#so long ago has he abandoned his kids but they are still haunted by him

[gemknightau]

Nobody around Amber really knows what his hobbies or favourite dishes are. He likes what they like. He likes what he thinks he should- what he thinks would make him seem easy to be around.

Oh, he tries so hard to be tolerated. Not even wanted or loved, just to be allowed to be around others. The strange paradox of trying to be as broadly appealing to everyone is that he has nothing substantial of his own, which then comes off as off-putting and makes those uneasy who have a better perception for falsehoods.

Indeed, he is hiding himself, even from himself. The earliest years he can remember were a long lesson that it is what he ought to do. It is now second nature.

His hands are rarely idle, and he seeks out the company of others. Because when he is left without a task in solitude, a suffocating truth begins to emerge. He's a stranger in his own life.

[rustedleopard]

My thoughts on Momlet are basically that Martlet wouldn't be able to see herself as a mother to Clover because she's a young adult still trying to find her place in the world and to her, it would feel weird to have to suddenly be a mom. She still looks out for Clover's well-being, like making sure they have dinner on the table and listens to them when they speak, but they also look out for her like bringing her keys to her when she forgets them at home.

My thoughts on Dadlo are basically that Starlo initially wouldn't be able to see himself as a dad to Clover because that's his pardner, the loyal deputy to his noble sheriff-schtick. He's still as wholly supportive of Clover as he was when he was training them to be his deputy, but responsible he is not. Clover's the one who has to remember to shut off the machines once the Feisty Five + One are done with a mission. As Clover grows up by his side, Starlo's tune would change to be something like "Heh, yeah, I practically raised them so they're basically my kid 😏." It's too bad that Clover sheriff-zoned him a long time ago.

My thoughts on Ceroba being Clover's mom (Cero-ma?) are basically that Ceroba would have a lot of guilt attached to looking after Clover. This is the kid that she nearly murdered, and in her darkest, lowest, most depressive moments she still contemplates killing them and fulfilling Chujin's legacy because healing isn't linear, and now she's looking after them. They forgave her but that doesn't take away the attempted homicide. And what about Kanako? Is she essentially abandoning/replacing her daughter by looking after Clover? Ceroba would love Clover to bits but thoughts like that would haunt her, at least until the Barrier breaks and Kanako comes back home.

My thoughts on Dadlv are basically that Dalv sees Clover as his friend, the feeling is mutual, and they have a nice and normal adult-child friendship. (Why is Dadlv a thing????)

My thoughts on Clover seeing their friends as their parents are basically that it wouldn't happen. They had a life on the Surface, and I headcanon that they had a mom and a (step)dad in their life; they were just bad parents and their parenting kind of ruined Clover's idea of what a mom and dad is. None of the monsters they befriended fit perfectly into the textbook idea of how a mom or dad should behave unlike Toriel, who they've completely forgotten about at this point, but that's okay! They're not exactly parents but they are Clover's family and that's what matters.

[drivinmeinsane]

Would you wanna expand on Anna and K being siblings in all ways that matter? I agree, I'd just like to hesr your thoughts on the matter too :]

Oh man, you've opened a can of worms. 👀 Here's some of my rambling threads of thoughts complete with my mauled digital copy of the script and screencaps galore.

Spoilers for Blade Runner 2049 under the cut.

From the moment Ana is introduced, even before we meet her face to face, she is a mirror of K. They are copies of one another. Two people can't have the exact same genetic code, but the closest one can get is twins. They shared their defining memory and splintered off later in life as siblings do.

There was always meant to be two of them. The files say that one died from an illness and the other lived. We find out that Ana was stuck on-world from an illness that she developed. Only, she didn't die. She was left behind and abandoned to work for Wallace and other corporations needing her memory making services. Ana is the real girl and K is her ghost.

A life of freedom as long as it's behind glass. K has the same as long as he obeys the rigid system that keeps him tethered. Neither are truly living. It's escapism. They both dream of realities where they are loved. By illegally putting her memory into K, Ana created a family member. He's her copy—a sibling, a twin—someone who shared her life experience and could relate. Two children, protecting the only item they have left from a father who they had never met. As one, they had stowed it away in a furnace and enduring being beaten. They lived this. Together. Ana's last name of Stelline. Little stars. It beings to mind the Gemini zodiac sign. The twins. Castor and Pollux and their horses. K was the invisible companion of Ana, an unborn ghost. Maybe she imagined him when things got too dismal. Maybe she thought about having a brother or a sister. When the time came, she offered up the memory to the Wallace corporation so the burden of that childhood could be shared, understood. A sibling made reality. A ghost was made solid, living flesh. Who would have thought that replicant would come looking? Who would have thought Officer K would break every shred of genetic modification and careful conditioning to find her, his sister, while searching for answers because he cared, because he was part of Ana's scattered family and didn't know it.

Again, they mirror each other. In the same moment that Ana is looking at the snow falling on her hand, K is doing the same. Even in the end, they are connected. Left hand and right hand—two parts of a whole.

No one had ever come for K. He makes sure someone comes for Ana. He knows what it's like to want family so badly that your very bones ache, that you would kill another one of your kind for the first time for it. He found their father and brought him home. He was a good brother, a good son.

There is a void over Ana's right shoulder where K should be. Her ghost—her copy—has died even if she does not know it yet. His death in a roundabout way fulfills the prophecy of the DNA database findings. Two siblings, a boy and a girl. One dies. He haunted her before his inception and he haunts her still after his body is found on the stairs of the upgrade center. If only she had spoken up. If only K had told Deckard the truth. If only there had been another way to love someone without remaining a stranger.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record because I've honestly lost count of how many times I've said this, I genuinely believe Deckard would have shrugged and accepted the fact that he and Rachael had had two kids.

I think the three of them could have been happy together, but Blade Runner 2049 is a modern Greek tragedy seeped in the lore from thousands of years ago. There are no joyous endings here.

[swmmi-kti]

One of a kind

Pairing: Kokushibo x Reincarnated Fem!Y/n

-*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*-

When he was still human he had found life boring and stale, and that was no secret at all. Time passed far slower and painfully dull. But when he married it was as if the gods had finally enlightened him. His wife was one out of many and in those many years he has never forgotten you. How the moons passed and every time he got slight glimpses of it he remembered how no greater glow lived in this world since you had passed. 

But Gods always were cruel. Had he come back to you any time when you still graced the earth with your soul then he would have asked if you would have joined him too. However the one time he had found your old home. You had been slaughtered. At the fellow hands of his brethren. 

Your kids are nowhere in sight. It eased his mind but a bit. However for many nights he had stayed next to your decomposing corpse. His hunger subsided as he held you. Cradling you as he had done nights where your pregnant belly was too much to bare. 

He would much rather live in a world where you rested peacefully than forever tied down to a world that forced you to kill. 

After almost nothing remained he had buried you. Finally at ease and with it you took his heart. His heart no longer had that burning passion it had before. It emptied and the glass was half full. When he had killed his brother it felt as if all of it was finally gone. 

He was just  upper moon one. And that is all he would be. Vague memories lived on in the depths of his mind, stashed away was the flute he made for his dearest brother and next to it a hairpin that he had bestowed on you before your wedding. His two most prized objects. 

And they were laying out far from his reach. How did he get here? How on earth did it end this way? 

Tonight he knew he would have encountered a slayer. He knew that but he needn’t frighten himself. No greater power known to man could make him fear. 

But those same eyes that had watched him with nothing but adoration and then hatred when he had abandoned them. Now haunted his very core. The gods are cruel and they tortured him since he could remember. 

He didn’t care for slayers. Didn’t care enough, just ended their lives and that was all that they got from him. 

However those eyes that had once stared at him were here once again. A different kind of hatred now stared back at him. One of disgust. Perhaps even fear too. Somehow, Someway your figure stood before him. 

Your hands how calloused over as it held onto the handle of your blade, Those eyes piercing right through his very core.The once elegance you had the poise it all vanished as he stood as your enemy. 

It was then he realized he would rather prefer you be his enemy than have to kill you and have to live in a world where you didn’t exist at all. 

He knew he was crazy, mad perhaps and he wondered did you remember too. 

“..what is your… Name?” He asked speaking after so long of not sparing his breath. 

Your eyes widened a little. The hold on your blade never loosening but the pattern of your heart elevated. 

“I’m Y/n.” You speak with the voice he has never forgotten

Oh how awful of a crude joke this was. Standing as enemies when years ago you stood together as each other’s 

Yes. There was obvious differences in you of the past and you of the now. But beneath all that you were still the same. He wanted to say his sorrys for abandoning you, abandoning his family. Wanted to say some apology and in hopes that somehow you remembered it all. 

If he were any less than sane he’d probably turn you into a demon be at his side as you always should have been. But those eyes never held any recollection.

Did you cry when he left? How hard did you cry? Did you really hate him or want him back? Did you suffer when you died? Did you know where his children were? Did you go down protecting them? Or did you have a quick death?

“Do you…remember who i am?” He asked hand now resting on his own handle.

“I’ve never met anyone like you before” 

He knew that was going to happen. He did. And it didn't make it hurt any less than it does.

“You are the upper moon one. And I may not be able to kill you. But i'd rather go down trying than never knowing i had a chance” 

Fights always bored him. They always ended far sooner than he would have hoped. But this was taking too long. He knew why. His own hesitance withheld him and he didn't know why.

Why did he not want to kill you? Why on earth were you the only thing that kept him the least bit happy when nothing ever seemed too. What was so special about you in the first place? 

For the first time ever he felt a shiver run up his spine and for the first time ever he let a slayer live.

[pansy-picnics]

Sorry but your recent artwork has me thinking about parent Varigo and I have to dump my thoughts somewhere. I feel like, if they actually had a kid it would be really emotional for them but in different ways. Varian finds out he’s pregnant and is a little scared at first, but he actually adjusts to the idea pretty fast and is excited about it, because he’s in a good place now and has a good support system. He doesn’t have to worry about his family judging him, he knows they’ll still see him for who he is. Hugo on the other hand is terrified. But not because he doesn’t wanna be a dad, he’s pretty excited about that, he’s just really scared that Varian is going to get sick from the pregnancy, or that the whole experience is gonna be too much for him. He feels like this is just another thing he’s “putting Varian through” because he’s still not quite over the guilt of his betrayal years ago, and now it’s coming back to haunt him. They work it out of course and Hugo realizes that it’s gonna be okay and that he also can depend on Varian’s family for support because they’re his family too. Now I’m emotional. Anyway I love your art <3

AUGHHHH YEAH YEAH THIS IS SO REAL!!!!! i love plots like that fr, their characters are so fun to explore😭😭😭 Honestly? i think in the right circumstances hugo could be a deadbeat dad. like he could just straight up leave bc he’s paranoid varian or the kid would get hurt or he’d put them in danger or something. he’s the kind of guy who’s always Running! like i could think of scenarios where he’d run away on their wedding day too. those are both horrible extremes SORRY FOR THE ANGST I JUST THINK IT’S NEAT.

i think hugo’s always WANTED a family but its something she’s always viewed as unachievable, mostly bc of the shitty living situation hes been in for most of his life. she could barely survive on her own and she’d never want to drag someone else into that yk? and she’s still scared of that commitment even after she moves into the castle, bc what if she DID have a kid and then something happened and she couldn’t take care of them anymore, or she ends up on the streets again….and what if she just ends up abandoning them? what if she’s no better than the parents she never even knew? it’s like, obviously she wouldn’t do any of those things or be in those situations but she has….a Lot of anxiety around it for sure. but i also think that she tries to adopt literally every orphan she and varian see. she LOVES kids as much as she pretends she doesn’t and its very obvious….she just hasn’t really had the privilege to be able to think about it until now.

varian…i think he goes either way, he doesn’t really plan to have kids but he’ll kinda learn to adjust to whatever, he’s also just a very family oriented guy so he’s definitely not opposed to that kind of role. in my head they usually adopt bc i think varian like, Hates anything related to the human body at all so even disregarding the gender dysphoria pregnancy is SO gross to him. idk why i just think he’s silly like that. hell make bombs and poisonous chemicals but he remembers people have organs and he wants to throw up. i’m not opposed to the idea of them having biological kids at all though…especially considering all the art i’ve already drawn for it’s us against the world LOL. personally i think even if he weren’t opposed to the idea he’d be miserable the entire time, and not even like in a serious way necessarily he’s just REALLY mad that he can’t work in the lab anymore. he’s pissed about EVERYTHING, actually. he’s bored and he’s tired and he can’t work and he feels like shit and he doesn’t really have any other hobbies either. his whole life and routine has been completely fucked over for nine months and SURE he loves the kid and he’s excited but like why does it need to be in there that long. why can’t it just come from the stork or something. 🙄/j

i think he might pick a few fights with hugo bc of it, just because he’s so overwhelmed and emotional and doesn’t know how to handle it, but hugo’s really understanding; also they’ll honestly take any kind of treatment from him because they’re like, “Yeah i probably deserved that”. which varian does NOT like btw and always gets on his ass later to stick up for himself more while also in tears apologizing for yelling at him

idk i just think them as parents would be Sooo silly. neither of them have any clue what they’re doing. dude if those two had a baby? Dude can you imagine? varian’s sooo fucking sheltered i think he’s only interacted with like, 2 babies in his entire life. quirin stays with them for tje first few weeks bc varian literally just has NO clue what he’s doing and is crying to him all the time. and hugo like, has an idea of what to do but he’s also SUPER paranoid. they’re both just staring at the kid while they sleep not so much out of adoration but because they’re just terrified they’ll stop breathing at any moment. you cant convince me that either of them know how to change a diaper. They’re gonna bring out like full lab gear. like the gag where the dads will pull out full hazmat suits for the diaper change. That’s them idc

ruddiger is also SO protective of their kids from the moment they’re born, like he jumps up into the crib and snuggles up with them and they always IMMEDIATELY stop crying. olivia is the opposite. she’s kinda like a toddler who just got a new sibling she didn’t want. shes pissed that she isn’t getting hugo’s full attention and keeps being a brat about it. hugo’s just trying to calm down his baby and olivias glaring at him while she’s about to push a glass off the table

yeah idk i. have a lot of thoughts abt them too they’re so beloved to me

[rotm-channel]

The Legend of the little Boy.....

Twas a cold dark night in auttum and Pippa was resting in her little bed,she was tired and was almost ready to go to sleep,Jack tucked her in gently.

Pippa however was not ready to go to sleep yet

“Jack?Could you tell me a story, you know lots of them!Could you tell me one please?”

“Okay,but you'll have to go to sleep after”He said,Jack really did hear plenty over the years and liked telling them to the kids

“I will!Could you please tell me one of your spooky stories?”

“A spooky story?”But it's not Halloween just yet,besides you're trying to go to sleep and a scary story will just keep you up and give you nightmares”He said to little girl

“Oh!Don't worry about that youre stories never scare me!Go on now!Tell it.”She replied,eagerly awaiting his answear

When Jack heard that a mischievous grin formed on his face 

“WE-L-L If you insist,here is an old story about a boy from long,long ago”He said as he sat on her bed and began to unfold his old story:

He lived in a little town. I don't know his name but I do know he was a chipper and eager little boy who was part of a family of LumberJacks.

He worked hard day after day with his dear father and other fellow Lumberjacks and was friendly with everyone and loved his little town very much and all of its surrounding….

There was however one particular part he didn't really like…

There was an old abandoned quarry a few miles away down a sideroad,many claimed it to be haunted,the little boy was always nervous whenever he had to venture there.He didn't know why exactly,but he always felt as if he was being watched....

One night he came back to town along with a last load of lumber in a horse drawn cart with other lumberjack, when one of the Lumberjacks came to him “Little boy could you please go back down the road to pick up a cart,it was left there by mistake and well really need it for tomorrow”

The brave boy was always happy to help so he got on a pony and raced into the night to find the missing cart.

As he headed boldly in the darkness though a fog came down “Surely it will pass over soon,besides it'll take more than a bit of fog to stop me” The fog however quickly became so thick that he lost his way down the road.

And ended up getting lost and going the wrong way.

The boy was unaware of this until he reached his destination.

For in the fog he became so lost that he hadn't realized that he was heading towards the abandoned quarry.

The little boy was scared of being at the quarry all alone in the dark,but he was tired and so was his pony and he knew it was unsafe to head back down the road in the thick haze…

In spite of his fear,he decided it was for the best to wait until morning in hopes that the fog would be better then

He went into one of the old buildings and drifted off uneasily to slumber.

Late that night awoke startled to a noise coming from beneath the building.

He opened his eyes and saw long ghastly looking fingers reaching for him through the floorboards!

THERE WAS A MONSTER under the structure.

Terrified, the little boy ran out of the building as fast as his legs could carry him, with the horrible man-eating monster chasing him through the night……………..

“The-then what happened?”Pippa asked nervously

"Ahh,but thats where the story ends little Pippa no one ever saw the little boy again…."Jack replied stoically

“Bu-bu-but what about the Monster?!”She stuttered

"No one knows for sure….legend has it the monster still lurks about to this very day,hiding by unsuspecting people….."

"Waiting for the right moment…. TO STRIKE…"

“Anyways theres your story,so it's time to sleep”He said giving little Pippa a frosty kiss on her cheek

He went to the window and said “Goodnight”and flew off into the darkness…

Pippa however was far too scared to even think of sleeping,while she was no longer bothered by the cold presence of the frost sprite,her thoughts now dwelled on Jack story

“It couldn't be real!....could it?Pippa dared not to make a sound just in case any monsters were listening…

One terryfing tale for:@rotg-halloween

[randomperson99sworld]

Ruffled Feathers 🪶

~ Part 3 ~

Summary: Julia Morgan, Bobby's niece, has always been a royal thorn in Dean Winchesters ass since the day they met 1 year ago at Bobby's memorial. She wants to be a hunter, he thinks she's a dumb kid playing dress up. Will she always be seen as an unwanted load in Dean's eyes or will he see something more?

Pairing: Dean x OC

Warnings: Age gap, language, sexual themes (used lightly), Physical Abuse (Not by Dean).

Word Count: 1,075

A/N: This is my first story ever so please go easy on me. Also, this story is cross posted on Wattpad, I made a last minute decision to share it on here too. Happy reading! ♥️

The drive was painfully quiet, the only sounds coming from the hum of the engine and the occasional shuffle from Sam flipping through his notes. Dean gripped the steering wheel a little too tight, his knuckles white as they sped down the highway. Julia sat in the back, arms crossed and staring out the window, her jaw clenched.

"Alright, so the last victim was found near the old mill," Sam started, trying to ease the tension. "Looks like a classic spirit haunting. Should be straightforward—salt and burn."

"Good," Dean muttered. "Means we can get in, get out, and be done with this."

Julia rolled her eyes at his tone, unable to keep quiet any longer. "If it's so 'straightforward,' why even bring me? I'm sure you and Sam can handle it, right? Or did you just need someone to babysit?"

Dean's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, his glare sharp enough to cut glass. "Believe me, if I had a choice, I wouldn't be dragging you along for this."

Julia huffed in frustration. "I can handle a simple salt and burn, Dean. I've done it before."

"Yeah, and the last time you 'handled' it, you almost got yourself thrown into a wood chipper," Dean shot back.

"That wasn't my fault!" Julia leaned forward, her face reddening. "That ghost was a lot stronger than we expected."

Dean turned in his seat, his voice tight with barely contained anger. "It's your job to expect the unexpected. You go charging in half-cocked and then wonder why things go sideways."

Julia's temper flared. "I don't charge in! I take risks because that's what we do. You think you're the only one who's ever had to make a split-second decision?"

Dean opened his mouth to argue, but Sam cut in, his voice firm. "Guys, enough. We've got a job to do, and it's not gonna help if you're both too busy tearing each other apart to focus."

Dean shot Sam a glance, clearly still wound up, but he stayed quiet. Julia, still fuming, sank back into her seat, biting her tongue for the moment. The car fell back into tense silence as they neared the mill.

By the time they pulled up to the abandoned building, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the crumbling structure. Dean parked the Impala and got out, slamming the door behind him. Julia climbed out just as quickly, eager to put some distance between them.

Dean tossed a shotgun filled with rock salt to Julia. "Try not to get yourself killed."

Julia caught the gun, her eyes flashing with defiance. "Don't worry about me, I can handle myself."

"Yeah, sure you can," Dean muttered, turning toward the entrance.

Sam sighed but followed, leaving Julia to stew behind them. She could feel her anger bubbling up again, but she shoved it down, focusing on the hunt. They had bigger things to worry about than their constant bickering.

The mill was eerily quiet, the only sounds the creaking of old wood and the faint rustling of leaves outside. They moved carefully through the darkness, flashlights sweeping across the dust-covered floor. Dean led the way, his shotgun ready, while Sam and Julia fanned out behind him.

Suddenly, a cold gust of wind blew through the room, and Julia's breath hitched. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, her instincts telling her they weren't alone.

"Dean..." she whispered, gripping her shotgun tighter.

He glanced back at her, brow furrowed. "Stay close."

Before anyone could react, the ghost materialized in front of them—a woman with hollow eyes and a twisted, angry face. She let out a blood-curdling scream, and all hell broke loose.

Julia raised her shotgun, firing off a blast of rock salt, but the spirit was fast, dodging the shot and hurling her backward into a pile of crates. Pain shot through her back as she hit the ground hard, but she scrambled to her feet, adrenaline kicking in.

"Damn it, Julia!" Dean shouted, firing his own shot and driving the ghost back. "I said stay close!"

Julia winced but didn't respond, aiming her shotgun again. The ghost lunged at Dean, but Sam stepped in, throwing a handful of salt and giving them a moment to regroup.

"We need to find her bones!" Sam called out, looking around the decrepit mill. "She's not going to stop until we do."

Dean nodded, shooting Julia a pointed look. "Stay out of the way, Julia. Let me and Sam handle this."

Julia's anger flared again, but she bit back a retort. Instead, she grabbed her flashlight and started searching the room, determined to prove she wasn't just some liability. She wouldn't let Dean's words rattle her, not now.

As the ghost circled them again, Julia spotted a pile of old crates in the corner, something glinting faintly underneath them. She knelt down, shoving the crates aside, and uncovered a small, weathered box.

"Guys, I think I found something!" she called out.

Dean and Sam rushed over just as the ghost appeared again, shrieking with rage. Dean threw salt in the spirit's direction, holding it at bay while Sam pried open the box.

Inside, sure enough, were the brittle bones of a young woman.

"Light it up!" Dean ordered.

Sam quickly doused the bones in lighter fluid, striking a match and tossing it into the box. The fire flared to life, and the ghost let out one final scream before vanishing into the air, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.

Dean stood there for a moment, catching his breath, before turning to Julia. His expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something other than frustration in his eyes.

"You...you did good," he muttered, almost as if it pained him to admit it.

Julia wiped the dirt from her hands and met his gaze. "Told you I could handle myself." She wasn't smug about it—just tired. But there was a hint of satisfaction in her voice.

Dean grunted. "Yeah, well... don't make me regret saying that."

Julia smirked and walked past him, her shoulders squared with just a bit more confidence than before. Dean watched her go, shaking his head, but a small part of him couldn't help but respect her—just a little. He'd never say it out loud, but maybe Bobby's relative wasn't such a lost cause after all.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"I'm so glad you could make it, Lauren. It feels like it's been forever since I've seen you."

The youngest Durant sibling smiled at her sister. "College has been intense. I mean, I'm still in my first year, but with exams coming up, everyone is going a little crazy."

"That's how I remember it. I thought Nathan was going to burn down the student union building one exam period. I mean, he didn't even end up writing the exam, but he still went crazy with the rest of us."

"I'm so glad you met Trent," Lauren replied, looking over her shoulder in case Nathan suddenly showed up. She wouldn't put it past him. "Nathan creeps me out. There's something not right about him."

Cindra laughed, despite her sister's worry.

"Nathan likes people to think he's dangerous and scary, but he's a sweetheart deep down. Very deep down. Don't worry about him. He's harmless."

Lauren gave her sister a skeptical look but didn't push the subject. Let Cindra have her creepy crush. Lauren wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near Nathan Helios.

Everard and Luci tossed a baseball back and forth to warm up. They were about to start the official Siew family games and baseball was the first event. Luci was naturally athletic and had no doubts of her ability to lead her team to victory. Her little brother on the other hand....

At least Everard was trying to practice. Etienne was about to go swimming in the pool, and Fiolett was working on a drawing she refused to abandon. Who knew what Rien was up to? Luci had learned long ago not to count on her twin sister to do anything with her. If she had to guess, Rien was probably off talking with Adam about weird ghost sightings or something crazy like that. Ever since Theo had been sent away to school, Rien had been speaking to Adam an awful lot. Luci would normally assume that this meant that her sister had a crush on Theo's boyfriend, but this was Rien they were talking about. She was probably just telling him that he was being haunted by spirits.

"Rien? Honey, I thought you were playing baseball with your brother and sister? Did they finish playing already?"

Adrian approached his daughter reluctantly. It was obvious that Rien had no intention of playing with her siblings or being social. At least this time, she wasn't alone. Adrian had nearly tripped over Travis Maricourt scribbling furiously in a book by the hot tub, completely disengaged with the barbecue.

"I'm sorry, Dad, but I'm needed elsewhere," Rien replied cryptically. "Baseball seemed like a waste of time, considering how little of it is left."

"Uh...huh. Well, where are you needed? I can help you and then you can go play with the other kids here. I saw Travis Maricourt writing over by the hot tub, maybe you two could play alone together."

"Thanks for the offer, but it's not me who needs to socialize. You need to talk to people at the party," Rien insisted. "Hang around Queen Maura to help her. You'll know what to do when the time comes. I have my own role to play. Have you seen Princess Georgiana?"

"Are you going to play with Her Highness, or continue your cryptic riddles with her?" Adrian asked wearily, already knowing the answer. "Please don't say anything that would scare the princess. She's younger than you and scares easily."

"I'll play nicely, Daddy. I promise."

Adrian tried not to wither at the glare his daughter was giving him. Of course, she'd inherited Roman's patented stare, the same as Theo. Whenever the kids were angry, it was like being surrounded by little Roman clones. Thank god that most of them seemed incapable of scowling like their father, aside from Theo.

"Rien, you know that I love you very much," Adrian tried. "Go play with the princess and have fun. Maybe you and I could play cards with your siblings later. That would be fun, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, Daddy. That sounds like fun."

The tone of her voice very clearly conveyed that playing cards would be the worst thing that could happen to her, despite her ominous words. Adrian bit his cheek to keep from groaning or reprimanding his daughter for lying. There wasn't a parenting book out there that could help him parent Adrienne.

"I'll see you soon," Rien declared suddenly, wrapping her arms around her baffled father. "Remember, hang around the queen. There's a collection of heirloom swords in the second bedroom upstairs. Do you remember how to use them?"

"Yes, I remember how to use many weapons. I studied all of that in military school. How the hell do you know about a collection of swords? Have you been playing with them? You're too young to-"

Rien let go of her father and gave him a sad look. Her eyes didn't look like she was twelve. They held secrets and sorrows well beyond her years in a way that Adrian would never understand. He'd never met Roman's grandparents, but Roman often mentioned how similar Rien sometimes looked to his grandmother. Whoever she looked like, there were times that Adrian stared at his daughter and didn't recognize who stared back.

"Remember, the queen needs you," Rien said again, skipping off to find Georgiana. As usual, Adrian made a mental note of this behaviour to address with Roman and despite his skeptical nature, went in search of Queen Maura.

"I heard there was a barbecue here, but I don't smell anything cooking. Don't tell me that I missed Dad's famous burgers."

"Oliver! You made it! I thought you had exams to study for." Claudia ran to embrace her little brother, excited that he'd actually kept his promise and came to the family gathering.

"Yeah, well, we're not all monarchs wealthy beyond imagining," Oliver laughed. "I'm a poor college student. An offer of free food doesn't come along very often."

"Oh, you're impossible!" Claudia teased, tickling her brother like they were still children. "A poor college student whose tuition is covered by his very rich sister, along with a generous fund for personal expenses."

"Well, I still eat a fair amount of ramen regardless. I won't let your money take away from the college experience."

"Well, maybe I'll withdraw my tuition support next semester if that's how you feel," Claudia laughed. "Then you won't have to fake the 'authentic' experience."

"Ah, who can say what's authentic?" Oliver replied, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Maybe I'll accept your charity for a few more years after all."

This was a dance Claudia and Oliver performed seamlessly over the years. She'd offer whatever Oliver could possibly need in life and he'd playfully decline, only to accept it moments later. He'd been too young to understand his sister's change in rank when she took the throne, but he'd never been jealous of her. She was the queen and he was free to live as he chose. Claudia had frequently offered her brother a royal title and estate of his own, but Oliver had turned her down every time. Apparently, the monarchy was a "Claudia and Dad" project, while the "Oliver, Travis, and Mom" project was perfectly content away from the throne.

"Speaking of charity, where are the hamburgers I was promised? I'm wasting away here."

Claudia rolled her eyes.

"Blame Dad. He was supposed to be here to barbecue after work, but I guess he got busy. You know how obsessive he is about grilling things. God forbid someone other than him gets to touch the grill so we can eat."

"Well, where's Uncle Travis? I've seen Dad let him grill before and I'm starving. Let's just start grilling and apologize later. He can't be mad when we've waited this long."

Ewan Traver watched as his uncle, Ewan Goldman, arrived in a shower of sparkling light just in front of the front entrance of the cottage. It was a relief to see him, especially since Ewan's own son, Oliver, was currently leading a rebellion among the family to replace his father with anyone else who knew how to use a grill. The family was currently split between honouring the original plan and replacing Ewan with his reluctant brother, Travis.

"Uncle Ewan! Finally! Everyone's been going feral waiting for food. You're late."

"Uncle Ewan?"

Ewan Goldman made no attempts to respond to his nephew. Instead, he stared at the ground, unable to meet the younger Ewan's eyes. A shiver ran down Ewan Traver's spine. Something was wrong here. Dangerously wrong. This intuition was confirmed when dark, glossy wings emerged from his uncle's back, wrapping around a body that had gone from looking normal and healthy to a sickly hue that radiated an unnatural cold that Ewan could feel from several feet away. When his uncle spoke, it wasn't his usual cheerful voice, but one that sounded hollow and deadly.

“I’m not here to join in the festivities. Unfortunately, I’m here for work. I’m so sorry.”

[sarahjtv]

My Hero Academia Chapter 429 Spoiler Talk: The Penultimate Chapter

So here it is. The second to last chapter of My Hero Academia. Unless Horikoshi gives us a sequel series like Naruto: Shippuden, this and the next chapter is the last we'll get manga content about MHA. Well, at least until Horikoshi gives us another Ultra Analysis book or an art book with extra information. It's still hard to believe honestly. I don't know if I'll be able to accept that our beloved series is ending until it actually does. Let's see what Horikoshi-sensei gives us until then. Also, my health isn't 100% today, so I apologize if my writing sounds messy:

First off is our last Weekly Shonen Jump and Chapter color pages! They are absolutely beautiful celebrating both the 10th anniversary and My Hero Academia as a whole. Everyone is smiling and it's a wonderful sight to see. I won't show them here because I think they deserve to be seen with your own two eyes. Let's just say that I love them and I can't wait to get the HQ versions of them when the official release comes out. Just know that you can tell Horikoshi put a lot of love into these pages.

From here on out, I think I'm just going to talk about what I thought of the chapter because I'm not 100% down to type everything out tonight. Sorry about this:

I think the chapter was another solid one, though it somehow still doesn't feel like the series is ending yet for me.

I'm glad we got to see Ochako and Deku talk about not being able to save their respective villains because we all know how badly this was haunting them. Neither of them would have been able to move on and genuinely smile again until they got that all out to someone who understood. Thankfully, they have each other 💚💖. I'm also really glad Deku told Ochako she was his hero and let her take her hand. This is the closest we'll probably get to an actual romantic confession from either of them unless Horikoshi does something for them in the last chapter. The thing is, it works because this wasn't the time for a love confession. This was a time for two broken people to talk their trauma out and get reassurance from someone close to them.

Really sad to hear that Himiko Toga did die. Granted it was from Ochako's dialogue and we didn't see any panel with her body drawn, but we can really only take her word for it now. Horikoshi could absolutely pull a fast one on us and show a glimpse of her alive in the final chapter. However, I think it's safe to say that she is dead and that honestly sucks.

I love the slice-of-life panels we get of the rest of the kids and seeing Aizawa smile is beautiful! He's so proud of his kids 🥹.

Monoma getting a statue at the school and bragging about it is fucking hilarious 🤣! He honestly deserves it though because the whole world would've been dead if not for him. Deku better get a statue too or else I'm going to throw hands.

Eri excitedly singing at Aoyama's farewell party is the most wholesome thing I've seen in a very long time and I truly hope she achieves her dream someday 🤍! Make her the best idol in the world, Horikoshi!

Finally, there's that mysterious man we saw a few chapters ago. We still don't know his name, but we're told he was abused and abandoned by his family because he has a mutant Quirk similar to how Eri's Quirk in the sense that neither of their Quirks were inherited by their family's DNA. He looked like he was going to walk down a similar path as Tenko, but the old lady who first ignored Tenko many years back found this new man and finally offered him a hand thanks to Izuku's inspiration. This is sort of a redemption for the old lady. I know that she was a catalyst for why Tenko became who he became, but I think this is a start for her to start over at least. Thankfully, I think this man is going to be ok.

I remember reading the interviews Horikoshi did over the past week and one of the things he said he wanted to express was that even someone having your back is heroism. Someone who can do something so simple as reaching their hand out when someone is in need is a hero to that person. You can tell that that is what Horikoshi is telling us here. He also said that making us cry was an important part of the story too because it's how he wants us to connect with it, so I expect to shed tears next week.

So, yeah. That's the second to last chapter of the main My Hero Academia manga. It still doesn't feel real to me. The final page of the chapter left things open-ended, so I would not be surprised if we got a time skip of some sort in the final chapter. I honestly thought that Horikoshi was setting up one more villain for the kids to fight with that mysterious man, but it was wrapped up in a very simple yet poignant way. I will agree that it feels rushed and that there's something missing, but I can't pinpoint what. Horikoshi's been writing and drawing this manga for 10+ years at this point, so I can't entirely blame him for wanting to finish things up. However, I'm a little more nervous about him sticking the landing for the ending. While I think he can still do it, I've seen too many mangaka end their story on a bad note for one reason or another. Our best bet is that he revises or adds some things to make the chapter better in the volume version. I'm going to do my best to keep my optimism alive for the next few weeks.

I honestly can't begin to accurately predict how the manga will end. I could see it ending with the kids continuing their lives at UA, at graduation, or as pro-hero adults maybe with families of their own. Honestly, anything goes. Part of me wants to be here when the chapter might get leaked next Wednesday, but another part of me wants to wait until next Sunday for the official VIz release so I can read and cry together with everyone else. I think I am going to try to do the latter and then write some kind tribute to honor the series, but I may or may not be out of town next week, so I'll have to see about that.

One more chapter left.

[cellsshapedlikestars]

scooby doo!!!

(wip game)

just this moodboard I made years ago. The Starks + Jon & Ghost go down to their grandma's house, because grandma thinks it's haunted

Robb as himbo Fred, Sansa as Daphne, Arya as Velma, Jon as Shaggy, and Ghost as Scooby.

except, of course, it'd be a darker tone than the actual scooby doo cartoon. I have the plot in my head, I know the story beats, I know the villain and all the decoy villains. I just, you know, can't seem to get past the few pages I wrote back in 2021. Part of me wonders if it's the 1970s setting. I have a lot of trouble writing period pieces, especially of times I'm not super familiar with. I was fine with the 90s because I at least was a child then, but the 70s?? I suppose I could change it, but I have a very specific music reference I want to use and I need it to be 1977 for that.

Anyway, here's a snippet (more than what's written under the moodboard):

.

Deciding to go and actually going are two very different things, it turns out.

For one, they don't have a car.

Well, the family has two cars, actually - a luxury that Sansa often forgets is a luxury. Dad makes enough money that they can have two cars and send three kids to college while still living in their well-to-do neighborhood. But one of the cars is at the airport in long term parking where dad left it, and mom needs the other to run errands and take care of Bran and Rickon.

“We could take a train?” Sansa suggests as they sit in one of the booths of Luwin's Diner. Arya's busy working on a double fudge sundae, Robb's finishing up his fries, and Sansa takes another sip of her strawberry milkshake.

“I don't think a train goes anywhere near Grandma's house. The closest stop would probably be in Red Fork, and then we'd still have no way of getting to Riverrun.”

“Sans, doesn't your boyfriend have a car we could borrow? Isn't his dad a car salesman?”

Sansa feels her cheeks flush with heat, and she shakes her head. “Harry and I broke up at the end of the semester,” she says like it doesn't bother her. Like she hadn't walked in on him naked, in bed, with a girl from his Literature class.

“Bummer,” Arya says, though Sansa knows it's because of the car thing and not actually Harry. The one time they'd met, Arya had not liked Harry. But then again, Arya's never liked any of Sansa's boyfriends, and she’s usually - annoyingly - right.

Robb's been silent for a while, he's staring out the window and Sansa turns to see what he's looking at. Across the street is a pizza shop and an auto body.

“I'll be right back,” Robb says, a slight frown on his face, a line between his brows. He gets up and leaves the diner, crossing the street towards the auto body. Mance's Auto, the sign reads.

“Where's he going?”

Arya leans over to watch Robb with her own frown. “Is that Jon's van?”

“Jon who?”

Arya sighs and points at a teal blue Volkswagen van that's parked in the alley between Mance's Auto and the pizza shop, so far back that Sansa hadn't even seen it at first. “Jon Snow.”

Memories slam back into Sansa's body, looking at that van. Of Robb and Jon and Theon driving off in it, mom's disapproving frown every time they did. Of that van parked on the street outside their house, the smell of pot drifting up from the basement whenever mom and dad weren't home. Of the one and only time she'd ever been inside it – Joffrey's letterman jacket lying in the back seat, abandoned, while Jon's leather one sat heavy and warm over her shoulders. Her eyes red and puffy, her nose still running. That endless silence as he drove her home.

She hasn't seen Jon in years.

“I didn't think they were friends anymore?” is all she manages to say, as Robb disappears inside the auto body.

“Beats me.” There's a pause, and Sansa can feel Arya's energy shift into something mischievous. “C'mon, let's go see.”

With that, Arya slides out of the booth and Sansa stares after her in shock. “Arya!” she whispers harshly, but Arya is already halfway out the door and Sansa quickly grabs her purse to follow. As she gets out of the booth, she digs around and manages to find a few bills that she drops onto the table and hopes is enough. If not, Mr. Luwin knows they're good for it.

She follows Arya outside and across the street, but Arya doesn't go into the shop, she goes around the side alley, to the van. To Sansa's surprise, Robb and Jon are already there.

It really has been years since she last saw Jon, not since the summer after Robb's high school graduation. Jon looks different now – he's always had long hair, but now it's tied back out of his face and he's grown a beard and his hands are covered in either grease or oil, she can't tell. There's a rag that hangs from one of the belt loops of his jeans, and Jon is busy using it to wipe his hands, though Sansa thinks the effort is wasted, since the rag seems to be just as covered in grease as his hands are.

He and Robb look like they're arguing, but Jon's mouth snaps shut when he sees her and Arya at the opening of the alleyway between the auto body and the pizza shop. It's also then that Sansa notices a white dog leashed to a bit of fencing, with bowls of water and food near it.

“Hey Jon,” Arya greets, looking between him and Robb. “It's been a while.”

“Arya,” Jon nods at her and then his eyes slide over to Sansa. “Sansa.”

“Hi Jon,” she gives him a little wave, unsure what else to do. There's a weird tension in the alley that she can't figure out.

“Does Jon have a car he can lend us?” Arya asks, and from the way Jon sighs, Sansa can tell this was the conversation he and Robb were already having.

“Jon says his boss wouldn't lend us a car,” Robb frowns. “And he won't let us borrow his van.”

“Robb,” Sansa hears herself say, and she almost winces at the scolding tone. She sounds a lot like their mother.

“What?” Robb asks with wide eyes. “We wouldn't need it for too long! And his mom doesn't live that far, he could walk to work no problem.”

“Do you still have that beanbag in the back?” Arya asks, moving towards the side of Jon's van. “I used to love that thing.

Arya takes hold of the handle and Jon opens his mouth in protest, but he's too late. Arya pulls open the door and instead of a beanbag chair that Sansa doesn't remember ever seeing (though again, she'd only been in the van once, and she hadn't been paying much attention to the interior), there's a lumpy twin mattress stuffed into the back, rumpled sheets piled haphazardly on it, trash bags of what looks like clothes on the seats in front of it.

Arya stares at it in confusion, until Jon moves forward and shuts the door, the slam of it echoing through the alleyway.

“Your mom kick you out again?” Robb asks, voice low, and Sansa wishes desperately that she and Arya had never followed. She feels like she shouldn't be hearing this. “You know you can always crash-”

“It's fine,” Jon starts wiping at his hands again with the rag. It's useless. He's just making it worse. “If you need the van to help your grandma, you can take it.”

"Where will you live?” Robb asks with a scowl. Arya still looks a bit shocked at the revelation.

“I dunno, maybe I'll go apologize and see if mom will let me back in.”

“Was the fight your fault?”

Jon shrugs, and it only deepens Robb's frown.

“You could come with us?”

All three of them turn to look at her, and Sansa wonders where that even came from. The words simply flew out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying.

“That's a great idea!” Arya's confusion clears and is replaced with excitement. “C'mon Jon, this road trip will be loads more fun if you're along and I'm not stuck with these two dorks.”

Sansa watches Jon hesitate, looking between his van and Robb, then the back entrance to Mance's Auto. “I guess Mance has been on me to take some time off,” he hedges. “Ghost would have to come, too.

“Perfect,” Arya grins.

[brightcalamity]

Spoilers about late game things:

Man, Wei is weird, isn't he? (This is a compliment) Making an opposite of a guy who is comically evil, and you get a guy who should be...comically good? I hope that's where they're going, because that's how I read him.

Quotes:

Wei:

Well, if you know my brother's birthday, you know mine. But in case you didn't, it's the 14th of Autumn. They say there was a solar eclipse that day.

So are Wei and Yan like those 7 brothers from Portia? Except instead of the colors of the rainbow, they're light and dark? Good and evil? Yan is the dark shadow that blocks out the sun that is Wei? But he's also the guy who shoplifts from Arvio? It actually makes me feel a tiny bit sorry for Yan. Like, was he capable of being any better than he is?

Our father used to always tell us, "Be hard on yourself, go easy on others." He always tried his best with Yan, but my brother... There was no getting through to him. When I moved in, I found engraved in his desk... "Go easy on yourself, go hard on others." How strange that he relishes in such behavior...

Cursed...

I was a guild commissioner previously; I'd regularly join expedition teams going in to the Peripheries. We'd always hire a crack team to fight alongside us. We were careful. Always did everything right. One excursion, my team abandoned me out there, having been paid off by Yan. That... is a story for another time...

Poor Wei...

⁠My brother did always enjoy playing his identity swapping games... Prior to this, the longest he ever got away with it was a month in middle school when I went away for the grammar rodeo... When I got back I had some choice words for him, all of which were carefully constructed semantically!⁠ ⁠ Long ago I had a true love by the name of Esmerelda. She, too, was taken from me by my brother. One day, i came home to find her furious. She claimed that I had said the most horrible things to her. I tried to explain that I have an evil twin...! But she wouldn't believe me...

This poor man....

We send Yan to jail, and we don't have to deal with him again. I can't help but think that Wei is going to be haunted by him for the rest of his life.

Don't worry about my brother coming after either of us. He's safely locked away in a maximum security prison, and his assets have all been frozen. So even if he did have some way to communicate with his shady associates, he'd have no leverage.

:( For your sake, Wei, I hope so.

Hugo:

I feel for Wei. I mean, somewhere, deep down, he's got to have some love for his brother. It must be hard to deal with family like that. People who have just completely lost their way...

I think Wei needs therapy.

Miguel:

Yes. You all are free from Yan's loathsome presence. I however, am forced to bask in it...

You made this bed, Miguel. No, I still feel sorry for you.

Qi:

The twin commissioners are a fantastic study in the nature vs. nurture issue. Of course, these two men have identical DNA, so what exactly led them to become such different people? Hypothesis one: it's the mustache.

I think this is a bias being expressed by the creators of the game which show why they only give us ugly facial hair options.

Unsuur:

With Wei around, it kinda feels like Yan is still a member of town. Except he's, like, good. Most bad guys we meet end up being misunderstood and eventually turn good. It's almost as if... The only way Yan could ever be good is if he were a different person completely. Hm...

This one is probably actual commentary, though, ha.

Venti:

I heard you got a new Commissioner! Did he increase your salary? New healthcare plan? Well, at the very least, is he providing free mustache removals?

Wait! My mustache conspiracy theory! There's more evidence!!!

Okay, I'm kind of bummed because I was searching the wiki for a dialogue line I think is kind of interesting. Like, he says Mi-an is teaching him about "fun." Like, he didn't get it before. He went to grammar contests as a kid. He reads in his spare time. I enjoy the idea of him being just so wholesome and Good that he's just as much of a weirdo as everyone else in town.

Yan also gets disappointed in you when you give him gold and he realizes you probably just found it instead of stealing it. He enjoys his evil. Getting something honestly makes him sick. The closest he comes to giving a shit is if you get to be besties with him and he says he'd try to betray you less than everyone else. He still betrays you basically just as much or even more than them (since you're pals with him).

Hm? Yes, of course, I cheat on the Builder Charts! You'd be a fool not to! Do you have any idea how hard it is to win that thing legitimately? Eh? You don't cheat? What's wrong with you? I thought you were cool! Oh, and don't even think of trying to turn me in. I'll lie!

Since he's evil in like a magic way (and a dumb way, since if he was less like he is, he'd get away with more) I bet he enjoys when he betrays you because you're pals. If he likes you, it's because of the way he sees himself in you. He makes assumptions about your behavior and is disappointed when you act differently than he would. He could have left Wei alone and done his evil, but instead he had to ruin his life over and over.

Anyway, where was I going with this? Oh, yeah. Wei should be his bright mirror. He takes up knitting as a hobby and ends up making baby blankets and caps for cancer patients on the side. He goes on the roller coaster and there's an accident but he fixes whatever broke before anyone got hurt. You see him checking out the new woods and he's walking through it and birds and desert hares flock to him.

If you're going to do the evil twin thing, I think you need to push it until it's ludicrous.

[honey-minded-hivemind]

I had a pretty exciting dream a day or so ago. To sum up the dream/its plot, it went something like this:

Thirteen Year Old Reader Ends Up In A Town Haunted By A Murder Ten Years Ago... Everyone Suspects One Man Of The Crime... But, Reader Believes He Is Innocent, So Sets Out To Prove It...

Or in other words, a small town mystery starring Reader, and the man (mutant) who they believe is innocent (if not intimidating and anti-social), Victor Creed, or Sabretooth.

The dream went something like this:

Reader, a kid on their own, ends up accidentally in a small, sleepy town surrounded by woods, water, and mist. They end up being taken in by a nice family, who try to help them get back on their feet. When they mention to Reader the murder that happened ten years ago, they say that a child had been murdered, but their murderer, nor their body, had ever been found. But, the town suspects someone of having done the wicked deed... A recluse, living in a house in the middle of the woods on the outskirts of town, who always seemed "off".

Reader is still curious, though, and somehow, they, and the family and a new friend, end up having to do business with this strange recluse... When they enter the house/small business, Reader tries to stay out of the way of everyone, but they watch (eavesdrop) on the conversations between people. Until they come face-to-face (well, face-looking-up-to-face) with the possible culprit himself. A large, giant of a man, with long hair and sharp teeth and sharper nails. Reader had heard a bit of what he'd said, to another person and to the family they're with, and from what they could piece together-

He didn't do it.

Sure, the huge, intimidating, scary man is standoffish, cold, teasing, and against people. But, Reader believes he didn't commit the murder. They aren't sure why they think that (is it instincts? Subconscious knowledge? A sixth sense?), but they are convinced of the idea that for all his traits and formidable nature, that he was not the one to do it, or a person who would go after a defenseless child. Reader has a small conversation with him, where they bluntly say they don't think he did it. And the man is- silent. Calculating. Then he sends then off, mentioning he'll be seeing them again.

Reader spends their days exploring the quiet town, going through the stores and investigating for any clues as to who did the deed, and where the body might be hidden. That leads them to some places they shouldn't be (abandoned waterway, clearing in the woods where they found blood and evidence, deep part of the woods by Victor's house), doing their best to figure out the crime. And they DO find some clues, such as the type of person it would have to be to do the crime (right-handed, knows how to navigate forests, possibly a hunter/nature expert, must have known the child and/or their family and their schedule). But it still isn't enough to catch the culprit...

They slowly interact with Victor/Sabretooth in small doses. Usually when they're in the woods and he heard them, so went to see who it was. The small moments of talking reveal to Reader that while the man has a dark sense of humor, doesn't like anybody in town, and has likely committed a crime before, he has a soft spot for (or just won't hurt) kids. Reader also finds out he has an estranged sibling, a brother, who he has tried to make amends with, but who is... hard to convince (yeah, he's talking about Logan. Guy is still obsessed/protective of his baby sibling, who still has amnesia and thinks he's a crazy lunatic). He also slowly gets to learn a little about Reader from these talks, learning they don't have a family/parents (the one they're staying with is helping them, though), they're a bit odd compared to other children, and they truly, utterly believe he is innocent of the crime. Safe to say, he starts to secretly grow attached to them (new sibling/child/cub/pup/runt) (he isn't replacing Logan, he's just adding one more person to the amount of people he cares about. Which he can count on one hand. Take that, alcoholic b*stard blood-father!)

And after awhile, when Reader might be in danger of being the murderer's next victim (because they got too close to finding out who it was/brought up the murder too many times), Victor/Sabretooth steps in. He may not like the town or people, but he DOES like Reader, and no child deserves to have their murder unsolved or body not properly buried. So he sets to tracking down who did it, even while some of the town police snort and say he couldn't possibly catch who did it, because he should know who it is (they're saying it's him). He sees a picture drawn in the dirt, by Reader, who was drawing him and themself, and that resolves any doubts he has. It doesn't take more than a day to track down the body, kept in an old, rusted bunker/freight in the woods west of his house, and he can't stand to look at the damage done to it. The way the body is rotted and bloated and caught in a frightened pose. But then, he catches cloth, with the scent of the murderer... And he hunts them down, dragging them to the police. The man who did it was something like a banker/baker, who was a serial murderer who had hidden in the town. Suffice to say, he is supposed to sent off to a maximum prison...

But Victor/Sabretooth takes care of him before that can happen.

(It's a bloody ordeal, leaving gouges and lashes and cuts for each child thean killed, each life snuffed out before its prime. And for the fact he was planning to off Reader, Victor decides to tear off chunks of flesh, eating some, doing everything he can to make the monster pay and writhe in agony... And when the man is finally dead, bloodied and unrecognizable save for his teeth and basic features, he drags the body back to the police station, a sign and threat...)

And that concludes the dream...

If it continued (a part of it did, portraying how Victor viewed Logan and their brotherly bond/blood), Reader would have ended up being taken with him (forced adoption), and Victor would have set out to find Logan... Who finds the Reader, smells Sabretooth on them, and promptly takes Reader with him and tries to go to the X-Men. Which Victor is having none of, and goes to hunt them down (at least his runt likes the cub, that means there won't be too much jealousy)...

Bonus:

Reader, looking up at the behemoth that is Victor/Sabretooth, with a few dark stains that might be blood:😶

Reader: I think you're good😌

Sabretooth: 🤨

Sabretooth: What?

Reader: Yep. You're not bad, just antisocial

Sabretooth: Wha-? Kid, I've killed people. I've EATEN people. How the f*ck do I look child-friendly?😠

Reader: You're just like a big cat😊😁🐱🦁🐯

Sabretooth: 👀

Sabretooth, internally: Okay, I'm keeping this one-💕🧡

[thedeathdeelers]

Julie as an exorcist for hire and Luke as her ghost partner au (Bring it On Ghost 😌)

and/or

JATP characters meet working a a pet store au (let’s pretend it’s a super ethical one where all the pets are rescues ok lol)

HOOO BOY OK ok ok ok OK

edit: uh. yeah. good luck reading this it’s so long but then so rushed idk man enjoy……….

edit 2: wait shit i just reread your ask and u specifically said julie exorcist and luke ghost…..I APOLOGISE. STILL WORKS………….

get it on ghost au:

so luke’s always been plagued with the gift of seeing ghosts - he hates it, it’s mostly annoying when they show up unannounced declaring that he has to help them — and worst of all, it’s exhausting having to get rid of the creepy ones in ways other than just guiding them spiritually (ie beating the crap out of them)

it took up too much of his time and he just wanted to focus on his music man

he figures out at one point tho that he can make a business out of it — make some money by advertising his skills (without his parents knowing cause well. they wouldn’t necessarily agree to it) and getting people to pay him to ‘exorcise’ ie beat the crap out of ghosts that refuse to move on and just insist on haunting the living

(alex and reggie know about this of course. esp when they suddenly have nicer practice rooms to chill in. alex isn’t thrilled he’s actually terrified, but reggie just wants to join in on all the client calls luke gets)

AND THIS IS WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING: so one day luke gets a text from a potential client asking him to head over to the abandoned los feliz high school building (that particular building was shut down a couple years ago because of a tragedy and hasn’t really been dealt with yet)

BUT BASICALLY the text asks him to check out the building cause there’s this one notorious ghost that keeps scaring all the high school students in the buildings nearby and they just need it to be dealt with (he’s seen those high school kids running past it like their lives depended on it

luke’s happy to oblige, especially when he finds out how much the client is willing to pay, and heads over — only to get the surprise of a lifetime. he meets a ghost who 1. turns out to be the one who texted him (so he’s not getting paid and that’s not great news) and 2. is a cute girl who looks very much human and not like any of the other ghosts he’s met before

he’s taken aback, especially when she kicks his ass (and helps him kick the resident ghost’s ass)

it’s a whole cat and mouse thing for a while, she keeps following him whenever he’s alone and he keeps telling her to leave him alone (mostly cause she’s hella cute and he seriously can’t afford to catch feelings for a dead girl yknow). he tells her she needs to pay him or move on and she keeps insisting that she just wants to figure out who she is!! how she died!! who her family is!! so that she can move on!!!

so they strike up a deal: he helps her (her name’s julie, by the way) figure out who she is, the mystery revolving her death and why she can’t remember anything, and she, in turn, helps him on the job (she’s got a wicked left kick), slowly paying him back with her skills since she never paid him for that one job (the abandoned high school building, remember that?)

so she tags along wherever he goes (at first to his dismay), even joining in on band practice (the boys know of her existence and try to be as considerate as possible considering they can’t see her)

things start to change between the two the second luke hears julie sing, fingers slipping on metal strings when she follows the melody perfectly and holy shit he’s a goner (the boys are confused af they’ve never seen luke lose focus when it comes to band practice)

THEY SPEND THE NIGHT TALKING AND HE FINDS OUT SHE DIDNT EVEN KNOW SHE COULD SONG- he tries to get her to play various instruments to see maybe she was into that and turns out she can play piano!! and oh?? SHE CAN ALSO WRITE SONGS??? match made in heaven soulmates luke’s fucked and fully in love with a ghost etc etc

ah fuck this is getting long i’m so sorry but let me continue:

so this is where we meet our antagonist: the music teacher at los feliz, the one luke’s seen loitering around the high school (alex goes to that school and whenever luke stopped by for lunch he’d see the somewhat creepy teacher)

and he gets a bad feeling from him every single time

TO MAKE THIS SHORT LMAO: turns out julie’s accident had soemthing to do with the teacher, caleb covington, and turns out she was a student at that school!! 10 years ago!!

ALSO: SHES BOT ACTUALLY DEAD? SHES IN A COMA????? what a plot twist. it’s why she looks so normal so human. it’s why she’s never felt like any other ghost.

anyway stuff happens luke figures out caleb is some weird powerful ghost demon who sucks the life out of students for their talents and that’s what happened to julie except he never managed to finish the job.

luke finds a way to bring her back to life and together they fight caleb and it’s A HAPPY ENDING OH JESUS

do you still want the pet store au??? lmao

julie starts working at a pet store, she meets reggie first, and he takes her round the store introducing her to all the animals and staff members and when they reach the puppies section they find a guy their age on the floor on his back being attacked by several puppies (licking his face) and it’s the cutest thing julie’s seen in a while

that is until reggie shouts “luke! new person coming through” and the boy on the floor sits up and julie sees his face and decides actually. that’s the cutest thing she’s seen in a while

anyway.

coworkers romance and all that jazz 😌

she finds out he sings to the scared puppies and agitated animals at the store, and it melts her heart. he hears her sing along to one of his songs one day, matching the harmony perfectly, and he melts.

they fall in love and live happily ever after the end

AAAAAAH

[kentuckycaverats]

feeling very normal and hinged and relaxed and chill and so so normal (<- lying) about kovac and being seen

changeling ny starts in 1969. kovac is still a childling, having only chrysalized 4 years prior. their mortal seeming, valentin, is 24; kovac is much younger than that, but remembers all of their past lives and has the chronos art so time is fucky for them anyway. they come across like a haunted child who's seen too much--they have the naivete and optimism of a kid but the insight of someone who's lived a Long Ass Time.

the rest of the motley is all wilders, a grump, and as of last session another childling who's still older than kovac. the motley loves and is very protective of them, and very much treats them like a small delicate flower that needs to be kept safe from the world at all costs. kier, kovac's soulmate through every lifetime, shows up and the entire motley is convinced he's (1) kovac's friend and (2) a horrible tricksy sidhe who Clearly must be using kovac in some way. kovac introduces kier to the motley as "my kier" and they all interpret it as "my friend kier." in part because he's a wilder and in large part because he's a sidhe and they're a sluagh, it doesn't cross anyone's mind that their relationship would be anything but platonic--and no one asks kovac what kier is to them. they're just a baby, after all.

their closest friend, veronica, is a dreamer. her parents are stupid rich and she's a weird macabre lesbian with a special interest in true crime that's super off-putting to everyone. she loves kier (well. his mortal seeming, glenn) and the motley doesnt trust her either because who does this spoiled rich girl think she is anyway? she literally Cant see kovac as they really are unless they enchant her, but she still sees them more accurately than their own motley.

and then. there is ootha <3 kovac has been born to mortal parents in every lifetime except one, wayyyy before the shattering. ootha is a witch who manifested them in a cauldron (you would homebrew a baby) and whom kovac lovingly refers to as their once-mother. she has a wasting disease that makes her body disintegrate and limbs fall off, and she barters replacement limbs from other sources to sustain herself. kovac hasn't seen her in centuries but will find her again this lifetime, and the motley's going to be terrified of her. but she loves kier too (he's long since proven himself worthy to her) and aside from him is the person who truly sees and understands kovac best.

so we get this fascinating dynamic of like. If Kovac Had A Nickel For Every Time Their Friends Fucking Hated The People They Love Most They Would Have Enough Nickels For Their Friends To Hate Them Too.

bonus ouchies for this being only the second lifetime kovac has been part of a motley; the first one was many lifetimes ago, and kovac abandoned them when the motley made them choose between them and kier.

do these people Really love you? they're your friends and they Think they love you but they refuse to see you. they despise half of your soul. what do you do with that?

[space-ninja-fashion-show]

The Dormizones are haunted

Which is par for the course, really, considering the Zariman as a whole is haunted. The Holdfasts are exceptionally solid ghosts, but the rest of the ship is full of them too. Abandoned halls and corridors and classrooms whisper and sigh with whatever the void has made of their dead

The group discover this not long after they renovate and move in to their lil corridor of four Dormizones. Doors open and close on their own. Sometimes objects wind up in places no one had left them. Sometimes it's things no one remembers having at all. Sometimes there's movement out of the corner of one's eye, words and laughter just beyond the edge of what an ear can reliably hear

It's not wise, to look for familiarity in any of it

But the ghosts are harmless neighbours, occasional visitors. Hako is slightly concerned and the warframes have their worries and skepticism too, but Kohlrabi, Keiko, and North figure that the ghosts have been here all this time. This is their home too, and it is no one's right to force them to leave

Sometimes it's footsteps in the corridor at night and sometimes it's muddy footprints to mop up next morning. Once, they're in the shape of a dick

Lanius is fond of the ghosts. They start locking up dangerous things for the night in their kitchen-turned-lab but they also leave sticky notes on what is okay to touch. Sometimes they leave their notes out on the table for the night, and someone visiting must have an interest in infested studies or microbiology, bc sometimes they find the notes shuffled differently in the morning

The kids' Dormizone is maybe the busiest. Alden sits down to tell a bedtime story over transference to get them to settle down for the night, and things keep falling off the shelves. Someone laughs, quiet and unfamiliar. When he says goodnight and turns out the light, the commotion quiets down good-naturedly

Sometimes Kodiak's tools go missing and sometimes they're right by his hand when he needs them. The little three-legged robot he's made as a proof of concept maybe a month ago wanders across the table without a power source to dump against his hand before going inert again. His imagination runs away on the idea of making toys for alleged children he cannot even see, and he calls himself ridiculous for it

North and Higgins' Dormizone is by far the quietest, bc Higgins is scared of the ghosts. Not overwhelmingly, but they creep him out the most, and unbeknownst to him the ghosts do not want him to be scared and so they mostly leave him (and by extension North) alone. Stuff still happens sometimes, floofs in places they shouldn't be, footsteps when there is no one, but not as much as anywhere else. North's quiet resignation to it helps Higgins treat it like normal

The only time their Dormizone is notably busy in terms of ghosts is a time when no one has the mind to care or notice. It's during North's first return to Duviri. Higgins is worried out of his mind, too busy thinking about North to think about ghosts, and everyone else is worried about them both. He's got no mind and no way to realise that the spare bed is piled with ghost children, invisible as always and fearfully watching the door that had appeared in the wall. Waiting for North to get back already. Waiting to see if Higgins will be okay

[thefandomcassandra]

Like a Knife in the Woods (3/3 abandoned*)

*this fic is technically unfinished but there is a design doc-slash-outline for the “final chapter” so it can be considered finished as it will never be updated

Twenty years ago, Kageyama Shigeo went missing and his brother threw himself into studies of the occult in order to get him back. Serizawa Kaguya has come to stay with his (very distant) uncle in order to get a grip on his unpredictable psychic powers. His friend Reigen Arataka tagged along and, as he is wont to do, is rating for a mystery to solve or something paranormal to discover. When the two young ones accidentally tear open an old hole in reality, Ritsu gets his brother back and Arataka gets the mystery he wanted. It's a pity it doesn't stop there. It's a pity they let something else out too, and it's not as nice as Shigeo. And it's got big plans for this realm. Big plans indeed.

---

"ＷＨＡＴ ＨＡＶＥ ＹＯＵ ＤＯＮＥ？"

"Really, Shigeo? What did you expect?"

Ritsu's hair stood on end as he threw the door to the basement open. Every part of his body rejected the energy that permeated the room. Arcs of psychic power leapt from the large tear in what could only be reality to the shadowy figure of his brother. No. That thing wasn't his brother. That thing was the same monster that had nearly killed those kids so long ago. That thing was the same monster that had caused Shigeo to draw in on himself until he resorted to consorting with evil spirits in a mad attempt to learn control. That thing was the same monster that haunted Ritsu's nightmare.

That thing turned to face him, blank eyes piercing deep through his very being. Its mouth moved, mimicking words, but what came from its mouth was not speech. It was the terror of one million dying people's screams. It was the echo of every evil deed done to another being. It was a replay of every awful thing that had been done to, and done by, Ritsu. It locked him in place. His chest clenched up. His throat closed in. He couldn't breathe.

If it had been words, it might have been a plea. It might have been his name. It might have been apologizing.

But it was nothing. Only pain, sorrow, and horror.

The portal rippled and pulsed like a hungry mouth. The thing glitched and stuttered. The thing's form destabilized and flickered and screamed. The noise was deafening. Ritsu fell to the ground, hands over his ears, but it didn't help. His head still rung with the unearthly noise.

"Brother!" The word ripped from Ritsu's mouth, unbidden, unwarranted, unaware.

The thing stared at Ritsu, white eyes leaking globules of opalescent tears that drifted upwards like soap bubbles. They hit the ceiling and burst into sparkling droplets that rained down on Ritsu. Then the thing reached out and touched the portal and its form tore into a million shreds, the muddied kaleidoscope of his brother's aura fracturing as the portal folded in on itself. With a sickening pop, the portal closed, leaving behind a horrified Ritsu and the tattered remains of the plans for the portal that swallowed his brother.

He collapsed. His world ended. His brother was gone.

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