#no your child doesn't 'need a hug and being carried around and given a pass to the theme park' because they threw a tantrum

[jorjin]

Ngl I am annoyed at the way new parents are parenting sometimes not because "oh the old way was better", but because so many took gentle parenting and turned it into spineless parenting instead. PLEASE educate your children and help them ask questions and be curious about the world. Don't let them just do whatever they want because "that's gentle parenting", it's not, you're just setting them up to fail when they have to deal with consequences for their behavior elsewhere

[moonspirit]

I think the discussion on Armin’s relationship with his mother brings up an interesting idea, especially in relation to your fic. Specifically concerning his relationship with Hange, you have been identifying, and rightly so Levi as the “father” of the Scouts. So I am wondering at the other end do you identify Hange as the “mother”

I would love to hear your ideas on her/their relationship with Armin. Was it a mentor/protegee relationship given their similar passions for knowledge and exploration, or did it become sort of a “Son I never had” for Hange and “Mother whom I never really had” for Armin

As always I would love to hear your insight and thoughts on this.

Hello anon! This is long, sorry TT^TT I got carried away.

Tbh I haven't explored Armin's relationship with Hange all that much in VBEOW, but yes, as you say, the intention is clear that he looked up to her and they spent quite a lot of time together; that's what I'm getting at.

I think much of the fandom appreciates Levi and Hange being the parent figures to the 104th, in that the newest members of the SC are all mere children, and it's Levi and Hange who guide and lead them. Of course we have Erwin, we don't see there necessarily being a "huge distance" of rank between him and the 104th (he's around and about), but he's not the one scolding the kids, breaking up the fights, or teaching them titan science and new technology. Among the vets, Levi and Hange are closest to the 104th (going forth we mean EMA+JSC) and their bond only grows thicker as the years pass, numbers fall, and uncertainty grows.

This is why I love thinking about Levi's relationship to the Alliance post-rumbling, especially in relation to the Paradis boys (Armin, Jean and Connie) because after all that time spent together, they know him, and he knows them. He protected them, took care of them, (probably woke them up with a kick to the balls too), told them to buck up and focus in as little words as possible - a father, through and through.

All of the same goes for Hange, only, she doesn't make it to see them as Ambassadors.

Now coming to Armin specifically.

Among all the Ambassadors, he's the only one that's an orphan. Everyone else has parents, or at least someone looking forward to receiving them at home. Not counting Mikasa, (who is his family, yes, but she's not an adult figure), he has nobody that'll give him a hug and say he's made them a proud parent. There is a comfort in being held by someone older and feeling like you're still a child; that you'll always be their child.

But it's not just now, is it? He hasn't had it since he enlisted in the military.

At that young age when people have friends and parents, loneliness is crippling. Eren and Mikasa being inseparable I think there would've been times Armin wandered the buildings and scoured the libraries all alone. His curiosity to learn is something we don't see anyone sharing with him on quite the same level or depth - sure, he's telling people interesting things from what he's read most recently and they're listening, fascinated, but how many of them are picking his brain and quenching his thirst for a good, long conversation with questions, answers, hypothesis and conclusions?

One. Hange.

Or so I imagine. Their combined curiosity would've known no bounds. He's assessing her hypotheses, she/they're answering his questions. He helps her/them in the lab, she/they gives him new what-ifs to ponder about. She teaches him about the weather. He writes her expedition reports in meticulous detail. We see Hange rambling to anyone that'll spent 5 seconds listening, but it's a special satisfaction when someone listens with keen interest and a desire to contribute their thoughts by an equal measure. For Hange, Armin is a great scout in that he naturally possesses the understanding, empathy and curiosity needed of a scout in the first place. He's also sweet and polite - I see her/them developing a bit of a soft spot for him.

But then things go to shit right? Once the walls break (again) and along with it goes trust (RBA), nothing is a certainty anymore. From this point onwards, the SC begins to get pared down in both numbers and trustworthy members - by the end of S3, the SC we see are those few left alive and survived through all the betrayal. The only constants that remain for Armin then, are his immediate close friends (EM+JSC), Levi, and Hange.

And Hange is admittedly, more vocally softer in her approach to the kids than Levi is.

It only gets worse though, through the timeskip, which is the most grueling of times imo, in the whole story. Hange as a commander is different - no longer does she/they have the time or peace of mind to be the careless mad scientist because the pressure on her to perform, lead, and find a near impossible solution is insane. I imagine Armin and Hange spend many an evening thinking about what to do about the impending annihilation. Some of those evenings, she/they would break down, head in her/their hands, and admit only to him, that the burden of living up to Erwin's legacy's crushing her back.

To everyone else, Hange must be brave. The world's falling apart, she can't look weak. In front of Armin though, she can afford to look scared. Just a bit. Because he'll understand.

And Armin would understand all too well, wouldn't he? They share the burden, after all. One has been appointed the Commander, and the other has replaced a Commander.

Above anyone else too, Hange would understand Armin's guilt. He's just a boy of nineteen, receiving hostile stares and accusations simply for living and breathing, and she/they feel sorry. It wasn't her/their decision, it was Levi's, but Hange's been watching this boy grow up from a scrawny thirteen year old to a young adult who should be feeling more confident in himself (with a shifter's power too!), but he doesn't. He cries, he hates, he wishes he wasn't alive.

What kind of parent wouldn't hurt from that?

To sum up, from the beginning to the moment Hange died burning in the sky, I believe Armin and she/they shared a very special relationship. It might have started out as a Superior/Junior thing, but over time it progressed into something more, something deeper, something closer to the heart.

A soft spot for one another like nobody else had.

[visd3stele]

magic and kids

summary:

A/N: I really hope you like it. Thank you for your requests. Loved writing it.

art credit: @phantomrin

TW: none

@britishbookworm2 requested (if you want to leave a request as well, click)

masterlist

°•▪︎~▪︎•°

It's been four years since Taryn decided the mortal world would be a more suitable place to raise her child than Elfhame. Even if her sister was now High Queen, the fairies would still make life hard for her and her baby. Maybe not on purpose, she admits it. But magic runs wild, free and unstoppable. Used to it, the Fae Folk barely notices the dangers. And frankly, they don't care. Not allowed to use it on humans as cruelly as before, some meaner courts claim innocent ignorance. How can an entire society of enchanted beings change overnight? How could they be expected to adjust to human fragility all of a sudden?

So Taryn took her baby, promised her sister to visit and fled to Heather and Vivi's. It wasn't as hard as she'd thought. Getting used to the mortal world, that's it. And if her baby had longer canine than normal, or his ears sharpened to pointy edges to the top, it passed unnoticed. Her son certainly didn't stood out the way Vivi did, even with light brown eyes that looked orange in the sun and rusty red hair. He didn't need much glamouring either, not like Oak, Oriana or Madoc. By the time she sent him to preschool his hair was long enough to cover the ears and no one seemed to notice the teeth even without magic.

For all the talk Taryn did on how she wanted her son to be free of his father in all ways, snapping at Oak when the boy tried to teach him magic before he knew how to properly walk and forbidding her family to bring Fairyland up, she named him Renard.

Fitting, though not what she should have done. Maybe part of her can't let Locke go, not entirely. She knew he didn't particularly wanted the baby, that everything he promised her were pretty lies. But for a few months, it has been real. Their marriage, their love, their lives. She saw her dreams come true, one after another: the mistress of an important household, throwing parties for courtiers, motherhood.

Now that everything she wanted snaped broken in tiny little pieces carried away by harsh winter wind, Taryn Duarte couldn't phantom having her child become like his father.

"It has nothing to do with magic, for fuck's sake!" Vivi exploded once, after Taryn better than not threw Oak and Oriana - who came to visit - out of the apartment for trying to reach Renard's magic. "He won't become a sly, selfish fox if he can change appearance or grow horses out of leaves. It's all about his up-bringing!"

"I want him to be normal, Vivi! That's why I took him here!"

Renard has been barely one year old when the argument happened. But it was enough to take his mother's words to heart.

°•▪︎~▪︎•°

Four years old Renard and twelve years old Oak played outside, jumping in crusty piles of autumn leaves. The princeling hadn't given up his plans to teach his cousin magic. He refused to let go of such opportunity: a friend he didn't have to hide of, one he could play with like he used to in Elfhame.

"Hey, Ren-Ren," Oak said, "check this out!" The older boy held up his hand, brows furrowed in concentration, lip grazed between his teeth. Nothing happened for an alarming amount of time. And then... the leaves twirl around the two cousins, splashing then with guts of wind and scarce dew as it swept them up in a friendly tornado.

Renard chuckled in delight, stretching to catch some of the closer leaves. But as soon as he touched one, the whole thing fell apart. "No!" Do it again, Oak. Do it again."

"I'm sorry, Ren-Ren," Oak faked a yawned and laid on the ground. "Magic is very serious business. Very consuming. I'm too tired to even move." He let his eyes close dramatically, watching Renard between his lashes. Truth be told, every time he did magic Oak felt good. Vibrant. As if the earth itself reached out and gave him life. But Renard didn't need to know that yet. He can definitely learn it by himself if Oak's plan works out.

The younger boy pouted and dropped on the ground. "Not fair," he muttered to himself.

"You know, Ren-Ren, you're half fae. That means there's a pretty good chance you're magic too."

"No, I'm not."

"You can't know that. Come on, give it a try!"

"No, Oak! I'm not magic. I'm not like Father, I'm like Mom. Like Mom, just like that."

Oak straightened himself, but didn't rose from the ground. "Ok, Ren-Ren. Listen up. Magic is not bad. It's fun. Don't you think it's fun?"

"Yes!" Renard nodded enthusiastically. "It's super fun. When you do it, Oak." At that the named boy own enthusiasm faded away in an instant.

"Thank you, Ren-Ren," he deadpanned. "But do you know what's more fun than watching me practice magic?" Not giving the kid a chance to answer, to even take in the question, really, Oak said "To do it yourself."

"Do you really think I should try, Oak?" Clearly, the little boy was attracted to magic. And clearly something was stopping him. But his older cousin slowly made whatever that was seem less big and scary, dragging him along in his qualms.

"Totally!"

Renard pushed his lips forward with his tongue, sticking it out through the gap in his teeth. Caramel eyes shone with desire, his red hair flown around by a cold, pleasant wind. "Ok," he gave in, as expected. "How do I do it?"

The smirk that lightened up Oak's face can only be describes as evil. Though no ill intention hid behind it. Only the knowledge his plan worked out, just like his sister, Jude's.

"Listen to me very carefully, alright? There is not just one way to make magic, Ren-Ren. You have to find your own. But for now, try the basics. Think really hard on what you want to happen. Something easy. Got anything in mind?" Renard frowned, then his eyes landed on a tree which still had some green leaves on its branches and nodded.

"Perfect! Now, imagine whatever you want to happen. Imagine it happening. Are you imagining?"

"Yes."

"No!" Oak groaned. "If you're paying attention to me, then it means you're not focusing on magic."

"But how will I know what to do if I don't listen to you?"

"I told you! Magic is your own, Ren-Ren. It comes naturally. So, dig it up. Use your imagination."

Renard tried to shut out the world around him, picturing the sole tree in his mind. A warm pull tugged at him and he followed. His magic, he tried not to dwell on the joy, but instead focusing on his practice. His magic reaching out. Because he reached out first.

The boy allowed the warmth to take control, guiding him through it. The tree now carved in his mind by detail wasn't enough. He needed action. But just imagining the leaves to fall wouldn't do. Renard couldn't say how exactly he knew it. He just did. Something more tender was needed. The half fae kid had to imply what he wants and trust his magic to follow his lead.

So Renard made himself cold. Chilly. Feeling a breeze of wind creeping inside his clothes, whipping his skin gently. Enough to rip a leaf off a tree, though. Which it did. The wind he summoned couldn't be felt, not really. Only by himself and the green leaves that departed one by one from their branch as if plucked by an invisible hand.

Oak gasped. Then grinned. And then he laughed. Renard broke free of his concentration, pleased to see his magic didn't falter. Not until every and each green leaf from his chosen tree didn't fall. The sight made him still in awe for a couple of seconds. But soon enough he joined his cousin with a bubble laugh, jumping up and down and running to tackle Oak in a tight hug.

"I did it, Oak! I did it!"

"Yes, you did, Rem-Ren. Indeed, you did. Congrats!"

"Can we show auntie Vivi? And auntie Oriana?"

When Madoc and Oriana first came in the mortal world, Taryn wanted nothing to do with them. But years of being cared for by the blue skinned, white haired, pink eyes woman showed their tale. She agreed to see her, but only her. She could be part of her child life, if she wanted.

"Sure. But don't you want to show your mom first?"

"Mom and auntie Heather work a lot. We can show them later." Renard said, but he felt his magic shrinking at the thought of his mother. His Mom didn't like his father. And his magic comes from his father. Is that why his magic doesn't want to reveal itself near Taryn? He hoped it was just him overthinking it, because he loves his Mom and wants to share this with her.

°•▪︎~▪︎•°

Oak stayed with auntie Oriana, who was his mother, so Renard couldn't bring himself to be upset over it. He would want to be with his mother as much as he can as well. So he did a little trick for auntie Vivi, who told him to stay where he was, brought a camera and ordered him to glamour the tea cups again. Renard made them look like pumpkins, since the Halloween being over the corner made him impossibly anxious - in a good way.

Turns out even mortal technology can be fooled by fae's magic. Vivi showed the clip to Heather, who coed over him until Taryn came home.

"Hello, treasure. How was your day? Wanna give mommy a kiss?"

Renard jumped into his mother's arms, pressing a strong kiss on her cheek before starting to tell her about all the fun he had with cousin Oak. "And then he said I should try magic too."

Tamryn stilled. "And?"

"Look, Mom!"

Renard broke a vase, then, with a twitch of his fingers put it back together. "Auntie Vivi says I'm a natural."

"Does she? That's amazing, sweetheart."

But his mother didn't sound thrilled. In fact, her smile wasn't even a smile at all, but a thin line. "I'm sorry, mommy. I knew I shouldn't've done it, but I didn't know why. Now I know: you don't want me using my magic. It'll make me bad, like father."

Renard pushed his lips up front, scrunched his nose up, wiggled his toes, all in an atempt to stop the tears hurting his eyes from falling. When he realized it was in vain, he took off running to his room.

When Taryn entered minutes later she found her son curled on his left side in the middle of the bed, hugging a black goat plushie his uncle Cardan gave him on his birthday tight to his chest. She hated herself for causing the pain struck look on her son's face.

"Hey, sweetie."

"Hi, Mom." Renard wiped his nose with his jumper's sleeve.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie. Mommy was just scared, but that's not your fault. You could never be bad. Magic is not bad. Of course you can practice all you want, but we'll settle some ground, basic rules first. Ok?"

"Really?"

"Rules you can never, ever break. Really."

"Thank you, Mommy! You're the best! Just wait until Oak hears about it."

A/N: Renard means fox in french. Also: oops, guess I finished it earlier than expected and didn't really felt like waiting days to post it 😅

[lyracasstuff]

I am NOT prepared to make myself sad,, you FRENCHIE!! ಥ⌣ಥ

However,, I will accept because as much as it pains me to write angst,, I also have to in order to improve my writing skills..

I'll do this in one shot/fic form as I feel as though I can convey emotions there better. That and I've been doing headcannons as of late,, so let's switch it up a notch..

WARNINGS: DEATH, BLOOD, SPOILERS FOR JOSEPH'S BACKSTORY

Joseph x fem! S/o

To be Sick at Heart💔

"How did this all happen?" thought the Frenchman, although it was more retorical, as he already knew deep down the answer to that question... He just can't accept it..

You had been an acquaintance to Joseph before, seeing as how your family served him, and the both of you only grew closer once you got caught in the twisted "games" of the manor. Joseph asked as to what had tempted you to accept the invitation of the manor.

It turns out, you were looking to find people who you can treat as your own family. In all your life, you practically had been treated like dirt, especially the time when Joseph had gone missing. Your family had given you love and acceptance, but it was short-lived seeing as how their lives were slowly taken from them early on in your life by sickness, you had no one but the other servants to take care of you.

The other servants cared for you, but not to the same extent as your family... You were aware of that fact as did they. So, when the invitation arrived, you couldn't help but accept right away.

It promised that "they" could fulfill your desire of having the bonds and relationships that you never had growing up, why wouldn't you accept? You would be missing out on a golden oppurtunity.

And so, that was how you ended up in this morbid manor, tricked and forced to participate in these "games" that gets everyone hurt much like every other survivor who came here...

Days had gone by. Weeks. Months. Hell, even years, and you were all still being forced to play.

Thankfully, you had everyone to keep you company during these times.. Thanks to your loving nature, you were able to be close with everyone in the manor, even those who are notorious at being secretive like Norton. You even managed to befriend some of the hunters as well.

But most especially of all, you were thankful you had Joseph to be there with you.

You were quite shocked when you saw the silver-haired count, as he had seemingly disappeared out of nowhere the last time. So to see him here made you pleasantly surprised.

Joseph as well felt shocked when he saw you here, albeit he took some time to figure who exactly you were as you looked extremely familiar to him.

It didn't take long for the both of you to grow close to each other where outside of matches, you two were practically inseperable. The both of you would be spotted having afternoon tea together, walking around the manor together, sightseeing for new photoshoot locations together.

You always did things together...

Over time though, you would grow feelings for the count and the same can be said for Joseph as well. However, your fears of being rejected has delayed the both of you from ever confessing about your feelings toward each other. The others in the manor can most definitely see your connection as bright as day, but they really didn't know how to go about helping you about it. After all, all of them never really had great experiences in their lives, so they don't know what would normally be best in a situation like this..

Despite this, you can't help but feel content and happy that you have found people that you can treat as your family. Emily and Michiko were like motherly figures to you with their kind nature. Leo treated you like his own daughter, much like how he treats Emma. Wu Chang, Andrew, Norton, Naib, and Eli were like big brothers for you, always being protective of you to keep you safe.

You really felt at home with all of the inhabitants. It almost felt as if being stuck in a manor wasn't so bad after all...

Almost

There was still one more thing you wanted to do. You had discovered your family, but you wanted to expand on that desire..

You wanted to start your own family

And you would want to do so with someone you love... That someone would be the Frenchman with whom you have grown immense feelings for.. So you sent him an invitation to go to the balcony of the garden at night, where you won't be disturbed by the others...

Unbeknownst to you, the Frenchman had been thinking the same thing, especially after reading the invitation you sent him. Can you blame him though? Seeing you interacting with him, along with all of the others, made him feel butterflies in his stomach. How you unconditionally helped the other inhabitants through their issues and suffering, not because you needed something from them, but because you wanted to. You wanted to help them, you wanted to nurture them, you wanted to support them...

With that feeling alone, Joseph finds that he just couldn't take it anymore... He wants to confess to you..

He wants to be with you, to call you his love, to marry you and call you his wife, and to start a family as well..

With that thought, he made up his mind and decided to accept your invitation, and there, he will confess..

It was night time, you were already at the balcony waiting, knowing that Joseph values punctuality and doesn't like to be kept waiting. Soon after, Joseph shows up. It seems as though he had been brisk walking which is evident by the way he's catching his breath in the slightest.

Taking a deep breath, you slowly and calmly began to confess your feelings towards him and how you wanted to start building a future with him as the father of your children.

Joseph was in awe, for he had never could've guessed that you felt the same way. He accepted, saying how he had always thought about you the same way, and that he would be honored to be the father of your children. Joseph took a few steps towards you, with you unconsciously doing the same. Joseph wrapped his arms around your waist to pull you closer, while you wrapped yours around his neck.

He lifted his hand and tilted your chin upwards to stare at your features, admiring them. The way your skin glistened in the moonlight, how your eyes sparkled with life when he stared at them. How your cheeks were flushed with the slightest hint of color.

You looked angelic to him.

Brushing his thumb over your lower lip, he slowly closed his eyes as he allowed his lips to connect with yours.. You can't help but reciprocate immediately, you'd been waiting for this moment to come. You truly felt happy that you took the risk to confess to him, knowing that he may have rejected you instead.

And that was the start of your blossoming relationship...

For the next few years, the two of you became more and more in love with each other every single day. Countless affirmations of love, bouquets of your favorite flowers, numerous cuddling sessions, along with the discussion of having a domestic life together..

You two really had the potential to have a wonderful life together...

But, there are repercussions in growing fond of the potential...

One time at a match, you had been feeling dizzier and more nauseous by the second, so much so that it frequently disoriented you from kiting the hunter properly. At some point even, you threw up a bit. Your team still won the match since the hunter decided to go friendly in the end because of your condition, however they were still concerned for you so they sent you immediately to Emily.

You were diagnosed to be pregnant..

Your thoughts immediately went to Joseph. A mixture of joy and anxiousness washed over you. Can be a good mother for your child? Can you really do this? Can you really start a family like you had promised? What if you do something wrong? What if you're not cut out for this?

Just as your thoughts began to generate more questions, Joseph runs in and looks over to you with wide eyes. Emily must've told him that you were pregnant with his child. He immediately went towards your bed and hugged you as he sobbed his heart out.

He was so convinced that the bright future you two head towards is certain...

Oh, how a fool he was for believing so....

2 months in and your belly hasn't been growing rapidly.. Normally, you would've had a small baby bump forming on your belly... Joseph and Emily had been constantly reassuring you that you might need to readjust your diet more to fit your baby's needs....

But, that's not the only thing bothering you...

You see, just as you haven't "developed" your baby, your dizziness and nausea didn't go away. For quite sometime, you thought it was normal.....

Until you see tiny specks and droplets of blood on your hand...

That's when you realize....

You're not actually pregnant.. You're sick...

Having this sudden realization, you quickly washed your hand and looked at yourself in the mirror... Maybe this was some sort of mistake? Maybe you're actually pregnant and you just scratched the inside of your cheek?

You were hoping. Praying, that it was anything else other than a sickness... However, as time passed, you felt yourself growing weaker and weaker...

For months, you had kept this sickness of yours a secret. You didn't want to make anyone worry about you and you especially didn't want to disappoint Joseph with the fact that you're not actually carrying a baby or make him devastated with your death just as he became devastated with his twin brother's death...

However, try as you may, the longer you kept it a secret, the more the others noticed. How your skin was getting paler, how your cheeks had started to sink in, how you became alarmingly skinnier and bonier, how your eyes became more dull and lifeless...

Most importantly, at how you became increasingly more secretive and quiet about all this.

Joseph was by far being more and more anxious than before. He didn't know what was happening. He wasn't an expert in medicine, but even he could notice that this isn't normal for a pregnancy..

Quickly carrying you to Emily, he asked for a check-up to see what was happening. You would've stopped him if it weren't for the fact that you were so weak, you couldn't move a muscle without hurting it.. There, he was informed about the condition you're in. He was just as shocked as you are, but there's a mixture of fear and hopelessness bubbling inside him...

No. He couldn't let this happen. Not again...

His breathing starts going rapid, his hands start shaking, he hugs himself as he looks at you at your weakened state with tears threatening to spill from his eyes...

Just as he was about to confront you, Victor had entered and pointed towards the main hall, signaling Joseph and Emily to go there.

Apparently, there's a meeting that's going to be held.

Joseph and Emily looked at each other before turning to look at you. Then, they quickly left the room, with you all alone inside with nothing but your thoughts and the life within you.. Or, what's left of it...

The meeting started once Joseph and Emily arrived as they were the only ones left to attend. Emily had to quickly explain your condition when some of the others questioned your whereabouts.. All were quite shocked and concerned about your sickness, however the meeting was said to be an important one so they had to stay. They'll just have to relay the information given to you by the time it's done..

After the meeting, everyone was so shocked and confused that for several moments, no one said a word.. Who wouldn't though? Because after all this time...

They were all finally free

Free from the clutches of the manor, free from the twisted "games", free from the prison that presented itself as a grand oppurtunity for everyone to get what they want.

They were free at last... Now, they can all live their lives as they want it to be...

Suddenly realizing this, Joseph quickly made his way back to your room. There was still hope he thought, he had hoped for you to get better and finally leave this prison together, along with the others.

But what he saw when he opened the door made him feel like his heart had been crushed into a million pieces...

There in your room, was you lying in your bed, breath shallow and rapid, crimson blood dripping from the side of your mouth and staining the sheets, your eyes looking duller and duller as ever...

You were grasping..

Grasping for whatever life you had left within you, it made Joseph run to your side quickly as he cradled your head in his arms, proclaiming you'll be fine and that you're all free now and that you just need to hold on for a little while longer..

But you both know that you won't make it..

You both know that Joseph is more so convincing himself, than convincing you..

The others had rushed in to see you, and they too were crushed for they also wished for you to escape with all of them...

You held Joseph's hand, and told him not to worry anymore.. Looking towards the others, you proclaimed that you had finally found the people that you can call your family, and that even if Joseph can't see you, you'll always be there for him no matter what.. And that you wish for him to be happy and enjoy his newfound freedom, without the confinements of the manor...

Joseph begged you to stay, to hang on, to stay strong, all while sobbing uncontrollably but to no avail...

You withdrew your final breath as your hand became limp, your eyes closed, and your body going cold...

...

...

...

You had died

For the second time in his life, he once again witnessed the death of someone he deeply cared about..

First Claude......... And now, you....

Joseph lost it as he let all his tears and sadness out.. Everyone, soon followed suit. They can't help but be crushed at the thought of their friend never making it on time for the escape....

The now former inhabitants of the manor prepared one last funeral in honor of your death, with Aesop embalming you, Andrew preparing the hole from which will forever be your resting place, Emma preparing the funeral flowers, while the others prepared the venue... The Red Church.. Everyone gathered and mourned for your death. By the end of it all, everyone left the cemetery and the manor together, with Joseph gripping a bar of the gate, longing to see you again once more and hoping that you were still alive somehow...

Alas, it never came. And so, he reluctantly left the manor and had trenched forward to live his life "to the fullest"...

But how can he ever live his life as he pleases when you're not around? How can he simply enjoy the pleasures of life when you aren't there to accompany him? How can he move on when he doesn't want to forget you?

These thoughts plague him constantly, as he stirs his tea mindlessly, looking into the distance, as his new "family" were chatting happily, not knowing what goes on inside his head..

He has a family now alright, but it wasn't perfect.. It wasn't with you.

That thought is enough to make him sick at heart, for he will never experience the joy he had longed for when you were still around...

Sick at Heart : to experience deep unpleasant emotions such as grief or disappointment

💔🎞💔🎞💔🎞💔🎞💔🎞💔🎞💔🎞💔🎞

Author's Note: I hope you are all satisfied with this angst, Frenchie... Because you really made my day a bit sadder than usual..

Can someone pls request something fluffy the next time I open my requests?? I need some comforting chocolate cake after that bitter black coffee moment..(╥_╥)

Well,, until next time then! See you all in my next post!! (Ｔ▽Ｔ)💚

[yzkhr]

Part two of the Love Language miniseries!

Once again, I dedicate this to one of my favorite Shinran authors, @meitanteisachi

Part three might take a little while since I'm in my lazy mode. So please forgive me if the next part will be late 🤧

Warning: Probably my longest fic ever. So long that I need to divide into two parts. I kinda got carried away.

-

Receiving Gifts-You feel loved and appreciated when your partner or someone gives you a gift. It doesn't need to expensive, just something sentimental and thoughtful.

She was seven when Ran received her first memorable gift from Shinichi.

She remembered how It had been a month since her mother moved away, turning her life upside down. At a young age, Ran forced herself to be responsible; learning how to cook without burning the food, doing household chores that her father never knew how to do, and taking care of both a child who's too young and a grown man who's too immature and broken to live on his own.

It vastly made a growth and development in her character. Teachers and classmates alike noticed the way she had matured, from the way she handled her emotions—always putting on a smile and being the bigger one in the petty fights— to her mannerisms and gestures that resembled an older sister.

To them, her mother leaving became somewhat a good thing, with her maturity blooming early.

If only that were true.

No one knew that as soon as she opened the door of the empty detective office, Ran would be filled with her mother's presence; Hearing her voice, seeing her face, and even missing her scolding. Instead of saying anything to her father however, she brushes it off, puts on a facade, being a mother, a wife, and a daughter all at the same time to a drunk and emotionally unstable man.

But at the end of each day, entering her room and not crying was impossible. Her eyes watering at the sight of the empty bed that used to be filled with her mothers' scent, all gone. And like the child that she was—that she should be— she would sobbed and whimper silently, until exhausted enough to close her eyes and unaware that there's no one beside her just to sleep.

Ran was sure no one knew or was even remotely aware of her secret. After all, her smile shined and eyes glimmered in school so different from the distraught face she wears each night since last month.

But she had underestimated him.

On the day of her birthday, everyone greeted her with their own set of trinkets and gifts. Most were letters and drawings, filled with gratitude and love through the used of poorly executed writings and simple but meaningful pictures. Ran was happy to received all of them, whether they were small—like a piece of her favorite candy— or expensive and big, such as the dress given to her by Sonoko.

But unlike all her other birthdays, she didn't feel as contented and satisfied. There laid a gnawing feeling inside of her, aware that she'll never have what she truly wished for.

As they walked home from school, Ran expected Shinichi to give her at least some sweets. So, when he invited her to come by his house she agreed with a nod, genuinely having no idea.

So, she stood for a few minutes outside the mansions' gates, reading out some letters to pass time. She became so engrossed at reading that she didn't even notice him go outside until he was finally in front of her. Catching a set of feet just in front, she looked up. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw a fairly large and fluffy inanimate object in Shinichi's hands, holding it out to her.

"Here you go, Happy Birthday, Ran." he greeted, tilting his head on the side behind the cute teddy bear grinning from ear to ear. Instinctively, Ran accepted his gift and brought it close to her chest, feeling it's soft synthetic fur.

She slowly scrutinized it, it's features somewhat reminding her of...

"M-mom?" whispering incredulously, she glanced at Shinichi. Still wearing a smile, he nodded.

"That's right. Even if you don't talk about it, I know you miss your mom. You've been crying a lot too--"

"I wasn't crying!" she denied, but her mask slipped a little when he deadpanned.

"Yes you were," he stated calmly, as if he saw her doing so. She glared.

"How would you know? I never cried in school!"

"I'm sure before we go to school you do. Your eyes were always a little red and puffy when entering the class after all." he argued back. Instead of being embarrassed, Ran found something more important to point out.

"You were watching me?" she questioned, eyes curious. She didn't know why, but the thought of Shinichi watching and observing her made her smile(and a little nervous).

In an instant, gone was the confident and composed childhood friend of hers, image being ruined by his immediate coughing as if he swallowed a huge thing, cheeks flushed a healthy red, and a stuttering mess as he negated her claim.

"B-Barou! Those were just coincidences!!" then he slightly looked away, seemingly afraid to meet her violet orbs. Scratching his still blushing cheeks, he changed the topic.

"W-Well, Happy Birthday. You can use that stuff animal when you feel, you know, lonely." he dazed off, then glanced over her shoulder. As if realizing something significant, his eyes widened.

"It's already sun down! You gotta go home now or Occhan is gonna scold me!"

Ran followed his advice right after. As soon as she arrived home, she found her father in a sober state, and was even the one who tried to cook dinner for the both of them. Eri called later that night, which made Ran happy. She still asked her mother when the woman will come home and Eri would always reply with a vague answer. She didn't pressure her mother anymore, not wanting to ruin both their day.

That night as she entered her room, strangely enough, Ran didn't feel lonely. She also didn't feel the need to exhaust herself, now having a sweet stuff animal to comfort and fill her warmth. She settled on her soft bed, hugging the teddy bear tightly. And for the first time since her mother's moving away, Ran didn't cry.

-

They were thirteen, she recalled, when she received her second most thoughtful gift from him.

"Hey Ran, did you find the kitten?" Ran glanced up, hearing her name from Sonoko. She shook her head as an answer.

"It's still missing. I tried asking around but they said they never saw it." her bestfriend looked at her worriedly, knowing what she was thinking.

A few days ago, her, Sonoko, and Shinichi found a little ball of fur on their way home from school. They all took pity, Ran specially. So, the three teenagers took upon themselves to look after it until just a week ago, it disappeared. They searched everywhere around the area, trying to spot a little black kitten with huge and round green eyes. Unfortunately, they never succeeded.

Seeing Ran's mood depleted, Sonoko patted her back as comfort, grinning.

"Don't worry about it! I'm sure it has found an owner by now." Ran smiled, being reassured but still a bit dissatisfied. She decided to adopt the kitten after all but it was still nowhere to be seen.

To lighten the mood, Sonoko changed the topic to new shops, magazine, and gossips. Since the teacher was late, the Suzuki Heiress was unstoppable.

Rans' attention was grabbed however, when a certain someone entered the classroom. He was yawning, not bothering to hide his sleepiness. Rubbing his blue eyes languidly, she noticed how the dark circles under them became even more pronounced than before. Her eyes also became aware that there were some lines seared into his skin—scratch marks.

As if conscious that someone was watching him, Shinichi turned his head around, meeting weary blue with observing violet. It only lasted for a second, with the former looking away and going straight to his desk.

Shinichi had been acting weird lately. It started a week before, with him telling Ran that he would be late and she can just go ahead without him. True enough, he always came late ever since, which normally rarely happens.

Another thing to note would be his physical state. He looked restless, eyebags so obvious along with the constant yawning and even sometimes sleeping through an entire period. The last part wasn't new, but Ran heeded how easily he fell asleep, unlike back then where he needed to toss and turn his head for a comfortable position.

The last thing to caught her eye would be the little scratch marks. She would've been convinced that it was another case but seeing the scrape from his arms threw her off guard. They were shallow, but it didn't wave off her suspicions any less.

So, Ran decided that after class, she would visit him, whether he liked it or not.

The day went by rough, with Ran not being able to focus thanks to a sleeping classmate who looked far too exhausted for a normal student. Sonoko, looking at her stressed friend, ask her out to eat that sounded too appealing but she had to refused, knowing that if she didn't find out the reason for her best friend's odd behavior, she'll be the one to act weird next.

Knowing Shinichi's detective instinct, Ran knew better than to follow him on the get go and get caught. She waited an hour around the area, before making her way to the Kudo Mansion. The only problem now was how to enter without being seen.

She treaded through the stone path, finding the gate unlock. The middle schooler shook her head, both thankful and a little scared. What could he be so busy about for him to forget closing the gate?

Once Ran reached the front door and checked, that's when the immense feeling of worry kicked in. Shinichi also forgot to close the front door!

'What's happening to him? Is a case stressing him this much? Did something terrible happened? Why isn't he telling me--'

Her thoughts were abruptly stopped when the sound that something metallic fell reached her ears, making her anxiety increased tenfold.

Wasting no time and completely losing her initial target, Ran rushed in like lightning, fear evident in every step.

Upon reaching the kitchen and thoughts of her bestfriend in danger flooding her senses, she barged in.

Only to find the great detective Kudo Shinichi rubbing his head, and a couple of pans and plastic bowls scattered around the tiled flooring.

They gaped at each other, unable to register the current scenario. Ran was broken out of her trance however, when she noticed a light bump growing on the top of his head, which he was rubbing a while ago before he froze.

Previous distress setting in once again, Ran hurried by her childhood friends' side, helping him to stand.

"What happened?" she asked, examining and touching the bump. As if electrified by their contact, he flinched and backed away slightly, eyes a bit hazy.

"R-Ran, what are you doing here?" he seemed more concern of her presence than his own well being which made her glare.

"You've been acting weird this past week!" she accused as he treaded away from her, a bit too cautious. She took note of how his left hand slid behind him, fully intending to hide something away from her sight.

"Weird what, me? Barou, I've been perfectly normal. You're just overacting." the response didn't sound so convincing when he was literally sweating and avoiding her scrutiny.

"Yeah, then why were you always late this week?" the interrogation began.

"I was busy with a case Megure-keibu presented me, that's why." gaining his composure, Shinichi answered in a confident manner but that didn't drop any of her suspicions.

"Then what about you being constantly tired these days?" Ran pressed on, ambulating near her suspect. he kept his ground, so sure she was the one who was weird, not him.

"The case was so hard that I couldn't find time to sleep." he casually said, looking bored and done with the questioning.

She kept on walking towards slowly and when she was finally in front of him, she smiled innocently.

"Okay then, I have one last question to ask," he smiled, thinking he won. Then, feigning obliviousness, he consented.

"Fire away."

With those words as her signal, Ran forcefully yanked his left arm that he had been so carefully shielding and him having no time to react, she succeeded, revealing the scratch marks as her last piece of evidence and a.... kitten!?

Silence ensued. Until a mewl came out fromm the little ball of fur. Ran examined the little thing, coming to her conclusion.

"Please don't tell me this was the little kitten that's been missing since last week." she quietly pleaded for him to deny, but all he offered was a gulp and a weary nod.

Anger and bewilderment filled Ran, as she shook her head as an attempt to calm, but seeing the kitten that she had been desperately looking for, for the past few weeks made her burst.

"Why didn't you tell me you had the cat!? You knew that I was looking all over the neighborhood! I even told you I was going to take care of it--"

"That's exactly why I took it!" he interrupted, his excuse perplexing her thoughts even more than before.

"What?" he sighed and put the little kitten down gently, moving to the counter and sitting on one of the tools.

"Well, remember when you first tried to take it home? It was really aggressive, wasn't it?"

She did remember her hand getting scratch and almost bitten when she endeavored to adopt it. So, she gave a nod.

"Well, knowing what you were planning to do, I decided to take it to a friend of mom's who happened to be a vet and get it checked just to make sure. She said it was fine but it seemed a bit violent to humans so she advised me to take care of it so that it will get used to the environment. Knowing you, you would've been dumb enough to just take it without any examination and might get yourself really injured." she tried to refute his last statement but decided against it, knowing he was probably right.

But there was one thing that didn't made sense. "Then why didn't you tell me about it? If I had known I wouldn't have wasted my time, you know." hearing her question made him clearly uncomfortable, eyes now travelling anywhere but hers and cheeks tainted a light pink. They kept quiet, him contemplating while Ran patiently waited.

Knowing his loss, the detective whispered but she still heard it. "I was planning to give it to you next week. I just wanted it to be a surprise."

For some really unexplainable reason, Ran felt her heart beating faster than normal that she might die, face heating up, and even having a stampeding elephant on the pit of her stomach.

"Shinichi..." she uttered, not knowing what to say. Still looking the other way, he misinterpreted her calling as scolding.

"I know, I know. I shouldn't have done that. I should've told you properly and you wouldn't have to put so much effort into finding--"

His next lines were suddenly gone when she wordlessly went in front of his sitting figure and patted his hair softly, just like petting a feline. He stammered and tried to speak but found himself to be voiceless by her next words.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it..." she wanted to say more but was being suffocated by the swarming butterflies in her stomach, not allowing her to do so.

"You better be..." he mused, trying to lighten the mood and to calm his racing heart. As if by magic, he felt a sudden urge to close his eyes and lean on her posture, loving the way she stroke his hair so gently. And so he did.

Ran was taken aback by the unforeseen intimacy but didn't complain. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until she felt almost all of his weight on her, coupled with his heavy breathing that she concluded he fell asleep.

Slowly, she moved him to the sofa of the living room, all the while trying to not burst at the feeling of his breath on her neck. Succeeding, she grabbed a pillow and a blanket from his room, finally setting him down on the couch.

Ran couldn't help but feel guilty, finally figuring out that she was the reason of all his strange behavior all along. It explained his worn out expression throughout the entire week, having to take care of an aggressive kitten without having any prior experience must be exhausting, and it showed through his sleepless nights and lack of energy at everything in class.

Then, her eyes travelled to the little scratches and wounds all over his arms. They were nothing serious, but they must have at least sting. Wanting to at least alleviate the pain, Ran brought the first aid kid from his room and tenderly tended to all of the gashes and marks, and him not even flinching one bit despite being supposedly a heavy sleeper, became proof of how much time and effort he put for her surprise.

Ran went home that day, carrying his gift with her. She knew that he was supposedly giving this next week, but the teenager was pretty sure that Shinichi wouldn't be able to handle another week of torture like that. So, she left a note to make sure he didn't worry.

Years passes after that, but Ran would never forget the kitten he gave her, and the inexplicable giddy feeling with it. Sonoko would remind her how happy she was that she couldn't physically stop smiling for a while that it weirded many out but personally for Ran, it was worth it.

-

(Has a part 2 because it's so unnecessary long)

[talesofsonicasura]

Spooky Gratitude

A little girl gives a gift to an odd creature on Halloween night. Years later, the creature returns to show it's gratitude on a day that was promised disaster.

Halloween, a day where people celebrate the times of magic, mischief and monsters. To dress as monsters, play innocent pranks, carve pumpkins to light up the night as magical jack o' lanterns and grant delicious goodies to those who say the magic words of the Halloween Spirit: Trick or Treat.

One particular town had a very special cryptid that only appeared on the night of this spooky holiday. An odd doll with a carved pumpkin for a head that wandered the streets. Trick or Treaters who passed the odd being often found extra candy in their bags. If they were good hearted, these spontaneous treats were tasty and delicious.

Those who were naughty however, ended up candy that tastes like their most hated food from broccoli to even liver. They called this oddity the Halloween Jack, after the Pumpkin King himself. Strangely, no one had ever tried to offer a treat to the cryptid. No one knew what would happen if the Halloween Jack was given a treat. Well until now.

A little girl was skipping down the sidewalks with joy in her step. It was a star filled Halloween Night alit with the sound of doorbells ringing and the cheer of childish 'Trick or Treat'! This little girl had locks of blond and eyes of bright sky blue. Her costume was a black witch's hat paired with a purple dress lined with black, frills, little white stockings to little black shoes, and a little wand topped by a pumpkin.

She carried two separate buckets in her hands: a pumpkin and cauldron. Her small plastic cauldron contained a good chunk of chocolate and mixed candies. The plastic pumpkin one strangely had the same but the inclusion of freshly wrapped Halloween cookies. Blue eyes looked around at the various houses and the treaters at their door.

The little girl was about to go to her next house when something made her stop. It was a small child who strangely didn't have a bucket of goodies like her and other children. His costume consisted of a light beige bodysuit with a small green cape around the neck and a jack o' lantern on his head that had axe through part of the top as yellow looked through the eyeholes.

She never saw a costume like it before. It looked so real and well made that it had the child baffled. How come someone with a nice outfit doesn't have any candy or treats on a Halloween night this lively? Blue eyes looked over at the orange bucket in her hands before looking back at the oddity.

Yellow eyes soon turned to the sound of skipping getting closer until they met a kind blue. "Hello. I love your costume. It's pretty cool but I noticed you didn't have a bucket. You can't go trick or treating without one." The little girl then held up the orange bucket in her hand. Yellow eyes widening upon the gesture made.

"Take this one. Everyone should be able to enjoy Halloween. My name is Eva. And I hope you like the treats." The little girl smiled brightly at the pumpkin headed being. Yellow lights curled into akin to a smile as the cloth covered hand took the bag. "I'm Pumpkinmon. Thank you."

Years later, the little girl known as Eva grew up. She never saw the child called Pumpkinmon after that fateful Hallow's Eve as the memory slowly faded with age. The child soon blossomed into a beautiful young woman of two rambunctious twins. Children whose father was an actual demon known as Sparda.

Sparda was hated by his kind for protecting humans and even mating with one. On one fateful night, his enemies decided that he should pay for his treachery. A night that was promised sorrowful spill of blood but…

"Vergil! Vergil!" The voice of a crying mother echoed through the forest night. Feet running in important haste belonged to an older Eva. Her short blonde hair now long and lovely, chubby face smoothed in a beautiful and caring one, and little body now a lean, elegant and curvaceous wonder. Red coat fluttering with the wind of urgent steps as she made way through the wooded path.

Her oldest son was in danger. They had a fight and he ran away to his quiet place, a playground at the edge of the forest. None of them were aware of the monsters that would attack them tonight. Her youngest son Dante was hiding in the closet but Vergil was in the open. She had to find him.

Eva immediately stopped when something large had blocked her path. It was a monster, a demon. The vile beast resembled a pale lethargic phantom cloaked by a long tore black cloak, a blood red scythe in hand. She instinctively took a step back when four more of them appeared around her in every direction.

Eva wasn't blind to the killing intent well aimed on her being. They wanted vengeance in blood and flesh. These demons wanted her dead. Her and her children. "Let me through you bastards! I won't let you lay a figure on my babies!" She hissed with fury, uncaring of the claws or blades that could rip her to pieces.

Picking a stone, she chucked it at one of the Hell Cains before her. The item whacking its head earning a baleful roar in utter rage. All of them moved their scythes to the side, every bladed staff in position to bring down a fatal slash once they were close. They were ready to lunge, ready to reap this woman's soul until…

"Trick or Treat Wallace!" A suave distorted male voice ripped through the air. A wall of pumpkins manifesting around the defenseless woman as the reaper demons charged forth. These pumpkins immediately exploded upon contact with the abominations turning all attackers into pumpkin scented ash.

Eva, who was unharmed, could only blink in grateful surprise. Someone or something had just protected her but who? "Mom!" The cry of a young boy rattled her thoughts with hopeful tears. Running from the woods towards her was a little boy with eyes of blue and slicked back hair of white. "Vergil!" She cried as she embraced the child who ran in her arms.

The young mother and son whispering soft apologies to each other while they sobbed in an emotional hug. "I believe this young man is yours." The male voice from before had both Eva and Vergil turn their heads at the source. Older blue widened in surprise at a very familiar sight.

Standing or floating before them was an odd being. A 12 ft daintly lean man in a luxurious long coated purple trim white tuxedo decorated by golden pumpkin shoulder pauldrons, a green cravat by his neck, purple downward angel wings hung from the back like a scarf, a black top hat with goggles sat delicately on a horned jack o' lantern head and in his hand was a cane topped with a bat winged pumpkin.

An old memory dug itself out from the deep reaches of her mind. Of the little child with a pumpkin head on that Halloween night. The one who she gave a bucket full of treats as a child. "Pumpkinmon?" Eva questioned, her words riddled with surprise, joyful remembrance and hope.

The figure let out a soft kind chuckle as the little boy Vergil sat confused in his mother's arms. "I'm NoblePumpkinmon now. I have grown since that fateful Halloween, just as you blossomed into a beautiful mother. Your kindness that night had blessed me with what I needed to bloom myself." He held up his hand as a well aged but familiar plastic pumpkin bucket appeared.

She could only look at the bucket with a smile from that special memory. The day she realized that there were mysterious wonders in this world they lived in. "I couldn't let the one who granted me kindness lose their life without us meeting once more. Your other son is waiting for you, dear Eva. I hope your family prospers with every Halloween." The bucket then floated over to two.

Eyes widened from the various candies, toys and baked goods held inside as Vergil's hands took the black handle with wonder. "Goodbye Eva. May we meet again someday." And with those words said, NoblePumpkinmon flew up into the sky before disappearing into the darkness.

One year later, upon their return the Sparda Manor had been magically repaired overnight. That night, Eva told the tale of Pumpkinmon to her children but also her husband who miraculously returned that very same day. He also had some assistance from a 'pumpkin headed angel', which made the woman smile warmly.

She never knew that her gift to the strange being that night when she was a child had spared her family from a nasty fate. As time went by, the woman didn't see any signs of NoblePumpkinmon. Maybe he returned back to his home, wherever it was.

Tonight was Halloween once more, the house was strung up with decorations but also charms to ward off any unwanted guests. Eva's sons were getting the last touches of their costumes done with help from her husband. Dante was going as a vampire but Vergil's costume was a bit special. His outfit was based on the very creature that saved them last year, NoblePumpkinmon.

The only difference was instead of wearing a pumpkin head, the pumpkin bucket that was returned had been painted to look like the head instead. A sight that only warmed the young mother's heart. Eva was checking on the pumpkin pie that was in the oven when the doorbell rang throughout the house.

Being curious as it wasn't time for Trick or Treaters yet, she walked over to the door. Eva didn't expect what she would see upon opening the door but she would be lying to say if it wasn't welcomed. For standing on her porch was someone she hoped to see again.

NoblePumpkinmon had returned but he had two friends with him. They looked like what he was on the day they first met, Pumpkinmon but one had an orange scarf and the other had a purple ribbon instead of little green capes. "Trick or treat!" Eva couldn't help the small chuckle that came from her lips.

"I thought it would be nice to visit you once more but with my family this time. Halloween is a time for friends and family to share in delightful tricks but also delicious treats after all." The smaller Pumpkinmon cheering in agreement upon their father's words.

"Well come on in. I got a pie baking in the oven. Plus, my family has been wanting to see you again." Who said good friends can't be made on Halloween much less a miracle? For it was this holiday that a family survived the most disastrous night of their lives.

And it all started with a little girl giving a bucket of sweets to a mysterious being with a pumpkin for a head on Halloween night.

And that's it! Eva and Sparda are alive. Today is Halloween and I wanted to write a little ficlet for it. Pumpkinmon and NoblePumpkinmon sounded like the perfect thing to use in this particular situation. These Puppet Digimon are created from data that embraces this spooky day of the year so they are also the kind to repay kind gestures on that special day too. Hope you guys have a great Halloween!

Tagging: @astral-space-dragon , @synchronmurmurs , @buns-with-a-book , @sakkajagga , and @queenmuzz

This is Pumpkinmon and NoblePumpkinmon. Not my art btw.

[tinalbion]

Hii Tinalbion, How u doing? I wanna ask you, If you could do a Headcanon of Bubba, Jason and Michael with their female s/o who is really skinny. (And no she doesn't have anorexia, she is Just really skinny). Oh, and one last thing LIME🍋.

Hey there, love! I'm good, thanks for asking, I hope you're well~ Heck yes I can, honey! Gotta love some lime ♡

Bubba

• This boy loves you and nothing can change that, he only sees you as the light of his life. Though of course, he must take it easy when giving you his usual bear hugs, he knows you're worried he'll get too excited one day, but he sees you as his delicate flower. He knows when to be careful.

• He adores just how cute you are and always smiles whenever he sees your face. It's really tough for him not to have his hands on you, he always needs to touch you in some way. Maybe he'll slip his hand around yours and hold it, or he'll sneak up behind you and wrap his arms around your waist, hugging you and nuzzling your neck. Bubba can never get enough of you.

• When you're away for a while and come back home to him, he's quick to run and greet you, then he will scoop you up and hold you against him. He knows you haven't been gone so long, but he's missed you and just needs you right now. He would start to nuzzle your neck affectionately and kiss you right in the doorway, and you sometimes had to quickly tell him to take you to the bedroom, because he had a habit of getting quite carried away.

• Because you were so thin, he had an easy time just picking you up and placing you on his lap, he could toss you anywhere. You loved when he would playfully throw you onto the bed, then he would crawl over to you and wait for you to stroke his hair while he would groan happily. You would always be his delicate flower.

Jason

• Compared to you, this man was a giant, and you were sometimes intimidated by his size, but Jason easily showed you that he wasn't anyone you should fear. He had a soft spot for you since the beginning, so he always treated you with 'kid gloves'. You picked up on it right away, because he was taught how to be gentle from his mother, so he knew he had to control himself.

• He was more of a protector for you, and no matter how many times you had to tell him that you were capable of going out on your own and able to handle yourself, he worried no matter what you told him. When you said you'd be back from town, that didn't stop Jason from following you from afar to keep a watchful eye on you. You knew he was there, you just allowed him to think you were blissfully ignorant.

• When you two were alone together in the cabin, he was always there to be your blanket. Somehow he had given off more heat than you could, so he would always slip an arm across your stomach, lifting your shirt up slightly so you could share the skin-on-skin contact. Blushing would always follow whenever he did something rather bold, like if you were caught in a rainstorm and he'd quickly take off your wet clothes to place them by the fire. Keeping you warm was the main priority.

• When it came to being intimate, you were always hesitant since he was so large compared to you, and you weren't sure how it would work out when you had first thought about it. Jason absolutely LOVED when you sat on his lap, it was the perfect spot for you to hold him and for him to hold you. That's also how he preferred your intense makeout sessions.

Michael

• Michael is one of those men who actually finds you rather adorable with how feisty you can get. He is usually a stubborn man and if he wants to end an argument (aka you yelling at him for tracking blood and dirt all over your place again while he just stands there), he loves to hoist you up and throw you over his shoulder. Carrying you as you thrash around is just too good to pass up, and he takes full advantage because he knows it'll take your mind off the blood. For now.

• He's such a dominant asshole when it comes to you, and he would rather keep it that way. It's how he's been for all of his life, why would he change that now? He doesn't show much when it comes to expression, but you know he's having a good laugh when he sees you minding your own business and walking into a room and he just...takes up the entire doorframe. He's big and will make sure you can't leave the room until you're practically begging him to move, but you've beaten him a few times at this by simply slipping through between his legs. He hates when you rub your victory in his face.

• He is your shield, no matter what you're doing or who you're out with. He knows that you're tiny, you could easily get hurt, so naturally, he has an instinct to become feral if anyone ever does something to you, intentional or not. You've had to sit him down many times in order to try and get it through his head that you're not a child, but he would normally give you the benefit of the doubt and let you handle your own business, though you couldn't help but be thankful that he was on your side.

• Michael is quite the dominant guy like I've said, but he needs to channel all of that strength and control it as best as he could when you would begin to kiss him. He would normally push someone off of him due to the fact that he can get rather moody, but feeling your soft kisses sometimes makes him melt to the spot. He grabs you carefully and would place you on his lap or just wrap your legs around him as he could easily hold you up against the wall. He wasn't too picky where he would take you.

[kassandra-lorelei]

Can you do a fic where C.C. is the one who finally proposes to Niles? I just imagine that after they're together Niles is so happy he doesn't want to chance ruining anything or scaring CC off again. Even after they go to CA, move in together and eventually have their daughter Niles accepts the situation if it means loving/being with her. Then CC suddenly realizes for the first time that for the first time in her life she's actually happy and in love and wants to be with Niles forever

Here we are, my friend! Enjoy!

@missbabcocks1 @holomoriarty

Work at the studio had dragged on for what felt likeforever. Lights kept blowing and having to be switched, halting takes,arguments between the director and the technical director kept breaking outover apparently ‘bad angles’, and the lead actress didn’t seem to be able tomake it through a single scene without breaking into giggling fits.

C.C. didn’t know how much longer she could last before shesnapped and hit somebody. Luckily, she didn’t have to find out, because Maxwellcalled time for that day before it happened.

Those words were like a release valve, and with a cry of“Oh, thank God!” she packed up and left the studio, only just remembering asshe left to yell over her shoulder about Maxwell and Nanny Fine coming todinner on Saturday.

Soon enough, she was on the road, staring holes into therear end of the car in front. Normally getting home wasn’t so bad – Studio Citywasn’t that far from Beverly Hills, if the driver knew how to get there – butthat day the drive felt just as endless as work had. She supposed she waslooking forward to an evening at home, seeing Niles and having the deliciousdinner he would have prepared, before cuddling the little girl that had been asurprise for the both of them at the Sheffields’ first anniversary party-slash-thebirth of their twins.

It had shocked her mother when they’d announced her own pregnancy,both that she intended to keep the baby and that she didn’t intend to ditch thebutler. That’d led to a huge argument before they’d all moved to California,but C.C. didn’t really care all that much – her father and brother had been ontheir side, and she knew she always had Niles.

Niles, who’d stuck by her and not said a word about tryingto propose again, even after they found out they were going to be parents. Theone time where a sudden, emergency proposal might’ve been deemed acceptable. Instead,they’d just carried on the way things were, having fun together as a couple andlearning how to be a family of three. It had been kind of a challenge at first,but they’d managed.

And C.C. was looking forward to another evening of familylife, as she finally pulled into the driveway. She and Niles hadn’t stayedliving in the same house as the Sheffields for long after the big move – they’dbasically just needed a base until they’d gotten their own place. And the onethey’d fallen in love with was just as big as Maxwell and Nanny Fine’s house,in just as good an area, and it had the added benefit of Sylvia not wanderingin at all hours to raid the refrigerator.

She made her way up from the car, feeling happier the closer she got to the front door, which soon had her key firmlywedged in the lock.

“Hello, hello!” she called as she entered the hallway,breathing in deeply as she shut the door and hung up her bag and jacket. Thewhole house smelled like Niles had been cooking.

And the man himself came from the kitchen to greet her, anapron tied around his middle and beaming all over his face.

“Hello, love,” he put an arm around her waist and kissedher. “Good day at work?”

“Hardly,” she replied as they walked through to the kitchen.“Having to babysit two grown men to stop them from tearing each other’s hairout isn’t exactly my idea of being productive.”

“Oh,” Niles frowned. “Those same two at it again?”

“Worse – new technical director, same crappy situation withthe director not getting along with anyone but himself,” C.C. untangled herselffrom Niles’ arm and went to sit at the table, rubbing her forehead. “But Idon’t really feel like talking about it. That’s one problem I’d rather leave atthe door.”

“Hm. Alright, then,” her partner rubbed her back gently. “I’verun you a bath upstairs, if you want, and it should still be hot. Dinner willbe ready by the time you come down.”

That didn’t sound like such a bad idea. So, leaving Niles tocarry on with his cooking, C.C. slipped upstairs, out of her work clothes, andinto the waiting bath.

The water was perfect – just the right temperature to sootheaway the tension that had built up over the course of the day. And it wasobvious Niles had added some bath salts, and oils, to make it smell good.

He knew just how to take care of her, in exactly the way sheneeded…

After she’d dried off and changed into comfortable clothes,she took a few moments to look at their daughter, tucked up in her crib.Charity-Charlotte was nearly two months old, had C.C.’s nose and Niles’ eyesand hair, and neither parent thought they’d ever seen a more perfect child.

Not that they were being partial, or anything.

A caring partner. A comfortable home. A loving family. Threethings C.C. had wondered if she’d ever have, all come true, thanks to one man.

One man who’d given her everything.

Well, nearly everything. There was one thing he stillhadn’t, that got brought to the front of her mind when she passed a group photoof the Sheffields’ wedding day on the stairs.

The thought of it gnawed at her all through dinner, untilshe couldn’t stand it anymore and she just had to bring it up as she tried invain to finish her meal.

“Niles?”

The butler looked up from his own plate, “Yes, dear?”

“After…all the stuff that happened back in New York,” C.C.shifted in her seat, and put her fork down. “Why didn’t you propose again?”

Niles stared at her for a few moments, and the producer wassuddenly afraid that she’d upset him by asking, but she wasn’t going to takethe question back. She wasn’t Maxwell with a love confession. Instead, she heldher breath until he answered.

“Well, it all made me think that you simply aren’tinterested in getting married,” he said, shrugging in a way that told C.C. hewas saddened by it. He turned his eyes back to his food, poking at it with hisfork. “I didn’t want to spoil things between us by asking again, and I didn’twant to make you uncomfortable by putting you on the spot. And as things havebeen going so well since then, I was just…”

He trailed off, and the she cocked her head to one side.

“Just what?” she asked.

“Happy to be with you, in any capacity,” he finished.

C.C. smiled, feeling a warmth spreading in her chest. Hehadn’t asked because he thought she wouldn’t like it! He’d have accepted notbeing married to her, as long as they got to be together!

Being together was the most important thing. But it didn’thave to stop there – she knew that now. She understood. And she wasn’t going togo without it anymore.

“I’m happy to be with you, too. More than I ever thought I’dbe with anyone,” she said. “And you know something? It’s made me realiseeverything I want.”

Niles looked at her, not understanding where she was going, “I’mnot sure I’m following you…”

“Maybe this’ll help,” C.C. murmured, getting up from herchair and coming to stand by him.

She took his hands in hers, drew in a breath, and began.

“Niles Brightmore, you are…the love of my life. You’ve givenme everything I could ever want, even things I didn’t know I needed! We have ahome together, and a family, and I honestly never thought I’d have either ofthose things with anybody. But you’ve always been the exception in my life –the thorn in my side that I couldn’t dig out, the enemy I could talk to like a bestfriend…the annoyance I’d miss when you went away.”

Niles looked stunned as she made her speech. So much so, thatshe could safely continue without interruption.

“And that’s what I’ve realised. I don’t want any of this togo away, ever. I want family life like we have, and I don’t want it to change,”by this point C.C. could feel a familiar heat behind her eyes, and she waspraying to God she’d get through it all without bursting into tears. “I don’twant anything to change…apart from one thing. My last name.”

The butler’s eyes grew wide as her words registered, “C.C….?”

She ignored the implied question. He’d find out soon enough,anyway.

“So, I guess what I’m asking is…” she got down on one knee,determined to make as big a show of it as she could, considering they were athome and she was wearing sweatpants. “Will you do me the honour of becoming myhusband?”

The time between her question and the answer felt as long asher workday, only with more tension involved.

Not that it lasted long. Niles began to beam, and he leanedforward so he was only inches from her face.

“You know I will,” he whispered.

He’d said yes.

He’d said yes, and they were getting married!

With a soft laugh of delight that soon became louder, C.C.leapt up from the floor and threw herself into his arms, kissing him soundly onthe lips.

She then hugged him tightly, “I love you so much, Butler Boy.”

Niles let out a rumbling chuckle deep in his chest, and hepulled her closer so that she was sat in his lap, “I love you too, Babs.”

“I won’t be “Babs” for long – you’ll have to think up someother nickname for me,” C.C. grinned, kissing his cheek.

Niles returned it with one of his own, smirking, “I’ve gotnews for you; you’ll be “Babs” to me no matter what your surname is.”

“Hm, I guess I’ll just have to live with that, then,” shepursed her lips, pretending to be disappointed but actually hiding her amusementvery badly. She then stroked his arm, all the way up to the tip of his ringfinger. “We’d better go out and get you an engagement ring, soon enough. I’mnot having the man I just proposed to go out into the world looking like he’sstill on the shelf.”

“Isn’t it more traditional if you wear the ring?” he asked,putting his hand on her thigh.

C.C. rolled her eyes jokingly, “Since when have we followedtradition, Hazel?”

She did have a point (she was the breadwinner and hadproposed, after all), but as she looked at her future husband, the more sherealised he’d probably been waiting for her to wear a ring he’d put on herfinger for a long time. And she wasn’t going to take that away from him.

But she was going to have some fun while she surrendered.

So she relented with something of a sigh, “Oh, alright…! I’lllet you have this one thing and wear the ring.”

Niles was back to beaming, and he kissed her lips, “Thankyou, my lovely fiancée.”

“You are most welcome, my dearest husband-to-be,” she tookhis hand and entwined their fingers. “Now, we’d better get on the phone to theSheffields and let them know.”

“Hm, can’t that wait?” Niles asked, almost growling. He’dstarted to massage her thigh with the palm of his hand, and he’d bent his headso that his lips were very close to a sensitive spot on her collarbone. “I dobelieve in private celebrations before public ones, on occasions like this…”

“I’d normally agree with you, lover, but I also believe inyour capacity as a yenta,” ignoring the shivering his breath against her skinbrought out, C.C.’s hand slipped down so she could poke him in the chest. “AndI don’t wanna come home tomorrow to find that you’ve told Nanny Fine, who inturn has ended up telling everyone in the greater Los Angeles area.”

Niles deadpanned, “Would you rather have her coming over atthis time of night in order to ask every wedding-related question known to Man?”

Hm. He had a point. They wouldn’t get any peace that nightif Nanny Fine came over – even less than they already did, with a baby in thehouse!

“You know what? Tomorrow’s not looking so bad, all of asudden,” she said, relaxing more into his embrace, and encouraging his hand tostart massaging again. “So, what was that about a private celebration…?”

Niles grinned at her, “How about I take you upstairs andexplain further?”

“Sounds good to me,” C.C. reached up and planted a few softkisses on his lips, before sliding out of his lap to pull him to his feet. “Ithink I’ll need all the practice celebrations I can get, before our honeymoon…”

He let her pull him up, looking smug the whole time, “And I’d bedelighted to assist.”

C.C. laughed, “I bet you would, Scrub Brush!”

Hand in hand, they made their way upstairs. And all thewhile C.C. thought about how lucky she was, to be with a man who’d wait to giveher everything.

Even if it took her all the time in the world to realisewhat had been missing.

[valkyrie-echo]

Project Echo, Part 1: Chapter 18 (Reviving Bucky Barnes)

Part 1 Summary: A long-buried Hydra disaster, a monster in the shadows, a missing child. Eight months after the events of “The Winter Soldier”, Bucky turns himself in to the Avengers on one condition: They must help him find a girl snatched off the streets by Hydra seven years ago. In their quest, the Avengers accidentally unleash a horrifying creature of darkness and shadow, intent on making their quarry its prey.

Chapter 18: Reviving Bucky Barnes

A week passed without any sightings of the creature, and everyone was thankful for the break. Bucky started meeting with Sam regularly to talk through things and, when he still couldn't sleep for fear of the memories, Thor or Steve would go to the gym with him and practice fighting. Tony tried convincing everyone that a three-on-one fight with the Hulk would be a good idea, but no one saw how that came close to 'fun'.

Natasha and Clint weren't seen around the commons area too often- they continued to get no response from the girl. Whenever Nat entered the lobby, Bucky would excuse himself. He could tell she wasn't a fan of his- especially since JARVIS' full med scan on the girl painted a vivid picture of his handiwork. She didn't have to say anything- Bucky could see her rage in how she moved, and he made it his mission in life to avoid her. Doctor Johansson returned with a small team to begin putting the nameless child back together again and check the recovery of his other patient. He could barely make eye contact with Bucky after examining her.

One rainy afternoon, as Bucky worked on rebuilding a car engine from the 1970s, Clint came in, "How's it going?"

"New engines are more difficult to figure out than I thought. I swear there's a piece missing," Bucky was making an effort to be as amiable as he could around the team- especially Tony. Stark had cleaned out a section of his robotics lab and given Bucky access to his old junk car collection to rebuild on his own. It was Tony's original hobby- before the Iron Man obsession began, and he was happily passing it to the Winter Soldier now.

Clint looked slightly uncomfortable, "Listen, I'm sorry about all this with Nessa, I still don't think there's any reason-"

"Nessa?"

"Inessa," Clint nodded, "Nat couldn't get a name from her so we made one. It means-"

"Pure," Bucky smiled, "it's a good name for her."

Clint gestured to the door, "Can I show you something really quick? I've been having trouble with something, you might be able to help."

"Sure," Bucky pulled off his grease-stained apron and gloves, then followed Clint out to the lounge. He froze as soon as he saw where Clint was leading him.

"See," Clint snickered, "we have an overabundance of cake and gifts, and we need someone to take it off our hands."

"Surprise!" Everyone was wearing party hats and streamers were draped from the lights. All the Avengers (and their friends) were present, including Pepper (allowed back into the building that very day by Tony), Jane Foster (who Bucky only knew from a picture Thor carried around), Mariah Hill and Rhody. Bucky was overwhelmed. He hadn't even known it was his birthday. A giant "98" hung from the rafters and he silently vowed not to tell them that he hadn't even known the year before just then.

Steve came over and clapped him on the back, laughing. He pulled out a large piece of metal with a bow on it and handed it to him, "Couldn't have you finishing too early," the goddamned missing piece!

"You little-" Bucky put him in a headlock with his metal arm, "still no respect for your elders, huh?"

"Uncle, uncle!" Bucky let him go and was quickly swept up in the sea of people. He had to admit that just this once being the center of attention (for a good reason!) felt great, and he couldn't stop smiling.

"You cleaned up well," Pepper came over, smiling, and held out a hand to him. This time Bucky shook it. "Tony speaks very highly of you."

"Woah Pepp," Tony came over, "I have an image to keep up."

"Well then, Bucky, this is just from me," Pepper held up a gift bag.

Tony raised his hand, "My idea!"

Pepper rolled her eyes and prompted Bucky to open the gift. He was curious. He reached in and pulled out a silver frame. Once he realized what it was, his mouth fell open and tears filled his eyes, "Where did you find this?" he managed a whisper.

"The historical society. Steve gave me some background so I could start looking."

The frame held a photograph of his parents on their wedding day. It had been digitally cleaned-up and printed on much nicer paper, but it looked exactly like the one his mother had kept on the mantle in their apartment. He touched the picture. His family. It had been decades since they died, but how he had a piece of his past. He wiped his eyes, "Thank you."

"Happy Birthday," she gave him a hug.

"Are we doing gifts already?" Clint came over with Natasha.

She nodded her greeting, then held out a flat, wrapped package, "An olive branch."

He unwrapped the parcel and looked at it- a tablet? He'd seen the others with similar contraptions, but like Steve he mostly avoided them. Natasha hit a button on the side and video filled the screen- a live feed of Inessa, sitting in the living room of Natasha and Clint's apartment under the guard of two suits, "I turn on cartoons. No sign she's even seeing them, but maybe one day she will."

"Thank you," Bucky had been dying to know how she was doing, it drove him crazy sometimes, this was as precious a gift as Pepper's, "How is she? Have you managed to get anything from her?"

Natasha shook her head, "It would be easier if they'd tried to alter her, like what they did to you. Re-directing someone can be undone with time but you-" she corrected herself quickly, "they, they took her to a blank slate. It can take weeks or even months to make progress from there. We just have to hope whoever grows in her place resembles whoever she was."

Bucky nodded, "And no luck identifying her?"

Clint shrugged, "We can't even figure out which country to start looking in. You said she spoke English, but JARVIS' scans say she's got the nutrient and calcium levels of someone from the second or third world. She could be a missionary's kid. No one ever reported her missing- either she'll have to tell us who she is or Hydra will."

"Let me know if there's anything I can do towards that end," Bucky had tried to convince Steve and the others to let him go on a mission to Auckland after Dennisson, but instead they'd installed an electromagnet on any door or window that could open to the outside. Bucky couldn't survive a fight with Hydra without his arm, and couldn't leave the building with it. He'd finally surrendered and agreed to stay (though the magnets remained just in case).

"Can I talk to you- alone?" Natasha lightly grabbed his arm and steered Bucky away from the others towards a quiet corner. "Listen," she sighed, "I just want you to know that I'm not mad at you. You don't have to keep avoiding me, really."

Bucky shifted uncomfortably, "I know what I did, you don't have to pretend it doesn't make your skin crawl-"

"It does," Natasha admitted, "but the only difference between what's in your past and what's in mine is that I chose to kill, maim, torture- whatever was needed. The KGB ripped my soul right out of me, but I could have left before Clint found me, and I knew it. I'm paying for all that now, just like you are and will continue to do in the future. I don't blame you- I blame the people who used you... I'd like for us to be friends, if you're alright with that."

"I am," Bucky nodded.

Natasha smiled, "Now, go- get back to your party. I'm told Tony will actually attempt to light every candle on that damn cake, and it's always fun to see DUM-E roll into a room with the fire extinguisher.

Chapter 19: Thomas Dennisson

[cupcake116]

Rise of Silver Chapter 1 (Mitsukami's Story)

The woman and her husband are running together through the woods with a baby in her arms. She holds the baby very close to her, not daring to let it away from her for a second. The poor couple are scared and worried for the baby and for their lives. The husband, willing to do anything to keep his wife and the baby safe is carefully and quickly guiding his wife through the forest.

Their situation isn't shedding any light as the people who were chasing them are closer than before. The wife becoming more frightened, scared of what more could happen. They then run into a dead end, trapped as it's now too late to turn back. They turn around to find the people, who were hunters, chasing them, right there in front of them.

The hunters were ready to take them to the heavens on this glistening snow covered night. The wife sheds a tear, all hope lost. As long as her husband and the baby are alive, she doesn't care where she's going, knowing that she's lived long enough, ready to end the belief in words of destiny and fate.

[End of Dream]

Inu: **jolts awake, breathing heavily. She immediately runs to the windows in the room, opening the beautiful curtains, only to see a beautiful morning with snow covered lands far and wide. She quietly mumbles to herself, sighs, and closes the blinds before any witness of tears trailing down her face is given.* Why....?

Xeron: **immediately comes into the room, going to Inu's side, lovingly holding her from behind, turning her around to face him as he holds her close* My beautiful princess, what did you see~?

Inu: **hugs him, holding him close, burying her face in his neck* Sweetie....

Xeron: *My love, please. Tell me what's wrong... You know I worry for you when you're like this.

Inu: *Don't you know by now sweetie...?

Xeron: **sighs, soothingly rubbing her back, stroking her hair* Sweetheart, you know that if this was to ever happen to us, I'll protect us with my life. I want for you and our baby to be safe.

Inu: *I want for you and our baby to be safe...

Xeron: *I'll do all I can to make sure we all make it~

Inu: *Thank you~

Xeron: *No need my love~ Now, let me get breakfast started, and you can check up on our little one~

Inu: *Ok~

Inu let's go of Xeron, kisses his cheek, and heads to the baby's room while Xeron heads back know to the kitchen. In the baby's room is a cooing baby boy with sharp, very nice black hair with his left eye being a wonderful spirit filled blue eye, his right eye is a spirit filled yellow eye. He looks to Inu, looking happy, reaching for her.

++++++++

Inu: **pick the baby up, lovingly holding him in her arms, speaking sweetly, cooing at him* Good morning cutie~ My sweet adorable baby boy~ How are you this morning dear Mitsukami~? Did my young prince get some rest~?

Mitsukami: **happily coos* Mommy! Good morning!

Inu: *You're very smart my young prince~ Though, you're enhancements surely exceed expectation~ You and your father are alike in comparison towards development, but some aspects of it aren't possible without my portion of you~

Mitsukami: **nuzzles into Inu*

Inu: **giggles* I guess I should stop rambling about things you don't fully understand, still, let's go meet your father in the kitchen~

Inu and Mitsukami go into the kitchen only to see Xeron cooking like a certified professional. The kitchen has very strong mouth watering scent, and Xeron seems to be having tons of fun.

+++++++++

Inu: **giggles* Looks like someone is having a great time~

Xeron: *Heheh, you know it baby~ How's our young heir~?

Mitsukami: **giggles, enjoying himself* Daddy! Good Morning!

Xeron: **chuckles* Good morning young prince~! Your learning very quick and you're not even a month old~ Your future is bright and bold, and someday you could rule over land like your beautiful mother~

Inu: **blushes* You couldn't help sneaking "beautiful" in there, could you~?

Xeron: *No, I really couldn't because I'm telling the truth~ Here standing in this kitchen with me is the very princess, and current ruler of the snow fallen lands, who is my gorgeous wife, and the young heir under her, second towards inheritance of this land, who is my incredible son~

Inu: *Here in this kitchen, standing here with me, is the brave, incredible wolf who protected me during The War of Flakes, my amazing husband~

Xeron: *Heh, I still remember that moment~ Remember when we announced to your father of our marriage~?

Inu: **giggles* Definitely~! His reaction was priceless, but I'm glad he let me choose who I truly loved instead of forcing me to marry the general who was in line to be a king already~

Xeron: *I wouldn't have accepted, nor allow you to marry a rude guy like him. He didn't even love you.

Inu: *Well, he's gone along with my father, but at least he knows that I'm happy with you~

Xeron: * That's right~ *finishes breakfast*

Inu: **sits at the tabel in the living room, gently undoes her kimono to release one of her huge breast, slowly bringing Mitsukami closer to it* Let's get you fed baby boy~

Mitsukami: **starts feeding from Inu, softly cooing*

Inu: **softly and lovingly stroking his long hair as he feeds, letting out a soft, quiet sigh of relief*

Xeron: **comes in with a tray with plates of food and tea. He gently and carefully places down the tray, giving Inu her plate, and he pours her a cup of tea, giving her a loving kiss on the cheek, then sitting down in a chair, getting his plate, pouring his cup of tea.*

Inu: *Thank you my love~

Xeron: *No problem sweetie~

Mitsukami: **finishes feeding, not really drinking much*

Inu: **covers her breast, letting Mitsukami on the tabel to look around if he'd like*

Inu: *Baby boy, you didn't drink much~ Are you feeling okay~?

Xeron: **speaks reassuringly* Sweetheart, don't forget that our little one has a major eating disorder~ He probably just got his fill early~

Inu: *Hopefully that's what it was~

Mitsukami: **happily coos, seeming pretty content*

Inu: **starts eating along with Xeron*

After Inu and Xeron eat, they remind themselves of everything they must do today. After making sure that they are both on the same page, they take Mitsukami with them, and carry out the day. Once everything is done, Xeron is to attend some missions, leaving Inu and Mitsukami at home together.

The day is long, tiring, but enjoyable. Xeron then comes home after some hours, spending lots of time with his loving wife and son. Inu expresses her concern of her dream, Xeron comforts her, attempting to convince her that they'll be safe.

The day then passes, and they go to bed, but because of the concerning feeling that Inu has, Mitsukami is sleeping with them for the night. They all eventually fall asleep. The beautiful snow covered lands glistening.

After some hours of a peaceful beautifully moonlit, glistening snow covered lands, there's a disturbance in the night. Hunters that were assigned to assassinate the Skylacruse royal household had broke into their home.

++++++++++++

Inu: **abruptly jolts awake* Xeron?!

Xeron: **is awake and alarmed as well, speaking quietly, and calmly* Ssh, I heard it too sweetheart.

Mitsukami: **is scared and quietly whimpers, but Inu comforts him, softly stroking his hair*

Xeron: **quietly helps them out of bed, and telephones them outside*

Hunters: **they had spotted them outside from a window and ran out of the house, chasing them*

Xeron: **is leading his family in a forest in attempts to lose the hunters, trying to guide them through the forest*

Hunters: **pulls out their guns and arrows and start shooting at the family, chasing them through the forest*

Xeron: **keeps going until their at a daze with multiple drirections. Not sure where to go in the forest without enclosing on a dead end. The hunters were closer than he though since a bullet almost hit Inu, and an arrow pierced his shoulder deeply, blood pouring down his arm, staining his kimono. He quickly chooses a way and leads his family down it, hoping he guessed with luck at his side.*

Hunters: **they come across the same thing, but they don't think and unfortunately goes the same way Xeron chose.*

Xeron: **he can still sense the hunters close to them, but they run into a dead end with throrns.*

Inu: **holding Mitsukami, who is whimpering, she turns around to see the hunters who had been chasing them right in front of them. These hunters were savages, ready to send them to the world above on this beautifully moonlit, glistening snow covered night. She sheds a tear, having lost all hope, but she knows that she won't care where she goes or what happens to her as long as Xeron and Mitsukami are safe.*

Xeron: **He and Inu look at eachother. He gives her a loving smile, goes to her, and shares a sweet, loving, affectionate kiss with Inu*

Inu: **after the kiss, she watches him give Mitsukami a loving kiss on his forehead. He looks at her again, making her wonder what he has on his mind. She gently speaks.* Xeron, my love, what are you aiming to do...?

Xeron: *I have failed you and our child my love, I'm aiming to do the only thing I can do-*he's immediately silent from the abrupt sting on his now red cheek, eyes widened in surprise*

Inu: **she had slapped Xeron, tears stinging the corner of her eyes, not willing to lose him* Xeron!! Don't even think about it!! The doctor had told you that you can't be doing that!! It's not safe for you and I'm trying not to lose you!! ....P-please... *tears are running down her face*

Xeron: **lovingly holds her and Mitsukami close, speaking softly* Inu, my beautiful royal snowflake...I need you alive, for Mitsukami, for me. I have to. If I take down these hunters, we can go home, and you can rant at me all you want for disobeying the doctor, and I promise I won't argue or complain. I never do.

Inu: **holds him closer and tighter* They'll kill you...

Xeron: *And you should know that I'm doing this for you two...I love you, I love everything about you. I love our little miracle that we were blessed with who is here between us right now, and no matter what, I'll give my life to keep you both alive.

Inu: **cries harder*....P-please baby....don't leave us...

Xeron: *I'm sorry my love...you're valiant knight can't withdraw from this...not if it harms you or Mitsukami. *Looks to Mitsukami, gently smiling to him* Hey there buddy~ I want you to know that daddy loves you, and even if you don't see me again, I'm always there~

Mitsukami: **reaches out, nuzzling Xeron's face* Daddy!

Xeron: **nuzzles back* That's my young prince~ *he kisses Inu's cheek, then steps forward towards the hunters, he turns his entire body into a beastly silver-tailed fox and dashes to them*

Xeron and the hunters enter a strong, very ever lasting fight. They fight valiently against each other in attempts for one to survive. Xeron is rapidly slashing down the hunters, taking arrows and bullets as if it doesn't hurt him. Blood and bodies stain the glistening white snow to nothing but blood red snow, that's somehow glistening from the moon light.

One hunter runs to attack Inu. Xeron quickly turns to the hunter, about to kill him, until another hunter shoots Xeron three times, once in the head, heart, and stomach. Blood traces down Xeron's body when he collapses into the snow, staining it. His eyes are wide open, blood pouring from him.

Inu was trying to defend her and Mitsukami, but is still weak from giving birth recently. She surrounds Mitsukami with her power, doing all she can to protect him. A hunter grabs her from her hair, making her watch the death of her husband.

+++++++++

Inu: **tears are streaming down her face* XERON!!!

Hunter 1: *Awe, don't cry. You'll join him in just a second.

Hunter 2: **points his gun at her* Nice doing business with ya.

Inu: *Mitsukami...I'm sorry.

Hunter 2: **shoots Inu, killing her*

Mitsukami: **Inu's magic fades and he falls into the dirtied snow. He starts crying when the presence of his parents are no longer there*

Hunter 2: **points his gun to Mitsukami*

Hunter 3: **immediately picks up Mitsukami* Woah there trigger happy. This boy could come in use to boss.

Hunter 1: *What would boss do with a crying brat?

Hunter 3: *He is the next heir as well as the child of Inu and Xeron. He has to have some use to him, weather it's his power, or whatever, but it'll be a waste to kill him.

The hunters agree on bringing Mitsukami to their boss, and heads to do so immediately, curious to see what they would do with him.