#remnant's extended families au

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

So for Rementent's extended family. Did Samus in this Rwby was Ridley a intelligent Grimm that murdered her family or was he a fanuas? Either way I see him working for Salem. He is called The Cunning God of Death.

It was a cool mistralian night. The grimm in the area had quieted down recently, and a Young Samus Aran watched the stars with delight, the delicate golden feathers along the back of her neck shifting as she gazed in wonder.

And then the screaming started.

A massive, leathery grimm, a kind unknown to humanity was toppled the main belltower of the village, crushing some guards that ran to fight it, many others caught in its putrid, glowing breathe that rained down from above.

Its head was elongated into a point, mouth long like an alligator's, full of hundreds of sharp teeth stained red with blood.

It was scrawny, seemingly little more than a skeleton, yet it took every blow that landed and kept crawling, flying, sprinting. It charged through the streets, devouring and slaying any person it came across.

Samus clung to her mother, the horse beneath them moving at full gait, her father having stayed behind to help as many people escape. The young girl peeked her head out form around her mother, just catching the sight of the massive beast swoop in at truly impossible speeds, lashing its tail forward - Into her mother's chest.

They were thrown from the horse, her mother gasping and wheezing as the massive creature crushed her beneath its foot, the beast seemingly grinning at the crunch of bone and squelch of organ, before it turned to Samus.

She had broken her leg when they were thrown from the horse. She couldn't run, she could hardly crawl, left alone as this thing, this Apex Predator of Grimm.

It's Pus-Yellow eyes bored into the girl as it slowly, methodically lurched toward her, some putrid, gurgling laugh bubbled up form it's throat as it pinned her with one arm, the purple flame inside its mouth welling up.

Samus was too scared to feel it.

This was it.

She was dead.

At least, she was until a dagger plunged into the grimm's eye, the well of energy scorching a nearby tree.

It was tackled off of her, a large man in full plate armor was on top of it, beating it with his hands, as a blond woman in leather armor lifted and carried Samus away, shoving something in her mouth.

"This is going to hurt, but I need to set your leg. Bite down on that instead of screaming if you can."

It hurt worse than when it broke, followed by a wave of nausea that made her puke, crying harder than she that night.

The woman place a hand on Samus's chest, muttering something and unlocking the young girls aura.

And then she passed out.

~~~~~

Samus woke up in her bunk.

It was that night again. It was always that night.

She strode into the small cooking section, preparing navy-style coffee, running her hands over a photo of her family. Her mom, the woman who saved her. Her dad, the man that beat that Grimm with his hands until it limped away for its own life. Her many, many cousins, siblings, and nieces and nephews.

She moved her cannon off the table, designed after her Father's own weapon.

The original had been melted onto his arm at some point after he went to help people.

She missed them. Often, and a lot.

But she had this family too. It's weird and big and sometimes suffocating with love, but she wouldn't change them for the world, even if they got on her nerves alot.

~~~~~

Ridley wasn't always this, as much as he wished he was.

No, no, there was a time when he was just another body for the grimm to tear into.

Now he was on the Winning side!

That first night, oh that GLORIOUS first night! The screams, the crunching, the destruction!

licked his eye, long since healed physically, but was still pissed at the bastard that took it originally.

Yeah if he had listened to orders and fallen back after wrecking shit he wouldn't have gotten stabbed, but where was the fun in running? It's all about the Chase!

That Tyrian guy knew what he was talking about!

But, Salem figured he'd had TOO much fun, grounded him for a while while she worked on a more "subservient" experiment.

Whatever the "Hound" was. Thing'd probably just be an attack dog for her, no fun at all.

[howlingday]

tragic backstory (tm) au) ren learns how to "culltivate" aura mainly it involves infusing aura into his body perminantly, it's important to take it slow especially since he has to borrow aura from the surrounding forest and the animals and plants therein. right now he's only doing his skin. but even that's pushed him far beyond his previous limits why wasn't everyone doing this? a story in which ren gets a little love and learns that his semblance makes it very easy to manipulate aura because he uses it to keep himself calm and focused. super ren is about to make an entrance! (next stages would be muscle, then organs, then bones, then he'd start working on incorporating the ambient aura into his own soul to boost himself that way before repeating the steps again. I'm basing the system off of cultivation martial arts stories)

My Kingdom Comes

Have you ever woken up and asked yourself, "What lie will I make today?" It doesn't happen often, though it still does happen to JNPR- Excuse me, JMNPR's resident ninja, Lie Ren. Today, he would tell no lies.

Ren: (Stirs, Turns off alarm before it goes off)

Ren: (Goes through his morning routine, Looks around)

Ren: (Nudges Nora, Doesn't move)

Ren: (Makes his way to the rooftop, Meditates)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaune: You're like a brother to me.

Jaune: I couldn't ask for better friends.

Jaune: Do you... think I'm a good person?

Jaune: I'm not a king!

Li: Yes, you are.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shishi: Having troubles, your majesty?

Ren: ...

Shishi: Don't worry, nobody else is here. I was simply walking around this morning, and I couldn't help but notice you were deep in your meditation. Would speaking to a friend relieve you?

Ren: We are not friends.

Shishi: Perhaps not, your majesty, but I am here for you still. (Sits next to him) Be it as a friend, or as a confidant.

Ren: And you are neither.

Shishi: You wound me, my liege. I simply wanted to share the morning sun with you. Would you permit me that, your majesty?

Ren: ...Fine.

Shishi: ...

Ren: ...

Shishi: ...

Ren: ...Why do you hate Jaune?

Shishi: Because he is not you, my liege. Jaune Arc is no king. He holds no seat of power, channels no divinity, and holds no connection to any of the royal families past. And yet, the people still cheer his name as their king when the rightful heir to Remnant is-

Ren: No. I am not. Jaune is my friend, and I would sooner trust my life to him, a man who has proven himself to be a hero with a heart of gold, than to you, a stranger who suddenly arrives and calls me his king. Why? The Mistrali royal family is dead, as are all the royal families of past.

Shishi: ...Mistral. Vacuo. Vale. These were the first three Kingdoms, with each ruled by a royal family. The details of Vale's family may be lost to time for reasons we don't know, but Vacuo know their lineage. So, too, does Mistral. My father, before his passing, was a retainer of the royal family. He served his king with pride, and now so do I.

Ren: The royal family of Mistral died before I was born. And even if I was royalty, do you truly think there are other royal families still alive?

Shishi: Yes, my liege. Yes, I do.

---------------------------------------------------

Gillian: Pardon me, but are you the famous Jaune Arc?

Jaune: ...

Gillian: You are Jaune Arc, aren't you?

Jaune: ...That depends; are you with any news networks?

Gillian: Um, no?

Jaune: None at all, not even a local TV program for the history channel?

Gillian: I promise, I'm here for you of my own accord.

Jaune: Hm... Alright. So, why are you here?

Gillian: Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Gillian Asturias.

Jaune: Oh, uh, okay? Khm! My name is Jaune Arc. (Extends hand)

Gillian: (Takes hand) My, what an impressive handshake you have~!

Jaune: Uh, thanks? So, uh, how can I help you, Gillian?

Gillian: I have a proposition for you, Jaune Arc of Vale.

Jaune: Oh no...

Gillian: I, Gillian Asturias, heiress apparent of the royal family of Vacuo, offer my hand to you in marriage.

Jaune: Oh no, not again...

Gillian: Huh?

Jaune: Listen, Gillian, you're a very nice girl, but you don't have to pretend to be royalty to ask me out. I'm just a regular guy like everyone else.

Gillian: Quite the humble demeanor you have. Perfect for a future king.

Jaune: But I'm not a king. Everybody just says I am because of some really bad prank.

Gillian: Your recent activity begs to differ. You've made quite the spectacle of yourself, Mr. Arc.

Jaune: I'm sure everybody got their laughs in after watching me look like an idiot all over their TV screens. They're all just flukes.

Gillian: Really? One fluke after another?

Jaune: Mhm, and it all comes back to one really bad prank. But hey, if you want to hang out later, I'll be free after some lessons with my sister.

Gillian: ...No, but thank you, Mr. Arc.

Jaune: Please, call me Jaune.

Gillian: ...Until next time, Mr. Arc.

Jaune: ...Yeah. I figured. (Yawns) Man, I must not have gotten a lot of shut-eye. Should probably head back before I fall asleep in the halls.

---------------------------------------------------

Ren: (Deep inhale)

Ren: (Slowly slides forward with his feet, Sweeping wide across the ground)

Nora: Whoo~! Go, Renny~!

Ren: (Fires off five open-palm strikes, Exhales)

Ren: (Air pops with colorful flare)

Nora: Whoa~! When'd you learn to do that?!

Ren: I've experimenting with my aura control, and I've found that if I focus enough aura into my palms, they could form invisible aura bubbles that eventually pop.

Nora: Whoa~!

Ren: (Closes eyes) Unfortunately, it's still...

Nora: Still what?

Ren: (Tilts head at Nora-shaped pink blob in the darkness)

Nora: What? Is there something on me?

Ren: Nora, have you always been pink?

Nora: I mean, have you seen me lately?

Ren: (Opens eyes, Pink aura fades into her)

Ren: Are you okay, Nora?

Nora: (Giggles, Taps nose) Boop~!

Ren: (Smiles) Boop to you, too, Nora.

Nora: (Giggles, Sighs) Are you feeling okay? I saw that sheep-sheep guy coming down from the roof.

Ren: Did he say anything?

Nora: Nah. He just seemed his same moody self.

Ren: Mm...

Nora: Hey, did he say something to you?

Ren: ...It's nothing to worry about. He was just trying to impress me with his history knowledge.

Nora: Ugh! I knew he was a history nerd! Just the way he walks around like he's some kind of royalty! Only Jaune should walk around like that, because he is!

Ren: Funny enough-

Nora: Haha funny?

Ren: Coincidentally funny.

Nora: Darn. What did he say?

Ren: He said...

---------------------------------------------------

Jax: Ah, now there is a fine specimen of a queen!

Yang: Huh?

Jax: Tall, physically tough, and hips certain to bear a lineage fit for conquerors!

Yang: Okay, creep-o, you've got five seconds left to live. I suggest you start running.

Jax: (Chuckles, Coughs) Feisty, too! Perfect. Just the kind of woman I need at my side on the throne.

Yang: Uh, excuse me?!

Jax: Can you imagine it? (Smiles sadistically) You, standing by my side, breaking bones and skulls of anyone who would dare oppose my rule!

Yang: Alright, that's it! I'm stuffing back into whatever hole you crawled out of, you little freak!

Yang: (Swings)

Jax: (Leans in, Hugs her arm)

Yang: Hey! Get off me, you little... You little... (Staggers, Kneels)

Jax: Mm, now this is a sight I never grow bored of. (Deep breath) I don't believe we've introduced ourselves. I am Jax Asturias, your future king. And you are?

Yang: I'm Yang Xiao Long, or would you prefer your future queen, your majesty~?

[pilot-boi]

Really been enjoying the Twins AU posts, especially the heartwarming ones! Makes me think about what the Arc/Xiao Long/ Rose Family Reunions will be like once Salem is defeated and Remnant is saved. Pretty sure all the friends they made along the way would be included, and their extended families, along with Pyrrha’s family as well. The Arcs say that strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet, and it turns out they can be family you haven’t met yet too!

———

You understand my vision

[krisnb485]

Finally managed to come up with something regarding Lucius, Gibeon and the Six Heroes in the My Hero Academia AU. Here's the rant I made on the Likodot server:

Ok so Lucius and Gibeon were best friends (they were gay for each other but Lucius was married and he already had a kid so damnit). They met during college, and when Lucius found out he had one of those "meta abilities", he remembered his college friend Gibeon who had a passion for science and mechanic, so he called him and convinced him to try and help with all the crime that was recently happening due to meta abilities. And thus, Lucius became one of the first heroes to ever exist, and Gibeon was his sidekick who provided him with the very first prototypes of Hero Gear to have ever been created. This ofc made them a target for All For One, who tried offering them some quirks in exchange for being his minions. But they refused, and so they became some of the first members of the resistance against AFO. Lucius tried using his soul absorption quirk to receive the aid of six of the strongest fighters in the resistance, known as the Six Heroes. But even with the power of those souls who offered their lifes to Lucius in order to stand a chance, he failed miserably and died to AFO's hands. Though something else happened; the souls of the Six Heroes that were still stored inside Lucius' body had so much willpower they broke free of his body and ran off to somewhere else. It is said that their quirks were inherited by certain families that contain inside their bodies the remnants of the Six Heroes' souls.

To take back those souls, honor his dead friend and take over the world as his kingdom to make it better, Gibeon made a vow with All For One. He would get a lifespan extending quirk and aid from the doctor guy that makes the Nomus (I don't remember what he was called), in exchange for having to give the control to AFO once he manages to take over the world.

And that's how Gibeon's quest for the Six Heroes begins. He manipulates his daughter to arrange a marriage with a certain man, and keeps arranging marriages in order to get a kid with a quirk capable of affecting souls like Lucius' quirk, and that's how Amethio is born, with a quirk capable of absorbing soul energy by physical touch to manipulate it in the form of ghostly flames. With the Doctor's help and once he gets the souls/quirks of the Six Heroes, he'll try kidnapping Liko to mix her quirk with Amethio's and use him as a recipient to be able to wield the power of the Six Heroes, and with that power, he'll reign supreme over the world and make it peaceful and unchanging, like he thinks Lucius would've wanted.

I honestly don't know if this is cringy or if there's any plot inconsistencies in this. Sorry if I'm doing anything wrong regarding the timeline or the original series' lore I'm currently doing a rewatch and I'm very far from being caught up with the anime and manga. But afaik, I think I did a good job with this and I'm proud of it. Roy's quirk is sorted out and Amethio's too; we only gotta think about the Rising Volt Tacklers and the other Explorer admins and what their quirks would be. After that, I should be able to do a summarize doc on everything regarding the AU and actually get working on writing the fic.

[silverstormsxx]

probably needs to be revised cause I wrote this when my brain was melting but I'm lazy so..

so i used a wheel to pick three random undertale aus

Then, I mashed up those aus into a single and tried to make it coherent

Result: Outerlustdust

Alt. Name: 'Heart Nebula' AU

---

Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS.

One day, war broke out between the two races.

After a long battle, the humans were victorious.

They banished the Monsters to an asteroid belt with a magic spell.

Being forced to stay in such a cold, foreign environment for an extended period of time changed the anatomy of the Monsters, decreasing their reproductive capacity significantly.

Boss Monsters were less affected by the decrease in fertility, due to their stronger bodies. As such, Queen Toriel and King Asgore were able to have their son - Prince Asriel - after some trial and error.

One day, a human crash landed into the quadrant the Monsters were trapped in - The Ebott Quadrant.

This human, named CHARA, had the SOUL trait of LUST. Despite this, they showed no desire to take advantage of the Monsters, and were adopted into the Royal Family, treated as one of their own.

Chara and Asriel became best friends - siblings in every sense of the word. Their love for eachother was so true, so pure that it seemed to echo throughout the entirety of the Ebott Quadrant.

Unfortunately, Chara was not completely unaffected by their LUST. They hungered - not for romance or anything of that nature - but for power. They wished to accumulate enough power to eliminate Humanity and liberate Monsterkind.

You see.. Chara did not have the best experience with humans. They had treated them very poorly, forcing them to labor at a young age in pursuit of their own wish to discover the mysteries of space. Learning that they had banished another species - one much kinder, one forged of compassion and magic, one that adopted them as one of their own, leaving them to suffer in the cold vacuum of space, numbers and hope aloke dwindling every day.. did not improve their opinion of them.

Chara was willing to do anything to obtain this power. Even willing to sacrifice their own life.

So that was what they did. After learning more about the war between Humans and Monsters, specifically the cause of it.. they came up with a plan that involved their best friend.

They had gotten the idea of accidentally poisoning their adoptive father. They had mistaken 'Starch' for Stardust when trying to bake his favorite pie as a sort of surprise for him.

At least they had got one thing out of it, however. An idea. A wonderful, wonderful idea.

Ingesting the remnants of a dying star in order to bring themself to oblivion, they had Asriel asborb their SOUL and use it to cross the EM Field that kept the Monsters trapped.

The power that coursed through their veins was intoxicating. They were a god - they were the pinnacle of Monsterkind and Humankind - no, they were something else entirely. They were the Angel that would punish Humanity for their sins. They had ascended from their mortal form, and they never wanted to return to it.

...Carrying their corpse, Asriel returned to the space station that had sent Chara out on their mission in the first place. That had treated them as if they were nothing more than a tool.

Upon seeing them in their ascended state, with the corpse of Chara's past, sinful shell in his arms, they attacked, using their advanced tech and whatever else they could get their hands on in order to get rid of them.

Chara yelled at Asriel to attack, to defend himself, to reap these horrible people of everything they owed and collect the power that would surely come from it. Asriel, however, refused to attack, and, with a smile on his face, shining more luminously than any star in the night sky, made his way back to Ebott Quadrant.

Despite their nearly infinite power, the injuries they had sustained were too much. As soon as he got back home, he collapsed onto the floor, dusting as he did so. His dust mingled with the air and fused with the stars above.

Chara's SOUL, however, persisted even after Asriel died. They refused to succumb, not after they had been so close to reaching their goal. Not now, not ever.

Grief echoed throughout the Quadrant. Monsters had lost all hope for peaceful relations between Monsters and Humans. To add onto this, the infertility problem was still very much present.

In his rage, Asgore waged war upon humanity and declared that any human that crash landed into Ebott Quadrant was to be executed - their SOUL used to break the EM Field that had led to their continuous suffering. His wife, Toriel, was disgusted by his actions - and left him, taking Chara's corpse with her.

Despite all he had gone through, Asgore pushed through for the betterment of his people. He called upon the Royal Scientist - Doctor Wingdings Gaster - in order to fix the fertility issue by any means necessary.

Gaster used the LUST from Chara's SOUL in order to create a serum that would hopefully raise fertility rates. Unfortunately, due to the extensive experimentation on their SOUL, it broke into a million pieces.

(BUT THEY PERSISTED.)

After this incident, Asgore shut himself off completely, not taking any more visits and becoming a shut-in, having truly lost every last member of his family.

Before he did so, however he left Gaster one last order:

"Do what will further the future of our species. Doctor Wingdings.. we are Monsterkind's last hope. It is our responsibility to lead them to freedom."

Gaster used his authority and position as the Royal Scientist to call upon everyone on the kingdom. He injected everyone of age with the LUST serum, telling everyone that things would be different from now on.

Monsterkind was hopeful once more.

After the introduction of the LUST serum into the bodies of the Monsters, they began to change.

Whatever Monsters aspired to achieve - whether it be fame, money, or power - they began to chase after it with inexplicable intensity.

The Monsters grew unnaturally passionate in everything they did, almost.. aggressively so. Whatever actions they performed were to advance themselves and their goals. That was the only thing they seemed to care about.

And whenever they did get what they wanted.. they entered an almost euphoric state, where they were permanently in pure bliss - a state that felt, and, by all means - was Heaven.

As such, this state of being was referred to as "Ascension" and was highly sought after.

Some monsters also attempted to replicate the pure love that Asriel and Chara had shared, all those years ago, when the future was bright and happy, with themselves. Relationships were more passionate, more ardent.

Six humans crash landed into Ebott Quadrant over the centuries, all of which were killed by King Asgore - their SOULs harvested in the hopes of breaking The EM Field.

After a long, long time of waiting.. the seventh human finally crashed.

Their name was Frisk. They resembled Chara in many, many ways. Appearance. SOUL. Hell, they even shared aspects of their personality in common with them.

Frisk ventured through the Ebott Quadrant, befriending many Monsters along the way and showing them that they could be happy, even without having reached: 'Ascension.' That they needed to focus on what mattered in life: their loved ones.

They even managed to reach through to Asriel - who had been revived using the power of Determination as a soulless being known as Starry the Star, who helped shatter the EM Field once and for all.

Monsterkind had finally returned home, to Planet Earth, where they truly belonged since the beginning. They could feel the dirt on their feet, and see the cerulean skies up above.

It would take a long while to fully initiate peace between Humans and Monsters. But they would take it one step at a time, with Frisk as the official ambassador between Humanity and Monsterkind.

Everything would be okay.

...

The human, succumbing to their curiosity and their desire to discover something new, reset everything and brought it all back to zero.

This time, however, they did something..different.

They killed everyone and everything in their path, leaving no survivors.

Dust stained their clothes. Stars shone brightly above them. They got stronger.

They killed the woman they had once seen as their mother, the skeleton they had bonded with over puzzles and even dated briefly, the determined hero who never gave up, the star amongst stars..

And went up against The Judge.

They died quite a few times to him, and the feeling of being disintegrated by beams of light, being impaled by bones, and being scorched by stars was ingrained into their mind.

But in the end, they managed to catch him off guard..

And slash him across the chest, the blood seeping out of the wound a striking red.

They watched ever so closely as The Comedian inched away, mumbling something they couldn't decipher, that damned grin still stretched across his face like nothing was wrong.

They advanced to the Throne Room, where they killed The Monarch and The Star with little difficulty. The feeling of power that gave them was indescribable.

It felt as if.. they had reached a state where no one could oppose them ever again. No one could reach them. No one could hurt them. They were unstoppable.

It was then that they met The Demon. The Demon that had been attached to their SOUL from the very beginning, drawn to the Determination that radiated from it.

The Demon told them that they had been helping and guiding them every step of the way, and that now.. it was time that they complete the last step. Together.

Frisk handed them the knife, and The Demon slashed through the void, erasing everything that remained.

In that brief, short moment, Frisk was in paradise. They were the strongest being to have ever existed, and that would ever exist. They had reached the pinnacle of existence, and it felt amazing.

Shortly afterwards, Frisk reset and committed yet another genocide, hungering for that state mindlessly, willing to do anything to obtain it once more.

They repeated this endless cycle over and over, chasing that fleeting feeling of absolute power.

They cared not for the victims of their senseless violence. Even those they had once befriended and grown close to. They had grown numb to them a long time ago, viewing them as no more than broken, boring old toys.

But they were mistaken. For there was one particular skeletons that knew about the many timelines they had brought to ruin with their LUST for power. Had directly observed it himself.

This skeleton - Sans - had been having the strangest dreams, had been feeling a weird sense of deja vu that had been building up over time

He tried many methods in an attempt to stop the human - trying to convince them that there was more to life than power, that they could be happier than they could ever be on this path if they just tried not to kill anyone. Enlisting the help of various people, like Toriel or Undyne or even Starry, trying to get them to quit

But nothing ever worked. They were always too Determined, too Lustful to listen to reason or give up. And he always ended up the fool in the end.

Eventually, after thousands of resets, having exhausted all his options.. he had a thought.

A very, very simple thought.

In order to stop the human, he needed to be stronger than them. In order to be stronger than them, he needed to do the same things they did.

He needed to get rid of everyone before they could.

Then, they would be the fool. They would be the weak one, with limited HP and limited ATK. They would be the defenseless prey, and he would be able to dispose of them like they were a speck of dust.

He wouldn't have to live in this hell anymore. He would take their SOUL to reset, and everything would be back to normal. He wouldn't ever have to watch his brother die again, or see dust fill the air, falling softly to the ground like silver specks of snow.

Thus, the next reset.. he begin his massacre.

He started slow. Killing one or two monsters he had never met before, just to..experiment.

He began to up the ante the following resets, killing everyone in the Ruins. Including.. her. Toriel. One of the only people in the entire Quadrant that liked puns as much as he did. The woman he had spent entire nights with, joking and laughing and-

He.. shouldn't think about it too long. As long as he kept doing this, he could fix everything. She would be back and.. everything would be okay.

The LUST serum affected him heavily. He developed a thirst for power. EXP, LV.. it all blurred into an addicting haze. He hated to admit it, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't obsessed. His original goal became lost as he resigned himself to killing mindlessly, dooming himself to insanity.

Over resets, he also began to grow obsessed with the human themselves. The only other changing factor in this dead world. The others were all just broken records - spitting out the same things over and over again. He had grown numb to them and the world around him.

The only time he ever really felt anything.. was when he was battling with the human, two powerful, lustful, determined beings clashing with one another.

[pyropsychiccollector]

Shiro Harem: Holy Grail War... of Love 3/7

As you guys know, the poll ended up being a 3-way tie... Technically. Although, based off the accidental "first" poll where Artoria had more votes tying her with Sakura... I'm gonna be generous and throw the King of Knights in here as an "unofficial" winner. It's the only poll that changed drastically enough, and I feel bad for flubbing up the first time. XD

... So, uh. Yeah. I'll be writing up 4 posts before posting anything. Be sure to cycle through my posts to find your favorite girl(s)... The official winners are Rin, Sakura, and Luvia. I'll be getting to Mitsuzuri, Illya, and Reines later. XD

The Beginning

For myself, I saved the best for last among the official poll winners... (人◕ω◕) Rin-chan is a giant tsundere, but Shiro helps bring the goober out of her, and it's fantastic~... Here's the usual disclaimer.

Fate: Stay Night is all about branching timelines. As such, to cater to all seven members of this harem in a single worldline, we'll be looking at an AU separate from the canon ones, regardless of how similarly events may play out. Just a forewarning.

Because Rin and Sakura are inextricably tied together as sisters, I'll do a brief recap of the Fourth Holy Grail War. Hit the highlights, at least.

The biggest difference is that Kariya strikes an alliance with Kiritsugu early in the war. (人◕ω◕) Maiya encountered him, and knowing that summoning Berserker just to murder a human woman would waste energy that he sorely needs... Kariya essentially prioritizes his ultimate goal: Save Sakura. He offers Berserker's strength if Maiya and whoever she works for would save Sakura. Negotiations are touch-and-go, but Kiritsugu agrees to the alliance as Iri has him empathize with Kariya even a little, considering he has his own daughter that he wants to protect.

And after Kariya shares with Kiritsugu the particulars of Zouken, why he's so hard to kill... They go to the church about the matter, as it's not directly related to the war. And because Zouken has been dabbling in taboos and represents a genuine threat, Risei suspends the war briefly so that Risei, Kirei, and Tokiomi can exterminate Zouken as he attempts to flee the estate with Sakura.

Bottom line is that Zouken is eliminated, and Kariya strikes a new deal with Tokiomi that if Kariya survives the war, then Tokiomi will allow Sakura to live with the Matou's until Kariya passes. Tokiomi agrees to the challenge, believing it will only be a minor hindrance at most to get around to relocating Sakura to a new magus family. Kariya won't have long to live no matter what. (人◕ω◕)

But... Tokiomi miscalculates. Kirei still betrays him late in the war, when there's only four Servants remaining. Saber defeats Iskandar, and Gilgamesh wipes out Lancelot. It still becomes a battle between Kirei and Kiritsugu, and Artoria and Gilgamesh. Artoria is still used to "destroy the Grail", which triggers the Great Fire. Kirei and Gilgamesh are still kept around and tainted by the Grail. The difference is that Kariya survives too, and after leaving Shiro in Kiritsugu's care he returns to take care of Sakura for the next few years.

I dredge all of this history up because ultimately, it improves relations between Sakura, Rin, and their mother Aoi. (人◕ω◕) Kariya isn't framed for Tokiomi's death, and Aoi gets to live. Sure, Sakura is still conflicted and bitter about the trauma she's faced, about being given up... But with Uncle Kariya around for a few more years to take care of her, and to keep Shinji from becoming a complete bastard, Sakura becomes a little less broken.

Rin also treasures "Uncle Kariya", though. Even if Sakura has dibs, so to speak, Rin still treasures what time she gets to spend with Kariya. She's grateful for what he did for Sakura, and was horrified to hear, even vaguely, the sort of monster Zouken was... Rin still endeavors to be the Tohsaka heiress, but she comes to see the "remnants" of the Matou as extended family because of Kariya and Sakura. ... Even if Shinji is a turd, and Rin would rather not deal with him.

While Kariya doesn't bother making advances on Aoi because he respects a grieving mother who lost her husband, they're still good friends. And if her mother got together with anyone else, Rin would have fully backed Uncle Kariya... Unfortunately he wasn't around long enough to make that happen. When he passed, Sakura withdrew into herself, and Rin and Aoi kept trying to reach out to her. Sakura didn't sever ties or anything... She was just wrestling with her conflicting feelings, and still sorting through the trauma she went through under Zouken.

Rin was unaware of Kirei taking on Sakura as a reluctant second student. Mostly because she spent as little time as possible around the man, not liking the rat one little bit. The bottom line is that Rin turned out mostly the same between wars; her connection with Sakura is better, still a bit frayed, and their mother is still alive... But that's it. Rin continues excelling in school and studying the magic arts.

She hears about Sakura growing close to some guy that's in the same year as Rin, but because of how their bond isn't quite what it used to be, Rin doesn't pry and keeps her distance. That doesn't mean she never notices Shiro for herself; Rin still watches and admires Shiro from a distance in school, not knowing who he is until she hears he's something akin to the "unofficial janitor" with how he keeps helping everyone. ... Moreover, Rin also hears about the boy through her friendship with Mitsuzuri. She almost considers joining the archery club, just to get an up close look for herself... But Shiro leaves the club, finding archery to be too easy, and Rin loses interest in the club.

When the Grail War prematurely rolls around (50 years early), and Rin is selected as a Master... She winds up saving Shiro, after he gets killed by Lancer for stumbling on his fight with Archer. Rin also tries to go save Shiro again when she realizes Lancer will target him again... But to her shock, he summons Saber when cornered. ... And not just that. The little girl that Shiro lives with... His supposed sister... She confronts Rin with Berserker, which drives Rin and Archer away from the Emiya residence.

The Middle Act

Rin is... uneasy about the war, after hearing that Illya helped sign Shiro up. And moreover, that Sakura is also a Master, and that all three of them have forged an alliance. In Rin's eyes, this isn't how Grail Wars are supposed to be conducted... This isn't what her father prepared her for.

... But there's no use crying over spilled milk. Rin's determined to win the war for the honor of the Tohsaka, and she'll find some way to win without killing Sakura or Shiro... Even if the big idiot keeps leaping into battles that aren't his to fight... (人◕ω◕);;; Rin really isn't happy to hear about how reckless Shiro is... Much less see it firsthand.

After the alliance takes down Caster and Assassin... Rin has little choice except to try hammering out a ceasefire agreement with Lancer until the bigger threat is dealt with. ... And that doesn't pan out, because Lancer's Master reneges on the deal and Lancer never shows up for the battle.

Rin's left to try tackling the alliance on her own... And it doesn't help that Archer's "priority" seems to be killing Shiro. She ends up using Command Seals to make him target only the Servants, and the jerk still fights tooth and nail to resist her... He doesn't stand a chance against Saber, Rider, and Berserker all at once. And when he has a final bitter exchange with Shiro, who refuses to back down on his ideals... Rin truly becomes concerned. Nobody should be that selfless... There's such a thing as "self-care", and Shiro doesn't have a shred of that in his body.

But Rin's Holy Grail War is technically over... She lost Archer. And she's powerless when Gilgamesh enters the fray and annihilates Berserker, before spiriting away with Illya. Gilgamesh informed them of the Grail's true nature, and believes they have no chance of saving humanity. Shiro is determined to go after him, but Sakura, Medusa, Artoria, and Rin reel him in. They need a plan, and every advantage they can get.

With the knowledge that Archer was some future Shiro, or a potential Shiro, they know he has the potential for a Reality Marble. So Rin shares part of her family crest with him, which also shares one of her most intimate memories of him, watching him relentlessly attempt the high jump... Rin is deeply embarrassed about the whole ordeal, and it only gets worse for her when Shiro confesses that she's special to him, too... That he always admired her from afar, and even if they were rivals in this war... He still wanted to protect her, to ally with her. Rin grumbles and just knows she's never gonna recover from this embarrassment... Shiro's too nice... And you can't even hate the guy for "flirting" with other girls! He just wears his heart on his sleeve. And Shiro has a big heart...

Sakura-chan gives her an earful for that ritual, sharing the family crest... She won't lose when Shiro's on the line. Medusa voices her support of Sakura, and Artoria is determined to support Shiro... Yeahhh... Rin can tell things are gonna get weird around here, if they're all going after the same guy. (人◕ω◕)

But they have a Grail War to win, first. Medusa takes on Lancer. Saber takes on Gilgamesh. And Shiro battles Kirei, with Rin and Sakura backing him up. They're grueling battles... But they manage to win completely and save Illya. And then they go to target the Greater Grail, using Saber's mightiest attack, and completely end the Grail Wars. Or they will, once they sever all the leylines.

... Oh. And Artoria and Medusa miraculously retained new mortal bodies. Isn't that delightful? They get to stick around in the modern era. Rin sure thinks this is just peachy. (人◕ω◕)

The Future

After the Grail War ends... Rin turns her attention to her suicidal idiot... *cough* That is, her new beau. ... Er. New beau shared by... several girls. (人◕ω◕);;;

Anyway~...

Rin knows even with their collective efforts, they won't be able to talk Shiro out of his unhealthy mindset. They don't want him to completely change... Just take greater care of himself. Consider his own happiness.

And to start him on that path of recovery... Rin drags him along to London. Because if he stays around all six of them - Rin, Sakura, Illya, Mitsuzuri, Medusa, and Artoria... Shiro's not gonna have any "me" time, at least in his mind. He's gonna push himself too hard to please all of them, and he'll struggle when he tries going for his selfless ambitions, travelling around the world to help people.

... Shiro needs to start small. And Rin takes point on this, knowing full well that he won't want to become a full-fledged magus. The few years at the Clocktower will give Rin alone time with Shiro, and make him learn to have a good time... Even if that's like trying to get blood from a stone.

Things don't go completely according to plan. Shiro's selfless leanings gets him close with new women... Luvia and that royal bitch Reines. (人◕ω◕);;; Rin isn't too happy seeing them "toy around" with Shiro... Well, that's mostly Reines. Luvia is a more noble sort, even if Rin can't stand her...

And when it comes time to return to Japan, Luvia and Reines come with them. Whether Rin likes it or not. (人◕ω◕) Doesn't help that Rin gets "punished" for her few years alone with Shiro, all the other girls hogging the Shiro prime time now... But at least Shiro, the big dummy sweetheart, still does his best too ensure Rin feels loved. (人◕ω◕)

Sakura might have gotten started early on the kinky before everyone else... But Rin is the first to have kids with Shiro, down the line. And it's a pretty tight race. (人◕ω◕) Marriage is a tricky affair with all of them... But Shiro is stubborn, and wants all of them married at the same time, so... That's fun. (人◕ω◕)

i suppose you could say the charm of Rin and Shiro's relationship is that they're strong-willed people who stand on equal footing with each other. They respect and admire one another, and they keep each other grounded in reality. Shiro helps Rin to look beyond the rigid rules and traditions of magi... And Rin fights tooth and nail to make Shiro be less selfless, to care for himself more. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, they're both stubborn and are prone to arguments... But they easily reconcile, and know that they love each other. (人◕ω◕) When Rin eventually goes to complete her education at the Clocktower, she does so not only for herself but also to continue growing strong to support Shiro. (人◕ω◕) She's glad to pick up connections and skills so that when Shiro does get around to travelling the world, she can arrange people to help him in a pinch~ He wants to be a Hero of Justice? Fine. But he's going to do so knowing he's not alone~ (人◕ω◕)

It takes many years, but Rin and everyone else helps Shiro mellow out. It's fine to be selfless, to care about others, but not to your own detriment. Rin is at the forefront of that fight, to make Shiro feel happy... It's a tougher fight than even the Grail War, but Rin-chan is proud to take up arms. (人◕ω◕) Shiro will be happy, she'll make sure of it~

First post: https://www.tumblr.com/pyropsychiccollector/743914272095092736/shiro-harem-holy-grail-war-of-love-17?source=share

Second post: https://www.tumblr.com/pyropsychiccollector/743914300198027264/shiro-harem-holy-grail-war-of-love-27?source=share

[fivenightsatfreddysfanfiction]

It feels poetic that The Guard who started the series would become the new protagonist. [Yeah Gregory shares the spotlight with Vanessa, Sydney and Alex, I just mean in the general sense. Especially since Greg's debut game brought people back who hadn't been interested in the series since Mike's introduction game]

The Prodigal Son returns! Sort of...

Gregory being Mike's reincarnation was something I'd been playing with in my head for a while, like about when Ruin dropped and bumped up the priority of rewriting a large chunk of the modern half of the AU. But unlike the other Guard reincarnations who had full memories of their lives when Awakened in their new identities, Gregory was written at the start as a kid whose memories had been purposely stripped from him to remove his identity and make it easier for Elder Afton to take him over. This was because the Aftons learned from Elder's mistake with Lucian, trying to overwrite him with memories intact made it harder to integrate and consume his knowledge and Remnant.

So by robbing Gregory of his memories and messing with his Remnant, the same Remnant that held Mike's memories, emotions, and identity, lots of gaps opened for them that they filled in with each other. In a way he's closer to Digi and Sydney's form of Remnant 'repair'.

Digital Lucian's damaged Remnant and missing memories were filled in with Baby's code, so some of her records went to him as false memories but also a better understanding of the Baby form as his default physical body and an easier acceptance of she/her pronouns while in that form, as well as more leanings towards performance and security.

Sydney's amnesia came from his degrading Remnant and then willingly tearing himself in two in order to save Router from the dispelling of the Trinity of Guards. Router tried to 'heal' what was left of Panther's soul by feeding his own Remnant into him, the emotions of caring for a friend and desperation to keep him safe. This ended up embedding those same feelings into Sydney Herrera as his own, which is how he went from only viewing people in terms of strengths and usefulness to doing everything possible to protect Alex in this new life and befriending Vanessa more genuinely and wanting to save and protect her too, and then extending that care and love (and desperation) to his new little circle of family and friends.

But Gregory? The experiments tore memories from his identity and past as well as Mike's, leaving both of them with gaps. Mike wasn't Awakened fully, just roused during the process in order to fight against it as best he could, thus taking damage. As Gregory heals and has those gaps in memory found and false memories pulled apart, Mike's Remnant fills in those holes in Gregory with pieces of himself, his emotions and memories. And eventually Gregory gets Six to fill in the gaps of Mike with the addition of Gregory's emotions and identity to smooth over the process.

What we have in the end isn't just Mike within Gregory or Gregory with Mike behind him, but a kind of fusion of the two. Sometimes there's more Mike than Gregory in certain cases (it'll be easy to tell when that happens) but most times there's more Gregory than Mike, even when he answers to both names. Like Gregory's use of Mike's phrases that fit best with him in situations or adapting Mike's experiences to his own views, and Mike in turn picks up on technology about animatronics and their quirks and how to use them to his advantage far more easily and quickly thanks to Gregory's experiences and skills.

He's Gregory, first and foremost. But Mike's in there too, just no longer 'separate' thanks to Elizabeth's meddling. When talking to Gregory, you're talking to both, and when Gregory speaks, you're hearing from both. Dunno if that makes sense but that's how I write Gregory as Mike's reincarnation.

The First Guard, home again. Maybe not the same, but it's still him.

[hauntedjpegcollection]

speak with dead

wc: 2391 au: bg3 au ch: xavier, lark

They find the paladin amongst fallen rubble and foliage.

It would be a beautiful resting place, if the battle field were not twenty paces away reeking of offal and death. Yet the sunlight cuts through the overhang of trees and paints the red haired man in little dapples of yellow. The shrine he and many of the others had been working to protect stands mostly surviving, but the stone around him is bright white and lively. His eyes are open, staring upward, green as pond water.

Avery thinks hes beautiful, imagines him alive briefly. Stunningly tall, a sword as long as he is. Gallant and knightly. An extended gauntleted hand that would help her onto a horse—a brown mare and the paladin would hold her knee briefly through her skirts and smile at her.

His breast plate is cracked open however, his blood a dark red color soaking into the dirt underneath him.

“Use the amulet,” Torvald hisses. He throws anxious glances around his shoulders, as if the dead will rise and attack them for their thievery. The air is stagnant and thick with blood and misery. There is hardly any sound in the forest. Even birds have silenced themselves in the wake of the small battle. The dead will rise, Avery thinks; at least enough to ask them questions.

He is the fourth they’ve harassed from a peaceful death, her brother convinced that one of them will have the key to the shrines lockboxes. Or will know how to solve some secret puzzle that will send stones sliding to uncover a hidden indent in a wall—an amulet more useful than speaking with the dead. Something that will sell for lots of gold, enough that Torvald’s debt might stop haunting him.

“Avery,” he snaps in a thin voice and she flinches.

There is a scar across the paladin’s face. Something thin and almost delicate—a slice over his chin and nose. He has a very dignified nose, she thinks, staring down at him. A long, handsome thing. Regal, really. Avery imagines him related to nobility. She imagines that he was the son of a well off family that cried when their brave, oldest son went to take an oath. She imagines the ancient oath, something honorable. He is exceptionally pale. Maybe from all the blood loss.

And he has so many freckles.

She breathes in slowly and finds that odd place inside her that a connection to magic resides. She could be a sorceress maybe. She could train as a wizard. She could sell her soul to be a warlock. Avery lifts a hand, grasping at what remnants of the paladin’s soul are still there inside his body. He’s fresh enough to talk to—a part of her knows that means he’s also fresh enough to be revived. If only she had a scroll, if only she were a cleric. Maybe. A cleric would be nice too…

As the paladin rises from the ground, limbs rag doll and limp, she notices just how large he is. Massive really. Taller than Torvald by two heads at least. She has to reimagine her daydream then. He’d be able to hold her by the waist to help her onto the horse. She could lean down for a kiss. His green eyes become nothing but a glowing sickly light, mouth slack in waiting for a question.

“Who are you?” Avery asks. Torvald crowds behind her shoulder. She can feel his breath on the nape of her neck. But since she is the one with the amulet, he has to let her have this one question. No matter what corpse she speaks to, Avery always gets the first question, and that first question is always—

“Xavier….Wolffe….”

“Ask him—”

“I know,” Avery clips out. Her tenuous connection to magic wavers a bit, strumming power along her outstretched hand. Xavier…What a handsome name. “What are you here for?” She swears for a moment, outside the ringing of necromancy in her ears, that she hears something in the woods. A rustling. Something approaching, but—

“Benji…”

The name shocks her. It’s not what they’re looking for—Torvald wants to know which of these dead are here because of the shrine and which just got caught up in the skirmish. Paladin’s are noble. They’ll fight for whatever is right. At least, that’s what Avery knows of paladins, anyway. She touches her lips with her other hand, thinking of the name. Benji. Who?

“Don’t ask,” Torvald snarls, stepping around her shoulder and glaring into her eyes. A thick, mottled bruise covers one half of his face. It’s a cruel reminder of how badly they need coin. Avery wishes they could use it to catch a cart and leave, to find some remote village where she could maybe become a medium and Torvald could go back to masonry and they could have a normal life. Not something scrounged for on battlefields, picking between corpses for gems and coppers.

“I want to know,” Avery snaps. Xavier…She feels strongly about her paladin now.

“Who cares?”

“I….care….”

Both of them recoil and stare at the floating corpse. It doesn’t move. It hangs in the balance of life and death, just enough soul to bid them answers to a necromancer call. But no corpse had ever answered her brother, even when he’d used the amulet once before. She feels dread in her stomach. If Torvald could use it, he might not need her. What then? Where would she go if she wasn’t following him?

“Only two left,” Torvald says. His hands tremble at his sides; scared that the dead paladin had answered him instead. Good. Maybe if he was too afraid of the power, it could still be hers. Avery stepped closer. She could smell the tang of blood, iron and salt. Her hand reached out further. She wanted to touch him, to keep a part of him for herself. His head hung loose, glowing eyes on nothing.

“Is there treasure here?” Avery whispers, finally asking the real question Torvald had wanted this whole time.

“Treasure….” The paladin doesn’t move, but she feels something. Through the link from her to the amulet to him. There is a broiling beneath the power. Something unknown and strong; it’s her turn to be afraid. Xavier scares her now. Whatever he is thinking, it is such a connection that his soul rallies at the thought of it. What treasure?

“In…bag….treasure…”

“Yes! Bloody fuckin’ right there’s treasure!” Torvald darts around the paladin, scouring the grass for the paladin’s pack. He must have been crawling for it, as he was dying, to have gone so far from where the battle had started. Avery watches her brother rip into a leather satchel, and her eyes fall once more to the paladin. The air hums with the electricity of the final question. Her brother might want another, might want to know about the shrine, or the temple that’s further into the forest. But instead she comes closer. Her hand tentatively touches the paladin’s shoulder.

“Do you have family?”

“Avery, come off it,” Torvald growls, emptying the pack into the bloodied grass with a frantic need. But she doesn’t care.

“Someone should at least know—”

“Lark….” The dead paladin breathes out in a soft, gentle whisper.

And then the connection severs, and his body floats back to the ground with a heavy thud.

Avery feels empty as she stares at the dead man. At the promise of his entire life, snuffed out because people had come to—what? Steal, pillage, murder just for fun? And he’d stepped between it all. Who was Lark? A brother maybe. An uncle perhaps. She’d never know. Avery never knew anything but the five questions. She leaves the paladin by his rubble and stands beside her brother instead.

Torvald howls in frustration and fury, tearing through the pack. She watches a tiny wooden ship clatter onto some of the pristine, white rubble. There’s a bottle of ale that nearly smashes. She saves it with the tip of her boot, thinking she’ll drink the rest of it tonight when they inevitably stop at a stable and sleep amongst the hay. Torvald shakes the pack and more items tumble free, but none of it…nothing looks valuable.

A dagger that is handsomely made, but perhaps no better than Torvald’s own swordbreaker. A book that she crouches to look at. The cover is worn, the title nearly rubbed clean. PALADIN’S AND THEIR OATH’S. She runs her fingers over the cloth cover. Torvald begins to cry, big frustrated sobs as he slaps a bundle of parchment to the ground. He punches the soil next, childish and furious. Avery ignores him to gently take the stack.

They are held together by a strand of green yarn.

A cawing makes her flinch, stumbling from her couch with the parchment in her hand. A raven—the biggest she’s ever seen—sits on Xavier Wolffe’s chest. It’s curious head cocks to the side, beady eye on her.

“He said there was fuckin’ treasure,” Torvald continues, taking the wooden ship in hands. He attempts to crack it over his knee in blind rage, but he’s either not strong enough or it’s not just simple wood. And when that doesn’t work, he throws it at the bird. The raven hops into the air and when it’s wings spread as if to take off, a man appears instead.

“Those are my brothers,” the drow says, with a lifted finger to the papers in Avery’s hand.

Torvald screams, the sound high pitched and wet and the sound of branches breaking behind her lets Avery know he’s run. She can’t take her eyes off the drow; his dark grey skin, the luminosity of his pale yellow eyes, the inky tattoos on his face in the shape of…something sinister. She can barely see, because her eyes have welled with tears.

“Please, don’t hurt me,” she begs. Her brothers screams fade. He’s far from her now.

“Give me them.”

Avery throws the bundle of parchment to the ground. When she turns, the leather cord around her throat snags and she chokes. The amulet slaps across her collarbone and her hands claw at it, the tears siding down her cheeks and making fat droplets onto her miserable grey dress. Oh please, no, please help, she thinks uselessly and imagines the paladin once more.

Then the cord is cut and Avery runs for her life.

—

Xavier picks up the wooden homage of Alandei and sits on the stone steps leading to the dais he’d crawled toward during those last, dark moments. He pushes out the memory, the way his vision had tunneled, how he’d known that he had nothing left to give and still had to get this far. A sending stone, for him to touch and let Lark—who had waited in the woods for some sort of signal—know that things had gone very fucking wrong.

He sighs and fixes the mast, which had bent only slightly under the thief’s abuse.

“Can’t believe you still have that,” Lark says, standing in front of him with arms crossed over his chest.

“No love for our home village?” Xavier asks with a sheepish smile.

“I don’t come from Alandei,” Lark replies, with his own sly grin.

“No, just wash up on it’s shore. I’d say you’re more born of it then me, since the sea spit you onto the beach.”

Lark waves a bored hand. Xavier gently tucks the wooden toy into his bag. The strap had been torn, the contents still mostly scattered. A gathering of clerics still hum, a short distance away where most of the carnage had been. Xavier can feel the thickness of their divine power, the tang of their holy magic on his tongue. But he’d not been revived by a cleric.

“Do I owe you?” Xavier asks, grinning at his brother, and his reviver.

Lark slowly holds out the bundle of letters. His heart wrenches at the sight, his hands greedy enough to shake as he takes them. Xavier inspects, as if he’ll find dirt of blood from the nasty thieves, but they’re in tact and whole. Unmarred. He looks from under his eyelashes to the druid standing in front of him.

“So I do owe you,” he wagers, gently tucking the letters into his ravaged pack. One of them, the top letter, is actually penned by him. Meant to be dropped off at the next town he’s in, so Benji can get it at the next town he’d sworn to be in.

“I won’t tell Benji you died if you help me find Matilda.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to be found,” Xavier reasons as he slowly stands.

“Yes, she does,” Lark sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She just wants to make it difficult for me, because she loves to see me struggle.” They share a laugh; Lark’s quiet and reserved and Xavier’s much louder. He can see clerics in the field over looking at him over their shoulders. He raises a hand slightly, trying to appear friendly, despite the bloody hole in his armor.

“Did you see anything?” his brother asks quietly, coming to stand beside them. More men rise on the battle field. Not everyone could be saved. Such is the way of the world. Luck plays a part in it, Xavier knows that. His hand unconsciously dips into his pack, fingers touching sheaths of parchment. “When you were—well. Did you see—maybe you saw mother—your mother.”

“Ours,” Xavier corrects, with a soft smile. Then he’s quiet for a long moment.

He had seen something. But it’s already slipping, because he’s no longer dead. Xavier only remembers the warmth, really. Like being in water, head tilted back for the sun to heat the skin of his cheeks, his shoulders, his chest. He remembers the smell of salt and the kiss of the sea. And he remembers—

“I don’t remember,” Xavier finally answers, clapping a guantleted hand on Lark’s shoulder. “Matilda went East.”

“She told me South,” Lark hisses between sharp, white teeth. His yellow eyes turn slitted and feral like an animal and Xavier’s laugh gets loud enough to scare the birds that had returned. Up into the air, the flock casts shadows of V’s across them all.

[shallowstories]

Sticky + navigation for @shallowstories

Requests: Yes, I'll do 100 to 300-word snippets or loglines, or prompt you what to write next if you ask.

Credit policy: You 100% can take any idea and run with it. Rewrite my fic ideas, my snippets, stories, polls -> whatever you feel like; NO CREDIT is necessary.

What I like / write: I'm pro-Dean and Cas, I love Mary, I adore Jack, and my personality is a glorious merge of Sam, Donatello, and Metatron (thoughts and prayers appreciated).

Ao3: shallowseeker

Other blogs: main @shallowseeker / images @shallowimages / venting and not-as-nice things @shallowrambles /

Tagging system:

Relationships with &

Romantic relationships with a /

Some tags I have here: #dean/cas, #dean & rowena, #fic ideas

///

Specific stories:

==TIMEY WIMEY STUFF==

Feelings of excitement and infatuation (Ao3) - old Tumblr remnants here - Jack-centric, religious horror, Dean/Castiel, Jack & Sam & Dean & Cas & Mary, light Jack/Harper(?) - After the events of Byzantium (14x08), Jack seeks out Harper Sayles (14x06) to gather intel about necromancy and divination to find a way to save the angel Castiel from his fatal deal with The Empty. Unfortunately, the extended Sayles family is a giant nexus of power, and Jack finds himself lured into a plot to harness the power of The Empty to rip into the very fabric of the future.

==HIGH BIBLICAL FANTASY==

For your crimes against the most high (Ao3) - Dean/Castiel, Chuck's sexual fixations, Adam & Michael (with some implications), Jack & Lucifer & Michael, Jack & Sam & Dean - Chuck ramps up his existential torture by taunting Dean about Castiel's role in the story, and Sam realizes that Chuck’s focus on familial sacrifice is more than an obsession—it’s where he gets his power. (The one where Chuck insists Cas was just a self-insert. Team Free Will resists.) Warnings: desecration of religion, iconoclasm, Judeo-Christian polytheism, temporary character deaths, graphic sex, detailed violence

==GRIEVING & OTHER COMPLEX FAMILY TOPICS==

The body of real things, events, and facts (Ao3) - Grieving fic, Dean/Castiel, Sam & Cas, Dean & Sam - In an attempt to tackle his own grief over losing Castiel, Sam rifles through the bunker footage to witness Cas’s last moments. The footage leaves him with more questions than answers. (The one where Dean's memory and the actual footage...don't match.) Warnings: Post-finale continuation, temporary character deaths, alcohol, and Chuck is a dick

Something alien and terrible (Ao3) - Grieving fic, Dean/(Castiel), Dean & Donna - Dean has a panic attack at Donna’s while watching a midnight movie. Warnings: Major character death (Cas), grieving, media triggers (The Last of the Mohicans), suicide in media (The Last of the Mohicans)

It's a free bunker (Ao3) - Sam POV - Dean/Castiel - Drabble snapshots from the Bunker from Season 9 onward, exploring the meaning of home & family. Warnings: Wally

I'm just not a Cosmopolitan gal (Ao3) - Dean/Castiel, Dean & Mary & Jack - After the brutal slaughter of the Apocalypse World hunters, Dean's doing everything he can to maintain a sense of normalcy around the bunker. Mary shows up to help. There's grocery shopping, mother-son passive-aggressiveness, and a pansy-ass Cosmopolitan magazine that Dean definitely isn't going to take relationship advice from.

==FLUFFY TFW==

Rain falling on a tent (Ao3) - Family fluff, Dean/Castiel, Jack & Sam & Dean & Cas - After a hunt, Team Free Will 2.0 takes shelter in a (temporarily) abandoned campsite.

One good dance move (Ao3) - Family fluff, Dean/Castiel, strong!Cas, light AU Bobby/Mary - Post-Apocalypse World rescue, on a rare quiet evening, Jack and Dean try out some moves from Dirty Dancing and Grease.

At the edge of routine (Ao3) - Family fluff, Dean/Castiel - Team Free Will 2.0 fall into grocery squabbling routines, and Cas starts bringing home gifts every time he gets home from a case.

==INDULGENT DEAN/CAS==

Danger: Escalating fantasy (Ao3) - Indulgent fluff, slightly bittersweet, Dean/Castiel - Giddy about the possibility of retirement, Dean decides to sneak out for a three-hour road trip to his favorite parts of Lawrence. When Cas comes along for the ride, they go embarrassingly overboard shopping for beach supplies.

==HOLIDAY==

The twelve days' game (Ao3) - Christmas-centric, bittersweet fluff, Dean/Castiel, Jack & Sam & Dean & Cas - On the first day of December, Dean finds a postcard of a partridge in friggin’ pear tree taped to the screen of his laptop. There’s no note—no writing. It’s just there. Warnings: Mentions of Michael possession trauma, attempted smiting, and a guest appearance by Arthur Ketch

///

Tumblr things (working on this!):

==DRABBLES / half-baked ideas==

#drabbles

#brainstorming

#half baked ideas

==PROMPTS & LOGLINES / dislogue, scenarios, voice ideas, themes, etc

#unbaked ideas

#fic ideas

#dialogue ideas

#theme ideas

[patchworkspringlocks]

Related to my last reblog I got to thinking about Dave/Patchwork’s relationship to Michael and their role in my au canon as a whole

Dave is, or was, a chronic people pleaser to his core. He’s the type of person to always be support for others and never for himself, the mirrored opposite of William’s obsessive self interest and callous disregard for others (as he has little relevance for existing outside of being a point of comparison between them). In many, many ways an unhealthy mindset to live by, and in many other ways exactly what Michael had needed from a parental figure in his life.

By no means were Michael and Dave close by any definition of the word when they were both still alive. William barely tolerated visiting his wife’s family when he was in a good mood, nevermind being in the presence of his brother-in-law for an extended period who was everything he despised about people condensed into a single figure that was also the only person who could have potentially taken Clara from his meticulously calculated grip. Dave had only seen his nephews and niece at funerals. Even so, he still tried to console and be there for his family, especially his older nephew and especially after the incident in 1983. While Michael was beside himself with grief and fear and guilt and sorrow, Dave was beside him telling him it’s okay to cry if he needed to, that he had a shoulder for him to cry on if he wanted, and that he believes the boy when he says it was an accident. It was the first moment Michael had truly felt seen, comforted, cared for since before his mother passed away.

As Remnant ghosts, their dynamic is much the same, with the added layer of wanting the same thing out of the same person. They’re much too driven by their need for revenge and obstructed by their diminished capacity to feel anything other than anger to properly bond as uncle and nephew like living people would, but Patchwork nevertheless does whatever he can to help them succeed in their goals as they deal with the other murdered souls now out for blood and ensure their continued survival in a world that would hate and fear them as they are. Both of them are adult minds with more cognitive abilities than those of children formed from fear and pain, and with that also comes a level of understanding one another as not many other people are able to. And I think Henry would look at them the way most people would, as broken souls lashing out against their fates chasing goals he thinks he could fulfill and give to them the rest he thinks they need, but Patchwork looks at Michael the same way that Dave once had, as a complete soul distorted by grief but filled with determination to set things right.

Which is why Henry fails, and why I think Dave and Michael ultimately would succeed.

[geekdom2005]

If we look at this in the most plausible manner possible, which is wwx tells her what he's planning and Jiang Yanli offers herself up... Some things I imagine will happen:

Wei Wuxian doesn't let her until she gives him a look, to which he finally agrees begrudgingly

Wei Wuxian is right there through the whole process and doesn't get captured by the Wens because he's at full power and is actively protecting both siblings

Jiang Cheng inevitably finds out what happens, not only because Jiang Yanli's relationship with him is not as complicated, and because sadly she does get noticeably weakened for seemingly no reason

The Jiang sect is not as cornered because the red flag of Wei Wuxian just stays the same scholarly genius, than a tsundere demonic cultivator

The sunshot campaign becomes harder to win without Wei Wuxian's demonic cultivation (but for the sake of the AU, they manage to win)

Jiang Yanli keeps getting weaker, and Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian get increasingly protective of her

Jiang Yanli still refuses the marriage proposal from the Jin, still with the reason of the well being if her sect

Jin Jixuan still extends his invite during the Phoenix mountain hunt

But the (in my opinion, magnificent) confrontation of Jiang Yanli and Jin Jixun doesn't happen, because Wei Wuxian isn't as antagonised and there is no way Wei Wuxian is letting her go through that this time

But he does stop their walk to escort her back and Jin Jixuan still confesses to her

Their relationship is still strained because she feels obligated to not accept, her siblings don't think he deserves her, and he's confused as to why she doesn't want to accept

This time around when Wen Qing asks for help, Jiang Cheng, knowing the truth, and Jiang Yanli, feeling the same as Wei Wuxian, offer the Jiang Sects support

Wei Wuxian finds out about Qongqi path and rescues the Wen remnants, and since he makes the journey on his sword, he should be able to save Wen Ning before he dies

But this time he goes back to Yunmeng Jiang

When the other sects ask for an explanation, they are able to explain their case better, not only because Wei Wuxian is less coreless-crazy and has more sway, but also with him still following the righteous path and with Lan Zhan being on better terms with him Nie Mingjue would be more willing to hear him out

And with the support of the Lan and the Nie they are able to resolve the issue with proper answers from the Jin

Thus destabilizing them

And hopefully in the middle of all of this Jin Jixuan has a heart to heart with Jiang Yanli and he tells her that her power doesn't lie in her core, and the Yunmeng Shuangjie give him a good shovel talk, he gets to marry Jiang Yanli

Oh and since Wei Wuxian is looking after the Wen remnants he had to stay back at Yunmeng, so Lan Wangji will marry into the Jiang sect and move to Lotus Pier and they adopt Wen Yuan (now Wei/Jiang Yuan)

And now Jin Lings has all his family actually alive and healthy

AU where Yanli is the one to volunteer for the core transplant and starts to waste away as a result. Does she resent Jiang Cheng for getting himself caught by the Wen despite being happy for him? Does she give up on Zixuan altogether because there’s no way he can marry a coreless woman? Does she check out emotionally at some point, leaving her brothers to desperately claw at each other and fall apart in the end? Would she ever resort to demonic cultivation?

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Yang: Oh Hey! You must be one of Pyrrha's Cousins!

Pyra: N- No? I am Pyra?

Yang: I was Talking about Pyrrha Nikos. It is nice to meet you though!

Pyra: Oh. That Makes sense, But no. I am not related to Miss Nikos.

~~~~~

Ruby: You are so Cool! What's your weapon? Is it also a gun? You look like Jaune, are you an Arc?

Mythra: Thank you, Technically I am my weapon, Yes, kind of, and NO I am not an Arc.

Ruby: What do you mean by "You are your weapon?"

Mythra: This *Floats Aegis in front of her* Is the Aegis. Me and my other half reside in it. It's ... Complicated. I suppose, all it can be very confusing.

Ruby: Actually that makes a lot of sense - I mean Crescent Rose and Form into a person as- Nope! No! I am thinking of the wrong AU! Sorry, ignore that!

Mythra: Uh- I-

Mythra: Okay? Well. Cool.

Ruby: Well, why are you here then?

Mythra: Oh my Cousin-

~~~~~

Penny: Rex? Do you know where Pyra and Mythra Are? I have been wishing to visit with them for some time!

Rex: Well, they've gotta be around here somewhere.

Penny: *pouting* Hm.

Rex: Well I can't quite keep them on a Leash Penny!

[pearlywritings]

The little chaser

synopsis: your son likes chasing and catching crystal flies now, and giving their cores as gifts brings him joy.

pairing and characters: Diluc x fem!reader, your twin sons

tw: pure fluff, domestic moment

word count: 2k+ words

author’s note: just a small something my brain came up with when I was thinking of Rufus loving bringing different trinkets from his outings to his parents, whenever one of them or both stay home.

Family AU masterlist

"Ma, ma! Do you think dad will like it?" Rufus appears next to you almost as if out of thin air and extends an open palm to show you a crystal fly core. "I caught a big one!"

"Oh, firefly,” you smile and brush your fingers through the thick mane of crimson hair, which somehow always manages to look decent, “I am sure he'll love it." 

“Yeah??” Red eyes widen and stare at you in a hardly contained excitement, to which you hum in confirmation, giving him a firm nod. Giggling, your son plops on the grass near you and, holding the gleaming piece tightly to his chest, falls head first on your thigh, disturbing his twin, who's been peacefully napping on your other hip.

The little boy lifts his head and starts owlishly blinking, which, paired with his hair messily hanging from a ponytail, creates such a cute image that you can't help but laugh softly. How can you not, when your baby looks like a little owlet with ruffled feathers? His father looks the same almost every morning and the fond reminder makes your heart swell with adoration.

"Wha- wha's happenin'?" He reaches to rub on his eyes, ridding of the remnants of his nap. Your fingers gently tug on his shirt, that rearranged itself on his shoulders, smoothing the fabric and running knuckles against his rosy cheek.

"Nothing, Lu, I just caught a crystal fly, look!" Your older son reaches a hand back over your legs to show his brother a sparkling thing clasped tightly between his small fingers. Lucas finally blinks the sleep away and now stares at the core mesmerized. Rubies of his orbs twinkle with awe and mouth falls agape.

"Woooooow…so pretty! Did you really catch it!?"

"Yes, I did! Wanna one?"

"Yes, yes, I do!"

You watch your sons roll off of you and then some more on the ground and think of poor maids who are going to wash the grass stains from their white shirts later. Their little masters could care less though at the moment, getting back on their feet and, at least, dusting their shorts.

"Mama," Rufus turns to you with a serious expression and then reaches to hand the crystal core over, "please keep it while I get one for Lu. Oh! Do you want one?"

"Maybe another time," you smile, accepting the little treasure that'll soon adorn your husband's desk. "We are going back soon, so don't take too long, alright?" Just as the words leave your mouth two sets of identical eyes turn from gleaming with joy to sad.

"Alreaaaady?" They whine almost in one voice and you have a hard time resisting these cute pleading faces, with puffed up cheeks and puppy eyes. If it was Diluc here, he’d probably have a much harder time resisting his little balls of mischief. But mama owl in you knows better.

"We've been out the whole day. I bet papa misses you two already. Plus it's going to get dark soon, we better be on our way before sunset."

"Alright…" begrudgingly they eventually sigh in defeat and then, realizing they have little time, disappear almost as if whisked by the wind.

To think of it, the wind has been almost non-existent today. Thanks Barbatos, it hasn't been too sunny and heat hasn't really bothered any of you. But then again the summer days go by and autumn approaches, which means the evenings get chiller, so you hope the boys do hurry up with the elemental creature. It'd be great to get home without as much as even starting shivering.

Soon Lucas indeed returns back to your side and climbs into your lap with back facing you.

"Ma, hair almost got caught in a bush…" he quietly complains and you nearly give yourself a facepalm - letting your boy go running around with messy hair, how smart of you.

"Don't worry, baby, I'll fix it," the ribbon comes undone and the twin grips it in his tiny fingers - he knows you need both hands to deal with his hair. A brush appears in your grasp - with how active your sons are, having it with you is a must, - and start working on the nest, turning the bird's home into a flowing river of fire. Lucas doesn't even fidget, only humming something under his nose and looking ahead, to where his brother is slowly approaching three anemo crystal flies, floating in the air almost lazely. The height is perfect for Rufus to grab and there is only a couple of feet separating the little hunter and his prey. The redhead has such a concentrated look on his face, that he looks almost adult-serious, each step and movement is coordinated and measured - he has an important mission after all.

You lift your gaze when Lucas claps his hands with a giggle, watching a single crystal fly speeding away, desperate to save its life. His older brother lifts both hands in the air, grinning victoriously.

"Mom, I caught two!" With the triumphant cry the boy sprints to you, eager to present his trophies. Lucas holds his palms together when Rufus bends to drop one gleaming core to him. Absolutely stunned, he is now twirling the little treasure, watching how light is playing on its edges, completely forgetting about everything surrounding him. Meanwhile your oldest turns to you and offers you the second one, equally beautiful and shiny. With a wide smile he watches you put the brush aside and take the gift. A gleeful squeal then erupts from his mouth when you hug him and press to your side, kissing under his chin.

"Thank you, Ru," butterfly kisses against his skin are like caresses of the crystal fly wings, and the boy keeps giggling and squirming in your hold from the ticklish sensation, kicking his feet and holding onto your arm.

"You, hehe, like it? Ahaha, stooooop!"

"Of course I do. Maybe I'll make a necklace later," you stop your loving attack and hum in thought and the idea seems to catch Lucas' attention. Suddenly he turns around and extends his hands with the core and his ribbon.

"Make me one, please!"

"Oh, why not," you quickly agree, letting Rufus go, only for him to drop onto his knees to catch his breath and collect himself, "But I want you two to gather things back into the basket while I am doing so. And put my and dad's cores there too."

Boys nod and, after Lucas scrambles back to his feet and his twin follows him a couple of seconds later, begin cleaning up. You effortlessly loop the ribbon around the "horns", tying a knot just in case and then one on the ends, making a simple trinket.

Your youngest looks purely happy with it hanging around his neck as the three of you are making your way back to the Winery. Rufus is absolutely pleased with himself for making his brother this elated and is telling you all about his hunting techniques, promising to teach his twin everything next time. Lucas eagerly nods, staring at his brother like he is a hero from the books the boy loves Adelinde or his parents reading him.

The fond look doesn’t leave your eyes, as you watch your babies interact. So similar, yet so different, but most importantly being each other's best friends. Somehow you are convinced that these boys will forever be getting along and adore each other, no matter how many stories exist of siblings getting in serious fights. You only hope they’ll stay these little happy balls of vermillion joy for as long as it is possible, playing, learning, exploring the world through the childish fantasies of theirs.

This sentiment you share with their father, whose eyes lit up affectionately and proudly whenever he watches Rufus and Lucas doing whatever. Just like now, as you spot him outside, not taking his eyes off of his sons, who started chasing each other among the rows of the wineyard, laughing and squealing, drawing the attention of the workers that remained to finish some work.

Diluc, with a shawl wrapped around his shoulders, is standing in the main doorway of the winery, shoulder pressed to the doorframe and arms crossed on his chest. Probably having noticed you three out of the window he came down to be the first one to greet his family back.

The boys don’t notice him just yet, running around Tunner, making the old man helplessly smile and joke that they’re going to make him dizzy. You use this opportunity to approach your husband, putting the basket to one of the benches nearby, and stepping into his embrace right after.

“Hello, my flame,” his voice is hushed and a little bit hoarse, red strands tickle your cheek as his chin comfortably rests on top of your head.

"Hi, love," you softly murmur against his collarbone, snuggling to him with arms wrapped around his waist. "You good?"

"Mhm," the hum vibrates in his throat, arms squeezing you a little bit tighter. "You?"

"Couldn't be better. Are you cold?"

"...yes, a bit. It'll pass soon."

Being an owner of the Pyro vision your husband's body was far warmer than a normal person's should be. But that's only if he has his vision with him, and you don't notice it on his hip this time, meaning he left it somewhere within the house with his body heat returning to an adequate degree. When it happens it always makes him a bit receptive to the chill around if there is one, fortunately, it's just for a few moments.

"Well... It always can be helped by the snuggle session with me and our boys," you suggest and feel Diluc nod against the top of your head.

Turning in his embrace you search for two red heads and quickly spot them on the other end of the wineyard, observing a crystal fly, whose wings barely touch the green leaves of the grapes. You know what is going on inside their heads, but you'll have to ruin their fun. Sorry, boys, but that's enough hunting for today.

"Sounds good to me. By the way, I let the maids go earlier today. Tomorrow is going to be very busy," oh, your man is too kind and caring, and that's one of the reasons you love him dearly.

"This is perfectly fine, love. I'll cook dinner today, not a problem at all."

"Ru! Lu! Come home, babies!" Raising their heads the twins lock eyes with you and Diluc. Then they glance back at the elemental being and even from the distance you can see them sighing in disappointment before trotting to you.

"We could catch it!" Rufus complains, attaching himself to dad's leg almost immediately, hugging him in greeting.

“They became obsessed with these,” your words bring a small, but indescribably warm smile on Diluc’s face, who didn't miss the scene. No doubt he thought about the times he and Kaeya used to do the same, chasing crystal flies and bringing collected cores to Master Crepus so he could turn them into something beautiful.

“But they are pretty…” Lucas sighs, fidgeting with one around his neck. “Right, dad?” He even lifts it a little to show his father, which reminds Rufus of his present. He starts searching for the basket until you point to the bench and he runs to get it.

“Right, Lu,” Diluc nods, keeping one arm wrapped around your shoulders and bringing the other to run fingers through his son’s hair. “It’s so unusual to see him with hair down,” he quietly admits and you chuckle, understanding what he means.

“Bet Tunner couldn’t even guess who is who today.”

“Undoubtedly.”

"Pa!” Rufus finally returns, holding a core with both of his hands. “That's for you! I caught it myself."

“You did, didn’t you?" The softness in his gaze and the easily perceptible adoration in his voice makes you weak in the knees, but you manage to stay put. "Tell me all about it.” 

A swift movement and the twins are resting in their dad’s arms, who steps back into the winery, having decided that’s enough of standing outside. Quickly grabbing the basket you follow them inside, glancing at the third core resting among all the items you brought to the stroll.

You make a mental note to find a small chest for the twins to store these, because, if Diluc’s stories of his childhood are something to take into consideration, there are going to be dozens of cores in the near future. Well, it can’t be helped if the game is to their liking. Most importantly your crystal flies chasers have their fun.

taglist: @sleep-deprivedracoon

[krisnb485]

As the CEO of Villain!Explorers, I'm delighted to announce that me and the MHA AU crew have finished working on the Explorers for this AU.

MHA X Horizons AU:

The Explorers

The Explorers are a villain organization created by Gibeon Kuroshima, foundator of the Quirk Investigation Facility Exceed who was believed to have been quirkless and have died a century and a half ago. He was the sidekick of one of the first vigilantes of the quirk era, Lucius Sasaki, helping him understand his quirk better and even making some early Hero Gear items with his limited mechanics knowledge. Both him and Lucius saw the prime of All For One's empire, and became part of the resistance against him.

Lucius' quirk made him able to absorb people's souls to make spiritual links with them and have them aid him in battle by having them use their quirks. With this in mind, Lucius took the souls of six brave Heroes who trusted him with their lifes, all with the intention of defeating AFO and bringing the world to peace. However, both he and Gibeon underestimated the Symbol of Evil's overwhelming power, and Lucius died in battle.

When Gibeon was taking Lucius to a nearby graveyard to give him a proper burial, he touched his body, and at the moment he did, he felt something. The Six Heroes' souls were stuck in his friend's body, and they were in pain. And among all that pain, Gibeon was able to recognize vestiges of a familiar figure, his greatest treasure. He swore he would take Lucius back and help him reach his dream of a world full of light, a world which Gibeon would make sure they both ruled for eternity.

There was a problem though, how would he bring Lucius and the Heroes back to life? He theorized it had something to do with Lucius' quirk, so he decided to dedicate himself to studying quirks from now on, and founded the Quirk Investigation Facility Exceed. He gained wealth and fame and made great advancements in the area of quirk science. He found out that he did have a quirk; one that extended his lifespan twice a normal person's in exchange for physical prowess, and developed a pink mist from his own quirk that could extend his lifespan even further. He even bought a mansion for himself and got a butler named Hamber. a At 80 years old, Gibeon faked his death and left the business in hands of his son, with the son knowing his father was still alive.

Thanks to his public discoveries and his own private research in a hidden facility below Exceed which was connected to his mansion, Gibeon understood what he had to do. He needed to mix two quirks into one and put the new quirk into Lucius' body. The necessary factors were: a Lucius descendant's quirk that functioned by powering itself up with the power of others, and a quirk that could affect and take souls. That way, the remnants of Lucius and the Six Heroes would react and bring Lucius' soul back from the dead as a living dead, as himself but being under the control of Gibeon. With this power, Gibeon plans to submit heroes and villains' souls to make Lucius allmighty and create their wished utopia, a world of light with no darkness to be found.

And so, Gibeon starts working on the first factor of his plan. The soul affecting quirk. He makes the women of his family have children in quirk marriages for the purpose of giving birth to that child, and many decades later, he succeeds, and Amethio Kuroshima is born as his great(x2) Grandson.

He erased Amethio's parents off the map and tricked the young boy into thinking they abandoned him, turning him into a villain who wishes for revenge in a world that's wronged him. Along with that, Gibeon would recruit four persons; Spinel Asunama, an Exceed higher-up who found out about Gibeon's secret and offered himself to his cause; Sango Sakurai, a candy-addict criminal with no place to go to; Onyx Oba, a hero course dropout who wanted to eliminate the impure heroes that were tainting the idea of heroes; and Agate Agawa, an ex-martial artist whose entire dojo was killed with poison by an enemy dojo and swore to take vengeance on those who do wrong under a cover without any consequences.

These four people and Amethio would become the five Admins of the Explorers, with many other criminals with nowhere to go taking the place of grunts and Gibeon himself as the leader, with Hamber being his right hand. Knowing a young girl had been born in the Sasaki family with a special quirk, and that the girl had enrolled in UA with hopes of becoming a Hero, the Explorers were finally put into action.

The Admins are:

Amethio Kuroshima

Quirk: Soul Warrior.

Amethio has a specially powerful soul. He's able to manifest the power of his soul into the physical realm in the form of ghostly, purple flames which he can manipulate at will and function as an extension of his body. As an extra function, these flames are able to absorb lifeforce out of a person's body upon contact to power Amethio up or heal him. He can create walls and shields of flames for defense, use them as projectiles for long distance combat, boost his speed with them and mold them into the form of two fire swords to use for close quarters.

By covering himself in flames and "burning up his own soul", Amethio can enter a ghostly state in which he's invisible and can freely float around the air. He can go back to his physical form whenever he desires by covering himself in flames and "reigniting his soul". The only way of forcing him out of this state is to guess where he is and consciously hit him. When in this ghost form, Amethio is able to enter a person's spirit realm and directly interact with their soul there. He's able to directly kill and absorb a person's soul with his flames when in their spirit realm. He can only stay in ghost form in the physical world for 3 minutes; otherwise, he will be unable to become corporeal once more and his soul will quickly lose power until dying away.

Spinel Asunama

Quirk: All-Seeing Eyes.

Spinel has 9 eyes spread out throughout his body; four on his face, one on each of his wrists, one on the outside of each of the two small angel wings he has on his head and one on the back of his neck. These eyes all function as normal eyes; however, by closing off one eye and making physical contact with a non-living thing, Spinel can put an eye mark on that surface. By blindfolding himself with his head wings and looking on the inside of them, Spinel can look through each of the marks that he's placed, no matter where they are. He's also able to use the eye marks as gateways through space for him and his comrades to travel from one mark to the other.

Sango Sakurai

Quirk: Sweets Power

By consuming candies and drinks that have sugar, Sango can acquire a special ability for three minutes depending on what she ingested. The power of the ability depends on the amount of that specific candy/drink she ingests. The abilities are:

Pop Rocks: She can create explosions out of the tips of her fingers, as well as make candy granades and control their explosion timing.

Taffly: She can create and manipulate a sticky and moldable substance, useful for defense, mobility and setting up traps.

Pixie Sticks: These can allow Sango to move and react up to 10 times faster.

Toxic Waste: By ingesting this sour candy, Sango can become up to 10 times stronger and durable.

Gummy worms: She can manifest a 5 meter long, 1 meter wide giant gummy worm which she can ride and control. Normal ones are strong and durable, while sour ones are fast and can segregate a paralyzing poison from their skin.

Soda: Sango becomes able to emit high-pressured soda from her hands. Useful for mobility on the air and keeping enemies at range.

Energy Drink: by drinking an entire energy drink can, Sango enters a powered up state in which she becomes 20 faster and stronger, becoming even more hyperactive and aggressive than usual. Pixie Sticks and Toxic Wastes don't stack up with this effect, only going up to the energy drink's times 20. After the effect ends, Sango gets great headaches and becomes numb and weal for 24 hours.

Sango can only use up to three of these special effects at once, and is unable to cancel them immediately without the time counter reaching 0.

Onyx Oba

Quirk: Salt

Onyx can manipulate salt in his surroundings at will. He can make salt constructs for attack and defense, as well as transmute anything he touches with his hands into salt he can manipulate.

Agate Agawa

Quirk: Aura Arts

Agate is able to control and manipulate her Aura, the life energy of her body. She can utilize her Aura under four main principles, which are:

Envelop: By controlling and stabilizing her Aura flow, Agate can create a thin veil of Aura around her body. This veil works as protection for the mind and spirit, and the stable Aura flow extends her lifespan due to reducing waste of energy. She can also extend this veil of energy to objects to reinforce them with Aura as if they were part of her body.

Supress: By closing off her own Aura nodes, Agate completely nullifies her own Aura and hides it inside her body, erasing her presence and helping with recovering stamina.

Enhance: By amplifying her own Aura, Agate can power up her physical stats by reinforcing her body with said powered up Aura. She can reinforce specific parts of her body and direct the Aura throughout her own body at will, reinforcing the properties of certain parts of her body, such as the eyes to have a better sight or the ears to hear better.

Action: It is Agate's personal expression of her Aura to use it to accomplish a specific task. By developing this expression, she's been able to develop a set of special abilities which use her Aura in a way unique to herself. She can only use one of the two abilities at a time.

- Aura Arts: Style of the Six Limbs. By transmuting and manipulating her Aura connected to her body, she can create a second pair of arms made of Aura to add up to her Martial Arts style. When using this technique, Agate has access to less Aura for reinforcing her main body.

- Aura Arts: Style of the Steel Fist. Agate can conjure up two black gloves on her fists, which power up the impact of her punches by 10 times when she uses them. She's unable to open her hands when using these gloves, and she must not kill when using them in battle, or else she'll lose a lot of Aura from her body and become unable to use any of her Actions.

[starfieldcanvas]

one thing that always bugged me a bit about analysis of whether or not wei wuxian provided enough childcare to "count" as a-yuan's parental figure is that it totally ignores the fact that virtually no one raised in the cultivation gentry (...or in a heavily patriarchal and Confucianism-influenced society) would think to judge a father's fatherliness by how much practical childcare he provided to his toddler. hell, for a sufficiently upperclass woman, they wouldn't even necessarily judge a mother by how much childcare she provided to a toddler! does the family have servants? because toddler care is for servants!!!

for monied families, the father's job is to manage whatever business or land ownership provides the income for the household and the mother's job is to run said household. which may include hiring nannies or designating lower-status extended family members to provide childcare to their spawn until the spawn gets old enough to hold an intelligent conversation.

lan wangji wasn't raised by either of his parents, but does anyone actually think that lan qiren was providing hands-on 24/7 childcare in their place? in a wealthy sect?? with servants???

even for a working-class family, the idea of a father being judged as unfatherly because he let his female relatives do 90%+ of the childminding strikes me as blatantly ahistorical. of course working-class fathers in 600-900 c.e. did inevitably do a fair bit of child-minding, but if their wife or mother or mother-in-law or widowed aunt or disabled uncle or eldest daughter or whoever else was doing the vast majority of it, that was normal and didn't diminish a man's fatherhood in any concrete way.

by being the Yiling Patriarch, the functional head of a-yuan's household, finding a way for the household to survive and organizing its defenses and conducting business on its behalf, wei wuxian was fulfilling the basic patriarchal role of father. coming out of his office-cave to play with a-yuan in the dirt and bringing a-yuan along on his shopping trip is him being an "involved father" by patriarchal standards.

and likewise, by bringing a-yuan into the lan sect and maintaining his right to belong there and wear the family ribbon, lan wangji cemented his role as a-yuan's patron. burying a-yuan in bunnies is more childcare than qingheng-jun ever did, and i don't think there's any particular reason to think lan qiren did any childcare either. a lot of people also interpolate that lan xichen must have provided the childcare for a-yuan in the three years lan wangji was bedridden, but again i don't think there's any canon basis for this. young children in gentry families would have childminders, and childminding didn't confer any special parental rights. there's no such thing as filial piety to the nanny!

to me, the better argument against wangxian being a-yuan's parents is that they are not his parents. imperial china had legal structures for adoption dating back at least as far as the Tang dynasty (since continuing the male line was a very important part of filial piety) and yet no adoption procedures are ever even gestured at in canon (à la those two bows in the jiang ancestral hall.) if you want to imagine that lan wangji went through those procedures off-page, or that it happens post-canon, that's your prerogative, but this was emphatically not a society where fatherhood was a casual private matter. i think if wangxian, or even just lwj on his own, were meant to be read as literally sizhui's adoptive parents, we'd know it. instead it's more like...architecturally present. symbolic. half-joking. visible in its absence.

i think my take is that if you put wei wuxian in a supportive role around baby a-yuan in a modern AU, it's entirely logical to have him doing way more of the practical childcare, but that's not really because the wen remnants are being sidelined—it's because the meaning of fatherhood has changed.

WujiWatch: CQL Rewatch Episode 29

Since this is my favorite episode, I’m making room for three topics in this one!

First, I often focus in these posts on moments when a rewatch shows me I’m remembering something wrong, and this episode has a big one: I am very guilty of thinking that Wei Wuxian, all by his genius self, brought Wen Ning back.

But is that true? This episode has the scene where Wen Ning returns to life/consciousness, following a pretty lengthy (by this show’s standards) battle with Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. The thing that struck me about it this time is that, after Wei Wuxian has done all the talisman-ing he can do and stands back, Wen Ning still isn’t himself. That only happens after a big final burst of spiritual energy from Lan Wangji—after Lan Wangji has been pouring spiritual music into Wen Ning for quite some time, too. It’s hard not to wonder: could Wei Wuxian have taken that final step, brought Wen Ning back to himself, if Lan Wangji hadn’t helped? Is his ghostly path, on its own, enough to achieve these miraculous results? Or is it the combination of Wei Wuxian’s heretical cultivation and Lan Wangji’s orthodox cultivation that ultimately solves the puzzle?

Second, I know not everyone is on board with the idea of Wangxian as A-Yuan’s parents, even symbolically, and I respect that. But I think it’s a useful exercise to ask, re: the scene in and outside the Yiling Tea House, Why is A-Yuan there? You can easily imagine the scene unfolding basically the same way without him (Wei Wuxian runs into Lan Wangji; they chat over lunch and Wei Wuxian grieves the loss of his dream of his sister’s wedding). So what purpose does A-Yuan’s presence, specifically, serve?

I think it’s hard to escape the conclusion that A-Yuan’s presence is, in fact, intended to set up the idea of Wangxian as A-Yuan’s potential parents—from the onlookers calling Lan Wangji A-Yuan’s dad, to Wei Wuxian’s joke that A-Yuan is his son, to the visual tableau of the two adults eating lunch with A-Yuan sitting on Lan Wangji’s lap. Maybe it’s just my personal blind spot, but I’m having a hard time thinking of any other reason for those beats to exist. This is perhaps extra important to the drama writers because of censorship: giving two characters a shared kid is the perfect plausible-deniability signifier of couple-dom, since there’s nothing expressly romantic about it… but viewers are culturally accustomed to co-parents being romantic partners. That gives the writers a reason to really lean into the “Wangxian Dads” thing, above and beyond what might be in the novel. Whether that’s fair to Wen-popo and the other Wen Remnants is a worthwhile question—but I don’t think it's plausible to say that fans who also lean into the “Wangxian Dads” thing are imposing something on the characters that the writers didn’t intend.

Third and finally, it’s striking how comfortable Wen Qing is bantering with Wei Wuxian in front of Lan Wangji; she basically treats Wei Wuxian the same exact way she always does, even though she’s normally quite reserved in front of outsiders. (It also makes a very striking contrast with the way she treated Jiang Cheng when he visited the Burial Mounds in the previous episode.) It kind of breaks my heart – I watch that scene and can’t help thinking, “This is how it could be, this is what they could have had.” Which I think is the point of a lot of this episode.

[solarisensun]

White Lies

Yandere! Diluc x Sister Reader (Modern Au) 

- can you tell that I’ve been on a yandere fixtation with all these fics lmao

The love you and Diluc have for each other extends past a simple familial adoration. 

Warnings: Mentions of trauma/mental health, incest, NSFW, yandere themes, dub/non con, obsessive/possessive behaviour 

For as long as you could remember, it had always been the two of you against the world. 

A pair of siblings shrouded in a past of misery after the passing of both parents in an unfortunate car accident that left them with a ridiculous sum of inheritance that most could only dream about- it’s a classic newspaper headline that gets plastered all over the pages.

Naturally, it brought forth a sea of strangers all vying to get a piece of the wealth in their greedy hands. Distant cousins from different countries showing up at your doorstep, young couples with beams a little too wide looking to adopt new kids, men in sharp dark suits and their endless mountains of paperwork about the family company. 

It made Diluc grow up too fast and too hard. 

The new young head with bold crimson hair and a jaw set in stone to protect the remnants of his family. Even when he was only 18, he’d taken over the seat of your father, holed up in the study until the beginnings of dawn peeked over the gloomy clouds, forged a city of iron and steel around his heart until no one dared to even think of taking a piece of the Ragnvindr name for themselves. 

Of course, even with his armour. There was a chink in it that could shatter it into pieces with a single blow. 

There were rumours about the younger sister, a frail thing as pretty as a painted porcelain doll and equally fragile. Not many have had the chance to lay eyes on her, confined to the mansion with private tutors and home schooled all the way to college. A polar opposite of her brother, a poor child that never quite managed to get over the passing of their parents and was plagued with endless nightmares of the tragedy. It was whispered that she’d wake up the entire mansion in the middle of the night with screaming fits until she was soothed by her elder brother. There are even more tales of how he’d spend hours in her room, the heavy oak door locked with a sole master key and no one would be allowed to enter the premises even in the utmost emergencies. 

From an outside perspective, it must have looked absolutely baffling to see the usually emotionless young man’s face turned grief stricken at a simple phone ring from his sister, even more baffling when he adjourns the meeting that would cost him millions without even batting an eye. 

 It was easy to see how protective they were of each other. But of course, they only had each other after all. It was only natural for a pair of siblings to be this close when they were the only two in the world that shared the same blood.

----

“You’re marrying her?”  

Your voice is tiny and petulant, small figure brimming with rage twice your size when Diluc closes the door shut behind him in a quiet click. 

“What are you talking about?” He says flatly, darkened gaze turning to your figure by the window where the silvery moonlight shrouds your face in pale shadows. 

Your face morphs into a sneer, fists balled into your silk nightgown and teeth bared. “I’m not as dumb as people think. How long were you going to hide the fact that you and that Gunnhildr girl are set to wed in winter?” 

Bare feet cross the wooden floor as you jab your finger into Diluc’s chest fiercely, “You promised you wouldn’t leave me!” He doesn’t flinch when your tone raises an octave, doesn’t even bat an eye when you scream in his face so loud that the words echo and bounce across the high arched ceiling.

But you know your brother better than he knows himself. 

“I was going to tell you eventually.” Diluc replies, keeping his stony gaze fixed on yours.

The tension in your stiff shoulders seem to tighten even further, “Don’t lie” You look up, bright eyes already turning glossy with unshed tears and it’s exactly those tears that gets your big brother to break. 

His reaction is instantaneous, a heavy sigh escaping his lips when Diluc pulls you into his embrace. The walls around him crumbling into ash and dust the moment your tears begin to track down your cheeks. “I’m sorry. I should have told you earlier.” 

You sniffle into his suit, feeling his arms tighten around your waist as your muffled voice speaks up. “Sorry doesn’t cut it.” 

“What do you want me to do?” 

The moment your fingers creep underneath his suit, watching as his eyes flash with a range of emotions when you push your big brother to the bed where his knees knock against the bed before he lands with a soft thud. The moment he lets out a shaky breath as you plant your thighs on either side of his waist and your fingers work to loosen his tie. 

The moment your lips meet his and it’s like falling back into the yawning pit of addiction again. Even when every little action is wrong, it doesn’t exactly stop the both of you from drawing together like two opposite poles of magnets unable to seperate. 

A low groan tumbles out of his mouth when his gloved grip tightens around your soft thighs, hiking the loose fabric of your dress until it's high enough to expose your barely clothed cunt as you mewl at the touch. 

“Missed you so much.” You murmur, lashes fluttering when he thrusts his hips up so that your core comes into contact with the growing bulge in his slacks. Greedy fingers tangle themselves in his hair, arching your brother’s face towards yours so you can kiss him better. 

Diluc inhaled a shaky breath while looking at your tear stained cheeks, something in the proud lines of his face shattering at the alluring sight of your face. “You make it so hard to breathe you know that? Every single time I step out of this room,” He thumbs away a stray tear across your cheek with an air of breathtaking gentleness that no one would think was capable from the stoic man, “All I ever think about is my spoiled little sister.”

He couldn’t blame you- wouldn’t blame you. Wouldn't blame this insatiable greed that brewed in his chest. You were the only thing he’d wanted in this life, even when he knew that he wasn’t worthy of your love. He supposes that it’s partly his fault that you’ve grown up this way, utterly shunned in the mansion without any friends because Diluc had refused to give you permission to attend a public school (or even step foot outside the mansion).

What would Father say if he saw his children now? Tangled in the sheets with Diluc’s fingers slipped down to push your drenched panties aside so he can feel the familiar irresistible warmth of your little cunt when he curls his fingers in you. What would Mother’s face look like when she sees her precious daughter bouncing on her brother’s cock, spurred on by the iron grip Diluc has around your waist? What would their faces look like?

But dead men tell no tales. 

You know without a doubt that the marriage contract would be cancelled by the next morning. 

-----

Life is upturned the moment Mr Alberich- one of the few trustworthy friends of his late father asks for a favour. 

“Your son is back?” Diluc asks, lacing his fingers together under his chin as Mr Alberich sips on his tea thoughtfully. 

The older man sets down the teacup delicately. “I’m sure you’ve heard many stories of my son, he’s around your age too. But alas, our relationship…” A slight grimace graces his weathered features, “Is not the best and I fear my wife will not cope well with the tension due to her weak heart.” 

“Will it be alright if he stays in your place for a few weeks until I settle things?” 

There are a million reasons Diluc could give to say no. But the Ragnvindrs had always owed the Alberichs one. Mr Alberich was one of the rare few that lent out a genuine helping hand to the children of his deceased best friend. 

His memory of Kaeya is a fuzzy one safe for the time when he’d teased you for clinging to Diluc’s hand when the three of you were younger. Diluc had developed an instant dislike for Kaeya in that very instant. 

Diluc gives him a curt nod, “I will call the butler to arrange suitable lodgings in preparation for the arrival of your son.” 

“Speaking of family, how is your sister faring these days? It’s been a long time since I last saw her.” Mr Alberich’s gaze falls onto the tiny framed picture perched on Diluc’s desk- the one where he has his hand on your shoulder. Your wide beam is a stark contrast to the way Diluc’s lips are pressed into a firm line, with only his eyes that betrayed a faint glimmer of amusement as he stares into the camera. 

“I hope my son’s arrival will not cause any disturbance to her wellbeing.” 

“Don’t worry,” Diluc replies tersely. “Her condition is improving gradually these days, I’ll make sure that she feels comfortable around Kaeya.” 

And far far away from him too. 

------

“Aren’t you a little too old to be sleeping with your brother?” 

You stiffen at Kaeya’s words, setting down your fork to glare icily at the smirking man seated opposite you. It’d been almost a week since Diluc brought Kaeya in despite your countless protests. Why would you want a total stranger in the house? 

Kaeya wasn’t exactly unpleasant, in many ways he reminded you of Diluc before your parent’s death. Before your big brother seemed to lose any sense of warmth within himself.  Though the similarities ended with an abrupt halt when you took in his tan honeyed skin, the inky blue curls of his hair and the mischievous glint in those eyes that seemed too probing for your liking.

But he was a stranger. Not a Ragvindr. 

Trust no one except for me get it? Diluc’s face is twisted in rage, lips pulled back in a snarl as you whimpered from the force of his strength when he pins your body against the wall. It was the first time you’d seen your normally passive brother this angry and the sight alone made your heart clench in fear. There was a crazed gleam in his eyes blown so dark until only a thin ring of crimson is visible as he towered over you like a menacing shadow, each shuddering breath from your brother’s frenzied shoulders wafting across your tear stained cheeks in warm puffs. Everyone out there is out to get you, unless they have Ragvindr as their last name, you’re not allowed to even look at them.  

“You should mind your own business.” You shoot back primly, trying to focus on the meal in front of you when he huffs out a throaty laugh. 

“Not so brave when your big brother isn’t around aren’t you?” He jabs again and you resist the urge to hurl your plate at him. 

“Do you follow every order from him? Like a good little puppet?” 

“Shut up,” You seethe, slamming your palm on the table and tearing yourself out of the seat and knocking the chairs backwards in a piercing screech. “I have no interest in being civil if you continue to insult my family like that.” 

Something in his eyes gleams wickedly as Kaeya lets out an amused laugh. “Calm down princess, I’m just taking a slight interest in your relationship with your brother.” 

“When was the last time you even stepped foot outside the mansion?” He asks with a tilt of his head. 

You can’t even remember. 

Taking your silence as defeat, Kaeya leans across the table to whisper conspiratorially. “Don’t you want to go outside?” He prompts, tapping his finger on the wooden surface. “I can bring you out if you’d like.” 

Against your better judgement there is a rising wave of curiosity that emerges at his invitation. 

“How would you get out without the staff noticing?” The question slips out of your mouth before you can stop it.

“Meet me at my room tonight-” 

“Kaeya.” 

“Ah,” Kaeya leans back into his chair, all traces of earlier mischievousness wiped away like a blank slate of paper and replaced with an air of languid grace. “The master of the house arrives.” 

Diluc frowns but remains silent, instead letting his gaze shift towards you. You can already feel the disapproval rolling off his body in waves when Kaeya shoots you a sly wink. 

“I’m done with breakfast.” You announce curtly, brushing past Diluc and ignoring Kaeya’s fixed gaze on your retreating back. “The two of you can enjoy breakfast together.” 

-----

A large hand slides up your thigh, gliding from your ankles to the hem of your cotton shorts before curling to gently push your legs apart. 

“Diluc?” You blink groggily into the darkness, shifting to turn around on the bed to be met by a solid warmth that hits your cheek. “M’ sleepy.” You complain, trying to wriggle out of his arms when he draws you in closer against his broad chest. 

“Just once.” He huffs against the side of your ear, even through your hazy daze you can hear the dark yearning in his muffled voice but he doesn’t plead, never pleads.  

You could push him away, there’s no denying that Diluc holds a raw power over you the same way you do to him and you find yourself nodding as he slides thick, coarse fingers under your top until they are bunched above your tits. 

“No bra?” He asks, pulling at your nipples and you squirm a little at the touch. “I thought I told you to be more careful now that we have a guest sharing the same roof?” 

Who’s the one creeping into your bed now? You want to retort but the drowsy sleepiness still clinging to your lashes only allows you for a soft sorry as your pretty panties start to turn uncomfortably wet the longer Diluc worships your breasts. 

Growing impatient, you guide his fingers from your chest and underneath the waistband of your shorts. “Please,” You gasp, nuzzling into your big brother’s neck. “Wanna fuck you already.” 

He hums in response, bringing two heavy fingers to rub circles against the damp fabric of your panties as you arch forward in a silent desperate plea, feeling his small smile against your cheek when you pull him closer. 

“You’re soaked.” Diluc rasps in a low tone that makes your tummy smoulder, his darkened eyes running across your face and finally sliding his fingers into your soaked core. “Have you touched yourself these days?”

“No.” You whimper. No matter how many times he’d touched you, there’s still that electrifying spark of excitement and arousal that ignites within your heated body whenever Diluc lays his hands on you. “Been waiting for you.” 

Pressing his fingers into your clit, Diluc starts to stretch your hole as you let out a pathetic mewl, fingers digging into the hard planes of his shoulder. The wet press of something against your thigh forces you to crack your eyes open to see Diluc stroking his cock in tandem to the sinfully loud squelch of his skilled fingers in your cunt and it feels as if your cheeks are threatening to set on fire at how addictingly depraved this scene looks. 

“Diluc,” You press your palm over your mouth, trying to stifle the girlish moans in fear of alerting Kaeya who has his room just down the halfway. “Gonna cum soon.” He grunts in displeasure when your tiny voice is barely audible but makes no move to pry away your hand, instead focusing on the way the pads of his fingers are disappearing in your glossy slit. He’s so close that the long locks of his hair are tickling your inner thighs and the heat of his laboured breaths fanning across your pussy making you writhe in embarrassment. 

‘Keep your legs open.” The tone of his voice brokers no room for leniency. 

Another delicate press against your walls has your legs seizing up as your head falls back against the pillows when you cum, the walls of your pussy pulsing around his fingers. The area between your legs turns into a huge mess of arousal when Diluc slides his fingers out of your cunt and wraps those same wet digits around his cock to give it another few pumps. 

“You’re pretty when you cum.” A rare grin tugs his lips upwards as he guides his fat cock to your swollen clit. The weight of his hardened shaft gliding against your slick folds alone has you trembling with anticipation, even more so when he starts to push himself in little by little, making your mouth fall open in a silent ‘o’.

Excruciatingly slow, far too slow for your liking, Diluc finally nestles his cock in you as you mewl impatiently at the delirious burn- so big, so wide that you can feel your muddles brain going haywire. On days like these, it often feels as if he was deep enough to be felt in your throat. There is a brief moment of pause before he slides his cock out of your pulsating cunt until only the tip is left, making sure that every vein and ridge rubs against the sensitive walls of your pussy and the sudden void of emptiness makes you suck in a breath at what’s to come. 

“Hngh you’re tight fuck.” A sound tears its way out of Diluc’s throat that you think might be a low growl but you’re too out of it to fully focus anyway. His cock somehow manages to touch the deepest parts of your cunt so effortlessly that it makes your head spin. 

Big hands move under you and Diluc lifts both your legs over his shoulder with ease, shifting your hips upwards to his liking so that the new angle lets him hit even deeper until a murky ring of white coats the way his cock is splitting your tiny cunt open. 

You can feel yourself getting wetter each time Diluc slams his hips forward as if he was dying to bury himself in your cunt. “Diluc,” You breathe out into the tiny heated space between the two of you, unsure of what you’re even pleading for from your brother. “Diluc.” 

He almost falls forward at the sound of your strained voice, every instinct in him arching towards you even when you’re already safe in his arms. He could never get enough of you even if he wanted to. Say it again, he wanted to command, but kept his mouth shut. 

It makes his eyes snap to yours instantly, meeting your gaze through years of affectionate familiarity. Makes his grip on your thighs tighten to the point where a dull throb resonates where his fingers are digging into your skin and nearly drawing blood. Makes his cock throb inside your cunt as you whine to pull his rigid body down for a hungry kiss. 

The entire bed seems to lurch forward with every hard thrust that makes you come undone underneath him, breaking away from the kiss to leave sloppy trails of saliva over your chest. You’re so full to the point where every twitch of his veiny cock makes the heat coiling in your belly wind tighter. Diluc is quite literally folding you in half at this point, your ankles at his ears as he pounds another ferocious thrust into your soaking mess of a cunt. 

“You want me to cum inside?” He hisses, sweat dotting his forehead as your vision swims deliriously. “Want your big brother to fill you up don’t you?” Each pump of his cock making sure to catch that sweet spot inside of you that he just knew never failed to drive you off the edge. 

“Yes!” Your high voice is so needy and your greedy cunt sucking on his cock with equal vigour that it makes his pace falter just a tiny bit at the sensation. “Want you to fill me up please!” 

“Fuck,” One of his hands drops from your waist to rub wet messy circles on your clit, petting it gently before getting heavier and you shudder hard enough that Diluc groans at the way you tighten around him. “Go on then, be a good girl and come.” Another purposeful rub of his finger on your clit has your back arching upwards as your climax hits you so suddenly that your eyes roll to the back of your head. 

It feels like you’re about to shatter. Especially with how Diluc continues to graze across your clit and your entire body is shaking. It nearly makes him cum when your velvety insides squeezes his cock in desperate pulses as you reach your high. 

You come apart under him, not bothering to be quiet anymore until Diluc shoves two fingers into your mouth, pressing them to your tongue to stifle your cries. There is a deep groan when he cums after you, keeping your writhing hips still with a savage grip to keep your perfectly still as you clench down around him when a familiar molten rush fills your insides. 

“Gonna cum soon.” His voice gets a little raspier, a little darker. 

“Want your cum” You bob your head immediately, soft thighs closing weakly around his waist to lock him in. “Please.” As if he hadn’t already planned to cum inside of you anyway. Diluc gives you exactly what you want- like he always does. Jerky thrusts losing its rhythm when your pussy clamps around him as he floods your cunt with load after load of cum until you can feel the fluid trickle down your inner thighs. 

“You're made for me,” He hisses between his teeth, still giving your abused cunt a few shallow thrusts through his orgasm to pump his seed further. “Made to take my cum inside you. Mine.” 

It’s a mess that stains your inner thighs and expensive sheets when Diluc pulls out, strings of milky white clinging to the tip of his cock connected to your cunt. The image is almost enough to get him hard again, his adorable little sister looking at him with those glazed over eyes and her cunt stuffed full of his cum. A mess that he quickly cleans up by pushing his cum back into your cunt and giving you a stern glare when you try to shut your legs. 

“Don’t let it go to waste.” He instructs despite your feeble protests, sliding your panties back up again. 

Gently, Diluc yanks your shirt back to place whilst smoothing your hair back. “Go to sleep now.” He says, pulling your pliant body to fit against him sungly like two puzzle pieces attaching back into place. There’s something soft and precious about the way you look at him that makes his chest ache with love. You’re his, it’s a phrase that keeps him grounded and the same phrase that pushes him to his limit to make sure that you’re draped in the best luxuries the world can afford. His restraint reduced to a thin fraying thread when it comes to you. 

Hands, so much smoother and softer than his reach up to cup his face and your delicate fingers run through his hair to soothe down the mass of curls. “Love you.” You smile, kissing him on the side of the cheek with a content sigh, 

“You’re gonna stay right?” You whisper sleepily, your brain still buzzing in gentle vibrations from yoru post-orgasmic haze, further lulled on by his comforting warmth as your fingers instinctively fist into his shirt and he nods. 

“Yeah-” 

A sharp ringing snaps through the peaceful bubble. Instantly, the warmth vanishes when Diluc pushes himself upright to grab his phone off the nightstand and you find yourself missing his presence already. 

Curiously, you lift your head from the blankets. The bright words flashing across his screen are unmistakable in the dimness - Jean. 

Jean...Gunnhildr? 

“Helllo,” Your brother answers the phone and there’s a faint response that you can’t catch before he’s leaving your shared bed, striding to the cupboard and discarding his t shirt for a freshly ironed button up.

“I’m heading over right now.” He says curtly, sliding on his silver watch and buttoning the last of his slacks. “I look forward to meeting you.” 

The last phrase makes your irritation bloom into something much uglier. “Sorry,” Diluc looks over after he hangs up the call, sliding his hair up with your hair tie to meet another woman. “I have to get to my office right now. An emergency came up.” 

“I’ll be back tomorrow, remember to take your medication.” He says, cracking the door open and the light from the hallway casts his long shadow over your bed. “Good night.” With that, the door clicks shut and nothing can quench the angry purples of jealousy that flares in your chest when darkness descends. 

The stinging hurt makes the back of your eyes water as you slide out of your bed. It’s not a surprise that the door is locked when you try the knob but living in the same house since birth has taught you a few tricks that you keep secret from your big brother. 

It takes a few tries, but the silver hairpin Diluc had gifted you for your 18th birthday does the work as it always does. The mechanics of the lock pried apart when you jiggle the hairpin until the knob gives away underneath metal. 

A bitter sense of determination seems to fuel your movements when you stalk down the hallway, he lied to you. What would he be doing with her this late at night? Why was she more important than you? Despite your best attempts, you can’t seem to halt the growing jealousy brewing like an unstoppable storm.

It was childish to be acting this way but what other way was there to get an edge over your mighty brother than taking up Kaeya’s offer?

The tense voices floating out from the guest room makes you soften your stomping gait and you rub the back of your hand across your eyes to quell the tears. Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry. The thought of Kaeya seizing this chance to further tease you was something that you’d like to avoid. 

It isn’t until you outstretched hand is about to push his room door open when the tense voices bleeds through the slightly cracked open door. 

“You have an interesting medical history don’t you.” Peering a little closer, Kaeya’s back is facing the door and you manage to catch the slightest hint of fiery red over his shoulder. Only one person in his house had hair that striking. 

“Stop with your wordplay and get straight to the point. I have a meeting to attend” Your brother’s voice is tense and low, a seething anger brimming in the undertone that sends fear creeping down your spine. The force of his words alone is enough to have your heart pounding uncomfortably. 

“I received a package from the hospital when I was out in the gardens, Zoloft, Paxil and Effexor? Those words sound familiar to you?” 

“They are for my sister, antidepressants that keep her nightmares at bay.” 

You aren’t exactly surprised at the names, though there were often times when you doubted their effectiveness. Seeing as to how you were still haunted by constant flashbacks that left you caged to the bed when a particularly bad one decides to strike. 

“But you haven’t been giving her the right doses have you?” 

You nearly fall backwards. What? 

Kaeya’s response has Diluc taking a hard step forward, the floorboards creaking under the weight of his foot. 

“The locks around this house are old,” Kaeya doesn’t flinch, instead pressing on with a grim tone. “Guess what I found when I stumbled upon your little cabinet beneath the stairs? Unopened boxes of the same drug from months, even years ago. What exactly have you been giving you precious little sister Diluc Ragvindr?” 

Kaeya returns Diluc’s glare with a gaze as frigid enough to rival the Northern winds. “You’ve been feeding her placebos haven’t you? As if keeping her locked in the house wasn’t enough, you decided to take away her drugs, leaving her weak and uncurable even by the best doctors the world has to offer. I saw through your stupid act the moment I heard the news. How much did you pay the staff to keep quiet? Or did you hold their families hostage?” 

“Diluc Ragvindr,” He sneers, “A psychopath billionaire that cages his sister. How many times did you force yourself on her?”

A sickly crunch fills the air when Diluc lunges forward, his fist connecting against the side of Kaeya’s face and you finally break. 

Your shrill scream fills the air at the sound and your knees give away, as if the weight of the sky was holding you down. The entire house seems to spin on its own axis when the door slams open so hard that it leaves a dent against the wall and you whimper, shying backwards when Diluc approaches you with wide desperate eyes. 

“Go away! GO AWAY!” You scream when he tries to scoop you into his embrace, “Don’t touch me!” There’s nothing but sheer panic in your lungs, the relenting chant to escape resounding in your brain until you feel like throwing up. Tears sting your eyes when Diluc tries to reach for you again until he’s yanked backwards by Kaeya. 

“Stay away from her you sick fuck,” He snarls, “Stay the fuck away from her, the police are on the way and you’re not gonna get away with this.”

“Let go of me.” Diluc doesn’t even flinch when Kaeya pins him down on the floor so hard that his head slams against the wooden floor with a wet thud. “She needs me. SHE NEEDS ME RIGHT NOW!” He roars, pushing against Kaeya’s restraining arm when your sobs continue to reach his ears. Every muscle in his body straining in a fog of murderous rage when Kaeya continues to keep him down with the weight of his body. He’ll kill Kaeya, kill his fucking father as well, kill anyone that sets a finger on your trembling figure curled up against the floor. You’ll understand after he explains, you’ll welcome him in your embrace again. 

With a pained grunt, Diluc manages to break free, already hurtling to you with shaky hands and shallow breaths. “I can explain, look at me, look at me please. I did it for you, to keep you safe in the house.” He pleads softly and your wet gaze drifts up to meet his despite the burning betrayal that feels as if it’s about to consume you whole. Your eyes widen, “You’re bleeding.” 

Even after he’d torn your heart in two, there was a part of you that nearly reaches towards him in an urge to wipe away the bleed matted across his forehead and tend to his wounds. You could feel his agony like your own, even if it was ripping your heart to pieces with each passing second. 

“You lied.” Your hushed, broken whisper makes him halt as Diluc kneels before your huddled body- the husk of a proud man diminished to a miserable fool at those two words.

 “You lied about everything.” 

-------

Sometimes, it’s as if you could still feel the weight of his stare between your shoulders when you're crossing the street. Or the warmth of his presence behind your back when your in line to purchase groceries.

“Mummy?” 

Breaking out of your daze, your son tugs on your pinkie with a toothy grin. “Can I pet the doggie?” He asks politely, crimson hair floating in the breeze and bright eyes gazing so earnestly that you can’t possibly say no. 

“Alright,” You hum, “Be careful okay? Mummy will stay here and make sure to be back by 6.” 

He trots off the moment you give him approval with a wide beam and you turn your gaze upwards to the clear sky. When was his release date again? Had it really been 15 years since Diluc’s sentence? 

Even miles away and with the stretch of time between the two of you there is still a stiff pang that throbs in your heart whenever the thought of him reaches your mind. 

Across the park, your son lets out a delighted squeal and you reach for your book. Blissfully unaware of the silhouette that looms just a few metres away. Maybe those sensations hadn’t entirely belonged to your imagination after all.