#someone teach me how to do Read More Under Cut on mobile

[evasiveagaric]

I have a physical reaction every time i think about the queercoding of Dave at the end of homestuck. My roommate and I were reading it and i kept having to take a moment to think “holy shit, is he coming out??? is that what we missed on the meteor round 2?”. I don’t keep up with Andrew Hussie news bc i don’t really like him as a person, but the whole talk with Egbert on the lillypad makes me think Hussie either was really close to a queer person or queer himself with just how accurately he wrote Dave talking about the queer experience, even if he doesn’t actually come out in that part. It doesn’t feel like queerbaiting either bc it bc fits with Dave’s characterization and how hard it is for him to talk about anything sincerely.

I don’t want to downplay the importance of Dave realizing the thoughts Bro instilled in him about how a man should act in favor of speculating about his sexuality tho. Not wanting to be a stoic hero of man who doesn’t have attachments or be soft with anyone is a huge part of Dave’s characterization and character arc. I think they go hand in hand tho, his struggles with toxic masculinity and his sexuality. I think the conversation was blatantly about both while Dave gave himself an out to pretend it was just about one. And he didn’t even do that.

I’m about to get hella pretentious and read way too much into things under the cut. More rambling about Dave’s character arc as a whole and nitpicking of dialogue towards the end of homestuck down below.

Future peepaw edit: this turned into a fucking play by play essay, my bad

Out of order but I also want to talk about his characterization as a whole.

Homestuck Mobile formatting jumpscare:

He’s willing to talk about another guy’s feelings. Romantic ones. for someone at the time presents as a guy. It doesn’t even feel like he’s joking. 13 year old Dave would never.

And this happens before all the stuff i mentioned earlier, showing exactly what he talked about. I honestly don’t think any other character has an arc like Dave’s. Which, seeing as Dave is a fully fleshed out complex character that makes sense, but I mean in general. I have consumed a lot of media, i’ve consumed a lot of queer media too. I’m really into the history of queercoding and how it relates to representation. I don’t think I’ve seen a character arc quite like Dave’s, especially in relation to sexuality and toxic masculinity.

Egbert assumes that Dave’s being a dick on purpose, and Dave rebukes it so strongly he uses an exclamation point. In a series where how people type is kind of a big thing, Dave’s frequent lack of punctuation is a nod to his “cool guy” facade, the lack of tone indication part of the “mystery” a cool guy has to be surrounded with. So, the fact that he feels strongly enough, or has loosened up enough on the cool guy show no emotions routine speaks to his self reflection. Of course this is stated literally a few more dialogue lines down, about how much time he spent on the meteor thinking about societal norms and his Bro’s teachings but the fact that it’s sprinkled in before hand too makes it feel less like it’s come out of the blue, or that it’s out of character.

“yeah we coulda talked about this” says so much. Not only to his relationship with Karkat (romantic or not, i’m a Davekat shipper but that’s not what i’m getting at here) but just how far he’s come with getting close to others. Not to mention the fact that it’s implied that they talk at least somewhat frequently about heavy and deep issues such as feelings for other people definitely feels like a major shift in Dave’s character, one for the better.

He’s probably been vulnerable with Karkat in a way that he never was with anyone as a kid. They talk about things. They talk about important enough things that Karkat’s past black crush on Egbert never coming up probably feels a little strange, hence Dave asking if he’s been thinking about it all this time. He has that connection with Karkat, which is important bc Karkat is masculine presenting. I’d bet money that Bro would not have approved, regardless of them just being friends or not.

That level of vulnerability? Not immediately calling Karkat gay and dunking on him? Treating what would be seen a gay relationship as completely normal and not even something to bat an eye at? 13 year old Dave WISHES he had the emotional maturity Dave has now.

He even encourages Karkat to hold on to those feelings bc Egbert expressed that they could hate people, at least platonically. Egbert even calls him out, saying he sounds like he’s being a dick about it and Dave says he’s being real.

Not to mention he kind of forgets that Egbert “isn’t a homosexual” at this point, that or he suspects Egbert isn’t straight in some capacity. I think he has less hang ups about queerness than Karkat does at this point. Or at least less hang ups about being honest. It feels fitting for his character and i’m sad that most of that character arc is off screen. I get it tho, writing meteorstuck round 2 would have made homestuck significantly longer most likely.

In conclusion: I like Dave and his character arc too damn much. I have to go to work now, i was not expecting to have this many thoughts about it and i’ve rambled enough.

[fool-in-his-wedding-gown]

for the mc ask game: 6, 30, and 35!!

6. Do they have a playlist? Share a link! Why did you choose the songs you did?

I'll drop some explanations for the songs after I answer the other questions :3

Putting this under a cut because WOAH this post got long

30. What was their life like before the plague? Their childhood?

Saturn spent the first fourteen years of his life living with his parents & siblings! It was after he realized he was trans that things between them soured & he moved to Vesuvia to live with his aunt. There, he kicked his studies into high gear. He'd always had a fascination with the cosmos, and he'd always been curious, but now he was really taking it seriously. He was fifteen when his aunt died and left the shop to him, which wasn't exactly ideal. She was really the only person he had in Vesuvia (and especially the only person who saw him for who he was), but he couldn't exactly go back to his immediate family, so he stayed. By this point, he was an established researcher and astronomer, so running the shop on his own wasn't really a problem, but he was grieving and he was only fifteen. It took a lot out of him.

At sixteen, he couldn't take it anymore. The pursuit of knowledge (especially in his own field) had always been of the utmost importance to him, and he needed to get away. So when the role of a navigator aboard a merchant ship opened up... I mean, come on. Of course he took that chance. So, using his skills in starmaps and skycharts, he navigated this crew through the seas for a solid year. He was absolutely terrible at everything else (which was to be expected, he was the second-youngest person aboard with no previous nautical experience), but he kept the crew safe and away from dangerous shores and guided it through countless storms. He stepped off that ship at seventeen ready to expand his studies. The time abroad steeled his resolve, and he finally felt ready to combine his skills in his field and pour them into the study of magic. He pursued that for two years on his own. Lots of textbooks and disastrous failures, very little learning by example. His specific area of study was in truth-seeking, revealing, shedding light on dark corners. That's what he'd been doing since he was fifteen. This was just an extension of that with a different, much more efficient tool.

But pursuing it on his own could only take him so far. When he was nineteen, he realized he wanted to learn pyromancy & how to read tarot, and he realized he'd need help. Pyromancy is incredibly finicky and dangerous when wielded by inexperienced hands, and tarot is extremely hard to learn if one isn't being taught by someone already personally familiar with it (besides, it's not like he had his own deck). So he did some poking around and, through the grapevine, he heard about the talents of one Asra Alnazar. As it would happen, Saturn managed to find him on masquerade night.

What started as a business partnership ("you teach me tarot and pyromancy, and I'll show you how I learned my magic near exclusively from textbooks"), became a friendship became a queerplatonic partnership. Asra moved into the shop by the time Saturn was twenty.

Six years passed roughly uneventfully (minus some accidental fires, the both of them developing their skill in magic more, running the shop together, whatever the HELL was going on between Asra and Julian).

And then the plague hit, and everything went to shit. But that's a story for another time.

35. Do they have any material objects that are important to them? What & why?

A cane of orange-brown gnarled wood, given to him by his aunt. Saturn is disabled and this, on top of serving as his mobility aid, has deep sentimental value to him.

A necklace gifted to him by Asra. It's a pendant that looks like a sun, twisting beams radiating outwards from a spherical center. He's unsure if it has any magic tied to it, but if it does, he hasn't found it yet.

Okay songs time :3

I'm not gonna go over all twenty one songs, but I will go over a few of my favorites/most fitting!!

Cicada Days - The way this song expresses & explores grief & the way the narrator speaks to the person who can be presumed to be their partner I thought really reflected Saturn's own guilt & his desperation to be kept close to the people he loves. He may pretend to be a perfectly logical, impartial third party immune to bias, but at the end of the day, he's a man in love and he's afraid of losing that which he loves. Hence "don't let me leave, I'll only take more than I gave"

Battle Cries - A dialogue between two lovers. This one is about as simple as it gets— the two are at a crossroads. Whatever their current situation is, it isn't working. They must change or part ways, and it's clear one wants the former while the other wants the latter.

Curses - Man this one's lyrics just remind me of the plot a lot. "There's a fire in my brain and I'm burning up" & "This house says my name like an elegy" & "Ashes, ashes, dust to dust / The devil's after both of us" all just contain imagery that's very evocative of the plot for me

[thespianinthebackcorner]

so in a reblog of a mutual's post I said this

And I realised I also need a definite backup copy of said comments, since Ao3's comment layout makes it impossible to read on mobile.

So I'm copypasting the whole thing here under the cut. Long post incoming. its from this fic btw

Thespian: "PLEASE just let me gush about them for a moment I BEG" absolutely go off author your Rhinealice fics are beauty and perfection I can return with some of my own headcanons if you like

Purplesan: Thank you so very much! That means a lot >< and yes PLEASE do, I'm very curious to hear about them! :O

Thespian: Thank you 😊 and you deserve the praise you're a great writer. Anyway I was headcanoning yesterday that Rhinedottir is actually really nice at heart but the Cataclysm kinda closed her up (which is why she raised Albedo the way she did) and ever since she let go of him Alice has tracked her down every now and then to make sure she's healing and attempts to convince her to live in Mondstadt with her family. So basically she puts on a front of being cold an calculating n stuff but she's just. A regular person who's slightly deranged whenever Alice is around cause she knows she can trust her gf with herself. :)

Purplesan: Thank you so much! Asdfghjkl your headcanons about Rhinedottir are very similar to my own, I absolutely love that. While I do think Rhine has always been somewhat analytical and more "knowledge over emotions", I completely agree that the Cataclysm made her even more closed off. She used to be nicer and kinder, but trauma makes her feel like she isn't allowed to be/cannot afford to be. (Also why she eventually lets Albedo go because "she has nothing left to teach him" - he allowed himself to feel emotions, and she feels like he surpassed her in that. So she doesn't want to (accidentally) stop him from feeling those things).

And Alice looking after her and checking up on her is so!!! YES. Just yes. Around most people she just calmly explains her research and work, but around Alice?? Unhinged over-excited researcher who wants to show their partner their work like birds showing off pretty rocks. I always headcanon Alice's absence and adventuring as her looking for her emotionally constipated wife who is afraid of commitment :p

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for sharing your headcanons! I absolutely love them and am so happy to see someone else making headcanons about this ship. Thank you! <3

Thespian: It's not a problem at all :D I love sharing headcanons especially with rarepairs like this. Also the thing about Rhine letting Albedo go cause he's started feeling and she doesn't wanna stop him??? Precious mom moment truly. Especially since she sent him to ALICE who's the PERFECT PERSON to help him emotionally develop... My heart 😭 I swear the moment she called her creations her children in that one cutscene I just began thinking like wait. What if she's actually a mom underneath that and just let her negative traits get the better of her to emotionally survive after the Cataclysm. And now she doesn't trust herself with emotions and she doesn't really know how to properly raise a child so she sent him to Alice.

Thank you for having such a nice reaction to all my comments, I'm sorry I'm just dumping them on you but I love talking... :) sorry 😅

Purplesan: YES! They do not get the attention they deserve (yet) so getting to share these headcanons and theories is great. Rhine is a better mom than she herself (and others) give her credit for >< she definitely made mistakes and isn't a great mom per se...but she DOES consider herself one and calls her creations her children, which is a big step in the right direction.

I feel like she'd often go "what would Alice do in this situation" since to her Alice is a better example of a mother. And of course she trusts Alice to look after Albedo for her and teach him about emotions. The typical example of a parent who knows she isn't great at parenting but wants the best for her kids anyway *sobs*

Not at all! You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Talking about this rarepair brings me a lot of joy, so it actually makes me very happy that you're thinking about them and sharing ideas <33 dump away :p I promise I enjoy it!

Thespian: Thank you!!! Knowing you enjoy my ramblings does warm my heart :)

Rhine going "what would Alice do" is SO AAA that's amazing. I can just imagine little Albedo's curiosity getting him into... Well, curious situations, and Rhine just has to look at this through the mum lense cause if she doesn't she'll get so confused as to how he wound up there 😂 using her bestie as a role model? Priceless and also 100% bestie behaviour. Actually this does fit with a little shoobity doobity I came up with a while back where little Albedo tried to fit back in his old lab bottle and got in fine but couldn't get out... Ended up breaking the thing and Rhine was just standing there like "genuinely wtf did I witness you do why on EARTH" until she had to get him away from the broken glass 😂 I imagine little Albedo as a bit of a pudgy baby so Alice always wanted to hug him :)

Purplesan: They absolutely do!

Rhine will never admit it out loud, but she thinks Alice is great :p I can just see little kid Rhine observing the other kids at the playground and being unimpressed...until Alice barges in Lilo and Stitch-style blowing something up, and Rhine just goes "that one. I want that one as my friend", lmao.

YOUR SHOOBITY DOOBITY IS A MASTERPIECE I TELL YOU. The mental image of that happening is hilarious, oh my gosh. Curious little baby Albedo would probably get up to all kinds of mischief, and while on the one hand Rhine is punching the air like "heck yeah curious alchemist gene", she's also like "oh gods no, curious alchemist gene...he's going to hurt himself". While Albedo has to learn to discover the world around him in a safe way, Rhinedottir has to learn that little children have the survival skills of...well, children. (And of course, judge him a little in the process because W H Y.)

And I wholeheartedly agree with Alice finding pudgy baby Albedo being irresistible to hug!! She has so much love to give that kid. (And so much teasing for Rhine :p )

Thespian: Omg yes. Rhine just watching other kids around her be extremely unimpressive (I have this hc that Dainslief, Chlothar and Halfdan were her cousins and she just grew up watching them be obedient little Alberich boys) and then Alice just barges in at some point breaking stuff and Rhine is like. you. 🫵 you're the good one. And Alice kinda returns the favour by doing an extrovert adoption and just taking in Rhine as her new bestie.

I can just imagine Rhine not being able to leave toddler Albedo alone because if she does his curiosity will get him into a bad situation... Also thank you, I remember in the original shoobity doobity he did actually get hurt and ended up having little scars on his hips from the glass that he still has 😊 everyone has something left over from childhood injuries and I'll be damned if I leave Albedo without any. I can just IMAGINE Rhine having to pull him away from whatever weird shit they had down there and teaching him over and over again how to inspect it safely instead of just doing what kids to and shoving it in his mouth... Lmao 😂

Purplesan: She would absolutely HATE obedient and mindless kids. Mischief and curiosity is her jam :p I absolutely love your headcanon about them being her cousins as well, omg. A friend of mine also came up with a storyline about her and Dainsleif's parents having an agreement/arranged marriage thing going on (and both of them hating the thought of it, for obvious reasons. Guess that marriage not happening was the one good thing to come out of the Cataclysm XD). But Dainsleif, Chlothar and Halfdan being her cousins is also REALLY good and I like the idea a lot. (And of course the general idea of Rhine going "I'm done with boring, obedient and brainless people" stays the same regardless :p ). THE EXTROVERT ADOPTION, YES. Their dynamic is a typical example of "moody introvert who acts social and affectionate with no more than 1 (ONE) person, who is the complete, extrovert opposite of them". And I love that for them.

Absolutely! She can't take her eyes off him for even a second, or he might accidentally blow something up. (Maybe that's why Klee likes him so much). Asdfghjkl I think that's ESPECIALLY perfect for Albedo, because him having such a normal, typical detail of his childhood will help him feel a little more human. A small reminder he's like those around him. And YES, it was a painstaking process to get Albedo to stop putting things in his mouth, lmao :p (maybe that's how he found out spiders are tasty.......and MAYBE he still has a tendency to taste certain things to identify them. Sucrose watches him do it once and is like ???? "Mister Albedo that could literally kill you" "it's just chalk" "did you know that before or AFTER you put it into your mouth?" "no comment").

Thespian: Goodness gracious yes Rhine just. Does not tolerate anyone except Alice and the Hexenzirkel girls... She's probably jealous as hell of Alice's husband. Ngl Alice would probably cheat with Rhine on a complete whim and her husband just wouldn't care cause Alice gives pan energy like you wouldn't believe, she will date anyone so long as they catch her fancy and this includes Rhine... honestly Alice would get married on a whim and then start dating someone else next week without breaking up or anything cause she just forgot she's married. Also I love your friends arranged marriage thing, I can just imagine their parents watching them argue and be like "they'll learn to love each other :)" not realising that (a) Rhinedottir is def simping on Alice and (b) Dain is the least dateable man on the planet.

Also yes Albedo would 100% pull a Doctor Who and just straight up lick a wall and then be like "yeah no they didn't come through here" and leave and everyone else is like ????? The fUck? Ngl I bet the other 9 KoF captains have probably made it a thing to hand him random shit while he's reading and see if he licks it lmaoooo if he's not concentrating he just has a natural instinct to check what it is using pretty much anything besides his hands... Except when he's around people he doesn't, cause he gets anxious about trying to be a "normal person". And yeah I def like giving him those little childhood scars that make him a lot more human, I have this hc that he actually can heal quite quickly but has a limiter because Rhine didn't want it being suspicious and she also wanted him to have a couple reminiscent scars. Considering that almost all her sentient creations (Nigredo is an outlier and should not be counted) call her "mother" by THEIR OWN WILL even before the Cataclysm, she definitely treated most of them like kids until the Cataclysm got to her and she started building emotional walls. ��🖤

Purplesan: Asdfghjkl I like your way of thinking!! I also like to think that since Alice is (part?) elf, courting and marriage just work a little different for that species, so it's either very open/casual, or being poly is the norm. EITHER WAY, Alice 100% gives off pan vibes and I love that. LMAO SHE WOULD THOUGH. Considering she travels wherever her brain takes her and does impulsive things every other second or so, it wouldn't surprise me. And YES! The only reason Dain and Rhine remotely get along is because they're both misfits in their own way so they have at least a sliver of respect for each other. But aside from that??? Arguing galore :p (Rhine has already given her heart away to Alice, and as an alchemist obsessed with hearts and creating life, she takes that very seriously).

I am positively screaming, I need to write this down for a future fic or something. This is genius and I 100000% agree he does/would lick pretty much anything. So long as it's around people he trusts or is close to, because YES, I love the "I'm going to act as much as a normal human as possible until I know it's safe to get a little unhinged" thing he has going on. It adds a lot to his character! I love Albedo as a character a lot already, but little things like this make it even more special. Your headcanon (which I'm just going to accept as canon from now on because oh my god it's perfect) also makes me think maybe he'd purposely do reckless things in the hope to get scars and feel more human. "Mr Albedo I really think you should use your glider to traverse this cliff" "NAAAH". And him actually looking elated when he has a scraped knee or something.

I swear I could write an essay on the complexity of Rhine as both an alchemist and a mother. She cares for her creations like children and wants the best for them, but she also realizes "the best"...doesn't include her in most cases. I am BEGGING Hoyo to introduce us to more of her children, or expand on her lore, because there's so much to explore there. I want to know what she was like before she started building those emotional walls, and her interactions with others. I could go on for ages XD

Thespian: Yes!!!!!! Im sorry I forgot to reply cause I get distracted *very* easily but yes! I imagine Klee's dad just being like "this is my wife... And that's my wife's wife." And then when people get confused he's just like *shrug* "they're in love they're gonna get married whether I like it or not" and he's completely chill with it. He married Alice knowing full well she'd probably have several spouses and as long as they're nice he's fine with it. I hc he was also childhood friends with the Hexenzirkel kids so he's known Rhine a long time :)

Also yeah i think he does do that, he's always trying to act normal but when he's with people he trusts or alone he has a couple weird habits that come out. They're all probably ones that started when he was living underground with Rhine, where survival probably took the priority over being normal. And YES I LOVE THE IDEA OF HIM GETTING HURT ON PURPOSE. he'd rather take his chances and end up with a memory than come out unscathed. Maybe that's why he's one of the few Geo characters that doesn't really shield unless he uses crystallise- because he doesn't mind getting hurt.

Aakdbfjeuxhrbs go and write that essay buddy you have every right if no one's going to do it you should :) and also yes!!! She does care!!! But she also thinks that they would be better off without her, so she keeps setting them free, and in some cases (i.e Durin) that's exactly what they like, but in some cases (like Albedo) they end up missing her and she doesn't realise their lives would actually be better with her in it cause they love her too much and they don't want to leave her behind. And I also wanna know what she was like before all those walls got put up! I like to think she started alchemy with the end goal of a human child cause she couldn't have children herself somehow- she really wanted to be a mom but when faced with not being able to have her own child she chose to make her own. 🖤 maybe that's how she met Alice, two young women who had the same end goal and a long enough lifespan to do it whichever way they liked.

Purplesan: Don't worry about it!! Distraction is my middle name :p so I completely understand (and I'm late with replying now too XD). LMAO he'd be very casual and understanding about it YES. And Klee trying to explain to people "my mom, and my dad, and my other mom, who's my mom's wife."...pure chaos. It suits them :p That's so adorable!! I love the fact he just wants Alice to be happy. Like he grew up alongside her and knows EXACTLY what kind of person she is, and just went "cool" and rolled with it. OOOH I could definitely see Rhine being wary (maybe even a little jealous) of him while he's just trying to be nice and be friendly with someone he knows Alice cares a lot about. (she will of course eventually grow to appreciate him more).

YES I LOVE THAT. He didn't really learn what "normal" was until later OR had other priorities (because as you say, survival was important), so it's hard to let go of those habits. Thank you, glad you like it!! Albedo is definitely the kind of person who loves making memories to cherish, rather than being super careful all the time. OH. OH MY. That is actually a REALLY good explanation??? That makes sense tbh, and fits perfectly with his character :O

LMAO thank you thank you :p one day I shall write my essay to give Rhinedottir the attention she deserves :p (or at least a dozen fanfics worth of one, that counts too). YES!!! I love how you worded that, it's such a good explanation of the whole thought process. Rhine wants what is best for her children, but like any parent, she can't give them that without communicating with them about WHAT that "best" is in their opinion. I really hope Albedo will get the chance to reunite with her someday so they can talk about what they learned in their time apart.

And that is such a beautiful headcanon <3 I absolutely agree she wanted to be a mom, except she couldn't have/was afraid to have children in the usual way. So she tried (and succeeded in) finding an alternative. Considering how adventurous (and intelligent) Alice is, it wouldn't surprise me if she was fascinated with Rhinedottir's approach. Even if they're very different personality-wise, their desire to learn new things is definitely something they'd bond over. (And of course, they're both moms in their own right. I also feel like that plays a role - they both wanted to be moms, but not in a conventional way). It's so interesting to think and theorize about <3

Thespian: Omg yes. I can just imagine Klee introducing her big messy family and people are just like ???? And then Alice just laughs and says "dw about it it only gets weirder from here." Cause like, it does. And YES!!! Rhine being wary of him cause he married the woman she loves (esp since she's from Khaenri'ah which is likely fairly strict with marriage) and then he just goes "btw if you wanna marry her as well go ahead I don't mind have my blessing" and she's just like exCUSE? And after everything gets cleared up she starts liking him a bit more cause turns out he's just a bit of a dad who knows he's the safety net for the kids if their moms go a little too out of whack. Sometimes I imagine that Albedo calls Alice's husband his father cause he's the only one he's had (and a damn good one) which does annoy Alice but Albedo sticks to calling her aunt 😂 probably out of spite at this point

Yes! I think part of Rhinedottir's problem is that she's forgetting to actually communicate with her kids what she thinks is the best for them and let them voice their opinions on what they want. She knows she's been blamed for the Cataclysm and thinks that if her kids stay with her they'll cop the results of that. But she's forgetting that they might have their own wants. Hopefully they'll be able to talk it out someday.

And YESSSS!! They both want to be moms but fate has led them onto different paths... Maybe they made a pact when they were younger that they'd raise their kids together, but by the time they achieved their goals, Rhine had no choice but to send her son to her wife alone. :0 WHAT IF THEY GOT MARRIED IN SECRET ROMEO AND JULIET STYLE. that'd be cute.

Purplesan: My apologies for the late reply! ><

Klee isn't even fazed anymore XD her explanations are chaotic and incomprehensible, but to HER it all makes sense, which is what counts. YES. Rhine never liked the strict rules Khaenri'ah has but she obviously did grow up with them and is used to them. So the surprise she must feel upon meeting someone so chill??? Insane. I LOVE the idea of him being the one that keeps it all going smoothly and safely. I can just imagine him helping out anywhere he can (maybe even gifting Rhine alchemy supplies every now and then), being the middle man when anyone has an argument...just a chill guy who loves his little family. I SUPPORT THIS THEORY!! I am a sucker for the "Alice keeps trying to convince Albedo to call her mom" thing, so him calling her husband "father" would drive her crazy :p

I will stand by this theory for sure. On the one hand she's like "I'm your mom, I know things" but on the other hand she's like "yeah so maybe don't turn to me for emotional advice" and it gives an...interesting combination. If only she learned to communicate with her kids >< I do feel like Albedo made some progress with her, but there's a LOT left to learn and improve on. YES EXACTLY. The Cataclysm definitely hit her hard and caused her fear. I really, really hope Rhine's character story/arc will focus on her reconciling with some of her kids, or at least making an attempt to. I also like to think one of the reasons for leaving Albedo is because she feels like "the pupil surpassed his master" and she could learn from HIM (emotionally, mostly) and that kind of scares her. Because she's always been the smartest person in the room.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT. I feel like they'd be the kind of people to go "what if we just started adopting all the unhappy and neglected kids we find" and took that mission very seriously. And making a pact is so in-character for them too. THEY ABSOLUTELY DID. They certainly have the same kind of tragic love story as Romeo and Juliet (although I'm hoping for a happier ending).

And the added bonus: Rhinedottir making a ring for Alice out of alchemy, and even when they're apart, that ring is a reminder to Alice that her wife is okay, because if she wasn't, the ring would have disappeared along with her.

Thespian: Yes!! They mean something to her and that's what matters. Klee's not good at explaining but she gets it. Also!!!! I just found out!!! Chlothar was actually a rebellious child and hated the rules (even researching the gods out of spite) so they would've been chaotic besties. Maybe even siblings 😂 And yes absolutely Rhine would be shocked at the revelation of a guy so relaxed as Alice's husband. And then he's just really chill and acts the middle man and Rine realises why he's there... he can put some space between the wives if nessecary 😂 and absolutely Alice is driven insane by Albedo calling her husband father. Actually I released a fic last night where he did that but it was a minor part lmao.

And yes!!! Rhine tells her kids that she's their mom and she knows things, but she doesn't know everything, she's lost her emotional capability, and it's scaring her that her kid is beginning to emotionally develop because she can't help with that. She has to let him go because he's reached a point where his mum can't help him anymore and he has to do this on his own. But she still doesn't want him to not have help so she sends him to Alice. And yes my ultimate hope for Rhine's arc is learning to reconcile with her kids and relearn that it's safe to be human again, no one's hunting her down for the Cataclysm anymore. It'll be a rocky journey for sure, especially with the knowledge that Subject Two is alive, cause he won't be happy with her and she's probably going to be incredibly surprised and/or guilty, but hopefully she'll get there eventually. And yes! I think she has realised that Albedo has reached a point where she could actually start learning from him, but she's at the point where she's been the teacher for such a long time the thought of learning from someone else scares her. And YES they would absolutely adopt the neglected kids. I came up with a fic idea the other day where Alice makes an orphanage for abandoned or orphaned non-human kids after the Cataclysm and it was a really cute premise but I never posted it cause it wasn't writing the way I wanted it to write. Yes yes they did. OMG IMAGINE IF- WAIT LEMME WRITE THIS DOWN RIGHT- Chlothar and Rhine are in Mondstadt for some legal reason, where they meet their respective future wives, and they both get married together in a secret double wedding 🖤❤️🤍💜 OMG THAT IS ACTUALLY THE CUTEST THING EVER. LIKE PLEASE. and what if Rhine has a matching one, what if they made them together with alchemy AND magic. And Rhine's has a little clover made of rubies on it and Alice's has a gemstone flower of some sort on it. Omg with that kind of thing, every time Alice comes home she probably subtly makes sure Albedo can see the ring on her hand so that he knows his mother's ok 🤍

Purplesan: Klee loves her family and will protect them at all costs (not to mention adopt more people into it, because I firmly believe she picked up the "if someone feels unloved then I will MAKE them feel loved" habit from her mom, lmao). ASDFGHJKL THIS IS FANTASTIC NEWS TO ME. I smell another potential fic coming once I am finally caught up with Genshin again :p that's so cool. YES, I feel like Rhine doesn't trust people easily and is suspicious of almost everyone, so for the husband to be so chill is a pleasant surprise. The middle man we all need XD OOOH I must read that!! Even if it's just a minor part, it sounds fantastic.

Rhinedottir isn't a great mom, but tbh that "I know I can't give my kid the support and understanding he deserves and needs" proves she's trying her best and I love that. ME TOO, ME TOO. I need a Rhinedottir arc focussing on that, and I need it done well. Especially since the whole Subject Two story was an event-only thing, I NEED to see more of him in the main story. All the angst, misunderstandings, and feelings included. It will be a bumpy, rocky, tough, long and emotional ride, but it'll be so worth it. I agree!! It's scary to know suddenly she's no longer just the teacher. I WOULD SO READ THE HECK OUT OF THAT??? I completely understand it's tough when a story doesn't end up like you wanted it to, so absolutely no pressure. But if you do decide to re-write/post it someday, I just know it will be good and I'm gonna be hooked on it. I LIKE THIS A LOT. You come up with so many epic ideas and stories :O the double wedding would be everything. There's something very romantic about them deciding to marry their loved ones in secret despite everything.

THANK YOU, I'm glad you like it!! I absolutely LOVE the idea of them making the rings together. The whole "alchemy and science meeting magic" trope is perfect for them and proves that their combined powers are a force to be reckoned with. THAT IS BEAUTIFUL. And the thought of her sharing it with Albedo even more so <3 she would definitely do everything she can to reassure him.

Thespian: Yes she DEFINITELY picked up the "if someone feels unloved I will MAKE them feel loved" habit. Look at the way she talks to everyone, she even felt bad for an Abyss Mage. There's no way she didn't get that. Also yeah you and I need to write a fic together somehow. You've got such good ideas aaa

YES!! I love it when characters who've learnt to never trust anyone just meet someone so blatantly trustable. He was definitely a culture shock for her, if Alice wasn't bad enough 😂 Aww ty! The fic where it happens is named What Belongs to Us if you wanna find it.

And yeahhhh, we need a good bumpy ride of a reconciliation arc for both her and Subject Two. They'll get through it, but not without Alice's help :) And yeah! Realising you're just not the authority anymore after so, so many years of being in that position must hit hard- especially when it's her son that does eventually take over her in skill.

Awww thank you!!! I may try and rewrite it when I have the time :) I was thinking of posting more oneshots so I might as well and I do like the premise I'll keep you updated if it's ever posted!!

And yes!! Secret double wedding!!! I bet that after they got married Chlothar was intending to keep his wife safe by keeping her in Mondstadt but she was feisty and was going with him back to Khaenri'ah 😂 he couldn't help but let her.

They literally ARE the "science meets magic" trope. They are a force to be reckoned with and honestly I'm wondering what Celestia was thinking when they nuked Khaenri'ah- that was basically Operation Piss Off Alice if Rhinedottir had gotten hurt at all. The next Cataclysm will be in Celestia and she will be at the centre of it all. And yes Albedo knows full well that his mother isn't too safe alone out there and he's worried he'll never see her again, so knowing that she's still alive and he has a chance is definitely reassuring. And who is Alice if not someone who reassures others.

Purplesan: EXACTLY! Klee has a massive heart with space for even the most unusual people and creatures. And honestly? Good for her. She will make the entirety of Teyvat feel loved. Asdfghjkl we should! Your ideas are great too, together we'd be unstoppable, hehe

SAME. The whole trope is just adorable. The whole "wait so some people are ACTUALLY just nice and aren't trying to gain something??" shock is hilarious. And thank you, I'll definitely check it out!

We absolutely do, but to be honest, bumpy rides are the most fun when it comes to character development arcs. Alice's help is definitely required! She's one of the few people Rhinedottir will take advice from. (I like to think she also plays with that fact sometimes by telling Rhinedottir the strangest things knowing she'll believe it, but it's always harmless. Something like "if you compliment this plant every day for three weeks it will grow a flower". These two trust each other and neither of them would ever want to betray that trust. Pranking, however? Now that is a different story XD). It's hard, but hopefully she'll come to accept it so they can learn together >< at the very least, she knows her knowledge is in good hands.

That'd be amazing, good luck to you! And thank you, I'll look forward to it :3

This is absolutely how it went down, I don't make the rules :p I feel like a lot of these characters are very loyal and dedicated to people they care about, so letting them go to a dangerous place alone is just not happening. Whether that's Khaenri'ah upbringing or just their personality doesn't matter, they're just...very determined to keep each other safe ><

One of my favourite tropes brought to life in the best way possible. LMAO you're absolutely right there - Celestia made a huge mistake and they will in fact feel the wrath of Alice and Rhinedottir combined. The only reason they are still standing is because Rhinedottir survived so immediate revenge wasn't necessary. YES! That is definitely how it will go down! She will wipe them out with a smile on her face.

Alice is honestly a sweetheart for that. Obviously canonically it's lovely that she looks after Albedo like he's her own, but her making sure to reassure him emotionally as well just warms my heart even more. Their little family just makes me so happy, and them looking out for each other is a big part of that.

Thespian: Yes! Kaeya said Klee heals people and honestly yeah. Yeah that's going to be her entire fate. She could probably resolve the most traumatized person of their problems with, like, one sentence. Also, if we are going to write a fic I think we need a slightly more convenient mode of communication... Ao3 comments aren't exactly the most convenient 😂

And yes she'd be so shocked to discover that some people are just nice lmaoo Actually that's kind of not a good thing when you think about it

Yeah Alice is probably one of like 2 people Rhine will take advice from. (The second is her husband lmao.) YES ALICE WOULD PRANK HER SO BAD. Imagine Rhine just rapping on Alice's door and IMMEDIATELY starts bitching after the fake advice didn't work and Alice is just on the floor laughing. And eventually Rhine just can't help it cause Alice just has a contagious laugh and they both just end up sitting down and laughing. Yeah, hopefully she will end up accepting the fact that she's been overtaken. Who knows, maybe she'll be happy that she's found a true heir that's already surpassed her at such a young age. And yeah, she knows her wisdom is in safe hands :)

Aw, thank you :) I'll probably finish my current WIP then get working on it! (press X to doubt)

Alice and Chlothar's wife are basically like "it's dangerous to go alone! Take this!" And then just hug their partners and wait till they get it. And then when the Khaenri'ahns protest theyre just like "no" and shut them up somehow (with a kiss mayhaps???)

Yes Celestia made a huuuuge mistake by antagonizing Alice. I think that might be their fatal flaw, underestimating just how determined and how powerful their own creations can get, especially when they're backed against a wall or defending something/someone they love. They got off easy the first time, but that arguably put them in a worse position- by keeping Rhine alive, they've let her have an heir, who's more precious to her and Alice than anyone else either of them know. If Celestia targets either of the women, they'll incur the other's wrath, but if they're not walking on glass around Albedo, they'll have two PISSED lesbians on their hands, and this time they're not getting away.

Also id just like to mention that right when I read the second to last paragraph the music I had in the background was all "I've found you now, looks like I've won, pay the consequence" and that fit far too well. Esp since the song was Hide and Seek by Lizz Robinett so it sounds like a child singing. Terrifying perfect timing and honestly it fits. Alice walks straight through Celestia's doors all beat up and she's like "you hurt my fam. I found you now, you're paying the consequences, your time is mf UP" and give them the kick in the ass they deserve.

Yes she is a sweetheart!!! She always takes time to make sure Albedo's feeling all right. especially since he gets lonely easily and tends not to do anything about it 'cause he thinks it's be better if he isolated himself. (Which is in itself part of the problem.) He thinks he's dangerous, so he isolates himself, then gets lonely and needs someone with him, but he's too scared to get close to anyone... it's an awful cycle he keeps putting himself through but Alice always steps in and makes sure he's okay, and if she's not there then her husband does. Having a sensitive son can be a hassle but they're ready and willing to put in the work to make sure he's okay!

Purplesan: Klee becoming a healer not in the traditional sense (she loves blowing things up after all), but the mental kind of healer is so extremely wholesome. Asdfghjkl you make a solid point there XD what platform would work best for you? I usually prefer Instagram or Twitter, but I also have a Discord. I just always forget to check it (oops) so I might need to get into the habit of doing that more often >< let me know what you'd prefer!

Rhinedottir when she finds out people are capable of being nice: *surprised Pikachu face*. (Is this what she gets for isolating herself for so long??? MAYBE.)

Oh absolutely. Rhinedottir is used to correcting people (and sometimes maybe has a little too much faith in herself...or at least not enough faith in others), so there is a VERY select few people she will take advice from. There is some irony in the fact 1 of the people she will take advice from is also the most likely to prank her though :p That is absolutely ADORABLE and feels so in character. I feel like Alice is one of the few people that can draw genuine smiles or laughs from Rhine, and her having a contagious laugh certainly helps. TRUE. Maybe she will embrace that "proud mom" feeling instead of being insecure/feeling like she doesn't have a purpose. There is hope yet!

Asdfghjkl a big, big mood. "I will finish this project eventually!" I say, when starting 3 side projects. GOOD LUCK THOUGH!! I'll be rooting for you :D

This is canon in my eyes now. Absolutely what they would do and say. They are SUPPORTIVE spouses and nothing will stop them. (At that point, the kiss is mandatory :p most effective way of shutting them up)

The downfall of any species, gods or not, is underestimating a species they consider “weaker”. And underestimating human emotion? Now that’s a fatal flaw if I’ve ever seen one. And you worded that so beautifully!! Celestia better fear the combined power of Rhinedottir and Alice – two of the most dangerous and lethal lesbians in Teyvat. (Lethal lesbians sounds like a cool team name, lmao). Either way, their family means the world to them and not even Celestia can withstand their wrath if any harm befalls that family.

I am an absolute sucker for badass, dramatic entrances, so the timing of that song combined with the visual of Rhinedottir waltzing in, ready to beat up gods? An absolute masterpiece. Music can give so much inspiration for scenes like that ><

He takes after Rhine huh :p I adore how gentle and patient Alice is with him yet will firmly let him know he doesn’t need to suffer alone in silence. BEST MOM AWARD GOES TO ALICE FOR SURE. Sometimes you just gotta let your kids know you’re there for them *sobs*

Thespian: Every other chibi is a physical healer, Klee is a mental healer. We've cracked the code and I will now be putting prototype Amber on Klee to make her heal physically (I am kleeless) Also Instagram works! I have an unused writer account we can talk with (@back_corner_writer) if that works. (It's actually for a story I'm writing but it'll be a while before i start using that acc for that purpose so for now it's just empty lmao.)

That is absolutely what she gets for isolating herself for so long. Then again it's also partially the fault of everyone she grew up with not being nice...

She's definitely used to correcting people. I feel like she'd be the kind of student who ends up knowing more about the subject then the teacher 😂 Yeah that irony is definitely part of what makes their relationship. Alice pranks her so much that Rhine doesn't want to trust her, but she balances with just enough actual advice that she has no choice lmao. And YES Alice is one of the few that can draw actual smiles from Rhine. It's something she finds endearing the way Rhine just softly smiles whenever Alice does something. It's a tired kind of smile that absolutely got passed to her son. And yes she will embrace the proud mom feel but not before having an existential crisis over her successor getting to her level. Alice, you're up (we're just making fic plans aren't we)

Jfjsnrbsj yeah I always come up with stuff when I'm not in a place where I can write it (i.e bed) and then when I do sit down and try to write I have to start from the beginning, whereas in my head I'm like four years down the track 😭 why must I use my fingers to write

SUPPORTIVE👏SPOUSES👏 And yes the kiss is absolutely the most efficient way of shutting them up. Jektnejdjenjdbr the mental image of that and then Rhine and Chlothar just go totally red is so beautiful to me. The Beginnings of a Beautiful Romance

Yes! Underestimating human emotion is what causes their downfall. It's interesting how in most literature the gods are usually a saving grace, while here that's turned on it's head where they're most often the problem. And yes, Alice and Rhine are dedicated to their family, and they're not giving the gods any mercy if they touch their families. Just 'cause they're gods doesn't mean they cannot be judged.

Yes music gives so much inspiration!! Can't tell you how many times music has inspired me to do stuff.

Jdngkehfbsjd yes exactly Alice is there for him and she lets him know he doesn't need to suffer in silence. He does anyway cause damn he just doesn't listen when he gets told stuff like that. Jdjfbehxbr stop doubting yourself Albedo.

Actually I came up with this headcanon at some point that Albedo was modelled off Rhinedottir's first and only biological son, who died at some point as a child... so she started studying alchemy in the hopes of recreating a child in his image artificially since she couldn't have children of her own anymore somehow. Just since he looks so different from the rest of the Alberiches we know, I was wondering why.

Purplesan: EXACTLY! Mental troubles? Call Klee! Emotional instability? Call Klee! She's a true hero. (May you one day be lucky and get Klee in your pulls!!). And that's fantastic, thank you! I'll give you a follow :3 my name on instagram is almost the same as here: "purple.san". (OOOH lots of good luck with that! It's fun to have so many projects planned)

Asdfghjkl very true, the environment someone grows up in does tend to affect what kind of person they become. And for Rhine...well, it's certainly not ideal.

Oh absolutely XD constantly raising her hand to make comments, add things, correct them, ask impossible questions...to the point she'd get a ban, lmao. Or at least a limit as to how many things she's allowed to ask/say. Alice and Rhinedottir have one of my favourite relationship dynamics in terms of trust. The whole "I'll annoy you to no end but I'd still trust you with my life any day". Once again I LOVE the visual of that, because it just feels so in-character for both of them. The subtle smile they THINK goes unnoticed but actually has their partners feeling all giddy upon seeing it. Oh absolutely, an existential crisis is almost mandatory for any character development story :p (honestly, at this point we should almost start keeping a list of all these ideas XD)

That is the biggest mood ever. The most relatable paragraph ever to exist. My brain is already halfway through the story at that point, so when I have the opportunity to write and have to start from the beginning again?? Impossible. Some of my favourite ideas never get written because of this XD oops.

SUPPORTIVE SPOUSES ARE BEST SPOUSES. And yes, yes absolutely. Characters who are usually pretty good at hiding their emotions, but then go red-faced at a simple kiss or compliment? Words cannot describe the amount of serotonin that provides.

One of my favourite tropes ever is when people realize the gods aren't as helpful and good as they appear at first. The whole "wait, they're not just here to help" realization...sometimes even realizing gods can be petty and mean. And Genshin HAS ALL OF THAT, or at least potential to have storylines like it. "Found family trope" meets "not all gods are good" trope - the perfect fanfic soup. And with characters like Alice and Rhinedotir, you BET they will go after them.

Big same! Fic titles, storylines, or just simply getting into the right headspace/vibe.

LMAO honestly he's a mood for that. "Yes I know you're right, that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it or that I will do it".

THAT. THAT IS. VERY SAD. VERY HEART-BREAKING AND SAD AND PERFECT AND CLEVER AND TRAGICALLY BEAUTIFUL. I am a SUCKER for this headcanon, because it adds so many extra layers to their stories. Not to mention it adds even more to Albedo's whole "am I living up to her expectations" plotline. And Alice watching Rhinedottir spiral all for the sake of "reviving" her dead son...now that is top-tier angst, my gosh.

Thespian:

Yes! Klee is an emotional healer and that will be so important down the track. I got your follow too! :D I'll send you a hi if we're online at the same time (And Ty! I'm thinking of finding someone to help me draw the concept art for the characters but I'm not exactly well-versed in the art of paying people over internet... And I can't draw myself so until I get the concept art sorted that acc will be empty.)

Jsjfneh yeah "not ideal" is one way of putting it.

God I almost feel bad for Rhine's teachers. Although if they didn't know the material that's their fault lmaooo It's lighthearted banter that's made to make Rhine smile a little when she can. I think especially since the Cataclysm Alice has had a real focus on trying to cheer her up in small ways so that she doesn't lose her mind. Also, Albedo 100% does the small smile thing, idc who he gets shipped with he does that. And YES MANDATORY EXISTENTIAL CRISIS!!! (I'll be real I've been using this comment chain as the list lmaoooo but I think we do need an actual list...)

God same I have so many ideas I haven't started yet cause I'm way down the track in my head... or I start writing them and then never finish... I have so many documents full of unfinished fics...

SUPPORTIVE SPOUSES FTW jfnektjsnrbe I love the mental images of tough-as-nails stoic people getting any little bit of attention from their crush and just going fully red. Dofjrbsihheifhrjsjdnebdjfbsbfjeb

Yes yes Genshin has all that potential!!! Especially since they're all quite secretive about a lot of stuff- unless it's, like, an emergency, they don't tell us shit. Meanwhile regular humans tell us more about this world than the gods ever have. God yes I love trope mashups and this one sounds so tasty. Alice and Rhine will be taking the shots, with the rest of the Hexenzirkel at their back. Celestia can run but they can't hide from the lesbian queens

Real. I can't write unless I've got music going in the bg.

Yeah I think one of his biggest struggles is going to be letting himself listen to people and start healing from the damage he's done to himself by not listening even when he knows it's for his own good. It's that difference mentality- it's like the reverse of what he said in his story quest, "a doctor can diagnose you because they are you." He knows there's no one around that's quite like him, and that inherent separation is what's causing him to not really take advice he's getting. It's that "you wouldn't know" kind of thing, except what he doesn't realise is that while, yes, the people around him don't exactly know how he feels, they've still had similar feelings themselves (most of them, anyway) and can use that experience to help him. Relying on others is something he's not very good at and he has to learn how to do, but it's his own mentality that's stopping him- he needs to get through that first.

JFNDJTHSB THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING THE HEADCANON Gosh I didn't even think about the fact that albedo might consider it part of living up to her expectations, when I first came up with it he didn't even know about that it was a secret... But God that gives so much Angst Potential for both him- trying to live up to expectations that were never really placed on him- and Rhine, who has to try and heal herself and make up for her lost opportunities to love him like a son. AAAAA and Alice watching her spiral YES so much angst... this fic finna be hurt no comfort at this rate lmaooo

Purplesan: She absolutely is! Teyvat needs more people like her :') Yay! Feel free to message me when I'm not online too! XD I think at some point I may have turned off the display-thingy for when someone's online, so it's okay to just message me whenever and I'll reply when I can ^^ (which is, hopefully faster than I do on here, oof. What even is time :') (I really hope you'll be able to figure it out!! Online payment is confusing as heck (the only thing I really know is Paypal, but even that is only when it comes to official stores), but it'll be SO worth it. I'm sure you'll do great at creating a wonderful universe and characters ^^)

Ehehe :')

She just can't help herself :p And yes definitely! Alice may act carefree and happy a lot, but I feel like she's actually just trying to be a positive influence on people she cares about. The light in the dark. (And I imagine that also means she feels guilty whenever she feels down or upset herself...). I FULLY AGREE, HE DOES. (Asdfghjkl fair enough tbh :p a checklist for fic conceptss does sound perfect. "Must include: existential crisis, angst, friendly banter, two emotionally constipated idiots...". A fanfic-recipe so to say XD)

I recently went through some old documents and realized that, aside from the ones I KNEW I didn't finish, there was so much more I had forgotten even existed XD the curse of writing, I suppose.

I SUPPORT THIS VISUAL. One of my absolute favourite character tropes. ESPECIALLY if it's someone known for always keeping their cool.

There are so many unanswered questions and so many mysteries. And on the one hand - that's a fanfic writer's dream, so they can go all out with headcanons...but on the other hand, I NEED ANSWERS, HOYOVERSE. I BEG. Either way I agree I want the Hexenzirkel to come and back our queens up while they conquer Celestia :D (One of my friends shared a theory that Diluc's mom might be/might have been part of Hexenzirkel and I have not been able to stop thinking about it since).

YES. Music is everything

This. THIS. You put it into words perfectly. That feeling of "I'm not like you, so how could you possibly understand me" versus "you're not the enigma you think you are, don't distance yourself even further because you think that's what's best for you". He must feel so ALONE for not knowing anyone quite like him, yet at the same time he struggles with allowing people close when they want to/are willing to learn. So much room for character development and stories there *sobs*

I ABSOLUTELY DO. Him not knowing (and potentially finding out later) would ALSO be heartbreaking tbh, because then he might wonder if any praise she ever gave him was actually directed at HIM, or if it was meant for the "other him"....but also, the angst potential of him knowing and having so many expectations to live up to. So it doesn't matter which way you look at it, IT'S GOING TO BE AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER EITHER WAY. A lot of hurt with very little comfort :') and their loved ones watching them spiral...yup, this one will hurt real good

Thespian: Teyvat does need more people like her. She'll definitely be very useful at the end of the game, because we all know that some big disaster's gonna happen and she'll be much needed comfort.

Yes yes! I'll message you when I can :D Speaking of, what should we use to actually write the fic? Cause we'd need a shared document. (Aw thank you!! I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out eventually. For now though I'll keep planning the worldbuilding!)

Augh I didn't expect that Alice might not be who she is on the outside... Aaaa the angst potential. The fact that she tries to be positive for everyone around her??? And then she's just a little down on herself when she's alone?? But then she feels guilty about being sad because she's Alice, she can't be sad. :0 she's putting up a happy facade to cope with the fact that her girlfriend's not contacting her. EXACTLY HE DOES THE THING. Wait I'm pretty sure that's canon actually cause he did it in 2.3 when someone complimented his cooking. (It is a fanfic recipe. Put them all in a document, mix them around, then put it in the oven at 300°C and let the characters cry lmao)

YOU. YOU GET IT. Characters who always keep their cool losing it when they get attention from their s/o? Amazing. Alternatively, their crush turns away and starts talking to someone else and brushes them off a little and their shoulders droop a little and they're just ever so slightly visibly sad. But no one notices and they just kinda bottle it up like they do with everything else.

YES!!! Answers, HoyoVerse. Please. I was hoping we'd get a winter update in 4.3 that'd give us some extra Hexenzirkel lore or similar, but apparently not >:( HoyoVerse has Albedo locked in the basement and I am crying trying to get him out But yesss Alice and Rhine go for Celestia!!! Take them down (I don't mind the theory about Diluc's mum, although it's possible Alice just gave the tea set to him. Especially since she basically adopted him after Crepus died.)

GOD, yes. He would feel so alone, and he doesn't realise part of the reason for that is himself- if he loosened up a little, he would figure out that a lot of his problems are easily solved if he just leans on someone, but noooo he has to keep trying to do everything alone. He acts like he's got it all together, but he's just so lonely underneath it. His little heart is broken and he knows it should be fixed but. But he just can't, because he prioritises others over himself and to him, it comes down to others' safety and his wellbeing, and he doesn't know that most of his friends wouldn't mind the risk just to make sure he's okay.

aUGH YES. him knowing, him not knowing, whatever path you choose it all ends in spiralling. ESPECIALLY since Albedo seems to overthink a lot. Omg okay so I was looking at the other Khaenri'ahns we know for visual references and thinking about that headcanon and then I was like,,, "Rhine/Dain is good but Rhine/Halfdan???" And then I realised that Halfdan's hair colour is closer to Albedo's than Dain's is. And also Halfdan would be a much better dad. And also the potential for angst during the Cataclysm while he's fighting for his citizens against the very creatures his wife made to protect them. Thinking of where she might be and just knowing she'll be blamed and even though there's lives at stake he just cannot help but think how will she survive? Both mentally and physically. And hoping against hope that they'll both make it out. And then Dain blaming her for Halfdan's death and she's just like ...what? Because she didn't know. Ohhhhhhh yes this one will hurt very very good.

Purplesan: Gosh, I just know the end of the game is going to make us suffer :’) emotional damage times ten. Where are the emotional healers when you need them?Oooh good point! I think Google Docs is the most “collaboration-friendly” way to write in the same document? I know multiple people can work in the same file simultaneously, while also leaving comments and suggestions and such. Unless you’d prefer something else of course! ^^ (Also very important! I’ll be rooting for you :3)

I just love the happy-go-lucky characters who act all silly around their loved ones, yet at the same time have their own (invisible) struggles. Bonus points if Rhinedottir notices and calls her out on it (by offering comfort in her on way). ANGST POTENTIAL INDEED. Asdfghjl I love it when canon confirms our theories in some way :p (LMAO, exactly! Five-star dining, with a disclaimer/small print about the recipe not being responsible for ~emotional damage~ sustained by it)

It’s my favourite thing ever, without a doubt. The way they just melt completely. And OF COURSE, the mandatory angst always accompanying the good fluff. Someone who acts all cool and touch, melts at the smallest hint of affection…and who’s secretly not as tough as they seem and actually needs that validation/attention from their partner. (At this point we’re describing like half the Genshin characters but shhhh). YOU GET IT.The fact Hoyo takes forever to update the good bits has me screaming. I understand a game takes time and they can’t drop it all at once but *sobs in a corner* I need my answers. My lore. ALBEDO AND CO. HEXENZIRKEL. PLEASE. (Ooooh good point! I hadn’t thought of it like that yet, but knowing Alice (or at least the small bits we’ve seen so far), that would also be a very realistic possibility :O)

Literally crying over your top-tier fantastic 10/10 description of Albedo’s inner workings, thank you. THIS IS PERFECTION. He definitely prioritises other people’s safety over his own, sacrificing his happiness if it means keeping others safe. (His “if I lose control one day…” plea to the traveller being just one example to back that up). Damn it Albedo just accept people care about you already :’)

……I would read, no, DEVOUR this, tbh. Like, that’s brilliant thinking and THE ANGST. I love angst (what a surprise, lol), but this??? This is the exact flavour of angst I live for. The sheer guilt of “I tried to do everything right but instead it all went to hell”??? The survivor’s guilt???? THE NOT KNOWING???? I am a goner. My heart. Thank you for this wonderful, magnificent rollercoaster of emotions.

Thespian: The end of this game is going to kill us all. First Splatoon and now this, is it impossible for me to get into a game that won't make me cry and laugh at the same time??? Stop giving me women that would fistfight their manager in space for the sake of their girlfriends (read: Alice and Neo 3)

Google Docs sounds good, it's definitely a good long term option. I do have a Microsoft account so we could use word but by end of next year it'll be deactivated so it might not be a good idea. How're you gonna share the Google doc with me, though? As far as I'm aware we don't know each other's Gmails which it requires. (Awww thank you!!!! It's going well, although I've extended it from an 8-part series to a 16-parter... This should not be my first published work)

God, yEs. Character who acts all bubbly and happy, then sits in their room and cries at 3am??? Everything. Oh yes absolutely ten thousand bonus points for that one, pLEASe. and yesss, canon-confirmed headcanons are always such a source of joy, it's like :0 I know this character so well I thought of something they'd do and they actually do it!!! (Five star dining until the author picks "Chose not to use archive warnings" and doesn't tag the major character death or something 😂)

Yes yes yes!!! Especially when they're tired or something, they get a single touch from their partner and they're gone. No more operating, Partner is Here and Hugs are Needed Immediately. Bonus points if it's been a hard day and they cry a little. It's the little things that make them human- that need for affection even if they deny it. Dying of loneliness is a thing people, don't bottle shit up. Speaking of bottling things up, there's a dialogue option in the Lantern Rite event that says Traveler prefers bottling their feelings up... AND THERE'S NO OTHER OPTION. ITS CANON TO BOTH TWINS. GIRLIPOP NOOOO (I took a screenshot I'll send it to you.)

God yeah. Me and a couple of my Tumblr moots have been waiting for ages (the amount of copium I've been on the last few weeks has had me higher than Cloud Retainer's kite) for a new Hexenzirkel patch. We think it might be coming next patch or after but please, Fontaine and Natlan years would be perfect. Nicole in Fontaine and Natlan being the nation of dragons (cough cough RHINEDOTTIR) would be perfect for more Hexenzirkel lore. Please please.

Hahaha my good friend Monard cries over my albedo work too, I'm not sure how I do this but apparently I can use this boy to make people cry :) and yeah, he absolutely prioritises other people's safety over his own!! It's a trademark of a good head scientist, taking responsibility of his assistants and taking responsibility for whatever happens in experiments, and comes in handy as a knight too. Problem is it backfires in regular life, and while I admit he doesn't exactly have much of a regular life (lab rat ass, get out and have fun) it does mean he often sacrifices his own feelings (i.e. his experiment) for the betterment of others (the safety of his assistants). It's the same train of thought, but it doesn't run quite the same way in social situations as it does in the lab. He does absolutely need to figure out that other people love him, that's why he needs a bf

I know right??? It's such a good concept and I don't have the time to flesh it out on my own. If we're planning this fic I'd like to include this idea, it feels like one that could reach peak potential with two minds and also our different schedules leave us to flesh out each other's ideas. Halfdan is perfect for fitting into the rhinefam because he is so similar to Albedo in that his close connection to Rhinedottir would give him this weird sense of guilt for what she's done, but also the intrinsic knowledge that she's not what Celestia makes her out to be, but he can't out and say that because it might hurt him and his other loved ones. And of course Rhinedottir has such monumental guilt once she finds out Halfdan didn't survive because of her... What do you think Rhine would have been like if Halfdan had defied Dain and gone to help her instead? What do you think would have happened if they raised Albedo together, way underneath the earth... aUGH the ideas are flowing again. Words are going tonight. You are very much welcome. :D

[nimjatortles]

A Taste of Heaven

Mikey helps a drunk girl get home ~2000 words

“I don’t know you! Stop touching me!” The girl turned her face up to the sky, shouting for any and all to hear over the loud pop music. Her words fell on a beat, with purpose and clarity. Mikey skidded on his heels and turned right around to check over the edge of the roof and down into the alley below him.

His hand went to the walkie-talkie on his shoulder to call his brothers but hesitated. Leo’s orders were to report any activity on the experimental patrol. Splitting the city into routes between the four of them was risky but they covered a lot more ground. Donnie was close by...but Mikey didn’t need help with this clown. It was just a routine rescue. Damsel in distress. A lone girl cornered by some jackass outside of one of the smaller clubs in Brooklyn. Easy peasy.

“C’mon, don’t be so loud, babe. You were all for it a minute ago.” The assailant persisted, covering her mouth with his hand until an empty bean can struck him in the temple. “OW! The fuck?!”

“The lady said back off, dude!” Mikey called from the fire escape before dropping down to street level. He landed intentionally loud to try and spook his opponent, a tactic Raphael liked to do. The shadows still hid most of his form but there would be no denying his size.

“Hey, this don’t concern you, fuckface. Get lost.” The assailant pointed, shoulders raised and hands otherwise balled into tight white-knuckled fists.

“Nah, bro. That ain’t how this works.” Mikey drew one of his nunchucks from his belt. He didn’t need a weapon against a common schmuck, but better safe than sorry. Plus, it looked cool.

“I said fuck off. I’m not gonna te-” He took his eyes off his prey for too long. The girl leaned her shoulder back to wind up a doozy of a haymaker right into her assailant’s cheekbone.

“Ohmygod-that hurt!” She gasped and shook her hand to try and rid herself of the pain. She paid no attention after that even as the man recovered from her strike and turned his angry eyes on her.

Mikey leapt forward and baseball slid into his shins to take him out. There’s nothing quite like the sound of a skull hitting the pavement. The man groaned and didn’t get back up as the ninja grabbed him by the back of the shirt to toss him in the pile of garbage bags lining the building.

“To the trash with you! Heh. That was easy.” Mikey put his nunchuck back in his belt and cautiously approached the girl. “You, uh, you good?”

“His face hurt my hand…What a douche…” Her voice was scratchy, words slurred together. “S’it s’pposed to hurt like that..?” The girl finally turned her head to look at him. She stared and squinted her eyes. “...you’re very green. Are you s’pposed to be green?”

“Been green my whole life so far. Life of a turtle, yaknow.” Mikey laughed nervously. She was very drunk but at least she didn’t scream. That was a nice change of pace. “Listen, you got friends inside the club or somethin’?” He couldn’t stay on the ground much longer, but he couldn’t leave her alone either.

“No…” She scowled and pushed herself off the wall. “They suck…” The girl let out a squeak when she felt herself lose balance from a moment of standing.

A quick shuffle of the feet and Mikey caught her before she fell. He helped her find her footing in her wedges but she stayed leaning against him. The warmth of her skin a dramatic contrast to the cool night air and the mix of perfume and beer was a welcoming scent so close to the garbage. Her head rolled to the side and then back up straight as she faded in and out of consciousness. She scowled again as she tried to get her eyes to focus.

“Where’s your nose?” She poked his beak with a painted nail and giggled. “Boop.”

“Uh-” There was a loud banging sound of a side door being opened loudly. More people were coming and Mikey felt himself panic. “Ok listen, I’m just gonna get us to a safer place so we can find your friends, okay? Please don’t scream.” He scooped up her wobbly legs in one arm to quickly scale up the fire escapes on the side of the building just as a group of loud drunks passed underneath.

“Woah..! Fuck was that..?" The girl looked around at her new surroundings. "How'd we get ...up here?" She stared at him. "..d'you fly? That-that's tight." Her head dropped against Mikey's shoulder, too heavy to hold up.

"Nonono don't pass out on me! I gotta get you home or somethin'." Mikey bounced his shoulder a bit to try and wake her back up with minimal success. Her head straightened up but her eyes remained glazed over and unfocused and she fell back down to his shoulder. "Aw man..! Okay, we're gonna call for backup. This is a good time to call. Leo will know what to do."

He adjusted the girl in his one arm as he reached up to press the button on his walkie-talkie.

"Yo, I got a problem. It's not, like, an emergency problem but I'm, uh, stuck."

"What happened?" Leonardo came through immediately, voice stern and commanding.

"I rescued this drunk girl and now she passed out and I don't know what to do."

"Jus' leave her where her friends'll find her. They're probably lookin' for her." Raphael chimed in.

"I can't just leave her! Someone's already tried to pick her up! That's what I meant by 'rescued', duh!" Mikey looked over the edge of the building. There was no sign of anybody looking for her.

"Does she have a purse? Her I.D. will have her address on it." Donnie suggested.

"Uh.." Mikey looked down at his unconscious charge and what she wore. No purse. No jacket. He looked down in the alleyway for a discarded purse. "No purse, Donnie. I don't know where she'd even put a wallet with this outfit."

"Hm. Where are you? I'll come help."

"Who'zat?"

Mikey jumped a bit when she spoke. He hadn't noticed her wake back up.

“That’s my brother, Donnie. He’s gonna help us get you home, okay?” He tensed up when she stretched her arm across his chest and her hair tickled his neck as she ducked under his chin to grab the walkie.

"Donnie! Come out with ush! We’re havin’ fun!” She laughed as her voice cracked and she raised her phone to take a selfie. “Le’s do shots!”

“Girl, where were you hiding your phone? Your pants don’t even have pockets!” He stared at her dumbfounded as he took the radio back to return it to his shoulder strap.

“Which ’s bullshit…” Her scowl only lasted a second before transforming into a smug smile.“Titties, babe. Hide stuff in ya boobs and they safe.” She pulled her shirt to look down the collar. “I got lotsa stuff in here.”

“Oh boy.” Mikey didn’t know his face could grow so hot so fast. For all his peacocking, he’d never actually been this close to a girl, or her boobs before.

“Mikey! Mikey! Hey! Does she have an iPhone?” Donatello’s voice was a welcoming distraction and the little brother answered in a shaky affirmative. “Great. Tell her to ask Siri how to get home. If she has her personal contact card set up, the A.I. will be able to give you directions. It’ll probably only work with her voice so she has to ask.”

Donnie for the win. After a quick battle of fighting with Siri to recognise the girl’s drunken dialect, it provided the address to an apartment building a few blocks away.

It was an easy run across the rooftops. Michaelangelo held onto his sloppy charge tightly and dropped down the fire escape to the window she pointed out.

"You sure this is the right one? Don't wanna end up in some rando apartment.” The turtle quickly scoped the area out, watching for neighbors and people walking down below.

“S’right.” She pointed at a potted plant of questionable health. “Them’s my tomato. They gon’ be spaghetti someday.” She informed him with a proud smile and rested her head on his shoulder. “M’little green babies...”

“Heh. Neat.” Mikey withheld his innuendo and pried the window open with a kunai from his belt. He held her close to carry her through the narrow opening and scraped his shell against the peeling paint of the window frame in the process.

The girl lazily pointed him across the apartment to a bedroom, clearly content with being carried. Mikey was careful to make his footsteps silent and keep an eye out for any roommates. He pushed the door open with his foot and stepped on a fluffy rug.

“Wow. Smells like girl in here.” Mikey blinked some at the mix of smells that hit his senses. Perfumes, candles, deodorants and whatever product she put in her hair all mixed together with the personal scent of the girl in his arms. It was soft, almost fruity, and reminded him of summer.

"Am girl. I live here.” She held her arm out to find her balance as Mikey set her feet down so she could stand and immediately kicked her shoes off, shrinking down a few inches in height.

“Well, uh, home sweet home! I gotta get back to work, so. See ya later? Be safe?” Mikey thumb pointed back at the window they originally came through and tensed up when she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“No, stay. I gotta pay you for the ride.” She pressed her lips against the side of his mouth as she leaned awkwardly against him.

“NOPE.” Mikey pulled his head away even as he held her to support her. “It doesn’t count if you’re drunk! That���s not okay!”

“Well then, you get drunk n’then i’s fine.” She grinned and kissed his newly exposed neck. Causing the turtle to let out a squeak of a noise he didn’t know he could make.

“Idon’tthinkthat’showthatworks!” He whined and took her shoulders to hold her away from him and stared at her. “...my face doesn’t freak you out?” He asked quietly, cautiously. Even hopefully.

“I was in anime club in high school. This is not the first mask I’ve kissed. Or even the weirdest.” She poked his beak again. “Boop.” Her head rolled to the side as she laughed then she suddenly scowled. “Oh man, I almost threw up. Nevermind. Maybe next time. Mgoin’ to bed.” She turned away from him and pushed her laundry pile onto her floor before ungracefully flopping down on the bed. “Leave me your number and I’ll Venmo you money in the mornin’.”

“...Okay.” Mikey stood completely frozen, and yet on fire, as he watched her blindly burrow into her blankets. He eyed her desk and the stack of colorful sticky notes. His brothers wouldn’t leave her anything. It was a huge risk. She’s drunk, she doesn’t mean it. But what if she does. What if she could?

A decision made. A breath for courage and he wrote his name and number down on an orange sticky note for her to find. He added a little turtle in the corner for a personal touch and left the apartment with haste. He scaled to the rooftop and yelled up at the sky.

“Dear God, it’s me! Yer boy, Mikey! This is some bull-shit!” He pulled on the ends of his mask in frustration. “My first kiss from a girl and she’s drunk so it doesn’t even count..! Damnit.” He pointed upwards. “You better let this work out! I think you owe me by now!” He pouted and then sighed. “Please let it work out…Even a little bit would be nice. At least she didn’t scream…That’s a good sign.”

Mikey dared to crack a hopeful smile and ran across the rooftops to find his brothers.

[thestalwartheart]

short fic: another round

Hi friends!

This is a follow-up to this poem and gifset I posted the other day. I just could not let it go. Also, I've been writing a lot of angst lately, so it was time to soothe myself with something a bit more lighthearted.

I'd recommend reading the poem first, but if you hate poetry, you can just check out the gifset and consider this a little alternate meet story.

Read it on AO3 or under the cut.

Enjoy! ❤️

another round.

In another place, on a typically overcast London day outside the National Gallery, two people meet. It’s not the first time or the last they’ll come across each other, but something in the vast galaxy of time sighs nevertheless. The persistence of a constant is always so terrifically satisfying.

A man — let’s call him Jonathan — is looking down at his phone when he hits a wall of solid muscle. The wall in front of him grunts, and Jonathan looks up at the sound, right into a pair of startlingly blue eyes. He rushes to apologise. He would have done it anyway, but something about the man’s impassive expression has him wanting to do it quicker.

“I’m so sorry. Christ, I’ve become one of those people, haven’t I?” He gestures vaguely at the square around them and pockets his mobile. “The twats who can’t even cross the road without looking at their phones. I’ll book myself in for an intervention later. I really am terribly sorry.”

“It’s all right,” Mr Blue Eyes says, evidently entertained at Jonathan’s floundering tirade. His smile is exceptionally fetching, and he’s wearing the world’s most expensive, well-tailored and well-pressed suit. All in all, the effect of him is wholly overwhelming. Jonathan tries not to broadcast that too obviously, lest he embarrass himself even further.

“Well, you have my thanks for being uncommonly understanding. I—”

His phone dings, interrupting them. The stranger smiles and nods towards Jonathan’s pocket.

“I’d suggest staying stationary this time.”

The responding quip on Jonathan’s tongue dies as he reads the message. “Oh, fucking brilliant. I’ve been stood up.”

Not that his date had been a particularly fascinating man, but it had taken Jonathan an hour longer than usual to get here with the ongoing works on the Northern Line. Moreover, he’s dressed very nicely for the occasion and left his cats home alone, though it was the last thing he wanted to do.

“That’s unfortunate. I’m sure it’s their loss.”

If Jonathan’s not mistaken — and he rarely is — there’s a glimmer of interest in the man’s eye. Thirty years as a gay man has taught him a few lessons about when he’s being ever so subtly flirted with. Not many, admittedly, but enough to know when he might be in for a stroke of good luck.

“You know, I think it might be too. I know quite a bit about the paintings in there. In another life, I might have made a fantastic tour guide.”

“Really? I don’t know much about art. Why don’t you teach me?”

The interest is blatant now, burning so strongly Jonathan thinks he might blush from the stranger’s gaze alone. He gets lost in it for a slightly too-long beat of time. People bustle around them, tutting impatiently at the two men taking up an awkwardly large corner of the gallery’s stairs.

Saying yes might be an awful idea. The man standing before him is about as different to Jonathan as anyone could be. He’s broad and muscular, older than Jonathan would usually go for, and evidently a man with a taste for luxury. Given he knows how to proposition someone he’s only just met, Jonathan thinks he’s probably the sort of risk-taker that jumps into things a hair too fast. Still, the invitation hadn’t been crass or overly lecherous. Jonathan could walk away now and be almost certain there would be no hard feelings.

But, well. What a way to get over a no-show. And let it not be said that Jonathan can’t take a few risks of his own.

“Yes. Why not? So long as you don’t make me sit in front of one of the Turner paintings. They always make me feel far too melancholy.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” comes the amused reply. As they climb the stairs, the man’s hand hovers over Jonathan’s lower back. “We’ll stick to something a bit more bacchanalian, shall we?”

Jonathan laughs. “As you like, Mr…”

“Bond, James Bond.”

[tomtenadia]

Remember Us - part 2

Double feature this week. Here we go with part 2. Rowan takes another step on the path of recovering his life.

Also, we get to meet the kids <3

------

When Aelin got home that night after her shift at the hospital, she was tired and not just from the long hours spent in OR. She was tired in her soul. Aelin had managed to keep her thoughts at bay while operating, but as soon as she was out they came back. It had been hard to fight the urge to go and see him again. He wanted space. That was clear so she just went home instead.

Once she crossed the threshold, laughter welcomed her. Her kids sounded happy.

She shed her coat and removed her shoes and followed the happy sounds.

Walking into the kitchen she found her mother cooking and Thomas helping her setting the table and little Freyja banging her plastic cutlery on her high chair. She was a shy girl but would become alive and loud when she was hungry. Just like her mum.

“Mama!” Shouted her daughter as she spotted her.

“Mum,” Thomas echoed his sister and ran to her, hugging Aelin at her knees “hi my darling, how are you?” She kneeled at his height and ruffled his blonde hair.

“Helping grandma cook.”

“Food.” Shouted Freyja who got agitated trying to get the attention of her mother. Aelin went to her daughter and lifted the wee girl in her arms “hi my love,”  and she snuggled her head against her mother’s chest.

“Hi mum,” said Aelin to Evalin. The woman stirred something in the pan and turned to her daughter “welcome back, darling.” She said and her gaze turned worried at her daughter’s tired expression.

Aelin shook her head, knowing what her mother was about to say “later,” she added. She did not want to talk about Rowan in front of the kids.

“Come on Tom, sit at the table. Dinner is ready.” On his grandma’s orders the boy climbed on his chair and started eating his meal.

Aelin joined them a moment later, all changed in house clothes and sat at her daughter’s side.

Thomas was three and had just started learning how to use a fork properly. They would cut the food for him and he would try to use the utensil. Rowan had been teaching him. A pang of sadness hit her and pushed back the tears, now it was not the time. She would feed Freyja who was only eighteen months old.

“Did you help grandma cook?”

The boy nodded while taking a bite from his fork and gave her a big smile. His green eyes lighting up with joy. Eyes just like his father’s.

“Aelin, let me feed Freyja. You have your dinner. You haven’t touched it yet.”

Aelin shook her head “I am fine. It can wait.”

Truth was… she felt nauseous and that feeling had nothing to do with being pregnant. It was fear. Terror of losing Rowan. Terror that he would never recover his memories and her kids would be left without a father and her without her soulmate. She almost lost him once. She would never forget the day she got the call from the hospital. Those horrible moments were forever etched in her memory.

Later on that night, once the kids were in bed Evalin joined her daughter on the sofa and brought her a chamomile tea.

“The kids are asleep. What’s troubling you?”

Aelin sighed and her hand went to her stomach “Rowan woke up.”

“Today?”

She nodded in confirmation and leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder “I had just left the OR when I got a page from his doctor. I went to his room and he was awake,” a loud sob broke from her lips “he does not remember me or the kids.”

Evalin pulled her daughter closer and hugged her knowing the pain she had been feeling for the past month “Yrene had told you it might happen.”

Aelin nodded slightly “I didn’t think it could hurt that much. He had no idea who I was. He doesn’t remember our kids.” Her sobs turned into proper crying “I am so scared, mum. So, so scared.”

“I know, darling.” Evalin kissed her daughter’s head “you will have to be strong a bit longer. Does the doctor think he will regain his memory?”

Aelin gave her a small nod “but it might take time and what if he realises that he doesn’t want us in his life anymore?”

“Rowan loves you and the kids madly. The road ahead might be bumpy but he will come back.” A ragged breath escaped from Aelin. She hoped her mother was right, because if she was not she doubted she would survive loosing him a second time.

*

Rowan woke up the next morning with an horrendous headache. He had a fitful sleep and his thoughts had been stuck all night on her. Aelin. His wife. At her side two small shadows representing their kids. In his mind he had this picture of him holding someone, the smell of lemon and verbena strong around him. But he was sure it was more a feeling than an actual memory. He had woken up all of a sudden and hadn’t been able to fall asleep properly since. His body recognised the other one. 

A nurse brought breakfast and of one thing he was sure. He hated hospital food. Which led to another series of questions. What did he eat for breakfast? Was he a good cook? What was his favourite food?

Reluctantly he finished the food on his tray and decided to kill the boredom by watching tv. According to the news it was January and the meteorologist were warning all the citizens of Terrasen of a snowstorm warning.

He was so bored watching the news that he felt glad when Aelin knocked on the doorframe “Mind if I come in?”

He shook his head “is tv always this boring?”

Aelin chuckled and for a second she saw a glimpse of him. He always hated tv. The only reason they had one in the house was because she had pestered him about it “yeah. You find reading more interesting.”

He switched off the television and faced her “I am…”  he sighed “yesterday… I was overwhelmed. It was… it still is too much.”

“I know,”said Aelin trying to suppress the instinct to touch him. Not until he was okay with it.

“Tell me something about me, about my life. Us… anything.” He started, eager to know more. He needed it “do I like breakfast?”

Aelin laughed “you do, and you are a great cook. On Saturdays you always make us pancakes and let Thomas help you flip them.” She smiled at the image. Thomas on his knees on a chair beside his dad.

“You are a healthy eater so you tend to scoff enormous quantities of fruit and veggies while complaining about my crazy dietary habits.”

She was dying to show him pictures of the kids but decided against it. One step at a time. Let him become familiar with the idea of being married first.

“You are a lawyer. A kickass one at that.” His green eyes were trained on her “you and Lorcan opened your own practice. After graduation you two got a job in a fancy company but eventually got tired of dealing with rich bastards and opened a firm that deals mostly with family law but also offers legal support to us common human beings.” She had been so proud of him. The big job had left him miserable and with very little time to live. He had been stressed and after two years he had realised that the huge salary was not worth it. Lorcan had followed him and together they had started their new adventure. They had started small snd simple, but slowly as they took in more cases they had to start hiring more people and the firm had gotten bigger and successful.

“You love hiking, nature in general and winter. We are both in love with theatre and on our first date you took me to a play.”

Rowan looked at her and that tug in his chest came back for a visit.

“We have been married for seven years and you proposed at my best friend’s wedding. We were dancing and you asked me what if we were the next ones to do that? Then you went on one knee and asked me to marry you.”

He kept listening, adding some more pieces of info to what he had gathered so far. And the more Aelin spoke the more that connection he had felt the day before grew stronger.

“What type of doctor are you?”

“I am the chief of paediatric neurosurgery and I work two floors above this.”

Rowan took a deep breath and asked a question that had been burning in him since she has appeared “do you have any photos of us, of the kids?”

Aelin felt like crying and extracted her mobile phone and scrolled through her huge quantity of photos “This is Thomas. He is three.”

Rowan looked at the boy and saw a blond mop of hair just as golden as his mother’s and two striking green eyes just like his. In the photo the boy was laughing while he held him in his arms.

Aelin swiped and the image of a little girl appeared and he gasped. There was no doubt that she was his daughter. Her hair was silver as his and even her eyes were the exact copy.

“She is so much like you.” He noticed the smile appearing on Aelin’s face. While she talked about their life her face had lit up and in front of him he had the most stunning woman he had ever seen. Probably. He wasn’t sure but Aelin took his breath away.

“Are we happy? As a family?”

Aelin nodded without even thinking about it. They were, she had no doubts about it “Yes. We wanted a family, kids. It was our choice.”

Rowan nodded and wanted to believe her, needed to believe the passion and the love in her voice.

“I need time.” He said quietly, averting his gaze from hers for just a brief moment “This is a lot that I need to process. I will need time but I want to hear more.”

Aelin sobbed and grabbed her backpack and extracted another mobile phone “this is yours. It survived the crash because you used a military grade protecting cover. I just charged it. The password is 0305.” She gave him the mobile “it has photos, texts. Everything is still there, maybe it will help.”

Aelin looked at her watch and stood “I have to go, I have a surgery in two hours.”

Rowan nodded.

“You can text me if you want. My contact is under Fireheart.”

He looked at the phone and then at her “will you come back?”

Aelin took a step toward him and kissed his silver hair as she did the previous day and then nodded.

She waved at him and disappeared through the door.

He moved his attention to the phone and tried to figure out how to switch it on. Once he did it asked him a pin code and he entered the digits she had told him.

Once the phone was unlocked he was welcomed by a picture of him, Aelin and the kids on a beach. He had Freyja on his shoulders and was laughing as she patted his head. Aelin was holding Thomas potato sack style and the boy was grinning. With his fingers he traced her face and then went looking for the photo album. Before opening he hesitated. His life, his memories were there and he was scared.

There were picture of his wife. Plenty of them and she always had an amazing smile. Of one thing he was sure:Aelin took his breath away. Photos of their kids and he spotted one of what he suspected was a newborn Freyja. He held the little bundle in his arms while Thomas was at his side staring at his sister. He saw happiness, he saw joy, but most of all he saw love. Deep love that bound the four of them. Aelin had not lied. They seemed happy. He found photos of what he assumed were friends but he could not tell who they were, he hadn’t covered that part yet. Accepting the idea of a wife and kids was hard enough. He was not ready yet to add more people. The mere idea made him feel dizzy.

He was getting tired again even if it was only morning, but he pushed through and found the app with the text messages and went to look at the ones from Aelin and he read the last one she sent him go and win your case and then tonight I will show you how proud I am of my sexy lawyer.

He scrolled back through the thread and read random texts between them until he went back a few months and saw a text with a picture attached.

You are away for work and I miss you. I went for my first proper check-up and I am proud to share with you the picture of the new member of our family. The image was greyish and grainy but the message was clear: Aelin was pregnant again.

He placed the phone on his lap and closed his eyes calming the sense of panic overwhelm him.

And with his eyes closed he tried to remember.

[everythingthemoontouches]

Hiiiiiiii~ I wanna know your thoughts/opinions about my placements:

-Libra Sun in 8th house

- Aquarius Moon in 12th conjunct Rising

- Capricorn Mars in 11th at 10 degrees

- Pluto sextile Rising?

Thanks u so much🌸🌸🌸

If you ever start an occult business I feel like you'd have the prettiest setup because of that Libra sun in the 8th. Libra is beauty, grace and tact personified.

The sun usually doesn't do so well in Libra cuz your ego is influenced a lot by the people around you. However, if you can master the fine line between doing and receiving you're set.

Funeral directors could have this placement. Property lawyer. Libra is about justice after all.

☀️Sun in the 8th :You could accidentally shed light on things people are trying to hide - infidelity, debt, money laundering, tax evasion. The occult mysteries of the world could be something that your soul longs to uncover.

♒Aqua moon: how much do you like space movies / fiction? I'm guessing a lot

♒Aqua moon : makes more I think statements than I feel statements.

Masters at cutting people off cold turkey.

Exalted Mars : you go out and get shit done. Professionally you're seen as the success archetype. Even your social media handles could reflect a well groomed, rich / successful aesthetic. You project a classy, stable, prosperous image. I think this is a great placement for a long, stable, money making career. You may be good at mobilizing support. Mars in the 11th could indicate that in order to make money, you may need to be on your feet. Or lead an active lifestyle. Capricorn Mars in the 11th could enjoy being a part of hiking or mountaineering trails. You may choose to surround yourself with people who challenge you to grow. Healthy competition can be a bit of an aphrodisiac. You know those boss babe influencer pages taht teach people how to level up, get their finances in order, dress respectably and just get their life on track? You're astrologically placed for success if you decide to pursue that.

Capricorn Mars women are usually attracted to slightly more mature and financially secure men. You've probably held high standards for the men you allow into your life.

You mention aquarius moon conjunct your ascendant so I'm guessing that's your rising sign too?

If so, you probably come across a little aloof with really innovative ideas. You give off the vibe that you improve whatever groups you're a part of. So you may be someone people think is good at networking /making friends. I know some people describe aquarius as the mad genius innovator archetype. I find that in some cases this can translate as seemingly lazy behaviour. This laziness can actually be what prompts them to improve the efficiency of long tedious processes. How do you minimize the amount if work you hsve to do? By increasing the results of each step you perform.

Aquarius ascendants are usually practical, fair and not too emotionally expressive. Especially around people they don't know really well. As I reread this, I'm reminded of Chef Reynold from Masterchef Australia. He is in season 12- creates the most beautifully moving desserts all with a super stoic or closed off expression on his face because he is super focused on his work. Is this something you could relate to?

You could be a really interesting person and well read. Have a bunch of hobbies, someone who can hold their own in conversation. Since both your sun and moon are in air signs, you are able to communicate effectively and in a clear, logical manner. I mean, we would have to look at your mercury too, but unless it was under some really negative influences we are safe in believing that what you intend to express is what people take away from what you say.Personally, this is something I really struggle with cuz my mercury sits in the 12th.

As someone with Pisces in the firsthouse, you have an ethereal beauty to you. Probably quite easy going and may have been really susceptible to manipulation in your younger years.

Moon in the 12th. Intensely creative. Add to that you're an aquarius/Pisces rising with an 8th house sun? There's a heavy mystical /spiritual energy about you. Something otherworldly almost. If the moon has malefic impacts this could cause insomnia, addiction issues and a sense of not feeling a sense of identity. Or taking on people's energy sub consciously. I believe the fact that your moon is in Aquarius could would make you less susceptible to other people's influence because of its logical and thinking nature.

Aquarius moon likes to build their own community rather than feeling super attached to their birth family - I'm not saying they don't have great relationship with family, they're just people who like to go out into the world and find their own corner.

Your closest friends may be people who live far away, whom you may have met online.

Aquarius moon natives usually love taking a nap. Feeling stressed? Take a nap? Bored? Take a nap. Uninspired? Take a nap.

Do you make music at all? Neptune ruled first house and moon in the 12th could mean you're really blessed when it comes to anything remotely creative.

you could be a natural psychic. A tarot reader I appreciate uses her paintings to channel. I feel like you could do really well if you went down a similar line. Do you receive ideas in your sleep a lot?

Pluto sextile rising? You radiate sex appeal. Power. People may feel like their life is about to change when they meet you. For the worse or better is up to them. You may come across as intimidating without meaning to.

Pluto sextile rising, Capricorn Mars, and Neptune's influences tell me that you may have a bit off an untouchable vibe to you. I'd normally say that your sun in Libra could make you appear more pleasant / non threatening if it wasn't for the fact that its placed in the 8th house. It's like there's no escaping the occult sciences with you. I personally would catch a flight to get to any Halloween parties you decided to throw

I hate to fangirl but I feel like if you were an artist and I were to come across your art, I'd feel deeply moved, like seeing a painting by someone channeling source energy.

Now I understand that some of this may be more relatable than others. That would give you a clue as to which Planets have a greater influence on you currently...

[rosiehunterwolf]

For the Romping and the Roaring- Part 2

My submission for Day 2 of @serpentfever's Inhuman Event!

Link to read on ffn.net (Recommended if you are on mobile or haven't read the first part yet)

Preview:

The hair on the back of her neck raised, sensing the hit a moment before it came, but by then it was too late to dodge, even with her quick reflexes.

Kai’s hand shoved into her chest, and she hit the ground hard. She gasped, more from shock than pain, and then her brother was darting past her, out the door.

She gazed after him, dazed. She had experienced her fair share of fights with her brother, but he had never hit her before. It hadn’t hurt bad- she knew the raw strength he could pack, and that he had been holding back immensely, but it still- it still made her heart race.

“Nya!” Jay yelped, running over to her. “Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine,” she breathed, her voice shaking hard. She swallowed, trying to force out the tremor.

This hadn’t changed anything. She wasn’t afraid of her brother. Just a bit shocked, that was all. He hadn’t meant to do it, he had just lashed out out of frustration.

He would never hurt her on purpose.

He would never.

(Full chapter under the cut)

Prompts Used: Injury

Word Count: 6,730 (wooo this one hopefully won't crash my browser)

Rating: T

Trigger Warnings: Blood, Dehumanization

“Lloyd, come away from the door. It’s too cold outside.”

Lloyd looked back reluctantly at Nya’s call. Kai peered at him from over the large grocery bag he was carrying.

“She’s right, bud. The last thing we need is for someone to get sick. Medicine is pricey,” he added, frowning at the lightness of his wallet.

Zane carried in another bag beside him and pulled the door shut. Nya walked over to him, ruffling Lloyd’s hair as she passed. “How are we doing on cash?”

“We still got enough for a little while. But not a ton. I guess I underestimated all the stuff we would need.” He frowned, glancing around at their makeshift home, shivering as a chill tickled through the air. “We should’ve gotten more blankets. With winter coming, it’s going to be tough having no heat.”

“We should take turns sleeping with Lloyd. He’s like a little living furnace.”

Kai smirked. “Well, at least that’s one person we shouldn’t have to worry about. I thought he might be more vulnerable because of how small he is, but those dragon and oni genes really seem to be doing something for him.”

“Speaking of which,” Nya sighed, “he nearly set Cole on fire today.”

Kai winced. “Did we lose anything?”

“Just a blanket and part of a shirt.”

Kai shook his head, turning towards the boy. “Lloyd, what did I say about using fire breath indoors?”

Lloyd hardly seemed to hear, gekkering softly as he climbed up a support beam, flapping his wings a few times to propel him up to the rafters. Red eyes glowed eerily down at them, and Kai sighed.

“He’s only getting more restless the longer we’re in here,” Nya growled. “You don’t know what a pain he is when you’re gone.”

Kai crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s been two weeks. We can’t keep him in here forever.”

“We can’t stay here forever,” Cole grunted, looking up from the book he was reading. “We’re already running low on funds. We’re going to have to get jobs, somehow. And we can’t live in an abandoned warehouse for the rest of our lives- already, we’re struggling with the winter coming. Jay’s already got a cold. Sooner or later, one of us is going to freeze to death.”

Kai drummed his fingers along his thigh, turning his gaze to where the lab hybrid was snuggled on the floor in a pile of blankets, near the center of the building, where it was warmest. “How’s he doing?”

“He’s gonna be fine, it’s just a common cold. We’re just letting him sleep it off. But winter’s only just beginning. It’s only going to get worse from here on out.”

“Cole’s right,” Zane said. “We have to try something else.”

“We’re just a bunch of kids,” Nya snapped, her voice tight. “We have no idea what we’re doing.”

“Perhaps it’s time… we start looking for help.”

Three wary gazes shifted to Zane.

Kai narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean by that? Everybody hates our skins. Who would help us?”

“We don’t know that for sure. Borg told us that the world had it out for us… but he also pretended to care about us when he was really just using us.”

“Are you suggesting we go to the police?!” Nya growled. “Do you want to die?”

“Borg lied about a lot of things. What if he was lying about this, too?”

“And what if he wasn’t?” Kai retorted. “That’s a huge risk, Zane. One we can’t afford to take.”

“It was only a suggestion.”

“I get where you’re coming from, Zane,” Cole sighed, “but they’re right. That’s a big risk, and if we’re chased out, we have nowhere to go this time.”

“So what do we-”

They were interrupted by a shrill shriek, and whipped around to see Jay jerking up into a sitting position, Lloyd half-slumped over his chest. “What are you doing here?”

“Lloyd, leave Jay alone, he’s resting,” Kai chastised, rushing over to scoop him off of Jay. Lloyd squirmed in his grip, and Kai sighed. “What is wrong with you today?”

“He’s got too much energy for this cramped little place,” Nya told him. “He’s gonna end up hurting someone if we don’t do something about it.”

“Take him outside,” Jay sniffed, “before he burns the whole place down. And besides, he’s the only one of us you guys haven’t let wander since we got here. How is this different from what Borg did to him his whole life?”

“We’re protecting him from Borg,” Kai growled sharply. “If it was up to Borg, he’d be dead right now. I think we’re doing a much better job.”

“I’m not saying we aren’t,” Jay corrected quickly, waving his hands. “But I thought we wanted to give him the freedom he never had.”

“It’s not that simple, Jay,” Nya sighed. “Lloyd’s wanted- we all are, but he’s got the most at risk. If he’s spotted by anyone from Borg- it’s dangerous, is what I’m trying to say.”

“Of course it is. But so is hiding in an abandoned building for the rest of our lives. So is having nothing but a quickly-dwindling stash of money to our name. So is sleeping in a cold building with no heat through the winter. So is keeping a frustrated, fire-breathing brat inside a flammable area for two weeks.”

Lloyd shot a plume of fire at his face, and Jay shrieked, ducking. “See? I told you!” “Nah, he’s just mad at you for calling him a brat,” Nya snickered.

Kai gritted his teeth, pushing Lloyd’s face to the side until he stopped. “Jay does have a point, though. Maybe it’s worth trying to take him out.”

“But Borg-”

“We’ll be really careful,” Kai told her. “I’ll make sure he’s ready, and on his best behavior. You plan out where we’re going to go.”

Cole frowned. “How many of us are going to be going?”

“Two, plus Lloyd, would be ideal. Any more would draw too much attention.”

“Three of us could still be risky,” Cole warned. “Everyone at Borg looking for us will know what we look like. Disguises can only go so far.”

“I don’t want to just send one person out with Lloyd, though. If things go south, we’re going to need to stall for a little bit until we can get away.”

Cole crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not sure how much I like the odds of two of you against a whole legion of Borg associates.”

“We don’t know for sure there’ll be that many,” Zane reminded. “And it will take a while to call backup.”

“And besides,” Kai added, “I’m not planning on getting noticed. It’s just a precaution if we do.”

Everyone stared expectantly at Cole, who remained silent. Lloyd struggled in his arms, and Kai let him go. The boy bounded over to the badger hybrid, and gripped his leg, looking up pleadingly. Cole looked down at him, his forehead creasing. Closing his eyes, he let out a long sigh.

“Alright, Kai, but I really hope you know what you’re doing.”

---

Kai, in fact, did not know what he was doing.

The plan was so simple in his head- teach Lloyd to blend in by having him get used to disguises and showing him the proper behaviors. They had done a very similar thing every time they had taken Lloyd out on one of their outings, back when they had still been living at Borg Tower. How hard could it be, really?

As it turned out, very hard.

Nya had not been lying about his exuberance. He seemed determined to make every little thing difficult.

“Lloyd, just put on this hat! You’ve done it before, quit being stubborn now!”

Lloyd jerked away from the hat like it was some sort of disease, hissing and batting at it. When Kai tried to pull it over his head, the boy grabbed it in his teeth and started pulling.

“No, no, don’t rip it! Augh, why can’t you just do as you’re told!”

“How’s the training going?” Nya laughed.

Kai turned to glare at her, releasing the hat. “Fine, thank you.”

“Really? Because it looks like your pupil just got away…”

Kai jerked his head back. Lloyd had dragged the hat, by his teeth, across the room, and was now slipping himself under the slab of wood that they had used as a foundation for a bed, which was much too low to the floor for Kai to even dream of fitting under.

He scowled, walking over to where Lloyd had wedged himself into, and stuck his arm underneath it, praying that he didn’t lose any fingers.

Luckily, Lloyd didn’t seem to be in a biting mood, but Kai could feel him cringing back from his touch.

“Come on, Lloyd, just come out of there already-”

He stopped as he realized Nya was giggling. Shooting her a glare, he growled, “What’s so funny?”

“You think you’re gonna have him ready to go by the end of the week?”

“You see if I don’t. You’re gonna be sorry you ever doubted me.”

“Uh-huh. If that’s what you need to tell yourself, I suppose.”

---

“Brr,” Jay huffed, as he and Nya pushed the door shut. “The wind’s really picking up out there.”

“Hopefully it’s just a cold streak,” she agreed. “I don’t want it to be too cold if we’re bringing Lloyd out in a couple days.”

“You guys still on for that?”

“I think so. Kai says he’s making progress with him. I guess we’ll have to see.”

“Hey Nya, Jay,” Cole nodded at them. “You feeling better, bro?”

“Oh, a lot better. Good as new! I think it was just a little cold. I can go back to helping out, now.”

Zane sighed. “We were fortunate, this time. Let’s hope it stays that way.”

“Lloyd,” Nya called, pulling a package of gummy bears out of one of the shopping bags. “We got a surprise for you!”

She cast her gaze to the rafters, expecting him to come leaping down, but was surprised when she saw him wriggle out from where he was dozing beside Kai, instead.

She handed him the bag. “Don’t eat them all at once, okay? We’re a little tight on money right now, so you won’t be getting any more for a while.”

The smile he shot her was small, with no teeth, as he took the bag. “Thanks, Nya.”

She frowned at him. The last time she had brought him candy, he had basically been jumping off the walls with excitement, his tail swishing and ears twitching. Now, he was barely even smiling, and stood abruptly still.

Tugging at the seal, his brow furrowed as it didn’t open. When he didn’t immediately tear it open with his fangs, and instead handed it to her so she could open it for him, she knew something was definitely off.

“What’s wrong, Lloyd? Are you feeling alright? Aren’t you happy with it?”

“No, I want it!” he yelped, grabbing for the bag.

She frowned at him, snatching it away. “Why are you acting so weird?”

Lloyd’s ears drooped, his hands dropping to his side. “Kai told me to act like the humans so I could go outside. Did I do bad?”

Nya felt her heart squeeze. “Oh, no, honey, you didn’t do anything wrong. I… I’m just not used to seeing you like this.”

He looked up at her, red eyes hopeful. “I did it right? I acted good?”

Nya took a slow breath. “Yeah, I mean… Lloyd, what exactly did Kai tell you to do?”

Lloyd shrugged. “He said if I smile too much, people can see my fangs.” Peeling back his lips, he pointed to the sharp teeth, as if Nya needed a demonstration. “Seeh?”

“Yes, Lloyd, I see. But why do you need to hide your fangs in here?”

“Kai said I’m prat-practicing,” Lloyd told her matter-of-factly, looking immensely pleased with himself for pronouncing the long word. “So I can be good when we go outside!”

Nya’s stomach felt hard. “What other kinds of things did he tell you to do, Lloyd?”

“He teached me how to not wiggle my ears so much.” He pointed to his ears, making a point of holding them still. “And we talked a lot. He’s showing me to walk on my feet better too, which is kinda wobbly though, and not as fast as using my hands, too. But Kai said I’m doing better than I was! Hey, Nya,” he added, pointing at her face, “you’re doing that thing Kai told me not to do. I can see your fangs!”

Nya unclenched her teeth, working her jaw. “Thanks, bubs. I’m gonna go talk to Kai now, okay? You have some of your gummies.”

Turning to where her brother was slouched against the wall, paging through a magazine, she stormed over to him. He glanced up at her nonchalantly, and Nya felt a surge of frustration in her chest at how calm he was.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why have you been teaching that stuff to Lloyd, Kai? Why is he acting so… weird?”

“You mean normal? It’s great, isn’t it? I gotta admit, it felt like an impossible task at the beginning of the week, but he’s reformed pretty quickly. I think he’s almost ready to go out!”

“It’s not great,” she growled. “You’ve completely changed who he is! There’s a difference between teaching him to stay low and to completely reforming him into human society!”

Kai eyed her testily. “I don’t see what the big deal is. What else were you expecting me to do?”

“I wanted you to hide him, not change his behavior! This isn’t him, Kai!”

“Relax, Nya, it’s just some minor modifications. He’s still our mischievous little brother!” “Really? Because he seemed much less feral to me.”

“Well, yeah! We can’t have him acting out in the middle of the city! I, for one, think this is an improvement. He hasn’t set anything on fire in days.”

“We’re not humans, Kai! We’re different than them, and that’s okay! He has to know that. He has to know what we are! We can’t just try to change him just because it’s what the world wants.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with being like the humans. They’ve gotten off alright, haven’t they? Meanwhile, we’ve spent our whole lives being cheated and used.”

“Just because something’s hard doesn’t mean we should just give up! I can’t believe you, don’t you care about your identity at all?” “I care about surviving. I’m trying to keep us safe! What’s a few little changes if it benefits us in the long run?”

“It might start as just some small changes, Kai, but eventually it’s going to snowball into something bigger.” She felt her voice catch in her throat. “I don’t want to teach him to hide who he is. I want him to be proud. He hasn’t done anything wrong! We left Borg to get away from that, didn’t we? So that we could start our own paths and be who we wanted to be?”

“You wanted to be homeless and poor?”

“Kai!”

“What? You’re upset with me for telling the truth? We ran away from Borg so we could live. It was out of necessity, not even a choice, really.”

“Borg was our captor. He lied to us our whole lives, made us believe he was the only one who cared when he couldn’t be bothered with us at all. If you’re seriously defending him right now-”

“I’m not defending him, of course I’m not!” Kai jumped to his feet, growling. “What kind of psychopath do you think I am? He tried to kill my baby brother! If you think I would be on his side after that-”

“But don’t you see, it’s more than just that! He was hurting all of us, for years. He was a bad person even before he decided to get rid of Lloyd. Now’s our chance to finally be free of all that. Now’s our chance to be ourselves, to-”

“To get captured again, according to you.”

“How could you say that? I want to protect everyone as much as you do, but I also think you are posing a threat to us by imposing on us the same rules Borg did-”

“How dare you compare me to him!” Kai roared. Nya flinched, and she felt the others turn their gazes on them. “I am nothing like that wretch, nothing, I want nothing more than to protect my family from him! I am doing what I must to keep us safe from him, to keep us as far away as possible. I am trying to avoid suspicion, and I don’t care about your sentimental values. I care about surviving!”

If it was anyone else, they would’ve backed down. Kai didn’t break out his roar at just any time, especially not on those he cared about. When he did, you knew he was seriously pissed. No one in their right minds would mess with him when he was mad.

But Nya was his sister, and her temper was just as hot. Although she might not have the strength of a lion behind her, or the fierceness of his roar, she wasn’t going to let her brother scare her.

“You are not protecting us, you are only restricting us, and the sooner you find out that you are just treating us like he did-”

The hair on the back of her neck raised, sensing the hit a moment before it came, but by then it was too late to dodge, even with her quick reflexes.

Kai’s hand shoved into her chest, and she hit the ground hard. She gasped, more from shock than pain, and then her brother was darting past her, out the door.

She gazed after him, dazed. She had experienced her fair share of fights with her brother, but he had never hit her before. It hadn’t hurt bad- she knew the raw strength he could pack, and that he had been holding back immensely, but it still- it still made her heart race.

“Nya!” Jay yelped, running over to her. “Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine,” she breathed, her voice shaking hard. She swallowed, trying to force out the tremor.

This hadn’t changed anything. She wasn’t afraid of her brother. Just a bit shocked, that was all. He hadn’t meant to do it, he had just lashed out out of frustration. And, although she still believed she was in the right, she had provoked him a bit, if she was being honest.

He would never hurt her on purpose.

He… he would never do that.

He would never.

He…

“Nya?”

She blinked, realizing Jay was extending a hand to her. She took it, and let Jay pull her to her feet.

“Are you sure you’re okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No!” she hissed fiercely, and Jay flinched. Gentler, she added, “I’m fine. Kai would never do that.”

Jay didn’t meet her gaze, only gripped her hand tighter.

“Where did he go?” she asked the others, after her breathing had returned to a somewhat normal state.

“Straight out the door,” Zane replied. “No one saw which way he went.”

Nya glanced around the room, stopping when she realized Kai wasn’t the only one missing. “Where’s Lloyd?”

Zane pointed quietly under one of their makeshift beds. A pair of red eyes glowed from underneath.

Nya crouched down, reaching her hand in. “We didn’t mean to scare you, Lloyd. Come on out, it’s alright now.”

Lloyd burrowed deeper under the bed. Nya sighed, giving up. She knew he would only come out when he was ready.

“Should I go after Kai?” Cole asked, frowning.

Zane shook his head. “I think it’s best to give him some space to blow off some steam.”

“I just hope he’s careful. If he’s too full of anger to pay attention to what he’s doing…”Jay’s tail drooped. “The last thing we need is for anyone to get spotted now.”

“We’re pretty far out here,” Cole assured him. “If we were closer to the city, I’d be worried, but Kai’d have to get pretty far to get anywhere within the distance I think the Borg employees would be searching.”

“I hope you’re right,” Nya sighed. “One day, his temper is going to get him- or one of us- into a situation he can’t get out of.”

---

The next couple days were incredibly tense. Kai came back a few hours later, not speaking to anyone and going straight to bed. He and Nya hardly spoke to each other, and when they did, their interactions were short and argumentative. The others were careful to stay out of it, not picking any sides. Kai had a feeling that they were pretty uncomfortable around him, though.

He hadn’t meant to hit Nya. She was his sister. Even though she was being stupid and sentimental, he still loved her and never would want to hurt her. But it wasn’t like he had seriously wounded her, either. It had just been a little scuffle. He knew that Nya knew that, and that she was only mad about the argument. The others, however… they were overreacting. He didn’t understand, after all their years together, how they could seriously think he would harm one of them.

That’s what the point of all of this was, wasn’t it? To protect them? Why couldn’t anyone else see that?

He was sick of all this. Sick of all the fighting, sick of struggling and hiding all the time. He just wished they could be normal.

Although Nya wanted anything but that, it seemed.

He understood what she was saying, in a sense- they were different. But was it really so bad to want to change who you were if it meant a life of peace and safety?

Kai just didn’t know anymore. He was tired of being the one who had to decide. He missed when they were younger, and Borg had made all the decisions for them.

Not that he wanted Borg to be in charge of them anymore- but the sentiment still stood.

But life had a way of being against them.

Wishes weren’t going to fix anything.

---

When the scheduled day for Lloyd’s venture into the town rolled around, the circumstances hadn’t improved much. They had originally planned for him and Nya to accompany Lloyd- a decision he was regretting now, with the tension still between them. He almost considered asking one of the others to take his place, but decided against it. He wanted to be there with Lloyd- he had been the one who had spent all the time training him, after all. And he didn’t dare ask Nya to change her mind about going- she would probably argue just for the sake of it, and it wasn’t worth the confrontation right now. Things were already bad enough as it was.

As they wrapped Lloyd up in his winter gear, he complied much more easily than usual, and three of them set out quietly.

“Where are we gonna go?” Kai asked Nya as they approached the bus stop.

“I was thinking we could go downtown, more towards where the little shops are. The people there are pretty nice, and it’s usually bustling, so it’ll be easy to blend in with the crowds.”

“How many stops down is that,” he frowned, fingering through the bills in his wallet.

Nya watched him anxiously. “Not too far. We can walk, if that’s better.”

“It’s fine.”

“Are you-” “I told you, it’s fine!” Nya jerked her gaze away sharply. “Excuse me for trying to be considerate, then.”

“Oh, don’t be like that. It’s too cold to walk.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I can’t tell if you’re trying to be caring or not.”

Kai growled. “Me neither.”

Lloyd squirmed by their feet, and Nya sighed. “Can we not do this, now?” She pointed down the street, to where the bus was rolling up. “The bus is here, anyway.”

Kai told the bus driver where they wanted to go, slipping him the proper payment, and the three of them piled on, taking a spot near the back, even though the bus was mostly empty. Kai knew, from his previous trips, that it would get more crowded the closer they got to town, and sitting in the back meant not many people would be looking at them.

Lloyd stared out the window for most of the ride, his wide eyes taking in the landscape rolling past. Kai watched too, and as the bus drove them deeper into the city, he saw the shining buildings, with trees and patches of greenery dispersed in between them. With winter arriving, most of the trees were skeletal, but some still had a spattering of leaves, coming in bright golds, soft reds, and blazing oranges. It wasn’t something Kai got to see often in his lifetime, in person, at least. The changing of the fall leaves was a very finicky and brief time of the year in Ninjago City, and he had been lucky if one of his outside visits fell during this time.

Deeper into the city, the buildings thickened, rows of homes filing in orderly lines. Blues, olives, tans, grays, whites- each one had its own unique charm, but they all felt like they belonged.

One house in particular caught his eye, though- one that stood out from all the rest. Its walls were a bright red, and the lawn was wildly overgrown. Too many chairs were crammed onto the small porch, paint chipping on the door. It was an eyesore compared to the rest of the neighborhood.

Being too unique was problematic, he supposed.

By now, they were getting into the thick of the city. Beautiful buildings soared above them, colorful graffiti decorated walls and bridges. Most noticeable of all, however, were the people. A father with his daughter sitting on his shoulders, an elderly couple each holding a hand of their grandson as they swung him between them. A young couple walking down the street, chatting, with their hands casually intertwined, a group of teenage boys, laughing and racing each other down the street on their skateboards.

Everyone had one thing in common- they looked happy, content, at peace.

Kai hoped they appreciated what they had.

For the first time since they had boarded the bus, he glanced over at Nya. She was staring out the window too, but her gaze wasn’t directed at the scenery beyond, like his, but instead at Lloyd’s reflection in the glass.

The bus screeched to a halt, arriving at their stop, and the three of them hopped out, thanking the driver.

Walking down the street, they found themselves in a charming little section of town, the shops modest but plentiful. Nya was right, there was plenty of activity to help hide them. All the footsteps and voices around him swamped Kai’s ears, and he shook his head, trying to press them flatter against his head. This was only a milder section of the city, he was going to have to get used to all the sounds of the urban environment if they were going to adapt to this place.

Kai wondered how Lloyd would be affected by the environment- the young boy had proven himself to have a strong sense of hearing as well, and had never been a fan of being swarmed.

But either Lloyd’s hat was muffling his senses, or he was simply too enamored by the shops to care. With every shop they went in- from t-shirts, to souvenirs, antiques, jewelry, fabrics, and a bakery, Lloyd always seemed to find some little shiny trinket or another. They couldn’t buy him much, but Lloyd seemed perfectly content with just looking, already moving onto the next object of interest within a minute or two, anyway.

They did actually make a purchase at the confectionary, though, letting Lloyd pick out a piece of candy. He had gone with a rainbow lollipop, a purchase Kai was pleased with, because it would actually last him a while, giving him and Nya time to pick up a few more essentials before heading back to the warehouse.

Emphasis on few.

“We don’t really need the new jacket, I know we have a needle and thread I can use to patch it up on my own.”

“Yeah, well what about all those protein bars, do you really need all those?” Kai asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“They’re a good source of nutrients!” “Yeah, and they’re expensive. There’s gotta be a generic brand one you can get for cheaper.”

“These are the only ones I can get Lloyd to eat.”

“Well, he’s going to have to learn to adapt to our budget-”

“Buy them with this!” Lloyd purred, slipping a stack of bills into his hand.

Kai and Nya froze, slowly turning to look at him.

“Lloyd,” he asked slowly, “where did you get this?”

“I found it.”

No duh, Kai bit back. “Found it where?”

“Someone left it. At the store.”

“Lloyd!” Nya cried, sounding close to hysterics. “You can’t just take people’s money! You can’t take any of people’s things without permission. That’s stealing!” “They left it there,” Lloyd grumbled, kicking his foot. “I thought they were done with it. They should be more careful with their things. I’m careful with my things.”

Kai snorted a laugh, and Nya stared at him incredulously. “You can’t seriously think this is funny? He stole!”

“Oh, come on, Nya, he didn’t do it on purpose.”

“It’s still a crime.”

“He’s four!” “Doesn’t mean you should encourage him.”

“I wasn’t. In case you’re forgetting, he was the one who took it, not me.”

“But you don’t care.”

“I never said that!” “I’m your sister, I can tell.”

“Alright, alright, so maybe I wouldn’t mind a little extra cash. So what? We need it. Probably more than whoever was foolish enough to lose this.” “Kai! I can’t believe you!” “What? It’s not like we even know where to take it! Lloyd,” he turned to the boy, his voice sharp. “Where did you find the money? Which store?”

Lloyd was looking significantly less cheerful now, his eyes wary as he took a step back from them. “I dunno. Can’t remember.”

“See?” Kai snapped at Nya. “We couldn’t return it if we wanted to!” “So you’re just going to pocket it?”

“Where else would you have me take it? Like I told you, we need it more than the rich, privileged people around here.” Blood was roaring in Kai’s ears now, his breath coming in heavy pants. Why was there so much noise buzzing in his ears? There were people, so many people, and all that noise, mixing with his frustration, was making his heart slam against his chest in a dizzying rage.

“Just because they have more than us doesn’t make it right.”

“It makes it understandable.”

“I can’t believe we’re back to this again!”

“Back to what?”

“You’re trying to change Lloyd’s behavior again! I told you it would escalate- in only a few days, you’ve gone from having him hide his goofball side, to make him think stealing is okay, just because we’re in a rough patch!”

“You think I want to do this? I know it’s wrong! But sometimes an opportunity presents itself, and you gotta do what you gotta do.”

“We can’t just throw our values and everything about ourselves out the window just because things are difficult right now, Kai.”

“We haven’t really been given much choice, have we? In another week or two, we’ll have gone completely bankrupt, then what are we gonna do, huh?”

Nya paused for a moment, her breath hitching. “We’ll… we’ll figure something out. But this isn’t the answer.”

“Oh yeah? Let me know when you find one.” Turning away from her, he slipped the cash into his pocket. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He was starting to feel lightheaded, now. He needed to end this.

“Kai, please, the last thing we need is another charge on our backs.”

“Going back to the shop to return this- even if we knew which shop to go to- would only put more suspicion on our backs. If we keep it, no one will probably ever even notice it’s missing.”

“But they could have security footage-” Nya stopped dead, the color draining from her cheeks.

“What?”

“Where’s Lloyd?”

---

Lloyd was running.

Ducking and weaving between the people roaming the streets, he tried his best to avoid running into them, but once or twice, his hand brushed against them, and he flinched away, hating the way the unfamiliar touch felt on his skin.

There were too many people here. He hated this feeling, being crowded around on all sides, like he couldn’t breathe. He just wanted to get out of here.

That was pretty impossible, though, when he had no idea where he was.

He shouldn’t have run off. Kai and Nya were going to be furious.

But… he just hadn’t been able to take it anymore.

He had been so happy when he had first brought them the money. He had thought he was helping, and that now they would be able to get more stuff and stop looking so worried all the time. But it had only made them start fighting again. Their raised voices had rung loud in his ears, too loud, and their smoldering gazes had scared him. That hadn’t been Kai and Nya- the big siblings he knew and loved. That had been something different, something Lloyd didn’t like one bit.

He hated it, every time they fought- every time the ugly side of them came out. But this time had been so much worse, because this time it was his fault, it had been him who messed things up by taking something he wasn’t supposed to.

He had just wanted to make them proud.

But maybe they would be better off without him.

He just wanted things to be the way they used to be, back when no one had fought or yelled at each other, when everyone had been happy, hanging out in their fun little room, giving him badger rides and letting him pick whatever movie he wanted.

But that had also been the time when he had spent his nights locked up alone, when strange people in long coats and scary masks would poke and prod him, and he wanted nothing more but to see his family again, but Dr. Borg wouldn’t let him.

But that was the way things had always been, hadn’t they? There was no perfect world.

At least not for monsters, like Lloyd.

Lloyd stumbled, his head reeling. All these thoughts were a little too much to take in.

Glancing around, he spotted an alleyway leading off of the streets. The perfect opportunity to get away from all the noises and people and clear his head.

Nearly crying in relief, he slipped into the comfort of the darkness.

---

“He was just here!” “Oh no, he must’ve run off again! You know how upset he gets when we fight!”

“Shit,” Kai muttered, his bubbling anger quickly giving way to panic. “He must’ve gone to look for somewhere to hide.”

“Dammit, he could be anywhere by now,” Nya whimpered, pressing her fingers to her temples. “This is all our fault!”

His frustration with her dying, Kai put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him. He can’t have gotten far, I should be able to pick up his scent.”

Nya glanced around, surveying their surroundings. “Just try to be subtle about it. There are a lot of people here.”

It was harder to track Lloyd’s scent without getting down to the ground, and the many other crisscrossing scents in the area added to the complexity, but, luckily for them, Lloyd’s oni and dragon blood made for a distinctive tang that Kai was able to pick up on after only a minute, despite all the distractions.

They followed the trail for a few minutes, Nya hovering behind him anxiously as he went. After a while, Kai was starting to get worried he had somehow made a mistake, when they reached a busy market street.

Shaking his head, he pushed his way into the throng.

Immediately, he was overwhelmed with at least a dozen more scents, and he lost Lloyd’s for a moment. Desperately trying to pick it up again, Kai felt like he was floundering, all the scents and sounds making him stumble.

Nya grabbed his shoulder, steadying him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m… fine, it’s just… there’s a lot of people here.” He put a hand on his head. “It’s a lot.”

“Can you still smell Lloyd?”

“I don’t know.”

Nya turned to a shopping bag she was holding, rummaging through it until she found what she was looking for and pulled it out. Popping the cap, she handed him the bottle of water. “Here. This might help.”

Downing a few sips of the cold, fresh, liquid, Kai felt his heart rate slow slightly, the fog in his brain dissipating a bit. “Thanks, Nya.”

Turning back to his surroundings, he searched for Lloyd’s scent again. This time, he caught it rather quickly, and the two of them hurried down the street a little ways, until it led to a dark alleyway.

Kai slowed his pace, his steps wary. “Lloyd? Are you here?”

There was silence, for a moment, then a soft whimper replied him. Kai froze. “Lloyd?”

Nya pushed in front of him, and Kai caught sight of his sister’s pupils dilating to her night vision.

“See anything?”

Nya didn’t respond, and Kai blinked rapidly, urging his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. When he could finally see better, he looked over at her. Nya was standing frozen, her face white, as she stared down the alley.

Kai followed her gaze, and promptly felt his stomach lurch.

Although he couldn’t see nearly as well as Nya in the dark setting, it was well enough to identify the figure curled up in the back of the alley as Lloyd, pale and quivering as he grimaced at his leg, stretched out at an ugly looking angle, all twisted and bloody.

“Lloyd!” Nya screamed, running towards him as Kai gagged, trying hard not to puke at the scene. He tried to shake action back into his limbs, beginning to follow Nya where she was crouched over at Lloyd’s side, crying softly-

Kai froze, scenting the air. The overwhelming reek of blood and pain filled his nose, and he was still left muddled from the chaos of the busy market a moment ago, but…

Over all of that, he swore he could smell something else, something that seemed important.

“Nya, do you… do you smell that?”

“What?” Nya choked, wiping at her eyes. “Kai, he’s… it’s bad, come help me!” Kai was about to abandon the mysterious scent, when all of a sudden, it clicked.

Cold dread trickled down his spine. “Nya, look out, it’s-”

His words were cut off as something slammed against him, sending him to the ground, winded. Nets were thrown over him, and he felt strong yanks on his arms and legs as sharp rope dug into his wrists and ankles.

Blinding panic crashed through him as the full implication of what was happening hit him. No, no no, he couldn’t get captured, he couldn’t be brought back there, Lloyd couldn’t be brought back there, they would-

Kai threw back his head and roared as loudly as he could, hoping that someone, anyone would hear and come save him-

Sharp metal clashed against his jaw, sending spikes of agony through him as something was wrestled around his head. He tried to cry out again, but realized that he couldn’t move his mouth anymore, the metal device jamming it shut.

He could hear Nya’s screams from somewhere behind him, which abruptly cut off as she met his same fate. Muzzles, he realized with horror, the image of Lloyd, chained in that little room on that day they had first escaped flashing through his head.

Borg had found them. And now they were going to pay.

[jokertrap-ran]

(未定事件簿) EVENT!「致斯卡提的情诗」 [Tears of Themis] EVENT: A Love Poem to SKADI Translation (The Manor of Hermes: Lu Jinghe Route)

*Tears of Themis Masterlist / Mobile Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *The tracking tag for ALL Event Stories will go under: #Tears of an Event

Expensive Sculpture:

MC: What a pretty sculpture…

Lu Jinghe: Isn't this one of Lale's artworks?

MC: Lales? That famous oil painter? Did he do sculptures too?

Lu Jinghe: Of course. Although Lales was publically well-known as an oil painter…

Lu Jinghe: His sculptures are also just as valuable as his oil paintings.

Lu Jinghe: Actually, each and every one of these sculptures are extremely expensive due to there not being many to begin with.

He circled the sculpture a couple of times before finally squatting down behind the statue.

Lu Jinghe: For such a large sculpture like this… I'd say that it'll be something exceedingly hard to obtain without the right assets and connections combined.

MC: Which means the owner of this Mansion's…

Lu Jinghe: That's right. They're someone wealthy and respectable; someone with a big circle of friends.

MC: ...Is that so…?

Lu Jinghe: Okay, Lawyer sis; let's not think about this for now.

Lu Jinghe: I found something else too.

MC: What?

Lu Jinghe: Look.

He brought his right hand in front of me; in his palm, laid a single Purple Jewel Fragment.

MC: A fragment of "Allie's Winter"!

Lu Jinghe: You bet’cha!

☆ Obtained: Expensive Sculpture! ☆ Obtained: Purple Jewel Fragment!

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

[Expensive Sculpture Info]

A Sculpture from Lales, an Oil Painter. There are not many of such sculptures made by Lales being circulated in the world, thus, not only are these works very expensive, but they're also hard to obtain. This particular piece located in the Mansion is shocking in both size and exquisiteness; in order to purchase something like this, the buyer must have accumulated a large wealth of money along with undoubtedly strong personal connections.

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Strange Wall-painting: 

Lu Jinghe: Wait!

MC: What's wrong?

Lu Jinghe: Is this… The Cult of Rebirth?

MC: The Cult of Rebirth? What's that?

Lu Jinghe: Have a look at this picture.

He pointed to the artwork mounted on the wall.

Lu Jinghe: Find anything odd about it?

MC: Hearing you say that, it does feel a little off…

MC: This painting has… Wings, weird-looking skulls, and… Eyeballs?

MC: Why would you combine these things together?

Lu Jinghe: Because they're the iconic symbols of the "Cult of Rebirth".

Lu Jinghe: The Cult of Rebirth was a heretical cult popular among a small circle of people in the last century.

Lu Jinghe: They believe that people are born bearing sins.

Lu Jinghe: But at the same time, they also believe that everybody has a chance to cleanse themselves of such evil.

Lu Jinghe: The skulls here represent evil, the wings, of chance; and the eyes, the gaze of "god", himself.

MC: Wow… You really know your stuff.

Lu Jinghe: I heard my teacher mention it back when I was taking the class on "Art and Religion".

Lu Jinghe: Although it was a niche cult, it's followers included a good many artists and painters back during its prime.

Lu Jinghe: And inspired by the strange doctrines and customs of the cult, they proceeded to create many "amazing works of art".

Lu Jinghe: Like the famed "Seven-day Prayer" series of artworks; they're basically showcasing the whole process of how this religion is worshipped.

Lu Jinghe: The painting before us is very similar to that of the third artwork in the "Seven-day Prayer" series in terms of its content and the technique used in its creation.

MC: I seem to recall seeing the "Seven-day Prayer" series of artworks on the internet before… But they all looked pretty "distorted", so to say.

Lu Jinghe: In the field of Art, distortions and mania are sometimes deemed as a type of "beauty".

Lu Jinghe: Although, I must say that the "beauty of mania" that is expressed in works related to the Cult of Rebirth only panders to a very small group of people who find it aesthetic…

Lu Jinghe: It's not just you; it's something that many people who study Art may not even recognize or accept.

Lu Jinghe: And that's precisely why there are only a small handful of people who understand these paintings, as well as the teachings of the Cult of Rebirth.

MC: But for this painting to appear here of all places? Wouldn't that mean that…

Lu Jinghe: There may be believers of that Cult here.

MC: …..

Lu Jinghe: Wait, there's something else here.

Carefully checking the painting again, he made an unexpected discovery on the back of its frame.

Lu Jinghe: A Purple Jewel Fragment. It should be the missing piece from "Allie's Winter".

☆ Obtained: Strange Wall-painting! ☆ Obtained: Purple Jewel Fragment!

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

[Strange Wall-painting Info]

The Cult of Rebirth, a heretical Cult that was popular among a small group of people in the last century. Many “amazing artworks” were left behind as it’s legacy due to the many artists and painters that had been part of their following, among which is the “Seven-day Prayer”, that has garnered the most fame.

The painting that has been hung in the Living Room of the Western-style Mansion is very similar to that of the third painting in the “seven-day Prayer” series in terms of the content portrayed in it and the technique being used.

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Incomplete Roster:

MC: Wait a minute, Lu Jinghe.

I opened the case before us and retrieved something from its depths.

Lu Jinghe: A Roster… But part of it's already destroyed.

MC: What's wrong?

Lu Jinghe: Look at how these words are being written; find anything odd?

MC: Hmm… Looks like they're a combination of skulls and feathers…

MC: Could this be encrypted, by chance?

Lu Jinghe: That's right. This is an encryption method unique to the Heretical Cult of Rebirth.

MC: And can you understand this type of encryption?

Lu Jinghe: Yup. I once saw it on one of the paintings that were presented during class.

Lu Jinghe: Although this "Cult of Rebirth", with an exceedingly small following, didn't leave any written records behind…

Lu Jinghe: They still managed to leave behind many works of art as its legacy, due to the large number of artists and painters in their midst.

Lu Jinghe: The second painting of the "Seven-day Prayer" series depicts the Cult of Rebirth's Sacrificial Ceremony…

Lu Jinghe: And it also depicts and shows how this manner of encryption came to be, in detail.

Lu Jinghe: But at the same time, the trick to solving this puzzle also lies within the very same painting itself, hidden from sight.

MC: So you're saying that… You can understand what's being written?

Lu Jinghe: Of course, I ended up specifically studying up on everything to do with the seven paintings in the "Seven days Prayer" series.

Lu Jinghe: Now, let me see…

Lu Jinghe: He took the Roster and went through it page-by-page.

Lu Jinghe: ...The number that's being recorded here should be the number of "tributes" that the Cult members gave.

MC: "Tributes"? And what would that be?

Lu Jinghe: "Tributes" for the leader of the Cult.

Lu Jinghe: The Cult of Rebirth believes that people are weighed down by sin upon birth, but at the same time, everyone also has a chance to clear themselves of such sins.

Lu Jinghe: And that the reason why you'll encounter such misfortune, is due to the sins you bear.

Lu Jinghe: So you'll have to cleanse yourself of these sins, if you wish to be rid of misfortune.

Lu Jinghe: But cleansing yourself of such sins alone isn't enough; you require a "Messenger of God".

Lu Jinghe: And this person is the very head of the Cult. He declared that he was the son of God, hence, possessing the ability to communicate with God.

Lu Jinghe: And believers can get him to play "Oracle" for them, as long as they pay the proper tributes.

Lu Jinghe: Their sins can be cleansed, so long as they do as the "Oracle" instructs.

Lu Jinghe: The speed at which the "Oracle" works is tantamount to the amount of "tribute" paid. The more tributes you give, the more efficient it will be.

MC: Isn't this the same method being utilized by Multi-level Marketing Organizations now?

Lu Jinghe: Yes, but back during the era where the Cult of Rebirth was at its prime, scientific knowledge itself wasn't exactly something that was widely known, so…

MC: Then, how much did the people listed on this Roster pay?

Lu Jinghe: Let me see…

Lu Jinghe: There are some who handed over land instead, and some who used gold as their tributes; all of which amount to huge sums of money.

MC: Why…

Lu Jinghe: Looks like it's very likely that this Mansion is a gathering hub for the believers of the Cult of Rebirth.

MC: ……

Lu Jinghe: Oh, right. This Roster also came with something else.

He handed me the thing he had been holding in his hand.

MC: A fragment of "Allie's Winter"!

Lu Jinghe: Yup.

☆ Obtained: Incomplete Roster! ☆ Obtained: Purple Jewel Fragment!

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

[Incomplete Roster Info]

A Roster that’s been badly burnt. The visible part of its content is as follows: (Ps. Chu Dai has already translated the contents of the Roster, so please go on ahead and read it with a peace of mind~) “Year 19xx, Month x, Day x. The amount of “Tribute” everyone gives will be recorded in this book for easier verification in the future. …… L.Mー Tribute Amount: Five properties and one ranch in Sakya Fyjord; the title deed to which have already been transferred. …… J-S.Hー Tribute Amount: Twenty gold bars; has already been sent to headquarters. …… Y.MーTribute Amount: Five gold bars and an Orchard; the items and the title deed to which has already been transferred. May the Son of God cleanse your sins as soon as possibly; may you be pure and untainted forever.” 

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Worshipped Idol:

There was a shrine atop the table with strange patterns painted all over.

There was also a photo in the middle of the shrine.

MC: Lu Jinghe, do you make any sense of this?

Lu Jinghe: This is… An idol of the God that the Cult of Rebirth prays to!

MC: An idol of the God they pray to? Are you certain?

Lu Jinghe: Of course, I'm sure about it.

Lu Jinghe: Even though the Cult of Rebirth is such a small heretic Cult that not many people know of it…

Lu Jinghe: The paintings that have been painted onto this shrine is still something that's kinda famous in the world of Art.

Lu Jinghe: Some of the decorative Frescoes on the roof of smaller churches are based off this painting.

Lu Jinghe: Or stained-glass arrangements, so on and so forth.

MC: Based off this? But this painting's full of… Eyes, strange skulls and wings…

MC: Not exactly suited for your ordinary church…

Lu Jinghe: What's being imitated isn't the content, but rather, the composition of the painting.

Lu Jinghe: The shape and colour of the paintings you're talking about are quite vastly different.

Lu Jinghe: Hence, it's not an easy task at all to skilfully integrate this…

Lu Jinghe: Into a piece of work, and at the same time, express what the painter truly wishes to show.

Lu Jinghe: But still, the painting on this shrine is very skilfully done. It expresses the especial secretively of the Cult of Rebirth exceedingly well.

MC: That's true. You can imagine just what sort of Cult the Cult of Rebirth is...

MC: Just by looking at this God.

Lu Jinghe: Later, a great artist in the world of Art chanced upon this painting and was inspired by it.

Lu Jinghe: After that, he utilized a similar composition method when painting a church mural.

Lu Jinghe: In the end, the fresco became an immediate success the very moment the church opened to the public.

Lu Jinghe: And consequently, this manner of composition also rose in popularity.

Lu Jinghe: But a large part of the masses only knows of the works of this great artist, and not the divine intent that had been behind it for the Cult of Rebirth.

Lu Jinghe: I, too, learnt it by chance back when I was studying in Florence, Italy.

MC: So, just what exactly does this shrine represent?

Lu Jinghe: According to the teachings of the Cult, if there's something you require God's help with…

Lu Jinghe: The first thing to do is to pay the leader money in an expression of "sincerity"; in other words, "paying tributes".

Lu Jinghe: And the next step would be to enshrine an idol of this God in your own home for twenty-one days, to await the day where God descends and graces them with his presence.

MC: So this picture that's on the idol is placed here because…

Lu Jinghe: Look, there's a message at the back of the picture.

Lu Jinghe: "I hope that the great God can cleanse my daughter of her sins and wake her from this madness."

Lu Jinghe: "-Lasture Modro".

MC: So Mr. Lasture was one of the Cult of Rebirth's believers… Did he enshrine this statue for the sake of his daughter, Allie?

Lu Jinghe: Correct. And judging from the sheer size of this deity, I'd say that his "tribute" was by no means small.

Lu Jinghe: And his position and status in the Cult itself was probably not a low one either.

MC: ……

Lu Jinghe: Right, there was also something else in the shrine.

He revealed the palm of his hand.

Lu Jinghe: I found this behind the photograph earlier; it should be one of the missing Jewel Fragments of "Allie's Winter".

☆ Obtained: Worshipped Idol! ☆ Obtained: Purple Jewel Fragment!

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

[Worshipped Idol Info]

A shrine unique to the Cult of Rebirth. One is required to enshrine this divine box at home for twenty-one days if they require the help of “God” to accomplish something. Lasture enshrined this wish-granting box here for the sake of his daughter, Allie, in hopes that God could “cleanse her sins and wake her from the madness”. It looks like he has forked out quite a lot in terms of “tributes”, all for the sake of this one God.

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Divine Message Ⅰ:

A roll of sheepskin parchment laid under the rags of the bench that had been placed in front of the bed.

Lu Jinghe stepped up, giving the roll of parchment a once over.

MC: Find anything?

Lu Jinghe: How about you tell me if you found anything first before asking me that, Lawyer Sis?

MC: ……

MC: The shape of these words feels like a combination of both skulls and feathers alike…

MC: Is this some sort of code?

Lu Jinghe: I knew you’d figure it out! That’s right, this type of encryption is…

Lu Jinghe: Exactly the same as the one I saw in the famed second painting of the “Seven-day Prayer” series.

Lu Jinghe: If I’m not recognizing it wrongly, I’m pretty certain this is an encryption method unique to the Cult of Rebirth.

Lu Jinghe: On one hand, it is to ensure that internal information is not disclosed, to prevent the government from sanctioning them; and on the other hand, it is to show and express the “divinity” of the leader…

Lu Jinghe: The Cult uses iconic skulls and wings to represent different characters.

Lu Jinghe: Similarly, they also use this method to convey information to each other.

MC: Then what's written on this sheepskin parchment is…

Lu Jinghe: “Your prayers have been heard by God.”

Lu Jinghe: “In a couple of days, a servant of God named Geraldi will arrive to cleanse the sins of Allie Modro.”

Lu Jinghe: ……

MC: ……

As I recalled what Lu Jinghe said, my eyes drifted elsewhere…

A gleaming object in the gaps between the bench that had been placed before the bed caught my attention.

MC: This is…

I edged towards the bench in front of the bed.

MC: It's the Jewel Fragment we're searching for!

☆ Obtained: Divine Message Ⅰ! ☆ Obtained: Purple Jewel Fragment!

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

[Divine Message Ⅰ Info]

The Cult of Rebirth’s Leader’s reply to Lasture. The content of the letter has been translated and is as follows:

“Dear Mr. Lasture Modro,

Your prayers have been heard by God. In a few days, a servant of God by the name of Geraldi will arrive to cleanse the sins of Allie Modro.

I hope your dreams come true.”

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Handwritten Divine Message:

MC: Lu Jinghe, look at what’s inside this drawer! There’s an actual jigsaw puzzle in there!

Lu Jinghe: Want to try piecing it together?

MC: No thanks… I don’t know how long it’ll take for us to piece these 20 pieces together when there’s no complete picture for us to refer to…

Lu Jinghe: So what? I know what the picture’s supposed to look like when completed.

MC: !!!

Lu Jinghe: From the looks of the image printed on the puzzle pieces…

Lu Jinghe: It looks exactly the same as the fifth artwork from the “Seven-day Prayer” series that I once saw.

Lu Jinghe: I still remember how it looks; we’ll be done in a jiffy.

His hands continued in their movements as he spoke, and soon, puzzle pieces that had once been scattered all over the floor were brought together as one complete picture.

At the same time, he took out a piece of white paper from his pocket and sketched the image that the completed puzzle formed onto it.

MC: Why did you sketch it down?

Lu Jinghe: “Seven-day Prayer” is one of the few paintings about the Cult of Rebirth that still currently exist…

Lu Jinghe: In addition to depicting the whole worshipping process of the believers, it also records a whole lot of things about the Cult’s unique code of encryption.

Lu Jinghe: They often use such graphical encryption methods to transmit information, so I wanted to redraw this picture and see…

Lu Jinghe: If there’s anything hidden in this puzzle.

MC: Did you figure anything then?

Lu Jinghe: Yeah. According to how the encryption of the Cult of Rebirth works, the message that’s being conveyed in this puzzle is…

Lu Jinghe: “To Geraldi, there’s no need for you to seriously treat his daughter at all; just be aware that after his daughter passes away...”

Lu Jinghe: “You’ll need to find a way to transfer all the properties of the Modro Family, including the Western-style Mansion to the Son of God through any means necessary.”

MC: If that’s so, then isn’t this Geraldi guy just a conman!?

Lu Jinghe: ……

Lu Jinghe: Try looking again and see if there are any other loose pieces.

MC: Let me have a look…

MC: Nope… Nothing here.

MC: But I found some Jewel Fragments in one of the corners.

Lu Jinghe: Alright then… I guess it's not all for nothing.

☆ Obtained: Handwritten Divine Message! ☆ Obtained: Purple Jewel Fragment!

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

[Handwritten Divine Message Info]

A puzzle that was left out in the Collection room, pieced together into a complete picture. After translating the pattern of the picture according to the workings of the unique encryptions of the Cult of Rebirth, the obtained content is as follows:

“To Geraldi, there’s no need for you to seriously treat his daughter at all; just be aware that after his daughter passes away...You’ll need to find a way to transfer all the properties of the Modro Family, including the Western-style Mansion to the Son of God through any means necessary...”

There are 20 pieces to this puzzle that conveys this information. If we were to convert it to 4 digits, the numbers will be “0020”; and it seems like these four digits have some correlation with the locked code case in the same room where the puzzle was found, and the secrets hidden within.

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Traces of a Magic Circle:

MC: (I finally managed to collect all the Fragments!)

MC: (The notch on the lock of the door is similar to that of the strange rune segment of “Allie’s Winter”...) 

MC: (The Purple Jewel, in it’s entirety, is supposed to fit in here...)

MC: (Guess I’ll just slot it in and see how it goes.)

☆⋅⋆…⋅⋆⋅⋅⋆⋅…⋆⋅☆

MC: Lu Jinghe, look at the ground!

MC: Is this a Magic Circle?

Lu Jinghe: This is the Cult of Rebirth’s “God-inviting Circle of Blood”.

MC: ???

Lu Jinghe: The Cult of Rebirth will always draw a blood formation like this one before they proceed to cleanse their fellow followers of their “sins”.

Lu Jinghe: They believe that God can be guided from the Realm of the Gods to the Human Realm through this, further increasing the success rate of “cleansing one’s sins”.

Lu Jinghe: And the name of the person being cleansed of sin will be written on the edge of this “blood formation”.

Lu Jinghe: So, who was this formation created for…?

He walked to the edge of the circle where a line of handwritten words could be vaguely seen.

Vague as it was, it wasn’t too much trouble for us to recognize it, for we’d already seen this name many times within this Mansion.

"Allie Modro".

Lu Jinghe: So it really is for her…

MC: But from the looks of it, it seems like the circle wasn't completed…

Lu Jinghe: That’s right, but the “God-inviting Circle of Blood” is usually only painted on the very same day they cleanse someone of their sins…

Lu Jinghe: I’m afraid something must have happened to Allie Modro on the day where they were supposed to “Invite God” and “cleanse” her of her sins.

☆ Obtained: Traces of a Magic Circle!

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

[Traces of a Magic Circle Info]

The unfinished "God-inviting Circle of Blood" that had been in the Sacrificial Room. The name of the person being cleansed of sin has been written at the edge of the "blood formation"—— Allie Modro.

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Collection Room's Code Case: Study Notes

MC: So many books! And lots of them are on famous codes!

MC: Oh? Are these books… For learning the Akkadian Language? 

I continued sifting through the things within the Case.

MC: (There are also some wastepaper and notes that were used to practice writing the words of code…)

MC: (And the owner of all this stuff is…)

I looked through the covers of the notes and books again.

MC: (These books were all given to Allie from a Private Tutor by the name of Lalyre…)

MC: (Looks like she was studying these codes along with Akkadian.)

MC: (All these notebooks used for practice belong to Allie, but there's one under the name of Winter…)

MC: (Unless Winter was studying alongside Allie?)

MC: (And then, he also took this change to use the two languages?)

I hurriedly flipped through "Winters" notebook.

MC: (There’s another sentence on the last page…)

MC: “Thank you… For being willing to fulfil this dream of mine…”

☆ Obtained: Study Notes!

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

[Study Notes Info]

The notes that Allie and Winter left behind, from when they were both studying Akkadian and other kinds of code.

☆⋅⋆…⋅───── ⋆⋅A Love Poem to SKADI⋅⋆ ────⋅…⋆⋅☆

[spencerreidimagines]

Lovely Little Details

//Word count: 1.7k

Warnings: none

A/N: hey y’all, sorry for the late post!! This just a little coffee shop imagine that foreverrrr to get out of my head lol. Hope y’all enjoy! p.s. there usually is a read more link but I’m on mobile so this post is just gonna be left as is until I get my hands on a laptop :)

It was in a quaint coffee shop that Spencer had first laid his eyes on her. She was tucked into a corner, with her head low and her eyes steady. Her hands cupped a steaming coffee mug dotted with stars and hand painted constellations, as her eyes followed the wandering city-goers through the window beside her. A leather journal was splayed open before her; with a shift of her elbow, he caught a glimpse of the ragged manifestations of her thoughts.

He spotted lines and dots and creatures lining the side of her page, her sketches on the journal's edge were specific; definite. He followed along the coils and stray hairs that sprung from her high bun, the slope of her neck, the slight smile that rested upon her lips...

Spencer sighed and righted himself in his seat to face the nearly empty coffee cup before him; he had been staring, he realized. He clacked his fingers against the table as he silently hoped the splinted moment when they caught eyes hadn't been as noticeable as he felt it was.

A name was then shouted in the background, and through the bustle of the cafe he heard the soft kick of someones hasty steps. He'd held his breath as he ran through the incredibly slim chances that it might be that stranger from across the room, a slight knot curling in his stomach as he had no idea what to say to this woman if she decided to confront him. When he felt a tap on his shoulder, his face shriveled into a grimace before he fixed himself to face this stranger, his eyes soft and apologetic.

"I think this might be yours," a mild voice floated to his ears, "They handed me the wrong drink, then just gestured over here so..."

"Oh," he responded, surprised, before reaching to take the cup from her hands and nodding in thanks, which she waved away with an awkward smile resting on her lips.

"I also noticed you staring earlier," the beginnings of an apology began to push against his lips before she continued on, "Which normally would throw me off but, you're kind of cute, so I thought I'd just...invite you to sit with me for a while."

His brows shot up in surprise before he composed himself and checked his watch, thankful that he still had about half an hour before his lecture, "Sure," he responded as he began to gather his things.

"Alright," she sighed, donning an accomplished smile before she turned on her heel and crossed the room to return to her seat, nerves now beginning to fester in her core as she absently scanned over her notes to distract herself from the growing pit in her stomach.

‘what on Earth was I thinking?' she thought to herself before she stifled her thoughts as Spencer set his things along the back of the chair and sunk into his seat. He flashed her a courteous smile once their eyes met.

"I have to admit," he started, "I'm a little surprised that you'd invite me over here after you caught me staring."

“You know, I'm surprised myself," she admitted with a small chuckle, "I don't usually do things like this, but something about you caught my attention," She paused as her gaze flicked to his hands playing at his sleeves, he was fixing the watch to peek out of his tweed jacket, "do you have somewhere to be?" she asked.

“I have a, uh, lecture in half an hour," he responded, his voice stern and yielding against her open ears.

"You're a teacher?" she asked, brow raised in intrigue, to which he nodded with a shrug, "That explains so much about you."

"It does?" he asked, his head lightly cocked to the side.

"Mhm," she hummed, taking a sip from her mug, "You seem like the scholarly type." His eyes flicked to the side as he digested her oddly forward answer, "What's your name?"

"Spencer," he said before he quirked his brow to silently request for her own.

"(y/n)," her gaze wide and inviting, before she set her mug down with a soft clink, and rested her chin onto her hand, "So tell me about yourself, Spencer, there has to be more to you than teaching."

"I only teach lectures occasionally," Spencer flitted his eyes to the table, her unwavering attention slightly overwhelming, yet warm enough to keep his own tethered between them, "majority of the time, I work in the behavioral sciences unit, in the FBI."

Surprise and intrigue flashed across her features as she raised her mug to hide her gleaming smile, "Behavioral sciences unit, huh? So you study people?"

"That's actually a misconception," he began, "we investigate federal crimes through a behavioral lens. The creation of this department is actually a pretty interesting story," She nodded for him to go on, and as he spoke, (y/n) followed his hands as they fluttered about, "When it was first established, most of the general public didn't believe that serial killers could've had the capacity for compassion in their early lives."

"Well, in their defense, it's pretty hard to see someone as a compassionate human being after you've been a direct witness to the families that they tore apart," (y/n) responded, frankly, "So, what changed their minds?"

"The profiles started working," he said matter of factually.

(y/n) just nodded, a simple frown on her face as she digested his information, "It must've taken years for a turn around like that," she lowered her mug, "I can only imagine how hard it must've been to get that department off of the ground."

Spencer scoffed, "Yea, not many people liked to change their minds back then," he responded, accents of jest and spite dancing along his words, "So, uh, what do you do?"

"I'm an author," she responded, pride flashing across her features before melting into rested humility.

Spencer's eyes flashed before his tongue dashed across his lips, he could only imagine the worlds hidden away in her mind, "How long have you been writing?"

"Oh, I've been writing for years, and it was a challenge to find a way to get paid for it," she responded, dismissive yet firm with her voice, "nobody believed me when I said that I was going to open up the world through my words; make it seem more inviting and colorful than it's turned out to be."

He watched a storm roll across her gaze as she followed her rippled reflection in her mug, her finger lightly playing at the rim. "I know I probably just sound like every other starving artist out there," she chuckled, "but I've dreamt this big since I was a kid, so a couple of naysayers aren't going to stop me from doing what I love."

Spencer nodded, "I know how hard it is to be doubted by the people who are supposed to support you," an empathetic smile flickered across his lips, "it took my mother years to accept my career path."

"Oh, yea?" she asked, "I had no idea you could meet so much resistance in becoming an FBI agent."

Spencer chuckled, bashful, "Most of the resistance came from how young I was. The other training agents were nearly ten years older than me when I started."

(y/n) startled a bit, "Ten years? How young were you when you started working for the FBI?"

"Twenty two." He answered simply, and upon realizing her blase response, he quickly followed up with, "Most agents join the FBI in their mid-thirties."

"Oh, I see I have a genius on my hands," she jested, "somehow, that doesn't surprise me." She muttered wistfully, her hands interlocked under her chin. "The jacket, the hair, the wide intelligent eyes; you have scholar written all over you."

"You could tell that just from what I was wearing?" He asked, a mild wonder tinting his words.

"Mhm, writers study people too," she responded nonchalantly, "passers by present so many details of who they are on the surface."

He spared himself a glance as her eyes turned to the bustling city goers, drinking her in as much as he could. The white sheen of the snow covered sidewalks bounced off of her skin; she seemed to steep in the weak winter sun. He followed how her shoulders rose and fell with a wistful breath before she darted her gaze back down to her journal, her fingers caressing the page as kindly as the breeze that spins autumn leaves.

"That's how I make sense of the world," she started, "those little characteristics that no one pays any mind to make the world so bright for me, and I want to share that perspective with as many people as I possibly can."

Spencer felt the apples of his cheeks grow warm as he gathered the earnest hope held in her eyes while she cradled the page between her finger tips. Her drive to share her craft ran so deep; she was so open and honest.

Before he could get another word out, his watch beeped, drawing both of their gazes to his wrist; their half hour was up. The rising excitement in his chest deflated as he began to tuck his watch back into its place, “I hate to cut this short, but I have to go.” He said, apologetically, “When can I see you again?”

"I'm not going anywhere any time soon." An easy grin spread across her lips as she scanned her frenzied notes, “I like to come to this corner of the coffee shop whenever I have writer's block, and I usually don’t leave until I have a decent story on my hands."

Spencer's lips quirked up to a grin that matched hers, before he nodded and stood to gather his things.

"On the off chance that I do leave before you’re done lecturing," she started, grabbing a napkin and scrawling something across it, "Here's my number. I would love to see you again."

His grin widened as he took the napkin and pocketed it before gathering the rest of his things, “I’m glad you invited me over here,” he said bashfully with his hand gripping his satchel’s strap.

“I am too.” (y/n) responded, her hands cupping her mug once more, while she smiled softly, “now go before you’re late.”

With a curt nod and a gentle wave, Spencer turned on his heel, and made his way to the coffee shop doors, a slight bounce in his stride as he let his mind travel mere hours ahead of him when he could see (y/n) again. Her and her idiosyncrasies drew him in, and he could not wait to figure her out.

[cryhardanddanceharder]

Andromaquynh headcanons because we need to talk more about them:

According to the comics Quynh’s was the first immortal Andy had dreamt of, but she met Lykon first. Lykon didn’t dream about Quynh, it’s not explainex why. But, according to the movie Andy met Quynh’s first. I’m okay with both, the important fact is Quyhn’s is the first immortal Andy dreams about.

At the begining they don’t understand their dreams. They both thought they were crazy for dreaming about the other, or that they were just imagining things. 

Andy identifies Quynh’s language and takes times to learn it, so if they ever meet they can talk with each other. 

Quynh uses Andy’s dreams as inspiration and becomes a warrior for her kingdom’s army.

Quynh finds that dreaming about the warrior woman is really tiring. She’s always fighting some kind of battle and that feels exhausting to her. She wanders if that it’s what she’s supposed to do with her new situation, with not daying. She feels overwhelm about it, doesn’t think she can make it.

Andy finds that dreaming about the strange woman makes her feel relief, less lonely. She’s scared she’s imagining this because of how long she’s been alone. But the idea that out there, someone is like her and can’t die, it’s a nice thought that helps her calm her troubled soul.

They dream of each other for like one hundred years.

When Quynh had given up with life and decides to stay in the desert to die, that’s when Andy goes looking for her, no matter how hard it takes her to find her. She can’t let the other woman give up, it hurts too much. And she’s scared of losing her because she doesn’t want to be alone ever again.

When Andy finds her in the desert, Quynh thinks Andy is a goddess. Andy explains she’s not a goddess, she’s just someone liker her, immortal, someone who can’t die.

Quynh had spent so much time in the desert, that her body it’s exhausted and she doesn’t have energies because she haven’t drink or eat anything in a very long time. Because of that, Andy has to carry her on her back until she could find a place where the other could recover.

Andy gives Quynh a reason not to want to die: she’s not alone anymore. She also shares her porpuse, that she uses her immortality to help others in wherever way she can. 

Quynh finds Andy a little annoying. She likes things the way she does them, and she thinks that because she’s older she’s been already through everyhing. 

Andy has to learn share things with other person, to make plans with other and not just give orders and demands things. She’s so used to be alone and do things her way, that the other reproaches desestabilize her sometimes.

Once they figure each other out and start treating each other like equals, they become friends very fast. They’ve been alone for so long that having someone who understand them it’s amazing. 

After they are reunited, they stop dreaming about each other. It’s a little sad not to share their dreams anymore, but it’s better to be together on person, so they don’t complain about it too much.

Since they are together they never separate. They have alone time and do things on their own, but they never go very far from the other. They travel and fight battles together.

They share all their stories of their lives with the other. There are no secrets between them and they always talk with honestly about their thoughts and beliefs. 

Andy teaches Quynh how to horseride and not to be scared of horses. Still Quynh prefers when Andy’s the one riding in the battles, and she would just jump behind her wherever she has the chance.

Quynh loves fashion. For Andy it doesn’t really matter, she’s practical, she’s happy as long as she has something comfortable to wear. Quynh usually is the one who buys clothes for both of them.

Quynh finds funny Andromache’s fatalism about religions and politics.

THEY ARE SOFT WITH EACH OTHER. LIKE VERY RIDICULOUS SOFT.

When they realised they are in love they don’t make any move about it. They are both scared that the other won’t feel the same and that would ruin their friendship. They are scared of being alone again, so they prefer to ignore their feelings.

That changes after Lykon’s death. That’s when they stop ignoring their feelings and finally confes their love to each other.

There are no botton/top with them. They are comfortable with each other and they try every position that they can imagine. They are both strong and confident, but they also like being vulnerable with each other. So their positions really changes depending on the day and their moods.

Quynh likes siting on Andy’s legs and will do it every time she can, no matter how many other options are available.

Andy likes sleeping with Quynh arms around her, she never felt safer in her whole life than in the arms of the love of her life.

Quynh loves when Andy reads outloud in extinct languages she doesn’t know. She would always ask her to read her something before sleeping.

They are competitive. Sometimes when they would go to battle they would bet on who would killed more enemies. And they would take kills from the other just to be annoying.

They also very protective of each other. They would die and take wound from the other, to avoid the other to feel pain. They’re both very stubborn and would fight about all the time. “You didn’t have to die for me, i’m immortal too, remember?” 

Quynh loves making Andy laugh. She always worries about the way the other carry the weight of the world on her sholders, so she would always do wherever she can to help her relax.

Andy do little actions to show her love. She’s very attentive and would make every detail seems important. She learns to read the other and remeber everything about her: what she likes, what she doesn’t like, what makes her smile, what makes her sad, what makes her have fun.

They love dancing by the moonlight. 

They are very touchy, like they always need to know the other is there and is real. They are the kind of couple who would hold hands every chance they have, hug a lot, kiss their foreheads and noses. 

One time Quynh was telling birthday’s stories to Andy, when she found out the other never celebrated her birthday because when she was borned that wasn’t a thing. She doesn’t know when she was borned, nor the date, nor the year. So, Quynh choose a day and decides from that moment that would be Andromache’s day. She gives her necklace as a present, to show her how much she loves her.

When they start dreaming about Yusuf and Nicolo they are just as happy as scared. They are happy that they are getting new members to their family, but scared that they would change their dynamic.

Quynh likes dreaming about Yusuf and Nicolo, she finds it funny how they keep trying to kill each other when they already know they can’t die. She thinks itps ironic that they became immortal at the same time, when they are both fighting a war from different religions. Andy doesn’t like dreaming about Yusuf and Nicolo. She finds it depressing that they keep trying to kill each other instead of enjoying that they became immortal together, that they would never be totally alone to deal with it.

When Quynh and Andy find Yusuf and Nicolo they take them under their wing. They train and teach them everything they know. 

Quynh and Andy call them “the boys” because they are like children in comparison to their long lives. They love them like little brothers. They make bets between them on who would confess their feelings to the other first.

The church chose different kind of prison for both of them. For Quynh it was water, being trapped in the bottom of the ocean in an iron coffin. For Andy it was fire, they burned her alive.

Andy free herself and haunt all the members of the church trying to find a clue that can help her find Quynh. Her pain makes her be lethal. She kills and tortures all of them, but neither give her the answer she was looking for.

Andy, Joe and Nicky sails the oceans looking for Quynh for lot of years, but they can’t find her. Once they realize it’s impossible they have to give up the search. 

Andy always wears Quynh’s necklace to have a part of the other with her.

Andy keeps checking the new maritime technology to see if there is anything it could help them in Quynh’s search. 

Andy keeps all Quynh’s things safe in one of her safehouses.

Quynh can’t do anything in the iron coffin, she just keep constantly drowning. She don’t have time for anything more than drowning and fighting. She can’t sleep, she can’t dream, she can’t think. But that is not her only punishement, for her the worst of everything is being alone, apart from Andy.

After Quynh is free she wants revenge, because she feels betrayed and hurt that they didn’t find her and save her, that Andy had given up on her. But once she realises how big the ocean is and how impossible for her to be found, she calms down.

Once they are reunited it takes them time to heal and forgive each other, but they do because their love is stronger.

Quynh loves Andy’s short hair and would cut it herself when she realises it’s starting to grow. 

Andy teaches her all the new things the world have created in the time she wan’t part of it: mobile phones, all kinds of guns, computers, planes.

They take a time for travel the world together again, because they are happy and in love and need some alone time.

Andy’s immortality comes back because she has regain the belief in their mission and because once she has Quynh back she learns to forgive herself for breaking her promise. 

(if you want to read more headcanons: here are the ones i have for Quynh &  here are the ones i have for Andy)

[waywardwrestlewritingwaif]

Raise the Stakes, Part 2

This is turning into one of those "Dawn let this get away from her and now it's getting very long" stories. But here's the second installment.

Pairing: David Finlay x OFC, Jay White x OFC (non-sexual)

Word count: 1,599

Content advisory: sexual content (not outright smut), bit at the end might be unsettling for some

You take the stairs down to David’s floor because you don’t want to be seen but also because you have to wipe away a few tears as you go. It’s no use beating yourself up over the time you’ve invested in him, the increasingly desperate ways you’ve tried to please him. It’s no use but you do it anyway because even now, you know you’re not going to leave. Maybe he’ll fire you. It would be the nicest thing he’s ever done for you.

As soon as you step into the hallway, your mood shifts drastically. Once again there’s that wonderful tension in your abdomen, that anticipation of what’s to come. You’re scared that maybe the chemistry was a one-time thing because you wouldn’t be you if you weren’t anxious about something, so the second you see him you push him inside the room and against the wall, attacking him with your lips and tongue until he spins you around, never breaking the kiss, pinning you to the wall until you have to separate just to catch your breath.

“Nice to see you too,” he gasps.

“You made me this way, Finlay, so you’re just going to have to live with it.”

He spins you again and gently pushes you onto the bed.

“Does the lady want something to eat?”

You cock your eyebrow at him.

“Oh you’ll get that,” he laughs, climbing on the bed and straddling you. “I just want to make sure that you have lots of energy.”

You laugh too, remembering how breathless he left you the first time you were together. “Yeah. I want room service. But later.”

With that, the two of you are tearing into each other again, neither of you able to disguise how eagerly you’ve been awaiting this. And it isn’t like the first time. It’s better. You’ve figured out just enough about each other’s bodies to up the ante and yet there’s still much to discover. By the time the two of you pass out in a haze of bliss, you don’t think there’s an inch of skin on either of you that hasn’t been stroked, kissed, licked, or grabbed. You can’t remember how many rounds it’s been but the wastepaper basket next to the bed has so many condoms and wrappers it looks like there might have been an orgy.

But it isn’t just raw passion, at least not for you. There’s something beautiful about it, something invisible that slips inside you and radiates a sort of warmth and light you don’t think you’ve felt since the first few times you’d been with Jay. You were young and stupid enough to think it was reciprocated, that the ecstasy he’d brought you early on was an indication that he felt the same way about you that you did about him. In fact, he was a dealer, giving you just enough to get you hooked. As soon as he’d seen you weren’t going anywhere, he’d stopped making an effort.

With that dark thought on your mind, you grab your phone and plug it into the mobile charger. As you’re about to let yourself collapse against David, who’s snoring very softly, something you find endearing, you notice that you have a message. Against your better judgment, you read it.

Be back by 11. I mean it.

“Fuck you,” you whisper, switching the phone to airplane mode.

*

You know you have to leave but you can’t stop kissing this man. The two of you have been standing in the door to his room, the open door to his room where people could see you, making out for somewhere between a couple of minutes and half an hour. It’s late, or at least it’s late for you because normally you’re at work by 6:30 or so. But these long, romantic kisses are taking you back to a time when you had thoughts about romance but no experience. It’s all giddy and filled with possibility again.

“I’m going to miss you,” he murmurs into your lips.

“Send me filthy messages whenever you want.”

“What happens if His Majesty goes through your phone?”

“Then he’ll have even more reason to feel like you’re better than him.”

Both of you giggle and stare into each other’s eyes. You wish you could capture the way he’s looking at you and teach yourself to see what he’s seeing that makes him look so happy. You’re not ready to say goodbye just yet.

“David, would you like to have breakfast with me?”

“More room service?” He kisses you lightly.

“No. I mean let’s go out and get something to eat and some coffee.”

He raises his eyebrows in surprise. “I’d like that very much.”

The two of you have to sneak out of the hotel and meet around the corner but from that point you act as if no one could recognize you. You’re chatting and exchanging little touches, taking turns brushing damp strands of hair from each other’s faces, until you find a cute cafe with the delicious smell of freshly baked delights hanging in the air.

That first scent of coffee if always so good that you have to give yourself a second to enjoy it, letting the steam condense on the tip of your nose before taking a sip.

“You look like you’re in church,” he jokes.

“Believe me, there are times when coffee is my savior. So I like to give thanks when I can.”

You reach out and lightly run your nails through the surprisingly soft hair of his beard.

“I like this,” you sigh. “The trimmed beard looks good on you. I like it a lot.”

‘I know.” He takes your hand and kisses your fingers one at a time.

“Did I say that last night? I was kind of worked up.”

“No. A while back you told me I should try cutting the beard a little. I think you said I’d look less like a homeless person.”

You gasp in shame because you can remember saying it, although you hadn’t thought of it since you did.

“I figured I’d give it a try to see if you were right.”

“You did that because of what I said?”

“Yes ma’am.”

You give him a languorous smile, planting your elbow on the table and resting your chin in your hand.

“David Finlay, I think you like me.”

“Always did.” His expression turns a bit melancholy.

“You don’t think maybe I like you too?”

He grimaces. “You didn’t last time I told you.”

“Well I wasn’t as clever and mature as I am now.”

His eyes dart over you, like he doesn’t want to risk meeting your gaze.

“I do like you,” you whisper.

He pulls you closer and for a second you’re just living in the saucers of each other’s eyes before you kiss, a few soft touches of your swollen lips.

“I like you a lot,” he answers.

And you sit there, your arm around him, basking in the strange idea that someone could like you when you weren’t even trying.

*

You don’t make it back to your room until late afternoon. You check in with the office a couple of times to answer their questions but you leave it at that. Yesterday, you told Jay that your work wasn’t suffering because you’d gone on a couple of dates. Today, you’re AWOL. He pretty much has to fire you now.

You’re a little surprised that you don’t immediately hear a hammering on the door and Jay screaming bloody murder from the adjoining room. In fact, it’s dead silent. No sounds of the television or voices, and you realize that you’d been preparing for hours to have your head ripped off the second you were back here. You don’t know what to do with this turn of events.

Just in case, you stay absolutely quiet, tiptoeing around as you close the curtains, remove your clothes, and bury your aching body under the covers. If he doesn’t know you’re back, you can sleep and hopefully your mind will be a little more focused when the confrontation comes.

Strangely, you dream that you’re sleeping in this exact bed, wrapped in these exact blankets, like you’re somehow watching over yourself. The covers are thick and warm and heavy and they make you feel safe, which you realize is unfamiliar. Gradually, though, the heat starts to build up, and the pressure becomes too much. You’re hot and you feel trapped but you can’t see anything except the dark because you’re still asleep.

You try to push the covers off but that seems to make them constrict around you like a python, pinning you in place and turning your cozy little cocoon into a sarcophagus, like you’re being buried alive. Everything seems to be pressing down on you and you know that you have to wake up and get out from under the blankets or you’re going to die.

So you wriggle and fight your way towards consciousness and as your mind starts to emerge from the fog, you realize that the sensation of being trapped isn’t going away. You’re not imagining things. There is something hot and substantial that has you trapped and your body panics even as you’re trying to figure out what’s going on. You move your arms as much as you can before you hear yourself give a muted cry and your eyes fly open.

You’re so startled that you scream. There’s Jay, lying on top of you, his face filling up your whole field of vision, eyes dark and glittering like a crocodile.

[jazajas]

okay so i finished love, victor a while ago and i saw some other reviews and thoughts about it here so now i've got a pretty good list on my thoughts and feelings.

tl;dr: it has some issues, yes, but im gonna hold out and hope it gets better later on because the same thing happened with the first few eps, i wasn't that into it but then it got good, and nothing is ever great with the first season, because at that point we're getting used to those characters.

⚠️caution: spoilers ahead (im on mobile, i cant get an under-the-cut)⚠️

1. while a leah on the offbeat movie would have been amazing movie sequel (even tho i havent read the book yet, im just here for the wlw content) i am kind of glad we got this instead. mostly because I've seen book series where one movie was good, so they decide to do the rest, turn out bad (hunger games? divergent? percy jackson? the hobbit?) because so much was cut from the book-to-first movie writing, that other scenes wouldn't make sense to future movies if they had those in while cutting others. however, i am sad that i didn't get to make the choice of deciding whether what was cut was wrong etc. about future movies, but i'll take what i can get.

2. LGBTQ+ POC as a lead! that's amazing! as a ace/bi lantina that's close to home (it also is great that victor's from texas and so is ya gorl) and even then it's a mixed latinx family! i think pilar mentioned that at least the grandmother left Colombia and i saw the Puerto Rican flag in victor's room. also the salazar's are definitely from small town texas, even without knowing the name. (church barbeques, the use of the words "such a diverse city" in regards to atlanta)

3. a lack of actual lgbtq+ main storylines (so far) is kind of sad for a show like this. i was getting serious bi/pan vibes (as a lot of other people) from victor from the beginning, and when it was implied that victor was actually gay (while great, not shaming) as it has been brought to my attention, there was a lot of looking at a lot of straight relationship problems (please let us know more about benji)- edit 6/18: upon further consideration, it very much is a show about questioning your sexuality, I'm speaking about the other straight relationship issues, not mia and Victor's, its just the first season.

4. let us talk about cheating for a sec. never okay, in any circumstance. i feel sorry for mia that she saw victor making out with benji and the fact that he was doing any of that in the first place. victor made a choice to lie about the espresso machine and then kissed benji at the hotel and then when benji was fighting with derek, basically confessed his love and mistakes, then proceeded to makeout with benji after he broke up with derek, he built that grave and now he must lie in it. i get having feelings for a guy when you are in a relationship with a girl, and not accepting yourself enough to end that relationship but you really want it to work so you can be "normal". really, he should have told mia after he got back from the trip tho. i get being in highschool and doing stupid stuff and making dumb decisions, but for a show aimed at teens i think we should also remind said teens to make good choices even if we have to lose some realism within the character choices.

4. pilar and her decisions based off her brother pissed me off. because i honestly think that if she'd kept her mouth shut about what she knew or confronted victor about it in the first place we could have avoided a LOT of mess. did she not learn from snooping around her mother's business about her relationships that going behind a person's back doesnt end well? i did, however, like the pilar/felix friendship and was really kind of hoping that they'd get together during their coffee hangout (although now im glad that didn't happen) because they had a deeper understanding of each other. same with wendy/felix, although they do seem to much alike to work out in the long run but i still feel bad for wendy.

5. i don't know how i feel about lake and andrew, as people separate from each other. both seem to be the way they are from their upbringing (not confirmed why andrew is such an ass, but if his comment about his dad is anything to go by i bet it's got something to do with attention) but andrew seems to be less, idk, superficial? like he turned down mia because he didn't want to be a rebound, he didn't out victor, he actually stood up to early teasing the other dudes in the lockerroom were doing at victor (with teasing of his own obviously but that interaction had him on my nice list until much later). lake? lake. i honestly don't have an opinion of her? not really. i mean after hanging out with pilar i was hoping felix wouldn't go back to lake. is her name laken? i feel like her full name is laken. but they also played the "im only like this because my mom is really superficial about stuff and i do like the geeky nice guy but appearances" to "actually screw the norms im gonna makeout with him infront of the whole student body". i honestly thought she was gonna be bi because she kept hitting on mia when she was helping set up for her "date" and "big night" and there was one point where i saw her face fall at something mia said in relation to her and idk i was hoping she'd be bi (i figured early on that victor/mia wasnt gonna work and was like "oh mia/lake would be cute" but now idk.

6. okay on to the "big night", i have one word. NO. i didn't like the peer pressure into having sex. i agreed with felix when he said "your body your choice" but im also disappointed that victor made out with mia and when lake was talking to felix after victor left he didn't try to stand up for victor.

7. on to age gaps because i hadn't really thought of this at first. we'll start with benji/derek: WHAT GRADE IS BENJI?! because that determines my thoughts. if he's a sophomore that meant that he and Derek started dating benji's freshman year and thats eugh, don't do that, don't care if its a gay couple that shouldn't be happening because the maturity of the two characters is DRASTICALLY different (this is also a reason i am not a fan of cmbyn) but that would explain why they were so rocky. hoping the event at the gay bar was open to anyone not just for drinking, but not liking that fact that not one of the adults with victor were like: hey, this is a 16 year old, that's kind of wack when that dude was hitting on victor. that made me question some stuff. although i figure it might be making up for the lack of a gay bar scene in love, simon. but even then, in svthsa it's a restaurant with a bar that some people go to just to drink at, it wasn't just a bar, simon could be there but should NOT have accepted drinks from college kids, not matter how attractive.

8. i loved how bram and simon and their friends helped victor out though. i like how bram was like: hey i know my friends are a lot so here's a gay basketball league becaue there's no one way to be gay. i like how Simon talked about needing help himself just to help victor and how he said his friends were cool with it because it's a community. i like of justin(?) mentioned how being what his parents wanted was putting on a mask and pretending, not him doing drag. my favorite lines from that ep are: "and before you ask my pronouns are they/them/theirs" "'they're all gay? even that guy? he's like [insert really tall number]' 'yeah. you should see him in heels'" "or in simon's case: really unathletic" "and also because bram said that if i wore [the jean jacket] one more time he'd burn it". also katya was there. and the group hug too!

9. the back hand homophobia in relation to family is sad, but realistic and i sincerely hope his parents are kind enough not to be too harsh on victor because of it. anything they say that isn't positive or supportive of victor is bad but i hope they realize that there is more to him than that and that they can come to terms with it because it's not always that hard to be a part of that community and super religious. i am biromantic and catholic. and while there are some things i wont agree on my mom with, i know that it's more of a strike against God for kicking out gay kids from families than it is to be gay, because those parents were given trust by GOD to love those kids no matter what, and be good parents. so in the end, the parents are wrong and harmful and in the case of christians against jesus's teachings to love everyone.

10. this is fan speculation but dont think simon/bram are going through a rough patch? i honestly think it'd be a little cruel to the characters to have on of their actors be producing but then not have that relationship stay. and while it's not set in stone and obviously things happen in the real world, we have no proof script wise about there being a rift. all we have are bad photoshopped ig photos and scenes where two characters are never standing next to each other probably beccaue schedules never link up correctly for minor characters. who knows, maybe nick robinson was filming for a movie where is does have an even more major role than victor's gay guru in a series about victor so his filming time was around that. im gonna keep hope that things are okay.

11. that being said: we need more mainstream wlw content, because someone said it earlier and it really does seem to be catering to straight girls. i'll admit i did freak out when benji played call me maybe which is something i associated with him and victor but then kissed a guy because who wouldn't? we get that serenade and sweetness and then it'a ripped from us. but i did mellow out. if i flipped later it was because victor was making dumb decisions and i had to give myself a moment of compsure before i continued.

in the end, i'd say that there is a lot of growth this series needs to go through, but i also know that some people just aren't going to like it and i get that. but i also know that sometimes the best of stories have rocky starts, nothing is ever perfect from the beginning. and besides, further seasons are on hold until we figure out this covid thing, which means that you bet they're gonna be looking at our feedback. they saw what we thought before, they can do it again

i really did like it but we need more ACTUAL lgbtq+ relationship stuff from this series and better decisions on what we are teaching the younger generations, as well as what we want to focus on and realism within characters. i'm giving it an 8/10, because there is always room for growth and i really hope we get better things out of this than what we have been given in season 2.

edit: someone mentioned it really seeming like it was meant for Disney+ and i felt that. also to anyone who reaches the tags agter reading ALL OF THIS: i am sorry

[snowdice]

Big Bang (Sort of) Editing Story [Day 26]

I started writing this fic while editing my Big Bang story, but am going to continue doing it for other things now that Kill Dear is out. I will write and publish 100 words of the story every time I finish doing whatever task I’m doing. If you’d like to block these proceedings, please feel free to block the tag proofread stories. I will reblog this post with the parts of the story I do today. Edited chapters are linked; everything else I’ve done so far is under the cut.

My Master Post Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

Let’s do a bit of this. Expect teenage hijinks and stupidity.

Chapter 11

Over the course of the next three days of Virgil’s captivity, Virgil would come to the conclusion that his captors were idiots.

This thought flickered to life once again as Logan leaned into the closet to point out another constellation on the ceiling, tottering unstably on his knees as his weight shifted forward and distracted by his enthusiasm.

They were alone in the prince’s room. Patton had left only a few minutes before to help his mother in the kitchen (less because she needed help and more to not make her suspicious about why he’d spent so much time away in the last few days).

 He wouldn’t be back for a while and Virgil had full mobility in the closet. With Logan leaning over the threshold like that, it would be easy to kill him or even just incapacitate him. One rough yank on his arm would have him completely in the closet. Virgil had no question that he could pin him down so he couldn’t activate the restraints, and even if he managed to do so, he’d have been drawn close enough that Virgil could use his legs. He could either force him to take off the cuffs or, since they automatically went to the second setting when he left the closet, just deal with it until he managed to get away.

 It would just be so easy. Yet, he did not. He just watched Logan as he leaned stupidly over an assassin while info dumping about stars.

This was the first day that he hadn’t felt at all tired when he’d drank the provided nutrition and healing potion, though it had never affected him quite as much as it had the first day. Logan said that meant that his injuries must be healed. It was a weird feeling. He didn’t remember when the last time was that he wasn’t damaged in some way. Even before his grueling training, there’d always been bullies at the orphanage and he’d been the youngest and smallest in his age group.

 He was also more well rested and fed than he had been in as long as he could remember. He felt better then he knew was possible today, and he suspected that he would only feel better after a bit more time under their care.

He told himself that is why he didn’t lash out now. He was waiting until he was as strong as possible to make sure his escape went as well as it could, even if it was a risk. They’d mentioned that the king would be gone for three weeks. After he returned, Virgil would surely be turned over to people much more capable of actually keeping him well trapped and less likely to feed him well, give him a nice place to sleep, and leave him without injury. It was a gamble to stay, because it was possible that he wouldn’t find another opportunity in time and would get handed over to his fate. Really, if he was being reasonable, he should get out now while he felt good and had a secured opportunity.

 Still, he did not. He had not any of the times they’d given him the opportunity in the last few days. Logan finished his sentence and leaned back out of the closet to safety. He still was speaking though in that soft happy tone. Logan liked the stars. He liked to talk about the stars, and Virgil found he liked to listen to him. They tended to end up in this position whenever Patton was away, just talking as Virgil laid in his closet.

Eventually, Logan’s latest story tapered out. There was silence then for a few moments. Virgil stared up at the fake stars on the ceiling. The stars that Logan had made for him when he really did not have to. Virgil had not been expecting lights in the closet, let alone ones so beautiful and thoughtful. Not ones with stories behind them. Just days ago, if someone had told Virgil the prince would be keeping him in his closet for the next few weeks, Virgil wouldn’t have expected a blanket let alone all of this.

 He turned his head to look at Logan. “What?” Logan asked.

“Your magic’s very beautiful,” Virgil said.

Logan seemed pleased by the complement, lighting up almost as much as the stars he made. “Well, it’s just a basic light spell,” he said, “though I did make some adjustments to them and the dimmer was a bit more difficult. Anyone could do it with practice.”

Virgil shook his head. “They’re special, I think,” he said. “Your magic’s different than most people.”

“How so?” Logan asked curiously.

“It’s gentle,” he said. “Gentle and warm, like eating the warm soup you fed me a couple of days ago.”

 “And other people’s magic feels different?” he asked.

Virgil nodded. “I’ve met a lot of magic users, but it always felt bad. Usually it hurts or makes you feel sick or just makes you uncomfortable. Even healing magic always felt like bugs nibbling at my skin, but the potion you’ve been having me drink in the morning feels… safe. It doesn’t hurt or make me want to cry. It’s just good.”

“Magic often has much to do with the caster’s intentions,” Logan said.

“I think you could poison me gently.”

Logan made an odd expression. “That…” he said, nose scrunched. “That is a strange thing to say.”

Virgil cocked his head. “Is it?”

 “Yes!” Logan said, shaking his head. “You are far too comfortable with the concept of death for your age.”

“I’m fourteen,” Virgil argued. “That’s old enough to be sent on missions without a blood compulsion!”

“…A what?” Logan asked.

“A blood compulsion,” Virgil said. “You know, with a multrum.” Logan was frowning at him. “One works in your gardens and you’re a prince. You had to at least have seen one or two. They take a bit of blood and multrums process it into a little bead. Then you’ve got to do what your told or it hurts a lot.”

 “I know what a blood compulsion is,” Logan said. “I am simply wondering who would put one on a fourteen-year-old.”

“They don’t,” Virgil said. “They stop putting them on people when they turn fourteen.”

“And exactly what is the age range for it?” Logan asked. Virgil was almost startled by the way his tone was quickly hardening. He’d never heard him be that harsh even when he’d first woken up in his custody. It made Virgil tense up.

“They take kids usually when they’re about 8 and it’s a year of training before your sent on a mission so 9-13,” he said.

 “That’s horrible,” Logan spat so violently that Virgil flinched. Logan didn’t seem to notice. “They force children to kill under a blood compulsion?”

“Well, no one really wants to do it without one when they’re that little. They get scared, and usually try to chicken out so…”

“So, they torture them unless they kill someone.”

“I mean… it’s not. They have to agree to the deal.”

“And if they don’t agree to it?” Logan asked.

Virgil thought back to the second time they’d made him get a blood compulsion. It had been with the multrum before Janus, a girl by the name of Alina. He’d made the mistake of hesitating on his first kill and faced the consequences before finally giving in and doing the job. When the second mission had come around, Virgil hadn’t wanted to accept the blood compulsion.

 That had been the first time they’d made him drink a binding potion. Logan seemed to be able to get an idea about it by the look on his face.

“So, your options were to be tortured, be tortured in a different way, or murder someone.” Logan looked at him. “You said your fourteen. Have you ever even killed of your own volition?”

“I… no,” he admitted, but quickly added, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t. I know what I’m doing.”

“That explains a lot about your personality and reactions so far.”

Virgil rankled at that for some reason. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

 Logan just stared at him for a long moment. “What they did, what they are doing isn’t right you know?” he said.

Virgil blinked at him but said nothing. He became more and more uncomfortable in the silence that ensued.

“Would you like to learn more about magic?” he asked. “There are many uses other then to hurt. I can teach you a few basics if you like.”

Virgil was confused about the topic change but was relieved about it. “Uh,” he thought. “Sure. That would be… interesting.”

Logan smiled at him. “I’ll set up something and we can work with it in the next few days. What would you like to learn?”

“Um, I have no idea. What is there?”

Logan considered it for a moment. “We could do a hair color changing potion. Or perhaps a small protection charm or I can teach you to make fire shapes.”

 “Protection charm,” Virgil said without hesitation.

Logan gave him a sad smile. “Of course. I’ll start showing you how to make them tomorrow and we can actually make some the next day.”

“Okay,” Virgil agreed.

“Would you like to hear more about the stars?” he asked. Virgil nodded. He once again leaned into the closet to point and Virgil once again did not move to attack. Nor did he attack when that afternoon Patton turned his back on Virgil for far too long when they were alone. Nor did he when they settled him to bed once again in the closet. He told himself it was strategic, but he knew it wasn’t.

  Chapter 12

Logan had needed to spend some time performing royal duties today which left Patton and Virgil alone after breakfast. Patton had started out trying to teach Virgil different board games. He’d seemed intrigued at first, but after a few games of checkers seemed to grow bored. Patton had gotten a blank stare when he’d asked if Virgil had any ideas about what to do for fun, so now he was trying to figure out something else they could do. He cast his eyes around at what Logan had in his bedroom.

“How about I read you a book?” he suggested.

 Virgil seemed very intrigued by that idea. “Sure,” he said.

“Okay!” Patton said cheerfully. “He popped to his feet and glanced through the small shelf of fiction books Logan kept in his room. He decided to choose one of the lighter ones that Logan and he had liked to read when they were younger. “This one is called The Never-ending Garden,” Patton said. “It’s about a group of four children and their adventures in a garden. It’s full of magic and adventure and friendship! Is that alright with you?”

“It sounds good,” Virgil answered.

Patton happily walked back over to sit next to him. “It is!” he said.

 First, he showed Virgil the picture on the cover of a wild looking garden with four kids roaming through it. One of the children was in a little red wagon being pulled by another one wearing a fancy hat. One of the others was walking, looking at a map while the last had a wooden sword. After giving Virgil a couple of moments too look at the picture, Patton cracked it open.

“We start with Lydia’s perspective,” Patton said. “She’s one of my favorites!” He pointed to a picture of a girl in a raincoat at the beginning of the chapter and Virgil leaned slightly closer to see. Then, Patton cleared his voice.

 “It had been raining that day,” Patton began, “but Lydia had been so bored that she still begged her father to go out and play when the storm lightened into a sprinkle. He made her change from the yellow dress she had been wearing into the one she often used to help him garden because he knew she was certain to get herself muddy. Her younger brother Marcus asked if he could come too and though part of her wanted to say no because she wanted to explore on her own without her baby brother slowing her down, her father had taught her to be a good big sister, so she agreed to let him come.”

 Patton watched Virgil out of the corner of his eye as he read about Lydia meeting up with the neighbor boy, Al, and the three children started to explore the garden in Lydia’s backyard. Virgil leaned in slightly to look at the pictures and listen to the story intently as the three children traveled deeper and deeper into the garden, but never made it to the back fence. They’d just made it to the part where they heard rustling behind the blackberry bush which Patton knew was the last main character, Melly, when Patton felt the need to adjust his posture a bit. Virgil moved in kind and ended up leaning further into Patton.

 Without even really thinking about it, Patton brought his arm around to touch the top of his head. Virgil flinched the second Patton made content and Patton drew the hand away immediately. “Sorry,” he said with a wince. Patton was a naturally touching person and he’d been having trouble battling his instincts to cuddle everyone and everything while around Virgil, but he knew most touch was not welcome. The poor thing startled every time Patton went to touch him unannounced and even sometimes when he’d said something before doing it.

“I-it’s okay,” Virgil said.

Patton gave him a tight lipped smiled and turned back to the book.

 He stilled a second later when Virgil leaned back in and their shoulders brushed. He blinked over at him. “Oh,” he said softly. “Do… do you want me to touch your hair?”

Virgil curled up into himself a little bit but then nodded.

“Okay,” Patton said. “I’m going to put my arm around you and do that then, okay?” He drew upon his years and years of convincing easily startled cats to allow him to give them pats as he slowly moved his arm back to where it had been before and gently touched the side of his head. He tensed, but didn’t startle this time, and so Patton gently ran his fingers through the hair a couple of times. Eventually, the tension bled out of him and he sort of slumped against Patton’s shoulder. Patton just barely restrained a coo before going back to reading. He continued to stroke the side of Virgil’s hair as he described the gang meeting up with Melly and them being told she was a fairy that lived in the garden.

 He'd only gotten to the part about them finding the wagon when Virgil started to shift a bit uncomfortably, his neck craned in an awkward angle. Patton kept reading as he brought the hand in his hair down to his shoulder and pushed lightly. There was the slightest bit of resistance as Virgil didn’t know what he was trying to do, but then he allowed Patton to move him. Patton leaned back a bit and picked the book up off his lap before continuing to push him down. Virgil did not help at all, seeming confused about what was going on.

 Patton had to poke him around until he was on his back laying across Patton’s lap. He grinned down at the boy who was looking at him in blatant bewilderment and propped the book up on his chest. He held it there with one of his hands and stretched the other out to resume messing with his hair. Virgil relaxed into the new position after a few minutes of reading, eyes shutting as he enjoyed the attention. His eyes would flicker open every time Patton moved to show him a picture, but other than that, he seemed content to not move.

 Eventually, he stopped responding when Patton moved to show him the pictures.

“Are you asleep?” he asked quietly. When he didn’t get a response, he bookmarked the last picture Virgil had responded to, and then continued reading to himself.

Eventually, there was a knock at the door. It was the one he and Logan had decided on to tell the other one that it was just them and not to panic when the door opened. The door opened to Logan a moment later.

He paused, taking in the sight of the assassin sprawled across Patton’s lap like a sleepy kitten. He shook his head fondly and walked over to them on silent feet. He bent and pressed a hand to the top of Virgil’s hand. Virgil stirred just barely, but didn’t open his eyes, pressing into the touch a bit.

Logan smiled. “He wanted to learn how to make protection charms today. I assume you’d like to join us?” Patton perked up and nodded happily, making Logan chuckle softly. “I will go set it up then. Would you like another book for the time being?”

“Just the one I was reading last night would be nice,” Patton said.

“Of course.” Logan stepped away to grab it and handed it to him. Then, he disappeared into his potion’s lab. Patton smiled down at Virgil’s sleeping face and settled the new book onto his chest to replace the children’s book. He didn’t even stir.

  Chapter 13

Logan was able to quickly set up the station for making protection charms. Patton had always liked making them, though he often used his more as fun accessories than for protection. The one he was going to show Virgil how to make was a very simple low level one used for little more than to keep bugs off of yourself and, in the event of a well made one, alert one to imminent danger by changing temperature. It was a nice thing to hold in the middle of the night if one was frightened by real or imagined threats. It would be warm to the touch when your environment was safe; he thought Virgil might appreciate it.

 He and Patton decided to wait until Virgil woke up naturally which only took about 30 minutes. Then, Logan brought him to his set up supplies. He explained briefly the process for making a protection charm. “I will be the one performing the enchantment for today,” he told Virgil. “I will show you how to make your own later, but I thought seeing how to make them would help with the learning process.”

“Plus, it’s fun!” Patton said.

Logan flashed a smile at him. “And that as well. I’ve prepared a small number of possible pendants for you to choose from. You can choose the shape and color, then we will put on a custom engraving, as well as decorations.”

 “Glitter! Glitter! Glitter! Glitter!”

“Yes, Patton, everyone knows you’re going to choose glitter,” Logan said, amused, “but why don’t we let Virgil decide for his own pendant?”

“Fine,” Patton said, “but mine will be glitter.”

Logan grabbed the box of blank pendants and offered it to Virgil. “Choose whichever one feels right,” he suggested. Virgil moved forward and looked over the box. “You can touch them,” Logan said. “In fact, I would suggest it as it is meant to be held when it’s done and you may as well get a feel for it.”

At his prompting, Virgil did. He reached into the box and shifted a few to the side. Eventually, he started picking a few up. “I like the crescent shape for holding the most he said,” holding a blue one up, but I don’t know.”

“What’s your favorite color?” Patton asked.

“Oh, um,” he mumbled. “I dunno.”

“Well here,” Patton said, reaching for the box. He dug through it and pulled out every single crescent moon shaped pendant and lined them up. “What do you fancy?”

Virgil considered them all for a long moment and then tentatively pointed the purple one out.

“Great!” Patton said. “Then, we’ll use that one.”

Virgil nodded and Patton picked up the pendant to drop it into his hands. His fingers curled over the shape and he seemed satisfied by the choice, so Logan turned to Patton. “Your turn,” he said.

Patton happily grabbed out a heart shaped blue one, but then paused and exchanged it for a purple one. “We match!” he said.

Virgil smiled slightly at his enthusiasm, and Logan dug out a blue crescent moon shape for himself. “Now that you have your base, you get to choose the engraving.” He opened up the instruction book to the correct page and showed it to him.

Virgil looked over the two pages of designs with carful focus. He wavered between the spiral sun and the flames for a moment, but eventually settled on the flames. Patton chose the interlocking hearts design as anticipated; it was his favorite, and Logan chose the spiral sun design for himself.

“Now, I’m going to engrave this design onto yours,” Logan said getting out the thin pen like instrument and dipping it into the slightly glowing bottle of potion he’d set out. “In the meantime, Patton will show you what we have for decorations.”

He was careful to get the symbol as perfect as he could and then started on Patton’s. Patton apparently managed to corrupt the boy because both of them came back with brushes and glitter to add as decoration.

Logan shook his head and handed them their freshly engraved pendants. “Apply the glitter how you like,” Logan said, moving on to his own engraving. Once he was finished, he selected some glow in the dark paint to decorate his own.

 Once he’d finished decorating his own pendant, Logan looked up. “Are you finished?” he asked.

“Yep!” Patton said, shoving his pendant at Logan while Virgil nodded. Virgil had been far less enthusiastic than Patton, having carefully brushed glitter into the flame design only whereas Patton had haphazardly covered his own all over with glitter. Logan took both pendants.

“This,” Logan said, bringing over a different potion, “is used to make sure the decorations never fall off. It basically allows the other substances to become a part of the stone. “It isn’t too dangerous, but I’d suggest you stand back for the moment.”

 Virgil stepped back farther back than was strictly necessary and gave the potion bottle a wary look. Logan moved all three pendants to the prepared surface (else they ran the risk of also getting stuck to the table) and put on gloves, having learned that magically gluing rocks to ones hands was not fun years ago. Then, he carefully drizzled a bit of the potion onto each rock. The rocks fizzled loudly, and Virgil gave off a startled yelp before toppling over flat on his face with his wrist glued to his sides.

“Oh no, honey,” Patton said immediately crouching next to him. “I’m sorry. We should have warned you about the noise.”

Logan wasn’t sure what type of action he’d tried to take when the sound started up, but whatever it was, it had caused him to move his arms fast enough that he’d activated the binding potion and it snapped his wrists to his side, overbalancing him.

 Patton’s hands hovered over the startled boy, but he didn’t touch. After a few moments, it was clear that the magic keeping Virgil’s hands at his side released because his hands slowly crept forward to push himself up, so his face wasn’t planted against the ground. His eyes still looked incredibly startled.

“Are you alright?” Patton asked.

Virgil blinked. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said.

Logan took his words as permission to move without risking startling him more. Virgil’s eyes bopped back and forth between him and Patton a few times as he crossed to his wall of potions and grabbed one.

 He also selected a clean cloth from a basket on his way over to them. “A light healing potion,” Logan explained as he knelt in front of Virgil. He uncorked it. “May I?”

“I’m fine,” Virgil said with a frown. “I’m not even bleeding. It’s barely anything.”

“Which is why it’s a light healing potion,” Logan said. “You are sure to bruise with the way you hit. This will prevent it and make it stop hurting.”

“Okay,” Virgil agreed after a moment. Logan dribbled a bit out onto the rag. After a moment of thought, he touched the damp part of the cloth with his own finger, just to quash any fears that it would harm him.

 “It will tingle slightly,” Logan warned. Virgil tilted his face to let him dab it onto his nose and the light scrape on his face. His nose scrunched up and he moved to rub the sensation away quickly only to have his arms slam back to his sides.

Patton caught him so the sudden involuntary movement didn’t cause him to fall back, and then giggled when Virgil titled his head to what could only be described as pout back at him.

“Aw, poor thing,” Patton cooed, reaching forward to rub a hand across the top of his nose and then his forehead where the potion had been applied for him.

 “Better?” Patton asked.

“You’re really bad at this being captors thing,” Virgil commenting, willingly leaning back into Patton. Patton just smiled happily.

Logan took the bottle and got to his feet, before returning it, and then glanced at the pendants as Patton helped Virgil to his feet. The pendants had stopped fizzing, so Logan felt okay reaching in and grabbing them all.

He handed both Patton and Virgil their pendants when they walked closer to the table.

“And now for the actual enchantment,” Logan said. “For today, I already prepared the potion up to the last step as it has to sit for a few hours, but I will show you the last step and eventually teach you everything if you are still interested.”

 Virgil nodded, but said. “No more noises?”

Logan smiled. “No more noises,” he confirmed. Then he pushed forward all of the ingredients he was about to put in the pot for Virgil to study one by one before putting them each in it in the correct order. Then he demonstrated how to stir it correctly and told him how many times, though he doubted he’d be able to retain all of the information from this one demonstration. “There,” he said, setting down his spoon. “Now we just all put our pendants into the pot, and they should be ready in 25 minutes.”

 Logan showed Virgil around his potion’s lab while they waited, explaining what certain pieces of equipment did and a bit about his organization system. Virgil followed him around, looking at the things he pointed out curiously. He, however, got very distracted when Logan showed him one of the experiments he’d concocted. It was a thick liquid that was super attracted to itself and would form a small ball that could be disturbed by touching it. He seemed to like the sensation of squishing it down onto a table… over and over and over again.

“We should get him a ball of yarn,” Patton said out of the corner of his mouth. He may have been enjoying watching Virgil play with the substance more than Virgil was enjoying playing with it himself. And that was saying something.

21984

Eventually, however, the pendants were finished, and he dragged Virgil away from his new toy to show him the finished product.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“Is it supposed to be warm?” Virgil inquired.

“Yes,” Logan replied. “It’s temperature changes based on if the magic on it senses a threat or not. Warmer temperatures mean you are safe.

“Oh,” Virgil said softly, hand squeezing around it. “I like it.”

Logan found himself smiling. “I’m glad. It’s yours.”

“Thank you,” he said.

“If you would like, I’m sure Patton has some suggestions if you’d desire a way to keep it attached to your person. He in particular likes to make them into necklaces or clip them to his clothing.”

Virgil looked over at Patton and nodded shyly. Patton immediately perked up. “I’ll go get some supplies!” he said.

  Chapter 14

“So then,” Patton was saying. “We ran to the stables.”

“We went to gazebo first,” Logan cut in.

“Right, we tried to go to the gazebo first,” Patton corrected, “but Mr. Deknis was over there tending to the tomatoes, and we knew he’d tell Mama the second he saw us. So, then we turned around and went to the stables.”

Virgil tilted his head, listening to the story Patton was telling. Patton was not the best storyteller. He tended to get lost in the middle and embellish, though Logan always corrected him. It was still very entertaining to watch though because he got incredibly animated. He’d even toppled himself over in excitement a couple of times.

 Virgil squeezed the small pillow he had in his lap. He… wasn’t 100% sure what was going on. Logan and Patton had settled him on the blanket covered ground near Logan’s bed and proceeded to feed him snacks and talk about a lot of different things. It had started with them talking about what they’d done that day, and when Patton had made reference to something Virgil hadn’t understood, the two of them ended up talking about things from their childhood.

Virgil found himself entranced by their stories about playing in and running around the castle. It was all so different from what Virgil had experienced.

 “…but, right as we were about to get to the ladder to climb up into the hay loft, Logan tripped!” Patton said, arms whipping around him. “He fell into a container of grain for the horses and it spilled all over the place. He tried to get up but grabbed the edge of the water trough and apparently it wasn’t very secure because it fell over and soaked him. So, then he was wet and covered in grain. He looked hilarious.”

“I did not!” Logan protested, but it did not sound like all of the other times he’d corrected Patton’s stories that night.

 Patton looked over at him. “You did! You woke up the cute stable hand and he laughed himself silly at you, and by the time we got you even partially cleaned up, your dad had already found us. That’s how we got caught.”

“I have no recollection of these events,” Logan clearly lied, his cheeks a bit flushed.

“Liar,” Patton claimed. “You complained about picking grain out of your sheets for weeks.”

“No,” Logan growled.

“Yes! It’s okay. It was a good laugh.”

Logan’s eyes narrowed on him, and he looked pissed, but a second later, his expression lightened up. “You know what else was a ‘good laugh’?” he asked.

[toysoldiers-rwby]

[CS] 1. The Rebels

Cutting Strings

Characters: Penny, Ironwood, Pietro, Aro Word Count: 5k

Penny is almost ready to leave the lab. But is she truly ready for how unpredictable the world can be?

Read on Ao3

NEXT

  Day 239 since creation. Day three since latest artificial skin tear. Three trials cleared.  

Penny waited as Dr. Pietro and General Ironwood configured the training room. She closed her eyes and bounced on her feet. Processors warming up for the trial to come, with a review of the previous ones.  

The second test was the easiest and soon breathing became second nature. Dr. Pietro and General Ironwood tested her strength. Several broken equipment later, they tested her control. That was the hardest to pass. Everything broke under metal fingers. Dr. Pietro had to make several alterations to the synthetic skin Penny wore. It was a complicated mix of Dust and wires that relayed Aura and pressure to her processors.  

The first test overloaded her systems. Too many inputs, too many anomalies. But strangest error was conflicting drivers…  

Penny realized it after the 5th prototype. Father didn’t design the artificial skin! No scientist, or official Atlesian scientist did! Ironwood was very hesitant and careful with his words whenever she had asked about it.  

Dr. Pietro smiled and said, “You’ll meet her… hopefully soon.”  

Penny frowned remembering it. Father said the last bit softly, as if he was whispering to himself. Like it was a secret from the General. But he couldn’t have forgotten her sensitive hearing. One that could detected a change in his voice, even if Penny did not know what it meant. Yet. It was similar to when Ironwood talked about the council.  

Was it contempt? What did it feel like?  

“Ahem. Penny, darling?” Dr. Pietro called out. A hand rested against her own and Penny opened her eyes. Her background processors did tell her someone was approaching but she was too focused on internal questions.  

“Is the last trial ready?”  

“Yes but… is something on your mind?”  

“Is that possible?” Penny asked with wonder. “The mind doesn’t take physical form so-”  

“No, no, darling,” Dr. Pietro chuckled softly. He let her hand go after softly patting it. “You seemed to be thinking hard about something.”  

“Oh!” Penny perked up, “It’s about who created this artificial skin. Does General Ironwood not want me to meet them? If they are capable of adding functionality or upgrades wouldn’t it be more productive if they know what I am?”  

Dr. Pietro was silent for a moment. Penny saw his eyes flicker, small twitches in his face before everything smoothed out. He let out a long and tired sigh, “I guess brains run in the family.” He muttered. She noted soft whispering seems to be personal so she didn’t comment on how brains don’t have the functionality to run. “I tried convincing James but… there are other factors at work.”  

“Hm…” Penny nodded. It wasn’t answer but she was satisfied with the attempt. For now.  

Penny entered the training room. Hard-light shaping the room into one with random short square. Up in the control room, Penny could see the unique silhouette of her father and his chair next to Ironwood. They talked briefly before the General’s voice came through the speakers.  

“Penny, your final test is a combat test. Your goal isn’t just to destroy the bots, it’s to show me what your made of.”  

She frowned, head tilting and raising a brow. “But sir… You already know what I’m made of.”  

There was a moment of silence. Then some soft chuckling through the speakers. “Show me that you are combat ready.”  

That lit a spark in Penny. She grinned, swords flaring from her backpack. “Yes, sir!”  

Side panels opened an Atlesian Knight-130 marched into the training room. They were… stiff. Mechanical. She looked at her own hands for a moment. Opening and closing them. The artificial skin detected her fist, hide the ball joints. Everything looked natural…  

Penny looked forward, “Ready, sir!”  

The AK-130 opened fired and marched forward. The bullets were easy to deflect with Floating Array and it took little effort to slice them open. She took a moment, looking at the sparks and wires…Then next wave AK-130 marched forward, opening fire. It was wasn’t a challenge. They were predictable. Her own programming was far beyond what the AK line could simulate.  

2, 3, 4 waves later and she looked to the control room. Penny saw two additional figures before the speakers on the AK-130 crackled to life.  

“Security Breached-”  

“Uh! Ignore that!” A stranger’s voice quickly said over intercom. “I have full permission to alter their program this time!”  

“This time…” Another women softly muttered with a snort.  

For a moment the AK-130’s guns lowered. Then several in the rear broke out into a sprint- Penny gasped. Flanking maneuvers were beyond this current model. Her instincts moved Floating Array in front of her. Spinning blades slicing bullets. Two bots ran left. Two running right. Three marched forward, a constant burst of bullets.  

Penny retreated back. Floating Array shifted into guns and boosted her into cover. That was her intention anyway. She technically didn’t need it-  

“Oh!” A bullet bounced off the hard-light structure. Penny stepped behind it. There was a conflict in her programming. There was a 100% chance of success in standing her ground and fighting, a 20% she might get hit. But… she wasn’t scared. So what if she got hit? Her chassis can withstand more pressure than the bullets can create. Yet was just something telling her to protect herself.  

But she was not in any real danger.  

The flanking robots appeared first, only to be shot in half. Floating Array spun around her. Red and faint smoke caught her eye. She had charged it too fast. With a small frown Penny shifted it back into her swords. Jumping out of cover she sent them flying forward, piercing the remaining three robots.  

After that the waves blurred together. No breaks. Just an endless stream. The bots grew more and more challenging. From basic flanking maneuvers to militant sacrifices and distractions. Sometimes her own AI struggled to find a satisfying solution and it left her frozen on the battlefield. Then the bigger guns came out.  

The Spider Droid.  

It dropped in front of her from the ceiling. Metal tiles broke under its feet, a small explosion of sparks, wires, and broken metal. Penny blinked up at it. That didn’t make sense. General Ironwood would never allow such a dangerous-  

The cannons charged.  

Penny stood her ground, stance widening as Floating Array charged for another attack.  

The intercom crackled, the two strangers bickering despite the General’s presence.  

“Are you crazy!? That will kill her!”  

“Ironwood said not to hold back!”  

“Of course an Atlesian wouldn’t understand consequence! Shut it down or-”  

Penny gasped. The cannons fired before they were fully charged. Floating Array pushed her back, firing at the ground just avoiding the attack.  

“Glade! Get back this instant!” This time Ironwood’s voice rang through the speakers instead of being muffled through thick glass. A few seconds later the doors of the training room opened. A women with familiar yet unfamiliar gold horns skated in on hard-light blades that cut into the metal floor. She was in the Military’s Database, but file came up. Not an ally, not another soldier, a student… A civilian.  

What was the General doing? Why was she in this facility?  

Penny frowned. “Ma’am. Please evacuate.”  

The goat Faunus paused, staring at her with… an expression. One Penny have never seen in the labs, with her father or General Ironwood. Brows furrowed, mouth in a small scowl, head tilted. Did Faunus express themselves different? Penny filed it away for later. Right now a flash of alarm came over the Faunus features.  

“Move!” In a burst of bright red and purple she was suddenly carrying Penny. Metal talons of the giant security bot pierced the floor where they both once stood.  

Her metal frame was nearly five times stronger than the floor. Without reinforcing it with Aura. “Your assistance is not necessary!” Penny frowned struggling against a surprisingly tight hold.  

“Glade!” The General’s voice came from the speakers again. It was lower, hard. Her programming instantly recognize it as commanding and furious. She didn’t like it. “Do not interrupt Ms. Polendina’s combat test.”  

“Not happening Tin Man!” The women yelled back with a roll of her eyes. Glowing Eyes… Civilians don’t normally have their semblance unlocked. Penny heard a soft sound of metal cutting metal and looked down. The hard-light blades barely floated above the surface, then it dug deep stopping the drift. Purple glow and weightlessness despite Penny’s high density? Gravity Dust, Penny concluded with a nod, and a very skilled, non-civilian usage of it. “Besides, you seriously thought I’d just stand by and watch? What does my record say?”  

*“Technically Glade doesn’t have a record because she was found innocent of all the 43 charges of assault. Or she was assisting legal Huntsmen, so there for it wasn’t assault.” The hacker’s voice playfully informed.  

Glade huffed, glaring up at the control room. Then those glowing blue eyes shifted to Penny. “Want to shut them up?”  

“I… I…” Penny froze. Her processors didn’t know what to make of Glade’s tone or grin. Part of her said not to follow the advice of a women with a possible criminal record. But this situation was an anomaly her simulators could never mimic. Curiously eventually won but Penny’s caution didn’t fade. “Possibly. What do you have in mind?”  

“Teach that Atlesian what consequence means.” Glade suddenly dodged back, eyes not leaving Penny even as several shots followed her. The women easily dodged them all. “The main cannon is on cooldown! We need to piss it off first!”  

“That is counterproductive to my goal!”  

Glade rolled her eyes. Much to Penny’s relief, the possible Civilian stopped blindly dodging and finally looked at the Spider Droid. Penny noted the glowing Dust in the women’s legs. It glowed a soft purple, as gravity gently lifted her off the ground again. Small debris floated until Glade drifted away.  

“Is it really a victory if it ain’t fun?” The non-combative asked with a wink. Penny frowned and didn’t answer. She allowed Glade to focus on dodging.  

Why would enjoyability of her mission override the results?  

The fight continued and with two targets the Spider Droid was more aggressive. Penny was more passive. She couldn’t take any drastic measures with an unknown variable on the field. She had to be more careful, more mindful of the synthetic skin hiding her metal frame. Worst yet she couldn’t entirely focus on the Droid. More and more processing power went to Glade, trying to predict her next move and analyzing the fastest way to help her.  

The Faunus women should be frighten. She had no weapon to defend against one of Atlas’ strongest military robots. Instead, the non-combative laughed. A glance at Floating Array showed no signs of overheating. She sent the blades as deep as she could get it into the Spider Droid’s chassis.  

Too deep.  

Penny gasped, pulling the strings but it didn’t budge. Glade jumped on, gravity Dust latching her onto the metal as if it was the floor. She pulled at the handle of the swords but that didn’t work either.  

“And victory goes to me!” The hacker laughed over the speakers. The main cannons started charging again. Glade cursed, kicking at the joints but the hard-light blades on her legs couldn’t cleave through the thick metal.  

“Jump!” Glade yelled.  

Certainly Penny didn’t hear right, “Jump?”  

“Yes! Jump!” Glade repeated. “As high as you can!” Penny jumped but didn’t obey the second command. That much force would break the floor. Of course the Droid’s targeting parameters means that the cannon followed her up. The Faunus ran off the barrel and waited a few seconds.  

The cannon hummed louder and louder, energy shining bright.  

Then Glade leaped off, lunging at Penny and grabbing her. “Oh shit,” Gravity pulled hard on both of them. Much harder than anticipated, with Penny’s mass. Penny barely had time to shift their positions, moving Glade on top of her as her robotic body created small crater in the floor, bending tiles up and causing broken wires to spark at her false skin.  

Beyond Glade, Penny saw the cannon aimed at-  

“The control room!” Penny gasped.  

“Off, off, off!” The hacker’s fingers scrambled across the keyboard. “I can’t-”  

Dad!  

Penny shoved Glade off her. She charged Floating Array for a full shot and aimed for the rear joints of its legs. It pierce through. The Spider Droid tilted back, impact just a few feet above the control room. Hard-light barrier flickering at the impact. The Spider Droid shut flickered, smoke coming from the joints as it overheated and shut down.  

It reminded Penny to take a deep breath. Her Aura was awake and sending nearly overwhelming power through her circuits. Emergency took priority over her own systems and they were on the verge of overheating as well. Penny slowly eased out of a battle stance. It took a while for her combat analysis to catch up and finally read the situation as a success.  

It helped that Glade was on the floor laughing. She had a hand over her eyes, “Goddess and Gods! I’ve never been more terrified in my life.”  

“And…” Penny frowned looking down at her. “You’re laughing?”  

“I’m alive, unharmed, rescued by a cute girl.” Glade listed. There was a quiver to her voice, almost smoothed out with a grin. Penny frowned down at her. Glade, the other visitor called her. “Where’s the negative?” Glade asked rolling onto her knees and pushing herself onto her feet- prosthetic feet, most of her legs were metal- with a long groan. “I’m out of breath. How do people do this?”  

“With proper training, one you rejected time and time again,” Ironwood answered through the speakers. Even as Glade made a face and attempted to wave away the voice. “Ms. Glade, Ms. Xanthic. Thank you for your… assistance. A transport will be here shortly to return you both home.”  

“Of course he’d want me gone as soon as possible. Can’t blame him,” Glade sighed under her breath. She gave Penny a smile as she walked… or floated- how much gravity Dust is on that women, to the door, “Nice to finally meet you!”  

Penny wasn’t sure if the feeling was mutual.  

When she returned to the control room. The two strangers were gone but they left small pieces of evidence. Coffee rings on the terminal, which all Atlesian military personal and student faculty knew not to do. Some bits of candy and scratch marks on the floors were proof that Glade was up here too.  

“Penny.”  

She stood at attention, eyes snapping back to General Ironwood. “Yes, sir?”  

“I apologize, I haven’t been completely honest with the final trial.” The General started, “It wasn’t just a combat test, but also how you would handle yourself in an uncontrolled environment, with… unorthodox civilians.” So General Ironwood… brought in a hacker and Glade because he knew and wanted them to disobey orders?  

“Gah,” Dr. Pietro scoffed at him, waving Ironwood’s concerns away. “What do you think of Glade, darling?”  

Penny paused, replaying footage of the fight. “She’s… good with Dust. Reckless.” Glade dodged without acknowledging the Spider Droid, "Very perceptive." She listed. But it didn’t feel right.  

“But what do you think of her?” Dr. Pietro gently prodded.  

Penny hummed, trying to turn off her combative protocols and focus beyond the fight. It was difficult. Her programing was confused, telling Penny a civilian wouldn’t run towards danger. “I don’t… understand?”  

“She ran out because she thought you were in danger,” Dr. Pietro corrected with a smile. Penny didn’t like the way it lacked the same muscles as usual. How it slowly sank into… something sad? “Glade is hotheaded and stubborn at times, but she’s brilliant. And deep, deep beneath it all, caring.”  

“It’s because of that brilliance she shouldn’t be sent on this mission,” Ironwood argued, but it had no real effort in the tone. “Though I suppose a personal connection with you Doctor, will ensure Penny’s success.”  

Penny frowned, staying silent until she was finally addressed again. Ironwood listed many cons against Glade and the hacker while her father gently persuaded that some of them were advantages. Her father was silent as the General emphasis that they weren’t trustworthy.  

Finally Ironwood sighed, “Penny.” She stood at attention again. “One fight doesn’t prove that you are ready for true combat, against the Grimm, against higher powers, but you have proven capable of fulfilling this duty.” This felt a little redundant but Penny didn’t speak up. She willed her processors to focus on what Ironwood was saying instead of comparing the list of pros and cons herself. How can a kind person be untrustworthy- “So we are sending you to the Vytal Festival.”  

“What?” Penny gasped. Her Aura flared a crossed her systems, giving more energy than she needed. She found herself bouncing, fist tightly clenched. “I’m going to Vale!”  

“And school,” Dr. Pietro added with a smile.  

At that Penny paused, head tilted in confusion. Anything she’d need to know about fighting Grimm could easily be downloaded. Studying was… an obsolete method to obtain information for her.  

“It would be suspicious if a student with your talents suddenly appeared at the Vytal festival with no public record. The other nations may try to accuse Atlas of cheating.” Ironwood said with a soft chuckle. “Ms. Glade is one of the possible teammates we have chosen for you.”  

“Oh! I think me and Ms. Glade will get along splendidly-” Penny cut herself off with a gasp. What did Glade say? Nice to finally meet you. They did call her brilliant- “Did she design the sensors in the Artificial skin?”  

General Ironwood frowned, looking at his right arm. “That… and more,” He said, one again whispering the last bit under his breath. His face was different than her father’s when he did it, but it was definitely not a positive emotion. Could the same physical behavior be used for more than one emotion? Why did the General not trust Glade?  

“Father, may I formally met Ms. Glade?”  

Dr. Pietro let out a nervous and sad laugh. “Soon, darling. We’ll let Glade recover first. She’s not who she used to be,” His eyes shifted to Ironwood. Why? Whatever look that crossed over her father’s face was gone in an organic blink. “And Ms. Xanthic pushed that Spider Droid well past its limitations.”  

With the meeting winding down and Penny’s final trial run a success she was dismissed back to the labs. Her walk was quiet and undisturbed. Only her father and Ironwood had permanent access to this facility. A brief research into Ms. Glade brought up several women in the data banks. She filtered her Faunus Horns and found none.  

Penny frowned and adjusted the parameters. Instead of horned Faunus she filtered it to all Faunus’. Only one women came up but the features were wrong. Instead of those golden horns wrapping around her head there was ears protruding from the sides. She looked at the meta data for the date.  

Weird right? She looks better with the horns.  

Penny paused. Tempering with official Atlas records was a criminal offense. And it was not a glitch. Penny refreshed her visual feed, blinking a few times and referred the page on Glade. The photo changed to one that did not fit Atlas’ requirements for a dossier. All photos must be shoulders up, forward facing with a neutral expression.  

This one had several people it and was dynamic. Glade struggled against another Faunus who laughed and used her legs to keep a golden prosthetic horn out of reach- as it sunk into her Deep Pockets. Or at least Penny hoped the horns were prosthetics. The photo itself could be altered. A hacker was not a reliable source of information.  

Huntress Fiona Thyme bullying civilian Aurora Glade.  

Penny looked around. The hallway was empty but there were was a drop of evidence that someone other than her father and General Ironwood has passed through. Precisely a drop of coffee on the ground. Penny looked around, “Altering Atlas information is a poor method of communication, Ms. Xanthic.” Her scroll pinged before she was done speaking.  

“It’s about sending a message.”  

“How does changing the delivery method-”  

“By the Brothers- I’m not one of Ironwood’s soldiers so he can’t order me around like one. I want to know what’s up.”  

“Well… the city of Atlas is up.”  

Penny had to wait a few seconds for a response. For some reason it made her nervous.  

“Okay, plan b. We’re going to see the goat.”  

“The goat- Ms. Glade!”  

“Yep. I’ll meet you here.” Ms. Xanthic sent a map of the facility with a red blinking dot at the back. “All the cameras are on loop but hurry. I don’t want get caught again.”  

Penny held the scroll to her chest. This… This wasn’t an approved course of action. Meeting a hacker skilled enough play with Atlas Drones and the database was not a smart thing a robot should do. But didn’t care. She bounced on her feet and looked around. If she snuck out her father would be disappointed… Right? But it seems that he wanted her to meet Ms. Glade. For unknown reasons General Ironwood is stopping him. Glade jumped in to rescue her, her father believes Glade is kind and trusting. The Faunus wouldn’t harm her…  

But every reason and logic was drowned out by curiosity. This was a situation that was beyond what her simulators could produce.  

“Okay.” Penny whispered to herself. She felt… unsure?  

The ride to Mantle was awkward and silent, except for the soft music playing from the speakers. Ms. Xanthic was… not as welcoming or kind as Ms. Glades. The only similarity was their abnormal eyes. Glade’s glowed from her semblance while Xanthic’s was glowing obviously cybernetic.  

Her first words to Penny was, “Don’t talk to me. Talk to Glade.” So Penny quietly sat in the transport and played with her hand.  

Until the view outside… Outside the lab her attention.  

“Wow! The sky is gorgeous!” The vast blue melted into pink and reds, brighter than the lights or plasma cutters in the lab. “It’s much different in person…” Penny closed her eyes and pressed her for head to the window. With a thought she recalled her visual data of just seconds before. The view of Atlas and Mantle, the setting sun and a palette of color Penny never saw within shining metal walls. It was better than the pre-installed photos. It was the same as the world beyond the window, pixel for pixel but… Being outside…  

“Brothers, you really do sound like Glade sometimes,” Xanthic mumbled under her breath, cybernetic eyes rolling. “But… I know what you mean. Things haven’t been the same with these replacements.”  

“If I may,” Penny said looking at the hacker. She gestured for the girl to continue talking, “What happen to your eyes?”  

“Nothing you’ll find on the net,” Xanthic said. Her chest puffed out a little proud. The grin on her face matched her a lot better than the scowl but it was gone in a few seconds. “Seems like Dr. P gave you an upgraded version.”  

“Oh um… Possibly.”  

“What happen to yours?”  

At that Penny found closed her mouth, lips pressed to a tight line. Nothing happened to them, she was created with these eyes. But that was highly confidential information. Penny is highly confidential information. She shouldn’t be out here. Penny looked at her hands in her lap, wringing them ever so slightly. If anyone applied the right pressure they could feel the ball joints in her fingers.  

“A secret for a secret, Ms. Polendina,” Xanthic said resting back against the backseat. She took a shaky breath and hugged her jacket to herself. “I thought Mantle had heaters? How is it this cold.”  

“I…” Penny couldn’t tell a stranger, a hacker, she was a robot and couldn’t feel the cold. “This is my first time in Mantle.”  

“I guess… you can say it’s my first time down here too,” Xanthic said with a small laugh.  

The silence afterwards was much more comfortable and shorter. The transport landed right on top a building. Penny thanked Xanthic’s robot butler who looked at her but did not respond. Instead Xanthic frowned and rolled her eyes, “So much like Glade…”  

“Do you know Ms. Glade?” Penny asked following the women to the roof access. She watched her pull out her scroll. The hacker didn’t press it to the scanner for entry, she opened it and… Lines of code appeared- Xanthic hacked the locked and the door hissed open. Penny gasped, “We can’t break into Ms. Glade’s home!”  

“Is it really trespassing if she’s expecting us?”  

“Well, we are…” Penny paused double checking the dictionary and Atlesian laws in her head. “Not infringing on her privacy.” Penny wrung her hands again. This was definitely not acceptable behavior, even her father wanted her to meet Glade, he definitely disapprove of this. “Nor have we come with the intent to harm… but…” Glades may not want to harm Penny but this was a hacker. Penny could be lured into a trap though… she would easily be able to sense whatever was lurking in the dark and fight her way free.  

“Oh, now the huntress-in-training is scared? Where was this with the Droid?” Xanthic said, once again rolling her eyes. Penny frowned. She wasn’t scared. Safety protocols was just overreacting again. “Then I’ll have Glade drag you in. And to answer your question, no. I don’t know the damn goat personally, Glade’s reputation precedes her.” Xanthic entered without checking to see if Penny would follow.  

After a small nervous dance and looking around as if someone would order her, Penny finally entered the building. She made sure the door would properly lock behind them. Xanthic was just a few steps down, looking at the building’s layout on her scroll.  

“Her living quarters are… second floor from the top. Fun fact, she owns the entire building and her shop is the first two floors. Space between that and her apartment are testing rooms, workshops and storage.” Xanthic pocketed her scroll and lead Penny down a few more steps then to a door which she immediately opened.  

Penny expected another hall but instead was greeted by bright lights and a living room. Random bits of machinery laid scattered the place, almost in an organized mess. Penny could see an open drone on the coffee table, screws and internal parts too close to a prosthetic arm to be organized.  

From the other end of the living room a door opened. Glade had that expression again, brows furred, mouth slightly open. After spending time with Xanthic, Penny realized Glade was glaring a little. Behind her another young adult in Police Academy uniform. She stared intensely at Ms. Xanthic.  

“Ashley Xanthic. Age 19. Recently found guilty of hacking Atlesian Military Facility.”  

That odd face Glade had on instantly turned to joy. At least that was something Penny knew. “And you were ragging on my record! You were dumb enough to get caught!” Glade said throwing her head back with a laugh.  

Xanthic scowled, a blush contrasting her blue bob. “Shut it, you goat!” That only made Glade snort and laugh harder. “I have so many regrets.”  

“I suppose breaking the law, multiple times, isn’t one of them.” The officer-in-training frowned. She walked around Glade but no further into the apartment. Her eyes inspected Penny, “You are… unknown.”  

“She’s Penny Polendina,” Xanthic said while Glade tried gasping for air. She just laughed harder. The hacker hummed, not a pleasant hum like father’s singing. Xanthic had her lips parted in a slight scowl, so more of a growl than a hum? Ms. Xanthic waved her arms, “This bitch is Ciel Soleil, and you’ve already met Aurora Glade.”  

“Play nice, Xan,” Glade giggled. It finally stopped once she detached her metal feet. There was a soft hiss from the prosthetic and from pain. Glade slotted lighter, simpler ones. Indoor feet, Penny giggled to herself. “Shoes off, make yourself at home! Apparently we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”  

But Penny is a highly classified weapon. She wasn’t suppose to be out here, wasn’t suppose to be with people. “What… do you mean?” Penny asked hesitating. Her mind quickly fired up several scenarios, most of them involving the hacker discovering her origins-  

“I was trying to get rid of my records but found something else linked to my file,” Xanthic said with a shrug. She took Glade’s offer and walked into the kitchen. The sound of a coffee machine followed. “Apparently we’re going to be a huntress team.” Of course! Ironwood was saying something about Glade and the Vytal Festival. “I’d like to meet everyone on my terms before becoming Ironwood’s puppet.”  

Penny tried not to flinch under those words, but it spat out like hot wires against her processors. At first she thought no one notice but Glade’s eyes lingered a little too long. They both looked at Ciel when she scoffed.  

"I’m not interested in behind dragged into whatever you anarchist have planned. If the General of our Kingdom," Penny noted how Glade and Xanthic rolled their eyes, “Has a directive for us we’d best follow it,” Ciel said. “I have an exam tomorrow, so if you’d excuse me-” She was not excused. Glade stepped in front of her.  

“I’ll help you study,” Glade offered, “I helped my friends all the time while they were in combat school.”  

Ciel looked up with a stare that had no emotion. A blank stare? Penny believed it was called. “We aren’t friends.”  

“But we will be teammates.” Glade said with a grin. She leaned forward until she was eye level with the officer-in-training and held up one finger, “And it’s called being polite.” A second finger went up, “A new perspective will help.” Three used her thumb instead of her ring finger, “And this way you won’t be wasting time going back home and cooking your own dinner.” Then Glade straighten out to nearly half a head taller than Ciel and held out her hand. “Good?”  

“Those are… acceptable terms,” Ciel relented with a sigh. She shook her hand and finally stepped into the apartment. “Rumor has it you’re a good cook.”  

“Rumor has it you humans have a taste buds like cardboards.” Glade said with a small laugh. She looked at Penny and crossed her arms. “What? I need to talk you into staying too?”  

Penny was still by the door, hands clasped together. She bounced a little, still unsure if she should stay or go… Her father trusted Glade. General Ironwood didn’t trust either of them. But if the hacker and mechanic wanted to harm her they would have done it already. And if not, P.E.N.N.Y could handle two civilians.  

“Hm. No, I think I’ll stay for the moment, Ms. Glade.”  

“Ugh, Glade is too formal. My friends call me Aro.”  

Friends call me… Penny gasped bouncing a little more. Her power core leaking her Aura into too many components, “We’re friends?!” Someone wanted to be friends with her?  

“Only if you like how Aro sounds- Hey!” Glade yelped, tackled a few steps backwards. The gravity Dust in her legs tethered her to the ground. Ciel and Xanthic frowned glancing at each other. Ciel gestured to the babbling ginger and the laughing goat but Xanthic choose to look around for cream and sugar.  

Day 239 since creation. Three days since last artificial skin tear. Four trials cleared.  

Day One of Team APCX.

[evendeadlmthehero]

The Five Year Promise: The Snap (5/10)

Summary: Y/N Stark, 20 year old superhero, makes a promise with a 16 year old Peter Parker after being cheated on, that if she hasn’t found love in the next 5 years, they’d finally go on a date. Then the snap happens. Y/N is gone and Peter isn’t

Warnings: lots of angst and swearing

Twitter// buckyslemons

The Five Year Promise Masterlist

A/N: no one told me how to add read more in my posts on a MOBILE APP, not the laptop so if I see comments saying to add ‘read more’, either teach me or please be quiet.

You and your father were hidden from above watching as needles started to come in contact Dr. Strange's face, causing an obviously painful whitish subcutaneous glow at each touch. “Give me the stone!”

You watch, trying to plan your next move before something taps your shoulder. You raise your hand to it, ready to shoot, but then see what it is and stand down. It was Strange’s cloak. Your father looked at it confusedly. “Wow you're a seriously loyal piece of outerwear, aren't you?”

Suddenly you hear someone drop down before you, making both you and your father turn around. “Yeah, uh, speaking of loyalty.”

“What the-“

“I know what you're both gonna say,” Peter begun as he raised his hands up. He watched as your face turned into one of anger.

“You should not be here,” your father had muttered, shaking his head at both of you. “I did not want either of you here.”

“I was gonna go home-“

“I don't wanna hear it.”

“But it was such a long way down and I just thought about you both,” Peter spoke, glancing at you specifically.

“You’re such an idiot peter!” You told him, anger coursing throughout your body. “My father and I could’ve handled this! This isn’t a fucking game peter, this is a one way ticket!”

“Don’t you think I get that-“

“Obviously not!” You cut him off, taking a step closer to him. “You can’t just risk your life recklessly like that!”

“You’re doing the same thing!” Peter spoke back, his turn to get angry. “I don’t get why it’s so bad when I do it!”

“Because you’re a damn kid Peter!” You yelled back at him. His face dropped for a second before looking at the floor as he played with his fingers. “You do things out of pure instinct. Not thinking that two avengers plus a wizard was enough as it is.”

‘Just a kid,’ he had though. ‘Just a little kid.’

“Come on guys,” your father breathed in heavily as he took you both to the viewpoint as tension between you and Peter rose. “We got a situation. See him down there? He's in trouble. What's our plan? Go.”

“Um. Okay, okay,” Peter spoke, trying to forget what you had said earlier on and concentrate. He had to prove you wrong. That he wasn’t a impulsive teenager. That he was an asset. He and the Cloak then popped back upright. “Okay. Did you ever see this really old movie, Aliens?”

-

“Painful aren't they?” You heard maw speak as he poked Stephen with needles, making him scream. “They were originally designed for microsurgery. And any one of them-“

He stops as he hears a thump behind him. Maw turns to see Iron Man standing there, hand repulsors ready to fire. Ebony Maw’s face remained unchanged as he looked at your father. “Could end your friend's life in an instant.”

Your dad shrugged, acting like he didn’t care. “Gotta tell you, he's not really my friend. Saving his life is more a professional courtesy.”

Maw walks slowly towards your father, beckoning very large, very solid metal objects to float behind him. “You've saved nothing. Your powers are inconsequential compared to mine.”

Your father remained unbothered as he sighed. You readied into position, your fists pointed towards the wall of the spaceship. “Yeah, but the kid's seen more movies.”

You let out a quantum blast which pierces the side of the ship to Maw's right and begins to suck everything out with depressurization, especially Maw and his large objects. Dr. Strange is pulled loose of his pinnings, loses the needles, but also heads for the hole, helpless to resist. The Cape wraps around his arm and an anchor point, but Dr. Strange's arm slips loose and he keeps going.

You are also struggling to hold tight to the pipe attached to the wall. Peter sees this and shoots a web strand at Dr. Strange and you with one hand, while he holds onto a piece of the ship with the other. It breaks, sending them both towards space when his Iron-Spider suit's metal arms brace him to keep him from being sucked out. Fortunately, Dr. Strange is still surrounded by the ship's atmosphere making haste to leave.

“Yes!” Peter yelled excitedly as spider-legs came out of his suit. “Wait what are those!”

Peter crouches with his new spider-legs, and makes a mighty leap and pulls you both back inside. Your father quickly sprays nanites onto the hole to plug it up. He then walks past Dr. Strange, shaking his head and with his armor retreating into its containment as Dr. Strange gets to his feet and becomes en-Cloaked. “We've gotta turn this ship around.”

“Yeah,” you replied back sarcastically as you walked over and sat on the floor, your back against the wall. “Now he wants to run. Great plan.”

Dr. Strange looked over at you. “No, I want to protect the stone.”

Your dad walked towards the expansive front view-port before speaking. “And I want you to thank me now. Go ahead, I'm listening.”

“For what?” Stephen had scoffed, matching Tony’s ego. “Nearly blasting me into space?”

Your father moved his head to the side looking at Strange absurdly. “Who just saved your magical ass? Me.”

Strange shook his head at your dad, letting out a bitter laugh. “I seriously don't know how you fit your head into that helmet.”

“Admit it.” Your father had spoke, taking a step forward. “You should have ducked out when I told you to. I tried to bench you. You refused.”

“Unlike everyone else in your life, I don't work for you.”

“And due to that fact, we're now in a flying doughnut billions of miles away from Earth with no backup!”

“Can you guys for one secound just shut up!” You cut them both off as you walked over to the ship’s systems, trying to work out what it was doing. “This ship is self-correcting its course. Thing's on autopilot.”

Dr. Strange walks closer to you. “Can we control it? Fly us home?”

“Maybe,” you spoke shaking your head as you looked at the various switches and buttons. “Might take a while but we could get home, gather the remaining Avengers and-“

“-I'm not so sure we should,” your father cut you off as he looked to be in a deep thought. You looked at your father confusedly.

“Under no circumstance can we bring the Time Stone to Thanos,” Strange shot at your father. “I don't think you quite understand what's at stake here.”

Your father stalks over to Strange. “No. It's you who doesn't understand, that Thanos has been inside my head for six years since he sent an army to New York and now he's back! And I don't know what to do. So I'm not so sure if it's a better plan to fight him on our turf or his but you saw what they did, what they can do. At least on his turf, he's not expecting it. So I say we take the fight to him. Doctor. Do you concur?”

Dr. Strange thinks for a secound before nodding his head. “Alright, Stark. We go to him. But you have to understand. if it comes to saving you, your daughter, the kid or the Time Stone, I will not hesitate to let either of you die. I can't, because the fate of the universe depends on it.”

“Nice. Good. Moral compass. We're straight,” your father nods at Strange. He then steps over to Peter, as he formally taps each of Peter's shoulders with the edge of his hand, dubbing him as is done at a knighting. “Alright, kid. You're an Avenger now.”

Your father doesn't look at him as he says those words, knowing well what he is signing him up for. Peter however looks at Tony in disbelief, and then cycles through delight, satisfaction, pride and determination, and braces himself for what's to come. You scoff at your dad, knowing all to well what he was doing. You then look at Peter before shaking your head and storming off to find a quiet place out of here.

“Go after her,” your father spoke, giving Peter a little tap on the back. “See if she’s alright.”

Peter nodded at Tony before going over to where you had stormed off. He walked around for a few minutes before he saw you pacing around in an empty room. “I can’t believe it! I can’t believe he just made you an Avenger! I can’t believe you’ve risked your life for no reason and my dad has made you an Avenger!”

Peter scoffed, walking into to room you were in. “You expect me to stay there while you’re up here!”

“You heard me Peter, it’s a one way ticket!” You stopped pacing to look at him as you waved your arms around. “You should’ve stayed there no matter what happens to me!”

“You don’t fucking get it do you!” Peter yelled in frustration, pushing back his hair as his heart started beating rapidly out of anger and exasperation. “For the smartest person in the world you can be so daft!”

You crossed your arms, looking at Peter as he offended you. “Excuse me?”

“Last week you asked if I liked you. I don’t.” He spoke as he clenched his jaw. Your heart dropped for a moment as you took a step back. “The truth is I love you.”

“Peter,” you mumbled, shaking your head at him. “You don’t even know what love is.”

“And there you again, patronising me,” Peter spat out as he laughed bitterly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I’m not!” You told him, uncrossing your arms.

“Yes you are! You always do!” He accused you as he pointed a finger at you. “You think because I’m four years younger than you, that I don’t know anything!”

“I’m not saying that, I’m just saying you haven’t been exposed to many things in life yet,” you replied back, trying to get him to understand where you were coming from. Peter wasn’t in love with you, was he? “Love being one of them.”

“Not exposed?” Peter shouted, his face displaying a look of unbelief for your lack of awareness. “I’ve been exposed for years! For years I’ve been exposed to love because of you! I can’t think of anything but you! And you don’t even fucking see it!”

“Pete-“

“No! You don’t get to talk! Because it’s been like this for two years, of you looking at me like I’m some sort of kid! And this watch?” He held up his wrist as he showed you the watch you gave him. “This is because you feel sorry for me! You don’t love me! C’mon Y/N tell me you don’t actually see me more than a brother, because it’s a one way trip, remember! I might not come back to hear the truth!”

“Peter,” you let out a sigh as you pinched your nose. You honestly don’t why you gave him the watch. Maybe you saw potential in the guy, because he sure did pay attention to you. You thought in the future, you might give it a shot. “you’re a nice guy. I though that-“

“That if you exhausted all your options and still didn’t find the one that I was the last person who you’d date,” Peter let out a little chuckle, looking at the floor. “Its fine I get it.”

“Peter, look you might not even ‘love’ me by the end of five years,” you tried to reason with him, taking a step forward. “You might find someone else when that timer hits zero.”

Peter let out another bitter laugh as he walked over toward you, making your breath halt.

“You know how I know that this is what love is?” Peter spoke, looking at you dead in the eye. “Because what you just said sounds fucking impossible.”

-

You, Peter, Tony and Dr. Strange are aboard the ship when you see the surface of a planet approaching. Dr. Strange looked at your father, walking near the window. “I think we're here.”

“I don't think this rig has a self-park function,” your father spoke before looking at you. “Get your hand into this steering gimbal. Close those around it. You understand?”

“Got it,” you replied back. You walk over to the steering wheel that looked like two gloves, as you put your hand in one of the gloves.

Your father places his hand on the other glove. “This was meant for one big guy, so we gotta to move at the same time.”

The ringship is heading straight for the center of what looks like one of a colossal game of jacks. “We might wanna turn. Turn! Turn! Turn!”

Your father armors up as the ringship clips the "jack" obliquely, but still losing a good third of its hull in the collision. Peter throws up his helmet at the same time. Doctor Strange steps between them and creates the Shield of the Seraphim around you all, anticipating a rough landing. The ship, now reduced to about 40%, plows through the dirt and stops, leaning slightly to one side. Doctor Strange helps you and your now de-helmeted father, to your feet. You’re both panting a little from the exertion of arrival. “You alright? That was close. I owe you one.”

Peter descends from above in classically spider-like fashion as all three of you looked at him. “Let me just say, if aliens wind up implanting eggs in my chest or something, and I end up eating you, I'm sorry.”

Your father pointed at Peter like a parent telling off his child. “I don't wanna hear another single pop culture out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?”

“I'm trying to say that-“ Peter stopped as he looked behind you both. “Something is coming.”

A grenade rolls into view. You, Peter, Strange and Tony get thrown well back when it fires its energy pulse.

“Thanos!” You hear a creature yell as he flings a blade at Doctor Strange, who neatly deflects it with a mystical shield, and in return sends the Cloak of Levitation at the creatures face, half-smothering him and throwing him to the floor. You see what seemed to be a Human attacking your father and due to how close your father was to him, you couldn’t just shoot at him. The man had your father in what seemed to be a magnet.

You opted for your black widow skills and ran toward him, wrapping your legs around his neck, choking him with your thighs.

“Get off me!” The man yelled as he tried to smack you in the head with the back of his gun. You grabbed it with your hand. The man purposely fell backwards to get you off his back, making you see a daze. He then shot an electric current that wrapped around you like a cord. Your dad pulls free of the magnet then runs towards Drax as soon as he sees that Quill had you, putting a foot on his torso.

Quill has you in a head-lock, gun pointed at your head. Doctor Strange has a mystical shield of golden energy up, and stands ready at the third point of the triangle. Mantis had Parker in a coma.

It was a complete mess.

“Alright, everybody, stay where you are, chill the F out,” Quill spoke as he depowered his helmet. “I'm gonna ask you this one time. Where's Gamora?”

Your father spoke, dehelmeting as well. “Yeah, I'll do you one better. Who's Gamora?”

“I’ll do you one better! Why is Gamora?” The creature that was headlocked by your father spoke out.

“What the fuck is wrong with him,” you whispered to yourself as you looked at the creature that your father had under his foot.

“Tell me where the girl is, or I swear to you, I'm gonna French-fry little miss thighs of death!” Quill had spoke, pushing the gun towards your head more.

“Let's do it! You shoot my daughter, I blast him. Let's go!” Your father threatened as he extends his nano-tech cannon, looking uncannily like an electric shark about to eat Drax's face.

“Do it, Quill! I can take it.”

“No, he can't take it!” Mantis yelled back.

“She's right. You can't,” Dr Strange deadpanned.

“Oh yeah? You don't wanna tell me where she is? That's fine. I'll kill all four of you and beat it out of Thanos myself,” the man spoke before looking at you. “Starting with you.”

“Wait, what. Thanos?” Dr Strange spoke, trying to inject clarity and sanity into the situation. “Alright, let me ask you this one time. What master do you serve?”

“What master do I serve? What am I supposed to say? "Jesus"?” The guy spoke making you roll your eyes at him as it dawned to you.

“You're from Earth?” You had asked him, turning around to look at him from the death grip he had you in.

“I’m not from Earth. I'm from Missouri.”

‘Well this was going to be a long day,’ you thought you yourself as you closed you eyes and sighed.

-

Peter and yourself had sat on one of the rocks in the planet which you came to learn was called titan. Despite your predicament and the place in ruins, it was a beautiful place.

Your dad was trying to explain the plan to a group of people who you’d learnt the names of a while ago. The one that looked like a Prey Mantis had the name Mantis. Go figure.

Mantis was currently jumping on what seemed to be a gas emitting from the ground or something, you didn’t know. But what you did know was if Thanos was as strong as others had told you he was, then you guys were in for it. Because you had found a team of some questionable characters.

You sighed, rubbing your temple before facing Peter, who looked like he was ignoring you. “Pete?”

He didn’t respond, staring at the rocks in front of him. You shook your head, playing with your fingers.

“Come one Pete,” you softly spoke, turning around to have your body face him. “We might not come back out of this. We need to talk.”

“Fine,” Peter mumbled, grabbing a rock from the floor and chucking it across. “You go first since I already confessed about how I love you and how apparently it’s not even real.”

You rubbed your eye before biting the bottom of your lip, trying to form some logical explanation on your outburst. You looked around the planet, playing with the material of your suit.

“Truth is Peter, you’re not a kid. You’re smart, mature, attentive and heroic,” you spoke. “But I didn’t give you that watch to risk your life for me. Or to ignore other girls for me. I gave you that watch because if you exhaust all your options, and there’s no one else left, that we give it a go. Because I want to. But I want to make sure you 100% want to and not because I’m the first girl you like.”

Peter’s head moved up at that comment. “That’s the thing. I don’t think I’ll ever find someone like you. And it scares me. So when you gave me that watch...for once I-I felt hopeful. I felt hopeful that we might have something. Maybe not now, but in the future.”

“Exactly Peter,” you spoke, putting your arm around his shoulders as you pointed at his watch. “This is for the future. In the future things change. Things become unpredictable. Hell, you might not want to wear this in a couple of months or years time. But that’s okay. The main thing is when we’re both ready, if we are ready, we’ll give it a shot. It’s just now I can’t. Not because of age primarily but because I just got my heart broken. And you need to meet other girls before you decide what you want. Because once we start, we can’t be friends if things go wrong.”

“I get it,” Peter whispered to himself, rubbing his arm. “You need time. And I need time too. I need time to actually grow. To learn. To be a man. I’m 16 and you’re 21. We both need time. It isn’t right to try now.”

You give Peter a hug which he returns. It’s warm and gives you a feeling of eating a hot chocolate fudge during Christmas. Like home. “I hope the future is kind to us.”

“I hope so too,” Peter replied back as you both pulled away from each other. You then looked at each other’s eyes, for a secound almost lost.

You then awkwardly looked away, your attention once again caught by the Mantis girl as she spoke. “Excuse me, but, does your friend often do that?”

You looked over to where she was pointing, where you see Dr. Strange sitting cross-legged. He was floating slightly above the ground, his hands poised in a mystic gesture with the Time Stone glowing brightly in the Eye of Agamotto setting. Green vapor-like energy flows from the stone, and more intricate magical energy patterns circle Dr. Strange's forearms. The Cloak of Levitation flows behind him as if the Stone is creating a strong breeze. His eyes are closed, and his head is jerking rapidly from side to side, the motion blurring, but resembling looking for something.

Peter, you and your father ran over to him. Your father grabbed him, shaking him. “Strange! We alright?”

Dr. Strange snaps out of his trance and falls forward, letting out a cry.

“You're back. You're alright,” your father breathed in heavily as he took a step back.

“Hey, what was that?” Peter asked Strange who was still breathing deeply. He then sighed, looking at you all.

“I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict,” Strange spoke, looking deflated.

“How many did you see?” Quill had asked him.

“14,000,605”

Your father looked nervous as he asked the next question. “How many did we win?”

Dr. Strange stares intently at Tony for a moment. He looks at your father like he was silently apologising to him, giving you a quick glance. “One.”

At the time, that look meant nothing to you. Like it was just Strange tired from viewing all possible outcomes.

But looking back at it, you would’ve yelled at him. Pleaded with him. That somehow, someway it could’ve gone differently.

That there was an outcome that he may have missed.

-

You hid behind a rock with Peter, waiting for the arrival of Thanos. You were lying if you said you weren’t afraid. You were. It was like being a child. You think there’s monsters under your bed. You tell your parents, and they laugh, saying that monsters aren’t real. And then you return to bed, unable to sleep.

This is what it felt like, your heart thudding against your chest. This is it. This is what you’ve been waiting for. And although you’ve been waiting six years, you still didn’t feel prepared.

“Somethings not right,” you whispered to Peter, giving him a quick glance before keeping your eyes out for Thanos. “Something- I don’t think I- I will make it- fuck.”

You shook your head, tears welling up in your eyes. Peter moved towards you, rubbing your back. “Pete? Can you promise me something?”

“Anything,” Peter spoke, looking at you concerned. You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to contain yourself.

“I don’t want you to comment on this, just a yes or a no. I don’t want sympathy and I don’t won’t hope. I just want a yes or a no,” You begun before looking away at him and back where Strange was. “If I don’t make it, take care of my father will you?”

“Y/N-“

“Will you?” You reinforced. Peter gulped, before nodding. He wouldn’t let you die. He couldn’t let you die. “Good. Great talk.”

You let out a little breath before you look back. A blue mist started appearing, getting bigger and bigger. You know what it was. It was a portal created by the tesseract. You remembered it from 2012.

You then see a giant man who looked almost 8 foot tall. He had a violet complexion and donned a gauntlet with four stones; reality, space, power and soul.

You held your breath as you realised he’s here. Thanos is here.

“Oh, yeah, you're much more of a "Thanos”,” Dr Strange spoke from the stone he was sitting on. Thanos looked at him, his face unchanged.

“I take it the Maw is dead,” Thanos sighed, as he slowly walked around before stopping. “This day extracts a heavy toll. Still, he accomplished his mission.”

“You may regret that,” Dr Strange replied arrogantly. “He brought you face-to-face with the Master of the Mystic Arts.”

Thanos let out a little smile. “And where do you think he brought you?”

You see Star-Lord crouch behind wreckage with his weapon ready, behind Thanos. You and Peter peek from behind Dr Strange. “Let me guess. Your home?”

Thanos begun explaining his home, showing various imagery of what used to be. Explains why he was doing what he was. Trying to justify himself.

Dr. Strange summons his Mandalas, entering a fighting pose. “I think you'll find our will equal to yours.”

And that’s when you all get out of your position.

“Ours?” Thanos spokes before he looks up to a see a chunk of wreckage descending rapidly on him, too rapidly to react and powered by your father. He is subsequently crushed by it.

The wreckage on top of Thanos erupts in purple, as he bellows in rage. He turns the hovering fragments into a flock of bats with the Reality Stone and swarms your dad with them, driving him back through the ruins.

Peter webs his eyes, and swings in to kick him in the face at the same time that Drax leaps from cover, blades in both hands, to knee-slide behind Thanos and try for a tendon slide across the back of the Titan's knee.

You jump through a portal that strange had created and blast golden energy, that sends Thanos hurdling back. He uses the reality stone to send the discarded ship towards you, but you fly in full speed right through it as the heat from the quantum energy sliced the metal of the ship.

Strange starts dueling with Thanos while Drax attacks similarly on his other side. Thanos punches Drax through a ruined wall, then shatters the blade with one hand and tears the web from his eyes. He advances on Doctor Strange and kicks at him, but Strange's shield absorbs the damage.

You make your way back on the ground, and shoot Thanos from behind. Thanos uses the Power Stone to shoot balls of energy towards you but you quickly deflect them with your own powers. You then use quantum energy to lift up a massive rock and aim it at Thanos who crushes it before it even reaches him.

“Don’t let him close his fist,” you had heard Dr Strange whisper to his cloak. The Cloak swoops off Doctor Strange's shoulders and wraps itself tightly around Thanos' armored hand, who starts tugging at this unexpected wrapping.

Doctor Strange starts throwing portals everywhere. Peter leaps through one on Thanos' left.

“Magic!” He punches Thanos in the head and vanishes through a portal to the lower right before reappearing above Thanos. “More magic! Magic with a kick! Magic with a-“

Before he can finish Thanos turns, grabbing him from the air, and throwing him to the ground, with his hand around his neck. “Insect!”

He then throws him at Doctor Strange, knocking them both down. Thanos finally tears the Cloak away and is then promptly surrounded by fiery explosions as you bombarded him with your powers.

He sucks all the flame into the gauntlet with the Power Stone and fires it in a stream back at you, hitting you dead on and sending you far away.

Peter leaps from behind, more conventionally this time, while Thanos concentrates his fire on you, and webs the gauntlet and drops down in front of him, pulling hard to stop Thanos from hurting you.

‘Can’t let her die,’ Peter had thought.

Thanos yanks on the web-line, pulling the much lighter teenager towards him, and punching him on his way past. He tears the webbing free of the gauntlet just in time for a small spaceship to attempt to crash-land on him.

The ship drags Thanos along for a distance, burying him under debris. He stands just as the pilot leaps in a great arc to punch him, landing in front of him with an energy-blade at the ready.

It was Nebula.

Thanos punches her away. Doctor Strange uses the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to pinion the gauntlet, pulling Thanos' fingers open and trying to pry the gauntlet off his hand.

Thanos tries to pull free, as Drax slides in from his right, kicking his knee and knocking him off-balance, then wrapping himself around Thanos' kneeling leg. You quantum blast his legs, making him fall, before holding his legs in a ball of energy.

Star-Lord shoots a electric trap onto the ground to Thanos' right, the tangle-field holding down his unarmored hand. Peter swings in, webs Thanos' chest then wraps it around behind him, digging his Iron Spider legs into the ground to anchor himself.

Doctor Strange opens a portal straight above Thanos' out of which drops Mantis, landing on the Titan's shoulders, her hands on his temples. He bellows as she tries to put him under.

Thanos was now trapped. And you were slightly relieved.

Your father is pulling on the gauntlet. Doctor Strange reapplies the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to reinforce the trap's hold on Thanos' right hand, and the Cloak helps him pull. Thanos is finally subdued enough to incapacitate, not fully asleep.

“Is he under?” Your father spoke as continued pulling on the gauntlet. “Don't let up.”

“Be quick,” Mantis cried as she clenched her eyes closed, trying to concentrate. “He is very strong.”

“Parker, help! Get over here,” your father spoke as Peter drops his web-line, and hurries to help Tony with the gauntlet. “She can't hold him much longer. Let's go.”

Quill flies over to join the others, stands in front of Thanos, tauntingly. “I thought you'd be harder to catch. For the record, this was my plan. Not so strong now, huh? Where is Gamora?”

Thanos stirred from that name, still under asleep. “My Gamora.”

“No, bullshit,” Quill spat out, as you continued comcentrating your power on holding Thanos’ legs. “Where is she?”

Mantis lets out a sob, her face in shock. “He is in anguish.”

“Good,” Quill spat out harshly, staring at Thanos.

“He- he mourns.”

“What does this monster have to mourn?” Drax yelled.

Nebula had stood there, her eyes welling up as she put the pieces together. “Gamora.”

“Fuck,” you whispered, looking at Quill who’s face was in shock.

“What?”

Nebula shook her head with horror and sadness at what had happened. “He took her to Vormir. He came back with the Soul Stone but she didn't.”

Your father frasps the danger immediately and de-helmets. “Okay, Quill, you gotta cool it right now, you understand?”

Quill slowly turns to Thanos.

“Don't, don't, don't engage, we've almost got this off!”

“Tell me she's lying,” Quill spoke, now enraged. “Asshole! Tell me you didn't do it!”

“I had to.”

Quill shook his head while starting to tear up. “No, you didn't! No, you didn't!.”

He continues to rage and then pistol-whipping Thanos twice in the face, causing Mantis to let go in pain. “No you didn’t!”

“Quill!”

Your father leaps for Star-Lord's arm, re-helmeting and leaving Peter to pull off the gauntlet. You hold onto Thanos’ legs with your powers more strongly, your whole body aching in pain. Thanos wakes completely, now well and truly furious. He head-butts Mantis, grabbing the cuff of the gauntlet just as it is sliding off his hand, causing Peter to stumble back, and then throwing Mantis away off his shoulders.

Thanos kicks Drax off his right leg and into Nebula and Star-Lord, knocking them down. He yanks on the Crimson Bands holding his right hand to throw Doctor Strange far away, and swats away your father and his repulsor shots.

He then grabs you, using the power stone to chuck you across the sky. Peter sees this and runs over to you but before he reaches you, your head hits the rock.

Your vision starts to daze, the last thing you see is Peter’s face before you black out.

-

Your vision was blurry as you opened your eyes, blinking rapidly. You could hear voices murmuring somewhere as you focussed on the orange sky above you. You look to your left, seeing a familiar brown pair of eyes. “Peter?”

Peter smiled at you, but it didn’t fully reach his face. Your head was pounding as you looked at your surroundings. Half of the guardians passed out and you dad clutching his injured stomach. And then Strange. Strange didn’t have the time stone.

“Oh no,” you muttered shaking your head, making your head pound even more. “Wh- what happened.”

“Thanos wanted to kill your dad,” he mumbled defeatly, making your eyes widen as you looked over to your dad. “Then Dr Strange gave up the stone for his life.”

You quickly got up, Peter quickly trailing behind you just in case you had fell. You had ran up to your dad, taking him by surprise as you gave him a tight squeeze. No words were exchanged, but both of you knew how much you loved one another.

“Stop being such a self-sacrificial ass, okay?” you told him, grabbing his cheeks as you made him look you in the eyes. Your father gave you a sad grin and a little nod. “Y-you can’t do that.”

You then grabbed Peter and pulled him into the hug with you and your father. You guys all squeezed each other, happy that none of you guys had died. That you might have a chance of coming back home, or to what’s left of it if the remaining Avengers don’t win.

You then made eye contact with Dr Strange, who hasn’t stopped looking at you for a while now. You then pull away from the hug and walk over to him. “You gave away the stone.”

Dr Strange nodded, not breaking eye contact with you. “Yeah, I did.”

You nodded, looking at his face for any answers on why he did what he did. A thunder broke your gaze, as you looked up and saw a cloud forming. You then saw Dr Strange in the side of your eye let out a sigh.

You then felt sick, your stomach doing somersaults. Your vision started going in and out of focus, your whole body shivering. You were scared and terrified. You didn’t know what was happening but you knew it was something horrible.

“Ah!” You screamed, as you held your stomach in pain. Peter and your father ran over to you, trying to hold you upright.

“Hey, hey what’s wrong?” Your father asked as he sat you down. You shook your head, your eyes filled with tears as the most excruciating pain jolted throughout your body.

“Something is happpening,” Mantis cries as everyone looked over to her. And then the most horrifying thing happened to her. Her body had slowly disenergrated into ash, the wind carrying it away.

“Quill?” Drax had spoken as he too had disenergrated whilst Quill watched in horror. Your father had gotten up, walking over to Star-Lord as he too started to fade.

“Steady, Quill,” your dad spoke before Quill had vanished. You let out a sob as the pain got worse and worse.

“Tony,” Dr Strange had spoken, catching your father’s attention. Little speckles left his body as he looked at your dad with pleading eyes. “There was no other way.”

He had vanished as well, leaving you, Peter, your father and Nebula. You let out a cry before shaking your head. “It hurts so much!”

“Hey, Hey, Hey,” your dad spoke, his eyes tearing up. “It’s going to be fine. We just have to get back to earth.”

“You don’t understand!” You told him, lifting your arm up as you saw dust particles leave your hand and then re-forming. “Dad I- it’s me too. I have- he-“

You shook your head, not wanting to say. Your suit was trying to heal you. But the pain was getting worse and worse. “I h-have to turn the suit off.”

“No!” Your dad yelled at you. You looked at Peter, seeing tears fall down his face as he watched on silently. You closed your eyes, falling into a hysteria of cries.

“I’m gonna g-go either way Dad,” you spoke, unable to form coherent sentences. “I have to do it.”

“Please-“

“I l-love you dad. Please don’t waste your life,” you cried out to him, holding his hand. You then looked at Peter giving him a sad smile. “And Pete, I like you. I do. B-but I was always scared to give it a go. B-but remembered what you promised. P-please.”

“No, no, no you can’t just do that! You can’t smile at me and tell me everything’s gonna be alright every time it isn’t!” Peter shook his head at you, grabbing your hand. “You- you- please just- just lets take you home, we can fix this. P-please j-just look me in the- the eyes-“

“F.R.I.D.A.Y,” you whispered, as you gave your father one last look before looking at Peter who was a sobbing mess. You then squeezed his arm while he was speaking.

“A-and know everything’s going to be fine,” Peter finished, his whole body shaking. His Spider senses was on overdrive as anxiety flooded his whole body. He couldn’t lose you. Not again. Not ever. “J-Just please stay.”

“Turn off my suit,” you finished your command, giving both men a smile as you saw dust particles slowly leave your body.

“No!” Peter yelled out, trying to stop the dust from leaving your body. Your dad watched you, unable to take his eyes off from decaying daughter, watching in absolute shock and grief.

Peter’s senses allowed him to hear your heartbeat get fader and fader before it wasn’t there at all. He can hear every spec leave your body, one by one. It was by far one of the worst experiences in his life.

Peter Parker had to watch you die twice.

Your body slowly collapsed into a pile of ash. Peter sobbed as he grabbed the dust from the floor and trying to put them together. “Th-this isn’t h-her! S-she doesn’t l-look like this! She- we have to- she can’t- We have to fix her!”

Tony watched in silence as Peter tried to pick up your ashes. He watched as Peter let out a gut wrenching cry as he realised he couldn’t do anything with what was left of you. Tony then slowly picked up what was left of you and closed his hand into a fist as he placed it near his heart.

He had failed. He had lost his only daughter.