#pov of a child

[ivyprism]

A Brother's Regrets (Tenebrous AU)

Warning: Implied bad childhood, implied terrifying powers, etc.

Uncle Draven appears!

POV is from a child!

--------

*You tap Draven's arm. *You ask about his childhood, you ask about Morte, you ask about their powers.

"You ask a lot of things for a human. Though, really is it any of your business?"

*His denial only fills you with Determination. *You begin to say "please" repeatedly until he says yes.

"Alright, alright, stop saying 'please'. I'll talk, I'll talk."

*You smugly smile at the skeleton. *He looks positively bemused by your antics. *...What a scoundrel you are.

"Yeah, yeah, you can be smug all you want, human. So you want to know about my stubborn little brother, Morte?"

*You nod eagerly. *You scoot closer as you look up at the skeleton.

"Mm... Well, ain't much to say about that, kid."

*You huff as he scratches the back of his neck in thought. *You begin to talk about how he and his brothers have powers over shadows and Morte was sort of evil. *How very polite of you to say about his brother.

"I'm serious, kiddo. My bro and I don't talk much anymore. Morte is too busy with whatever the fuck he does and I'm trying to help my Nite run a kingdom."

*You protest saying there has to be something to talk about from his childhood. *He stares at you before he takes a long swig from his alcohol and he puts it down. *Yay, you drove him to alcoholism....?

"So, what is there to talk about? My childhood was fine, I suppose. I mean. Lots of expectations and stress for tiny kids like me and my older brother…"

*You notice he pauses as he thinks.

"Well, things were really different when Morte was born."

*You ask him to elaborate. *You notice he sighs as he thinks about it.

"I'm not sure if a kid like you should hear that."

*You loudly argue, "I'm not a kid!" *Even though, you definitely are a kid. *He snorts and cracks a smile. *But his smile instantly fades.

"Fine, kiddo. You win."

*You watch the skeleton closely as some shadows wrap around his wrist.

"My family comes from a long line of successful and powerful shadow sorcerers." We could manipulate the shadows and the darkness at will. It was sort of our thing. My father believed that Nite would take over one day since he was more powerful with his shadow magic than mine… But then Morte was born."

*You tilt your head at the skeleton.

"Nite was powerful, don't get me wrong… But Morte? Morte was born a natural at it. He had the most powerful magic in our family, although being the youngest."

*What a twist! *....Just kidding, you knew that. *You tell Draven "I already know that."

"Yeah, everybody knows that. Morte is a beast—literally."

*The Skeleton shrugs... *You notice he's trying to distract you from the task at hand. *You ask him to go on. *He runs his hand down his face... *He sighs.

"Clearly, he would be the one to take over the kingdom, right? A talented and powerful sorcerer like that? My father… He should've been so proud, right?"

*The skeleton sighs deeply again. *You notice his eyes flicker a bit as he thinks back.

"No, he wasn't. He despised--no, he was afraid of Morte and his abilities. I had never seen my father look at someone with such intensity… I don't know, contempt? Terror? All I know is that everyone in the kingdom looked at him that way."

*He can't seem to find the right words to say... *You understand though. *I mean, how would you describe your father viscerally fearing and hating your little brother?

"So, rather than simply accepting my brother and allowing him to become the next heir, my father and the people chose to completely disregard him. He'd start preparing Nite to take over the throne, with me as his advisor, and he never showed Morte any affection."

*You grip your chest. *How alone Morte must've felt... *It makes you tear up.

"And Morte? Morte was many things, but he was not foolish. He could sense that our father despised and scared him. So Nite and I attempted to show him the love his father never showed, but it turned into a hole that began to engulf him. And a kid like that? So gifted, so fucking powerful. It was only a matter of time before Morte put my father in checkmate."

*Draven scratched his skull as he leaned back.

"Morte gained allies and, well, he became resentful. His birthright was taken away from him… I guess that's what made him who he is now… So he took it back. He recovered the power that had been stolen from him. And the kingdom and our father suffered the price for their negligence…"

*Draven sighs and closes his eyes.

"I just wish I'd done more to stop him from doing all of that… I think you could say not assisting him was my greatest regret… But, you see how he is now? He doesn't need his brother anymore."

*You stare at him as he smiles weakly. *You can see his regrets soak through that plastered smile. *A brother's regrets... *You feel there is more to the story. *However, when you open your mouth-

"That's enough for today, kiddo. Let's get you to bed. Your uncle Draven can only handle so much storytelling."

*You protest, but he begins to rush you to bed. *Well, we'll get more answers later, you fiend. *Time for bed.

-------

[artkaninchenbau]

People keep on asking for more Baby Robin and Papadile so here is more Baby Robin and Papadile. Now never ask anything from me ever again

[dcxdpdabbles]

Danny reincarnates as Tim's twin. The only problem is that his ghost powers act up in the womb from either the gross ecto in Gotham or an artifact that Janet handled while pregnant. Because of this only Tim is 'born', the Drake's either assume one was miscarried or never knew they were twins.

Tim meanwhile grows up with a brother his parents ignore more than him. It takes Danny an embarrassingly long time to realize what's going on and fix it but by then the twins are around 4 so can't really explain to the rest of Gotham.

When they become Robin, either Nightwing and Batman are almost convinced he's like Harvey with how many times they've found him talking and discussing plans with himself. Or with how bad their collective mental health was at that time think they're going crazy.

Only Alfred knows what's going on because he's Alfred.

Tim Drake is a strange child. Ever since he was little, he would point to empty air and interact with it as if someone was standing there and responding.

At first, his parents thought it was cute that he had an imaginary friend, and Mrs. Drake even shed a few tears when Tim proclaimed that it was the brother he had at birth. The second son of the Drakes had been growing healthy in her stomach until the very end of the first trimester when he simply vanished.

Not died, not stop growing- vanished as if he was never there.

The doctors and the Drakes had no idea what happened. Test after tests were done, but in the end, they could only conclude that the second baby was gone. It was theorized that Tim may have devoured his brother in the womb, though there had been no symptoms that Janet suffered from.

When Tim was born, Janet had nearly died with a false labor that happened only ten minutes after giving birth. The nurses and doctors had been panicking because they could not understand where the contractions originated. False labor was contractions during pregnancy, not after labor, so there was nothing the body could confuse for the urge to push.

They ruled it as a freak false labor since the only other match was Janet entering second labor. Still, as much as the nurses and doctors were ready for a monochorionic monoamniotic twin, nothing came out. Eventually, Janet passed out, and her body finally finished doing whatever it was doing.

It was no surprise that this experience ended up giving Janet postpartum depression. She tried to connect to Tim, but something in her just never clicked, and Jack was beside himself, trying to care for his child while his wife drifted further and further away.

A therapist suggested Janet return to work, which seemed to do wonders for her. She took part in multiple digs and went on many trips, but eventually, Jack felt like she was never home. Worried his wife wouldn't return to him, Jack jumped on a plane while leaving Tim in the capable hands of the housekeeper.

He said it would be a short trip just to get Janet to come back and get treatment.

Jack ended up helping at the dig site, extending his stay to his once again bright and loving wife. Seeing her back to her usual self led to him booking them another trip.

Then another, and another, and antoher. Before long, the Drakes rarely spent time in Gotham, and Tim grew bigger in their absence. Janet loved Tim, but seeing him only brought back guilt that she could not love him like other mothers could so quickly. She was so excited for their baby and had loved him with her whole heart while he was inside of her, but now, seeing those big blue eyes blink up at her, all Janet wanted to do was run.

She drowned in guilt, and sometimes, it felt that she was only breathing because Jack was there for her. He dragged her back to the surface only long enough to take a breath and be dragged under again.

She missed his first steps, his first words, and his first laugh. That's why hearing him call out to Danny was so jarring. She had stopped outside his room, carrying gifts in the form of toys, hoping they would make up for the fact that she had only seen him a handful of times for a solid year.

He was playing with blogs, babbling to "Danny." She had picked out the name of her other son when she found out she was having twins. The only person Tim could have heard that name from was the housekeeper.

Janet fired her after wiping her tears. She would hire a replacement that wouldn't mock her two-year-old son. She let Tim keep his imaginary friend, figuring he would outgrow it.

Tim didn't.

Over the years, Tim became increasingly convinced Danny was with him. He even started turning in classwork under the name Danny, and when a teacher would call him, he would respond with "I don't know. Tim is better at this than me."

Sometimes, when he acted out, Tim would be the one responsible. Tim was the one who got bored quickly in class, needed to be challenged more, and preferred to follow whatever hair-brain idea he had. Photography, skateboarding, and actual crime shows were what made Tim happy.

Then, he became Danny when he showed effort in school but struggled to keep his solid, slightly above-average results. This side of her son preferred astronomy and baking and seemed confused by their wealth. Almost as if he was new money instead of the old wealth the Drakes had. Janet also heard that Danny seemed to stick his nose in whenever a bully targeted a classmate, confronting them with a bravo she could not associate with Tim.

Tim was more like her. They dealt with their opponents through clever planning instead of confirmation, which Jack preferred. He talked to himself a lot, too. The Drakes weren't even in Gotham, but their family's whispers echoed through the gala halls anyway. As young Tim walked by, there were rumors and speculations.

The elites would gossip as Tim continued arguing that the decor was worth the money and that they couldn't steal it, no matter how much food it could buy people in their charities.

He whispers, yelling at the air as Janet watches from across the hall, her stomach turning with love and repulse.

Years after his birth, she could not bring herself to stand before him for too long. Jack followed because he worried she do something to herself if he didn't.

She could not deny it now that Tim was nine. Janet realized, after a while of reading reports involving her son, that he likely suffered from a split personality disorder. Seeing it in person was entirely different.

They'll likely have to have him instituted, and the thought almost has her throwing up. She wonders if she would have caught on faster had she been a better mother and been around.

She steels herself, crossing the room to speak to her son. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees that Jack has noticed and quickly tries to make an excuse to stop her. Fortunately, depending on who you asked, the men looking for an investor don't let their husbands go that easily, so she is clear.

"No, I won't ask him for an autograph!" Tim hisses, looking at the wall to his right as if someone were leaning against it with him. Janet's resolves wabble a little at Tim's pout. There is a short pause before Tim goes red. "I can't do that! Mr.Wayne is really protective of Richard."

Dread pools into her stomach as Tim's features shift, and a grin with a mad twist settles on his lips. "I already have all the pictures I want about him. My favorite is the one I took last night."

This can't wait. Janet loves her son; she does not care what anyone says that she doesn't, but she can't allow him to harm others. Stalking will eventually lead to harm; she knows it. Those are the early signs.

She opens her mouth, only for Tim to turn to her with a coldness she hadn't noticed he always regarded her with.

She had never seen joy on his face, so she had never had a chance to compare how he looked at her and Jack to how he looked at others. How he looked at Danny.

Janet feels everything in her freeze, and a tremble grows in her arms and hands. Trying to hide it, she drowns the glass of wine in her hand in one gulp but instantly regrets it.

The world become slightly hazy that alcoholic cause, and maybe it's been a long time since she last drank. She could have sworn she was seeing double for a moment, and an exact copy of her child was leaning on the wall behind Tim.

But that wouldn't make sense. Tim's eyes weren't green.

"Son." Jack's warm presence is behind her, placing a comforting hand on her back, and she can't bring herself to speak as her husband commands. He likely feels her trembles. "It's time to leave."

The second image of Tim flickers out of sight, and Janet walks out of the Wayne Gala, wondering if her son inherited his madness from her. Neither adult notices the soft thump of the backseat, nor do they pay much attention to Tim carefully buckling the air or how the blanket he keeps back there spreads itself across Tim's lap.

Janet falls into old habits, and instead of being up to what she realized that night, she convinces Jack to go to Guatemala. They are gone first thing the following day.

Tim watches them leave from the top of the grand stairway, his eyes glowing green in heavy judgment and ice that Janet would have felt in the coldest winter. Jack is chatting nonsense to fill the silence and keep Janet grounded, but when she peeks over her shoulder to the Manor, she spots Tim in the window of his room, watching them leave with a frown.

His green eyes are gone, and she feels a chill race down her spine. There is no way he could have run up the stairs, gone down four different hallways, and gotten to the window before they could get to the waiting car.

"Goodbye, Tim. Keep the house safe!" Jack says as he opens the car door for Janet, but he's talking in the doorway. Because that's where the grand stairway is. She hears her son respond but can't tell what he is saying.

She can only gaze upwards to where Tim waves at her while clutching the curtain. His mouth doesn't move. He isn't the one speaking to Jack.

Janet sits in the leather of the car, Jack beside her, holding her hand tenderly, and she rethinks about having Tim instituted. She should hire an exorcist instead.

When they get back, of course. The car pulls away from the driveway, and Janet does her best not to look back even as the door slams shut, as if the sound was meant to tell her never to return. She closes her eyes, holds her breath, and only lets it go when they are far away from Drake Manor and her son.

Maybe one day she can be a good mother.

[jazzy0clock]

Starting off the new year with a new duooo

PLEASEEE I CAN’T BE THE ONLY ONEE THESE TWO HAVE POTENTIAL PLZ SHOU SPINOFF NEEDS TO BE REALL

[hazelira]

baby assistant at dada’s work

The next morning, Jay found himself adjusting the tiny straps of your daughter’s pastel pink backpack while she stood on tiptoes, trying to peek at the shoes he was tying for her. Her little face lit up with excitement as she realized what the day had in store.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” you teased from the doorway, watching as Jay meticulously ensured every strap, buckle, and sock was perfectly in place.

He glanced at you, raising an eyebrow. “She’ll be the best assistant this office has ever seen,” he replied confidently. “Right, princess?”

Your daughter beamed, throwing her arms up. “Yes! I help Dada!” she cheered, her enthusiasm infectious.

He chuckled, lifting her into his arms. “Let’s go, then. Don’t let me down, assistant.”

When they arrived at the office, all eyes turned to the sight of the stoic and intimidating Jay walking in with his toddler perched on his hip. Her small hands clung to his shirt, and her curious eyes darted around the sleek, professional environment.

The first stop was the meeting room. Jay set her down on one of the oversized chairs, the leather swallowing her tiny frame. She kicked her feet, clearly enjoying her new throne.

“Dada, what dis?” she asked, pointing at the rows of binders and papers on the table.

“That’s work,” Jay replied, kneeling beside her. “Important stuff. But don’t worry—you don’t have to do any of it. You sit here and look cute.”

She giggled, covering her mouth with her little hands. “I can do dat!” she declared proudly.

The meeting began, and seeing Jay’s daughter in the room instantly softened the tense atmosphere. She sat quietly at first, content with the colouring book he’d brought for her. But halfway through the presentation, she got curious.

“Dada,” she whispered loudly, tugging on his sleeve. “Why dat man talk so much?”

The room went still, a few muffled chuckles escaping from Jay’s usually composed team. Jay glanced down at her, his lips twitching in an effort not to smile. “He’s explaining his work, sweetheart. It’s important.”

She tilted her head, clearly unconvinced. “But… too much words,” she muttered, causing another ripple of quiet laughter.

Jay smoothed a hand over her messy hair, his tone calm and indulgent. “That’s how work is sometimes. Lots of words.”

She scrunched her nose but nodded, returning to her colouring with a serious expression. The rest of the meeting continued with a much lighter atmosphere, the team occasionally glancing at the little girl who had somehow managed to charm their intimidating boss.

Later, at Jay’s, she sat on his desk while he reviewed some documents. She babbled happily about her favourite toys and how she wanted ice cream after work, her tiny feet swinging as she spoke. He nodded along, occasionally adding a “Really?” or “Wow!” as if her stories were the most important updates of his day.

“Dada,” she said suddenly, looking at him wide-eyed. “Do you work every day?”

He looked up from his papers, her question catching him off guard. “I do. Why?”

She frowned her little brow furrowing. “Dat’s too much, Dada. You need pway time.”

He couldn’t help but laugh softly, setting his pen down. “You’re right, princess. I’ll make sure to take more playtime.”

“Pinky pwomise?” she asked, holding up her tiny pinky.

He smiled, hooking his pinky around hers. “Pinky promise.”

By the end of the day, Jay walked into the lobby with his daughter tucked under his arm, her head resting against his shoulder. She was exhausted but happy, her small hands clutching the colouring book filled with her masterpieces.

When you met them at the door, she lifted her head slightly, her sleepy voice bubbling with excitement. “Mama! I helped Dada at work!”

You smiled, brushing her messy hair back. “You did? I bet you were the best assistant ever.”

“She was,” Jay said softly, looking down at her with a warmth in his eyes that only grew when he saw the proud smile on her sleepy face. “The very best.”

[littlecrittereli]

just one of those days man...

THIS IS SO LOW QUALITY HELP LOL

ignore that I can't draw very well rn I'm very focused on school so not much time to doodle

[backpackingspace]

Okay but have we thought about how scary odysseus interacting with the gods /his knowledge about such things it must have been for his crew?

Its well known that odysseus is Athenas favorite, even before the Trojan war. But what does that look like from the outside? Are their conversations in some other plain? Does odysseus sometimes just glaze over and you just have to trust its a god speaking to him and not aome other fit? Out in the open? During the war odysseus was frequently doing really bizarre things on Athena's say so. Bit you also know your captain is a freak and lier so which is it this time? The gods will or odysseus just tucking with you? There's a little wariness there. But it's well known. And been like this forever.

But then you start encountering more monsters. More gods. They all talk to your captain. Your captain stops sleeping. Your go between for you and the captain starts committing crimes against the captain, starts bad mouthing him. More of your friends have died then in ten years of war. And every other day there's a new god talking to your captain. What mortal man has the interest of this many gods? What mortal man can get up in the gods faces to yell at them. What mortal man has the powers to overcome the witches they encounter the power to over turn gods spells? What mortal man's tongue is so gilded he convinces these powers to help them? And doubt comes creeping in.

[valtsv]

funniest thing i probably did as a kid was on the rare occasions i got invited to stay over at someone's house i would feel an obligation to do something to show my gratitude because my parents had drilled into me that this was not only polite but a necessity when you're a guest in someone's home, so the first time i ever got invited to a sleepover i woke up the next morning, walked downstairs into the kitchen and started making everyone breakfast

[pixlokita]

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[wazzi2ya]

Art for the portraits in Sinsmas by jigokuhana89

[vyeoh]

As a camp counselor I can completely understand why god kicked crowley out of heaven for asking questions

[cloudabserk]

the most surprising thing for me about reading armand’s perspective is that even though he’s 500 years old he continuously refers to himself as a child, a little boy, etc in his own internal monologue. i’m really curious to see if they’ll preserve some of that element of his character for the show

[coralasthmaaa]

golden house mondays or whatever

i'll let this cursed thing rest here as well lmao

[the-bar-sinister]

minor whump prompts:

Whumper taking away whumpee's comfort items like plushies, or blankets.

Whumpee being told about, or shown evidence of, harm happening to their parents or siblings.

Whumpee being drugged or poisoned with candy or treats.

Whumper using threats of abandonment to control whumpee.

Whumper forcing whumpee to wear clothes that whumpee finds uncomfortable or unpleasant.

Whumper forcibly cutting whumpee's hair.

Whumpee being told that their parents agreed to give them to whumper.

Whumper telling whumpee that everything's being done for their own good.

Whumper making promises of comforts to whumpee to ensure their cooperation, and then going back on their words.

Whumper destroying comfort items in front of whumpee.

Whumpee only being allowed to go to the bathroom at specific times, or watched by whumper when they're going to the bathroom.

[jalicecookie]

⁓ Pass ⁓

The Squid Game Guards - deadly, brutal and…the world's best babysitters. You hate it when your Father has to deal with something important (again)….but so you get to help the Circle Guards with an important task….and you are the world's best assistant!

"I understand… this Problem requires immediate Action. I'm on my way"

As you hear these Words, you immediately drop the purple pen in your hand to the Floor. Luckily it wasn't a felt-tip pen, otherwise the floor would have had a few unsightly marks… not that it would have been noticeable in all the black.

You look up abruptly and watch as Hwang In-ho makes the technological device disappear into his jacket pocket.

You don't understand much of the boring adult language… but the tone and the seriousness that Hwang In-ho displays, oh, that sounds all too familiar.

And you hate it when your father speaks in this tone to other adults over the telecommunications connection. It means that he has to leave again urgently.

But this time you're not going to let him get away with it.

You only arrived on the island a few days ago and you wanted to help him find new guards! (Actually, In-Ho sits in the VIP lounge of the complex with an expensive tablet and just swipes from right to left to look at potential candidates, whose probable location he then passes on to the salesman and you are sometimes allowed to press the power button on the tablet or swipe on the display and of course you are really helping your father with that!) - aaaand he wanted to braid your hair after all! Like Elsa! Because this is an island and you are the unofficial princess!

And you really had to be soooo patient, because your father wasn't so good at braiding and styling your hair from the start….well, someone like the frontman who is suddenly confronted with a female toddler in his life has to learn too….and with learning came a lot of time, setbacks and frustration. Yet you absolutely don't like the fact that he's on the move again.

So you stand up and walk towards your father with clumsy steps and try to cling to his right leg , like a little koala and give him a loving hug….but unfortunately In-Ho knows you very well by now and in a rehearsed movement, he stops your attempt and takes you by the hand instead, while he addresses the following words to you in a stern but still determined tone.

"You´re going to spent some Time with the.....", your Father started to explain but you now tried to grab his left hand little finger, to convince him to not go away....at least not withouth you....and to cut him off during his words.

"Daddah no by by! Stay!" - you said sad and carefully In-Ho picked you up and hold you close to his chest.

"We've had this conversation several times now and it always ends the same way, hm? It won't take long and in the meantime you're in good hands….."

"Help Daddah? me by by island too?"

"No, dear…it's better if you stay here, the guards will look after you well…a business meeting would be boring"

"…Play with Circleleys?"

The stern, cold mask that In-Ho wore, was replaced for a moment by a brief, amused smile.

The few guards , who came back year after year and were almost a basic staff of the games…had received this…more cuteness like names from you.

You got along with almost every Guard...you were not scard of the Mask or the Weapons they carried with them...your Father said they wouldn´t hurt you....they are....like your Friends....Friends that knew not to mess with the Frontmans Daugther.

So you are used to this....maybe strange Island with all this colorful rooms and of course the Guards were your friends. And the Circleleys are the most funniest ones ever!

"Don't let the others hear that you favor the Circle Guards… otherwise I'll have to send more new recruits to the salesmen....and that will be a whole nother game to deal with"

"No no! Tree-Angel and Squary Friends too" - you say with a serious expression on your face.

The Triangle and Square Guardians are just as much your friends as the Circles… but maybe you like the Circle Guardians a little bit more than the rest? They always make you laugh.

"Then it won't be a problem if you spend some time with the circles, hm?"

"Yes, playing with Circleleys!"

"And you'll keep your composure and not cause any trouble?"

You giggle and nod, your father gives you a gentle kiss on the top of your head before he takes you to the control room, where his second in command, a high-ranking square guard, takes you, holds you in his arms and after you wave goodbye to your father, the square guard takes you to the playing field for the second game.

You feel safe in the adult's arms, he doesn't hold you as tightly as if you were an expensive vase or a cat that could get angry at any movement - there are some of the new guards that your father entrusts you to… you can definitely tell , that they have already held a small child in their arms and then there are the newbies who are… clumsy.

Sometimes when you're having a bad day and you're being picked up like a piece of wood or something, it doesn't take three seconds before you start to whine and cry. Sometimes the experienced quads find it amusing how panicked the new recruits react.

As you pass the colorful stairs and get closer to the room where game number 2 will be played in a few weeks, you chat euphorically to the adult who is carrying you, about what you have already experienced today and that you also took your afternoon nap well, even though you had a little tantrum beforehand and were not tired at all, and you tell the square guard that your father said purple crayons are not for eating and are not a good snack.

While you continue to be carried, from staircase to staircase in the adult's arm, you do not notice how he gives the instruction over the walkie talkie, to keep the colorful Gong-gi figures out of reach… better safe than sorry.

You soon reach the room that will definitely be one of your favorites, you like the bright rainbow colors on the floor and it's really wonderful to run around in here, play catch or just take a nap on the floor.

And when you recognize three of the circle guards, you wave to them and bounce impatiently up and down in the adult's arms.

"We have a special task that you can help us with, OK? Come with guard number 32 and we'll be right there," said one of the circle guards as you were passed from one arm to the other and finally led by guard number 32's hand to the back of the room.

"Will we get the number of players back to 456 this year?"

"Positive. The boss wants a complete run through of the standard protocols before arrival"

"Setting it up…"

"And…"

"Yeeeeees…..no sugar after 6 p.m. otherwise we'll have the same incident as two weeks ago"

You didn't hear any of the other short conversations because the Circleley guard let go of your hand when you reached a table and a chair.

"Okay, princess…..can you roll the little ball there so that it touches the stone?"

You nod and try your best…of course you are not aware that the little ball does not have the effect that is expected in the Flying Stone game…but that is not the point…the guard just wants to practice the reaction when someone has passed a task together with his colleagues who also went to you.

And after you have rolled the ball and it comes to rest in front of the small stone , without anything major happening, you look up at your Circle friends and a computer-generated voice says - Passed -

The Circle Guards make a circular hand gesture that is reminiscent of an O.

And just moments later the playing field, is filled with bright children's laughter and clapping - the Circleleys seem to be practicing their reaction to - Passed - well.

But in just a few weeks, this playing field would be coverd in blood, dead bodies, fear and the more often reaction - Failure - with the corresponding reaction from the Circle Guards.

And there would be no toddler laughter , echoing across the field…it would be a crazy mix of euphoric adult cheers and fear-filled screams.

So many fear-filled and panicked Screams.

THE END

[winnie-the-monster]

But Elain was staring over Nesta’s shoulder. At Lucien—whose face she had finally taken in.

Dark brown eyes met one eye of russet and one of metal. Nesta was still weeping, still raging, still inspecting Elain—Lucien’s hands slackened at his sides.

His voice broke as he whispered to Elain, “You’re my mate?”

Things I wanna know #253640: what was going on through Elain’s and Lucien’s mind during this moment. I need to know!