then another.  When dinner was over, they finally were allowed to leave, with Alma convincing Dani that they really didn’t want to spend the night here, not when they had plans for the next day already.

 Surprisingly, we didn’t hit the prequels after Mr. and Mrs. Somerset left.  Dancing was apparently something people did in the middle of nowhere for birthdays, and Dani could really dance.  None of us had a problem with showing off some moves, since our dance parties were a bit rare, but I doubted I was the only one pointedly keeping my eyes off the Boss’ daughter whenever I wasn’t dancing with her.  Even Deyanira, who had shown up for dinner with a necklace for Dani, admitted that there was something about how Dani moved when we were alone later.  Yep, life here was never dull.

[melodiouswhite]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde rewritten - Ch. 48

48. Slow recovery

“Good morning, gentlemen! Oh, so gay today?”, Lady Summers observed, when Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde and Mr. Utterson came to her room, grinning at her and her doctor like no tomorrow.

“Indeed”, Dr. Jekyll responded. “But so are you two. If you pardon my indecency, Milady, but I know my friend – you finally talked about you-know-what, didn't you?”

Lady Summers and Lanyon exchanged a glance. Then they realised, that they were still holding hands and chuckled.

“Yes, Doctor”, she finally answered and settled back into the pillows.

Then she let her eyes wander over the trio and frowned. “But as I see, Mr. Hyde didn't listen to my instruction to stay in his room?”

He looked away sheepishly.

“No”, Mr. Utterson confirmed with a hint of frustration, “He crawled into ours and woke us up at three in the morning.”

Dr. Jekyll nodded.

Mr. Hyde threw his arms up. “Oh come on! I didn't want to fuck or anything!”

“Really?”, Jekyll interrupted sourly, “Then how come you couldn't keep your hands off me, when Gabriel and I were trying to sleep?!”

“Oh shut up, you miserable hypocrite! You couldn't keep your hands off me either!”

Lady Summers sighed and pinched her nose. “This kind of nonsense is why I didn't want you two to share a room. Mr. Hyde, just a friendly reminder, this is my house. And I'd rather not have to deal with the noise you two make, when you do … well, that. I would never be able to get them – or the images – out of my head, which I'd rather avoid, thank you very much.”

Mr. Utterson blinked. “What do you mean?”

Her dear doctor answered no-nonsensically: “These hypersexual bitches are loud.”

The looks on Dr. Jekyll's and Mr. Hyde's faces were so priceless that Lady Summers doubled over with laughter.

Poor Mr. Utterson almost fell from his chair, but somehow that made her laugh even harder.

As a result she spat blood, but that was worth it!

Oh, hanging out with these men was better than any burlesque!

“So you two are officially together now?”, Utterson asked, as soon as everyone had calmed down.

The Lady chuckled. “Well, only officially to you, but yes.”

“That's wonderful!”, he cried, “I'm so happy for you!”

“Thank you, Gabriel”, Lanyon replied warmly.

But Jekyll was feeling a light sting in his chest.

He was happy for them, he really, genuinely was.

But it was bittersweet.

Lanyon was happier with her than he'd ever been with him. And he deserved it, God knew he did! But it had taken so long for him to find that happiness, because he had wasted fifteen years of his life on him. Jekyll would probably never fully comprehend, how Lanyon had been able to put up with him for this long in the first place.

Lady Summers' voice brought him back to the moment. “Now, now, Dr. Jekyll. Let's not look back on our past relationships.”

“On one thing we have to look back, though”, Utterson spoke up. “What those people did to you is unforgivable.”

She nodded grimly. “I know it's unforgivable. And I certainly haven't forgiven them a single thing. And to think that it first happened in 1845, where people died from surgeries more often than they recovered-”

“That's only one thing”, Jekyll spoke up. “Notwithstanding your miraculous survival, only to be robbed of your dreams and crippled for the rest of your life – pardon my language, Milady.”

“Don't worry, no offence is taken”, she assured him. “I am technically a cripple, after all. Since-”

Another fit of blood spitting only served to confirm that statement.

“Since I suffer from this, because of all the things they did to me.”

“I have a question, though”, Hyde spoke up. Then he corrected himself. “Wait, no. It's two.”

She answered them, before they were even spoken: “I managed to fight you off that one night, because of my rigorous training. After our match I was indisposed for a week, but my condition would be a lot worse without the training. Learning to control my belly muscles was quite helpful, actually. If it wasn't for that I'd likely be quite dead by now.”

“Speaking of your condition”, Mr. Utterson spoke up. “We need to talk about pressing charges against your attacker.”

She raised a brow. “Baron Cleranescu? I don't think that will be necessary, considering he made a fool of himself and will never be able to show his face on British soil again. This is the worst thing you can do to someone belonging to the upper class.”

“He must face justice!”, Utterson insisted angrily, “You said yesterday night, that it's worse than usual and I will not accept the prospect of him hiding away and moping in some old castle in Rumania, while you're suffering from internal injuries! Not on my watch! I bet he wouldn't have dared to do this, if you were Lord and not Lady Summers!”

Oh right. Jekyll always forgot how adamant his love was about women's rights.

Lady Summers gaped at him.

Then she chuckled. “No, he definitely wouldn't have. He's as misogynistic as most men are, if not more.”

“That much was clear”, Hyde threw in, “I was there, I heard it all. She handed his arse to him with each sentence she spoke! Then he talked shit about Lanyon and his own wife, the Lady informed him that she's cheating on him with the king of Rumania and he lost it.”

Jekyll's jaw dropped. That bastard had kicked her in the abdomen – right where her weakest spot was – just because she had told him that his wife favoured another man?!

“I have an idea”, Hyde continued, “How about instead of suing him, we sic Alma onto him? She would love to-”

“Did somebody say my name?”, the very person asked, as she walked into the room to the Lady's bedside and took her hand.

“How are you feeling, Luise?”, she asked worriedly.

The Prussian chuckled. “Well, I'm spitting blood and my abdomen hurts, but apart from that, I'm fine.”

“It's that bastard's fault”, Miss Donovan snarled, “I'll cut his junk off and shove it into his mouth, before setting him on fire!”

“Sounds good, I'll help you”, Hyde agreed nonchalantly.

“No!”, Lady Summers spoke firmly. “You will do nothing of that sort. You will not get violent on me. Be the better person-”

“To hell with being the better person!”, Miss Donovan snapped, “I don't give a damn! That bastard hurt you and your health is already fragile! He must suffer! At least let me castrate him!”

Lady Summers frowned. “Give it one month and see what will happen.”

The red-haired girl huffed, but nodded.

Still before the evening all of London knew of the incident at the gala.

A foreigner had attacked and gravely injured one of the most high-ranking aristocrats of England, who was now bed-bound.

The Prince and Princess of Wales had requested that he be stripped of his rank and diplomatic immunity and the ambassador of Rumania had already complied.

The baron had already fled London.

Lanyon wasn't satisfied with that. He wanted the bastard to suffer for hurting his Lady. He wanted him to writhe in agony and beg for mercy.

“Now, now”, Lady Summers spoke up, when she saw him frown at the punchline on the newspaper. “Things need their time. Now that he no longer has his diplomatic immunity, he can be charged for his crimes. And if it doesn't happen in England, it'll be in Rumania.”

Lanyon hoped that she was right, he really did.

Lady Summers was unable to leave her bed for two weeks.

So when Lanyon allowed her to get up briefly and move around in a wheelchair, she was ecstatic.

It was a wonderful day, so she used the opportunity to get some fresh air.

“I really would love to go outside again”, she said. “And I hope that I won't be assaulted by a bunch of news reporters, who want an interview. Jesus Christ, I never asked for all this hustle!”

Mr. Utterson opened the window and looked outside. “I don't see any out there”, he told her.

She nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Perhaps I will enjoy just a few moments in the park, between all the people who recognise me and ask what happened.”

Dr. Jekyll lifted an eyebrow. “Considering how prominent you are? I doubt that.”

The Prussian huffed: “Crush my hopes, why don't you!”

Unfortunately, it turned out that Dr. Jekyll was right.

The group needed ages to get to the park; Lanyon had to stop the Lady's wheelchair every thirty feet, because someone recognised her and inquired after her wellbeing.

But finally they made it there and by the time it was forenoon, when most people were at home or at work.

“Perhaps it was good that it took us so long to get here”, Lady Summers remarked, “I love when the park is so empty.”

“I reckon you do”, her dear doctor remarked.

“And I can't sense anyone stalking us”, she continued cheerfully, “I think this will truly be a good day!”

Mr. Hyde cleared his throat, making her turn her head. “About that … I was wondering …”

“Yes?”

“Should Jekyll and I be worried too? That …”

“Absolutely.”

Maybe not the most reassuring answer, but they all knew that it was true.

The organisation was hunting for test subjects and if they found out the truth about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde …

The two needed to watch their backs in the near future.

“I have a question too”, Dr. Jekyll spoke up. “Those strange friends you mentioned … do they really live here in London?”

Lady Summers nodded. “Oh yes! They live in Soho, actually. Not that far away from Mr. Hyde's flat. I'm sure he passed by their house several times, without knowing.”

She chuckled fondly and shook her head. “You would like them, Dr. Jekyll. They're a lot like you.”

The blond doctor chuckled as well. “You attract people like me, don't you?”

“Somehow I do”, she replied nonchalantly and shrugged. “But you know what? I think I should introduce you four to them. I have told them a lot about you and am sure that they would love to meet you as well.”

Dr. Jekyll beamed at her. “I would love to meet them!”

“Same here”, Mr. Hyde agreed, “I'd be delighted to learn whose house I passed by without knowing.”

The other two men nodded as well.

Lady Summers was quite pleased at that. “Perfect. I will send them a note and inquire, if they receive.”

[rubengallar]

Ruby Rose, Character development in Volumes 4 & 5

They had lost almost everything, they were defeated, but there was a girl who stood up and kept going without even knowing what awaited them.

The first thing she did before leaving for Haven was visit Summer’s grave. No words, over Salem’s monologue about a spark and an honest soul, with JNR watching behind her. The thought of her mother was all the strength she needed to move on.

Ruby thinking about Weiss when Nora mentions the SDC. Her friends are always in her mind. She doesn’t say a thing, because she knows that JNR miss everyone just like her, she knows they are always thinking about Pyrrha too. And she knows that Weiss is also thinking about them.

The nightmares and THAT scene. These moments speak for themselves. She’s suffering, but again, no words. Everyone is going through the same thing. When she watched Jaune tearing himself apart she didn’t look surprised, just more saddened.

Still, she tried to comfort him, but knowing that she shouldn’t cross any boundaries or reopen wounds. Everyone was dealing with it in their own way. She just needed to hold up and be there for them. She helped him keep going and he returned the favor later.

The focus on her at Oniyuri and after hearing Ren’s story. Once again, no words. Destroyed villages, Grimm attacks, bandits, tragic deaths. She was starting to see firsthand what Remnant was like. She was thinking about Oobleck’s words in Volume 2: “I see lives that could have been saved.” And so, she realized she had to be stronger than ever and try to save even more people.

“The rose has thorns.” Just like Adam figured out Blake and Yang’s relationship, Tyrian immediately saw Ruby’s true nature before many did. That guy has seen a few things, and before him was a little girl who had already lost too much and was determined to not lose anymore.

She did THAT. The only character in the show who has the honor of being called a bitch, for a reason. The moment that guy seriously threatened what was precious to her she didn’t hesitate and mutilated him without a second thought. A warrior running wild.

She just learned about all this jazz, but Ruby only wanted to make sure of one thing. She wanted her uncle to trust her. She was asking, almost begging, she obviously wasn’t as determined as she is in volume 6, but the idea was already there. She knew what truly mattered. Stay undivided.

Jaune and Ruby’s friendship and bond would need another thread on its own. In volume 4 we see how they always support each other, being more worried about the other than themselves. In the hardest moment of their lives, they were each other’s pillar of strength just by being there.

This fight belonged to Ren and Nora. Still, she came up with the final plan, she acted like their leader. She and Jaune were unwavering during the whole fight and they understood Nora and Ren's struggle, so they didn't pressure them, they just kept fighting until they were ready.

Home fits so well here. Ruby fought so hard to get there, she struggled so much, but they made it. She’d gone through hell and back while her uncle’s life was on the line. She took all that pressure and concern and said “Not today, not again.” She won.

That scene in the V6 finale is my favorite moment now, but this is still the most important scene in the series. She reflected on everything they’d lost, she gained the strength and knowledge to avoid losing ever again. She’d proven herself that they could make it if they tried.

Haven. After tearing up because they had made it and Jaune thanked her just by looking at her, the first thing she did was step in between two grown men who were about to jump at each other’s throat. Leader.

And that’s also after Leo reminded her of Penny being ripped apart. Her reaction speaks for itself.

Okay. For some people this was her first sign of character development in two volumes and, well, we’ve proven that wrong. We knew, or should have known, how she felt by now, but more importantly, she used it to encourage and help Oscar. Playing the part of the spark again.

Yang said I love you back. 

Yang chose to stay behind, Yang let her go, but the first thing that came to Ruby’s mind was “I’m sorry”. After everything, she still apologized for leaving, she felt responsible. But the truth is that Yang was able to come back only because of Ruby.

Then, the moment the three of them are finally alone together, she can only think about how Blake should be there too. And when Yang reacts like that to her statement she doesn’t look mad like Weiss, or even sad, because she knows Yang didn’t mean that. She’s just worried about her sister, because she realizes how hard this has been for her too and how confused she is about Blake and everything that happened. Empathy.

Ruby asking about Cinder. Ozpin just said that there were many people willing to prevent harm, and then she appeared. After learning the "truth", her biggest concern was to know how much more damage Salem and Cinder could cause, how many more people she had to protect.

She just learned how much evil Raven had done and how many people she had hurt, and she knew her sister had suffered because of her. But she also knew she wasn’t too far gone, she saw the good in her and tried to bring her back. She was aware that Raven once fought for the same reason they’re fighting now, but at some point she lost her faith in the world. Ruby tried to make her see the only way they would be able to make a difference, by being united. If they were together, giving up wasn’t an option. Raven’s answer: “You sound just like your mother.”

In this important moment for Jaune the focus is not only on him. We get to see Ruby’s concerned face when her friend is hurting. She hates Cinder too, but when Jaune snaps, Ruby only cares about him. She’s the first to go after him to help him fight too. And she was able to activate her eyes because she was worried about him the whole fight. She knew what happened when you got reckless.

Weiss is injured. Ruby’s confused and terrified face when she noticed it as well as her relieved face when they tell her she’s okay says it all. At first, she doesn’t care about who did it or why, she just wants to know if Weiss is okay.

After that, she’s angry. Who knows? Maybe she could have saved Penny if she had shown that anger the first time she confronted Mercury. That’s why she wasn’t going to let something like that happen again, she wouldn’t give them the chance.

“Yang, go!” Everyone was exhausted and Blake just appeared. She knew they had the upper hand, so she recovered from her surprise in a few seconds and acted like a leader. “Your mother is down there, so go solve things with her. This girl will be waiting for you when you come back.”

With a smile on her face, she shot Leo and broke his aura when he wasn’t even looking at her. She had given him too many chances, he chose to oppose them so she made sure he didn’t any further. This left him completely unprotected against Salem.

And she came back. Yang won Haven. In volume 1 Yang looked proudly at her little sister, now it was the other way around. Yang was strength itself, so she pulled herself together and followed Ruby’s steps. Yang got there thanks to Ruby and once there she was able to face all her demons.

And that faunus girl was waiting for her. Ruby made Yang take the right choice, Ruby and Weiss made her trust that Blake would be there for her. When Ruby asked Yang, she already knew the answer. They had spent an entire year thinking about this moment. And Ruby made it all possible.

A smaller, more honest soul. A spark. An indomitable spirit.

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms

for may 15 of 2024 with Proverbs 15 and Psalm 15, accompanied by Psalm 58 for the 58th day of Astronomical Spring, and Psalm 136 for day 136 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 1st revolution this year)

[Proverbs 15]

A tender answer turns away rage,

but a prickly reply spikes anger.

The words of the wise extend knowledge,

but foolish people utter nonsense.

The Eternal can see all things;

His gaze is fixed on both the evil and the good.

A word of encouragement heals the one who receives it,

but a deceitful word breaks the spirit.

Fools refuse their parents’ guidance,

but sensible children accept correction.

Great treasure may be found where the right-living make their home,

but trouble awaits the wicked at every turn.

When the wise speak, knowledge spreads far and wide,

but fools care nothing about such matters.

When the wicked offer sacrifices, they disgust the Eternal,

but the prayers of those who do right are a pleasure to Him.

The lifestyle of the wicked is repulsive to Him,

while those who do right delight Him.

Harsh punishment is waiting for those who reject the path of life,

and those who hate correction will die.

The grave and destruction are fully exposed before the Eternal;

how much more does He know the thoughts of Adam’s children!

Those who mock others don’t like being corrected,

so they keep their distance from the wise.

A warm, smiling face reveals a joy-filled heart,

but heartache crushes the spirit and darkens the appearance.

Those who have understanding hearts hunger after knowledge,

but those with no understanding feast on foolishness.

The poor and oppressed suffer hardship day after day,

but those with kind hearts continually feast.

It is better to live with less and honor the Eternal

than to have riches and carry the burdens that come with them.

Better to eat only vegetables served lovingly

than a fattened ox served hatefully.

A hot-headed person stirs up trouble,

but one with patience settles a fight.

Lazy people walk a path overgrown with thornbushes,

but those with integrity travel a wide, level road.

A wise child makes his father happy,

but a foolish man despises his mother.

Foolishness brings sheer joy to those who have no sense,

but people with insight steer a straight course through life.

Plans fall apart without proper advice;

but with the right guidance, they come together nicely.

There is great joy in having the right answer,

and how sweet is the right word at the right time!

For the wise the road of life climbs up steep grades

in order to avoid the slide down to the grave.

The Eternal splinters the house of the haughty,

but He secures the property of widows.

The thoughts of the wrongdoers repulse the Eternal,

but kind words are pure pleasure for Him.

Those who take illegal gains injure their families,

but those who refuse a bribe will live in peace.

The right-living think before they speak,

but wrongdoers simply spew evil.

The Eternal stays far from the wrongdoers,

but He listens to the prayer of the right-living.

Bright eyes and a cheerful expression bring joy to the heart,

and good news revives the spirit and renews health.

Those who learn from the lessons of life

will join the others who are wise.

Those who disregard discipline sabotage themselves,

but those who are open to correction gain understanding.

Reverence for the Eternal is the first lesson of wisdom,

and humility always precedes honor.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 15 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

It is ironic that we may have more to fear from the proud and powerful than from the poor and needy. Those who have want more, and so they take it. Oh, maybe they won’t pick your pocket or break into your home. Their ways are more subtle and more effective. As James, Jesus’ brother, wrote, “Isn’t it the rich who step on you while climbing the ladder of success? And isn’t it the rich who take advantage of you and drag you into court?” (James 2:6b). James isn’t describing all the rich, of course, but many have made their fortunes off the backs of others. God is the One who can protect the poor, the One who can reduce the grand houses of the haughty to splinters.

[Psalm 15]

A song of David.

Eternal One, who is invited to stay in Your dwelling?

Who is granted passage to Your holy mountain?

Here is the answer: The one who lives with integrity, does what is right,

and speaks honestly with truth from the heart.

The one who doesn’t speak evil against others

or wrong his neighbor,

or slander his friends.

The one who loathes the loathsome,

honors those who fear the Eternal,

And keeps all promises no matter the cost.

The one who does not lend money with gain in mind

and cannot be bought to harm an innocent name.

If you live this way, you will not be shaken and will live together with the Lord.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 15 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

A recurring theme in the psalms is the dwelling place of God and its importance in worship. This Davidic psalm considers the moral qualities of the person who wishes to approach God.

[Psalm 58]

For the worship leader. A prayer of David to the tune “Do Not Destroy.”

Can you, panel of judges, get anything right?

When you judge people, do you tell the truth and pursue justice?

No, your real selves have been revealed. You have wickedness in your heart,

and many people have suffered by your hands.

Evildoers are naturally offensive, wayward at birth!

They were born telling lies and willfully wandering from the truth.

Their bite is painful; their venom is like the deadly poison of a snake;

they are like a cobra that closes up its ears

To escape the voice of the charmers,

no matter how enchanting the spells may be.

O God, shatter their teeth in their mouths!

Render the young lions harmless; break out their fangs, O Eternal One.

Let them run off like the waters of a flood,

and though they aim their arrows, let them fly without their heads.

Let them melt like a snail that oozes along;

may they be like a stillborn that never catches its first breath, never sees the sun.

Before your cook pots know the furious flame of a fire of thorns—

whether green or burning—He will blow the wicked away.

Cheers will rise as the right-living watch Him settle the score,

their feet washed in the blood after the onslaught of the wicked.

And it will be heard, “Those who seek justice will be rewarded.

Indeed, there is a God who brings justice to the earth!”

The Book of Psalms, Poem 58 (The Voice)

[Psalm 136]

Let your heart overflow with praise to the Eternal, for He is good,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Praise the True God who reigns over all other gods,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Praise the Lord who reigns over all other lords,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

To Him who alone does marvelous wonders,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Who created the heavens with skill and artistry,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Who laid out dry land over the waters,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Who made the great heavenly lights,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

The sun to reign by day,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

The moon and stars to reign by night,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

To Him who struck down the firstborn of the Egyptians,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Who set Israel free from Egyptian masters,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

With fierce strength, a mighty hand, and an outstretched arm,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

To Him who split the Red Sea in two and made a path between the divided waters,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Then allowed Israel to pass safely through on dry ground,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

To Him who crushed Pharaoh and his army in the waters of the Red Sea,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Who guided His people through the desert,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Who struck down mighty kings,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Who slaughtered famous kings,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Sihon, the king of the Amorites,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

And Og, the king of Bashan,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

To Him who gave the conquered land as an inheritance,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Who made the land a heritage to Israel, His servant,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

To Him who remembered us when we were nearly defeated,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Who rescued us from our enemies,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Who provides food for every living thing,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

Let your heart overflow with praise to the True God of heaven,

for His faithful love lasts forever.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 136 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

This hymn of praise recounts God’s actions in the past: creation, exodus, and the giving of the land to Israel. A repeated refrain indicates this psalm was chanted responsively.

[some-cookie-crumbz]

So, that prompt about adopting a baby galra... what if you took that prompt and made it super angst. Keith and Pidge have been trying for a baby, and after a devastating miscarriage, Keith discovers an abandoned infant mid-mission. BUT he's not sure how Pidge would take it since she's still heartbroken about the one they lost, so he has to coax her into holding him while reassuring her that they can still keep trying and he would never replace the baby that they lost.

See, my original thought for that prompt was doing a third part to [this] and [this] fic here from last March, but man do I like this one! Let’s see if I can wrangle out a little dash of angst for tonight, shall we?

TW: Mentions of Miscarriage, Mentions of Neglect/ Abandonment of an Infant, Mentions/ Implications of Depression.

Humanitarian work was rewarding, but it was sometimes just as painful as the work he’d done as a Paladin.

The planet of Nuestow had fallen to shambles when the Galra occupation had been lifted. Without any idea of how to govern themselves, and warring factions vying for control of their populace, civil war was an inevitability. Keith himself had been specifically requested for the assignment, the other Blades adamant that he was the only one that would be able to talk some sense into any of the Nuestrian leaders. Despite knowing he was needed, he’d been hesitant to go, until Pidge herself had insisted that they both go along and help with everything.

It had been nearly ten months since his last personal attendance to a mission, and six months since their loss, and she herself seemed eager at the prospect of getting out of Earth’s orbit for a while. And because he couldn’t deny her anything, and was eager to do anything that might help her, had agreed.

The whole place was destroyed when they arrived on planet, with villages burning and bodies littering the narrow, dirt streets. The battles had been put on hold once he’d been on route, but it was clear that one final blaze of fury had rippled through before the announcement. Peace talks lasted a full two days before an agreement was finally reached, where a council composed of two representatives from each of the four warring factions would oversee how things were handled. Less than an hour after the conference concluded, he and the Blades got to work handing out emergency supplies, offering medical treatment to the wounded, and making graves for the deceased.

It was among the bodies that they’d found him.

He was partially hidden under the body of a female Nuestrian, and his cries were weak at best, but Keith had just barely caught the flicker of one tiny limb flailing weakly. He’d rushed over and carefully lifted the cold, stiff body to get a better look at the infant underneath. He was a tiny little thing, seeming to be barely more than a few months old if he wagered a guess, and was clad in nothing but a small and course feeling blanket. There were streaks of grim and blood and grit along their whole body and face, but he could still see splotches of a hue close to purple underneath. The child had to be part Galran; Nuestrians seemed to be more similar to gazelle in appearance, with coats in hues of tan, white and black.

Giving the small child a once-over, there were hints of both of his heritages in him. Outside of the purple skin, there were two white marks more in line with the Nuestrians that started at the eyelashes of his upper eyelids all the way back up to his hairline, zig-zagging. He had learned those marks were indicative of a male in the Nuestrian race, where marks that were more waved were found on females. The poor little baby’s lips were a bit chapped, and his little pink forked tongue kept poking out. In an attempt to find a source of sustenance or in instinctive attempt to wet his lips to cry out better, he couldn’t say for certain. Another look up revealed that he seemed to have some thin strands of dark blue hair, but they were clumped and knotted up from everything else.

He briefly glanced over at the dead form that had been hiding him, dipped his head, and gently set a hand on her shoulder. She must have been trying to protect and shield him until he was found when she died.

“Is that what I think it is?” Ezor asked quietly from behind him as he pushed himself up from where he’d been kneeling. Zethrid looked uneasily at her girlfriend and then back at their leader. They’d found orphans before, but never one this young or this close to the battlefield.

“He’s a baby,” He answered back, keeping his voice low. The little baby’s ears twitched slightly, similar to those of a gazelle but curling up at the ends a bit more like a goat, his weak cries stilling and his head tilting a bit more towards Keith. He didn’t open his eyes, though, which sparked concern in him. He looked down and could see a pale green crust of some kind resting between his eyelids, which sparked concern in him. Was this just a side effect from him being out in the wilderness for at least two days? Or was this a sign that he was sick? “We need to get him back to the ship. Now.” He said.

Ezor nodded and pulled up a communicator, sending in a quick call that they’d found a survivor among the dead and needed medics on stand by. “A small team will be ready when we get there,” She told him.

“I’ll stay here. Make sure the team stays on track and his mother gets a proper burial,” Zethrid said, indicating the body with one hand and casting a sorrowful glance down at her.

“Thank you, Zethrid. I’ll take him in. Ezor, I want you to send for one of the new leaders to meet up with me. We need to know how long he was out there,” He said firmly. They both nodded and the three of them parted ways. He glanced down at the small infant again, keeping an eye on him as he headed back to the ship. He was quiet now, but the quick breathes he was taking in were a comfort. He was still fighting.

When he arrived, Pidge was there with two of the medical Blade members, his stomach churning at the sight of her. She shouldn’t be here, not for this. She opened her mouth to ask his something, but she froze when her gaze flickered down to the bundle in his arms. Her eyes shifted from him to the infant and then back up, her eyes filled with pain and anguish. He opened his mouth to say something, not sure what, but was cut off as one of the medics pushed past her with a stretcher. “How many and where are the injuries?” They asked.

“I don’t know if he is injured; he’s too filthy to get a good look. He’s malnourished and dehydrated, though,” He said, being careful as he set the infant down. He shifted at being moved and then started crying again, a bit louder than before. Keith glanced up briefly to look around but Pidge had already fled the room. His heart ached as he was bogged down by painful memories, watching as the baby was whisked away by the medical team. He went to go find Pidge once he could no longer hear the baby anymore.

He headed to the main deck first, thinking maybe she’d gone there to lose herself in checking the ships systems, on to be surprised by the sight of two of the Nuestrian leaders, Gizo and Faluma as he recalled, talking with Ezor. She looked uncomfortable before them, hands clenched into fists at her side. In his time working with her, he’d learned that stance was a sign that she was holding herself back from lashing out in anger. He squared his shoulders and approached, immediately ready to launch if any of them were provoking her. “Gizo, Faluma, thank you for coming at my request,” He said politely, settling in the space between the two women.

Faluma perked up and dipped her head, being careful of her long, spiraled horns. “It is our great pleasure, Kogane,” She said.

Gizo hummed as well. “We were just informing your subordinate and mate that your resources need not be wasted on the thing you found with the corpses,” He said.

“Excuse me?” Keith asked, brow knitting. “I found a child, near dead, out there. He is not a thing.”

“Thank you,” Ezor muttered under her breath.

Gizo glared at the woman briefly while Faluma cleared her throat. “Kogane, that thing was left there for a reason,” She said.

He tensed. “So you knew that baby was out there and just left him there? He could have died!”

Faluma let out a small, tired sigh. “That was the plan,” Gizo quipped flatly.

She shot him a dirty look before turning back to Keith, gaze softening just a bit. “When the Galra left our planet, we insisted that they take any half-breeds with them, as we want a fresh start. The last thing we need is for there to be remnants of our subgegation milling about our society, reminding us of the many decaphobs we spent as nothing more than slaves. The one you found had not yet been born, though, and its father was against taking its mother with him. As such, she was forced to remain here, and it was born. We had simply figured we would reach out to your organization at the time of its birth to have it removed from the planet, but,” She trailed uneasily.

“Its mother grew attached. As females tend to do, with things that are small and helpless,” Gizo scoffed.

“Regardless the reason,” Faluma seethed quietly, “its mother wanted to keep it. We had figured that we could still reach out to your organization, or the Coalition, and have her taken to a refugee planet of some kind where she could raise it. However, then the battling started up, and reaching out for assistance became less of a focus.”

“We are talking about a baby, not an ‘it’. He is not a thing, so stop treating him like an object,” Keith growled lowly.

The pair flinched back a bit at his words before exchanging glances, the two of them seeming rather put-off by his response. Faluma slipped a mask of calm indifference back on her face while Gizo met his gaze with a glare of his own. “So you think we should keep some abomination like that around? To remind us of the shame of our past?”

“He’s a baby who has done nothing wrong!” He snapped back.

“That thing would be nothing but a curse to whoever became responsible for it! We will not keep it around!” Gizo bellowed back, taking a step forward. Keith held strong, though, and didn’t shy away. He had a feeling the other was used to throwing his weight around to get what he wanted. “If you think that thing is worth anything, you and your mate are welcome to take responsibility for it.”

“Gladly,” Keith spat before turning and storming off, needing to put some distance between himself and Gizo. If he didn’t walk away he was certain he would have decked the other right in his face.

He made his way down to the medical ward, locating the small room where they were treating the baby. It wasn’t hard, given that he was still crying, and it sounded a bit louder. “How is he?” He asked softly, stepping over and looking. They were just removing an IV from his arm that had connected him to some kind of fluid.

“He is stable. We’ve had him on a nutrients drip this whole time, which seems to be have helped with some of his alertness,” They explained.

“What about illness? His eyes are closed up with crud,” He said, indicating the still-closed eyes.

“We’re going to run some blood tests to be sure, but other than that, it seems to just be a response from the wind and dirt. So long as he gets fed regularly, he should bounce back relatively well,” They explained evenly. Despite working with them for so long, he was always left floored by how well the nutrient bags worked. It was what they were designed to do, sure, but the efficiency of them still caught him off guard.

“I’m glad,” He said, reaching down to gently stroke one of the baby’s little cheeks. He shifted a bit, pressing his cheek a bit more into the caress, more alert and responsive than he had been outside.

“We were just going to wash him and verify that there are no injuries on him,” They added, indicating a small basin set at the other end of the room.

“I’ll take care of it. Just have someone bring in the rest of the things I’ll need for him, assuming I don’t already have them,” He said.

“Of course, Sir,” They said with a quick nod before heading out.

He carefully picked the small tot up and headed over to the basin. There was a cup for rinsing, two washcloths for scrubbing, and a small bottle of unscented medical soap. He reached into the basin to test the water then took a second to add a small cup of cold to it, worried that if it was too hot the baby would get upset. The second he set the little boy in, the water turned murky. He picked the cup back up and carefully poured it over him, trying to get as much of the grime off of him as he could, and then pulled the small stopper out of the bottom. While he wasn’t wailing in full anymore, the poor little guy continued to let out small, sad whimpers and whines. “Yeah, I know, buddy. You probably feel really uncomfortable, but I promise I’m here to help with that,” He crooned softly, hoping it would help soothe him just a bit.

“I think it’ll take more than just a bath to calm him down, but it’s a good start,” A familiar voice chimed behind him, causing him to jump and look over his shoulder.

“Pidge,” He breathed out, unable to keep the shock from his voice. She had her arms folded around herself, a small bag in one hand, and he could tell she was tense from where he was standing. He didn’t blame her. Se’d been trying to steer clear of the medical wing since the moment they got on the ship, most likely due to it dredging up terrible memories.

She cleared her throat before setting the bag down next to the basin. “Um, there’s a towel, some diapers and wipes, a onesie and a little comb in there. Give him the full treatment,” She said, voice filled with uncertainty.

He nodded before a small cry came from the baby. “Ah, sorry buddy. Probably a little cold, huh?” He mumbled, turning the spicket back on. He shifted it around until he got some lukewarm water, using it to finish getting the surface level gunk off of him, then rinsed some more out of the basin, and finally started filling it back up. The little baby fussed a little bit until the basin was filled back up, then he started to lightly pat at the water.

Keith could hear Pidge giggling a bit as she watched the baby make little ripples in the water, fascinated. It had probably been a while since his last bath, he surmised. He dipped one of the two washcloths into the water, then applied some soap and started washing him down. He made sure to be careful, just in case there were any wounds on him, but was revealed to find none. As awful as it sounded, it seemed that his mother’s corpse had done a good job of keeping him pretty well shielded. Once he was done getting the little boy’s body all scrubbed down, he picked up the slightly smaller washcloth and got that wet under the tap. “Um, Pidge? Would you mind giving me a han with this part?” He asked quietly.

She flinched and looked over at him with wide eyes, a trace of fear in her eyes. “Uh… With what?” She asked, taking a meek step forward.

“I need to clean his face, specifically his eyes, but I’m worried he’ll squirm around a lot. I just need you to help hold him still,” He says, pausing briefly at how frantic her gaze became, “or handle wiping the crud away.”

“O-Okay, yeah. I can wipe his eyes,” She said, stepping a bit closer and taking the cloth from him. Keith settled one hand along the baby’s back and the other at the base of his head, helping to keep him in place. He shifted a bit off to the side to make more room for her so she could reach him easily. She then reached over and carefully dabbed at his eyes, jerking back when he flinched away.

“It’s okay, he’s just startled. It’s stuck on there a little bit, just be careful.” He whispered to her reassuringly. She glanced at him before offering a timid nod and getting back to work. This time, the little baby didn’t flinch back, seeming to be anticipating it. It took a bit of work, but by being slow and steady, they managed to get the crust off. Pidge rinsed the cloth off once they were done and offered it back to him, stepping away a few steps as he did one final wipe down on the tot’s eyes and face.

And, finally, he cracked his little eyes to look up at them, little red diamond-shaped pupils that swam in yellow. He looked from Keith to Pidge before tilting his head and letting out a small, curious coo.

Keith let a little smile turn up on his lips before pulling the plug on the basin again and grabbing the towel. “Like being able to see again, buddy?” He said softly, scooping him up and carefully maneuvering to bundle him in the towel.

“Ezor told me what you said to Gizo and Faluma,” Pidge suddenly blurted, her voice tinged with anxiety. He hesitated in unfolding the towel and looked over at her. She had curled her arms around herself, a posture similar to how she would curl in on herself when they were younger. His chest ached at knowing that he was part of why she felt this way. He wanted to say something else, but a whine came from the baby and he remembered what he’d been doing. It was a bit of a struggle to get the little guy bundled up, since he was wet and slippery and being more alert had him squirming, but he somehow managed to do it. Once he had the tot all bundled up in the towel, carefully using a corner of it to dry off his hair, he glanced over at Pidge again.

“Do… Do you want to hold him?” He asked tentatively.

She jerked up to attention and the look was painfully reminiscent of the one she’s worn when he showed up at the hospital. The weight of it all was bearing down on them in that moment, recalling the tragic loss they’d had a few months back, when they were expecting a baby of their own. They’d been trying for a while and been thrilled when Pidge was pregnant, both of them eagerly talking about everything they’d need to do in preparation. They had started talking about nursery themes, determining which room in the house they wanted to convert into the baby’s room, started to get a little list of names compiled for once they had a gender.

They hadn’t even gotten through the first trimester when he got the call from Sam that he’d had to rush Pidge to the hospital due to severe abdominal pain. The whole way there he’d stressed over what could be wrong, over whether or not Pidge and the baby would be okay. He wondered if there was something he could have done that prevented whatever was happening. He’d had a sinking feeling in his gut as to what to expect, but God had he been hoping he was just overreacting. When he arrived, the doctor explained that what Pidge had been feeling were symptoms of a miscarriage, that the baby was gone.

He had entered the room, his heart in his stomach, and saw the same expression she was wearing now on her face then.

“Why did you…?” She trailed off, looking back down at the baby and then up at him. She didn’t need to finish the question for him to know what she was getting at.

Why did you say we’d take the baby?

He looked down at the baby, who had turned his head to look over at Pidge and make soft cooing sounds, and then back up at her. “This isn’t… He isn’t supposed to take the other baby’s place,” He mumbled, carefully smoothing the hand still gently working at drying his hair. letting the towel fall away. The little tot’s hair was lightly curled along the edges, though he wasn’t sure if that was just the natural appearance of it or a side effect of the towel-drying. He swallowed and took a cautious step closer, offering the baby over to her. “And this doesn’t mean we can’t keep trying. I want us to keep trying, so long as you want to keep trying, too.”

She stayed closed off, arms tightening a bit more around herself, looking from the baby to him with watery eyes. Underneath the fear and anxiety swirling in her eyes, he could also see a sparkle of relief at his words.

“I just… They were saying he should have died… That he didn’t deserve to live, or to have a loving home,” He explained, taking in a shuddering breath, fighting back tears of his own. He remembered so much how it felt to be rejected, to be shuffled around, to be seen as nothing but a mistake. “He’s just a baby, Pidge. He hasn’t done anything wrong and he deserves to be somewhere where he’ll be loved and protected and raised right. I just… I know we could give that to him.” He took in another deep breath and looked up at her. “This doesn’t mean that I miss or love our first baby any less, or that he’s supposed to be a substitute for them. He’s gonna be his own little person, and we’ll love him in a different way than we love our first one.”

She was quiet for a moment before she nodded, her arms loosening around herself just a bit. “Okay,” She breathed softly.

“Thank you,” He said softly before heading back over to finish getting the baby tidied up. He got him in a diaper and the onesie as quickly as he could, feeling how he immediately started to shake once the towel was set aside. He then held him up and carefully started working through the little tangles and snags in his hair. As it turned out, the little guy’s hair did just have a natural bit of a curl to it. Once he was done, Keith held him up and gave him an appraising glance. The onesie was just solid grey, and was a little too big for him, but he wasn’t shaking or anything. His bright eyes kept roving around the room, fascinated by all the new things around him.

“Can I… Can I hold him?” Pisge asked timidly, stepping a little bit closer.

He perked up and offered a small smile. “Of course,” He said softly, carefully handing the infant over. He let out a curious little squeak before perking up and looking at Pidge as she took him.

“Hi there, little guy,” She said softly, carefully adjusting so that he was cradled proper. He blinked a bit before letting out a gurgle that sounded happy, reaching up to her with his little hands. A small smile turned up on her lips and she reached out with the arm not cradling him, waggling her fingers at him. He reached up and grabbed hold of her hand, pulling it against him and nuzzling her gently. She let out a small, choked noise, looking down at him and then up at Keith.

He offered a small smile of his own, walking over and gently pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He had a feeling things were going to be just fine, with a little bit more time.

[limesicle]

vague ideas for vld 8 rewrite

also bfore this, lance got at least a little glowy when they were at oriande but it was really brief and no one noticed... or after allura literally brought him back to life or something

and keith and lance did some catching up, because a lot happened and no one ever like emotionally processes anything

keith and shiro also talk. seriously they’ve been through a ton. shiro at least mentions adam

at some point, shiro takes a few minutes to visit adam’s grave and mourn properly

shiro and lance also talk. lance was crying over not having done anything to save shiro, and someone should tell shiro about that someday and then he and lance should talk

anyway

lance asks allura to dinner, but doesn’t really think of it as a date. he still goes to watch the sunset with keith. 

he does confess after, but it’s more you’re an amazing person and an inspiration to everyone and i just wanted you to know how i feel. and i’ll be there for you no matter what

allura takes actual time to think about his confession and doesn’t kiss him right then and there

after allura finds out about luka yelling at romelle (luka just passes out afterward), they talk about the altean colony and what lotor was doing, even though it’s a painful subject for both of them

allura also tells romelle about the lance thing, because it’s weighing on her mind, and it’s a distraction from all the other stuff and thinking about lotor except shit now she’s thinking about lotor again

veronica goes out of her way to befriend acxa, but like, actually befriends acxa

kinkade is perfect and doesn’t need anything changed

except maybe there should be more mfe/paladin bonding. but that’s not really central to the plot

allurance start showing up together but aren’t clearly like together

romelle tries to talk to luka again. luka reveals more about what lotor had been doing

we get more insight into lotor’s backstory, like what else he was doing when banished and if he really was just draining alteans of their quintessence without their consent? like this is a man who wanted to work with other planets and other races and who practically idolized his mother and her people. even if he eventually got to that point, it would be nice to show backstory of him at least struggling with the decisions that lead him there

romelle and allura have more conversations. romelle also gets allura to come along with her and hunk to get her mind off of everything and help relieve some stress

keith and lance have more conversations, too. they reassure each other. keith is more sure of his role as the leader, but he still feels bad for fucking off to the blade of marmora. lance, who was definitely hurt by his leaving, forgives him for it and tells him building a relationship between the paladins and the blade is important, plus family is also very important!

in various battles

lance does his sharpshooter thing

mfes and paladins coordinate / back each other up

paladins experiment with their fancy new powers to try to find their limits

no one talks about it when keith’s bayard takes the same form as lance’s used to (not the sniper rifle, but the gun)

anyway, space pirates happen at some point. paladins end up taking off their armour so they don’t get tracked, and allurance get separated from the others. there are a large number of pirates chasing after them (not just two, c’mon the crew was bigger. and even after defeat, they probably would have recruited again? it’s been 3 years or whatever so there was time)

allurance take more damage. like a lot more. because they’re severely outnumbered and outgunned since they are literally weaponless. lance pushes allura out of the way at some point. allura gets pissed and finishes off the last of the pirates.

lance isn’t like fatally injured, but they’re both suffering from the bad atmosphere, so allura tries to heal him again. cue glowy cheeks for a moment. lance jokes that he meets one of coran’s conditions since he’s actually altean.

oh look, they’re talking about their relationship now. allura tells him lotor still haunts her, but she is trying to move on and genuinely cares for him, too

lance knows he’s not her first choice, but he’s never been that concerned for himself. so he reiterates that he wants to support her. blah blah they solidify their relationship a bit more

over with zethrid and keith, keith goes into galra mode for a moment, which throws zethrid off. she still manages to surpress him. acxa and veronica come to save the day. veronica pulls off the winning shot because it must be in mcclain genetics to be sharpshooters. when acxa goes to talk to zethrid once she wakes up, she gets veronica to come with her because you’re the one that really got me to warm up to the coalition

honerva is very much on her bullshit

Clear Day happens

allura stays back, lance gets the blue lion plushy, etc. curtis (that’s his name right) is there to cheer shiro on in the arm wrestling competition.

allura takes in the entity. lance puts the lion plushy next to her bed when she’s unconscious.

both allura and keith offer extra reassurance to lance when the decision is made. he is their sharpshooter after all.

before they go to use the entity to get info on honerva, they take time to see their important people, because they all know it’s hella dangerous. keith finds krolia and shiro and hugs them both. allura visits coran and romelle and the other alteans. you know. things like that.

stuff in honerva’s mindscape goes down pretty much like it did in canon. when keith’s stuck outside, though, he calls the other paladins by name, starting with lance. the yellow eyes and fangs make an appearance for a bit again too.

additionally, we get lance and alfor using their altean broadsword bayards at the same time.

allura goes even further when showing zarkon his wrongdoings

lance steps in to stop her, and she takes a moment to recover herself

zarkon apologizes. he also says something about being poisoned by the rift or the entities within.

zarkon talks to keith, recognizing his galra heritage. keith’s eyes go galra for a moment, and everyone sees, but there’s no time to talk about it

as they leave, we see allura reject the entity and rid it from her system

when lance begs allura to wake (once they’ve left honerva’s mind and are trying to stop her), he gets a little glowy again. when she wakes, he says his first i love you where he’s only said “like” before.

wheee final battle time

we see more of curtis on the bridge with shiro

we also see acxa with veronica

with all the quintessence flowing and the presence of parts of oriande, allura and lance get glowy

keith goes galra mode for the end of the fight, and his eyes stay that way

most of the fight proceeds the way it does in canon

however, when honerva gets to her “ideal” reality and then is rejected by lotor, she yells in anguish, and loses control of her power. it consumes her and she dies, but there’s a chain reaction from what she was doing, and all realities are still dissolving

voltron ends up in the space where they can see all the threads of reality. they can see the threads disappearing.

just as the last threads vanish, allura unleashes her own power and they end up in the glowy place where we can see the past paladins. honerva is there. lotor is also there.

honerva is back to who she was before the rift. like she looks younger and is in altean clothes

lotor apologizes to the paladins

allura acknowledges—to his face—that he was trying to do the right thing, but his methods were wrong

they come to the same conclusion on how to fix what happened

allura says her goodbyes. she spends longer with lance, touching the altean marks on his cheeks.

take care of my people—our people—she says

she turns to walk with honerva into the light, but lotor cuts her off

you should not pay for the sins I committed—he says. take care of her—he says to lance. you did what i could not.

they may not be my sins—she says—but my people, my universe and every other universe, have been harmed. i vowed to protect them, and so i will.

the light becomes blinding

and epilogue

allura wakes from a coma. coran and romelle watch over her. lance is by her side, and keith is by his side.

she is blind, but she is alive

she rebuilds altea, and takes her place as their queen

she separates herself from lance, realizing that she relied on him for comfort although her feelings were different from his

they are still close. they are still family. he has a place in her court, although he is rarely there.

he is a diplomat and a sharpshooter. the universe may not be under threat, but there are still skirmishes and tensions between planets and peoples. 

he has a place on earth, too, with his family—his earth family—although veronica is off helping the blade with acxa

he spends his time teaching children and telling stories. he travels from one side of the universe to the other. where hunk brings people together with food, he lights the universe with his smile and touches the hearts of many

keith rebuilds daibazaal with the aid of the blade of marmora and the other galra who remain. their traditions are ingrained, so he works hard to change them. a thirst for victory and power are not inherently bad, but he teaches them to value more than battle.

although he focuses on the galra, he talks to the other paladins often. he watches shiro become an instructor, shaping the future paladins and defenders of the universe.

after he sees a new government established and stabilized for the galra, he talks to lance (he was the first to know when allura and lance broke up). they watch another sunset together, confident that this will not be their last.

keith tells lance his feelings—ones he’s hidden for years, because lance and allura aren’t the only ones willing to make sacrifices

allura smiles when she finds out (the mice tell her, of course, after keith and lance visit, holding hands when they think no one is looking). she keeps the blue lion plush and the picture from her first date with lance.

she is queen of altea and a leader within the universal coalition. she may find romance again, but she has thousands of years, and right now—she has a family and home once more. that is all she needs.

keith and lance are the two wings of voltron. they are guardian angels of the universe, but they cannot fly without each other.

[party-of-rpg-muses]

How I Would Fix Adam Taurus: Part 4 (The Future)

I would probably have Adam take a moment to recover, either recovering his blade or getting a new weapon from somewhere. He knew that Blake and the others were heading to Atlas and concerned for her safety, as that’s where the Schnee family live, he makes his own way to Atlas. Either by stealing an airship and stowing away on a ride to Atlas, still trying to save Blake.

Adam would appear somewhat infrequently, doing his best to stay hidden from view of humans, killing any humans mistreating or happily talking bad about Faunus. However, he’d also appear to the downtrodden Faunus, extending a helpful hand; either giving them food or defending them from aggressive humans. He’d basically be a Robin Hood-type figure to them, giving them hope.

Every now and again, he would happen across Blake. If she’s with her friends, he won’t approach, not wanting “her brainwashers” nearby to distract her. But on occasion, when he happens across Blake while she’s alone, he peacefully approaches and calmly talks to her, even laying down his weapon. A repeat of the other times occur, with Adam questioning why Blake would ally herself with humans, even questioning why she would go to Atlas, where Faunus are treated worst of all out of all other places. While they talked, some Faunus kids appear and share some of their food with Adam, thankful for him for helping them. Adam would talk about the evil he saw on Atlas and how the Faunus were treated especially badly, talking about how he wanted to take the humans down a peg and make them feel the pain of the Faunus, but Blake would refuse, arguing that would make them just as bad as the humans. After a bit more talking, they would calmly go their separate ways, intending on going through with his plan. Blake tries to call out to him, but he’s already gone.

While the main story is going on, Adam would have his own side-story going on at the same time. He would be spending time with the Faunus, helping and protecting them. He would even have his own episode or two where he talks about his past, causing a flashback. We’d see that he and his mom were basically slaves for the Schnee Dust Company, even removing his mask to show his branding. He and his mom were basically property, used to push incredibly heavy minecarts full of raw Dust in Mantle. And it was there that he met Ilia and the two became fast friends, though he was sad when she moved to Atlas. And when the cave-in occured, Ilia’s parents were killed while Adam’s mom was heavily injured and couldn’t work anymore. And since she couldn’t work, a few incredibly cruel humans who work with the SDC decided to “euthanize” her like some common animal. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back, causing Adam, enraged, to fight back. But since he was only a kid, the humans easily overpowered him and mercilessly kicked and beat him. Desperate for anything, he grabbed the nearest item he could find, using it to block their attacks as best as he could before suddenly triggering his Semblance, killing them all with massive blunt force trauma.

He eventually escaped and ended up learning about a new group called the “White Fang”, wanting to join them because he wanted equality. Along the way to reaching a White Fang base, he would meet a human girl named Viri and actually befriend them, sneaking food for Adam while he rested. But the girl sold him out to the others (at least, that’s what he believes) and the townspeople came to get the Faunus boy, causing Adam to run. He eventually reached the White Fang base, where he was basically raised within their ranks, even meeting up with Ilia again while making friends with Blake. And he’s been with the White Fang ever since. This would bring him to stage a violent uprising against the humans and especially against the Schnee Family.

And near the end of the Volume, while Team RWBY are inside the Schnee estate (they separated from the others), Adam catches the group while he’s attempting to assassinate Jacques and one reason or another, hears the name “Weiss”, which catches his attention. When he realizes the girl in white is Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, he flies into a rage, ambushes the group and attacks Weiss almost relentlessly. But despite being consumed with rage, he’s able to hold his own against all four members of Team RWBY, though Ruby doesn’t fare as well, since she doesn’t do well against opponents like Adam and she hasn’t faced him before. The entire time, Adam is livid, blaming Weiss and her whole family for the death of his mother, cursing her name and her family, while also accusing her of brainwashing Blake and turning her into a servant, demanding he wants his friend back. He even says that the Schnee Family are the worst of all humans. And Adam is able to either counter, block, or dodge many (but not all) combos Team RWBY throw at him, but they manage to get the upper hand with Weiss successfully disarming Adam. As he lays on the floor, he curses Weiss one last time, but know’s he’s beaten, telling Weiss to just go ahead and finish him, so that he could at least be with his mom.

Suddenly, Jacques shows up, applauding Weiss for stifling the “riff-raff”, catching everyone’s attention. He comments considering forgiving Weiss and saying he’ll welcome Weiss back as heir to the Schnee Dust Company if she kills Adam and for an added bonus, she’ll get to keep Blake as a pet/personal servant. Of course, Weiss refuses, stating that while they’re different, they’re still people, people who have suffered even worse than she has at his hands, at the hands of a monster. Enraged, Jacques bemoans having an insolent brat of a daughter and decides to dispose of them, calling forth a powerful security android soldier that Ironwood gave him as a gift, which fires a powerful laser at the group. Suddenly, Adam rushes forward, his sword in hand, and blocks the beam with everything he’s got. He’s slowly being pushed back, trying to stand his ground as he looks back at Weiss, his eyes saying that while he’s still angry at humans, he’s willing to return the favor Weiss gave him for sparing his life. Slowly, his hair starts to turn red, signalling that his Moonslice is ready while Ruby and Yang work together to get the android to stop if only for a moment. Once the android stops, Adam quickly tells everyone to get down before he uses Moonslice, dealing massive damage to the surrounding room and destroying the android completely.

Jacques is thrown from the mech’s explosion, landing in front of the group, heavily injured as they glare down at him. Blake asks Adam what he wants to do with Jacques, only for Adam to pick the man up by his collar and drag him outside where a horde of angry Faunus are fighting against the guards, spurred on by Adam’s words of rising up. Seeing Adam, the fighting stops. Adam holds Jacques out and tells them that this man is one of the main reasons why Faunus are treated so poorly, viewing them as items or servants at best and garbage at worst. He doesn’t doubt that many would want to torture or even kill him, leaving Team RWBY stunned, only for him to follow by saying that they’re too good for that. Instead, he’d be placed under close supervision and forced to atone for his actions. First act being kicked out of his home (everyone else is fine (except maybe Whitley if he’s just as much of a turd)) and forced to live like the Faunus were, in slums, barely surviving on food.

Afterwards, Adam would finally truly open up to the others. While he’s still not ready to forgive humanity, the kindness Weiss, a Schnee, gave him opened his eyes to the possibility, so he leaves Atlas and goes on his own personal journey. But not before offering an apology to Yang, saying that he’s sorry for taking her arm, not that he expects her to forgive him. Yang only responds with “It’s cool, that arm wasn’t right for me anyway.” Everyone groans, but Adam simply chuckles and says “That’s pretty good” before leaving.

 A brief scene would play with him going through the village he momentarily stayed at as a kid with Viri, now a grown woman, recognizing Adam, even giving him a hug. Of course, he’s hesitant to return the favor, keeping his arms to his side, and even glaring at her before she starts to explain that some other kids found out and forced her to tell the adults about Adam. Every day she worried that he was okay and that she saw him on the news, showing him at Haven. While she was happy to see he was alive, she was less so upon seeing that he became so violent. He explains what happened, telling her that he’s changed. He also finds that Viri has been smuggling Faunus who ran from the Schnee Dust Mines and held them in her barn until the dead of night so they could escape. He even spends some time at her town, wearing a hat to disguise his Faunus traits and cuts down a few ruffians who try to harass Viri. Afterwards, he leaves to continue his journey, but assures Viri they’ll meet again.

Later, when RWBY and friends arrive at Vacuo and meet Sun, he tells Blake that Adam passed by some time ago. He also says that they talked for a bit and Sun comments that he seemed satisfied about Vacuo (because humans and Faunus live peacefully together). There’d even be a scene where Adam finally makes his way to Menagerie, surprising Ilia. When he says he’s happy to see her, she can’t help but hug her old friend, happy to have both him and Blake back. Adam would smile, returning the embrace, but states that he’d like to meet with Ghira.

Later still, when Team RWBY find themselves at the White Fang base, Adam would join, knowing they have no chance of defeating Sienna Khan by themselves. Seeing this betrayal enrages her, causing her to fight the group with intense ferocity that even Adam and Blake have trouble keeping up with her. Eventually, Adam is gravely injured and taken out of the fight. No wanting to lose her friend again, she goes into a rage, attacking Sienna like a wild animal while the others back her up. Eventually, Sienna is defeated and unable to comprehend the fact that Faunus are working with humans to stop Faunus equality, she snaps and charges at Blake one final time, only for Adam to come in, still injured, and run her through with his sword. She asks why he would betray her and the White Fang before she dies with Adam’s response being “You’re not what the White Fang needs.” With Sienna’s death, Adam ascends as High Leader of the Faunus, taking a new path for Faunus equality; peace, but not being afraid to fight back. Blake isn’t... completely okay with it, but lets it go as she leaves with her friends.

And that is what I would have done with Adam. And yes, Viri would be Adam’s love interest.

[speaker-sypha]

“This is my history, our history, the history.” 

“It began in a way you might not expect an apocalypse to begin. It began with love, several times over. In the beginning of mankind, Cain, son of Adam, and his brother Abel were asked to sacrifice to the Lord what they cherished most. Abel sacrificed a lamb from his flock. Cain sacrificed Abel. The Lord banished Cain for his sin, where he traveled alone until he met Lilith, the first wife of Adam, who taught him dark magic. The Lord returned to Cain with three angels, each offering Cain forgiveness, and Cain refused all three, because he couldn’t forgive himself. The angels cursed him with the three traits all vampires here share: weakness to sunlight, vulnerability to fire, and a thirst for blood. Cain became the progenitor, the first vampire.

“He traveled alone again for ages, until he learned from the Crone of Childer. After freeing himself from her, he found the city of the followers of Set, and they worshiped Cain. He changed a wife, and made a son--Enoch. They created more vampires, and the city prospered until the Great Flood, and many were destroyed. Cain, distraught, hid himself away for a time. When he emerged, he found his precious Childer in disarray, the younger generations surmounted against his precious second generation. He cursed his progeny, and declared he would one day return to wipe them from the earth. This is the prophecy of Gehenna, that Cain will return with the rise of the blood moon and the faces of the Antediluvians into the sky.

“Years turn to centuries, and presumably centuries to millennia. Then, love reenters the narrative. Vlad Dracula Tepes, feared vampire lord of Wallachia, meets Lisa--or rather, Lisa walks up to the front of his castle, bangs on the door with her knife, and requests to be taught science, for Dracula was also rumored to have older, lost knowledge of the world. Intrigued, Dracula agreed, and they fell in love, and beget a son, Alucard, a bridge between both of their worlds. Unfortunately, like Cain and Abel, it didn’t last. In 1475, Lisa was burned at the stake as a witch for practicing science as a doctor. Dracula declared war on humanity--by killing his love, in his view the only saving grace of humanity, they had proved humans did not deserve the earth, and thus he would wipe them from it. Alucard tried to stop him immediately, but was severely injured, and had to retreat-- ah, but I’m getting off topic. I’ll tell you the story of Dracula’s defeat another time.

“The substance is, that he was defeated, but it could not stop what he set in motion. By unleashing the powers of hell to scourge the earth, Dracula rose the blood moon, and thus started the events of Gehenna. Cain returned, and vampires began having visions of despair and agony and horror. Alucard was not exempt. But even so, we were not aware of the possibility of Gehenna until we, ah... ‘met’ Van Helsing, otherwise known as Raquel Belmont--Trevor’s cousin, who he didn’t know had also survived the massacre to his family. He was the chosen Belmont son to battle Cain on his return, and he had the Book of Nod, which gave us the prophecy of Gehenna. Cain would return, had returned already, and would consume his children. Quite literally. His city, the city of Enoch, was a floating fortress made of dead vampires. We saw it. It was--I don’t really have words for it.

“We traveled to the Camarilla, a council of vampires in Wallachia set on integrating with and living hidden among humans, to warn them. On the way, we stopped at Campulung to retrieve Leon Belmont’s bones, for fear that witch hunters were going to desecrate his grave. We actually awakened his ghost, and he joined us on our journey, after we killed one of the witchhunters that massacred Trevor’s family, who was sitting there bragging about it like he was the hero of some grand quest. It’s still horrifying to remember his story, and even more horrifying to remember how Trevor just-- ...Nevermind.

“Anyway, at the council we were joined by Ashei, a holy paladin from another plane posed as a priest. They sent us to Styria, to gain the favor of the Ventrue clan’s leader, Carmilla, who unfortunately wasn’t very... receptive. We fought her, and a fleshcrafter, but in the end we got what we really came there for--one of Dracula’s devil forgemasters, Hector, who Carmilla had taken as prisoner. We needed him to forge us a weapon of a holy soul. We also, somehow, got Van Helsing on our side--we were at odds with him, if you didn’t catch that earlier. He, uh... He doesn’t like Alucard. At all. Shot him I think three separate times with silver? Yeah. That...still needs to be addressed....

“So we got Raquel and Ashei and Hector, and began our journey to Cain. We returned to the Belmont estate. We traveled through Dracula’s mirror to the land of Eden with the help of another ancestor from a reflected world, Everette Belmont. We all made it through--Raquel was in rough shape by this time. I didn’t mention, but the way Raquel survived the fire that killed everyone else but Trevor was by making a deal with a devil that had been working its way down the Belmont line for generations. He tapped into that devil’s power before we went in, but it was hard for him to handle the enormous power of the devil.

“We made it to Eden, though, and after some searching we found the Tree of Life. There, at its roots, sat Enoch, the son of Cain. We requested passage to the land of Nod, where Cain dwelt, and he told us to prove to him that we had what it takes to stand up to his father, who he had tried and failed to stop before. Unfortunately, he didn’t think Trevor and I were up to snuff at first, so we had to fight him two on one... we changed his mind by the end of it, if I say so myself. He allowed us passage through a pool in front of the tree, but before we went in, Claudia Belmont emerged from the pool.

“The wife of Leon, and the daughter of angel--she was a nephilim, and the source of the divine blood that still runs through the Belmonts, into Raquel and into Trevor. She gifted some of her soul to Alucard, to protect him in the battle--otherwise, Cain would have been able to kill him easily and consume him. She also gave a part of her soul to Hector, to forge the weapon to kill Cain. Raquel provided an Elysium shard to be the shell, and Ashei gave a reliquary with the ability of banishment. Trevor gave holy water, and I gave a spell to-- okay. I’ll be honest. It was technically a love potion. It was what I had, alright? But Hector was going to have to convince Abel to help us defeat his brother, and love potions make people more... inclined to listen to what you have to say. I thought it couldn’t hurt.  

“That said and done, Hector got Abel to agree to help and forged the weapon--a bullet? a bomb? It was a projectile, and it went inside Raquel’s massive cannon gun to be fired at the right moment. Then, we went into the pool, into the land of Nod.

“And then we met the drow. How in the world he found his way to the land of Nod, I haven’t asked yet. But he was there, and he had an airship, a literal ship that traveled through the air, and he helped us get up to the city of Enoch. Illikyur, his name, and Raquel introduced him as his brother. Haven’t gotten that story yet either.

“But we made it to the city of Enoch, and we made it to Cain. He was...sad. I don’t mean that as in unimpressive. Or perhaps that fits, at first. But he was so old, and so... dead. He started this new life alone, and he had been alone for ages, away from light and life, away from everything but this mausoleum of a city, wrapped like a blanket in his own self-loathing and hatred. He barely acknowledged us at first. It was until I spoke his name, and spoke to him in Adamic, in the language of his father, that something in him stirred.

“We talked for a bit, him and I. It was- It was... hard. After all this time, now that it was to the point, I’m not sure he even cared about ending his kind, ending the world. He was too deep in to drag himself out anymore. Or maybe he just couldn’t make himself take the rope. I- I feel like I got close, like I almost... almost convinced him that he could accept the forgiveness, and stop this. But eventually, he said no, that it was too late. I think it had progressed to far for him to stop, or maybe he still, after all this time, just couldn’t give up his hatred for what he had become. He said he couldn’t stop the end, but maybe we could.

“And then he transformed. It was almost too much to comprehend. Massive, and if there had been a sun, it would have been blocked out. Floating through the air like he was swimming, almost aquatic in nature, and covered in eyes and teeth. He fought us, and we fought back. We whittled him down, little by little, and he took chunks out of us. Alucard almost- ...but eventually, we got him down on his end dregs, and Raquel readied to shot. I’m not sure how much Raquel was in control by this point. The devil had overgrown his skin, encased him like a shell. It was a horrifying, terrific, and... odd sight. A devil and the burning son, held aloft by the angel Claudia, being forced in flashes into her true form, something magnificent and monstrous, as large as a mountain and completely incomprehensible... Held aloft by an angel, Raquel fired, and Cain died.

“He died, and Raquel, and all the other Belmonts trapped in the devil’s book, were freed. We went home, remembered our sacrifices, celebrated our victory, and slept until time became fuzzy. And we looked toward the future, free.”

“....”

“...wherever Cain is now, wherever his soul now resides, I hope- I hope he is at peace. I hope he and his brother are reunited, so his brother can forgive him in person, as he forgave him millennia ago. And I hope that maybe, Cain can accept that forgives, and move forward, together, also free.”

[guardianofjunmyeon]

I’ve Got You (part 1)

Pairing: Jongdae x Reader

Genre: Fluff, Canon AU, Future Smut (??)

Description: You work for SM as it’s public relations specialist, and Jongdae is one client that you have to deal with far too often. Sometimes though, he isn’t all that bad.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21.

You hate working for an entertainment company.

Correction. You fucking hate working for SM Entertainment. You definitely thought that this is what you wanted to do while you were still in college. Now you’re a graduate stuck working for a company that gives you more stress than a late 20-year-old should have.

Yeah, you got to work with celebrities. And yeah, you got to live in the exciting work environment that you dreamed of as an undergraduate with hope and ambitions. Work is never boring. But that’s just it. It’s never boring. You never have a slow day.

Any time that you think you have a chance to breathe, someone will waltz in all worried and apologetic telling you “we’ve got another crisis”. Whether that someone got followed in to a club they (in the first place) shouldn’t have been in and got photos taken of them, someone got their dick stuck in something, or more often times than not, they got their dick stuck in someone at the club.

It’s your job to handle all of these oh so fun incidents. Damage control. That’s what you do. That’s what your job title should have been called. All the messes, all the mishaps, the misunderstandings, you’re the first on the scene to get the facts, write the press release and find a way to spin the story in a way that doesn’t make your clients look like the dumbasses they all are. You keep them from losing their jobs, or more importantly you keep yourself from losing your job. There’s no way you’re going to let some stupid celebrity mistake be the reason you lose you first steady flow of income.

Not when you’re getting paid as much as you are at that.

So, you know everything. You have to. To fix it you have to hear the truth straight from the horse’s mouth. You probably know more about all of these idols’ personal lives than you’d ever like to.

One client though, one client in particular is slowly but surely driving you to an early grave.

Jongdae.

EXO’s Chen.

Jesus Christ the kid is a saint on camera, but if you had a dollar -scratch that, a penny- for every god damned issue of his that you’d had to deal with, you’d be able to retire on an island and never have to deal with P.R. ever again.

You really should have signed a contract that paid you by project instead of in scheduled time intervals.

It’s Monday today, and walking in to the large building you can already smell the sheer amount of bullshit that you will have to deal with after the weekend.

Maybe you should have just majored in Chinese like you wanted and worked as a translator.

It’s been 5 years now. 5 years that you’ve been working for SM as its main public relations representative. You started out under some older guy at first, but after a huge lawsuit was filed against the company that he wasn’t able to handle finally blew over, you got bumped up.

Let’s just say that after that day, you try to crush the lawsuits before they can even reach that level of media coverage.

You graduated college wanting to be a true professional. You know, the good guy. You wanted to show the truth to the public. You wanted to prove not everyone in your line of work was full of lies. Boy, the dream died in your heart quickly.

After a particular incident where one SM idol -who shall remain nameless for the sake of confidentiality- was caught in another country in a huge orgy with a team of Russian trapeze artists, you learned sometimes the truth is better unsaid. To this day, everyone still thinks that he just went to the circus and got injured after a flip gone wrong by one of the performers.

It took you a solid 3 weeks to get everyone to believe that shit. You’re honestly a miracle worker. You’re just hoping your luck doesn’t run out too fast.

Walking in to your office, you throw you purse into the chair in front of your desk before flopping in the large one at the desk’s head. You name is engraved on a small silver plaque for everyone to see.

Even though everyone here already knows who you are at this point. You are basically their caretaker.

The silence in your office is all too short as it’s interrupted by the sound of knocking. Your newest secretary walks in with a nervous smile and a stack of papers. She’s only been here a month so far and is still terrified of you. It might have been since when she walked in for her first day you were on the verge of physically assaulting Jongdae after another one of his “conquests” got away before signing a nondisclosure agreement. He was hiding behind your desk as you pitched different object at his head (okay maybe you weren’t just on the verge of attacking him).

You liked the new secretary so far though. She’s a university student who wants to work for JYP. She’s shadowing you in a way. She’s kind hearted. Bright. Hopeful for the future. Reminds you of a younger version of yourself.

God it’s going to be sad watching that excitement fade from her eyes.

“Sehun is here to see you,” she says softly.

Sehun never causes problems. If anything he’s known to not tell on anyone when they fuck up. A loyal kid. What could he possibly want?

She leaves and the guy walks in, all broad shoulders, and angry eyebrows in his practice clothes. Oh shit, they have a comeback coming soon. You need to remember to have someone leak the audio to one of their songs…or maybe even edit one of the former songs so that their fans can go to town hyping themselves up for their official comeback.

He addresses you by your first name.

“Sit,” is all you say. He fidgets. “What happened?”

His eyebrows loosen and his entire expression shifts in the way that makes him look like an entire different person. Like the actual maknae of his group. “I just wanted to come and tell you this before you heard it from someone else, and I don’t want you to be mad at me or at Jongdae because it’s not his fault I promise!”

There’s his name again.

You groan in misery. “What did he do now?”

Sehun sits up in his seat. “Chanyeol and I were going to go get food, but Baekhyun and Jongdae wanted to come along and we already know that we shouldn’t travel in big groups out in public, but Jongdae told us that maybe we shouldn’t go with any guards because that would make us more suspicious. And Chanyeol was like ‘yeah’, but Baekhyun said that it was a bad idea. But then Jongdae said we could just go eat somewhere farther away and we wouldn’t get noticed, so Baekhyun caved and we went.”

You snap your fingers impatiently. “I need you to speed this up. What exactly did Jongdae do? What do I need to be on the look out for?”

He blinks rapidly and leans back in his seat before sighing. “Jongdae bought a fleshlight at a uh…at a-”

“At a sex shop,” you fill in.

“Yeah,” he swallows hard and his adam’s apple bobs. “He bought one as a joke and we all signed it because we thought it would be funny, but then he uhm…he left it on the train,” he finishes sheepishly.

It’s Monday. And you already have to deal with a lost fleshlight on a train. Maybe you should start naming these cases like Scooby Doo episodes. Pinching the bridge of your nose to fight of an impending headache you give Sehun a tired look. “Send Jongdae to my office.”

“He’s not going to get in trouble right?”

“Yes, he most definitely is.”

“But…not a lot of trouble right?”

“If you mean getting kicked out of the group trouble then no. A lost fleshlight with almost half of EXO’s signatures on it is not something Lee Sooman needs to hear about. Nor is it something I’m willing to lose my job over. Just…send Jongdae up.”

You are going to strangle him when he gets here.