#only problem: with her it's far more bloody :D

[ddollfface]

Hello, first of all I really appreciate your blog. I love to read your story's, they are incredible C:

Secondly, I wanted to take a request for a yandere baki? Like, he falls for a classmate who is really shy and insecure but she secretly trains to become more confident and stronger? Maybe Baki wants to help her (or not depends on how you think yandere baki would be) and also protect her?

Sorry if my request is a little bit confusing ^^" If it's too random for you, you can just write general yandere baki headcanons :") I hope you have a nice day and thank you in advance :D<3

𝐀 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝

𝙔𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚!𝘽𝙖𝙠𝙞 𝙭 𝙁𝙚𝙢!𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

Trigger Warnings; Bad writing, she/her pronouns, possessive thoughts, not really yandere, reader is depicted as really socially awkward and clumsy, uhhh Kozue doesn't exist in this universe ig (I'm sorry bbg) It's no problem, nonny! I love it when ya'll give me random scenarios lol. Though I write really slowly, so sorry that it's been so long... Enjoy and give me any feedback! I'm still trying to tweak Baki's character profile!

“C’mon, do one more. You got this,” 

You panted, stretching your muscles to the extent you could, bringing your chin above the bar, trying to focus on the searing stretch in your muscles, and using it to motivate you as you lifted yourself up once more. Your thighs were clenched, trying to fight gravity, and get twenty pull-ups, surprising yourself when your head gets above the bar. 

Seventeen… that’s Baki’s age, you think with a small smile gracing your face as you go for another one, only to whine, wincing as your arms refuse to move. Just as you’re about to drop, you feel your classmate, who you’re too nervous to call a friend, hands grab your waist, helping you down from the pull-up bar. His hands cupped your waist, practically carrying your weight in his hands, catching you off-guard.

“I-thank you, Baki,” You mumbled, glancing over your shoulder as he set you on the ground, and smiling. A warm feeling fluttered in your chest, feeling accomplished at how many pull-ups you did. Only just a month ago, you couldn’t even hang from the bar without getting sore, but with Baki’s help, you’ve improved so much! It makes you giddy as you think of your progress, of how far you’ve come, and how much stronger you’ll be in the future. It gives you a surge of confidence whenever you find yourself exerting some of your newfound strength, beginning to love yourself a little more. 

“No problemo,” Baki shrugs, trying to remain lax, ignoring the throbbing of his heart. He got to touch you, place his hands on your waist, and carry your weight. God, you’re so pretty, even when you’re all sweaty. He felt like a lovesick schoolboy (he is). Your presence feels like a punch to the gut, giving him a newfound energy, the same feeling he chases when he fights. His heart pumping blood throughout his body, forcing it through his veins as his brain races with thoughts, thoughts, and more thoughts. He can almost feel his hands shake, practically begging his conscience for a chance to grab, hold, and smother you with affection, to pepper kisses all over your face, and praise your body in a way you deserve. 

He can’t even describe the surge of joy he got when you asked him for help, looking at him… well you didn’t look at him, preferring the ground’s gaze whenever you talk to him, but that didn’t matter too much. Your words were far more important. The moment your soft voice shyly asked for him to train you, to help you out because you wanted to be better, to be more confident. 

And while Baki loved you for who you were and the way you were he understood. He understood wanting to be better, to strive for more and more until your nails have gone raw and bloody, unable to claw away. He understands the feeling of not being where you want to be, of not being stronger, or accomplishing more. 

Though you both have different reasons for training, he understands the core values of it. You’re training to help build confidence and find value in yourself, while Baki does it because it’s a staple in his life, the only consistent pillar throughout his short years. But you both share the determination and though you likely will never be as strong as him, which is completely okay and likely how he’d prefer it, he admires how you had the confidence to approach him, asking him for help with something so personal.

Of course, he said yes. What kind of man would he be if he denied you help? Especially when you asked so sweetly? He still remembers how his cheeks grew warm and how he could hear his heart thud against his ribs at the idea of watching you work out. And though, Baki will never admit to it… you’re just so pretty, the prettiest thing he’s ever seen. You’re so soft, so kind, and just so cute. There’s no way he can’t gawk, respectfully, whenever he sees you squat, or how you smile whenever you complete a set, looking at him with amazement. Sometimes you’ll even hug him! And, honestly, he could die a happy man!

He tries his hardest, never wanting to make you uncomfortable, keeping your best interests in mind, and that’s why he absolutely refuses to let you work out in public. Nope, nope, nope, that’s not going to happen. Sure, you two can go on a run together, but he makes sure to give you one of his athletic zip-ups, not wanting guys to gawk at you, knowing that they will. 

It doesn’t matter that you’re only sixteen, he knows how men think, how they reduce you to your body. You’re so much more than that, and that’s why his blood boiled when he saw a guy let his eyes trail across your body as you did some push-ups. Yeah, no, you’re never going to a public gym again, that was the first and last time he’d ever let you do that. 

And if you were to ask, he’ll just say that you can’t even imagine the amount of sweat and bacteria on those machines. Can’t you imagine how many sweaty, grubby hands have touched those dumbbells? Or how many people have sat on that bench? Yeah, you can’t give him a number, and after that, you refused to touch your face without washing your hands and wiping away any grime from your face with a wet wipe, even upping your skincare a little.

Don’t get it wrong, you’re not a germaphobe or anything, but you had to agree with Baki, though you weren’t going to challenge him either way. You had noticed the gleam in his eyes as he pulled you up and off the floor, stopping you in the middle of your rep. Of course, you pouted a little, seeing as you were about to do ten push-ups! But you didn’t say anything, not wanting to stir any trouble, so you just kept your head down as Baki said you guys were going to end early. 

You didn’t want to, but you trusted Baki, and you weren’t going to say no when he looked so sure of himself. You hadn’t noticed the way his eyes seemingly darkened when he walked behind you, noticing how your leggings hugged you too tightly, nor did you seem to care when he handed you a jacket, saying you looked a little cold. If anything, you thought it was extremely sweet, and it made your cheeks grow warm, and your stomach does flips. 

“Well, it’s getting pretty late; you want me to take you home?” Baki’s voice draws you out of your little trip down memory lane, causing you to look up from your hands, which you were probably staring at for an embarrassing amount of time. With a small smile, you nod your head, turning to face Baki, and wiping some sweat from your brow. 

“Um, sure! That sounds like a plan-” You cut yourself off with an awkward chuckle, internally cursing yourself for being such a dork. I mean, what could Baki, probably the strongest man in the world, be thinking of you? He probably thinks you're super duper weird and that you sweat too much, oh God. What if you smell! 

Slowly losing yourself in your thoughts, Baki quirked a brow, noticing that you seemingly were spacing out, so, like any normal person who definitely hasn’t been daydreaming about his moment since he first met you, he placed his hand on your shoulder and tilts his head, “*Hey, are you good? You’re not lightheaded or anything, right? That wouldn’t be too good, yeah?*”

Baki had a small, reassuring smile on his lips, and the small mole on his upper lip stretched slightly, catching your attention. Feeling your cheeks heat up, your brain went into override, becoming overwhelmed with how close Baki was. You could see all the pores in his skin, and you could feel him too. His palm was oddly warm, maybe a little sweaty, but that was probably just you… ew. His hand cupped your shoulder, thumb drumming against your colder skin softly as he awaited your response, but you just looked at him with parted lips, eyes wide, and mind blank. 

You definitely looked like an idiot, you were sure of it, but you couldn’t bring yourself to say anything, feeling a little awestruck. Let’s just say that conversations have really never been your thing, especially when they’re cute guys without a shirt. Trying your best, you succeeded in keeping your eyes locked on his face, not letting them linger and drift down to his neck, where his SCM muscle flowed down to his clavicle and mended with the infrahyoid muscle group, only for his trapezius muscle to lay over his shoulder blade and peak from his back. His pectoralis majors were bulging against his sternum, making him seem more like a bodybuilder than a normal, teenage boy, not even to mention his serratus anterior, which was clearly defined and wrapped around his sides-

“Geez, man, you’re such a creep, staring at my muscles,” Baki chuckled, hiding how giddy he felt with your eyes on him, him, him.  His hand moved from your shoulder to your head, ruffling your hair with a cheeky grin as he tilted his head teasingly, “Is that a little drool I see there?” The hand on your head moved to cup your cheek, rubbing his thumb over your lower lip, as if there were really drool (there wasn’t, he just wanted to make you flustered). His calloused fingers teased your cheek, almost covering your whole face, and you thought you might just die. 

“Pphha-Oh, my God! I’m so, so sorry, Baki! That was so weird-” You fumbled over yourself, practically jumping away from his hand with a warm face. Your lips were trembling slightly, your nerves dripping through your veins as you cracked your knuckles, unsure of what to do with yourself as you felt your blood turn into molten lava. Standing with your arms straight and hands by your side, you quickly maneuvered to get your stuff, quickly remembering what the conversation was. Slinging your duffle bag over your shoulder, your legs were unstable as you steadied yourself and glanced around Baki’s home, not wanting to come anywhere near his gaze. 

“Well, anyways-I, um… I think I should go, um, home.” I spoke unceremoniously, ending your words with an out-of-place cough, only fueling Baki’s amusement as he looked you up and down. You were just so cute. He could just eat you up. His syrupy brown eyes swirled with amusement, taking in your nervous form. He really is obsessed, isn’t he?

He can’t get enough of your flustered smile, the way your lips quirk and tremble as you let meaningless words slip from your lips. Your eyes always got so scattered, flickering across whatever room, just to avoid his gaze. Although he’d love for you to get more comfortable, to just relax around him, he does enjoy these moments where you slur your speech and wave your hands around; it’s comforting in a sense. Deciding not to push any further, knowing your heart would probably thump out of your chest, he shrugs his shoulders and gives your bicep a small tap, “Sure thing, I’ll let you off this time.”

His voice was soft and playful as to coax you out of being so nervous. You just smile stiffly, feeling your heart thump, thump, thump, going crazy in your ribcage as you try to cool your tense figure, to slow the blood flooding in your ears. Giving him a nervous, wonky smile, you shrug your bag further up your shoulders, needing to do anything to distract you from the situation at hand. Baki was just so cool, and everything about him was amazing, but you were just… you. For God’s sake! Baki is probably the strongest man in the world, for all you know! And he’s training you of all people? He must be an angel or something… 

That’s what you think. You don’t know the gleam that flickers through his eyes whenever you turn away, the pure, utterless obsession that flows through his veins. Though Baki wouldn’t consider himself to be a jealous man, by any means, he can’t help but worry about you. You also don’t know the amount of men he’s dealt with through the school year; the amount of people he’s had to… steer away from you, just to keep you safe. But that’s good. You don’t need to know, ever. 

And you still don’t know as you walk side-by-side through the residential neighborhood, Baki holding your bag, of course. He always insists that he helps you out, seeing as you must be oh so tired from your workout, so just let him help you out, yeah?

To you, it was a smooth night, although a little awkward and embarrassing, it was nice. There was a soft breeze, so it was pleasing on the back of your neck, and you could feel your hair tussle and flow. Humming under your breath, you glance around the neighborhood you know like the back of your hand, and observe the different houses. Many were more 1970s-stylized architecture, but it was pretty nonetheless. They all had dark, wooden frames and sloped roofs, guarded by flimsy, wooden fences. With your eyes locked onto your surroundings, you lost track of how long you’d been walking until Baki suddenly stopped, nudging you for your attention. 

“Oh, thanks for walking me home, Baki…” You chuckle, catching yourself before you could make you look like more of an airhead. Scratching your cheek, you turned your back, standing in front of the gate that led to your small home, where your parents were probably snooping out the window to see what cute boy had brought you home…

“Nah, we’re chillin’. I just want to make sure you’re safe, you know how it is.” He shrugged, giving you a small, endearing smile before shoving his hands into his jean pockets, glancing at the ground before looking back at you. Giggling sheepishly, you messed with the hem of your shirt, before clearing your throat and straightening your posture. The air was oddly relaxing, though still a little stiff.

“Yeah, but you really didn’t need to, especially since you’re carrying my bag, too!” You sighed dramatically, pursing your lips slightly as you tried to make the mood a little lighter, more for yourself than Baki. He chuckled, rolling his eyes a little with some sass, handing you your bag as you motioned for it. 

“Geez, what d’ya think of me? I’d be a pretty shitty friend if I let you walk out here by yourself.” Baki flicked your forehead with a quirked brow, continuing, “But really don’t mention it. You’re like my best friend, practically my responsibility.” He added with a nonchalant grin. 

Nodding your head with a smile, trying to ignore the growing warmth on the back of your neck. God, talking to Baki was so easy, even if you fumbled your words an embarrassing amount of times, and you couldn’t help but feel your brain speed up, racing a million miles per hour. Subconsciously, your eyes kept lingering, down, down, down toward his lips, watching them move as he spoke. No matter how much you tried to ignore it, there was a tug on your heart, feeling a pull toward Baki, and he felt it, too. 

Just do it. Just do it. Just do it. Oh, c’mon! Just do it! You hyped yourself up, adjusting your duffle bag on your shoulder as I leaned your weight onto one foot to another, slightly nudging yourself closer to Baki. Your heart was pounding, ringing in your ears as you kept your eyes nervously locked on his face. Baki had continued talking, rambling off about some fight he had recently. Of course, you loved hearing Baki talk, but you couldn’t think straight, hyper-fixating on this inner turmoil that took over your thoughts. Though Baki had noticed your fidgeting and shift in behavior, he brushed it off as you just being antsy to go to sleep. Wait; why are you so close?

And just like that your lips brushed against his cheek, only there for half a second that Baki thought that he had imagined it. A slip of electricity had shot through both of you, a lingering warmth on his cheek as Baki stared at you with wide eyes. You just kissed him! Baki’s brain went into overload, standing there with his lips parted like a fish. Of course, your face had blossomed with an overwhelming amount of warmth, so hot that even Baki could feel it radiate off of you. Without a second thought, you rushed into your home, though not without running into the half-opened gate and tripping up the steps. 

Baki hadn’t even noticed your clumsy movements, far too focused on the warmth that swelled under his skin, a feeling he wasn’t used to. The tips of his fingers were pulsing, feeling static as he urged himself to do something, but his mind was caught up on what he felt. Everything was upside down, his world spinning, and the rhythm of his heart kept him in a jumble. It felt like his brain was empty but swirling with more thoughts than it should. Your lips felt oh so soft, and he couldn’t forget; he didn’t want to forget. 

“You’re just too much.” He mumbled under his breath, a newfound determination blossomed in his heart, and a lovesick gleam in his brown eyes. You just confirmed everything he’s ever wanted and dreamed of; you were his. You want to be his. That just means that you don’t need them either, all you need is him, and he’s sure you wouldn’t mind just staying at his place, right? You’re practically dating now, and it’s only right that you live together; that’s what couples do, right? 

As he walked away, steps a little off-center, a plan formed in his head, obsessive delusions fueling it. With just one, small kiss, you had decided your fate. No longer could you get off as just being his “best friend”, no. You were his lover now, his future wife. Though you didn’t seem to fully grasp that, Baki’s glad to give a helping hand.

[typosandtea]

from the Fallout OC asks: 21, 32, 58, 64 for Murphy, Tango, and Nathan... or just Murphy if that's too much :o)

HELL YEAH DO I WANT TO WRITE ALL OF THEM!!!

@charliesvarietyhour

Bloody hell this got very long.. Thanks for the ask this has been so great to write! :D

Important things of note or some of this may not make any sense:

Murphy and Nathan and on the same timeline / story, my mutant 111 Au where it was a dual experiment in conjunction with west-tek to create super soldiers by gene editing and splicing. everyone survived the experimentation and subsequent stasis, though by the time Murphy hatches? is born? emerges from chrysalis? some have been killed in stasis by an unknown killer (not Kellogg, though Kellogg still has his role basically unchanged)

Tango is on a different Au timeline also centered around 4, though Tango is NOT sole, Sole in this one is evil institute bastard by the name of Thorn, who did fallout 4 selfish route until fort hagen and then convinced Kellogg to take her to the institute (leaving nick in the dust with scathing words and gunshots, poor nick), she also joins Kellogg as partners / romance / killers and they rule the institute together more aggressively than Father ever did, though Father is very proud of her.

In Tango's timeline there is no one sole as such, Thorn does parts of the institute route but worse. Tango does some brotherhood stuff though they nope out consequences be damned after BB (there are actual consequences unlike in game for disappearing), Preston is the general along with Libby and Slick take some of the minuteman quests, Libby is ~100yo ghoul with a love of explosives and shotguns, and slick is a young ex-gunner with a big mouth they 'recruit' after he sees how awful the gunners are when he is treated better as a MM captive than as an active gunner. Tango occasionally helps minuteman, more so after BB. Railroad is Fixer though he has to be a bit more creative without sole's foot in the door.

Both timelines take place over years rather than the few weeks that 4 does.

21. Do they travel alone or with a companion?

MURPHY

Murphy has the -trauma- privilege of being a fallout 4 'sole' survivor so despite being an obvious mutant, she ends up meeting most of the companions at one point or another! she much prefers to travel with friends since she pretty social and her time in various military groups has cemented the idea that 'alone = less people to spot danger'. though this is kind of an antithesis to her very design as a flying night stealth operative, so what companions she actually travels with is far less than the ones she befriends. she has actively traveled with codsworth in the beginning, and now travels with Nick, Preston and Danse. Though she ends up alone a lot more than she would like as Preston is busy being the general (she does work for them as both normal quests but also as the unwillingly elected 111 mutant ambassador, helping with any 111mutant related drama like finding homes, or dissuading/knocking some sense into/fighting the more aggressive ones) , Danse is #1 bos enemy so it is dangerous for both of them after that happens (she remains bos /minutemen aligned, somehow.. she does have 3 int but also can see that there are good people in the bos.. a real 'i can fix them' mentality -she can't-, its a long while before she realizes just how trapped she is) she still travels with nick frequently but he is often on cases so its usually her helping him not the other way around. the only upside to traveling alone for Murphy is that she is much quicker and stealthy on her own (especially compared to traveling with Danse rip). special mention for Piper since they butt heads a lot until Murphy gets piper to see that how she writes her paper is part of the problem, and that its a style that Murphy has seen before prewar, and shes seen how it ends. Piper doesn't take this perceived slight to her and her paper easily and it takes time and some deadly consequences for Piper to realize that her scare tactics may be having unintended consequences.

TANGO

Before they got unwillingly turned into Tango, they were a tech scavver who would scour old factories and military facilities for parts, components or even whole robots to hack and sell. they always preferred working alone believing that others slowed them down or could be a threat. They had no friends by choice and very few people they sold to, so when then disappeared back then very few people even knew they were gone. They remain of this prickly mindset even after becoming Tango, and its not until many years later when they reach the commonwealth looking for the secret scientists that 'make clones of people', that they are befriended by Preston and they realized that he really is that genuine and that maybe not everyone is Out To Get Them All Of The Time. After rescuing Preston and gang (since Thorn didn't) Tango has a bit of a crisis in realizing that people actually do care about others and that maybe all those people they pushed away in suspicion might have being genuine. The feeling bad about it doesn't stick around for long though, as many of the people they meet shortly after are raiders, scammers or just as suspicious about others as Tango is. For actual companions they befriend Preston (mostly Preston trying to recruit this hot mess of power armored person, friends after tango has the temporary 'I am a suspicious ass' crisis), Piper surprisingly with how secretive Tango is, this was inevitable as Piper spots someone in unique power armor entering DC and they don't do any of the normal merc things? that's a story for sure! Tango doesn't.. have a lot of patience for Pipers questions and will just. leave. Hit da bricks if the conversation goes where Tango doesn't want it to go (about them). Piper never gets her story (Tango doesn't trust her enough to keep her trap shut) But they do become friends and Tango even travels with her for other stories! For someone so secretive Tango is a nosy bastard. Nick as Tango hires him to help them find a way into the institute, Nick is still a bit stung from Thorn's abandonment and attempted murder of him, he wisely encourages -beats some sense into- Tango that contacting the institute for whatever secret purpose will end poorly for them. though Nick is briefly tempted to help for revenge opportunities against Thorn. Nick is also one of the very few people that gets to see Tango unarmored after a case goes bad and the armor is badly damaged in a partial building collapse thanks to a raider with a missile launcher. After they are dissuaded from institute contact, they wander aimlessly and run into Danse at Cambridge, they become wary acquaintances after Tango joins the bos (without realizing how badly they fucked up until the prydwen arrives, they though Danse and co was the 'bos'). They drive each other bonkers, Tango struggles to adjust to structure and having other people rely on them and not being able to do their own thing at any moment, which frustrates both immensely. (so many arguments over rosters.. "But why are we on night patrol? I would rather be sleeping wouldn't you?""It doesn't matter what you want to do knight that's what we have been assigned so that's what we are doing" both internally screaming. also "Where have you been knight!? Its been two days!!!" "Oh I wanted to upgrade my armors shielding :)" "You were suppose to be helping Proctor Quinlan!!"). Danse also takes Tangos refusal to never leave the armor in anyone's presence as a sign they Tango doesn't trust him at all, and Danse has many theories to why (Ghoul? Synth? ashamed of being seen for some reason? hiding from someone? bad BO?) It doesn't occur to him that Tango Can't leave the armor. Tango befriends Curie immediately with an unconscious mindset of half "I also want a human body again" solidarity and half wow she really is just that genuine and trusting, better help her. Tango often lowers their guard (eventually) around genuine people.

NATHAN

(is 111mutant timelines Nate) Nathan is a bit of a weird one since he is a 111mutant like Murphy, but got many more negative effects. While Murphy lost some intelligence and gained even more anxiety, Nathan lost nearly his whole self, and the bit that remains is so smothered under all of the mutant parts that he is not the same as he was. He wanders the wastes alone and out of his mind, hunting and killing as his mutations have left him with nothing but conflicting half-thoughts, feelings and instincts. Unfortunately for Murphy his love for her is turned into animalistic obsession that his now mutant brain translates as kill. So no Nathan doesn't have any companions post war. though pre war he and Murphy were nearly inseparable, and they both enjoyed the company of the squad they were put in when Aus joined the US. (they were both soldiers for the Republic of Aus before it got captured by The Reds, and then US forcefully took the territory with aussie help and willingly absorbed any remaining Aussies, as the land was war-torn . (Note: if you saw one previous posts that I have done that the aussies were treated poorly by the americans, I have since changed my mind)

32. What is their go-to weapon or weapon class?

MURPHY

Her excellent eyesight and aerial capabilities make her a prime sniper! though she isn't able to snipe till she gets some advice on how to modify a certain laser rifle to be lighter and long range, she struggles to use normal firearms because of her extra sensitive hearing so she was limited to a silenced pistol she 'found' (was sneakily given by deacon, she doesn't like taking gifts that she doesn't think she has earned) + earplugs until she was gifted a laser rifle out of pity for helping Danse at arcjet. She requires help for modifications since she is 3 int. She is below average strength and has an extremely limited carry capacity for flying so ultralight mods are essential. no heavy guns for you. prewar she was one of the first power armor 'willing' testers that survived (not unscathed) and their squad became one of the first to be power armored. so she got used to being able to wield very big guns with ease. misses it immensely. (wings mean no power armor). Always has a combat knife on her person, was caught defenseless while sleeping once prewar in anchorage and will never let that happen again, she only was saved by her squad noticing the camp intruder before they could kill her.

TANGO

Is not above using the armor itself as a weapon. has done so multiple times in the past with very gory results, doesn't do it often though as they dislike bloodying the armor cause they are a quite vain about it, as its basically their body now. likes the effectiveness of combat shotguns but doesn't use them often cause of the chance of splatter. so often settles for rifles. has a terrible habit of breaking or losing weapons so tend to pick up and horde them. along with ammo. You go into their secret workshop and its just full of weapons in all stages of repair and enough ammo for each to last a lifetime, scavver habits die hard. Doesn't mind heavy guns but finds carrying them around inconvenient enough to rarely use them. Its pretty hard to holster a minigun, even in power armor. Even though they don't have eyes as such anymore still is not great with pistols, prefers the looking down sights of longarms. Despite living in the armor for many a year by this point, they still get their ass handed to them by Danse in power-armored unarmed combat training, is VERY salty about it.

NATHAN

He is the weapon, a very large semi-aquatic stealthy monster. Though prewar he was a mechanic in the same squad as Murphy, and liked pistols as a backup, particularly .44 caliber. Wasn't ever in the thick of it like Murphy and the other PA operators were, though they came close to when one of the camps in anchorage was nearly invaded! Enjoyed time at the range whether it be hanging out with others, letting off some rage, or genuinely practicing

58. Do they believe in luck? Do they have a good luck charm?

MURPHY

If you ask her, she will say she doesn't believe in such nonsense, or perhaps she will crack a joke about her name and Murphy's law, but deep down she is surely becoming convinced that she has been cursed. she keeps surviving situations that she shouldn't have and every time with terrible prices to pay, how long until the price is too great she wonders, does lady luck treat debtors with kindness? she hopes so. Says she doesn't have a good luck charm, but has a chain separate from her bos holotags she wears under her shirt / suit with a growing collection of things from the 'prices shes had to pay': What was left of her Australian dogtags, Nathans wedding ring along with the empty casing of a .44 bullet, A small painted piece of Danse's t60 armor that was removed in repair for preparation of giving it to another paladin after BB, a warped and burnt piece of ornate metal of some kind, and a miniature plastic white chess pawn.

TANGO

Tango is very suspicious by nature, but also quite prideful thus doesn't believe in good luck as that would detract from their abilities. That mr gutsy in near mint condition they stumbled across before becoming Tango years ago? The many fusion cores they they just seem to trip over everywhere? Always having just enough ammo? all a result of their scavver skills not stupid luck! paradoxically they do believe in bad luck, especially that they became Tango. Though they do somewhat subconsciously know that they have lived far longer as tango that they ever would have if they hadn't stumbled into that particular branch of general atomics .. they weren't making many friends as a scavver but they sure had enemies. has conflicting thoughts on the matter. Doesn't have a good luck charm. doesn't really own much of anything at all tbh. other than scrap hoarding that is.

NATHAN

Believed in luck pre war. prime source of 'murphy's law' jokes. Despite believing in luck doesn't carry a charm of any sort, has a sort of relaxed view on the matter. acknowledges that Murphy has bad luck regularly when she trips over or is the only one splashed by a car on the rainy days. attributes a lot of his own small such occurrences to himself rather than luck though, ie he should have known better than to walk so close to the road on a rainy day, or that was stupid wearing a hat on a windy day even when nobody else lost theirs.

64. How / where do they generally sleep?

i should be asleep lol

MURPHY

Murphy sleeps during the day now, daytime is too bright for her sensitive eyes. so she only ventures outside in the day when absolutely necessary. She didn't really get a choice in the matter, the mutations completely rewired her internal clock ready for night combat operations. an incredibly nervous and anxious person by nature even prewar, she has always struggled with sleeping, she needs to feel safe before she can catch more than a fitful nap. the first few weeks in the new commonwealth are a bit blurry in her memory from lack of sleep haha. She only needs to feel safe, not actually be safe, some of the best sleep of her adult life was in active war zones prewar surrounded by her squad, the one day she stayed in the institute was the most nightmarish ordinary sleep shes ever had, outside of trauma nightmares.

TANGO

Tango doesn't really have a body that needs sleep anymore, though they still require some sleep to give their brain recovery and processing time like normal sleep provides. they will find a out of the way corner in friendly territory and will lock the armor in place so they don't inadvertently fall over. They have definitely gotten what constitutes quiet corners wrong though and have put themselves squarely in the way for hours haha. If they are not somewhere safe they will find somewhere defensible and will catnap until they feel awake enough to continue onward. Tango has been alone for so long that it hadn't occurred to them that when traveling with others that they can take turns keeping watch and sleeping! score another point towards Tango's 'oh shit maybe this whole 'friends' isn't so bad after all' tally.

NATHAN

Deep sleeper, snoring machine. 'who tf brought a chainsaw into the barracks???' type zzzzzz. Can and often used to fall asleep in unlikely places. At the pub. On the 'bird to the drop zone. Waiting for sleep deprived Murphy to figure out how to get baby Shaun into the new car seat that one time ("why are there so many buckles???"). Now as a mutant will camouflage in some mud somewhere secluded, or will find a damp hidey-hole somewhere to curl up. Needs so much sleep postwar, spends most of his time sleeping, which is great for everyone else since when he is not sleeping he is hunting at night.

[loopyhoopywrites]

Find the Word

@kaylinalexanderbooks thank you for tagging me :D

Tool

Mar’Gret might have a black eye and bloody nose, but each of the six officers it had taken to drag her in were dealing with far worse, no doubt courtesy of Mar’Gret’s well-loved bat. Or, more accurately, the toolbox of nails embedded in it. Llanedd couldn’t tell if her victims were terrified, or impressed.

Personal

Whilst a petulant Trickster and abashed Teek made their way to the bar and Llanedd shuffled their chair back to its proper place at the table, Mar’Gret thought about the missing majesties. Queen Sandrine and King Hereward -bless their souls- might not have been the sharpest arrows in the quiver, but they’d always struck Mar’Gret as a kindly couple, not too proud to mix with the riff-raff and with good hearts in their chests. It was no wonder every brave soul throughout the Kingdom (plus a not-insignificant number of glory-seekers who thought lying their way into fifteen minutes of fame was an acceptable response to a personal tragedy, but the less said about them the better) had devoted themselves to finding out what had happened.

Appear

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” Trickster looked down, surprised, as if he’d only just noticed Llanedd was still on their knees. “Who said anything about friends?” he said, nevertheless reaching down and hauling Llanedd to their feet. Acutely aware of the still-significant number of well-armed, well-uniformed people encircling them, Llanedd did their best to appear as non-threatening as possible. It wasn’t particularly difficult.

Sour

Mood soured, he didn’t bother apologising as he yanked Llanedd up off the ground. The sound of war cries had been joined by that of pounding footsteps, and if they didn’t get a move on blood stains would be the least of Trickster’s problems. Llanedd mumbled something, and Trickster thought he heard them stumble –again– but for once he wasn’t about to stick around to find out if he was right. Ahead of him the passage split, and Trickster headed left without overthinking it. If he had experience in anything it was evading people who were less than happy with him, and in cases like these hesitation was his worst enemy.

Tagging @chauceryfairytales @talesfromaurea @space-writes (if you want) to find Time, Early, and Late :)

[axolotluv]

Dude, your art is amazing! I absolutely love it ♥️

I know you haven't done any SU for a while, but the doubt about shattered au eats at me.

If not rude of me to ask... do you think you could give us a little more information about that au? 🥺

AAA Thank you!! And it's not a rude ask at all, it's completely welcome! :D

I don't remember too much about the Shattered AU because I never wrote anything down and most of the things I did with him were branched off aus BUT!! I will try to provide as much as I can! Warning, I did intend for this comic to be dark, so there are a lot of themes of death and bad mental health.

AND WARNING it goes into some internalized ableism territory because I was a stupid 14-15 year old who didn't realize that it's really bad to write a heavily traumatized character with a bad depiction of psychosis as an angry and violent person D: yikes....I'm way better with that now and learned more about mental illnesses and disorders and the stigma they have in media as I got older.

Continue with caution!!

I am about to dump some info

The comic was meant to begin right after the events of the movie and then skip ahead and follow the altered events of Future.

During the movie's events, Spinel had gone a little too far with her hurtful banter during their fight on top of the injector and Steven got a little more injured than in canon. I can't remember exactly what made Steven snap, but at the end of their fight, Steven finally threw a punch that hit Spinel right in the gem, causing it to shatter on impact. Steven then started to calm down and promptly passed out from exhaustion, nearly plummeting to his death off the the injector, but Garnet caught him about halfway down.

Chapter 1 takes place the morning after, Steven having no memory of his fight with Spinel. Everyone is avoiding the topic of Spinel whenever Steven tries to figure out how everything ended. Obviously things seem better than they did yesterday, so what happened? He's encouraged to go outside and help people (avoid the house), so Steven meets up with Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot to go help with planning out Little Homeschool. They also avoid the topic of Spinel, so Steven storms off, feeling betrayed with all of his friends hiding something from him. He visits the injector and starts healing the ground to try and repair the damage Spinel caused. This only makes him MORE curious. That night he's laying awake thinking about what could've happened, then he gets hungry. There isn't much in the kitchen, but then he remembers he bubbled a slice of Lars' ube roll and sent it home. Steven goes to the bubble room to grab his ube and he spots Spinel's bubbled gem shards. He panics and drops his ube. A little purple spot grows on his hand, which hurts a lot. Steven goes to bed hungry and terrified. Chapter 2 Steven wakes up the next morning and finds the gems arguing. Garnet unfused and Ruby and Sapphire were arguing about how they felt about Spinel. Sapphire argues that it isn't right to ignore what happened while Ruby argues that they had no problem when they believed Rose had shattered Pink Diamond. Pearl sides with Ruby, arguing that it was for the greater good, and Amethyst sides with Ruby, arguing that it isn't right to leave her shattered. Steven starts interrogating the gems, trying to find out who shattered Spinel. He isn't getting a straight answer, but one of them mentions the arrival of the diamonds while trying to explain that day. He leaves the gems to investigate the pain on his hand, and he doesn't quite understand what that growing purple spot is. Ignoring that problem, he warps off to go see the Diamonds. They tell him that when they got to Earth, they were terrified to see him passed out and bloody, along with a destroyed piece of Earth. They all tried to help heal him, but were bickering and fighting over who could best heal him, and they all ended up using their powers on him at once while all fighting each other and worried for Steven. This had a negative reaction, mixing with his horrible emotional state, and caused him to start slowly corrupting. Steven freaked out once he realized the painful purple spot on his hand was actually corruption. The Diamonds try to help him, but he lashes out and runs away. When he tries to warp home it doesn't work at first, but his second try does work. As soon as he gets home he immediately rushes to the bathroom and tries to use the diamond essences to heal himself, but it doesn't work. He's still freaking out and he gets in a fight with Ruby, both parties are refusing to tell each other what's going on. Steven breaks a plate and the sound and feel triggers a panic attack. Ruby helps him calm down, but he starts to space out while thinking about everything and can no longer hear her. He has a flashback to his fight with Spinel and I imagined something like this would happen when he snaps out of it.

Chapter 3 Steven goes to bed and struggles to fall asleep, thinking a lot about the past few days. He doesn't even notice his transition from his thoughts to his dream when he finds himself on the injector fighting Spinel again. Her voice distorts and she asks him why he did it. He doesn't know, but she says:

Steven gets engulfed with butterflies and wakes up panicked. He runs downstairs to the bubble room and grabs the shards, taking them to the bath to try to fix her. He realizes he used all the diamond essence he had to try to heal himself, and couldn't do anything to fix Spinel. He breaks down and begins to corrupt more very rapidly, which again is super painful. When he hears a gem asking if he's okay while he's crying in the bathroom, he decides to wait for them to leave before running to his room and finding things to hide his corruption. He notices his jacket is ripped up after his fight with Spinel, so he wears his puffer and goes to buy another one on the boardwalk. Everyone notices Steven wearing a scarf, puffer, and gloves in the middle of summer. He's confronted by Ronaldo, which goes really awkwardly until Ronaldo notices his wrist is purple, so Steven runs away to avoid questions. Steven buys a jacket closes to his previous one and runs home. Pearl is in the house and asks him why he's dressed like it's winter and he just tells her it felt cold outside, which is such an obvious lie, and he needed a new jacket. She can't confront him on it though because he goes to his room and locks the door. Steven checks over his corruption, which was all the way up his arm and covering most of his shoulder. A butterfly amalgamation of himself appears sitting on the bed and starts confronting Steven on why he's lying and hiding things just like his mom. Steven calls it 'buddy' and continues to call it that going forward. Buddy acts as Steven's confrontational internal monologue.

Chapter 4 There is NOT a lot of information written down about this chapter and I don't have a clue as to what "Steven has an interesting expeirience with the corrupted gem" like I don't remember what that is at all. All I remember is they have to fight a corrupted gem and Steven has a bad time. There is also a moment when he's being chased by the corrupted gem and needs to warp to flee. It takes a lot of energy and concentration for him to warp and he barely gets out in the knick of time.

Chapter 5 is when SUF starts, I didn't have much written down for this because the plan was just SUF episodes but they go wrong because Steven's problems keep piling up. He doesn't make peace with the Roses, Steven lashes out at Pearl when they're at the shell and it worries her, Bluebird nearly kills him and he nearly kills Bluebird, Snow Day is just a family intervention, Steven and Lapis actually bond over her lesson about restraint being strength. During Bismuth Casual, Steven acts very passive aggressive toward Connie's friends because he's jealous and the two end up fighting. Steven reveals during the fight that he's corrupting. Connie gets angry about him hiding things from her and they have an awkward car ride home. Together Forever doesn't happen. Growing Pains is about the same except the reason isn't the marriage thing and also it's revealed Greg lost his arm during the events of the movie (Steven knew but we didn't). Mr. Universe Steven actually ends up hurting Greg, can't remember how though D:

Chapter 6 also doesn't have a lot of information (you can see where I got stuck and why it ended up cancelled) but in this chapter Steven ends up fighting really bad with Connie and he accidentally breaks her nose when trying to hit her hand away. Connie tells him to go to therapy and storms out, telling him to not call her again.

This is about the point where I stopped getting ideas for how to move further, I didn't even have an ending planned. All I knew was that I wanted Steven to go Kaiju mode near the end. I'm kinda glad this project went nowhere because it definitely would've added to the already bad stigma around mental illnesses and disorders in the SU community at the time. If you need me to tag this post with anything send me an ask! And I'm giving you a reminder to make sure to be aware of ableism, both within your own works and others!

[akilahdrawssometimes]

Full posts on my a03 :D @/akilahdrawssometimes -

Jysyal sat slumped in the cockpit of the starfighter. Leaning as far back as the tilt lock of the pilot seat would allow. Still clutching onto the fresh wound it continued to pulse hot with pain. Running right into a clone trooper base had been free from the to-do list but the force always had a funny way to give you unnecessary problems. With a shot in her side from their blaster, the bilious scent of her burning flesh flared her senses.

A cauterized wound was the worst pain she had ever experienced by far. The med patch was the only thing preventing her guts from spilling out. The cooling gauze was compressed so tightly, almost squeezing her organs together. The dark red splotch became more abstract as blood seeped through the pale cotton. At that moment everything started to feel blurry.

It was almost like she could see spots.

Or was it shapes?

Squiggles?

It was too difficult to think clearly when the only rational thing her brain was screaming at her to take care of first was the growing injury. Her skin felt like it was on fire and slightly sticky from the condensation beads of sweat, her slow shallow breaths grew quicker with the anxious energy of not being able to make a miraculous recovery with the med bey being bare she had already used the last of her myoplexarii on the bounty mission in the outer rim after a three on one with Trandoshands.

Which in turn left her a bruised bloodied mess R4 had barely been able to recognize her aside from the gruff attitude she constantly wore. Strenuously leaning forward she jammed the starter button and gave a minute for the battery-powered motor to convulse the diesel engine. As it softly clicked to life she flicked the paddle switch and engaged autopilot.

Forcibly slamming back into the pilot's seat with a huff. R4-B9 shuffled into the small space on her motorized threads chirping and beeping as the droid announced her presence.

“ … R4?”

She turned her head to look down at the quippy astromech from the corner of her eye. She had never been so relieved to see such a provoking droid. She swiveled her cone-like head and chirped in curious recognition.

“I need you …” Drawing a long breath through her nostrils she tried to continue the one-sided conversation.

“Rhinnal take us there.”

Figuring the droid would take her stale statement easier than explaining why she was ten shades paler and half-dead in her pilot's seat.

The expressive droid gawked at the harsh monotone of the Togrtua. Sharply chirping and clicking a demand of a nicer plea. With an internal roll of her eyes, Jysyal quipped stalling and spilling her guts across the cockpit floor for the sake of theatrics just for the droid to shut up and enter the coordinates. It seemed like she was already half dead, the nausea and clammy, sweaty skin as the result of her blood loss had already taken a toll on her body.

Capitulating defeat the droid programmed the coordinates into the ship's navicomputer, skipping a beat when the hyperspace ring of their shared X wing began to glow a subtle white. The hyperdrive motors rolled into rhythm as the all-familiar blue tunnel appeared swallowing the ship into the deep outer rim of space.

As the ship continued to be pulled through space a thought came to her mind. ‘Why does blood always smell like iron’ The same metallic, copperish taste filled her mouth as the air infused with the scent of her raw wound. As she dwelled in the pain she could not help but feel ashamed that her torment and discomfort were so minor compared to those of the Jedi order.

While on Jakku a few rotations ago to refuel and restock basic supplies, she got in touch with an old contact who had informed her of the massacre and betrayal of the clone troopers, even her master, the steady anchor of a mentor had fallen. It was too difficult to comprehend at first but the Jedi temple on Auratera had been burning for a long time when she had to see the evidence herself. The charred remains of the five spiral building only drew her further from the truth it was all too much to believe.

The piles of bodies, the smell, broken lightsaber hilts, and torn robes it was all too much at once. The empty libraries and training halls. Broken holocrons and keber crystals. Everyone deserved a proper burial with their lightsabers but Jysyal doubted herself as the one to do it. “I’m sorry.. ’ her voice wavered in turmoil and shame.

I’m sorry I have no right to give you all the proper burial you deserve I was banished I can't do what you all crying out for me to do. She was forced to leave the guilt burning in her stomach to cease and ignore her internal conflict that was the Jedi order and everyone in it.

The tunnel of blue had finally ended and the planet of Rhinnal had finally come into view. Quickly swatting the few stray tears that had fallen Jysyal slouched forward ignoring the way her lekku fell awkwardly in the process. The landing was a bit rougher than what the two of them were used to but given her condition, she hoped the flailing droid and her dramatics would go easy on her and turned to the droid as she did something else caught her eye.

“R4 we're here.”

Her abandoned lightsaber hilt she had tossed across the cockpit days before. The dull brass handle craved with her initials, the blue and gold ribbon looped around a crease in the base to remember an old friend... a dead friend and the familiar grip of her hand almost imprinted into the surface. It was a part of her, a piece of her, her identity was now a constant reminder of the pain of leaving everything behind.

Leaning over into the passenger seat she grabbed the old sheet that would normally be a safety blanket when doing various repairs on the X-Wing and lazily covered it with the grease-stained fabric. And pressed a various set of buttons to unlock the hydraulics of the ship and let down the ramp. The hiss of the hydraulics finally stopped and the standard controls looked fine, the aerator warning light and circuit breaker were in okay condition. Now she could get the medical attention she desperately needed.

If she could even get there.

[victorluvsalice]

AU Thursday: Valicer In The Dark -- Accused

Time for more Valicer In The Dark, with my current favorite of the snippets I have written so far. :D This entry takes place a little while after "Discoveries" -- after getting a gondola to Brightstone and the Everglot Manor, the trio and Emily invaded the Barkis/Everglot wedding reception, causing chaos and causing the guests to scatter. Barkis himself fled into the streets with Victoria, but Victor, Alice, and Smiler were able to get her away from him (with Victor encouraging her to run for help, which she did), and Emily ended up possessing Barkis to stop him trying to kill Victor. Which led to her finding a couple of electroplasm bombs on his person, tossing one to Alice ("in case you need it to solve your problem"), and using the other to blow both herself and Barkis up. Of course, the local Bluecoat squad (run by Sargent Tannen) showed up only AFTER this had all happened...and while the trio were doing their best to explain the whole mess, one of Tannen's men just made a very unfortunately discovery on Barkis's corpse...

---

“Ah – Sargent Tannen?”

Everyone turned toward the Bluecoat – Alice was reasonably certain he was named Thomas – examining Barkis’s fried corpse. “We – we have a bit of a problem,” Thomas continued, holding up a partially-melted mask.

A partially-melted bronze mask.

Alice���s jaw damn near hit the cobbles. “What – how – he – he couldn’t have been,” she said, shaking her head against the damning evidence before her. “Not a chance!”

“To be fair, all of them are completely anonymous,” Smiler pointed out, looking as stunned as she felt. Beside them, Victor gaped, equally as shocked by the implications. “And it would explain why he had electroplasm bombs on him.”

“I refuse to believe it!” Alice insisted. “That asshole, a Spirit Warden? It boggles the bloody mind!”

“Purrhaps, but no one said you had to be good to be a Warden,” Cheshire told her, though even his smile looked a little fainter in the light of this news.

“And Bumby’s convinced everyone that he’s the heart and soul of charity,” the Queen of Hearts reminded her, rolling her eyes. “Why should this Barkis be any different? He fooled at least one woman to her death, after all.”

Tannen stared at the mask for a very long moment. Then a cold smile spread over his face. “Well well well,” he said, turning back to the three. “Seems like your little story just doesn’t hold up.”

“What? Sir, with all due respect, nothing about our story changes just because he happened to be a Spirit Warden,” Smiler said, putting on an increasingly-nervous smile of their own.

“Really? You want me to believe a Spirit Warden got killed by a ghost? One that you lot claim he himself murdered?” Tannen tched a few times. “I don’t think that’s very likely, do you?”

“Well, no, but it can’t be impossible,” Smiler argued. “There’s all sorts of scary spirits out there.”

“And these folks are the best of the best when it comes to dealing with them.” Tannen paced back and forth in front of them, hands held behind his back. “No, I think I know exactly what happened. I think this little slip of a dogsbody girl, the one who everyone knows ain’t right in the head, the one that poor Dr. Bumby took in out of the goodness of his heart, found herself an Advocate willing to listen and talked ‘em around into helping her kidnap the son of one of the richest families in the city to see what they could get for a ransom, striking the day before his wedding to make sure he would be missed. And when his family didn’t pay up, and his bride just married someone else...” He went over and nudged Barkis’s corpse with his toe. “Well. Somebody got a little mad and murdered that new husband in a fit of rage.”

“What?!” Alice stepped forward, balling her fists. The other Bluecoats immediately closed in tighter around them, raising their batons. “That – that isn’t what happened and you know it!”

“You – cannot possibly – have you met any other Advocates?” Smiler demanded, waving a hand in the air. “We believe in happiness! How am I going to foster that by kidnapping someone?!”

“Wouldn’t it make you happy to get a nice fat payday?” Tannen chuckled. “I don’t blame you for trying, mind. Just a shame that the fellow you ended up offin’ was a Spirit Warden. If you’re lucky, you might just end up with life down in Ironhook. If not...” His grin got wider and meaner. “They always need new souls to power the Hulls they got makin’ the hunter boats.” He casually flicked his hand. “Boys, if you could cuff Miss Liddell and–”

“No!”

Victor stepped forward, eyes narrowed in righteous fury. “You’ve got this completely wrong!” he continued, hands held tight at his sides. Around him, the Bluecoats glanced at each other, wondering if they dared do anything to someone known to be rich. “I was taken away into the ghost field while practicing my vows after the rehearsal by a ghost who thought I’d agreed to marry her! Alice and Smiler were the closest people around when I finally found my way back into the real world, and they helped me! Took me somewhere warm and made sure I got a good meal in me! And they didn’t hesitate an instant to come with me and Emily when we learned that Victoria’s husband was likely the man who’d murdered her! They were just trying to make sure that – that b-bastard down there didn’t kill anyone else! I don’t care if he was a – a Spirit Warden! That doesn’t automatically mean he was a good person!” He pointed a finger at Tannen’s chest. “And it doesn’t mean you can j-just make up a story to throw two undeserving people in jail!”

Tannen looked at the finger, then back up at Victor. He chewed his lip, then leaned in conspiratorially. “Well – I may be willing to admit I’ve made a mistake,” he said softly, holding out a hand. “You know. If you can back that story up.”

Victor sighed heavily, then plunged a hand into his pocket. “Yes, of course, I – I...”

He paused. He felt around for a moment. Then the anger drained from his face as a briefly-forgotten fact suddenly came back to him. “Oh...I – I don’t have my wallet,” he breathed, glancing back at Smiler and Alice.

Tannen raised an eyebrow. “No? Nothing? Huh.” He smirked and stepped back, raising his voice again. “Oh dear me – it looks like Master Van Dort was in on this ‘kidnapping,’ lads! Conspiracy to defraud his own loving parents! We’re gonna have to haul him in too!”

Alice’s head snapped left and right as the Bluecoats began to move in, unhooking manacles from their belts with a fiendish glee. Fuck – and there’s no point in telling this lot about Bumby, they’ll never believe me...or even if they do, they’ll never do anything about it. It’s just so much easier to take the lot of us to jail for a murder we didn’t commit, and – and Victor’s parents will almost certainly bail him out, and Smiler’s fellow Advocates rescue them from the cells, but me – I’m going straight back to Rutledge, and since I’m old enough this time they’re just going to Hollow me out and that’ll be the end of me and Bumby will continue ruining all those children’s lives forever –

“Unless you stop waiting for help and get moving!” Cheshire said, appearing by her side with claws outstretched and tail lashing the air.

“A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step!” Caterpillar added, flitting about her head. “Or, perhaps in this case, a single stab.”

“That idiot Carpenter had the right of it before – are you a pawn, or a Queen?” the Queen of Hearts snarled, tentacles slithering like snakes through the cobbles around her. “Do something, or we are all lost! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!”

A furious heat surged through Alice’s veins, almost akin to the spray of a Ragebox or the explosion of Hysteria. “You miserable, self-important, misbegotten toadies!” she yelled, tearing her knife from her apron strings. “I’ll show you I’m not to be trifled with!”

The Bluecoat behind her snorted and raised his baton – Alice spun on the spot and jabbed her blade between his ribs, causing him to stumble back screaming. Alice tore the Vorpal Blade from his flesh and whipped around, parrying the next blow from his companion before kicking him in the knee. A third came in, truncheon swinging – Alice ducked under it and stabbed him in the groin, getting a pained sympathetic hiss from all the menfolk (and one nonbinary person with the right equipment) in the area. The fourth, Thomas, straight-up dove for her like she was a runaway dog – she flung herself out of the way, and he cracked his chin on the cobbles. The fifth attempted to pull his gun, but he hadn’t even gotten it halfway up when her knife went through his wrist, making him shriek and drop it. Alice kicked it away, then – spotting a shadow coming up on her fast – whirled again and put the Blade straight through eye of the unlucky sixth member of Tannen’s squad. He roared in agony and fell to his knees, scrabbling at the weapon – Alice did him the favor of pulling it out, then looked up. Tannen, Victor, and Smiler all stood there, eyes wide and mouths agape, as if they could see her at her Wonderland best. Which was admittedly quite gratifying, but... “Run?” she suggested to her new friends.

Fortunately, that was all it took for Victor and Smiler to get moving, darting down a side alley. Alice was straight on their heels, managing to weave around Tannen as he broke from his trance to try and grab her. “Get up! Get up!” she heard him scream at his injured squad as they booked it. “They’re getting away!”

“Damn straight we are – that was brilliant!” Smiler added, shooting Alice an impressed grin as she caught up. “I didn’t know you could do that!”

“To be fair, I didn’t either!” Alice replied, unable to help a laugh of mingled shock and relief. “Not outside my head, at any rate!”

“Best time to learn!” Victor called from his position at the head of the pack. He skidded to a brief stop as they reached the mouth of the alley, then hooked a left. “Come on, this way!”

“Right behind you!” Smiler said, swinging left after him.

“And they are right behind you, so keep a move on!” Rabbit warned Alice, darting past her as the sound of booted footsteps started closing in on her.

“Wasn’t planning on stopping!” Alice shouted back, skidding left as she left the alley. She booked it down the street (this one full of shops and restaurants) after Victor and Smiler, past some startled ladies out for their evening constitutional. “Ugh, if only I could pull off that damn butterfly dodge here...”

“You may want to try anyway – incoming!” Hatter yelled, leaping past her.

Alice immediately looked behind her – just in time to see Thomas, now bleeding from the chin and with a look that could melt iron – lunging for her, arms spread wide to envelop her in the world’s worst embrace. She let out a rather undignified shriek and whipped sideways in an attempt to escape –

Only to find a fancy carriage pulling up beside her like a rolling roadblock. Without even thinking, she jumped like she might in Wonderland, hoping somehow to get enough height to clear it – her foot hit something hard – the door handle? The little window sill? – and she leapt again –

And found herself indeed atop the carriage, swaying but upright. Thomas gaped up at her, as did the startled carriage driver – Alice couldn’t blame them, as she was pretty shocked herself. “How in the Emperor’s name–”

“Running now, questioning later!” Rabbit cried, leaping off the other side of the carriage and sprinting toward Victor and Smiler, who’d apparently had the same thought she’d had about crossing the street to get away from their pursuers and a bit more luck in doing so. “Come on, come on!”

“Right!” Alice hastily clambered off the carriage, ignoring the baffled shouts of those within, and ran to meet Victor and Smiler as they doubled back toward her “No, no, it’s okay, I’m fine!” she assured them, waving a hand. “Keep moving!”

“How did you do that?” Victor demanded, slowing deliberately as he and Smiler turned back around so she could keep up. “I swear, when I turned around and saw you jumping like that, it looked for a moment like you’d learned how to levitate!”

“Sheer luck, I think – and an active imagination,” Alice added, glancing down and seeing blue overtaking the black in her skirt. Not the best time, brain, but if you keep it to that, I’ll allow it. “We can figure out how I learned to fly when we’re free of this lot!”

“Keep going!” Tannen’s voice roared behind them, reminding them of the danger. “Thomas, you idiot, Donovan’s already gone on ahead! How have you not gotten a hand on them yet?!”

“Not my fault, sir!” Thomas replied furiously. “That bitch has the devil’s footsteps!”

“And doesn’t she count herself lucky to have them,” Alice muttered as they pounded on, down another alley beside some sort of jewelry store. “Desperation breeds all sorts of talents, I suppose...”

“That I can believe – I’m really good at climbing things thanks to having to escape bullies in Nightmarket when I was small,” Victor admitted, pushing his hair back from his face. “Still, that was incredible.”

“Yeah, you’ll have to teach us how to do it!” Smiler said, shooting her a smile.

“I don’t know if it can be taught,” Alice said, swiping a hand across her eyes to knock the sweat out of them. “It really was just luck. I doubt I’ll be able to do it again.”

“Well, hey, if you do pull it off again, let us know and we’ll – whoa!”

A Bluecoat with a bleeding wrist – almost certainly the “Donovan” Tannen had just mentioned – burst out of a side door in the jewelry store, slamming into Smiler and knocking them into the nearby wall. “Got you now!” he declared, digging his fingers into Smiler’s collar despite his injury. “Like to see you smile your way out of this one!”

“Leave them alone!” Victor yelled, grabbing the offending arm and trying to drag it off. Alice yanked her knife out again, ready to assist as violently as the situation called for.

“No, no, it’s fine, you two – I know just how to deal with people like him,” Smiler assured them, waving a hand as the other one disappeared into their pocket. “They just need a little more joy in their lives!”

“Oh yeah?” Donovan snarled, jerking his arm to free it from Victor’s grip. “And you’re the one to give it to me?”

Smiler grinned and winked. “Well – I am a bit of an alchemist.”

And with that, they yanked their out their fist and jabbed Donovan in the neck with what Alice recognized as a Joy Serum syringe. Donovan yelped and stumbled back, clawing the emptied needle out of his neck. “There we go – have fun!” Smiler said with a cheery wave, before gently giving Victor a shove. “I always keep a spare on me, just in case – he won’t be a problem now, but how about we keep moving anyway?”

“Sure...that’s, uh, safe?” Victor asked as Donovan wobbled in place, a rather dazed-looking smile starting to spread across his face as he giggled vaguely.

“Oh perfectly, he’ll be fine! You know, so long as someone sees to the blood loss from that wrist,” Smiler qualified with a quick look back at the puddle spreading across the cobbles.

“I don’t particularly care if anyone ever tends to that or not,” Alice admitted, pushing them both along. “Rabbit’s going to have our heads if we don’t keep on, so...”

“Right, right...” Victor took point again – not that he had much choice, given he had the longest legs of the three of them – and paused briefly at the junction ahead. “Okay, so...I think the Sanctorium is that way, so...the other direction should be Shimmer Canal. . .right, come on, this way – NOT THIS WAY, NOT THIS WAY!!”

Victor did an about-face out of the alley he’d chosen so fast, Alice was half-certain he’d just flipped around without actually going through any of the intervening bits. He shoved Alice and Smiler backward, down a gap between two stores, eyes wide with sudden horror. “What? What is it?” Alice demanded, trying to peer around him to see what had frightened him so.

“Ambush?” Smiler asked, doing the same.

“No, no,” Victor squeaked, rapidly shaking his head. “It’s–”

“Really, Master Van Dort?”

The trio all froze, then skittered deeper into their hiding spot, Victor holding himself protectively in front of them. “‘Not this way’ shouted at the top of your lungs?” Tannen’s voice continued, as his booted footsteps drew closer and closer to the junction. “That is the most amateur bit of work I’ve seen since I started on the force!”

A moment later, Tannen himself emerged into the T, accompanied by Thomas (apparently the only Bluecoat of his squad still both able and willing to walk). “These rich snobs don’t know the first thing about properly escaping pursuit,” Tannen groused, getting a nod from Thomas. “No, it’s all just throwing money at the problem – which, don’t get me wrong, I’m quite happy with, but still. Like that sort of thing would fool anyone.” He turned down the alley Victor had originally picked, not even bothering to turn his head, Thomas right behind. “I’ve got you now, you little–”

“ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHH!”

The most spectacular electroplasmic display Alice had ever seen erupted out of the alley – glowing, sparking goop splattering across the walls and cobbles while great arcs of current shot through the air, making her hair stand on end. A horrible gray something that Alice thought might have once been a woman streaked forward after it, seizing Tannen in its grip before he could even have a chance to scream. It howled with the mad rage that only a feral specter could properly express and raked ghostly claws across his chest – claws that still, somehow, managed to cut, tearing deep gouges into his flesh that crackled as they burned with a distressing pale light. Thomas shrieked and tore back the way they had come – Good thinking, Alice decided, and grabbed Victor and Smiler by the hand and towed them away down the gap, leaving the screams of the feasting specter and the deeply unlucky Tannen behind.

They ran for a little bit in silence, across a couple more toff-filled streets, concerned only with putting as much distance between themselves and the specter as possible. Finally, though, they paused in yet another alley behind a dress shop, Alice releasing her compatriots’ hands so she could press hers to her breast. “...well,” she said as she caught her breath. “That was – horrifying.”

“Yup,” Smiler said simply, taking off their cap and running their fingers through their hair.

“I know,” Victor agreed, wiping off his face. “Oh, that...that is going to...haunt my nightmares...”

“Mine too...but...how did you know she was there?” Alice asked, turning to him as she leaned against the wall. “Ghosts like that usually don’t make themselves known until they pounce on their prey.”

“I – I ju-just saw her,” Victor stammered, waving a hand around. “The m-moment I stepped into the alley. I could s-see her plain as day, and I could f-f-feel how powerful she was. I – I just count myself lucky she didn’t see us.”

“Me too,” Smiler said, shaking themselves like a dog spraying water. They shot Victor a grateful smile. “You probably just saved our lives there.”

“I c-couldn’t just let you walk into that! Even if I’m not...I’m not...I...what’s happened to me?!” Victor demanded of the world generally, flailing his arms. “How could I see her before – she’s a ghost! You don’t see ghosts! Not unless they let you! I’d never seen a ghost at all before until Emily came along! And now they’re just – everywhere?”

“Everywhere?” Alice repeated, abruptly keenly aware of just how haunted the city was supposed to be even with the help of the Spirit Wardens (and if they let people like Barkis into their little club, suddenly she understood why).

“Yes! I – that street we just ran across – there’s three ghosts on it!” Victor declared, pointing behind them. “N-not dangerous ones, not like her, but – I saw them, going t-through the motions of their lives! And I don’t know why!”

“You did just spend about an entire day in the ghost field,” Smiler pointed out, expression thoughtful. “Maybe you’ve developed a sort of – ‘ghost mind’ as a result? An extra sensitivity to the supernatural?”

“Seems logical to me,” Alice nodded.

Victor stared at them a moment. “So I’m – I’m just stuck seeing ghosts now?”

“Maybe? I mean, we’d have to keep an eye on you for the next few days, see if the effect wanes any,” Smiler said, smiling brightly now that the immediate danger was over and the fun of scientific exploration was before them. “Oh, and see if you can consistently tell the difference between echoes, specters, horrors, reconciled...”

“Easy there, Advocate,” Alice said, pulling on Smiler’s sleeve gently as Victor began tugging anxiously on this tie. “Let’s get out of Brightstone first – then we can start worrying about Victor possibly being a little bit ghosty.”

[flowersdaggersviolasandblood]

Blood, Flesh, and Tears

Name: Torment (He/Him)

Race: Zariel Tiefling

Class: Paladin (Oath of Vengence)

Background: Haunted One

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!

So after getting his ass bit, Torment and the scooby gang (so far it looks like he'll be primarily traveling with Lae'zel, Wyll, and Astarion) met with what seemed to be apprentices of the Absolute cult. Their True Soul friend, Edowin, got got by a Owlbear and perished because of it. Torment has a brief conversation with the two individuals, Andrick & Bryanna, learning that the Absolute chooses individuals to be True Souls to serve as a mouthpiece of her will. She grants these individuals powers to enact her will and that soon they will rule everything.

Now at this point, especially since the Emerald Grove is a bit of a safe spot with very little combat, Torment has been deprived for too long of blood. The desire has grown to extreme lengths and wishes for it to be spilled. But he is not senseless. Since an Owlbear killed their dear friend Edowin, and these apprentices are followers of the Absolute, thus associated with the Goblins, he informs them to "avenge their brother" and go kill the Owlbear. Now, they say they won't do it without his help, but I followed them to the cave and watched them enter, hoping that they're just dead on the other end lol. Besides, there were other important matters at hand.

As stated before, Torment wishes to kill both Kagha and the Goblins. So we started with Kagha. After a brief fight to protect Auntie Ethel (who may or may not be a Hag), the gang was able to find a secret note in the swamps that points to Kagha being in kahoots with Shadow Druids. With this evidence, Torment felt justified in his blood-filled sense of justice to get rid of Kagha.

He brought this evidence back to the inner grove, exposing her in front of Rath. This caused few Shadow Druids to emerge from...Well, the shadows, and attack those that oppose them. With Kagha dead, the Tieflings are now free to live in peace until Torment finishes his bloody path into the Goblin camp and to kill their leaders.

So remember in my last post how he met a musical Tiefling? Well, her name is Alfira!

Despite being discouraged to continue her song and to take up arms, she suddenly came to his camp in the middle of the night asking to join him on his journey.

Although Torment would've pushed that Alfira stay at the grove, he thought it wouldn't hurt to have her tag along. Besides, he has spilled a fair amount of blood to sate him, what with Kagha dead. And he'll have Goblin blood to spill as he paves a path for the Tieflings, so no problem, right?

Oh boy was he wrong lmao. To be honest, I was honestly surprised by this, and not in a disgusted way (since there are some people who who forgot that this is a rated MATURE game and the Panels from Hell clearly stated that the Dark Urge would be a darker story). At first, I was excited to have Alfira join the party, believing that she was one of the few NPCs we could recruit in the same way how Halsin and Minsc can be later recruited. Especially since of all the character classes, we didn't have an official Bard companion aside from the Hirelings.

But then this happened! Torment would wake up from his slumber with Alfira ripped to shreds with a large bloody symbol that surrounds her corpse.

This is only poetically encouraged because my man has a -1 in his Intel lol. Now, Torment has essentially told everyone (save for Gale, rip in piss) that he has this innate desire to harm others. Something everyone kinda brushed off a little, with the expectation that he would be able to control his urges and direct them to more "killable" assets and not themselves and innocents (can't cause too much trouble, you know). And so far, Torment has been doing well, save for killing a few poor animals here and there. He though he was doing well, that he was able to control his hunger for blood and flesh. Only to wake up in the middle of the night with a innocents woman dead and he can't place how or why this happened.

Torment was scared. He has killed, and been bloody brutal about it. But he's only killed those who were "deserving" (bandits, Goblins, animals, and those who were openly hostile to him and his crew), but never an innocent life. He feared what his companions would say, what they would do. He felt embarrassed, shameful, disappointed in himself that he couldn't control himself. So when confronted about his involvement with the corpse of Alfira, Torment lied, pinning her death on a wild boar. And they took the bait!

He shouldn't giggle, he really shouldn't! He should be guilty like a sinner in church! He should be on his knees and openly praying for the gods to strike him down for what he's done. He should come forth and honestly confess that this was his doing. But instead, he felt relief, adrenaline coursing through his body as he got away with this untimely murder. He couldn't help but giggle at his foolish companions and their compliance to believe his awful lie. The thrill of being almost caught, how enticing.

Despite this, Torment would still catch himself and go through a depressive spiral. He needs to figure out what is his deal before he harms more innocents, or worse, his own companions that he has now considered his friends (except for Shadowheart, fuck her).

Not even a few nights after this incident, Torment would meet his...Butler?

Apparently this Goblin, Imp-ass wannabe is Torment's butler, who desires blood as much as Torment does. Despite knowing Torment on a seemingly personal level, he refused to exhume any information about his past. But he gave me a pretty bitchin cape so :D (by the by, those who know Sir Lora from Divinity: Original Sin 2 would know that the same VA did this lil gobbys voice!)

Also, looks like we got ourselves a romance going on!

Originally, I thought it would be Lae'zel for Torment since I do believe that this character would have some sort of affinity for her...But fucking Astarion XD!

Of course, Torment's chances to get that vampy booty was increased after allowing him to suck his blood and even going as far as to protect him from the Gur that came after him.

And after killing Kagha, Astarion stated his interest for Torment, which the poor Tiefling was confused as the concept of love and/or sex has taken a heavy backburner due to recent events. Personally, Torment isn't fully sure if he loves Astarion, and after the incident with Afira getting murked while he was out of it, Torment is scared that the same will happen to Astarion.

But the more his eyes linger, the more the idea of courting and fucking the Elf became more...Desirable. Eventually, Astarion came forth about his Vampire situation and his relationship with Cazador

When Astarion first met Cazador, it was when he was lying in his own blood after being assaulted by monster hunters (also known as Gur in a derogatory way). As he was nearly dying, Cazador showed up and turned him into his Spawn, and has tormented the pale Elf for 200 years since. Now that Astarion is no longer wrapped around his finger, there's a chance that the Vampire Lord is hoping to steal Astarion back.

EventuallyI get a near sex scene between Astarion and Torment. Astarion expresses his interest and Torment is at first unsure, his recent fears after the Afira incident still fresh on his mind. At first, Torment believes he's ready to take that step forward, but when he saw Astarion half naked, his mind immediately went to dark places, and not the sexy kinda. Immediately, Torment called it off, his fears overpowering his desires.

[hardygalwrites]

“Doctor… Are you certain this is what you want? I can’t deny there is a childish amount of excitement - which I believe I am still entitled to for one more segment - to be felt at the prospect of becoming a starship captain. But… Well, to be frank, I’m far younger than most would expect a captain to be. And I can’t promise I will make nearly as many profitable judgements as our dearly departed Captain Oshali. Not to mention… are you sure you want a Zenithian noble brat in any sort of position of power? I am deeply, deeply flattered of course, Doctor. I just… I want to be certain that you are offering this to me because you do believe this to be best, and not because, well, we are currently a crew of two with no other options.”

“I would much rather have someone who acknowledges his shortcomings to be in charge, rather than someone who’s sure they’re always smarter than everybody else. You’re also consistent, like Oshali, just consistent in different ways. I could count on her to put profits first, and I can count on you to put people’s lives first. I don’t have to guess with you as captain. You might be a Zenithian noble brat… but, you’re my friend. I haven’t had a real friend in a long time. Yeah, I’m sure. Even if there’s a dozen of us on a ship, I want you as my captain.”

My son is growing up. Not only is his birthday coming up in game - he’s finally gonna actually be eighteen years old, as he’s been claiming for the past couple years of his life - but he has gone from vent goblin for hire and person with barely enough technical expertise to be of any sort of practical use on a ship, to the bloody captain of a ship. So, to commemorate that, I decided to update his look a bit.

Meet Captain Tomorrow von Tahsin. He doesn’t cover his eyes nearly as much as he used to (though there is a lore reason for why he does that at all), and he’s tied the top of his jumpsuit around his waist now, Portal 2 style, showing off them noodle ass arms more clearly.

Also, he’s now wearing a leather bangle around his wrist and, more importantly, a bullet around his neck. That last little accessory is in memory of a former crew member who outright declared that Tomorrow might as well be his little brother. For many, many backstory reasons, that meant and means the absolute universe to Tomorrow. Said crew member ended up leaving for a better paying career, but Tomorrow kept one of the guy’s bullets to remember him by.

Turning eighteen years old is actually going to come with a world of problems for Tomorrow, but hopefully he can survive them. He’s survived the almost utter annihilation of the House Tahsin, he’s survived traipsing about the Third Horizon as a child parading as an adult, and he’s survived all the havoc that his latest crew has been getting into. Surely he can survive adulthood and the responsibilities of being a captain as well :3

This incredibly handsome piece of art was commissioned from @crystalnovaart! She delivered exactly what I was looking for in terms of Tomorrow’s new look, as well the posing and the ✨ v i b e s ✨ Check her out on Instagram under crystalnova_art - she posts a lot of her absolutely stunning artwork there (and look you can see my son there as well) - and absolutely support her if you can, you will not be disappointed :D

[titaniumshortcake]

"I'll tell you a secret. People will look to you as a leader and expect that you can solve every problem, because you're out there doing heroic things. Some will ask the impossible from you, and they'll all expect you to see their side as the right side. But sometimes there are no right answers. Sometimes you'll fail, and the world will tell you that you should have done more. Just remember, darling - your options are only ever as good as the information you have. Your father and I send our love, and remember this, too: We are always so, so proud of you." - excerpt from a letter written to Leilani de Riva, creased from being unfolded and folded again many times

(Full size here! Rambling about my worldstate headcanons under the cut :D)

The first of a series of portraits I plan to do for my canon Dragon Age worldstate. I might also do a few of my other Wardens, but my City Elf is nearest and dearest to my heart. I have the most headcanons about her, and so I consider her my permanent Hero of Ferelden.

I also consider her permanently sick of the fact that Thedas can't keep its shit together. \o/

After doing her utmost to fix what problems she could and save whoever she could save, Kallian served her ill-fated stint as Warden-Commander of Vigil's Keep. She made the call to defend her fellow Wardens and burned Amaranthine to the ground, deeming it too infested with darkspawn to leave standing. Ultimately this damaged Ferelden's view of her and stirred up tensions between the human nobility and elves across the nation, leading her and King Alistair to agree that it would be best if she were to leave and let things cool down. Kallian sailed for Antiva to reunite with Zevran and help him finish exacting his revenge on the Crows.

For the next few years, they waged a campaign so bloody and ruthless, two Talons accepted bribes and joined their efforts rather than meet their ends at the hands of the Wraith and her Shadow. It was only as a united front that the other surviving five Talons were able to lay a trap and discover Zevran as the culprit behind the deaths of four guildmasters. For the sake of the daughter that had been born to them against all odds, Kallian fled to Rivain to raise their child in relative safety while Zevran led his pursuers south to the Free Marches. There he took part in the battle against Meredith, supporting the Champion's fight to see the mages in Kirkwall freed from Templar cruelty. Shortly thereafter, he made plans to reunite with Kallian, and their family lived well in Rivain until the effects of the mage rebellion reached them.

After the destruction of the Dairsmuid Circle - and with the matter of her eventual Calling weighing heavier on their minds - Zevran and Kallian agreed to take their daughter with them on a search for any leads that might be found. This, naturally, led to them teaching her the art of fighting with daggers, and from there led to Leilani developing a fascination with the Crows. When they received word of an ancient magister that can produce a false Calling, though they found themselves outside of Corypheus' influence, Kallian and Zevran reluctantly discussed bringing their daughter to train under the protection of one of the Houses that showed the most promise for continuing reform. Eventually - and not without threats of things worse than death should Leilani come to harm under the Fifth Talon's watch - they reached an agreement with House de Riva and Leilani began her path to becoming a full Crow.

Of course, when the daughter of a woman who had once murdered a nobleman on her wedding day and the Crows' biggest embarrassment met with a new authority figure, she chafed. Despite the cautions of her parents and the head of House de Riva, Leilani pushed her luck a step too far shortly after achieving her goal. With little choice but to take Varric up on his offer to get her out of Antiva, Leilani fell headlong into her own adventure.

Kallian is forty by the time of Veilguard. Her daughter has been roped into a hunt for supposed elven gods, her every lead on the Calling has been exhausted and with her time running short, she has returned to her position beside Zevran as the shadow leaders running the Crows and making sure their reforms have stuck. With two Blighted self-proclaimed gods running around, her condition varies by the day. But if and when the day comes that the Crows need her blade, not even Zevran will be able to talk her out of protecting the city that Leilani loves.

-0-0-0-

Please do not trace my art, repost it, or use it as a base.

Like what you see? You can find my commission prices here!

[eclipsecrowned]

i do find it interesting how neutral alignments play out w my pcs in baldy gate.

sybelle is a neutral good, bouncy cheerful kindhearted good, but neutral means she will be an out and out bitch to villains who are far removed from her own sense of moral right and wrong. see the not-quite-a-jokes about how she'd cast 'endometriosis' on m*zora, and also alluding to in a d*rge romance she'd be trading some downright low blows with their ex in a bid to assert dominance. there's also the way she's willing to shift allegiance with the wind, announcing to the organization she's been to loyal to since literal childhood that she's leaving them behind to pursue marriage with a duke's son and to train under the former chosen of their goddess... via letter delivered some months after the crisis is at an end.

hel is neutral. a general do-gooder, but not afraid to kick some when they are down (m*yrina and the staff) if it serves a higher aim, to go just crazy stupid (largely in act 1, ethel, the grave-robbers, etc.) on those who cross her own sense of morality... but also to consider other perspectives and even empathize with villains (k*theric and g*rtash particularly due to some narrative overlap/mirroring.) plus she's k*lemvor's favorite problem child, not totally law-abiding but not actively spiteful, so i wonder if she's a true neutral all the way around. the point is she acts with discretion, not as part of an overarching attempt to be better or worse. peace and love on toril, but sometimes a bitch simply must guiding bolt a knave's metatarsals to make a point.

aurelia is neutral, has no strong stances beyond 'balance,' and endgames with one of the evil-aligned companions. that says something. pragmatic. clear-sighted. efficient. her upbringing within a grove definitely made her a 'bigger picture' person who isn't interested in being polite or heterosexual, and is willing to see all perspectives before acting for what best serves papa s*lvanus' edicts about preservation and balance in a majority of cases. make no mistake. she can be petty. she's the woman with +5 approval when the player is an amusing dick. but she's not any more evil than she is good -- only mean. she's probably actually a crash course in how good, evil, and neutral do not immediately tailor how a person acts socially.

valas is neutral, in the sense of total apathy. he's old, he's lonely, he's being hunted for sport, and he's lost too many people to really give much of a damn about the world anymore. heroes rise and fall and fight and win and lose and the world carries on its merry way, with or without him. he's main character coded except that he cannot muster a single shit. it takes being found familied by the companions and my other tavs before he starts being an active participant in the world again. and even then, that's not necessarily a good development. he has people to protect now, who he wants to see survive and remain at his side -- and he's willing to be underhanded and brutal to get there when nobility and righteousness won't cut it.

and then there is miruna. born to serve, forced into a brutal role by divine blood, not so much herself as a physical configuration of her father's desires and power. she loathes it to her core. what she wants is choice, to wield the knife and understand intimately that the choice to bury it in sheathe or flesh is hers alone. she does not despise the urge for the blood it demands, but that it robs her of control. her life should be her own. she lives, and that life is hers, and so should every bloody inch of it be. in her own mind, she cannot starve out what she is, but she can cut her strings and practice discretion, decide whose life she weighs as only a stepping stone to her own ascension, no more feeding offal to the altar of her father. hail herself.

[siarven]

👁️ Cireon: Goddess of Manipulation & Chaos (Ellariel profiles 4/4)

she/her | neutral evil | Pair-partner to Mikaën | Natah; Ascended

1. seems and acts insane on the first, second and third glance ... but she really isn’t.

2. casuistry

(n.) deceptive or excessively subtle reasoning

3. All that blood looks good on you. It really brings out your eyes.

Cireon, like Mikaën, is a Sixth Generation Ellariel – the first Generation after the Split; the first Generation that was born into their faction alignment.

Ellariel are non-human, non-physical entities that create themselves from (some) of the (usually similar) memories of deceased earlier generation Ellariel.

Cireon pulled herself together from a collection of memories originating mostly from the 4th and 5th Generation... to be specific: Cireon is fuelled by an infinite rage and need for revenge because, at her very core, she was created from the most painful memories of Ellariel who’d died as a direct result of humanity’s abuse of the First Pact between them and humans--the pact the Ellariel subsequently broke. The pact that fuelled their decision to Split into Nanaël and Natah so that every human would be bound by two opposing Ellariel instead of just one.

Cireon’s rage and need for revenge at humans and at the Split and at the consequences of the Broken Pact are her core.

She’s extremely good at deceiving herself and others into believing that this isn’t the case, but, well, Ellariel are only vaguely human-passing in both shape and being. Combined with her powers, she’s someone who essentially knows exactly what to do and who to influence to get what she wants, who uses chaos to her advantage as the only one who’s in constant control of the situation. And all she wants are 2 things: to regain the level of power past Ellariel had (= leading to her Ascension), and her need for revenge (=which then lead to her causing the past Apocalypse, and subsequently being sealed away by the other Ellariel).

And then there is also Mikaën. Sweet, gentle Mikaën, who fell for her so easily... who she fell for as well, even if she will never admit it to anyone, including herself. Who still turned his back on her, even if they both knew that she was right. Whom she scorns for his “weakness”; who wasn’t grateful for the power boost he got when her Ascension pulled him up as well, to maintain the Balance of the pair-partner system.

And as much as she despises Mikaën, maybe, deep, deep down, she still cares?

Ben is the first child Mikaën has Bonded in centuries because he did not want to provide Cireon with a tool as powerful as a human child. Until he caved into Amber’s request to save Ben. Unfortunately for Ben and Mik and basically everyone else, Cireon does indeed have Plans. And contingencies; and contingencies for the contingencies. :)

In a really unsurprising turn of events, Cireon is indeed the main antagonist of both Dream’s Shadow and its sequels! Unfortunately for everyone (since Ellariel can shapeshift to a degree) she usually doesn’t look so obviously evil :D

 Dream’s Shadow: WIP Page | WIP Powerpoint | Ellariel Profiles

Ellariel are vaguely humanoid basically immortal entities with certain shape-shifting abilities from a non-physical realm adjacent to the physical realm. They are directly connected to the Essence, which both sustains and gives them the basis of their (magical) abilities. Ellariel can’t influence the physical world directly by themselves, so they bond humans who can then channel the Essence, using them as a conduit. Every human is bonded to two Ellariel, who are in turn Bonded to each other: one of the Natah order (destruction) and one of the Nanaël order (creation).

Mikaën and Cireon are lesser Gods when compared to Eiwara and Shama’an, the original (ascended) Gods of Aelaris. Thus, any Ellariel is either Nanaël or Natah, and either Chaos or Order.

♡ You can find out more about them and the worldbuilding on the WIP page! ♡

[p0orbaby]

Hiya!! I was wondering if I could request a romanoff yn, based around Mother dearest, in that nat gets a call from the school that yn was involved in a fight and nat blames wanda cause since they met she's been a bad influence, so when she gets there she's shocked to see her baby in tears, with barely any injuries, and maybe some of her clothes with rips while wanda has loads (black eye/bloody nose and lip, sprained wrist etc) and it turns out some ppl were bullying yn and she tried to defend herself but there were too many and maybe they were gonna do something horrible but before they could wanda got there and fought them off getting hurt in the process.

And it changes nats views on wanda a lot, especially when she sees a different side of wanda (aka her true side) than the one she's known more of. And maybe nat asks yn to give them some time to talk and she asks why she did all this and wanda admits she's in love with yn and has been too afraid of asking yn out because she knew nat wouldn't approve, and nats like.. well after this you def have and she gives wanda the mum talk before she bring yn over to say wanda has something to ask you ☺

Sorry if this is so long or too specific, I've had this idea since mother dearest, please and thank you and let me know what you think :D

Don’t Hurt Her

Summary - After Natasha gets a call to say you’ve been in a fight, she presumes Wanda is to blame. Yet she changes her tune when a confession is made.

Warnings - Language, Mentions of Injury, Bullying

Authors note - Really liked this request! I’m excited to develop Wanda and readers relationship further!

Word count - 1.3k

Navigation

Ever since you were little, Natasha noticed you had fire. You weren’t reckless by any means but you didn’t take shit from anybody. You knew how to stand up for yourself and for others when need be. But you were never aggressive. So when Natasha got a call saying you had gotten into a fight, she was surprised to say the least. Well, that was until she found out Wanda was also involved.

You had become friends with Wanda Maximoff when she moved to the school a year ago, and ever since then you had started to go off track. Your grades had dropped. You went out drinking a lot and your overall attitude had become intolerable. Wanda was a bad influence on you and Natasha had finally had enough.

Natasha had to squeeze the steering wheel of her car to stop her from getting too angry before she heard the full story. Yet her slamming the door in the car park of the school, securing her glares from the faculty who lingered around the area just showed she hadn’t done a very good job at maintaining her composure.

She had been to the head’s office before so she knew the way. Marching through the corridors seemed to become a regular occurance for her of late. Apparently the warning of suspension had not deterred you from getting into more trouble.

Finally reaching the door to the office, she prepared herself to give you a piece of her mind. She never liked to shout at you but this was taking it a step too far. She never brought you up this way.

However upon opening the door and seeing you tear stained cheeks, it was very hard to stay mad at you.

Her not so little girl looked tiny in the big office chair. You had your knees up to your chin and red rimmed eyes from tears. You also didn’t have a scratch on you, and from Natasha’s experience that could only mean one thing. The other party must be sporting injuries.

“Thank you for joining us Miss Romanoff, sorry to interrupt your day” the head addressed as he stood from his chair, reaching to shake Natasha’s hand.

“It’s not a problem” she replied, giving you a glare as she sat down in the chair next to you.

“As I told you on the phone, Y/N got into a fight at lunchtime and we wanted to bring you in to discuss repercussions”

“Of course, anything that will help, I’m all ears”

“I also wanted to apologise for our lack of knowledge about the hard time your daughter was having at this school. We will be having staff seminars to educate ourselves on how to spot the signs of bullying more adequately”

“I’m sorry, did you say bullying? Y/N I swear to God if you’re bulling people you will not live to see your next birthday”

“No Miss, it’s Y/N that’s getting bullied. Sorry if I was unclear, but other students have not been particularly nice to your daughter. As I said we are going to-“

A knock on the door interrupted him. Both you and your mother turned around to see the school nurse escorting Wanda into the room.

“Sorry we’re late, Miss Maximoff had more injuries than originally anticipated. The paramedics said she should be feeling better after the painkillers kick in”

“Not a problem, Wanda take a seat and we can begin”

Wanda had an obvious limp as she made her way to the only empty chair left in the office. She sucked in a breath, wincing as she sat down.

Natasha noticed that you looked over to her, eyes meeting hers in silent communication.

“Y/N” Natasha started. “I thought you and Wanda were friends, why are you getting in fights bad enough to give her a bloody lip and a black eye? And Wanda I’m very sorry for your injuries but my daughter has changed since she has been friends with you. This last year she has been-“

“Stop! God mum, why are you being so rude? If you’d just listen you’d find out what’s actually going on. This was none of Wanda’s fault, if anything she stopped all this shit!”

“Y/N, watch your language please. I know today has been hard but-“

“Oh today’s been hard? What about all the other days where the school hasn’t done anything to help me huh? If it wasn’t for you lot not doing anything, Wanda wouldn’t have to have taken a hit for me”

“She did what?” Natasha was stunned.

“Wanda fought off the group of people that have been bullying me for the past eight months. So no, it wasn’t Wanda that was making me act up, it was those twats and they deserved everything they got” you stood up then, storming out of the room. The blood pumping so hard in your ears you didn’t even hear your mother calling after you.

“Can we have a moment?” Natasha asked the head after a beat.

“Of course, take all the time you need”

-

You could cut the tension with a knife. It wasn’t often that Natasha felt ashamed, yet this situation made her feel just that.

“I’m sorry” she whispered, having to break the silence at some point.

“It’s fine,” Wanda replied, almost as quiet as Natasha.

“It’s not, I blamed you for everything going on without proof it was you. I shouldn’t have done it”

“I would never hurt her. I tried to convince her to talk to you about it but she didn’t want to listen. I’m sorry it got this bad”

“It’s not your fault Wanda, please don’t blame yourself for this. I’m just grateful she has someone looking out for her”

There was silence again. This time it wasn’t filled with tension, but with relief. An understanding between the pair that they had made a truce.

“I don’t know if this is the right time” Wanda started, “but I wanted to ask you something”

“yes of course, anything”

“I was wondering, it’ll it’s alright with you of course, if I’m able to ask Y/N to be my girlfriend?”

The question was unexpected. Not something Natasha would have presumed would come out of the teens mouth under the current circumstances. Yet she couldn’t help but smile.

“I can see you like her very much after what you did today to protect her. Not everyone would risk getting hurt for someone, I would know”

“She’s not just my best friend, it’s stupid but I think she’s the one. I know I’m only sixteen but I can’t shake the feeling that she’s my other half” Wanda’s eyes were glistening. Natasha couldn’t tell if it was from tears of joy or pain from her injuries. Perhaps both.

“You have my blessing if that’s what you’re searching for. After today you’ve shown me you’re more than I thought you were. Judging a book by its cover always fairs negatively, and today has proved that”

“Thank you Miss Romanoff, I’ll treat her good, if she’ll have me”

“I’m sure she will. Now go find her, I’m sure she’s waiting for you”

Natasha followed Wanda out of the office after a timid hug, not wanting to cause Wanda anymore pain.

“Everything okay Miss Romanoff?” The head asked as he stood up from one of the chairs outside his office.

“Yes, for now. I want to have a meeting with the parents of the students bullying Y/N”

“That can definitely be arranged”

“Oh and also, don’t punish Wanda, she’s smart so she knows what she’s doing, don’t punish her to sticking up for her friend”

There was a time when Natasha shuddered at the thought of you growing up and becoming an adult. Today just confirmed that the world was a terrible place. But with Wanda by your side, she knew you’d both face all the hurdles head on. No matter how grown up you get, you’d always be her little girl.

Taglist

@jromanoff @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @diaryoflife @xxromanoffxx @strangegardentaco

[cosette141]

In Hindsight | OUAT fanfic (oneshot)

Fandom: Once Upon A Time

Pairing: Captain Swan (and Captain Charming bromance/friendship)

Author: cosette141

Words: 1k

Summary: (tag to s3 CS movie) "I'm not sure her parents approve of me." "Given the lengths you've gone to save her, they'd be crazy not to." "I hope you remember that." After Killian and Emma's adventure, David does remember the conversation he and Killian had around the fire, and David has something to add to it. CS/Captain Charming

AO3

a/n: takes place right after the "you traded your ship for me" kiss :) Also I'm still working on the next Lost and Found chapter I promise <3

"I remember it, you know."

Killian was startled out of his thoughts—daze, really—where he was in the far corner of Granny's diner, alone at the end of the bar. Emma had given into her feelings and kissed him outside only moments ago, something he was still reeling from.

They'd been inside for a while, but she'd just gotten up to check on Henry and her new brother in the booth across the crowded room.

But it wasn't Emma who'd spoken, it was David, who pulled out a stool and sat next to him, looking at him like they were already in the middle of a conversation.

"Sorry?" managed Killian, finding the semblance of his voice, sitting up. "You remember what?"

"Meeting Prince Charles and Princess Leia... y'know, you and Emma." said David with a grin, like the names were amusing to him.

Killian felt himself tense; for some reason, it hadn't actually occured to him that Emma would tell them. "You do?" he managed.

With a grin, David said, "Meeting my True Love by helping a prince save his thieving princess from the Queen's castle?" asked David. "Something like that is a little hard to forget."

Killian cracked a smile. "Aye, when you put it like that."

"It's hazy," admitted David, leaning back, and Killian felt himself relax a little. "But I remember Prince Charles," said David. With a crease in his brow— "Didn't you insult the mutton?"

Killian felt a smirk erase his discomfort. "Tad overcooked."

"Right," said David with an amused nod. "I liked Prince Charles," said David. Looking at Killian, he said, "You know, Snow and I invited you and 'Leia' to our wedding. It was thanks to you both that we got together, after all."

Killian's brows raised. Never has he ever been thought of in such a way. The pirate's life certainly prevented royal invitations and he wasn't a huge fan of the affairs but the idea of being thought of was something… touching.

"I can't believe it was you I was talking to," said David, shaking his head in disbelief. "I bonded with Captain Hook over the problems with my engagement," he said with a laugh. 

"I'm not so sure her parents approve of me."

"Given the lengths you've gone to save her… they'd be crazy not to."

"I hope you remember that."

Suddenly, Killian was uncomfortable. He'd been more than vulnerable when he'd talked to past-David; he thought it wouldn't ever matter. He'd never have been as open with the version of David he knew.

How much did he remember?

Bloody hell.

"Our conversation that night?" prompted Killian cautiously, trying to appear casual. "You remember it from all those years ago?"

"Bits and pieces," said David. "You asked me something about how I didn't look like I was happy with my engagement?" said David, brows kneaded like he was trying to remember. "I don't know; it was a really long time ago. For me, at least," he added.

Killian felt himself breathe out in relief.

He didn't remember.

"Aye," said Killian, relaxing. "Something like that."

David hesitated a moment before saying, "I wanted to thank you."

"For what?" asked Killian.

"For what?" echoed David with surprise. "For jumping in that portal after Emma when you didn't have to," clarified David. "For protecting her when I couldn't—or when I didn't know I was supposed to."

Killian felt a little heat creep up the back of his neck, the gratitude feeling uncomfortable. "Of course," he managed, taking a swig of the rum from his glass, thankful it was there. David stood, and Killian felt himself nearly sigh with relief, suddenly thinking that life was easier when the prince was yelling at him.

David turned to go back to his wife, when he said, "Oh, one more thing."

"Hm?" Killian forced a grin.

A tiny, knowing smile quirked the corner of David's lips. "We would be crazy not to."

Killian choked on the rum.

"Given the lengths you've gone to save her, they'd be crazy not to."

Killian stared at David in utter shock.

David just grinned at his reaction.

He bloody remembered.

With a sigh, David said, "I meant what I said to you that night, Hook," he said seriously. "I walked away from Prince Charles thinking that he was the most stand-up guy I'd ever met." Killian stared in shock. "We would be crazy to not see just how devoted you are to Emma." With a softer smile, something Killian has never gotten from David before, he said, "Thank you for… going to the end of the world for her." A little, meaningful smirk. "And time."

Killian forgot how to breathe.

"It's obviously up to Emma, whatever you and she become," said David. "But… I approve of you, Killian." With a look toward the booth where Snow was sitting, who'd looked up, gaze on both men, David said, "We both do."

Killian.

He bloody called him by his name.

Killian could hardly find his voice. He managed a nod, his voice stuck somewhere in his chest.

But his shock seemed to only make David's approval solidify, with another quirked grin at the man's lips.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Emma, walking back over and sitting next to Killian.

Killian swallowed and David told Emma, "Just catching up with my old friend, Prince Charles." David shot another look to Killian before leaving them to find Snow and the baby again.

Emma intertwined her fingers with Killian, smiling at him with something he's never seen her direct at him before tonight. Something that looked like the sun after weeks of cloud and rain, like a shine that had always been there but had finally broken free.

Emma.

He had Emma.

And the approval of her parents.

He felt a smile at his lips, something foreign tickling his chest. Something he never thought he'd feel again.

And it was happiness.

tag list: @kmomof4 @klynn-stormz @stahlop @ilovemesomekillianjones @hookmecaptain @tiganasummertree @jonesfandomfanatic @anmylica @pirateprincessofpizza @snowbellewells @eddisfargo @motherkatereloyshipper @sotangledupinit

[touyasdoll]

Early Established Relationship Shouta & Reader, but they haven’t talked about having kids yet and Reader just found out she’s pregnant. She’s worked herself up in anxiety over how Shouta will take it. This is not helped by him coming home from teaching, having had a hellish day and grumbling about “problem children” and thankful that he only has to deal with kids for a few hours.

Hearing that, Reader just… hides everything. There’s ice in her chest as she tidies up the bathroom, takes out the trash, washes up to start on dinner just. Mind blank, but her usual smile on her face (well honed practice from years of mistreatment due to having an ‘unacceptable’ quirk) as she tells him to go clean up. She’ll make a fast dinner so he can sleep and then wake him later for patrol. He’s too tired to notice anything off, thanks her with a loving smile, the soft ones only she gets, as he goes and showers, changes for a meal and a nap with his favourite girl.

And that’s how it goes. Day in, day out, feeling sick is just a bug, just extreme reaction to allergies, just bad food, etc. She kind of disassociates a lot, mind unable to process as somewhere in there she’s coming up with a plan. Obviously he won’t want to be with her, right? She should cherish these days before she starts to show. So she does.

For about two days, no matter what he says about kids he’s run into or his class — though a small voice tries to remind her that Shouta is excellent with kids, even the ones that act out and he doesn’t hate them no matter what he acts like, she knows this, but it’s drowned out by the words she’s heard him say while tired and grumpy — she cherishes the fuck out of spending more time with him. A little needy, maybe a lot, but she loves him with everything she has to give. Everything but what she keeps held back for their her child.

And then one morning Reader wakes up, showers and notices a slight bump that she knows won’t be going down. There’s ice in her chest again, but she can’t have the same reaction as last time. It won’t be good for the baby, especially if she disassociates. So she plans out her week carefully; makes a grocery list so she can make all of his favourites, makes a list of what she needs to stock up on for herself, what she can pack quickly and sensibly, looks up apartment listings so Shouta won’t feel caged or that he has to leave because it’s his apartment after all, budgets her upcoming checks and what she has in her accounts.

But she gets careless, tires out far too early, doesn’t even make it to lunch, and leaves an apartment listing ad and pregnancy clinic check-up assessment on the table as she unintentionally drifts off on the couch. (Her iron levels are a little on the low side.) On the school’s half-day, where Shouta only needed to go in for meetings and would be back by lunch. Her stealthy as fuck boyfriend, who she never hears come in, but certainly sees her wearing one of his shirts and having fallen asleep in the middle of…..something. It doesn’t look like one of the analysis notebooks she uses for her freelance job as an analyst. Huh.

He’s curious, nosy maybe, but that’s a hero trait. You would’ve made good hero, if everyone hadn’t made it nigh impossible for you before you broke away from your past and headfirst into analysis. You aren’t bitter, but he can be so enough for both of you. You deserve the best, in his eyes, but he’s selfish so he’s going to keep you for himself. Now if he just steps closer to get a look at what’s on the table…..

  

  

Hey so I made myself go full on fucking ugly crying and decided to share for anyone’s thoughts or added writing contributions. :D

All I can think of to add is that:

Shouta is not letting Reader get away from him, from this misunderstanding no matter how he has to do it. (He’ll probably start by shredding that apartment add with his bare hands, though.)

Shouta feels like the biggest fucking idiot for missing all the signs and not taking better care of you like you deserved, kid or no kid behind it all. (TBH you’ve been carrying their family — not that either of you have said it but that’s what you have — since you moved in. If it was left up to him the entire building would’ve somehow collapsed.)

He’s gonna add some more bitterness to the “my girlfriend could’ve been a heroine but people are assholes” fund because she managed to hide a whole ass pregnancy from him completely for who knows how long while other Pros can’t even hide their favourite colours. (Most can’t even hide their lack of genuine civilian safety oriented tactical knowledge, which is just sad, in his opinion. Then again, he is very judgmental of other heroes abilities.)

He may or may not quickly realize why Reader hid the news. And may or may not feel even worse. Because having a kid with you? That’s a dream he didn’t want to let himself have, not yet. Not until after he proposed and settled into his teaching job more, at least. (Better find a ring soon. Even if it’s a Studio Ghibli’s Catbus themed one — it’ll do.)

💜

Oh God. Oh God, wait. Option 2 though, right? My brain wants more angst, go figure.

Ahahah this gets a little sad, sorry. But my contribution is under the cut ❤️‍🩹

Warnings: panic attack, mental breakdown, pregnancy, medical

What if his initial reaction is to be angry? Like he’s reading it just as you’re waking up and you gasp, trying to explain, but he’s already raising his voice, demanding to know how you could have kept something like this from him for so long?

He’s not even upset with you. He’s really just upset that he didn’t even notice. Like you said, he feels like a fucking idiot. He wanted to be there for you through all of this. He wanted all the cute cheesy pregnancy bliss that other couple go through. The first appointment. First sonogram. Telling your friends and family together.

And you’re looking for another apartment? For all of you? No, the place is already plenty big enough. Were you going to leave? He’s beating himself bloody inside, cursing himself for not being more attentive to you. You could have slipped right through his fingers. You and that little miracle inside of you that he already feels so attached to.

And he’s just so disappointed with himself that he misplaces those intense emotions and lashes out at you. He’s never once raised his voice to you, but he can’t control himself in his state and he does. He starts barking about why you never told him, demanding to know why you didn’t come to him, pressing you about how long and why and where you were going to go and he just gets so worked up that he doesn’t even know what he’s saying, he’s just screaming and there’s hot tears and he can’t breathe anymore. He’s having a panic attack for the first time in who knows how many years and he just keeps kicking himself, because now after all that, you’re looking at him with concern and tending to his needs once again, instead of him having the strength to be there for you in what is obviously your time of need. He feels selfish and stupid and starts wondering if maybe why you didn’t say anything is because you were really going to leave, because you know that he can’t even properly take care of you, let alone a child.

[the-insomniac-emporium]

RE8 Ladies + S/o with chronic pain HCs

Type/cause of chronic pain is kept ambiguous, but some of the hcs might seem geared towards migraines, since that's the main thing that I personally struggle with (and these are very definitely comfort hcs). Features Alcina, Bela, Cassandra, Daniela, Donna, Mother Miranda, and as a 'lil bonus Ava. Not particularly long, but the combined length of every character is enough to be put under a read-more (About 2,500 words in total).

Alcina:

It’s difficult for her to know that you are suffering, but be unable to deal directly with the source of the problem. Chasing off unwanted nuisances or hunting down threats to the castle was one thing, trying to solve complicated medical issues was another thing entirely. If only she could tear your condition asunder without tearing you asunder.

That being said, she’ll still support you endlessly, however she can. It doesn’t matter how expensive or hard-to-access possible treatments are. If there’s something you haven’t tried, and are interested in trying, she’ll find a way for you to get it.

The biggest, and arguably most helpful, thing that she does is set up a space for you within her office. She spends quite a lot of time there for her family’s business, but doesn’t want to leave you alone on bad days. So this was her idea of a nice compromise.

There’s a very comfortable sofa that folds out, a cabinet filled with the softest blankets, and several pillows of a few different sizes. Servants are instructed not to interrupt Alcina’s work without good reason, but she has a couple who ensure your snack cabinet is always well stocked.

If there are certain environmental factors to your condition, such as sensitivity to light and sound, she does her best to reduce their effects. Lights remain dimmed (or she’ll rely on candlelight), her music will be kept quiet enough to be soothing, and she’ll refrain from taking any calls while you are with her.

Bela:

To think that Daniela once tried to claim that Bela would “never need to know any of that (medical) stuff”! Sure, there haven’t been many people who have needed (and received) treatment from her, but that didn’t mean the skill was useless. Admittedly, she doesn’t know enough to replace one of your doctors, or try to create her own version of a cure, though no one really expected that much from her.

Still, she knows enough to help soothe your pain. Obviously there are different techniques for different kinds of pain, and she does research before trying anything specific. Bela’s also aware that you’ve been dealing with this for far longer than she has, meaning that you probably wouldn’t be pleased if she came in, acted like an expert, or assumed that you hadn’t really thought about the most popular remedies. So she’s tactful with how she approaches things, always checking if you’re familiar with a subject before she tries to explain anything.

Bela ends up surprising you with a lesser-known skill of hers: Massage. Studying anatomy has given her a decent idea of the body’s more sensitive spots, and the rest she’s figured out through her own, ahem, experiences. Regardless of where you’re in pain, your girlfriend can help reduce your suffering. Okay, well, if your pain is more internal than external, it’s a bit harder for her, but she can still help you relax.

One of her favorite things to do after giving you a massage is to just pull you in close for some cuddling. Preferably you’ll be in her lap, with her arms around your waist, her chin tucked on top of your shoulder. Then she’ll do her best to whisper you praises, reminding you how strong you are, and that she’s incredibly proud of you.

Cassandra:

She’s, uh, not great at this. At least not at first. Maybe she’ll never be more than good at it, though. But she’s definitely trying! And learning! By Jove, that’s something, right?

First things first, she’s always ready to try to distract you, primarily through kisses and gentle touches. Fingers softly trailing over your skin, lips tickling your neck, featherlight in all the right places… It’s not inherently sexual (though it can quickly go that route if you ask), just intimate. It’s harder for your brain to process pain when you’re also processing pleasure, so there is some science behind Cassandra’s methods, even if she herself isn’t entirely aware of that.

While she’s not great with words, there are certain things that she manages to articulate well enough. For one, she makes sure you know that you aren’t a burden. Taking care of you- no, helping you take care of yourself- is a labor of love, if a labor at all. More than that, she knows full well that you probably don’t like feeling pitied, or coddled. That, over time, being sick ends up being beyond frustrating. She never wants you to feel like your condition defines you, or like it puts any strain on your relationship.

That said, she’ll avoid telling her family any specifics unless you do first, and ensures that the staff know how to accommodate you (without telling them why, because it’s none of their fucking business, and she’s their boss, and for fuck’s sake it’s their job to do what she tells them. Maybe she gets a lil bit overzealous with it). At no point will she ever complain about helping you, or otherwise indicate that your needs are “troublesome”.

At the end of the day, the best comfort she brings you is her presence, simply being near you, endlessly loyal, tireless in her affections. Especially considering she gets clingier the worse your symptoms get.

Daniela:

Hope you enjoy cuddling. Seriously. There’s nothing Daniela loves more than curling up with you, and that goes double for bad pain days. Some adjustments will be made position-wise if you need, but she’ll still hold you as close as possible, for as long as you need. Although she might eventually fall asleep (because damn are you comfy), she’ll play with your hair or run her fingers along your scalp until she eventually dozes off.

If you want a little more from her than light snoring, or if she feels like going above and beyond, or honestly just if she’s thinking about how much she loves you (so all the effing time), she’ll do something she’s always loved in movies/books: Reading to you! She’ll pick special books that neither of you have read before, so you can experience them together on your sick(er) days. Which does, of course, mean that it might take months to finish even a single one. Surprisingly, Daniela won’t even briefly consider reading any without you. Even if the plot is really good.

But, uh, if you wanted her to read to you on a day where you aren’t bedridden? Hell yes, my friend, she’s absolutely down for that!

On days where she’s too busy to spend hours upon hours in bed with you, or days where her ADHD is just particularly bad, she tries her best to leave you with a “substitute”. AKA a massive fucking teddy bear, in a reddish brown color, with a green bowtie. Custom ordered (The Duke did not dare tease her for it). There’s a heart stitched onto the stuffed animal’s chest, which features your first initial alongside a D for Daniela.

Additionally, she has a blanket she only brings out for you, which she periodically sprays with her favorite perfume. That way you can hold it close when she’s not around, as if you were cuddling her. For her sake, though, don’t hold the teddy bear or blanket too tightly when she is around. Homegirl here will get jealous of inanimate objects, even ones that she gave you.

Donna:

“I think I have a tea for this…” Damn right she has a tea for this. Donna has a massive garden, with dozens if not hundreds of different plants, including a variety of herbs/spices. At least one of them has to be a little helpful for you. Whether it relieves pain, helps you nap off some of your misery, or just distracts you by tasting bloody-well delicious! Besides, few things make you feel quite as loved as holding a cup of freshly brewed tea in your hands, knowing your lover made it just for you. Like a hug in a mug, it is!

Similarly to Alcina, Donna will also try to create a comfortable space for you, but isn’t likely to put it downstairs with her workshop. Instead she’ll let you take over one of the larger guest rooms, customizing it to suit your specific needs. There will be some easy to care for plants for decoration (ones that won’t mind potentially missing out on natural sunlight), a couple relaxing paintings, and a shelf near the bed with things to help you pass the time, mainly books.

Furthermore, she’ll do her best to keep you company as often as possible. She’s naturally a fairly quiet person, so you won’t have to worry about sound if that’s something you’re sensitive to. While she prefers using a sewing machine, she’ll do things by hand while you’re in pain, just to reduce the chances of you getting irritated by the sound.

Speaking of potentially irritating sounds… by god can Angie be difficult to be around when you’re ill. Thankfully, Donna is perfectly understanding of this, and, as the only person Angie ever listens to, makes sure to give the doll a stern talking to about your health. To your immense surprise, it actually works. You’re not exactly sure what was said, but Angie certainly becomes a lot more compensating afterwards. She’ll keep her antics to herself, and usually even on another side of the house from where you rest, but only for as long as you’re tucked away in your room. As soon as you set foot outside, her restraints are metaphorically removed. All hell breaks loose (as is her universe-given right as the physical embodiment of both Chaos and Entropy).

Mother Miranda:

If the two of you weren’t lovers, there’s a decent chance you would completely misinterpret her actions. She might come off as irritated, like she has bigger concerns than your health, you fragile little human. After all, she is a goddess (well, practically). But the truth is that she’s aching inside every time you have a bad pain day, knowing that (for once) she cannot cure your ailment. Maybe if she had infinite subjects with the same condition as you…

But, at the end of the day, that’s the problem. There’s only one of you. One of her beloved, her little human darling, so dangerously fragile in comparison to the scale she works on. Even with all the time in the world, which she most certainly has, she cannot cure you without taking incredible risks. With your life at stake… It is a gamble she refuses to take. You are hers, and while she hates to see you suffer, the truth is that she’ll always be selfish enough to let you endure on your own.

That doesn’t mean she doesn’t help, though, just that she doesn't do a full-out experiment on you. Instead, she keeps notes. She’ll track your activities, bedtimes/when you get up, dietary habits, when you have pain, what you do to treat said pain, how effective the treatments are, etc, etc. All of this can be very useful in establishing patterns (a skill she’s gotten very good at, in her many decades of being a scientist), which can in turn lead to less pain days.

(For example, many people with migraines find that certain foods seem to trigger a migraine, or at least increase the chances of getting one. Though admittedly they don’t always end up cutting the food out of their diet. I mean, come on, you want me to give up chocolate? You want me to drink normal milk, like an adult? Kidding, kidding, I don’t have any food triggers. Nor do I particularly enjoy chocolate milk, nor do I dislike it.)

Moving on! While her work seemingly takes precedence over your condition, Miranda is not heartless, and she does do some things to lend you more direct comfort. Specifically, she tries to work in the same room as you when she can, normally while making electronic copies of physical documents, or while looking over the details of a finished experiment. She’s not always one for cuddling, so she won’t often get in bed with you during the daytime. But at night? Yes, fine, she will wrap her arms around you, maybe one of her wings too if you like how soft they are.

Just don’t think that she secretly loves every second. It’s not like she’ll spend half an hour whispering about how sweet and adorable you are as soon as you fall asleep, or anything like that. It’s twenty minutes at the most.

Bonus!Avaskian Caldwell:

“Oh, fuckin’ mood!” Followed by a solid thirty seconds of pure regret. Seriously, though, Ava has spent xer entire life (starting at age 10) dealing with chronic migraines. For a while xe also dealt with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), which meant lots of chest pain, but that (thankfully) faded as xe grew into an adult, as is fairly common with the condition. If anyone in Castle Dimitrescu understands unrelenting, unexplainable pain, it’s xer.

That being said… Ava never really managed xer chronic pain, at least not when xe was at xer worst. Xe had to drop out of school because of it. Hell, xe didn’t have a “real” job until xe was almost 23! Didn’t have a chance until things just calmed down for xer. So xe gets anxious whenever you talk about your health, worried that things are (or will at some point be) as bad for you as they were for xer. Other than that, though, you might initially think that xe doesn’t care, or didn’t understand the conversation.

Truth is, xe knows how absolutely fucking ANNOYING it can be to have to explain your health to every new person you meet (like the dozen different doctors you’ve met over the years, possibly every nurse who takes your pulse and thinks it’s a little bit high). So xe did a shit ton of research on your condition, in order to reduce how much you need to explain. Sure, xe will still have questions, and there are always aspects that only you can tell xer, but it’s a nice gesture.

As for helping you destress, xe’s pretty much a mix of Bela and Miranda. You’ll get plenty of massages (because Ava has learned from personal experience what sort of touches help with which sorts of pain), but also some scientific insight on any noticeable patterns. Lots of holding you close and telling you that you’re the coolest person in the world, and that Ava feels beyond lucky to have you.

[walviemort]

You Owe Me [5/6]

Tired of losing Lost Boys to Hook’s sword, Peter Pan decides that the pirate will be replacing the ones he took—the old-fashioned way: by growing (and birthing) them himself. As Killian grapples with these unexpected pregnancies, it will test not only his body and his endurance, but especially his heart. (Eventual Captain Swan)

An: We're almost to the end! If you were waiting for CS to show up, here we (finally) are! Hope you enjoy these last couple of chapters! And thank you again to @sancocnutclub​​​​ for the inspo :D

rated T / 3.7k / part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / AO3

The fact that Killian was even in Neverland again was traumatizing enough.

Worse was that he’d barely been there a day when he had to swordfight one of the boys he’d given birth to—Liam, who had somehow grown up some more in the decades he was away. 

(Of course, he hadn’t yet disclosed to his new compatriots that he’d borne six of the lads who were now chasing them across the island, and hoped he didn’t have to. Maybe Emma, someday, but not now. That he had a complicated history with Pan seemed to be enough to sate their desire to know why he wanted to spend as little time as possible in this accursed realm.)

But it’d be worth it if he could save Bae’s son from becoming as lost as he’d once been. Of all the guilt he bore, that weighed as heavily as the other boys he’d carried but couldn’t save from Pan’s grasp.  

And he certainly wasn’t complaining when Emma rose to his challenge—and then some—and kissed him within an inch of his life. Bloody hell, that was—well, if he was being truly candid with himself, life-changing. He’d been trying to fight the growing feelings he’d had toward her (ever since the beanstalk, honestly), but that was the point of no return. He was falling. And was more than patient enough to see if she truly reciprocated. 

Should have known that Pan would decide to come crashing through his barely-formed fantasies. 

“What, you think that kiss actually meant something?” he teased, after first coming to chastise him for not taking the deal he offered earlier. 

“I do,” Killian defended himself. “I think it means she's finally starting to see me for the man I am.”

“What?” Pan scoffed. “That you're a one-handed pirate with a drinking problem who’s given birth four times? I'm no grown-up, but I'm pretty sure that's less than appealing.”

“A man of honor,” he snapped back, capping his flask.

Pan stepped forward and crouched beneath him. “So tell me, what would a ‘man of honor’ such as yourself do if I revealed some information that might throw a wrench into that budding romance?”

Killian sighed. “Depends what it is.”

Pan smirked. “Baelfire. Neal. Whatever name he goes by these days. The guy Emma loves. Henry’s father. He’s alive.”

“He is?” His voice betrayed him at that—he sounded far more hopeful than he wanted Pan to know. He’d been understandably gutted at the news of Bae’s demise; it was why he was here, wasn’t he?

“That's not even the best part,” Pan went on. “He's in Neverland.”

“Where?” Those old instincts to protect the boy, even if he was a grown man now, came to the surface almost immediately. Killian may have done a piss-poor job in the past; the least he could do was make up for it now. 

“Oh, I’ll tell you, but you have to do something for me first.”

“I’m not killing anyone,” he quickly rebutted, the earlier offer of escape in exchange for David’s life still sour in his mouth. 

“No, no; I was thinking…the opposite.”

Killian blinked and tilted his head, confused as to where this was going. 

Pan went on. “You still owe me one more.”

“No,” he gasped. “How can I possibly still owe you?”

“Basic math, really: you killed seven of my boys, but have only given me six. Give me that last one, and I’ll tell you where Neal is.”

“Why should I trust a damn word you say?” Killian spat, then moved close enough to Pan to jab him in the chest. “After what you pulled with the map? How do we know you won’t move him again?”

“Neal means nothing to me—that’s why.”

Killian couldn’t argue that; Bae definitely was more important to him and the rest of the group. But—“I won’t stay here for nine months. I won’t do that to the others.”

Pan hummed. “That’s fair. How about…a day?”

Killian swallowed. It was a somewhat reasonable deal. He could probably manage to keep the others at bay that long, and Tink was around if he needed it. 

And if it meant actually saving one person from Pan’s grasp, then it was worth it. 

“Alight. I’ll do it.”

Pan gave a somewhat chilling grin. “Excellent.”

The boy then magically pulled a coconut off the nearest tree and tossed it at Killian, asking him to put a hole in it. He pierced it with his hook as asked, then handed it back. “So you’re going to spike this?”

“Aye, but this one will be a little different. More…special.”

Pan closed his eyes in concentration and twisted the index finger of his free hand in the air. His brow seemed to furrow in confusion, but then a tiny ball of light appeared at the tip of his finger, and he dropped it into the coconut. 

Then he did a similar beckoning motion at Killian that was quickly accompanied by the sensation of a pin prick in a rather sensitive area that had him instinctively covering his groin with his hand. “What the hell was that?”

Pan only smirked and added another bit of light to the coconut, then covered the hole and shook. “Ingredients. You do know how babies are made, right?”

Killian blushed a bit—but then became horror struck. “Wait—it’s mine? Have they all been?”

“No, no— they haven’t been; you were just the surrogate. But I ran out of those, so I had to improvise with what I had on hand,” he shrugged, then handed over the coconut, which was now glowing. 

Killian tentatively took it. “That wasn’t part of the deal,” he said. “How do you expect me to give up my own flesh and blood?”

“Emma did,” Pan tossed back. “I’m sure she could commiserate with you.” He winked, but Killian wasn’t a fan of his brand of matchmaking. 

He reluctantly brought it to his lips, but the last comment made him pause and ask— “Wait—who’s the mum?”

“One kid, one question,” Pan threw back. “You can ask me to answer that when this one comes out, or I can tell you where Neal is—your choice.”

Killian deflated. Bae was more important. “Cheers,” he said with a mock toast, and then drank the contents of the coconut. 

It tasted…well, like coconut water, but still left a bittersweet taste on his tongue. 

“See you in a day, then,” Pan farewelled, then disappeared. 

Killian took a long moment to himself, trying to come up with a plan. It would make the most sense to go back to the ship, or at least Tink’s place. But coming up with an explanation to the rest of the group—especially when Henry’s fate seemed to change from hour to hour—would be more difficult. 

He’d just have to hope they bought a simple lie—and that Emma didn’t see through it. 

He rested his hand over his still-small stomach. “Here we go, little one.”

He headed back toward the clearing where the rest of the group was gathered, but had only broken through the tree line when his stomach turned for the first time. Despite trying to hold it back, the contents quickly came back up—a few times. 

“Hey, you okay?” Emma was suddenly at his side, an arm wrapped around his shoulder and concern in her brow.

“M’fine,” he muttered, though he then retched again. 

“Seriously? Too much rum?” Regina shouted from the other side of the clearing. “Of all the times to overindulge,” she cursed. 

He shook his head. “It’s not that, your Majesty; but something seems to not be sitting well. I think—” He started to excuse himself, but gagged again. 

Tink came over. “Is this what I think it is?” It was a casual gesture, but he saw the question in the way she rested her hand on her stomach. 

He nodded.

“We can go to my place. Come on,” she beckoned, then started to move away and he rose to follow. 

“Wait—what the hell is going on?” Emma demanded. 

“Just a stomach illness,” he tried to assure her while holding his midsection. “They…pop up here from time to time. Just give me a day or so and I’ll be right as rain.”

Emma crossed her arms and leveled a glare at him; perhaps his hormones were already stirring, because he couldn’t help but feel turned on, even if he was the one her ire was directed at. “You’re lying. Remember what I said about trust? Try that again.”

She was right. He glanced at Tink, but she just gave him a noncommittal shrug that suggested she would follow his lead. “Alright, but you won’t believe me,” he started. 

“Try me.”

He took a deep breath, then started. “I’m p—” An ill-timed bout of nausea claimed him, making him gag again, but nothing was left to come up. He caught his breath again, then quickly said, “I’m pregnant.”

In the background, Regina shouted something along the lines of “She wanted the truth, idiot!” But he could tell Emma realized the veracity of his statement by the wide-eyed look that took over her face. 

“How the hell did that happen?”

He was about to explain when yet another wave of dizziness overtook him, making him nearly collapse. When he regained awareness a few seconds later, Tink and Snow (he was surprised to see) were supporting him. 

“How about he takes a seat, and then he can tell you about it?” Tink (thankfully) suggested. “I need some more details, too, honestly.”

The ladies helped him sit on one of the logs surrounding the fire and Snow handed over her waterskin, which he thanked her for. He took a sip and swished it around, washing the taste of bile from his mouth, before spitting that out and taking a longer drink. Then he began to explain the situation. “It was Pan. He…he’s making me do this because he claims I owe him. And with this one, in exchange, he’ll give me some information.”

“What kind of information?” Emma asked; she stood above him with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face.

He met Emma’s eyes and answered solemnly, “Where Bae is.”

“Neal?” she asked in a small voice.

“Aye,” he replied resolutely. “He’s alive, evidently, and Pan has him here on the island—somewhere.”

Emma didn’t physically recoil, but he could see her retreat within herself nonetheless. Were it not for his rolling nausea, he longed to comfort her, but until that passed, he was better off staying still.

“Why does Pan think you owe him?” David asked, while keeping an eye on his daughter.

Killian explained what Pan told him the first time around, then retched again.

“How many?” Snow queried.

“Seven, apparently,” Killian answered.

“You have to give him seven babies?” Regina exclaimed. “I’m not waiting around for that.”

Killian shook his head. “Just this one more,” he clarified, rubbing his now-sore stomach. “He’s already got the others.”

“You’ve had six babies?” Snow said, incredulous.

“Yeah,” he said, blinking back unexpected tears. “And he’s claimed all of them. And will this one, too, in about a day.”

David whistled; Emma and Snow winced.

“Don’t let me hold you up, though,” he went on. “I’ve done this before; I can get through one last one on my own. And Tink’s been there; she knows what to do. We’ll deal with this and then catch up with the rest of you tomorrow.”

“Like hell you will,” Emma scolded. He nearly jumped at the anger in her tone, but couldn’t say he was all that surprised.

He shouldn’t be shocked if that negated what had happened between them not even an hour earlier; if she no longer wanted his assistance at all.

“Do you honestly think we’d let you go through that on your own?” she went on. “You’re part of this team; you got us here in the first place. I’m still wrapping my head around it, but the least we can do is make sure you get through this okay.”

He was stunned; he hadn’t expected that kind of support. He glanced around, and the Charmings were nodding their agreement. Even Regina was at least not complaining anymore.

“You’d really do that?” He wasn’t entirely surprised at how watery his voice sounded.

Emma knelt in front of him. “Of course. Like it or not, you’re one of us now,” she confirmed with a gentle smile.

He had to restrain himself from kissing her again. He at least managed to return her grin before his stomach turned again.

There wasn’t much for them to do, considering he was still nearly a day away from anything exciting happening, but they all stayed close and made an effort to keep him hydrated and fed. He wished they had enough time to go retrieve the ginger tea from his ship, but he wasn’t about to let anyone attempt to navigate the jungle without him. 

It took several hours for the nausea to abate; by his math, that roughly marked a couple months of progress in the pregnancy. Emma and her parents had stocked up on a decent stash of native fruits, which he finally had the stomach to eat.

Emma had a dagger she used to slice him some mango and passed it over. “I craved that so much with Henry,” she commented. “It was the first thing I got when I got out of jail.”

That was new information to him, but it sounded sensitive so he didn’t want to pry further. “It was apples for me,” he replied. “At least, with one of them.” He took a bite—and quickly another. “Might be mangoes with this one though; damn.”

She chuckled. “There’s plenty here; might ask you to share though.”

“As you wish.”

Thank the gods there was no shortage of fruit, because he was suddenly ravenous. It took all his manners to maintain some level of comportment as he ate. However, he knew that was not the reason his clothes began to feel tight some time later. 

As casually as he could manage, he undid his belt and sighed at the immediate relief. 

“Too many mangoes, or something else?” Emma teased. 

“Hopefully not the former,” he quipped back as he unclasped his vest. He stood and felt along his abdomen, and sure enough, it was just starting to round out. “Here we go,” he sighed. 

Emma rose to her feet and was reaching out to him, but then grew timid and pulled back. “Can I…?”

He was a bit speechless for a moment, but then smiled. “If you want; not much there yet, though.”

She stepped closer, and then her hand was warm through the cotton of his tunic as she pressed it over his navel. “Wow, it’s really there,” she breathed. 

“A bit far-fetched to make up, no?”

She rolled her eyes. “I guess anything is possible after climbing a beanstalk and flying a pirate ship to Neverland.”

Though it should have been awkward, he found himself wishing nothing more in that moment than for Emma to be the mother of this babe. Of course, that would make losing the child to Pan extra cruel, but if even for a brief moment, they could share this, he’d take it.

His hormones were beginning to demand other things, though, especially as her jade green eyes darted back up to his, but he noticed the way they paused at his lips, and—

“Get a room,” Regina interjected, and they jumped apart. He hadn’t realized how close they were until they suddenly weren’t. He didn’t miss the way and Snow and David were smirking at each other, but Emma continued to move farther away, finding a distraction. He should probably find one of those, too.

He’d busied himself with picking some more mangoes (and apples, just to cover the bases) when suddenly, a coconut was in his face, and he recoiled.

“Oh, sorry—just wanted to see if you wanted some,” Emma apologized. “Didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

“No, no, it’s not that—I appreciate it,” he said, taking it from her. “Just gave me a bit of an unpleasant flashback.”

“Did one fall on your head?” she joked.

“Not quite. It, ah,” he stammered, scratching behind his head. “Pan,” he briefly said. “That’s how I ended up like this.” He placed his hand over his tiny bump for emphasis.

Emma raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to be staying away from them, too, then?”

“No, he made that one special for me.”

“How?”

He beckoned her to join him on a log and explained the potion, or whatever it was, Pan had used in the past, and the variety of ways he’d been knocked up in the past. “This was the first one I was aware of as it was happening, but I got the impression it was different.” And went on to describe the magic performed, but left out the detail of the unknown mother of this babe.

If he wasn’t mistaken, though, Regina was listening from the other side of the circle and had a curious look on her face. He wondered if she was familiar with the spell, and if maybe she could answer his question without having to involve Pan.

The thought was almost immediately forgotten, though, when he suddenly felt the first flutters in his belly. He breathed in sharply and his hand flew to his stomach. The sensation was still deep inside, but it was strong.

“Kicking?” Emma asked; she almost sounded excited.

“Aye, just a bit. It always takes me by surprise.”

“Yeah, I remember that. I had no idea what was going on at first.”

“It was the same here, especially since I had no clue what was happening.”

“How did you find out you were preggo?”

“Pan’s gloating,” he complained, then told the story of that first discovery.

Emma repeatedly shuddered as he told the tale. “No one deserves that. But especially not like that. And you said this is the fifth time?”

“Aye.”

“Damn. I can’t decide if it’s better or worse that it’s fast, though.”

“Better than the last one, eh?” Tink commented as she took a seat on the log on his other side. 

“Or the time before that,” he agreed. 

“What happened with those?” Snow asked from her seat neat next to Emma; apparently, it was story time. 

“Last one took twice as long. With twins,” Tink explained. “The other was, what, an hour?”

“Roughly,” he nodded, not missing the way everyone else was cringing. 

They continued to ask questions with morbid curiosity and he did his best to answer; Emma and Snow chimed in with their own experiences, though he could tell it was a sore spot for Emma. 

Briefly, he had to step away to shed his jacket and vest and loosen the laces on his pants; his belly was still on the small side but making decent progress. If he’d been keeping track correctly, he was approaching the halfway mark and the babe seemed to be on track, if a bit ahead. Perhaps that meant this ordeal would be over sooner and they could keep forging ahead. 

However, he began uncontrollably yawning when he rejoined the group. “Hey—it’s time to get some rest,” Emma said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll keep watch. You’ve got a long day ahead of you.”

His next yawn turned into a groan, but he couldn’t deny that fatigue was quickly overwhelming him. “Are you sure? It’d be perfect timing for an attack,” he countered. 

“They can try,” Regina interjected. “But I put a protection spell over the whole clearing hours ago.”

He was a bit speechless at that. “Bloody hell—I don’t deserve you all,” he said, suddenly emotional.

“I will take it down if you go all hormonal on us,” Regina threw back, sounding annoyed (but not entirely).

He chuckled but dried his suddenly wet eyes. “Alright then. But only if you all get some shut eye, too.”

They distributed to their bedrolls around the camp, though Emma lingered in his space. “Is there something you need, luv?” he asked before he took to his cot. 

“Uh, no,” she said, staring at the ground. “Unless you did? Need something?”

“I’m good for now, but I might need a couple mangoes come morning, or whatever time of day it is.” 

That drew a shy smile from her. “I think I can make that happen.”

That wasn’t all, though, he could tell. “Open book, Swan,” he reminded her. “What’s bothering you?”

She worried her bottom lip. “Everything, I guess?” she said. “Obviously Henry, and I don’t like being delayed—which I don’t blame you for,” she added quickly. “But…I’m just conflicted about Neal. I almost…wish you hadn’t done this.”

The twist he felt in his gut then had nothing to do with the babe; however, he wasn’t entirely surprised by that response, given her earlier reaction. “I chose to take this on all on my own, love; please don’t feel as though you owe me or something,” he told her solemnly. He wasn’t sure what she thought his reasons were, but hopefully that clarified it. 

She studied him for a moment, then nodded. “Guess I just need to get over it.”

He grabbed her hand. “That doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to be ambivalent about it; I know this has all probably brought up some bad memories, and no one would fault you for being at odds with yourself, least of all me. So I appreciate you looking out for me here.”

Emma glanced around, then stepped closer to him and pressed up to her toes, placing a brief but firm kiss on his lips. He returned it immediately, suddenly craving more, but was left chasing air after she pulled back. “I’ll be here if you need me,” she said quietly, then sat on the log nearest his bedroll. “Go to sleep.”

“Aye, cap’n,” he said with a mock salute, drawing a slight grin from her, but his voice sounded completely wrecked. He longed to claim more, but knew it wasn’t the time; he just had to hope there’d be some later. 

He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit his pillow, the tiny life within him just starting to press against where his hand rested on his bump. 

————————————————–

to be continued...but thanks for reading! tagging a few: @wyntereyez​​​ @jennjenn615​​​ @superadam54​​​ @ashley-knightingale​​​ @justsomewhump​​​ @teamhook​​​ @mathiaskejseren​​​​ @88infinity88​​​​ @mischievousgraxaim​