#the hawke twins are far more similar than people think they are

[hollyand-writes]

One of the things that hurts me most about Bethany and Carver is how neither of them really get what they want out of life, regardless of which path they take in Dragon Age 2. 

And one of things I have noticed on my current Bethany playthrough after my many, many Carver playthroughs is how much more similar the Hawke twins are than I’ve seen talked about in fandom -- because, ultimately, their fears and worries come down to the same thing. It is easy to miss, though, because they express themselves so differently. 

In my playthrough, Bethany is not necessarily the cheerful “sunshine” and the optimistic “sweet little sister” I often see her depicted as. Carver is not necessarily the grumpy, sullen “middle child” type (although it’s never explicitly confirmed that he’s actually a middle child) I often see him depicted as, either. Bethany has her hard, frosty edges. Carver has his soft, caring ones. 

Both twins are foils for each other in many ways -- Bethany the mage, Carver the warrior; Bethany the one who openly talks about her feelings, Carver the one who doesn’t; Bethany the one who’s overtly religious/devout, while Carver is privately so; Bethany expresses through her words, Carver expresses through his actions; Bethany, who starts on high friendship with (and admiration of) Hawke while Carver... definitely doesn’t -- but their character arcs in DA2 and even many of their dialogues and reactions are the same. 

Note that when you go to Sundermount in Act 1, Flemeth’s advice to them is exactly the same, regardless of how opposite Bethany and Carver seem on the surface. 

“Regret is something I know well. Take care not to cling to it, to hold it so close that it poisons your soul.” 

Curious, no? Why does Flemeth have the same advice for them on regret, despite Bethany being the “sunny” one and Carver being the “sulky” one? 

In a Regency AU longfic of mine, I write Bethany as the sunny, cheerful twin, but with a bit of the snark she has in game. The narrative choice I made to deviate her character from canon was because her circumstances are so different: both Hawke twins are alive, for a start. Bethany, in my AU, has every reason to be happy: she isn’t a mage, she is nobility, she lives in a nice house and has nice dresses and goes to parties where she got to flirt with a handsome prince and lives the life that she canonically loved so much in stories she read growing up. 

The Bethany in-game is... not quite like that. The Bethany in-game is worried. She is constantly looking over her shoulder for templars. The Bethany in-game talks with animation and interest and longing about what their life might have been like if they got to be Amells and nobility -- no poverty, no hiding, no running, no make-shift dresses that Leandra learned to sew when she ran away with Malcolm -- but also with a twinge of regret that her life couldn’t be like that. That her life couldn’t ever be like her dreams, like the stories she loves. 

The Bethany in-game is, as Carver tells you in the Legacy DLC, a girl who wanted so badly to just be “normal”. No magic. No hiding. No looking over her shoulder all the time for fear that the templars might come. Bethany is canonically a virgin in Act 1 but not because she’s this innocent, virginal sweet-little-sister type -- but because she was forced to hide. She couldn’t get too close to anyone, couldn’t let them ever see the real her, because she was a mage -- and because who could she trust, other than her family, not to sell her out to the templars? World of Thedas 2 talks about how she “never did anything fun [and] stayed down in her house most of the time.” It’s likely she didn’t want to be like that, but that she felt forced to be like that. 

(Carver had more freedom in that respect -- able to moon after Peaches or even get busy with her behind Old Barlin’s barn without worrying that he might accidentally reveal himself as a mage. It’s a secret that is easier to keep when it’s not you that’s the mage. And yet, even then, both Hawke twins found ways to help their neighbours and community in Lothering -- we learn from Act 2 letters that Carver helped a neighbour trap rats in the cellar, while Bethany helped the neighbour weed.)

And then, just when Bethany comes so close to that ideal life that she always wanted and dreamed of -- just as Hawke is about to hit the jackpot and reclaim the Amell Estate, and end all her worries about being a poor apostate unprotected by money or title (for that’s what the whole Deep Roads Expedition is about: Carver even says they need money, influence, status, anything to get the templars off their backs) -- her dreams are denied, again. She either goes to the Wardens or gets taken to the Circle. 

As a Warden, Bethany is obviously harder, bitter. Her interactions with you have more bite, less affection, and her regrets about the life she is now forced to lead are obvious. But I argue that while she seems “happier” in the Circle, she is not necessarily so. She is just better at hiding it in her letter to you -- and focuses on the fact that at least she is no longer forced to hide anymore. Her meeting with you during the Qunari battle at the end of Act 2 as a Circle mage is anything other than sunny: she is even cold towards Hawke: 

Hawke: ‘It’s a Hawke family reunion!”  Bethany, bitterly: “What’s left of it.” 

Or even: 

Hawke: “I’m glad you’re safe.” Bethany: “The city is under attack. None of us are safe.” 

Or even her angry response about you getting involved in Orsino and Meredith’s argument at the end of Act 3. Even as a Circle mage, you can hear the bitterness in her voice -- and if she comes back and fights with you as a Warden, it is obvious (at least to me) that she is still struggling to make peace with her new life and how its cost her even more than she thought her status as a mage already cost you all. 

But, as far as Bethany is concerned, at least in the Circle, she is no longer forced to hide anymore. If she can’t join you in (what she perceives, perhaps with some hint of envy in her interactions with you in the DLCs, as) your fancy life as a noble up in Hightown, if she can’t be “normal”, then at least she can be “normal for a mage”. Fleeing is exhausting. Knowing you are the reason your family are always fleeing -- or at least, one of the reasons your family is fleeing -- probably brings on a lot of guilt, at best... or even regrets that you were born and caused them so much difficulty, at worst. 

Bethany spends most of the game worrying about herself, for obvious reasons. Carver, on the other hand, spends most of the game worrying about you. 

Carver’s bitterness and regrets are more obvious than Bethany’s. Carver was not the boy who wanted to be “normal”: like he tells you in Act 1, “I want to be someone.” In the Wardens, he finds his purpose, albeit at a great personal cost he often glosses over in conversation. In the Templars, he is “a man still uncertain of his choice” but if there is one thing that can be said in its favour, it was his choice, for once. Not his family’s. Not Hawke’s. After all, what else could he do, when you chose to leave him behind and Bartrand returns without you and you’re presumably dead? When Fereldan refugees cannot find employment in the city and Aveline denies his application to be a city guard (which I believe would have been the best choice for Carver, and it’s kind of bittersweet that he only gets to be one -- or rather, help them out -- during DA:I when he’s been a templar for so many years and is addicted to lyrium). 

His mother is in mourning during Act 1 and won’t work; his uncle gambles all his money away. The templars are the only option open to a man of someone of his skills and desperation, and he naively joins thinking he can help people like Bethany -- his dead mage twin sister over whom he obviously has regrets that she was the one who died and not him. 

Both twins have a resentful streak over their circumstances, although Carver’s resentment is more obvious than Bethany’s (although Bethany’s resentment definitely comes out on occasion, much more so as a Warden; Bethany is just better at hiding/suppressing hers). Bethany’s codex entry says that “she could never give up her resentment of being different and fear for what their future would hold”. Carver’s resentment, on the other hand, comes from how that “difference” affected him and your family, not to mention the pain it caused Bethany over not “being normal”. 

Basically, neither the Hawke twins got what they wanted out of this life. They are forced to make do with less-than-ideal circumstances that turn them even further away from their hopes and dreams, whichever path you choose for them. They make do, and they cope as best as they can, no matter how well or imperfectly they do it. And it gets me in the feels every time. 

[bthump]

Guts thinks Griffith is a little cruel for keeping the Hawks in the dark about his fake death. He knows they’ll be upset, because they care about Griffith. Griffith, imo, doesn’t really consider this. He sees himself as someone who carries the Hawks up without revealing his “dirty side,” to them, and at this point he’s carried them as far as he’s able to after winning the war. He’s no longer useful to them, so why should they care that much if he seems to die?

Ironically, Guts is cruel himself in a very similar way for leaving the Hawks to go swing his sword against strong opponents alone. The war’s over, the fighting’s over, he’s done all he can to be useful to them, so why should it matter if he leaves?

It does matter, because they matter to their friends, not just for what they can do for them, but because of who they are, because they’re loved just as people.

And Guts and Griffith’s twin fatal flaws are their failures to understand this thanks to trauma and low self esteem. Neither of them are content to just be people - they feel they have to earn every scrap of human connection they can get, through leading people to a better life and through swinging a sword.

Guts leaving the Hawks is also paralleled to the Eclipse. Not because they’re equivalent decisions lol, but because those decisions came from the same place for both of them.

When Guts leaves the Hawks it destroys them. Griffith has a breakdown, this leads to the Hawks being considered traitors, and Midland’s armies surrounding them and attacking them en masse is a parallel to the monsters of the Eclipse, imo. It happens because Guts’ dream is more important to him than his relationships with the Hawks, and it’s more important because he doesn’t consider himself worthy of friendship yet, so he doesn’t see the friendships he already has. He doesn’t think his departure will have much of an effect on the Hawks.

Griffith sacrifices the Hawks in part because the only way he sees himself as having worth is by making the world a better place. His post torture situation was his own personal hell (”To be born, and then to simply live for no better reason... I can’t abide such a lifestyle.”) and at that point, after a year of torture and a lifetime of emotionally distancing himself from people, it makes sense for him to make the sacrifice. Trading lives to achieve the goal that you believe is the only thing that gives you worth in their eyes is the extreme end point of seeing your worth as only what you can do for others, rather than in just being a person who is loved.

Guts and Griffith both essentially make the same mistake and the same decision for the same reason with similar consequences. Griffith’s sacrifice is a dark reflection of Guts’ departure, and it finishes the job Guts inadvertantly started.

[crossdressingdeath]

Sera's writer also wrote Carver, and there is a lot of similarity in their dialogues, as some people have noted.

Really? I'm... not really seeing the similarities beyond the most basic "nineteen-year-old with a chip on their shoulder" description. I mean, Carver for one has clear reasons for why he behaves the way he does: other than his mother he's the only non-mage in a family of mages (which would lead to a lot of issues), if you've got him in your party he recently lost his twin sister, he fought at Ostagar (bad! Very bad!), and the entire time he's in Kirkwall he's overshadowed by his older sibling and blocked from making his own life outside of following his sibling around (and then lectured about not having a job by the person who blocked him from getting a job! Obligatory "fuck you" to Aveline). So of course he's got a bit of a temper.

But more importantly, Carver is never cruel the way Sera is. In banter he usually matches the other party's behaviour towards him. He's vicious towards Hawke at times, but no more than siblings usually get when they're fighting, and he usually backpedals when he goes too far. He's friendly towards Isabela and Merrill, and playfully antagonistic with Varric when Varric isn't comparing him to Hawke. His relationships with Fenris and Anders seem to be more tense; he tries to be friendly with Fenris and Fenris shuts him down as is his wont, and Carver does respond pretty negatively towards Anders talking about mage rights, but if we judged him based on that then we'd have to conclude basically all the companions sucked. And of course Aveline actively sabotages his life and then lectures him about not finding a different path, so no friendship there. And even then he's at worst a bit grumpy! The closest he ever gets to a personal attack in banter is telling Anders to shut up, which... again, every companion in DA2 tells Anders to shut up, it's hardly unique to Carver. And in his lines for if another character goes down he shows genuine concern for all of them, even the ones he doesn't get on with. The impression I get with Carver is a fundamentally decent person at a really difficult time in his life while everything external goes horribly wrong.

Sera, though? Sera can be awful. She straight up calls Cole "Creepy" as a nickname and he's delighted when she thinks of him as "him" instead of "it" because it's the first time she's done it. She constantly bothers the mage party members about using magic as if that's not a central part of who they are. There's one particular banter she has with Solas that comes to mind, about how it's bad enough that mages use spells at all without them being slow about it, which every mage in the party including a mage Quiz responds negatively to (and Quiz is notable because they very rarely respond negatively to banter, and I think this might be the only time they do it without player input; methinks Sera's constant sniping is getting to them a bit), and her only slight concession is that she tells a romanced mage Quiz that she doesn't mean her when she talks about how bad all mages are; if she's friends with Quiz rather than romanced they don't even get that much. She put a fucking venomous snake in Vivienne's drawers, which I will never be over, and also keeps needling her about how everyone secretly hates her (Vivienne for her part gives as good as she gets, but that doesn't make it not horrible). She mocks Lavellan (and to a lesser extent Solas) relentlessly for every bad thing about the elves the Inquisition finds, even if Lavellan is her best friend in the world (and if she and Lavellan are in a relationship, she'll force Lavellan to choose between her relationship and her faith and blames her for the relationship failing if she picks the latter! Never going to be over that either). She's just absolutely horrid, and there's no evidence of her having any particular reason for it. She never mentions ever having a bad experience with a mage (she fears them because "everyone fears magic", even when given clear personal evidence that mages aren't all evil all the time), she never mentions ever having a bad experience with the Dalish (the closest she gets is a mention to Solas that she's seen how elves live, and that's more likely to be city elves than the Dalish)... She seems to hate them just because everyone else does.

Basically... sure, you can say that Carver and Sera are similar in terms of personality, but that's only surface-level stuff. If you look at anything more in-depth than "nineteen-year-old with a chip on their shoulder" the comparisons kind of fall apart. Because at the end of the day Carver consistently shows that when the chips are down and things start looking bad he will always do what he can to support his friends and family, no matter how much they fight (if memory serves Templar Carver will turn on the Templars if Hawke sides with the mages regardless of friendship/rivalry? Not entirely sure about that, but I think it was the case). Sera, though, will use any point of weakness against them, even if they've done nothing to deserve it. As an example, she'll mock Lavellan over Solas revealing that the vallaslin were originally slave markings and then dumping her even if Lavellan's never so much as said an unkind word to Sera and Sera's approval is maxed out. To put it another way, if your life went to shit and you went to Carver, he'd probably be awkward and uncomfortable about it but he would try to help as best he could. If you went to Sera... odds are good she'd just make fun of you for it. With that in mind saying they're similar in any meaningful way just doesn't feel right.

[smokedstorybara]

I have so many bnha fanfic ideas, they’ve just been popping into my head every few days for weeks now

So I’m just gonna share them all on this one post instead of making a million new fandom posts out of nowhere (ok, it’s closer to, like, ten - but still!)

If any of y’all want me to actually write any of them, don’t hesitate to say so - or if you just want to ask questions and talk about the ideas I’d be totally down for that too

Also, if any of them inspire you to write or draw something, please send me a link when you’re done!

(under a readmore cause it’s long and also there’s spoilers)

Fae courts AU

Nedzu - Spring King

U.A. / The Spring Court - also known as the Court of Lost Children, all members of the Court were once human children or children of one of the other Courts and they view it as their duty to care for the lost, neglected, and abused children of the world (one of two child stealing Courts)

All Might - Summer King

All For One - Winter King

Objectively, the Summer and Winter Courts are not as different as they like to believe - a Summer fae is just as likely to trick or turn on you as a Winter fae, they just prefer to play at benevolence while Winter fae make no secret of their nature

Shie Hassaikai / The Autumn Court - used to be more like a lesser version of the Summer and Winter Courts, until Overhaul put the King to sleep and made his research into humanity the Court’s focus - they’re now the second child stealing Court

Eraserhead was once human but has made enough deals over the years - most notably with Nezu himself - that he’s practically fae now

Deku and Kachan are human children who were taken in by the Spring Court, though Deku only after catching the attention of All Might

Endeavor - High Fae in the Summer Court - wants to become Summer King but knows he’s not powerful enough to overthrow All Might, married a High Winter Fae in hopes that combining their powers would make one of their kids powerful enough

Dabi fakes his death and eventually becomes a High Fae in the Winter Court

Shouto seeks sanctuary in the Spring Court’s halls

(I don’t actually have a plot for it, but I’m enjoying figuring out the world and stuff)

Evil All Might AU

The underworld knows that young Yagi Toshinori is a con-artist, and a very good one

The kid’s quirkless, and from a bad neighborhood, so of course he gets involved in shady dealings to get by

But he never ever gets caught

See, he’s mastered the eager, innocent, “I know I’m quirkless, but it’s my dream to be a hero! To fight crime! To be someone people can look up to, put their faith in! To be a… a symbol!” act, he’s been running that con any time he’s found in the wrong place at the wrong time since he first started walking - no one with even a single good bone in their body ever questions it

He gets involved with AFO, who’s like “I could give you one of my lesser quirks in exchange for your loyalty, or you could do a long undercover mission for me and get one of the most powerful quirks in existence out of it”

His mission: pulling his signature con on Shimura Nana, being given One for All, becoming a hero, becoming the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace and the singular pillar holding up hero society, maintaining that status for long enough that everyone grows a little complacent, finding a weak and manipulable child to pass One for All on to, setting them up to fail, and then retiring

(I’d either have this one be All Might-focused and end with the reveal, or have it be Izuku-focused and give it a happy ending where All Might totally chose the wrong kid, cause nothing about Izuku is weak)

Commission analyst Izuku au

Member of the commission overhears him muttering/catches a glance at his notebook while watching a hero fight, strikes up a conversation

The commission tracks him down, shows up at his home with a similar offer to the one they gave Hawks - but instead of a hero they want him to be an analyst for them

Like Hawks, they take away his name, only calling him something like Eagle Eye or something (I’d go with Hawkeye but Hawks already exists so it might be weird?)

(Basically this fic idea is just an excuse to have Izuku and Hawks as the ultimate team, and helping each other get out from under the commission’s thumb - maybe revolutionizing hero society along the way)

Canon rewrite w/ Monoma as main character, somehow

All I have for this one so far is just:

Monoma copies afo, uses copied afo to steal afo, AFO is now defeated

After getting better at controlling her quirk, Eri rewinds Kurogiri back into Shirakumo Oboro

But he’s the age he was when he died

So he joins the current class 2-A

As in Izuku’s class

Basically it’s just his old best friends having to teach him and him making friends with all Aizawa’s problem children

Time travel

(I have multiple cause I really like time travel)

Aizawa-centric time loop fic

Loop stretching from day before Oboro’s death to towards the end of the liberation war (diverging from canon in at least the first loop cause he fucking dies during the fight)

At first he thinks maybe he just, like, dreamt up those 14(?) years

But then things are happening the same way and so he starts changing things and he dies and wakes up the day before Oboro’s death again

He experiments a lot with the loops, figuring out that they’re definitely not time based - unless it’d loop back at the end of the liberation war even if he survives? Requires further testing

Details he changes throughout the loops (culminating in a loop in which he successfully changes all of them):

Oboro’s death

Shimura Tenko being taken in by All for One, All Might’s injury(?), Izuku accepting One for All, and more I haven’t fully decided on

Time travel fic where Pro Hero Deku accidentally time travels back to just before Aizawa’s first year as a student at ua and somehow gets hired as a teacher

Gonna be a two-parter

Part one: Izuku has to teach teen versions of his old high school teachers, channels their future selves a little

Part two: Aizawa, Yamada, and Kayama have to teach the teen version of their old favorite high school teacher, and end up channeling his future self - in different ways

(I’ve come across a couple different “Izuku gets accidentally sent back in time to when his teachers were students” fanfics and they keep making me think about how Aizawa & co would react to meeting him in canon timeline after meeting him in high school and then I took the natural step forward from there to “let’s parallel their nostalgia, make him their high school teacher so it can really hit hard”)

Izuku is related to rooftop trio aus

(I’ve come across a bunch of “Izuku is the biological son of at least one member of the rooftop trio” aus but only one acknowledges that in canon he’s only 15 years younger than them and that one has a very angsty explanation, so I wanted some that fit with canon and also aren’t too heavy - cause like, sure you could go with the complex extremely angsty trauma reason or you could go with the “these 13-16-year-olds(idk Inko’s canon age and as long as I never look it up I can pretend I’m not going against canon by making her only 2-ish years older than them) did what teenagers do and went to a party and made some relatively innocent mistakes and ended up with a pregnancy”)

Dadoro

Oboro and Inko have been neighbors and best friends their whole childhood, despite being a couple years separated in age

The fall before Oboro starts high school, Inko takes him along to a party with her high school friends

They get drunk and sleep together

Inko gets pregnant

They talk it through with each other and their families and agree to keep the baby (they’re both actually pretty excited to be parents) and raise it together platonically

Some months into first year (maybe second), Oboro tells his friends about his kid

Spends the rest of his life gushing about Izuku to all his friends (sorry for the word choice fjdhshshx)

Oboro dies and his friends make pact to help Inko take care of Izuku once they have steady income and stuff

But Inko’s family has moved and she’s married and they can’t find her

They keep searching, for roughly 14 years

And then Midoriya Izuku enrolls in UA’s hero course and his big green eyes and curly green hair match the pictures Oboro used to show them and his smile is identical to their old friend’s

And his mom’s name is Inko

But they’re not sure (His quirk doesn’t match Oboro’s nor his Inko’s after all)

Not until after the first term and the summer training disaster camp and Kamino, when All Might and Aizawa go house to house talking to parents about the dorms and All Might tries to insist on visiting the Midoriyas alone but Aizawa insists right back cause this is the closest he’s come to confirmation

and then he’s face to face with a woman he’s only ever seen in photographs

And then they talk about everything or something idk I haven’t got that far

Dadzawa and Dadmic (trans!aizawa)

A year and a half before he starts high school(I know I changed the timeline a whole year here but shush, how’s he supposed to get into U.A.’s hero course while pregnant?), Aizawa’s middle school and one or two others have a Joint Event, at which he meets a loud but cute blonde who keeps flirting with him

They hook up

He gets pregnant

His dad insists he get an abortion but he doesn’t want to and his mom supports his decision, they convince his dad to let him go through with the pregnancy on the condition that he gives the baby up for adoption immediately

He has twins, both boys (one with green eyes like the blonde’s(but darker) and the other with purple like Shouta’s mother’s)(that’s right, Shinsou is also their son in this, you’re welcome), and he gives them up for adoption to separate families

But with conditions

No one from his blood family is allowed to initiate contact with either boy without the kid’s knowing consent (he’s terrified of his father changing his mind, tracking them down, and hurting them)

With the one exception being that he’s allowed to send each one a birthday present and card every year

Which he does

Then he starts at UA and then gets into the hero course and there he is… the blonde… the father of Shouta’s children… who does not recognize him now that he’s started transitioning

This time Shouta’s the one who flirts - or tries to, the kid’s a little too oblivious

Of course they do eventually get together, and even end up married! (Haven’t decided if they get together during high school or after they start teaching there or what(probably the latter, for plot reasons))

The first time Midoriya Inko contacts Shouta is after Izuku is diagnosed quirkless - she knows the young man loves her son as much as she does and might be able to reassure him where she already failed

His next birthday, Izuku’s mystery card says he can be a hero even without a quirk; it makes Izuku’s year

Hitoshi’s parents also contact Shouta that year, the boy struggling to make and keep friends ever since his quirk came in; Shouta’s birthday card to him isn’t much different from Izuku’s, really

The Shinsous get in an accident and Hitoshi is placed in foster care and suddenly Shouta can’t send him his yearly gift and card anymore cause nobody will tell him where the boy is now because of the contact portion of the adoption contract

They also won’t tell Hitoshi that he was adopted and his birth father is out there looking for him, so Shouta’s pretty sure they’re trying to hide that he’s being mistreated wherever he is

Inko continues to contact Shouta now and then whenever she thinks Izuku will need extra encouragement come his birthday (she never tells Izuku about being adopted - even after he enters his teen years - cause after his diagnosis, everyone but her left him and she doesn’t want him to internalize the idea that his birth parents didn’t want him - Shouta’s not happy with the decision, but he understands)

Then one year he sends Izuku a Present Mic figurine and she writes him to share how excited the boy was and how Present Mic is one of his favorite heroes and he listens to his radio show all the time and Shouta simultaneously melts and has a minor breakdown at the realization that he hasn’t told his husband that they have sons, he can’t tell Hizashi that their son listens to his radio show regularly when Hizashi doesn’t know Izuku even exists

So of course, being the rational man he is, he finally tells Hizashi about Izuku and Hitoshi

Hizashi freaks, of course (in a good way(mostly))

And then, one of the worst days of Shouta’s life

He’s on patrol and sees a figure on a rooftop and rushes to get there - just in case it’s a jumper - and it’s his son, his Izuku

They talk(it doesn’t breach the adoption contract, he didn’t know it was Izuku when he approached and the kid spoke first) and Izuku tells him “everything” about his encounter with All Might, Shouta tells him to tell his parents - they’re there to support him - and also that All Might’s full of shit and a quirkless hero is totally possible with the right training and enough willpower

Then after they leave the rooftop his kid gets in trouble again, rushing in to save a classmate from the same sludge villain that attacked him earlier that day

Of course Shouta swoops in and pulls the kids out of danger before All Might arrives to ��save the day”

This time Shouta insists on walking Izuku home to make sure he actually gets there safely

But then All Might shows up again wanting to talk to his kid privately and he wants to tell the man to fuck off but he’s not legally allowed, really, so when Izuku says it’s fine he reluctantly leaves

Inko asks to meet him just days later

She tells him that Izuku told her everything about what happened that day - including what Shouta told him - and she tells him that she’s realized she needs to properly support her son in pursuing his dream

She understands that Shouta wouldn’t feel comfortable training him one-on-one with the kid not knowing who they are to each other, and she’s still not ready to tell him yet, so she asks for a list, for him to help her get in touch with people who can train Izuku or ways for Izuku to train on his own, ways for her to help

He puts her in contact with seven pro heroes (Midnight, Gunhead, the Wild Wild Pussycats, and - somehow - Sir Nighteye) and a vigilante team (the Naruhata Crawler and his team), all of whom he talks into helping - and has to tell about his connection to this boy they’ll be teaching

(Each have something important to teach him: Midnight - using words and body language to throw off opponents, Gunhead - martial arts, Wild Wild Pussycats - stamina, teamwork and use of your environment when out in nature, Sir Nighteye - analysis and planning, the Naruhata Vigilantes - use of gadgets and weapons, use of your environment when in the city, having the heart of a hero, and - most importantly - that quirkless people can be fucking strong and skilled and terrifying and certainly aren’t weak or useless (they were trained by a quirkless vigilante after all, they’re bound to have a different perspective on the idea of a quirkless hero than anyone else, a perspective Izuku could really benefit from))

Ten months later, Izuku passes UA’s entrance exam and is placed in Shouta’s class (he’s pretty sure Nezu did that on purpose)

When the school year starts, he and Hizashi discover that Izuku isn’t the only one in one of their classes - Hitoshi is in Hizashi’s homeroom

They are, of course, fucking extatic

They just need to, y’know, figure out how to tell him that they’re his parents and maybe possibly would love custody of him if he wants

(Again I haven’t gotten any further than that yet)

(Also, if you can’t tell, in this au Izuku turns down All Might’s offer of One for All, cause Eraserhead said he could be a hero without a quirk and was honestly a lot kinder and more responsible (like, making sure the kid got home safely instead of leaving him on a roof) and stuff than All Might and honestly might be his new favorite hero)

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Take My Hand ~ Lucifer x Reader

For so many, even those who know him, Lucifer is an enigmatic riddle that will never be solved. A question with no answer. A blank, white puzzle.  He keeps his stoic facade at all times, overworks himself on anything Diavolo gives him, and if he runs out of work, he finds more, from somewhere that nobody, even the young Prince, has no idea.

He’s always so strict and proper, dresses royal and there is seemingly no imperfection to him. Hell, even Asmo, the most narcissistic brother, is not-so-secretly jealous of his beauty and dominant and mysterious aura that engulfs him, that makes him even more enticing than one could think.

So what is the mysterious of this overly strict Fallen, the one that God loved the most, the one that led the Rebellion of the Celestial War aeons ago, actually hiding? What emotions is he so desperately trying to hide behind those sharp, ruby eyes of him that read into you like infrared?

What kind of fragility is trying to hide being that frozen block that became his heart that aches and burns harder than the Sun itself?

Perhaps that is something that only someone with a fresh perspective shall witness, someone who walks around like a ghost, unnoticeable, yet her eyes are wide and attentive, that can peer right into the depths of anyone’s soul.

They are complete opposites, and yet, they are more alike than anyone could even begin to realise - That is, if they are so adamant to be ignorant, as they’ve always been.

Apart from Solomon, not one, but two other humans were brought into Devildom, and that is because fate made it so that Lucifer chose a girl that had a sister.

A twin sister.

So of course, you cannot separate twins, so Diavolo was okay with bringing both of them, thinking it would be reminiscent of the 6th and 7th brothers, especially for their personalities are like light and day, like the Sun and the Moon, both of them beautiful, yet completely different.

And that was quickly made obvious once they arrived, for the brothers quickly swamped all over the younger sister, since she was a lovable, social butterfly, an extroverted free soul who loves to fool around and bend the rules to breaking point.

The older sister, however, was an introvert of few words, yet all of them were meaningful. She was incredibly diligent and hard-working, studying since the first day in RAD, she was much too busy to even bother going out of her way to break the rules, and had to do everything in her power to get her sister out of trouble, including doing her homework, to avoid detention.

The eldest brother, the most attentive, was quick to realise that all the brothers were attracted to the sunshine like moths to the fire that they didn’t even bother approaching the zircon wrapped in a velvet handkerchief.

He was, however, completely drawn to her...Or maybe it was the mystery surrounding her that he was interested in? He read once, in a human book, that the most intriguing is the journey, not the destination, yet he couldn’t help but wonder if it was similar to going to one’s soul.

Y/N’s soul was pure, it was bright, it was beautiful and tempting, which went in complete anti-thesis with the facade she pulled for everyone - And just like twins are, like Yin and Yang, she was truly the complete opposite of her bright sister that held a dark soul.

But days began to rapidly pass by, and with each day, countless of problematic events happened, that made Lucifer, and not only him, pissed off beyond belief, at the younger sister, and the older one was forced to bare the consequences and solve the problem..

These continuous occurrences started eroding her soul, bit by bit, darkening it, overshadowing her light, and it was beginning to concern the raven haired man, for, in the end, it was still his job to make sure the humans are okay and comfortable in Diavolo’s Kingdom.

Exams were coming along, and Lucifer could see Y/N was beginning to become much paler and less talkative. He didn’t see her as often outside of the classroom, and even to meals that they would always share together...And he began to worry.

He knows very well that humans are very frail, weak and sensitive creatures, that constantly needed to be taken care of, and he knew very well that she wouldn’t have much until she’d collapse.

“Does anyone have a pen, please? All of mine have been completely used up, and I need to urgently finish an assignment.” 

Speak of the devil, Lucifer thought, as his D.D.D.’s notification sound popped on his study desk, where he, himself, was also working on his own assignments, and he chuckled at the coincidence, and pondered over if he should tease her a bit, to provoke her, or not.

Something that Lucifer always loved was to push someone’s boundaries...Not some pushover like Mammon, clearly, but strong, dominating people, much like Satan, much like himself. He wanted to see how far can he push someone until they get angry, until they lose their composure, until they show their true face, until their facade crumbles, and they are no longer the self they show to everyone.

It’s satisfying seeing others step on their pride...

Since he would never do that, clearly. He isn’t the Avatar of Pride for nothing.

Asmo: Nope! I only have my personalised, engraved pen, and I can’t give it to everyone! Beel: Sorry, I accidentally ate all my pens while trying to write my homework. Belphie is sleeping. Levi: I don’t have pens, I write everything on my laptop. Satan: I always misplace mine. I only have the one I keep in my notebook. Mammon: Lol, you’re doing homework? Hah, what a dork! Sorry, I ain’t using Goldie to buy pens! Why not ask your sister? Anyka: You bought 10 pens barely 2 weeks ago, how the hell did you even finish them? Y/N: I have a lot to do. Do you have any spare pens? Anyka: Lol nope x Ask Lucifer or idk Barbatos??

The opportunity is shining, so...Should he start provoking her? Or would that break her even more? This should certainly be interesting... And if anything happens, he always knows when to put a stop to this charade. “I have a spare fountain pen, if it would do.” he sent her a DM, waiting for an answer. “Perfect. Are you in your study, or your bedroom?” she sent an immediate answer, which made him smirk. “Study. If you beg me nicely, I can also give you the ink for it.” he was playing with fire, and damn, was it exhilarating. “You...Want me to...Beg? For a pen and ink? To do my assignments? I don’t think Diavolo would be pleased to hear that.” she typed after an obvious few moments of hesitation. “Sometimes compromises must be made in order to achieve your goal. You are aware, I am sure, that if you do not finish your homework for tomorrow, you will receive detention.” this was getting very interesting, and he couldn’t wait to see what her next step would be. “Fine. I will ask Barbatos then. Thanks for the offer. Have a pleasant night.” she cut him off with clear acid in her words, which made Lucifer chuckle in satisfaction.

She was though, and entertaining. What an adorable little lamb.

And it was true, she asked Barbatos, who told her that he couldn’t go over to the House of Lamentation, for he has to take care of Diavolo, and he refused to allow her to leave the dorms without someone by her side to make sure no stray demon attacks her.

That was a true bummer.

So...She had to step on her pride to get a stupid pen to finish her assignments.  It wasn’t even homework, but she still had hours of work she had to do. It was barely midnight, she couldn’t even attempt to go sleep now.

Going to sleep means obvious overthinking, which means lack of sleep, so better be productive and work, then destroy yourself more than you already are, doing nothing, while staring and cursing the ceiling.

Y/N sighed, breaking the pen in two out of anger, and wobbly got out of her study chair, making a bee line to Lucifer’s study and knocking on the door, waiting to hear the approval word to enter the room. She barely opened the door, walking in front of the seated form of Lucifer, who held his spare fountain pen almost mockingly in front of her.

He was watching her like a hawk, every movement analysed as if under a microscope, almost as if he was carefully searching for any flaw or mistake she would make. However, he could see she wasn’t well. She was sleep deprived, her complexion was much paler than normal, she had dark bags under her eyes...And her posture was slouched, almost sloppy. Lucifer knew she has always been a diligent person, so the homework couldn’t possibly be long overdue. She would have done it in the day it was given. So...What was the urgency? Could it be that...She was...Just like him?

“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to beg for a pen, but, Lucifer, may I please borrow your pen? I promise to return it to you tomorrow, buy a new ink, to your preference, as soon as classes are over and I can go to proper shopping.” her voice was tired, just like her mind and body. She held no emotions in her words. It was almost as if she was intentionally damaging herself to make up for-

Oh.

Perhaps she wasn’t as different from him as he thought she was, and now, at least, he can better understand why she was deteriorating as fast as she was.

“You can keep it, I don’t mind. However, as the head of the student council, and the one who has to overlook this exchange program, I would have to advise you to take better care of yourself and rest, instead of overworking yourself.” Lucifer told her, with a less condescending voice, only to receive a sarcastic scoff, which confused him. “Tell me that when you’re going to follow your own advice.” and she left.

A chuckle escaped his mouth as soon as the door was closed, and for the first time in ages, he actually went to bed early...For his standards. He had to be very attentive of this one, however...She was much more interesting than he believed.

And the first thing he saw in the morning, as he stepped in the classroom, he saw Y/N handing a file to her sister - A file with all the homework for the whole week, that is - And now he could understand why she was overworked. She was going about life in all the wrong ways...Not that he should be one to talk. He knows his own faults, but admitting them to another is a complete different matter.

But things were going to take a horrid turn for the worst, beginning with Diavolo calling everyone for the Student Council meeting, only to announce that the exchange students were going to have a lowered pass/fail line anymore, but will have to work and achieve the demons’ standards and rise to the challenge given.

“If you’re going to control a demon’s powers, you need to have a proper understanding of them and how they should be used.” Diavolo said, which made him realise that the twins, somehow, managed to make pacts with all of the brothers...All of them, sans one. That one being himself, of course. “Hey, whoa, that’s a bit sudden, don’t you think? Exams are just around the corner!” Anyka protested, obviously shocked. “RAD exams are surprisingly tough.” Belphie nodded in agreement. “I’m sure both of you are going to do great, especially if you’ve studied a little bit throughout the semester.” Diavolo smiled, as usual, and the older twin mimicked no emotion on her face. “But...! But I haven’t! I had fun with the brothers all this time...What am I gonna do?! Y/N, say something!” the younger twin shook her sister, waking her up from her trance. “Hmm...? What should I say? He’s right.” she shrugged, not bothering to look at anyone. “I’ve already considered that, and I have a plan. Satan, you are going to be tutoring Y/N and Anyka up until the day of exams.” Lucifer dumped the responsibility on the blond brother, who was barely able to say anything from the shock of being put on the spot. “Oh, that’s perfect! Thank you soooo much, Satan! You’re the best!” Anyka jumped on the 4th born, who chuckled awkwardly. “Thanks, but I can do this by myself. If this was all, then I’m going to see you during the exams. Bye.” she gave a brief peace sign, before leaving to her room, no doubt continuing her studying.

Obviously, Lucifer knew she had it in the bag if she focused. She’s a smart girl, she won’t have any problem...If she stays healthy, that is.  There was something about her that made him want to approach her, to hold her face, to look her in the eyes and tell her to stop doing this to herself. There was something about her innocence and heart that made him want to protect her at all cost, even if that meant protecting her from herself. He pondered offering to tutor her, but what could he even tutor her about, when she clearly knows everything there needs to be learnt about the exams?

He wanted to kiss her hands and reassure her that everything will be okay, and he wanted to hold her tight and help her fall asleep without having running thoughts through her head all the time.

But he can’t do that, can he? If he were to approach her, she’d run away, like a scared little baby fawn trying to find her mama, while being chased off by a hunter. He had to be gentle with her, delicate, to lure her into a sense of security and safety...A warm haven by his side...

But can he really manage to do that, when he’s supposed to be the Big Bad Scary Wolf who punishes everyone and doesn’t allow happiness in the dorms, as per so gracefully described by his lovely brothers?

The first day of the exams came much faster than Y/N realised - She had no idea how time flew by so fast, it felt like she just blinked and bam, exam days - So here she was, drinking her 3rd coffee for the morning while writing her answers for the exam.

Caladrius Blood was the third ingredient for that famous ancient elixir that required Powdered unicorn hood and bittergrass root, for the Magical Potions exam from that morning...

A forest, what covered the surface of Devildom shortly after it came into existence, the answer for the History exam from the afternoon...And a three-legged crow being the relief sculpture at the entrance to the Devildom royal tomb...

Yes, these were all incredibly easy questions, she had no problem, clearly. And that was the same for the 2nd day, with the hexes and curses... And then came the practical exam...Seductive Speechcraft test.

She looked around the classroom with a frown, knowing she had to pair up with someone, but all the brothers were crowding around her sister, and she could only sigh, looking down with her arms crossed, not knowing what to do.

“Would you like to pair up with me, Y/N?” Lucifer’s voice rang soothingly in her ear, making her turn around, her eyebrow raised in confusion. “You...Want to pair up...With me?” she asked in a slow, unsure voice, which made him smile and nod. “Yes, is something wrong with that?” he bent down slightly, getting closer to her face. “No, of course not. I was just...Surprised that anyone wanted to pair up with me. Anyway, we should get started.” she nodded, looking away from him and guiding him to a more secluded part of the classroom. “You have to be the one doing the seducing. I am really curious how you are going to proceed. Could you, perhaps, be...Scared?” with his infamous smirk, he looked smugly at how her otherwise unfaltering facade began to break slightly. “No...It’s just...If I knew I was going to be the one doing the seducing, I would have put on some make up this morning, so I wouldn’t look like I just woke up from death after being buried for 100 years...No, make that 1000 years.” she corrected herself after taking a quick look at her reflection on her D.D.D. “I can assure you, your appearance, for us, demons, won’t change a thing. It’s the words and gestures that matter.” he let out a soft chuckle, watching her nod in acknowledgement. “Okay, if you say so, then I will have to believe you. Can you promise me that you won’t attempt to kill me...Again...No matter what I say or do? Trust me, I want top grades, and I’m going to do anything in my power to snatch them.” her voice now was much firmer, and it sounded clearer, more confident. It was clear that her pride and ambition were on the line, and he wanted to see how she was going to seduce him. He could feel electricity running through his veins from the excitement. “Yes, of course. I won’t do anything to you. In fact, I will be the human, and you will be the demon. You have all the power now. Amaze me, Y/N.” he watched her turn to the side slightly, as if preparing her A-Game face - He was expecting her to try out an impersonation of a succubus, since they were plenty in Devildom, but what she did...Was beyond Lucifer’s power of comprehension.

Her eyes held a glimmer of innocence and pity, her soul somehow seemed to glow with purity and light, just like it was when she first arrived. Her demeanour wasn’t assertive, confident and mysterious, but held a tint of submissiveness and glowing affection, as if she wanted to touch him, but she was too afraid to approach a deity.

He thought that, as he gazed with interest at the girl in front of him, only to be shocked completely by how sweetly alluring her voice could sound, and he almost felt the need to have her cup his face so he could melt into her warm, soothing caress.

“Lucifer...Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? Have you noticed how your health is starting to decline? I know you are a demon, and a few hours cut off your usual sleeping schedule won’t mean much for you, but you are exhausted, Lucifer. I hate seeing you like that...Overworking yourself...Finding more work to get piled under, even if you’ve already finished your assignments. I worry about you, and your health...But more...I worry about the reasons for your overworking. I know you’re trying so hard to keep away all the intrusive thoughts that keep plaguing your mind...You think that working to exhaustion is going to keep your mind busy, so you’ll sleep without having to overthink.” hearing those words, Lucifer truly wondered if she had veela or succubus genes in her family, or if her tongue was laced with the sweetest poison there is. She slowly approach him, gingerly holding both of his hands, looking down, imitating a timid kitten, and guiding him to the nearest chair behind him, so she could be at his height...Just a little above, creating the perfect angle to change from a submissive expression, to a more dominating, seductive gaze.

“You’re always so concerned about your brothers, wanting to make sure everything goes perfectly, to the plans that you create, because if things go out of control, you are afraid they will have to suffer...Just like it happened when you led the Rebellion. You still feel guilty for what happened. You are afraid that they regret following you...And so, you are purposely hurting yourself...And this self-inflicted pain became your own sense of comfort and defense. You are afraid that, if somehow, you indulge in your pleasure and the pain disappears, things are going to go out of control completely. You are afraid of the unknown and what it could bring...But trust me, Lucifer...I promise you...They love you. They love you, just as much as you love them. They don’t regret following you. You are a family, and they are happy and content staying together, all 7 of you, together. You deserve to be happy too, Lucifer. You deserve to allow yourself a day off from all this mess, and indulge in your pleasures.” she was so close to him, whispering in his ear, then crouching down, holding his hands, keeping them together and kissing them softly, sending shivers down his spine...But more, he froze completely on the spot. He was shocked...His mind was almost completely blank...Because...How could she possibly know all of this? How can she speak like that? She’s just a human...So...How...? Surely, his brothers had no idea, so how could she, a mere human who came by less than an year ago, understand and know him so well? His heart was beating fast, and it was in pain. It was expecting...It was conflicting everything he ever stood for. A day off? A day for himself? A day of self-care? A day...With her...?

“Won’t you allow me to take away the pain, just for the night? Allow yourself to feel something else other than pain and misery. Allow yourself to be happy. To feel emotional pleasure. Allow yourself to be yourself again, only for a night, because Lucifer, you are not a robot, or a machine, you are not programmed, wired, or running or petrol or gasoline. You have a beautiful heart that feels so much, but you are afraid of the myriad of unknown emotions that are desperately trying to burst out and scream at you to let loose...Because you can. You showed me that you are capable of letting loose, when we were stuck in Levi’s game. Do you remember, Lucifer? We were up on the roof, you had your hair in my lap, and I stroked it gently...You were smiling so beautifully...So carefree...Because you had no worries on your mind or heart. You were yourself. And you were happy.” she put her forehead to his, speaking softly, barely above a whisper, but despite her tone, her words spoke loudly, strongly, into his heart, making it pump faster and faster, energy shooting through his every nerve, vein, artery and capillary...His mind was completely captivated, and his heart was captured. Without even realising, his lips were parted and his eyes were wide from the shock, imagining himself in this utopic paradise that she created merely with her words.

“All you have to do is take my hand and follow me. It’s simple. You can do it, Lucifer. Let yourself feel. Let yourself be...What do you say?” she was perfect. She didn’t break her act for not even a split second. The sparkle in her eyes was there from the beginning to the end, and he could feel her fast-beating heart - It was regular for her, as she had the heart rate of a rabbit - It almost seemed natural for her to persuade and sweet-talk anyone like that. Without even realising it himself, he took her hand, looking at her eyes with an expression of wonder, awe and complete fascination...Until she gave him a devilish smirk, and her eyes started glinting with mischief, which made him frown slightly in confusion.

“I won.” was the last thing she said to him before pulling away from him completely, retorting to her bland and pained, exhausted demeanour. “If I made even Lucifer look at me with glazed eyes and made him take my hand, to take him to some dreamland oasis, then I’m sure I deserve the highest mark in the class.” she chuckled with a deadpan expression on her face, not looking at him. “How...Did you do that?” he asked in a low voice, almost not believing what just happend. “Oh, that was possibly the easiest thing I’ve ever done in a long while. You see...I hold great pride in being incredibly intuitive, perceptive, detail-oriented and being able to properly read people...And their hearts. If I had Asmo, I would have told him that he has an amazing personality, and he’s not just all-looks. If it was Mammon, I’d have showered him with praises. If it was Beel, I would have played the family, Lilith and guilt card...And the list goes on. If you, however, are asking how I managed to say all the right words to you...Well...It’s a bit different...And personal.” she spoke, looking at the teacher with a half-smirk as she was given the highest mark, and rightfully so. “What could be so personal that you managed to speak to me as if you are some ancient demon who has been luring people for aeons with her sweet words laced with acid?” he stood up, looking down at her with a stern expression, yet his mind and heart were fighting a war of conflict. “...I told you everything I would have liked someone to tell me all this time.” the raven haired man could see sadness clouding her face, before leaving to her room.

That was a true experience for Lucifer, he couldn’t deny that to himself, and more, for the whole day, no matter how much he tried to work - Her words kept haunting him, and as soon as he picked up the pen, he immediately thought back at the exam and threw it back on the desk.

He tried taking a hot bath, tried listening to that TSL soundtrack, but she was the one to give it to her, after she spent a fortune on Akuzon for his birthday present, but of course, he thought back at her, and he had to stop the music altogether.

Everything he did, he was reminded of those words that held the flavour of the Poison Apples he eats so often, and it was driving him insane. He could feel his brain overheating, and the pressure on his chest was so great that he wanted to dig his nails into his chest and rip apart the flesh, take out the heart and stomp on his heart, because he couldn’t take it anymore.  He was a demon, and he was a heavy sinner - He NEEDED to grab her hand and escape the horror of reality. He needed to feel that he wasn’t bound by space, nor time, a body or a brain - He needed to be just one soul, bound to another, to feel no more pain, no more reality - Only euphoria, content, happiness, pleasure.

He couldn’t believe he was so willing to give in to his desires, and it was only because of her. It was HER fault. And yet, her last words before her departure from the classroom kept echoing constantly - 

“I told you everything I would have liked someone to tell me all this time.”

He was right all along.

She truly was like him. She was the only one who could properly understand him, and likewise, he was the only one who could take her pain away.  Maybe it was his guardian-complex, having to constantly look after someone, needing to be useful to someone... He needed her, as much as she needed him... Because, unlike him, she could easily waste away, as she is nothing more than a human resembling the first Snowdrop in Spring. He could resist until the end of this world, just as he has done until now, but she couldn’t.

The endless train of thoughts was interrupted by yet another knock on his door, that proved to be the same person that plagued his mind - The little lamb walked into the wolf’s den, almost as if summoned, out of her own accord.

To bring him back his fountain pen, along with the promised high-quality ink...It made him chuckle at how adorable and thoughtful she was being, without realising.

“...You are troubled by something. Do you...Want to talk about it...Or should I leave you alone? I did say some pretty heavy words today, I understand if you wouldn’t want to stay in the same room as me for a while.” she gingerly put the items on his study, not looking up at him. “How come you never looked me in the eyes until then?” he asked, looking at her from the office chair. “I...Was never able to look anyone in the eyes, in my life. Now even my sister or my mother. It makes me start panicking...I get intimidated and scared...So I look away. I forced myself to behave the way I was supposed to, but it was the last thing from comfortable. Don’t take it personal.” she chuckled awkwardly, stepping back. “I was surprised that your words had such an impact that I was ready to follow you...But would you follow me? Would you be able to do the very thing that you told me just today? Would you be willing to strip away that facade of yours, take care of yourself, and allow your heart to feel again?” he asked, stepping slowly in front of her, almost resembling a predator prowling to its prey. “...I don’t want to break down and cry, because if I do...Things will only go downhill, very fast and very hard. I’m...Usually on a downward spiral, but when the wave hits...It takes a long time to swim back to the surface...And I’m sure for how many more times will I have the strength to move and breathe.” she muttered, shuffling on her feet, and Lucifer could understand very well. He could see how frail she has become, and it was all because her brain was working against her so heavily, for whatever reason that was eroding her so badly. “If you promise to stay by my side, I will be here to hold your hand and pull you out of the stormy tides. I will walk next to you for your whole journey, until you get tired of me. You just have to take my hand and let yourself be...Let yourself feel. Let out all the pent up emotions, then smile at me, because you have a beautiful smile, and I haven’t seen it in ages. I know you are afraid...It is frightening walking alone, in the dark, with so many monsters around you, ready to gnaw and maul at you...By I will be there, waiting for you, guiding you with a flashlight, ready to hold and protect you...So...What will you do, Y/N? Do you seek salvation and happiness, or are you ready to give up on yourself and want to succumb to the bottomless pit of the abyssal ocean you were thrown into.” he mimicked the way she talked, the way she moved, the way she articulated her words, as he took his gloves off, touching her face and softly caressing it, bending slightly to peer into her eyes.

He could see that she was afraid - She was beginning to tremble, her eyes were glossy, brimming with tears, her bottom lip was quivering and the conflict of good and evil was obvious inside of her - Her hands were in the air, ready, but not entirely, to grab his hands...

“All you have to do is take my hand and follow me. It’s simple. You can do it, Y/N. Let yourself feel. Let yourself be...What do you say?” he mimicked her own words, wanting to see if it would be enough of a push for her 

Choosing was truly a mortifying experience, but she was strong, he knew that - And that was made obvious when her shoulders finally started shaking, her breath becoming ragged....

And she threw her arms around his torso, letting rivers and rivers of tears fall down her already exhausted face. Her body was so small compared to his, so small...And so cold, in his warm arms...He couldn’t help but hold her tighter, stroking her hair soothingly, putting a kiss on the top of her head.

“Please take care of me, I don’t know how much longer I can do this. I-I don’t want to leech off of you...I’ve always been everyone’s therapist...And I know how much it sucks...B-But you’re the only one who ever bothered to show me any kindness and understanding. Please, Lucifer, don’t let me drown...I’m so tired of swimming...I can’t go on.” her sobs were so pitiful and broken that it shattered his heart and resolve, and all he could do was guide her to the bed, knowing she was too weak to sit up for too long, and started rocking her gently, as he would do with his brothers long ago, in the Celestial Realm, whenever they were upset or had a nightmare.

“Don’t worry, Y/N, I’m here, and I’m not going away until you tell me to. You won’t drown...You grabbed the lifeline the second you took my hand, and I’m going to make sure you keep floating above the sheen of the water and have no problem breathing.” he reassured her, knowing very well how hopeless it feels being in that situation...But now they could at least cling onto each other for help, support, love brightness.

“How...? How did you know everything...?” she asked, clutching on his shirt, almost as if the harder she pulled, the better the chances of survival. “Because the very words you told me are what you needed to hear the most.”

[shyvioletcat]

ITT Drabble?

HERE IT IS! Last one on my 1200 follower Fluffy Prompt-a-thon. (Masterlist for that here)

This takes place just before Chapter 27 of It Takes Two. Masterlist for that if you needed a refresher.

~~~~~

Rowan stepped out onto the street after finishing his shift at the gym. Even though it was close to 7 o’clock the street was still busy. It was late night shopping and people were stepping in and out of shops along the street. Which was good, there were a few things Rowan needed to buy for Aelin’s baby shower and this was his last chance to get them before it on Saturday. He already had something for Aelin in the back seat of his truck, but he wanted to get a few things for the baby.

Yesterday on his way to work he had stopped at the shopping centre he had gone to with Aelin and went to one store in particular she had taken him to. He bought her the blue floral wrap dress she had tried on to demonstrate to him exactly what a wrap dress was. She had looked lovely in it and he could tell that she wanted to buy it, but hadn’t because of the price. So, wanting to get something for her and only her, Rowan had bought it. He desperately hoped it was the right size, because he had got it on sale with a no return or exchange policy on sale items the shop assistant had told him. He’d cross that bridge if it came to it but he had a feeling Aelin would be at least a little impressed that he had managed to get it at such a good price.

With Aelin’s gift done Rowan now needed something for the baby. A bit clueless, he had done a little bit of research on useful baby gifts. It didn’t take long for him to get overwhelmed, but he had a few ideas. He had fully intended to give what he bought to the twins so they would take to the shower. But Aelin had asked him to come, insisted that he come now that they had come to their new understanding. She had said she wanted him there. Something about that had made his heart beat a little faster. They were moving forward and Rowan was excited to see where it led.

He didn’t go to his car, instead he started walking up the street. There was a baby store a little way up that he had driven past and had been looking in the window as he went by. Rowan had seen something the other day, well he thought he had seen something at least. It only took him a few minutes to get there and he looked in the window. He had been right.

There in the window was a mobile, a single halo of flowers with animals and a few more flowers hanging from it on decorative strings. But they weren’t just any kind of flowers. The door opened and Rowan moved to hold it open for a pregnant woman and who he assumed was her mother. They thanked him as they passed and Rowan nodded and smiled in return before he went inside. This store was more of a boutique than anything else. It didn't stock a large range of things, but what they did looked like they were good quality. 

Rowan started to browse, looking at some of the toys and the tiny clothes. Towards the back of the store was some furniture – he could see cots and bassinets and rocking chairs – but he was making his way towards the window. The mobile was hanging there, the flowers small blooms of kingsflame, like the one that he had seen on Aelin’s dresser. They of course weren’t real but they looked as if they were the next best thing. The only thing that was putting him off were the elephants that hung from it. He didn’t think Aelin would particularly like the elephants, not that she would have anything against them but… Rowan had noticed what she decorated her room with and the little knickknacks she had around the house. He knew she liked deer, it had something to do with her family lineage. An old sigil of the Galathynius was a white stag and Aelin seemed to follow along with that imagery. But hopefully he could at least go along with something more woodland-ly.

“Can I help you?” 

Rowan turned to see the shop assistant behind him, smiling politely. 

“Yeah, actually,” he said and then pointed to the mobile. “By any chance does this come with other animals?”

“It does actually, it’s one of our customisable mobiles. I’ve got a book of the options at the front counter.” The shop assistant started walking towards the counter and Rowan followed. It didn’t take her long to find what she needed and soon Rowan held a large magazine in his hand. “When did you need it by?”

“Saturday actually,” Rowan said as he started to flick through the pages. 

The assistant sucked in a breath. “I don’t want to get your hopes up, but let me know which one you like and I’ll see what I can do. We don’t have all the options in stock at the moment but they can be ordered in.”

Rowan nodded and continued looking. There were horses and foxes, some weird looking dogs. He was hoping there would be deer but he didn’t see any. Maybe the foxes would have to do… But it turned out there was another option. He’d almost missed it because he was flipping the pages so fast in his frustration, but there on that almost missed page was the answer he was looking for. Rowan had always liked hawks, and birds of prey in general, so when he saw the little felt hawks in the book he had already decided.

“Do you have these?” Rowan pointed to the picture of the felt birds.

“Hmm,” the shop assistant said, her lip pursing thought. “We might. I’ll have a look out back for you.”

“I’ll just keep looking around,” Rowan said and the shop assistant nodded and left him to browse.

Rowan wandered around the store, curious about the products on offer. He stopped by a rack of clothes, flicking through the onesies. He pulled one off the rack and held it up. Dear gods, it was basically the length of his hand. Were babies really that small? Gripped by a mild sense of panic Rowan put the onesie back and kept looking. The next section he reached was the stuffed toys, an antique looking bookshelf crammed full of them. Peeking out between a rabbit and a teddy bear was the head of a little deer. Rowan couldn’t help but pick it up to look at it. Its brown coat was speckled with white, the hooves made of a velvety material and it had large fluffy ears. Rowan didn’t put it back down, deciding that Aelin would very much like it. 

“Good news!” Rowan heard the shop assistant call out and she was approaching where he stood. “We’ve got the hawks.”

“I’ll take them,” Rowan said without hesitation.

“I can put them on the mobile if you like?” She offered kindly.

“That would be great,” Rowan said with a polite smile.

“I’m assuming you’re shopping for a girl?” She asked Rowan nodded. “We’ve got some new dresses over there,” she nodded to her left. “Just if you were interested.”

The shop assistant headed for the front window where she pulled down the kingsflame mobile and took it over to the counter. Rowan went over to the clothes again with renewed interest and looked at the teeny tiny dresses. A blue one caught his eye, almost the exact same shade as the dress he’d bought Aelin as far as he could remember, just without the flower pattern on it. It came in a few sizes, and reading the tags he was a bit lost as to what they meant. He soon worked out the more zeros there were the smaller the item was. Still not really comprehending the exact size of babies he thought going with a 00 might be safest and hung the hanger over one of his fingers. 

By now he had pretty much looked in all the sections of the store except the furniture. Just before the furniture Rowan stopped at the display of bedding. Ignoring the sheets he looked at the muslin wraps, which there were piles of. From his very cursory searches he deducted that these were an essential item, with many uses apparently. He glanced through the stacks, seeing if any caught his eye. He paused on one that looked to have a floral pattern on it with some little critters too. Easing it from one of the stacks he saw that the critters were in fact little fawns. He added this to the growing pile in his arm. 

At the very back of the back of the store was the alcove with furniture set up. Rowan wandered through it, looking at them casually. The other day Aelin had been browsing baby things on her laptop and he’d caught a glimpse of the screen as she’d put it down on the couch as she got up. She had been looking up bassinets, and she had also sadly muttered something about baby things so expensive as she walked away. Aelin was adamant that she would wait until after the baby shower to start buying things just in case anything she needed was given as a gift. She was an efficient shopper and knew how to cut costs, it was probably why her bookstore did so well. 

Rowan started looking around intently, trying to remember what kind of bassinet she had been looking at on her computer. Maybe he could buy this for her so she didn’t have to fork out the money for it herself. It was an essential item so he could give it to Aelin as a gift for the baby shower, and besides that he wanted to. Gods, he’d been exercising so much self control to not buy everything that caught his eye. He was excited and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

Looking at the bassinets Rowan was getting a little overwhelmed. There were different styles and some looked like they had different features, but what they did exactly Rowan had no idea. He passed one that was suspended from the roof by a large hook. The longer he looked the sicker he felt. All that was holding it up a fair few feet from the ground was some rope and a hook. There was no way in Hellas’ realm was his baby being put in one of those.  Rowan turned away from the whole sight before he had a stress induced stroke just imaging the thing falling down with a baby inside it and went to look at the others. He saw one that looked similar to what Aelin had been looking at. It was a simpler design, a white bed and a timber base. This one looked much more secure with the base on the ground, and Rowan liked this one because it looked a bit taller than the others. Some of the others he had passed had barely brushed past the middle of his thigh. It would be a long way down if he was putting a baby in one of those.

He turned around and saw the shop assistant was at the counter. “Excuse me?”

She looked up and smiled and came over to him. “What can I help you with?”

“This bassinet here,” Rowan said, tapping the rim of the bed basket. “What can you tell me about it.”

“Well, this is one of the most popular designs on the market,” she explained. “First of all there’s no tools required for set up, you just attach the pieces together. Then looking at its features, it has six height positions, anti-reflex base positioning to help baby sleep if they’ve got reflux. This here,” the shop assistant pointed to the zipper, “folds down for easy and safe co-sleeping and it fits on just about any bed. Mesh ventilation is on all sides for added breathability. Just about everything is removable and machine washable, and the mattress is included.”

Rowan did not understand half of what this woman had just told him, but it all sounded good. Important, even. 

“Can I attach a mobile to it?” He asked.

The assistant nodded, “You’ll need to buy a mobile arm for it but yes, you can put a mobile on it.”

“Great,” Rowan said. He was decided. “I’ll take that too. Can I pay for it now and pick it up on Saturday? It’s… it’s a surprise.”

The shop assistant nodded enthusiastically then led the way to the register. “Absolutely. Did you want to leave anything else with it?” 

“I’ll take these things with me,” he nodded to what was in his arm. “But I’ll leave the mobile with the bassinet.”

“Perfect,” she said and entered some things into the computer at the register. Rowan put the items he was carrying on the counter and it only took her a few moments to scan those in too. “Would you like these gift-wrapped?”

“That would be great, thanks,” Rowan said. His wrapping techniques were atrocious. If he ever bought a gift for anyone he usually just took the receipt out of the bag and handed it over. 

The shop assistant got to work wrapping the dress, deer and muslin wrap, quick and efficient. Rowan was about to pay when he saw a book on the counter. 

What to expect when you're expecting

Rowan grabbed that too. “You don’t need to wrap that,” he added.

The book was for him. If he was going to be part of this and help Aelin through the rest of her pregnancy he would like to know what was going on. The more he knew the better prepared he would be for whatever was ahead of them. Because they were in this together. 

“Ready to go,” the shop assistant said and Rowan paid. She put the book and wrapped items in a bag and handed them to him. “Thank you so much.”

Rowan gave her a small smile and nod in return and left. He was almost to his truck when it dawned on him what he had just done. He had just bought Aelin  a bassinet for their baby. What if Aelin didn’t like it? What if there was another one she had been looking at that she wanted? What if he had just completely over stepped and this would upset her? This was a big thing to buy and maybe she wanted to be part of it...

Rowan rubbed at his face as he opened the driver’s door and got in his truck. If Aelin didn’t like it it would be easy to return. If he’d overstepped Rowan would apologise and hoped it went smoothly. But he hoped she liked it just as much as he did. He carefully put the bag on the passenger seat then pulled out his phone. There was a text from Aelin from about half an hour earlier letting him know she was going to bed and not to worry about dinner for her because she’d eaten some leftovers. Rowan didn’t reply in case he woke her up and was secretly glad she’d gone to bed. It meant he could get his purchases into the apartment without any prying questions. It took Rowan a few minutes but his thoughts settled and he was finally quietly confident with his purchases. He didn’t waste anymore time and put the keys in the ignition and drove home.

~~~~~

He’s so cute, right?

Tags:

@fucking-winchester-trash // @literary-licorice // @galyxsy // @tangledraysofsunshine // @highqueenofelfhame // @3am-reading // @soup-that-is-too-hawt // @aelinfire-bringer // @nalgenewhore // @highladyofthesith // @http-itsrebecca // @sleeping-and-books // @alifletcher2012 // @westofmoon // @ttakeitbacknoww // @tswaney17 // @starseternalnighttriumphant // @rowaelinforeverworld // @theoverlyenthusiasticwriter // @they-call-me-cuatro // @musicmaam // @secret-lil-rendez-vous // @armixers-unite // @mariamuses // @chocolate-eating-bitch-queen // @velarian-trash // @queenofxhearts // @heroesofterrasen // @highladyofstoriesandmusic // @tothestarswholisten // @chemicha // @therapeuticrambling // @mydarlingfireheart // @mybbyfeyre // @unassumingsodalovesherbooks // @amitynotpity // @loysydark // @queenophelia // @empire-of-wildfire // @crackedship // @camerooonchiu // @worldoffae // @notaddictedtoanything // @sierrareads // @lowhangingtreebranches // @over300books // @yourwhisperingshadows // @thesirenwashere // @hellolenas // @sjmsstuff // @shadowstar2313 // @pilesofriles // @impossiblescissorspeachpaper // @cat5313 // @judelovescardan // @ellenoftroy // @flowerspringsea // @petrichara // @the-regal-warrior // @viajandosinalas // @chaoticskyy // @fanfictrash3000 // @blueeyes425 // @bamchickawowow // @rosegoldannie // @msalazar3 // @thehuntressofmoon  // @whiskeybusiness1776 // @court-of-fuck-me-daddy // @giorgia-the-trashpanda // @sailorsassley // @szklanydwormaas // @flora-and-fae // @thereaderandfangirl // @illyrian-bookworm // @meltalgel-ig // @gay-book-nerd // @amren-courtofdreams // @booksmusicandgoodvibes // @that-odd-puzzle-piece // @aelin-rowan-whitehorn // @i-love-all-books // @in-love-with-caramel-macchiato // @girl-who-reads-the-books // @queen-of-glass // @mynewdreamwasyou // @superspiritfestival // @hizqueen4life // @the-third-me // @bestmelle // @aesthetics-11 // @flourishandblottsx // @keshavomit // @x3hopeless-dreamer // @girlgotattitude448 // @annejuilanneh111 // @cursebreaker29 // @b00kworm // @mu-si-ca-l // @awkward-avocado-s // @maastrash // @mynewdreamwasyou // @the-last-apprentice // @charincharge // @aelin-queen-of-terrasen // @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln // @scarznstars // @absolute-dissapointment // @fireheart-of-your-dreams // @thesurielships // @sad-book-whore // @qoingcrazy // @df3ndyr // @but-she-was-aelin-galathynius // @silentquartz // @sjmships // @officialasianbitch // @jesstargaryenqueen // @catthefeminist // @trinitybailey2003 // @ladywitchling // @alyx801 // @amandaswallowtail // @louiseleblancdiggory // @magicalunicorngypsy //

[zorkaya-moved]

"i hope you haven't been standing out in the cold this whole time." ( for victor )

@lcial

Just like his twin sister, he may forget himself while standing under the snow. A familiar view that makes him reminiscence over his home, even if it was drowning in chaos and violence. The blood has always been in Russia's veins, the blood of its people, and the blood of oppression and rebellion. He knows his own country has gone through countless problems in the past, it's seen its golden ages only when tyrants have brought the riches and conquering up. He's sure that it will return to its normal stage once more, it will take a while. Russians are stubborn-headed people, blowing up after decades of oppression has caused them to snap. He wonders when Japan will turn into the same history lesson he's gotten all those years ago. This technologically advanced city, the anarchy will befall this country just like it did the outside world if the people will continue to repress their desires and their freedom. He wonders if he'll be able to witness it himself in his lifetime.

" Hm? " Sokolov snaps out of his daze upon hearing Akane's voice, a smile immediately gracing his lips. This cold doesn't bother him at all, he's been forced to remain in far worse conditions as a child. This is a luxury, he'd tell her but keeps quiet. The war touched both twins, they've been the disturbing truth of humanity far earlier than any of the people living in this city. Not only have they seen war, but they've seen gangs and bands and criminals and so many as children, already growing up too fast to survive. This cold? He wouldn't call it bad, it's quite refreshing if anything. " Nah, Tsunemori. Couldn't be better, " his smile is genuine as nods at her, hands in his pockets as he straightens up.

She must've seen him staring in the distance, the profile of someone who's seen too much but will not speak a word of it. Many avoid him for his foreign looks, for his intimidating height of 6'3", for his deep and rough voice that makes others think he is truly a criminal ready to eat their babies for breakfast. The courtesy of the latter sarcastic remarks comes from the game he played with Shuusei the other day, once again losing to his friend. He wonders if Akane will join them for a video game match this time. Victor shrugs as he studies Tsunemori's face with a similar set of golden eyes, like a hawk after what his surname comes from, the man wonders how much she slept and if she was worried about something on the job. Compared to him, she is such a tiny young woman, but her strength is just akin to his. He respects her drive, her determination, her approach to this type of job. It reminds him of the girl he knew before, she must be either alive and married or dead and buried beneath their motherland's soil. He hopes she's alive, that colorful and strong-headed girl who caused him such heartache upon rejecting his confession. Akane will be fine, he knows it. There is no need to baby her and pretend like she's not capable, it sets his mind at ease for he is a more caring person than his older twin sister.

" The winters where I'm from were much colder than this. Especially in St. Petersburg, up north. So high up that this weather would be considered a gentle peck on the cheek while up there it was a slap in the face with a brick, " he laughs at his own stupid analogies, enjoying the sight of the falling snow as they moved forward. He knows he is far taller than Tsunemori, watching his speed and glancing at her every once in a while. Victor knows better than to walk forward too fast, Zarina would trip him for that, he can see it so clearly and it makes him chuckle quietly. " But to answer your question, I've been here ever since I was called. I don't like being late, it's always bad for work. I like standing outside, we - Enforcers - aren't really allowed to roam around, so this is nice. To be under the sky, watching the snow fall, all of that makes me feel like I'm free again, before coming to Japan. " Victor muses as looks around to make sure no one is on their trail, a watchful eye is ever-present as just like his sister he is a hunter, a beast in chains, ready to snap and devour with sadistic joy flaming in his heart. Zarina always told him he needs to chill out in his tendencies, this is where they've gotten him. Well, compared to his teenage self, he's far better.

" What, are you concerned, Tsunemori? You shouldn't be. I like being outside. You should get me out more often, Zarya's been busy 'cuz of the chief. Love hanging out with Shuusei, but being stuck inside a building can be pretty depressing, still. " For someone who knows true freedom, these shackles make him long for the outside all the more. “ You should get both Shuusei and I out next time. We can play in snowball fights. ”

[veorlian]

happy Friday! 16 from the OTP advent calendar for Hawke/Varric would be amazing!!

16. You’re robbing the bank on Christmas eve and I’m a hostage but you’re actually really nice from this list

ish ily this was SO fun to write <3 thank you for the prompt!!

(i won’t have any time to write during the holidays, so i’m hoping to get all the christmas-themed prompts up this weekend!)

It was one of those rare occasions when Varric couldn’t avoid being at the Merchant’s Guild. Andraste alone knew why his brother insisted on checking the vault on the night before Satinalia, but here they were. The imposing stone halls of the Guild were empty, save for the scratching of quill on parchment and the clacking of coins. It was only him and Bartrand, given that everyone with a brain was with their families.

“Hands in the air everyone! This is a stick up.” The voice was clear and carrying, but surprisingly cheerful. It was like they were announcing the winner of the office raffle, rather than threatening violence. Varric was so caught off guard by the tone that he almost missed the meaning of the words. Almost.

“Sister, no one actually says that.” The second voice was decidedly less upbeat. Younger sibling energy if Varric had ever heard it, and he would know.

“C’mon, where’s your flair for the dramatic?” The third voice was deeper, but strikingly similar to the first. “Excuse me, Mr. Magnificent Chest Hair, hands in the air thanks.”

Damn. Varric raised his hands above his head from where they’d been inching towards Bianca. He looked in the direction of the robbers. Their faces were hidden, and they wore cloaks to cover any distinguishing features. They were all at least 6 feet tall, and the first two carried swords that were easily Varric’s height. The third was carrying a staff.

Varric heard a familiar, disapproving cough and he sighed inwardly.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Bartrand asked. Varric glanced over at his brother, and sure enough, he had his hands defiantly planted on his hips.

“I’d do what they say,” Varric suggested.

“See, now there’s a man with some sense,” the first figure said. “We really don’t want any trouble, we’d just like to inspect the inside of your lovely vault there. I see you’ve already gotten it open for us, how thoughtful.” She leaned nonchalantly on the biggest sword that Varric had ever seen. He couldn’t see her face, but he could feel the shit-eating grin in his soul. It was firmly at odds with the wicked-sharp edges of her blade.

“Security!” Bartrand yelled. His next words were stopped cold with a wave of the third figure’s hand. Well, his mouth was opening and closing, but no sound appeared. The first figure clicked her tongue.

“Now now, that’s not very nice,” she murmured. “How about, to make it up to us, both of you nice folks gather in the corner over here?” She motioned towards where Varric was sitting.

Bartrand firmly crossed his arms and remained where he was. The third figure tutted and easily lifted Bartrand off the ground, carrying him over to Varric and setting him down. He patted Bartrand on the head and Varric had to hold back a laugh.

“My associates will go relieve you of your excess stock, and I’ll stay here with you two,” the first figure said cheerfully. The others moved away. Under different circumstances, Varric might have thought that that evened his odds a little bit. But he had the sneaking suspicion that trying anything wouldn’t go particularly well for him. 

Ah, well, it was only money. Besides, the look of incandescent rage on his brother’s face was honestly an early Satinalia gift for him. 

The figure pulled up a chair next to him, her sword still in her hands. Varric leaned back and rested his hands behind his head nonchalantly.

“How’d you know now would be a good time for a hit?” he asked casually. He caught the faint flash of teeth from a smile beneath the hood.

“Aw c’mon, that’d be telling,” she said. 

“Worth a shot. Can I ask what you’re planning to do with the money?” he asked.

“You know, no one’s ever asked that before,” she said. “Granted, most people aren’t in a particularly conversational mood when they’re being robbed.” Varric arched an eyebrow. So they’d done this before. Maybe there’d be a record somewhere.

“I’m a writer, I love a good story,” he replied. She shrugged and leaned back.

“Alright then, Mr. Chest Hair the Writer. There’s a whole hell of a lot of refugees that are going to be going hungry during the holidays. What’s the point of having all this gold sitting in a vault gathering dust when it could be buying food and gifts?” she explained.

“How very noble of you, if it’s true,” he said, genuinely surprised.

“Why would I lie?”

“Oh, any number of reasons. It’s usually more fun than the truth, for one thing,” he replied. She chuckled, the sound like music to his ears.

“A man after my own heart. Okay, how about I’m planning to commission an erotic statue of Andraste to ship off to the Chantry in Val Royeaux? Then the extra cash will be for a massive sword in the shape of a dragon,” she said.

“Now see, that’s more like it,” he said, unable to stop the grin from spreading across his face.

“Oi, we’re ready to go,” the second figure called. The woman nodded and stood up, her hand still on the hilt of her comically large sword.

“I suppose you won’t tell me your name?” Varric asked quickly. The figure hoisted a massive bag of gold over her shoulder and glanced back.

“We’ve only just met,” she said, “at least buy me a drink first.”

In the days after, Varric reached out to every contact he had, going through reports of crime sprees in Kirkwall. It was no easy feat. Kirkwall had just so much crime, holy shit, no one should live there.

In the end, he found her entirely by chance. He was working late in his suite in the Hanged Man, and he caught the distant sound of the voice that had been echoing through his head at every hour. Dwarves didn’t dream, but if they did his sleeping hours would have been filled with the sound of that damn voice.

He picked up the bottle of whiskey he set aside for special occasions and made his way down to the common room. She was sitting in a corner towards the back, with two dark-haired men that had to be related to her. Their voices were familiar too. 

Varric caught her eye and raised an eyebrow. A grin spread across her face and she motioned him over.

“I see you’ve brought me a drink. Good man,” she said cheerfully. The taller of her brothers stiffened and frowned at him, his hand moving for his weapon.

“So I have,” Varric said. He sat down next to her, about as far from the man as he could.

“Boys, why don’t you go get us some more ale?” she asked. The one with the sword glared at her, but the other one flashed an easy grin and shrugged. He looked enough like the woman that he might have been her twin.

“C’mon little brother, let’s see how many shots we can do before we pass out,” he said. They left, leaving Varric alone with the woman. There was a distinctive red stripe of what looked like blood across her nose, and something bewitching about her dark brown eyes.

“The name’s Marian Hawke,” she said, “and yours?”

“Varric Tethras.”

“Well, Varric Tethras, now that you’ve got me, what are you going to do with me?”

[kittinoir]

Phantoms Ch. 6

“Ladybug said I was awesome.” Not entirely true, but Queen Bee never could stand silence. “She said that I’d made huge improvements.”

Koira didn’t even glance her way. “And?”

“And?” Queen Bee repeated as they arced around the Eiffel Tower. “And a compliment to me is a compliment to you. I thought you’d like to know.”

“Compliments from Ladybug are meaningless” Koira said as they began the second half of their patrol. 

Outrage boiled up in Queen Bee, for once on behalf of someone else. “Are you seriously saying you think you’re better than her?”

“I’m saying she thinks too much,” Koira said, coming to an abrupt stop on a slanted roof. “I’m saying this whole mess could have been avoided if she’d just asked for help. I’m saying Ladybug doesn’t like me, I don’t like her, and it’s fine. And I’m saying if you worried less about what Ladybug thought of you and more about what you wanted, you’d be even better.”

There was so much to unpack there, Queen Bee didn’t even know where to start. “What mess are you talking about?” Her heart beat painfully in her chest. There could only be one mess he could mean. She’d stupidly thought he of all people would never hold it against her. She’d thought they were the same.

But Koira just laughed, a bitter sound without any real humour. “There’d be no point in telling you.”

Queen Bee stomped her foot in frustration. “Why? You think I’m so enamoured with Ladybug I’ll just take her side? Or am I too stupid to understand?”

Finally, finally, Koira met her eyes. The usual disdain had vanished. In its place was…pity?

“You won’t be able to hold onto it,” he finally said as he began running again. “It’s a waste of time.”

Unease swirled through Queen Bee as she followed, but it was overwhelmed by hurt. He really did think she was stupid. He really did. 

“Why do you even bother with me, then,” she choked out. Damnit, she was not going to cry. Especially because Felix had hurt her feelings. As if she cared about what Adrien’s cranky cousin thought of her anyway. As if she cared what any of them thought! She was Chloe Bourgeois! She had beauty, style, grace! She was the real deal; Felix was just too blind to see it. And that was hardly her fault.

“Ugh,” Koira groaned, glancing back at her over his shoulder. “This is why I wanted to wash my hands of this whole thing. I work better alone.” But still, he stopped, dragging Queen Bee into the thing shadow of a chimney. 

“I don’t think you’re stupid,” he said, scowling. “But you won’t remember. The team is at a disadvantage because of Ladybug and Chat Noir’s choices. Everyone’s identity is one mistake away from being revealed.”

Even as he spoke, Queen Bee was having trouble remembering the words. She managed to hold onto them - barely. “Speaking from experience, your identity being known isn’t the problem. Hawk Moth had an advantage when the Miraculous were being dropped off, but now that we hold onto them full time - ”

“He can come and get them any time he wants,” Koira interrupted, starting off again. 

Queen Bee followed, at a loss. He wasn’t wrong. Hawk Moth had done that very thing to her when he’d targeted her parents. He’d known she’d do anything to save them. And it was her fault most of their team was now at the same disadvantage. But…

“What were they supposed to do?” Queen Bee said at last as she followed her partner through an alley. “What would you have done?”

She was close enough she could see him scowl. He was quiet so long she didn’t think he would answer, but then he spoke.

“It’s impossible to know.” He sped up. “I’ve never loved someone that much.”

Neither had she. She hadn’t even loved herself that much. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Queen Bee finally said. “It’s done. The only thing that matters is whether or not you trust them.”

Koira glanced back again, a half-smile on his face. “Not really,” he said, “And if you knew what I do, you wouldn’t either. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that we have the same goals. That’s enough for me.”

Maybe it was her recent experiences with Ladybug, or the fact that she now knew who wore the earrings, but Queen Bee found herself agreeing with Koira. She trusted Ladybug and Chat Noir to do their best, but around each other…

Love was a weapon. Her parents had taught her that. It had only ever led to pain. 

Queen Bee was so engrossed in her warring thoughts that she nearly hit a weathervane, narrowly avoiding it only by throwing herself into a graceful arc over the obstruction.

“Where are we?” she demanded as she glanced around. “This isn’t our normal route.”

“No,” Koira agreed. “I thought it was time to do more than just damage control.”

Queen Bee scowled at her partner. “Meaning?”

“Why are we always cleaning up Hawk Moth’s messes?” Koira said as he led her down another street. “Why are we always being chased instead of chasing?”

“Like, a million reasons.” Trust was one thing, but questioning how things were done… it wasn’t perfect but it worked. “One, we don’t know anything about him. Two, he, like, never shows up in public. Three, we don’t know anything about him.”

“Don’t we?” Koira said, finally coming to a stop on the roof of a random building. “After all, Chat Noir thought he didn’t know anything about Ladybug until he had to find her.”

Queen Bee opened her mouth to argue, but the words died on her tongue as her heart beat once, then twice. A tone rang briefly in her ear, distracting her, until she abruptly refocused on Koira shaking his head, the last few seconds a hazy blur.

“We just think we don’t know anything about him,” Koira continued as though nothing had happened as he pulled a loose tile out. “Truth is, LB and Chat Noir have been so busy cleaning up they haven’t had time to do anything else. But now they have us.”

“Are you going to stop being cryptic or do I have to continue to pretend to be interested in whatever you’re rambling about?” Queen Bee snapped. 

Koira scowled, but leaned back to show her the map he’d pulled out from under the tile, marked with dozens of red dots. “Do you know how criminal profiling started?”

“Like…instagram accounts for bad guys?”

“Profiling.” Koira pointed to the map. “Where detectives and scientists would put together a profile on their bad guy based on the data of their crimes to help them catch them when they didn’t even have an eye-witness to go on. It started when investigators would mark where suspects carried out their crimes. More often than not, the crimes would take place in a radius around where the suspect did the deed. They didn’t like to go too far from home, but they didn’t like to be too close, either. Too obvious. Problem is, you’re left with a nice little target on your head that anyone can find if they just notice the pattern.”

Queen Bee frowned at the map. “But that doesn’t look like anything. There’s dots all over Paris.”

“But just Paris,” Koira said, splaying his gloved hand over the map. “So we know he’s probably in the city.”

“Puh-lease! He’s after the Miraculous, right? Which is where Ladybug and Chat Noir are. So he’s creating akumas here. That’s all that proves. After all, you’re not from here.”

“He has to be close,” Koira insisted. “The Miraculous have limits. He wouldn’t be able to feel negative emotions from too far away.”

“Not necessarily,” Queen Bee said, crouching closer to the map for a better look. “The horse miraculous and rabbit miraculous have no limits on distance, temporal or physical. He akumatized a villain in the United States just a few months ago.”

Koira huffed, running a hand through his hair. “This is why I bother with you.”

Queen Bee blinked over at him. “What?”

“You’re so combative.” He traced an invisible line from dot to dot. “You just love to be right.” His hand abruptly froze on the map as he looked over at her. “I see things more clearly with you.”

Queen Bee could feel every nerve in her body tingle as those green eyes bored into hers. So similar, but so different. Amber flecks instead of blue. But looking at Adrien had never made her feel like this, like every nerve in her body was on fire.

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re right,” she whispered. “He would want to be here, to get his hands on the Miraculous as soon as possible. Maybe not when everything first started, but now…”

“He’s appeared in the city,” Koira said, but his gaze didn’t stray from her face. “He saved Mayura when she was in danger. He wouldn’t have been fast enough if he’d been elsewhere.”

“So he’s here,” Queen Bee repeated, finally breaking his gaze to scour the map again, but no pattern revealed itself.

“Somewhere. We just have to flush him out.” Koira paused, tracing more invisible lines. “It might take some…bonding time.”

Queen Bee made a face. “Bonding time? With…?”

Koira barked a laugh as he caught her meaning. “God, no. I meant you with our fearless leader and me with my dear cousin. There’s a pattern here; we just need more details. I’m betting the wonder twins have just been too enamoured with one another to see it. But you and I can probably find it, or some clues, to start to form a picture.”

“Oh. Right.” She was definitely not stung that he didn’t want to hang out with her. She was just embarrassed to have jumped to conclusions. That was it. “Well, I must warn you, the Lady’s not my biggest fan. She might be suspicious.”

Koira glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Trust me: play your cards right and she’ll give you just about anything. I, on the other hand, have no such trump card. The cat will have his back up.”

But Queen Bee bit her lip. “Maybe it would be better to just tell them.” Striking out on her own, not trusting Ladybug had been what had caused all her problems in the first place. 

“Answer me this,” Koira said, turning to face her. “Do you honestly think they’ll let us do this if we say anything?”

No. No, they wouldn’t. They’d be afraid of the consequences. Queen Bee was afraid of the consequences. But she was beginning to be more afraid of what she already had to lose. A sense of urgency rose up in her, nudging at her in a way she couldn’t quite grasp. She breathed through the panic, letting it guide her to a conclusion.

“Once we find him,” Queen Bee said at last, “We tell them, before we do anything.” 

“Deal,” Koira said, reaching for his map. “I would have anyway. I’ve seen first-hand the consequences of taking Hawk Moth on without everyone on board. But until then, this stays between us.”

Queen Bee stood, arms crossed. “As if I’ll even remember what house this is after we leave,” she scoffed.

But she would. She’d memorized the house across the way and the name of the street. She might not get it on the first try, but if she had to, she could probably find it again. She was done, she decided. She was done letting Hawk Moth jerk her around. She was done having her life ruined over and over again because she was afraid. And she was done being on defense. 

And she wanted it, she realized. More than anything, she wanted Hawk Moth’s head on a platter. It had been months since he’d last manipulated her, but the wounds were still fresh, and stung more than she remembered. 

Queen Bee wanted her life back.

And Hawk Moth was going to damn well give it to her, even if she had to chase him through all of Paris to get it.

[colossaldame-a]

   HEADCANON BUFFET !

   for the 50 headcanons challenge that @bnharpchub​ made i’ll be reposting the ones i posted in my main blog the other day ,  since they are pretty recent still ! !  beware that some of these might have spoilers ,  both for the main manga and for the vigilantes manga --- not all obviously ,  but a few !

she eats A LOT ,  it helps with her quirk since she has a giant hehehe appetite !  no seriously ,  she probably eats almost as much as taishiro ( fatgum ) ,  but due to her transforming a lot and training it doesn’t look as much ( neither does she want it to be noticeable ) .

she actually loves to play video games !  first person shooting games are the ones she is better at ,  but she will play everything !

her favorite solo game of all time is the last of us ,  and her favorite co-op one is gang beasts !  although just dance will always have a special place in her heart .

she has the animal crossing switch !

yu swears A LOT too ,  usually when playing though ,  it’s pretty funny to see her lose her cool ,  actually -

her setup looks like this !

she streams ,  but actually doesn’t show her face or reveals her identity at all !  it’s like a little safe spot for her it’s also a good way of getting money for the damage she causes while working !

on that note :  one time on a stream ,  yu got told that ladies shouldn’t swear as much as she did ,  so she spent the next 30 mins somehow managing to get a swear in every sentence .  she only stopped because she didn’t know how to continue anymore .

since in her original design yu had blue hair ,  i’m going with the idea that she had a tiny little bitsy emo phase back in middle school .  that’s also when she started to play more on her computer !

she has two older brothers ,  who are twins !  taichi’s quirk is the ability to make things big by touch ,  while koba’s to make things small !  her mother ,  tsukiko ,  her quirk is to make any part of her body grow :  hands ,  feet ,  ears !  anything !  her father’s ( his name is kimio ! ) is the ability to touch anything and be able to mold it into something else !

her brothers ( now both 29 ) ,  they used to participate in the fighting matches that rappa and miruko participated in !  yu is aware of this due to the fact that they would ask her to distract their parents while they sneaked out ,  or to cover up for them in case anything happened !

know how astronauts have trouble adjusting to life on earth again ,  because of how they let go of things in the air thinking they’ll stay there ,  but get confused when they drop to the ground because gravity ?  that’s kinda what happens with her ,  but with the size of things !  while in her normal form ,  she envisions things as smaller than what they really are ,  and ends up getting surprised each time !

since yu is the youngest of 3 children ,  she always grew up in a competitive environment and mindset .  that didn’t change much the moment she became a hero ,  always aiming for the top and to be the ‘winner’ .  HOWEVER ,  that began to change the more she grew as a hero ,  not having that mindset as her priority anymore but in the back of her head ,  and due to the recent events of the manga ,  it’s almost completely gone .

she actually knows a lot of puns ,  usually doesn’t say them often but she knows them !

the fight between her and nemuri ( midnight ) that happened on that talk show ?  completely fake ,  they planned it before hand !

yu’s favorite hero since she was a teenager was ,  in fact ,  midnight !  the mask she wears with her hero costume is in her honor ( now more than ever ) !

like momo and itsuka ,  her first internship as a hero student was with uwabami .  it’s thanks to her that she wears the curls in her hair bangs now !

she likes to jog at night ,  when it’s chilly !  this does not apply in the winter ,  though ;  too chilly !

as the only daughter in the family ,  as well as the youngest ,  she is spoiled .  it happened ,  it’s okay -

the only reason why yu got mineta as an intern after the sports festival was because of his color scheme being similar to hers .  the moment she met him for real she wanted to kick him to the sun ,  but alas couldn’t and shouldn’t and she knows that ( unfortunately ) .

the way yu and her family found out about her quirk was one time in a picnic ,  when she was 5 years old .  thankfully ,  they were far away from people ,  but it took her 30 minutes to be able to turn back to her normal form .  from that day on ,,  her parents started to buy her clothing that fit her quirk .  she had control over her quirk one year later ,  and since she was 15 she didn’t need to wear that special clothing .  although sometimes she still has certain outbursts and it causes for it to activate .

to everyone’s surprise ( not really ,  if you remember that she dyed her hair ) ,  her favorite color is blue !

her favorite song is timber ,  which is pretty ironic in itself ;  although she also vibes to wap !

yu records and takes pictures a lot !  and due to that ,  her tiktok account ( because lets be real ,  she has one ) is filled with videos of funny things happening while working .

she is bisexual ,  and usually goes for men that are older than her ,  and women around her age !  obviously this doesn’t apply if she meets someone she really likes ,  but that’s usually how it goes !

yu really likes asmr !

her nickname in high school was sharpay evans ;  she took it as a compliment !

since kamino ,  she wears her suit under her casual clothing --- her mask usually kept either inside a pocket of her jacket ,  or inside a purse she has at the moment .  that experience ( mostly best jeanist though ) taught her that she can’t let her guard down .

she knows how to play the violin !

one time she entered a competition of people dressing up as a heroes ,  mostly as a joke :  she lost ,  and the judges told her that her hair looked fake .  it took a lot to keep things calm then .

yu prefers to not wear much makeup ,  on contrary to popular belief !  eyeliner ,  mascara ,  lipstick and a bit of concealer under her eyes usually does the trick !  although she has tons of makeup and will often do looks when she is at home ( and if there’s any formal event happening ! ) .

yes ,  she liked one direction when in her emo phase .  nobody knows ,  it’s her dark secret ;  even darker than that whole phase itself and yes ,  she cried when zayn left .

yu doesn’t like kids ,  at all .  teenagers are alright though ,  she supposes .

yu ,  tsunagu and keigo ( best jeanist and hawks ,  or rather :  @fiibermaster​ and @perditus​ ) have weekly meetings to spill the tea .  honorary members are katsuki and neito ,  though .

continuing from above ,  that’s how she always knows the spiciest drama that happen .  it’s pretty funny ,  actually .

continuing of from 33 ,  @perditus​‘s keigo is absolutely her best friend .

since her quirk only allows her to have those two heights ,  yu has taken upon herself to learn and and know more of 1v1 combat ,  meaning beginning to train more martial arts .

her favorite movie is legally blonde !  and her favorite series is new girl !  although her favorite character of all time is tanya from mamma mia ! !

her favorite animal are squirrels !  she finds them cute and that’s why she has caroline in her island in animal crossing ! !

yu’s taste in music is very sporadic ,  although a lot of songs end up being slightly suggestive .  here’s her playlist .

yu has met both @explodeking​‘s katsuki and @shockingtm​‘s denki through gaming online .  when she heard their voices she went pikachu shocked face !

mentioning katsuki ;  you bet your ass she absolutely went and asked about the kids first thing after waking up after kamino .

she might have gotten a few scars from kamino ward ,  but she actually absolutely cherishes them .  because those scars reminder her of how they trusted her for such important mission ,  to be able to work along heroes that were in the top 10 .  it actually means a lot to her ,  although if asked yu will just shrug it off .

she likes to camp and hike !  granted ,  she hates it because no wifi and no games ,  but that way she can use her quirk without much trouble of hurting people or destroying things and therefore relax a little .

yu naturally smells of roses and surprisingly ;  rain .

unlike many ,  yu doesn’t even think on quitting her job after the war :  in fact the whole thing that happened made her grow more stubborn about it .  also made her realize how much she still has to grow as a hero ,  and she can’t wait to leave the hospital and start training and helping those who need it right now .

it took her one day to wake up after what happened too ,  and while she did have many injuries ,  the worst ones ended up being on her head .  right now it’s mostly wrapped up ,  and she has been having many headaches even with the pain killers .

she doesn’t like spicy food that much ,  but she will eat it either way .

in her giant form ,  she will often whisper ;  since if she speaks normally ,  it’s already pretty loud .

and finally !  the glare that machia gave her right before grabbing her head and throwing to the side ;  it scares her still .  in that moment she realized he was basically just playing around ,  while she was doing her most to stop him .  she has nightmares about it still .

[kumeko]

A/N: For the @academy-emblem-zine, which is having a leftovers sake! I couldn’t resist putting all the Royals together as one big kinda happy family. As happy as they can get, with Leo and Takumi in the same room. XD

…

…

…

…

“This isn’t fair,” Hinoka grumbled, sprawling forward onto the table and wrinkling her school uniform. Her arms dangled off the edge and she rested her chin on the wooden surface. Shooting a baleful glare at Azura, she pouted. “Why can’t you represent us? You’re from our house. Kinda.”

 Kinda was how Corrin would describe it too, the strange mishmash that was her family. Put together a twin brother, two sets of adoptive siblings, and kidnapping, and it made the holidays very strange, to say the least. The nice thing about going to Garreg Mach was that her entire family was bundled up into one house. For once, she didn’t have to flip a coin to decide which side to live with it.

 If anything, sharing a house might have helped her two families intertwine. Inside the Purpure Kinshis classroom, Ryoma and Xander were sitting in a corner, writing an essay together. Camilla was standing behind her and Kamui, braiding their hair in dozens of different designs. Even Elise and Sakura were sitting in the front, watching intently as Azura taught them how to dance. It had been decades since the last time Nohr and Hoshido were this close. It was almost like they hadn’t nearly started a war, fully intent on wiping out one another.

Well, everyone was close except for her other brothers of course. As usual, her grumpy middle brothers were ignoring everyone as they sat separately at their own tables. Leo was studying magic, and Takumi frowned deeply as he restrung his bow. At least they weren’t arguing, their normal default. Corrin sighed. It felt like they were a small push away from really integrating with everyone, but that push was going to be a hard one.

 “Me?” Azura paused mid-dance, her long robes swaying around her as she came to a stop. Pleased, she rubbed her wrist as she gently reminded, “I’m a teacher. It wouldn’t be fair.”

 “Fair shmair.” Hinoka puffed her cheeks and jutted her lip, looking every bit a sad puppy. “They’re just scared we’d win. You’re the best dancer in the school and they know it.”

 “Oh no.” Azura smiled bashfully, her cheeks pink. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Olivia is a great dancer too. She’s taught me a lot of things.”

 “Really?” Leo looked up from the magical history book he was paging through. Doubtful, he raised a brow and asked, “She can barely handle teaching a class, but she’s teaching you things?”

 “Like what, how to be even more shy?” Takumi grumbled at the same time, leaning back into his seat.

 As soon as they realized what’d happened, Takumi and Leo snapped their heads toward one another, their lips already curling into an insulting snarl. There was a long silence, as they realized how similar their statements were. Their faces twitched, torn between anger and praise, before they slipped back into what they were comfortable with: a distrustful glare.

 So they were paying attention after all. Corrin sighed as she watched her two brothers eye one another. “Even Elise doesn’t do this to Sakura anymore.”

 Camilla quickly and neatly gathered the dozens of braids she’d already made on Corrin’s head, weaving them into one larger braid. Glancing at them, she gave a fond laugh. “That is part of what makes them both so adorable.”

 “That doesn’t really help,” Kamui sighed as well, eyeing them over his book. Sometimes it felt like she and Kamui were the only ones with common sense. “At least they aren’t challenging each other to duels anymore.”

 “You both are so stupid,” Elise grumbled, hopping off her seat. She marched toward Leo and stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. Gripping his book, she growled, “You both like almost all the same things, just be friends already!”

 “Elise.” Leo tried to tug his book free, but she refused to let go. Gritting his teeth, he gave up. “Everyone can’t be friends.”

 “Why not?” Elise argued back, glaring at Leo. “That’s the only way to bring peace, by being friends. And if we can’t do it, then how can we expect our people to do it?”

 Ryoma lifted his head from his paper, warmly regarding Elise. He nodded approvingly. “That is the right attitude. You are quite wise, despite your age.”

 “Despite her childishness at times, Elise has always seen things differently,” Xander agreed proudly. His eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. “She’s even taught me a few things.”

 “…I don’t know why, but I’m feeling insulted,” Elise muttered, crossing her arms and squinting at her brother.

 “Now, now, back to the matter at hand. Perhaps I can be our representative?” Xander sat up a little straighter, a little prouder. He glanced at Ryoma. “You are teaching me the traditional Hoshidian dance. What better way to show our two families united?”

 “That is an inspiring thought.” Ryoma stroked his chin thoughtfully. Considering it for a few minutes, he proposed, “Perhaps after a few more lessons? I am sure we can find time this week, after we hand in this paper.”

 “What? You’re so busy as is.” Elise snorted. Stomping over to Sakura’s desk, she grabbed her by the hand and pulled her up. “We can be the representatives.”

 “U-u-us?” Sakura stuttered, flushing a deep red at the idea. She shook her head violently. “N-no, we can’t!”

 “Come on, it’ll be great. And cute.” Elise pulled Sakura closer and whirled her around. “Everyone’ll like it.”

 “Ohhh.” Letting go of Corrin’s hair, Camilla clapped her hands in delight. “This is a wonderful idea. We should take you both dress shopping.”

 Corrin felt her hair bounce on her back. Picking up one of the braids, she stared at the impressive texture it had, the dozens of braids her sister had managed to make in minutes. Was that a frightening skill or an amazing talent? Or both, probably both. “Aren’t we only allowed one representative?” she pointed out regretfully.

 “Yeah.” Hinoka groaned, looking at Azura once more. “And that should have been Azura.”

 “That still can’t happen,” Azura replied ruefully. “But I can teach one of the little ones, if you like. It wouldn’t be against the rules.”

 “But which one?” Camilla muttered, tapping her chin as she looked from Elise to Sakura. “Ohhh, it’s far too hard to choose.” With a defeated sigh, she wrapped her arms around the two young girls, squeezing them into a tight hug. “To pick one and hurt the other…I simply can’t do it.”

 “T-thank you,” Sakura wheezed, Camilla’s grip far too tight.

 “Can’t breathe,” Elise gasped, hitting Camilla’s arm.

 “If you’re going to have to teach someone anyway, why not Corrin?” Leo suggested, a snide sneer on his face as he looked at her. “She’s already learning from Azura as is.”

 This was revenge for pointing out his tie was inside out. She just knew it. Corrin glared at her brother, sliding a finger across her throat execution style. Revenge would be sweet, once she got out of this situation. If she got out of this situation. “I think Sakura and Elise are better options,” she quickly said, trying to erase Leo’s idea before it settled into anyone’s mind.

 “Corrin?” Camilla drawled out, her head slowly turning toward her. It was like reading a horror book, where the victim had gained the monster’s attention. Her eyes glinted as the idea took root. “That would be lovely, I know exactly how to dress you.”

 Corrin swallowed. There had to be something she could do, someone she could—

 Next to her, Kamui buried his nose deeper in his book and Corrin stared. Well. What were siblings for, if not saving one another? “Kamui might be better,” she suggested desperately, tossing her brother under the bus. “He’s had lessons too.”

 He glared at her, not wanting any part of this. “No, no, you can do it.”

 “You’re more graceful,” she bit out, kicking his leg. I’ll make it up to you, she mouthed.

 He gritted his teeth and kicked her back. Still not doing it.

 “Corrin, Kamui, don’t fight.” It was too late. While they weren’t paying attention, Camilla swooped down like a hawk catching her prey and gathered them both in her arms. Tightly squeezing them, she shook her head. “We mustn’t argue about such petty matters.”

 Suddenly, Corrin understood why Elise had turned redder than a tomato. “Too…tight…”

 “No, I will just have to ask Lady Rhea to allow both of you to dance.” Camilla stood up straight, dragging them both up with her. “To be denied the chance to get both of you outfits, to see you dance together, I cannot allow that to happen. Not you, my precious darlings.”

 With what little conscious she had left, Corrin glared at Leo. She was going to kill him for this.

[gt-fluff-n-stuff]

G/T headcanons for the Host Club

Nobody asked but I need comfort fuel and maybe someone else will appreciate this post. This is basically some headcanons about how the hosts would react/behave (in my opinion) with a small reader.

Lets start with the King himself!

Tamaki:

· First encounter would be hell for you considering Tamaki would immediately reach for you and scoop you up in his palm.

· He wants to touch you and pick you up all while being his loud self.

· After seeing your expressions of fear he catches on that you are terrified of him.

· He takes his voice down a couple notches before officially introducing himself.

· He would want to introduce you to the rest of the host club but the moment you tell him you’re not too comfortable with that yet he would understand.

· Suoh thought that commoners lived weird lives but hearing how you lived was like talking to an alien species from a planet lightyears away.

· Tamaki blushes when he feels you cling to his neck while you sit on his shoulder.

· This man would dote on you 24/7 without hesitation. Giving you loving pet names.

· From day 1 Tamaki would feel protective of you…maybe overprotective.

· Boundaries are definitely something you would have to set with him. Picking you up without warning, cheek pokes etc.

· After you explain that his action are uncomfortable he would try his best to be respectful.

· If you decided to live with Tamaki you already know this boy would not hesitate to accommodate any need you may have,

· “Do you need a little bed? Or a wardrobe? Is that blanket too rough?”

· You usually end up sleeping on the pillow next to him. It’s pretty comfortable.

· Overall you feel safe with Suoh.

Kyoya:

· When Kyoya comes across you it feels like a hawk has spotted you. His gaze is so intimidating for a solid minute you just wouldn’t move.

· Unlike Tamaki he would not just reach down to pick you up. This man would crouch down on one knee to try and seem less intimidating.

· “Well, are you going to say anything or just stare?”

· Kyoya would feel awkward about holding you for the first few times.

· “Is this okay? Make sure you hold on tight in case I trip.”

· Once you grow closer with him, you tend to lay across his shoulder and watch him work on budgeting the host club’s finances.

· Kyoya is curious about where you came from and how your life has been so far. He’s a great listener.

· He has notes about your life.

· Kyoya wasn’t too thrilled to introduce you to the host club out of caution for your safety.

· He makes sure while the guests are there you are safe in his coat pocket.

· Every now and then he would give a soft little pat to his pocket just to feel you in it.

· You tend to poke light at Kyoya when he’s feeling down to try and lift his spirits and he appreciates it a lot.

· Anytime you get sick he makes soup (or at the least he has someone else make soup) for you and stays by your side until you feel better.

· One time you woke him up from his sleep and you felt like you witnessed a giant demon hovering over you.

· “It is a good thing you’re cute.”

· Loves flustering your little self for his own amusement.

· There’s a soft side of Kyoya you see that the others do not.

· You make Kyoya feel important whenever you hold on tight to him. All he can think about is keeping you close.

Haruhi:

· She’s shocked to see someone so tiny but out of all the host members she’s the most respectful in the first encounter.

· Kneeling down, she’d ask if you were okay or if you needed help.

· She’d reassure you she means no harm.

· Haruhi keeps you a secret for as long as she can but it would be the twins to find out about you due to how nosey they are.

· She sets up a safe place for you to sleep at her house.

· Anytime you seem uncomfortable with something she does her best to get you out of the situation.

· You’ve managed to get separated in the grocery store a few time, which was equally scary for both of you.

· Definitely fall in love with her cooking even if its something simple.

· Meeting Haruhi’s dad was almost like meeting Tamaki with more questions and less touching.

· Whenever you’re chilling on Haruhi’s shoulder she makes sure to be careful with you and how she moves.

· Introducing you to the hosts was difficult for Haruhi to watch without wanting to hold on tight to you.

· Haruhi trusts in you to not get hurt and out of all the hosts you get the most time to yourself to do whatever.

· “Let me know if they cause you any trouble. They can be a handful 101% of the time.”

· This girl has taught you how to see the positives in life no matter how hard it may be.

· At school you would definitely chill in her bag.

Kaoru

· Kaoru would spot you before you spot him.

· He would definitely lift you up by the collar of your shirt in curiosity.

· It wouldn’t register to him how scary it is for you until you’re either yelling at him or crying.

· He would apologize and set you in his hand.

· Kaoru has a habit of poking your cheek when you’re not paying attention.

· The younger twin wouldn’t rush to tell Hikaru about you but he would not actively hide you from him.

· Kaoru seems more relaxed than his brother which in return makes being around him feel less stressful.

· It would not take long for you to feel safe with this boy.

· Whenever you seem worried or frightened, he would gently reassure you that he would be there by your side.

· “(Y/n) It’s okay, as long as I’m around nothing bad will ever happen to you. I promise.”

· And I mean he barely leaves your side.

· Your safety and comfort would always be on this sweet bean’s mind

· And your clothes. Oh this boy.

· Giving you the highest quality clothes you could ever ask for was almost a priority for him.

· “Do you like how that feels? Is it too costumey?”

· You would have to remind him constantly clothes don’t mean much to you as long as they keep you agile and comfy.

· He would often watch you do your own thing just completely in awe with how you function.

· Kaoru around the others with you I got one word. Possessive.

· I’d say that more than protective because its not that he distrusts the hosts, he just doesn’t want to leave your side.

· “Please be safe. Don’t fall off anything.”

· At times it can be annoying how much this twin feels the need to protect you but he means the best. You talk to him about needing your own space and time and he’ll pout but he will definitely learn to back off and breathe.

Hikaru

· This boy has 2 braincells and handling a tiny human is definitely not something he can do without scaring the daylights out of you.

· “What the hell are you?!”

· Cue this twin holding you by your damn leg in front of his face.

· At some point you have to straight up fuss at him to set you down.

· “Jeez my bad.”

· Hikaru has to learn to be gentle and being around you is hard for him at first.

· “Fuck I forgot you were there can’t you watch where you’re going...Sorry.”

· He has so many questions about everything you do.

· “What the hell are you even wearing? How do you not know what sushi is? Your people don’t have fancy food?”

· When you warm up to him though he doesn’t know what to do with himself.

· Anytime you lean against him all he wants to do is protect you.

· Sometimes he’ll just pull you against him and pet your head until you fall asleep.

· Similar to Kaoru he makes sure you have everything you need to be comfortable.

· Sometimes it takes tough love to get through his thick skull and after dealing with this boys shenanigans for long enough you definitely are not afraid to share your mind.

· Hikaru is a tease though and takes any chance he has to compare you to something small.

· Whenever he gets a smirk on his face you feel a shiver down your spine.

· Hikaru would be the first to give you “fancy tuna”

· Also lots of pranks so prepare your heart for him to pop out of nowhere.

Mori

· The first time you see Mori you damn near have a heart attack.

· He’s not the tallest human you’ve seen but he is definitely the tallest human to personally handle you.

· When he first sees you he freezes. Afraid that he may crush you accidentally with one wrong move. Honestly you had not even noticed the teen behind you until you turned around. With Mori you would be the first one to break the silence.

· Mori cautiously crouches down to hold his hand out to you and is so slow to lift you, you get a little impatient.

· You’re a little uncomfortable being so high up from the ground when Mori holds you but you trust the giant not to drop you.

· As you get closer to him you both begin to open up to each other. His voice is soothing and makes you feel safe.

· Because he is so observant it doesn’t take long for him to notice what makes you uncomfortable, happy, upset etc.

· Mori is good at getting you to talk about how you feel.

· He gives you gentle nudges whenever you seem down.

· “Do you want to talk about it, or do you want a hug?”

· Oh Mori Hugs. Sometimes it was hard to not choose hug each time.

· The other hosts have a hard time handling you without Takashi watching them from wherever he is.

· Gave you a push pin for self-defense because he’s Mori and he cares about you.

· He likes being by your side because he feels like he can be his authentic self with you and trusts you not to judge him.

· 100% loves when you nap on his chest with his hand gently over you.

· Overall Takashi is a huge protective softy and you can not help but feel loved and protected with him.

Honey

· At first you think you’re staring at the face of a kid.

· Honey talks your ear off when you first meet him.

· He asks you so many questions you are not sure where to start or how to answer.

· Mitskuni is super gentle with you and makes sure to take caution whenever you’re on his shoulder.

· He always shares his sweets with you and checks on your comfort.

· Mitskuni may have told the hosts about you as soon as he found you.

· It’s a bit overwhelming trying to catch your breath with Honey’s energy.

· Honey loves to talk to you and about you. Hearing your name puts him in a good mood.

· Honestly you could say he hugs you more than Usa Chan.

· Mitskuni tells you how adorable you are constantly.

· This boy will get you out of your shell so fast.

· He always gets your opinion before doing something so you can feel heard.

· Like his cousin, Mitskuni is super observant of your mannerisms and does his best to not make you uncomfortable.

· He is so good with communication you rarely feel like there is anything you need to hide from him.

· Since he sits on Takashi’s shoulders at time, it can feel overwhelming to be so high up. But you also find it relaxing to not be below everyone.

· At home you have your own space to relax and be by yourself. Honey knows how overwhelming the hosts can be at time and respects that you need your time by yourself.

· Sometimes you literally just sleep on his head since his hair is so fluffy. And speaking of sleep, you’re surprisingly not afraid to wake him up.

· The most he does is glare at you and get over it 20 minutes later. Which you find hilarious.

· He’s the sweetest out of the hosts.

[doerunners]

Who are you two favourite cats in each clan you're in? And why?

NettleClan:

Pansykit -

I think this one should have been pretty easy to anticipate, but I absolutely adore Pansykit. I've been so closely involved in her since before she was born and watching her growth through kithood alone has been amazing. Words cannot stress enough how excited I am to watch her develop through apprenticeship and see her gentle, kind nature grow. I think the relationship she has with Tansykit is great because they both foil one another so well. Pansykit mirrors Tansykit's cold, isolationist nature while Tansykit mirrors Pansykit's caring, sweet nature. They work so well as a duo, especially so when the twin aspect is added onto them. I have so much love in my heart for Pansykit. She is so perfect and I will die for her. @leafwhisker

Flickerclaw -

Okay I'll be honest and say I haven't always been a Flickerclaw stan. It was really easy to see him as a character through the lense of Spark, and it was ironically as Spark began to let go of his anger at Raven and Maple that I began to appreciate Flicker's unique and interesting arc. Watching his fish-out-of-water narrative, seeing those emotions as Raven gravitated away from him and left him with a similar sense of loneliness that he left Aspen with? SO cool to see, and its awesome to watch how that experience allowed Flicker to realize the faults in his own actions and reach out to Spark (and hopefully lter Aspen) to apologize. I really love the way hes grown up and how he had to learn the hard way that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. I can't wait to see more with him regarding Hawk and Daisy as well- that's going to be such a unique thing to see. @mintswhisker

JaggedClan:

Swallowstorm -

An answer that shocks no one- I fucking love Swallowstorm. I would jump in front of a moving train for her. I would give Swallowstorm my left kidney. I love Swallowstorm. I've always had a soft spot for nasty girl characters and Swallowstorm is the nastiest girl there is. I'm heartbroken that I joined Jagged so late just because it means I missed out on a lot of her earlier development, but seeing her through the lense of Doerunner has honestly made her character that much more charming. I think Swallow's obsession with power and control is a really unique and captivating thing- I can't really think of another character that approaches this in a way as awesome and dynamic as her. The way she would go as far as to hurt herself and others around her just to keep that reality in tact for herself, the way she isolates herself just to tell herself the lie that it has to be this way because nobody else will understand, as well as to justify the way the cats closest to her have abandoned her/betrayed her trust. Her ego is too big for her own good, and to watch her repeatedly reach her breaking point, fall deeper into that dark mindset, only to place the limits of that breaking point further is so fucking awesome. I could honestly go on for paragraphs about all the subtleties I love about Swallowstorm, shes just genuinely so well written and dynamic and three dimensional. I'll be selfish for a bit and go on about how fun its been to reach out to that cold, broken cat through Doerunner, who's also broken but just in such a fundamentally different way. Seeing this relationship between Doe and Swallow where Doe tries to find her worth in befriending cats where Swallow finds her worth in pushing them away? So fucking GOOOOD. Especially when Swallowstorm is the one cat in JaggedClan who saved Doerunner, who literally kept her from freezing to death in the snow. Idk. Idk. I'm soft.

Mousetail -

My MOM. I love miss Mouse, especially because I'm one of the people who was lucky enough to see her shift from NettleClan to JaggedClan. To watch her go from lonely, angry, and hostile to the loving, gentle, and happy cat she is in JaggedClan has been such an awesome development to watch. I like how her happiness didn't come without a price- her scene leaving Crowstar behind, the way she's confronted Lavenderstrike after the way her kits were targeted, her overall apprehensive nature regarding her new clanmates is really nice to watch, her acclimation as a JaggedClan cat is slow and methodical and I like that a lot. It feels realistic and allows for a lot more growth and potential in the future. I'm really excited for her kits to reach six moons because there's so many more confrontations to see that are going to be absolutely great. I can't wait for Duststorm and Swiftstrike to meet her again, for them to view how far she's come in six moons, for Crowstar to see the way her family has grown, for Mottlepelt and her to speak again- there's a lot for Mouse to face in the future and I cannot WAIT to see how it goes. @currentfangs

The Tribe:

Butterfly -

Miss Butterfly.... my darling to-be. In the same way I'm soft on nasty girls, I'm also soft on characters with severe family trauma and Butterfly has that by the fucking BOATLOAD. The way she's been written through it all has been such a treat to watch, her using that obsession with the truth and being a well behaved, perfect cat to cope??? PEAK writing. I can hardly believe shes over a year old now as a character. I love the way she started fearful and anxious of the world because of how much it hurt her to a cat who, while still having some anticipation and fear, has a bit more confidence, especially through her relationship with Firefly and Spark. I just wuv her so much and I can't wait to see her function as an adult cat in the tribe! I can't wait to see her bond with her peers, meet Spark's kits, develop more with Butterfly and Fading. Shes a perfect little darling girl and I'll die for her. (Leo its not letting me tag you so I'll just DM you lol)

Aspen Snow -

Last but not least, miss Aspen. She's one of the first characters I got to develop a meaning, worthwhile relationship with. I've watched her go to an angry, spunky kid to a complex, hurt adult. She's an interesting look into a character who just can't seem to catch a break and is a great mix of a character who doesn't know how to pull herself out of her hurt. I like how over the course of time, she developed into a cat who's too closed off about her emotions while Spark became a cat who's open with his emotions to a fault. They balance one another out when they're together, but apart they both spiral out of control in opposite directions. Her complicated relationships with all her siblings really symbolizes how her horrible early on experiences leaves her inable to bond with them now in a healthy way. Her relationship with her season makes it so her emotions, so bottled up, explode in drastically unhealthy ways when they reach their boiling point and those instances only serve to haunt Aspen Snow and lead her to believe she's a worse cat than she really is. I want to see a healing arc with her SO badly man

[duskowithapen]

I’ll Come Back (When You Call Me) Chapter Two

Read Chapter One

Read on AO3

Read on Fanfiction

No Need To Say Goodbye

Ciri had always known there was more to Julien – Jaskier, his names Jaskier – than meets the eye. The way her Grandmother, who didn’t submit to anyone, allowed Jaskier to essentially do as he wished around the castle with no reaction but a tension to her lips and jaw. The way he never became cold, even in the darkest depths of winter. The way he was always brighter, happier, more vibrant than anyone else in court.

As the flames surrounding her died down, Ciri wondered how she never realised just how much more Jaskier was.

And then all such thoughts left her mind, as the bard crumpled to the ground before Roach’s hooves.

“Jaskier!” She cried, springing from the saddle. There were other people in the stone-walled room, she noticed – a large man with greying hair and beard, a taller man with dark brown hair, a man who would have looked like Geralt’s twin if it wasn’t for the dark hair and scars running down his face, all of them witchers with golden eyes – but the vast majority of her attention was focused on the bard who hadn’t made a sound since he’d… portalled? Teleported? Used fire to bring them here. Ciri crouched at his side and pressed a hand against the cheek facing up. He was cold. Jaskier was never cold.

After a moment, large, wrinkled hands appeared beside hers. “Move out of the way a moment, child.” The grey-haired witcher murmured. “Let’s get him up the right way.”

Together, they rolled Jaskier onto his back. Under fluttering eyelids, Jaskier’s eyes rolled wildly. The feathers emerging from his arm looked paler, the golds faded. Another tear had appeared up his leg – there were more feathers, but also the hint of pale yellow scales. The witcher cursed under his breath. Even as they watched, Jaskier convulsed, and there was the sound of tearing fabric as feathers peeked out of the bottom of his shirt.

Geralt kneeled at Jaskier’s other side, helped by the scarred man. His wounds looked a lot better, but he still moved gingerly. “Vesemir, what’s wrong with him?” A hand reached out to touch one of the feathers, and the witcher – Vesemir? – slapped it away.

“Don’t touch a phoenix’s feathers, lad.” He looked up at the scarred man, who’d been joined by the other witcher. “Eskel, Lambert, go and get the firewood from outside – we’re going to need a much larger fire if we don’t want the bard to die.”

“Die?!” Ciri burst out. “No, he can’t die! Jaskier promised he wouldn’t leave me – he said that he’d always be there for me!” She reached down for her pendant once more, squeezing it in one fist. “You promised Jaskier! You said it every year – you promised that you’d always come back. You can’t die!”

Vesemir put a gentle hand on her shoulder, glancing down at the pendant with a strange look in his eye. “That’s why I’m getting the fire built up, child. Do you know anything about phoenixes?”

“No, I didn’t even know he was one!” She held out her pendant to the man, ignoring the way Geralt choked beside her. “He gave me this when I was eight – he said that it had a little piece of him in it, so I could call him if he was in trouble. I didn’t know that Jaskier actually had feathers!”

“A phoenix gifting a part of himself is very rare, and a very great honour,” Vesemir murmured. He wrapped her hand tighter around the pendant. “It is a gift many would kill for, child, so keep it safe.”

As the other witchers came back into the room, logs piled high in their arms, Vesemir got to his feet with a groan. “Pack those around the edges of the fireplace, lads,” He instructed, waving them over to the large fireplace on the opposite wall, “Put one layer of logs in the middle and then build up the sides.”

There was a cough to Ciri’s left. “Princess…” Geralt began, “How do you know Jaskier?”

She went to answer – how could she not know Jaskier – when the bard in question convulsed once again, more violently than before. An arm that was more feather than human hit her in the stomach, sending her sliding back a metre or so. Geralt had also been batted away, and the streak of blood on the ground showed that at least one would had reopened. Vesemir turned away from where he was supervising the fire building and cursed. “Eskel, help Geralt and make sure he doesn’t hurt himself worse. Lambert, with me.”

Lambert came over and grasped the bard just under the knees, carefully avoiding contact with the feathers emerging just below his fingers. Vesemir caught Jaskier under his shoulders after wrapping his hands in his coat. When Ciri went to help – Jaskier’s hands were dragging against the ground, he loved his hands more than anything else – she was waved away.

“I need you to pick up his feathers. None of us can touch them without causing more issues,” The greying witcher explained. “The bard trusted you enough to give you one of his feathers – and one of his tears, if I’m seeing things right – so I don’t think he’d mind you touching these ones.” And indeed, there were dozens of feathers scattered across the ground, a trail following the bards path across the room.

Both Vesemir and Lambert had to readjust their grip more than once as Jaskier began to writhe in earnest. Shrill cries came from his throat, reminding Ciri unpleasantly of the hawks her grandmother had – used to have – and the sounds they’d made when hooded. When he was being settled in the fireplace, Jaskier curled into the centre of the log pile with a croon, wrapping both arms – now feather covered – around himself. Vesemir waited till Lambert had moved away before making a strange sign with his hands.

Jaskier, and the wood, burst into flames.

Ciri screamed.

It was like that day in the woods again – she didn’t have control over her own body, the terrifying coldness of her chaos filling her and escaping through her mouth, the pain of her throat almost an afterthought. The four witchers were flung to the far edges of the room. The long table slammed into the opposite wall. The chairs followed, shattering into pieces upon contact. The front doors shuddered.

It was Jaskier who broke Ciri out of her chaoscoldprotect haze.

There was a trill, a croon, a whistle. There was a gentle warmth coming from her pendant. There was a voice echoing at the edges of her mind – I am okay, little one.

Ciri breathed in. Closed her mouth. The front doors stopped shuddering. The witchers fell from their pinned positions against the wall. In the fire, glowing blue eyes met hers. I will heal, little one. Don’t be scared. You’re safe now.

She stumbled closer to the fireplace; hands still full of Jaskier’s feathers. “Are you really going to be alright Jaskier?” She asked quietly. To her shame, tears were running hot down her face, and Jaskier crooned sadly.

Don’t waste your tears on me, little lioness. I am right where I need to be.

“What do you mean?” Her voice came out like more of a whine than a question, and Ciri tried to stifle her sobs. With a thump, Ciri dropped to the ground. “Jaskier, what’s going on?”

Vesemir came and sat at her side. “Your bard is a phoenix,” He began to explain. In the fire, Jaskier’s eyes closed. “I don’t know much about them – they were thought to have all disappeared centuries ago after they were hunted almost to extinction. What little I do know comes from books written by Witcher’s who worked with Greater Phoenixes – like your bard.”

Geralt thumped to the ground on her other side, with Eskel standing at his shoulder with a blanket. “You’re shivering,” he said quietly, and Ciri was surprised to notice that, despite her proximity to the fire, she was still cold.

“Greater Phoenixes?” Geralt murmured after Ciri had gotten herself comfortable.

“Think of them as being similar to Higher Vampires. Most phoenixes are akin to highly intelligent birds – incapable of human speech, but more than mindless beasts. Greater Phoenixes are capable of greater magics, and some believe that they’re the only phoenixes capable of reproducing.” There was a mournful whistle from the fire, and Ciri swallowed thickly. “Apparently, they are also able to take a human form.”

Here, Vesemir paused. “Now, the literature seem to argue about this, but the one thing they all agree on is that phoenixes, greater or lesser, require fire in some form or another in order to stay alive. One Witcher swore that Greater Phoenixes went through what he called a ‘burning day’ every year, renewing their youth for another year. If they didn’t go through this burning day, they would die. Another said that only the Lesser Phoenixes needed a burning day, and the Greater Phoenixes only went through burning days to heal. Either way, Phoenixes are immortal, and almost impossible to kill.”

Geralt made some kind of noise beside her, and Ciri glanced up to see his eyes go wide. “Jaskier’s… immortal?” His voice was thick in a way she hadn’t heard since they’d first met.

Lambert returned then, bearing Roach’s saddlebags, and she felt a pang of guilt. She had forgotten all about the poor horse in their rush to help Jaskier. And speaking of… “Is that why you set him on fire?” She asked quietly, “To heal him?”

“I hoped that it would help,” Vesemir admitted. “The way his feathers looked, the way they were tearing his body… it didn’t look healthy.”

It wasn’t, came the low croon. By the way all the Witchers’ seemed to snap to attention, they could hear it too.

Jaskier’s eyes were open again, and they shifted closer to the edge of the fire. Ciri could see the outline of a large head, trailing off into a long neck, in the way the fire moved. I had overexerted myself, Jaskier admitted slowly. When I heard that Cintra had fallen, but Ciri hadn’t contacted me, I fire-travelled as close to the capital as I dared. You must have already escaped, little one, because I couldn’t sense you. I ended up saving Mousesack and a few others before it became too dangerous for me to remain. From there, I ended up at Sodden Hill with Yennefer and the rest of her sorcerers… The fire seemed to shudder then, like it had been hit by a strong breeze, before calming. Yennefer almost killed herself casting a fire spell to turn back Nilfgaard, and I had to merge with the fire to help her… and regaining my human form was difficult… I had been clearing a path through Cintra for the refugees, hoping to find you with them, when I heard your call little one. Then there was the fire-travel to you, and healing Geralt, and then the travel here…

Vesemir sounded amazed when he said, “It seems the strength of a Greater Phoenix had been underestimated – the power it must have taken to transport not only yourself but others across the Continent…”

It weakened me enough that I could not hold onto my human form, Jaskier crooned, and there were… extenuating circumstances.

“You almost killed yourself… trying to save me?” Ciri huddled deeper into her blanket and smothered the chaos that began to creep cold around her throat. How many people died for her when Cintra fell? How many more will?

A wordless croon then, filling Ciri with warmth and resting around her shoulders like an arm – or a wing. For you, my dearest little lioness, I would burn down the Continent to see you smile, Jaskier trilled. There was a moment of silence, interrupted only by the crackle and pop of wood, before he continued. There is no weapon that can kill a Greater Phoenix, Jaskier murmured. If one were to stab me in the heart, my fire would heal me. Were I to be drowned, the water in my lungs would dissolve into steam. To dismember me would fail, as I would just reform. I can die again, and again, and again, and come back.

But if I was to give up on life… if I was to let my fire die out to ashes… Jaskier crooned mournfully. My parents decided to smother their flames after the rest of my nest-mates were killed by humans for their feathers. One of my closest friends just didn’t reform one day, after a dwarf pulled her apart to see if her bones really were made of crystal, as some legends say. I have seen all of my kin fade away into smoke. I am the last Phoenix on the Continent.

If you were to die, little one, I would have allowed my fire to go out, so that my soul could join yours in the afterlife.

Glowing blue eyes shifted to stare into Geralt’s. If you were to die today, dear heart, I would still live. For Ciri, I would have stayed. But it would have been a constant battle to keep my fire going. Phoenixes, despite our immortality, share their heart with only one other. No matter what you say to me, you still hold my heart, and I will not take it back.

“I’m sorry,” Geralt said hoarsely, shifting closer to the fire until he was almost sitting in it, “You were only trying to help me, as you always do, and as I always did, I threw it back in your face. Why would you still care for me when I don’t deserve it?”

You were also hurting, dear heart. Much to Ciri’s surprise, crystal tears began to drip from Jaskier’s eyes, shattering in the flames. Love isn’t something one deserves, but something you are given without expecting in return.

Ciri couldn’t stand it anymore. With a sob, she threw herself forward. Warm wings wrapped around her, and she was tucked into feathers softer than any blanket. It wasn’t until she heard Geralt, crying out in panic, that she realised what she did.

I just threw myself into the fireplace!

There was a soothing croon from Jaskier, and a curved beak nuzzling through her hair. You are very lucky, little lioness, he murmured, that my fire only burns those I wish to burn, otherwise you would be in a lot of pain.

When she opened her eyes, Ciri could see feathers in various shades of red, liberally dusted with gold. Underneath her cheek, she could feel Jaskier’s heart beating slowly. She had never felt safer. Her eyes began to droop shut as the day’s events caught up to her. There was a shift, the wing at her back rising, until there was another body there. Geralt curved around her, one arm reaching across her body to tangle in Jaskier’s feathers.

Ciri let herself fall into sleep, secure in the knowledge that her precious people were here, and were safe.

[crazyrandomfucker]

Hero Apprentice Twins 4

Chapter 4: Hail Queen

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

"What was that?" asked Chat Noir rubbing his head.

"I'm not sure, but we have to stop them!"says Lordbug.

"Well, we have to catch them before they run away!" says Kitty Noire with a smug smile on her face.

"Let's have a little Chat  and we'll take the wind out of their sails" replies Chat with a dorky smile as he begins to chase the akumas, but Ladybug stops him by grabing his tail.

"Those two were horrible kitty-cats" says Ladybug rolling her eyes . "But I have an idea, follow me!"

Ladybug begins to run quite fast as she approaches the walls of the buildings on the street and she jumps and keeps running on the walls. Instinctively, Chat follows her lead just a few seconds after her and jumps to the opposite walls, trying to run in paralel to Ladybug. Kitty and Lordbug react a bit later than Chat does, but they follow their example and Lordbug sprints to get to the side of Chat as Kitty reaches Ladyug and runs with her. Knowing that their momentum won't aloww them to run forever on the walls due to a lack of speed (thank gods Mari had managed to understand that part of physics), they accelerate and get close enough to the akumas to jump to them, spinning their weapons fast enough to let them glide through air a bit, changing their trajectory percisely to fall on top of Stormy Weather and Hail Queen. Or so it would have been if the akumatized girls in question hadn't heard them coming and turned around at the precise moment when the heroes were umping towards them.

"God, not AGAIN!" echo the akumas.

Both akumas open their umbrellas at unison and summon their wind, but when the gusts of wind combine themselves, the resultant wind becomes so strong that not only are the superheroes thrown across Paris, but it also throws several cars behind them. The heroes manage to land on their feet but have to think quickly to avoid getting smashed by the cars. Chat rolled to dodge some of the cars while Ladybug had to jump over and slid under some of the cars. Kitty Noir dogded a car just to quickly doge another one, trapping herself between the cars, which began to fall onto her but collided with each other and stop. However, Lordbug was also dodging cars when he saw that happening and tackled her to save her even if it wasn't necessary. They ended up again in the floor but this time Lordbug is the one pinning Kitty, which makes him turn as red as his costume. But then a bus comes flying towards the heroes and Lordbug can see it, so Kitty hugs Lordbug and extends her pole to push them out of the way, failing to notice how sweaty has lordbug become and how his blush hass reached an undiscovered color. Meanwhile, Ladybug hugs Chat and spins her yoyo at maximum speed above them, making a hole on the side of the bus, but when she stops spinning her yoyo and tries to pull it back to her hand, she doesn't takes Chat's height into account and hits his head with the yoyo completely by mistake.

"I'm beginning to think you have something with me today My Lord" jokes Kitty booping the bug's nose. "Didn't know you are so naughty with blonde catgirls".

"P-Please Kitty, this is awkardlyenough for me. Could you please stop hugging me so we can get to work" says Lordbug blushing.

"Aww, but that's no fun beetleboy. And here I thought you wouldn't resist my feline charms" teases Kitty unhugging him.

"I'm no beast ma Dame" says Lordbug getting up. "Now, where are our twins?"

"I'm goin to say they are inside the-" begins Kitty, but they hear a 'thump' and a circle of glass pops out of one of the bus windows.

"Meowvelous thinking Bugaboo. I'd never thought my claws were so sharp" says Chat jumping outside the bus.

"Don't call me bugaboo! But thanks, I wasn't sure if it was going to work" says Ladybug copying him.

"Well, there they are" points the cat heroine. "Guess you can't keep hugging with me" says with a wink.

"Hugging?" asks Ladybug glaring at Lordbug.

"It was accidental, Kittyhugged me to get us out of there before the bus smashed us" explains Lordbug nervously.

"Don't worry mon commerade, I believe you" says Chat patting the bug's back.

"Kitty, please stop teasing my idiotic brother, we have some akumas to deal with" says Ladybug determined.

-At a random rooftop-

The akumas land on the rooftop and grin as they notice how close are they to their objective. A shadowy butterfly-like mask apears on each of their faces, indicating that the akumas are being contacted by Hawk Moth, despite him having less control over them because of the difference of powers between the akumas (Hawk Moth has a better control of his akumas the more similar are their powers than when they have some or a lot of difference between their powers).

"Now, now my dear akumas, you'll show the whole world that my weather girls should have won the conquest, but now is the time to fullfill your agreement and I have a plan" says Haw Moth, plotting some scenarios to take the miraculous.

"Of course Hawk Moth" says Stormy Weather.

"It will be our pleasure" says Hail Queen.

Meanwhile, not so far from the akumas the Césaire twins are still trapped with Mina and Manon in the carrousel, trying to distract the little girls while the firemen work hard to try to cut the ice dome where they are trapped, but the axes they use don't do enough damage to the ice and some stalactites begin to form threatening to fall onto the prisoners. The reporters duo can't help but to worry and silently pray that their favourite superheroes manage to save the day before they get a cold death.

"No but seriously, what is wrong with them? I get they didn't win that stupid weather twins contest, but it's not something that bad to get akumatized over with. Is it?" asks Kitty as they run, searching for the akumas.

"I don't know, maybe they have anger managment issues" says Chat shrugging.

"I think that they are frustrated" says Ladybug.

"Frustrated? For losing an irrelevant contest?" ask the cats at unison.

"It wasn't irrelevant for them, they did work really hard to win. But the winners didn't put a lot of effort to win, I heard they only entered to overcome their shyness" says Lordbug with a serious tone.

"You shouldn't judge whether the contest was or wasn't irrelevant, it's not nice for those who give their best on the contest" reprimands Ladybug.

An electronic billboard near them lights up suddenly and catches the attention of the young heroes, who stop running and approach the billoard as they recognized one of the certain akumatized sisters, Hail Queen. They inmediately recognize the TV studio where the akumas where filming from, as there still is the KIDZ+ logo on a corner of the screen.

"Hello" says Stormy Weather, her face appearing on the screen just to slowly walk back to be with her sister. "Here's the latest forecast for this spooky week of Halloween!"

"And it looks like Mother Nature has had a little change of mind" says Hail Queen with an evilish grin.

"HALLOWEEN IS NOW OFFICIALLY CANCELED!" say the akumas at unison as a huge snowflake symbol covers France in the weather map. Then the connection goes off.

"Already? But I look so hot on my werecat costume" says Chat wiggling his eyebrows at Ladybug, who rolls her eyes.

"Not as much as I did on my devil nurse costume" replies Kitty with a wink, oblivious to a certain bug lord going bright red behind her.

Ladybug hits her brother with her elbow. "The cat costumes will work thanks".

"At least we know now where they are" says Lordbug caressing his poor stomach.

The heroes leap to the nearest building to take a shortcut to the TV station, jumping from roof to roof and ocasionally swinging or polevaulting themselves to get as fast as they can to their destination. As they run and jump over the rooftops of Paris, the sky slowly turns darken and darker as clouds begin to form and grow making the sky look more menacing each second passed, which only make the heroes worry more and try to be faster. Finally, they are able to get to the station, that has ice on several places of the building. The lights are off and as the heroes advance, seeing people frozen at each step they make, the voice of the akumas echoes in the background and all the screens lit up since they seem to have restarted their machiavelic broadcast.

"Prepare for the worst weather on history" says one of the akumas on te background as the heroes notice a life size model of the weather twins finalists.

"Hey, they still have those umbrellas even akumatized" points Chat.

"The akumas must be on those parasols!" says Lordbug.

"I'm sure those are umbrellas, they are too short and round for being parasols My Lord" says Kitty with a playful tone.

"This is not the moment, focus on the akumas" says Ladybug.

The heroes search through most of the studios they can, skiping those where a bunch of frozen people blocked the way. Hail Queen leaves the screens under the pretext of getting a very special surprise for those who hadn't had voted them on the contest and the young heroes feel the rush to stop them, clearing all of the floors except for the last two. Finally, they get to a studio that had lit screen next to the doors, indicating that there should be someone inside recording something. The heroes stop in front of the door and take a moment to look at the screen and also to their surroundings, making sure that Hail Queen isn't there or preparing a surprise attack.

"Here in Stormy Weather twins, winter. Is. Forever!" says the akuma giggling in a sinister way.

The boys position themselves in front of the door, readying themselves to knock it down in case the door is locked. Lordbug signals Chat and they charge against the door, but Ladybug and Kitty Noire rush past them and knock the door by themselves, which makes the boys loose balance momentarily, but not enough to fall. The studio is completely empty and the camera is filming an already recorded video, which makes Ladybug shudder from realitzation and she turns around, the others copying her just as Stormy Weathers enters the room. As the akumatized girl laughs, she shots two lightnings to the spotlights on the ceiling, making them fall to the superheroes, who manage to dodge it. But the, without a warning, the lights of the entire floor begin to shut down and the akuma runs away laughing with a certain purple butterfly-like mask on her face.

The cats are the first to stand up, Kitty helping Chat because she managed to roll and stand up. With their night vision they follow the akumas, observing how Hail Queen exits what they suppose is the maintenace room. They take a step forward, ready to run and pursue the akumas, but a very loud thump followed by some groans stop them. They turn around and see the bugs getting up and falling over the broken spotlights and even themselves. Without malice, Kitty begins to laughs and Chat joins her not much later, to which the bugs look at their general direction with a glare that makes the cats shut up.

"Are those the cries of two damsels in distress?" teases Kitty Noire.

"Not all of us have night vision Ma Damme" says Lordbug slightly offended.

"Oh, but we thought that your smile could enlighten the world. My Lady's for sure enlightens me" says Chat poking Ladybugs nose.

"That was smooth man" says Lordbug.

"Don't encourage him!" says Ladybug a bit annoyed, yet flustered.

"Well thanks M'Lord, I try very hard to woo this fair lady" says Chat grabbing Ladybug's hand and kissing it.

"Down Kit-cat" says Ladybug pushing him away without losing hold of his hand. "Guide me to the akuma, we need to stop them".

"Always so right, Buggaboo. I guess my sister will have to put up with guiding Lordbug, grabbing his hand and pulling him" says Chat teasingly with a smug smirk looking to the mentioned boy.

"Stop calling me Buggaboo!" says Ladybug.

"Shall we go then, M'Lord? Frosty and Sparky are getting away" says Kitty grabbing Lordbug's hand, making the boy jolt from surprise. "Aw, come on big boy, no need to bug out, it's just me~".

"Sorry for not being able to see anything in pitch black darkness" replies Lordbug as flustered as embarrassed.

"Just trust in me, bug" says Kitty. She nods at her brother and both began to run, guiding their parnters in the dark.

They manage to catch up to the akumas when they are to go into the emergency stairs, but the akumas somehow notice them and increase their running rate. Chat takes the head position and follows them into the stairs, just to be greeted by the two akumas grinning on the next floor with fire extinguishers on their hands.Stormy weather throws hers and Hail Queen waits for Chat to dodge to throw hers. Chat dodges the first extinguisher by a hair, but the second one hits him on the forehead just as the first one hits a blinded Ladybug. Both get knocked off, but Kitty and Lordbug enter andhelp them up while the akumas escape laughing at them. The heroes keep pursuing the akumas until they reach the roof, where the akumas begin to float above them while attacking them. Stormy Weather backs off a bit and starts preparing a hurricane while Hail Queen throws ice chunks and a freezing ray to the heroes to keep them busy. A hurricane forms on the clouds and begins to descend, swallowing the building entirely and Hail Queen frozes the door, trapping the heroes on the roof.

"You airheads!" says Stormy Weather laughing at the heroes.

"You fell right into our trap!" says Hail Queen with a devilish grin. A purple mask appears on the akumas faces.

"The time is now! Bring me the miraculos dear akumas!" says Hawk Moth.

"There's no way out!" shouts Hail Queen.

"Party is over fools. Give us your miraculous" says Stormy Weather with a cocky attitude.

The bugs take a step simultaneously. "We are just-" both of them stop when they notice the cats still holding them.

"Sorry m'Lady, I forgot to take a hold of myself" says Chat as he releases Ladybug's hand, who groans at the pun.

"Um, Kitty? You don't need to hold my hand anymore" says Lordbug trying to mantain composture, but flustering anyway.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realise we were still holding hands" says Kitty blushing a bit. She recovers her composture and releases his hand just to boop his nose.

Lordbug recovers his composture and looks at the akumas. "We're just getting started!"

"Lucky Charm" chant the bugs and they summon a towel and a bottle of water.

"A back towel and a bottle of water? What are we supposed to do with this?" asks Ladybug observing the items.

"Great, so we're about to be obliterated, but at least we'll be dry and hydrated" says Lordbug sarcastically.

"Just hold your antennae Lordgrump" says Kitty engaging a fighting stance.

"Hail!" says the icy akuma and it starts hailing.

Chat Noir pushes everyone into a spot and extends his baton as he begins to spin it over their heads, acting as a shield against the hail and giving his buggy partners time to figure their Lucky Charms out. "Better think of a plan to get us all out of this! My arms won't take long to get crampy!"

The bugs begin to analize their surroundings to search for what they need. They know they need to coordinate their plans this time due to the pair of flying akumas with long range attacks, that could intervene to rescue the other in case of need unless they are also busy. Because of that,coming with a plan would certainly take longer than usual and knowing this, Kitty made Chat trip as she used her baton as a spinning shield instead of her brother. And then they see it, the spotted figures that lead them into a perfectly coordinated plan. Lordbug and Ladybug nod at each other and turn to their parnters, explaining their plan with a sinlge look into the cats' eyes, who nod agreeingly. Seconds later, as the hail stops, Ladybug signals Chat to run to one of the giant panels and Stormy Weather throws a bunch of lightning in the way, but Chat Noir grins as he changes his route towards the opposite pannel. Meanwhile Kitty and Lordbug had distracted Hail Queen throwing her her own hail, focusing her attention on them until the thunders roar behind her. Hail Queen turns to see Chat getting to the pannel and reading his Cataclism, Stormy focused on him, and just when she's about to attack, Lordbug throws her an ie chunk taht hits her head perfectly. The akuma turns again with cold fury shining on her eyes, which quickly turns into surprise as she sees that Kitty Noir had already climbed the nearest pannel to her and was free falling to her.

"Freeze right there!" says Hail Queen throwing Kitty a freezing ray.

"Just what we were waiting for~" sings Kitty with a smirk.

She cataclysms the bottle and it explodes as the freezing ray hits it, freezing the water that was getting all over the place and forming an ice plate taht got thicker due to the ray before the akuma could turn it off. Kitty Noire jumps on the ice patform and gets a firm grip of the pannel as the ice plate falls faster to the ice queen and knocks her down, stucking her to the floor. At the same time, Chat Noir had cataclysmed the other pannel's support, making it fall onto Stormy Weather, forcing her to use a lightning to make a hole for her to go through, not noticing Ladybug's yoyo tiead around her leg or how Ladybug slid under an air duct, jumped onto the ventilation system and extended the towel to propel herself to the skies until it was to late and she was being pulled down from her leg and a crane was knocking off her umbrella. Chat Noir jumps and grabs the umbrella and then passes it to Ladybug, who catches the umbrella and lands safely. Lordbug picks up Hail Queen's umbrella and with a quick glance at each other, the bugs break the akumatised umbrellas by smashing them against their knees. The hideous butterflies slither out of the umbrellas and try to fly away, but both bugs fling their yoyo's and catch the akumas to purify them. A moment later, two white butterflies ascend to the sky as the clouds wither away and the bugs summon their miraculous cure, evoking a clear blue sky with a shining sun that makes a smile appear on the young heroes' faces.

"What are we doing up here?" ask confused the now deakumatized twins

"Pound it!" say the heroes at unison doing their fistbump before leaving the scene, but then, they hear two sobs and turn around.

"Uh... Are they crying" asks Chat Noir in a moment of sheer intelligence.

"No Chat, they are breakdancing. Of course they are crying!" replies sassily Ladybug approaching the girls.

"Hey, what happens?" asks Kitty to the former akumas. "Everything is fine now, we are here with you so bad old Hawkie won't infect you twice. Come on, tell us what happens".

"We- We worked so hard to win!" says Aurore between sobs.

"A-A-And all we did is losing with a huge difference of votes. And t-th-they didn't even want to participate! They j-just wanted to b-b-be more confident" continues Aria.

"Even worse! Not only have we lost the contest, but we also lost our temper and became akumatized!" cries Aurore.

"Hey" says Lordbug placing a hand on the shoulder of both girls. "We know you two did your best and we don't blame you for being akumatized".

"It's not your fault that Hawk Moth uses negative feelings to tamper with yourselves. He is the only one evil and at fault for the akumatization, you two were just feeling bad like perfectly normal human beings, he messed with you and manipulated you" says Ladybug kneeling down.

"Exactly, you two aren't villainess or something like that. What you did was normal and we can relate to feeling down after not winning a competition. If it makes anything better, we voted for you" says Lordbug with a comforting smile.

"Thank you" say the girls and hug him, leaving everyone surprised.

Unexpectedly, the door of the stairs bangs open and Mirielle and Miriam appear. They look distressed and out of it as they search franctically, but then they see the heroes and their ex rivals and they visibly relax, letting go a deep sigh off their chests. They approach the heroes and the former akumas with a paper and they hug Aurore and Aria crying.

"We're so sorry. When you where akumatized we were afraid and guilty, because we know how hard you two had worked" says Miriam.

"We just did it on a whimp and it wasn't fair at all" cries Mirielle.

"B-But you discovered something while you were akumatized" says Miriam showing the paper.

"What is that?" asks Chat curious. "May I see it?"

"Y-Yes" says Miriam giving Chat the paper.

Kitty stands up and reads the paper with her brother. "What?! That profit driven cheater!" shouts Kitty.

"What happens?" asks concerned Ladybug.

"Their votes were even, there was no winner but they rigged it so they'd win more money" explains Chat holding back his anger.

"What!?" exclaims everyone.

"We don't want to be weathergirls, especially not after that" says Mirielle drying their eyes. "You deserve it more than us".

"What?! No! I- We refuse to work with that jerk!" say at unison Aria and Aurore.

"Well, I have an idea" says Lordbug.

"What is it my Lord?" asks Kitty.

"What that guy did was outrageous and we can't be left with no weather reports, so we're obviously going to go to the police so they aprehend that guy and he loses his job for that" explains Lordbug. "But since they were even and we don't have a winner, why don't you four take turns to present like we do to patrol? Let's say Aurore and Mirielle present one week, the next one is Aria and Mirielle, the next one is Aria and Miriam and the next one is Aurore and Miriam and repeat".

"I agree!" says Miriam blushing.

"Me too!" says Mirielle blushing as well.

"I-If you say so. We also agree" say the blonde girs blushing too. Then the heroes leave the building.

"Purrfect then. Since we have more time until we detransform, we'll take this to the police" says Chat. "But I must say M'Lord, you're quite the lady killer".

"Of course he is, he's handsome, tall and a hero. What a pity I already love someone else, we could make a great couple, couldn't we?" says Kitty. "But I do love someone else".

"How unfair my Damme, teasing a young boy like that. If I'm a lady killer you must be a serial killer, killing all the boys that see you" says Lordbug.

"Well, except for the one I like, but that's irrelevant, you've got to go" says Kitty pointing towards the earrings.

"We'll talk about this later, but I'm sure that even tha boy you like likes you back, who could deny your beatuy?" says Lordbug before they leave.

-At the park-

Marin and Marinette rush across the park, desesperatedly trying to get to Alen, Alya and the little girls to check up on them. Tikki and Tekke take their heads out of their hiding spots and the designer duo slows down to listen to their kwamis.

"Marinette, look, Adrienne and Adrien are there! You'd leave a good impression on Adrien if you check up on them after being so close to an akuma" says Tikki.

"It's also good to check on your boss too Marin, You might want to keep the job" says Tekke in a serious tone, making unclear whether he was joking or not.

"Our first priority should be the kids that have been entrusted to us" says Marin.

"You could go there and relax a bit. Alen and Alya are plenty capable of watching those two for a while" retorts Tekke.

"Plus, you two have defeated an akuma just now, you should be allowed to have a bit of fun as well" says Tikki.

Before none of the designers can reply, two girls shout excitedly getting near. "Marin! Marinette!"

"Sorry, they just run off when they saw you" says Alya approaching them as the Dupain-Cheng hug the little girls.

"Thanks for calling the firemen AND the buggy heroes" says Alen.

"We just run into them and asked them to get you all out of there. I'm glad they defeated those akuma" says Marinette.

"We know your secret" chants Manon.

"What secret are you talking about?" asks Marin sweating bullets.

"You two are best friends with Ladybug and Lordbug! That's why they came so fast!" says Mina.

"O-Of course!" says Marinette calming down.

"If you were, you could get us some interviews right?" says Alya softly elbowing Mari.

"We could, but what would be the fun in that?" teases Marinette.

"So, what were you going to do?" says Alen.

"We were thinking of checking up on the Agreste, let the girls do the shoot and take them home" explains Marin.

"What are we waiting for then?" says Alya already heading to the models.

They get there and Adrien notices them. "Hey guys, crazy afternoon right?"

"You tell me sunshine, we were trapped on a frozen carroussel cocoon" says Alya.

"H-How you a-are? I mean- Ho-ow a-a-are yo-you?" asks Marinette clumsily.

"We kind of lost our bodyguards, so we went hiding on a building. Thanks for asking" says Adrien with a smile that makes Marinette's heart explode.

"How were you two with all that crazy icing and lightning?" asks Adrienne. "I wouldn't want to lose my best employee because of him losing fingers to the cold or to a bolt" says teasingly.

"You know, Marinette and I were pretty safe" replies Marin. "We went to look for help and after getting the firemen and our local heroes we went straight for cover".

"Wait, you meet our heroes?" says Adrien half excited half unpleased.

"O-Only Ladybug and Lordbug though" says shyly Mari.

"We suspect they may know them well~" teases Alen.

"Surething dude, we're also the cats if you want us to be" says Mar sassily. "You know how kids are".

"Hey!" complain the little girls.

"Well-" tries to say Adrienne, but the photographer arrives and interrump them.

"Hey, we need to get those pictures as soon as possible!" says the man desesperately.

They restart the photoshoot, except this time the Agreste models were posing with Mina and Manon instead of solo. Vincent, the photograper, made them pose in various ways: Adrien and Adrienne holding high the little girls, everyone sitting on the fountain, the little girls hugging the models, the models carrying Mina and Manon on their shoulders, everyone jumping, playing hands and so. When it seemed to have finished, Adrienne bowed down and whispered something to the young girls, who inmediately nod and run to the photographer, tugging his jean softly to get his attention. Vincent kneels down to hear the little angels, but he goes back to his feet when he notices Adrienne coming, who picks up the little girls so the photographer doesn't have to bow down.

"We were wondering that, since this little girls have helped so much and Marin and Marinette had given us their permission to do this last part of the shoot, which as you can say it went perfectly smooth, would you mind to take a couple of pictures including those two? It won't go to my father of course, so there won't be any pressure to reach perfection and I'll pay for the photos" says Adrienne.

"Please mister photographer" beg at unison Mina and Manon, making their best puppy eyes.

"Uggh, fine. These two little angels have been a great help, it would be unfair for them" says Vincent giving in. "But, I'll only take four more photos and I won't be giving you instructions".

"Thank you Vincent! You're the best!" says Adrienne and gives him a kiss on the cheek, Mina and Manon copy her.

"Marinette! Marin!" call the little girls.

"What happens?" says Mar.

"Is the shoot over?" asks Mari.

"It is, but as a thanks for letting this girls help, I've asked Vincent to take a bunch of pics extra with you two and he accepted to do four more" says Adrienne.

"We're doing more photos?" asks Adrien coming close to see what is happening.

"We're doing more photos, yes. But we're doing them with two of our firends! Isn't it awesome?" says Adrienne excited.

"Of course! Mari is a great friend, I want a photo with her" says Adrien smiling as he mentally curses Marin.

"W-W-Wi-With m-m-me?" asks Marinette getting redder than a ladybug.

"Yes! I'd like to consider myself to be your friend and I want to have a photo with you. Is that wrong?" says Adrien getting a bit down.

"N-N-No! It's perfect! You're perfect! I mean- It's a p-pe-perfect Id-d-dea!" says Marinette flustered.

"Great!" says Adrien with a pure and inocent smile that makes Marinette's heart skip a year woth of beats.

"And we'll also be in the photos!" says happily Manon.

"Because we also want a photo with Lordbug and Ladybug best friends!" says Mina.

"You are?" says Adrien very surprised.

"What? Of course not Agreste, these little angels just thought that because we met them and asked them to rescue Alen and Alya and the girls" says Marin quickly.

"Sure thing" says Adrien not very convinced.

"Let's do the photos! Ok?"says Adrienne quickly changing the topic.

"Let's go!" agrees Mari.

After some discussing, they did two photos of everyone together posing and one photo with each Dupain-Cheng, making a picture of Marin being kissed on the cheek by Adrienne and the little demons and one of Marinette being hugged by Adrien and the girls, but then Vincent, unsatisfied and excited to see the dynamics the models had with the designers, he asked them to make two mre photos, but with the opposites twins, resulting on a photo that screamed fluffyness and cuteness with Adrienne, Marinette, Mina and Manon hugg together smiling from the bottom of their hearts, which made everyone say a big "Awwwww". The other picture however, it showedpure competitiviness and healthy rivalry, with Marin holding Manon and Adrien holding Mina doing a horsemen war. Alen was laughing his ass off as the boys carried on with their horsemen war after Vincent took the picture, which lead to Marinette scolding Marin and Adrienne scolding Adrien, making the Cesáire burst into laughs.

"Well, I think it's time for us to leave" says Marinette, checking her watch.

"Before you go, do you have any plans for Halloween?" asks Adrienne.

"Not that I know, unless you want me to make something else for you, then I'll be working" says Marin.

"Oh, and here I thought that I could comision you another halloween costume, because the one you made is just for a formal event" teases Adrienne. "Anyway, how about you two?" says to the reporters.

"I don't think so, but probably we'll have to stay and look after our own little angels" says Alya.

"Well, if you can, we were thinking to convince Nino and Nina to go trick or treating" says Adrien.

"That would be awesome" says Marinette excitedly, but blushes instantly when she realizes that she has said it outloud.

"Well, if Mari is so eager to get more sweets I guess we'll have to make sure she doesn't ends up on a sugar rush" says Alya sassily.

"Hey!" says Marinette embarrassed.

"Great then! Marin, I'd like a costume different from the formal one my father ordered but I'm not sure of which and I don't want to trouble you more. Can we go and buy one this week?" says Adrienne.

"If you had an idea I'd simply sew it for you, but I guess it will be a nice experience" says Marin.

"Perfect! See you tomorrow?" asks the model.

"Yeah, I'll also have your hat ready" answers the designer.

"Is it a date or can I tagg along with my man" says Alen.

"Oh I don't know, bring Nina and we could have a double date" says Adrienne winking at the boy.

"You're on" replies Alen smirking.

"You all done flirting?" asks Alya. "The bodyguards are beginning to look impatient".

"Crap. Guess we'll have to go" says Adrien and the blondes leave.

"Ok, now... What was that girl?" says Alya turning to Marinette. "That was the longest phrase without stuttering you've said in front of him until now. Except for the first day, but that's something else".

"I was... Excited for the sweets?" tries Marinette.

"Yeah, right. And I'm Ladybug" teases Alya.

"You almost were" thinks Marinette.

"I just liked the idea of trick or treating ok?" says Mari quickly as she blushes.

"By the way, what are you two going to go as?" asks Alen sparing Marinette.

"I was thinking of going as Frankenstein" says Marin. "Althought I also thought of going as Mario the plumber".

"Man, if you go as Mario I'll go as Luigi" says Alen.

"Mario it is then" says Marin high fiving Alen.

"And you girl?" asks Alya.

"I'm not sure to be honest" says Mari. "Any ideas?"

"Girl, if you go as Chat Noir I'll be your Ladybug. Or a witch, so you're my cat familiar" says Alya.

"Which one, because I'd need different fabrics for each of them".

"Just do it as Chat girl, it would work the same for both options" points Alen.

"Okay... Then let's go shopping, I need an awful lot of leather and a clear photo of Chat" says Marinette.

"We've got you on that last one" says Alen holding his phone with a picture of Chat Noir standing.

"I'll handle the girls until Nadja comes, so go on sis" says Marin.

"Where is Marinette going?" asks Manon.

"She's going to buy some stuff to dress as Chat Noir, so tell her goodbye" says Marin kneeling down.

"Goodbye Marinette" echo the girls almost robotically.

"Goodbye girls, be good with Marin" says Marinette.

"I'll see you all in a bit" says Marin as he leaves holding hands with the little angels.

"If Nina was here she'd joke about the Angel holding the little angels" says Marinette and Alen bursts in laughs.

"Well girl, what are we waiting for? Let's go get those fabrics" says Alya pulling Mari away.

"Hey! Don't leave me here!" complains Alen chasing after the girls.

-At Marinette's room-

"Today has been a complete day" says Tikki as she rests on a pillow.

"It sure has been. School, taking care of little girls, akuma fighting, shopping and designing a replica of Chat's costume. Now that I think about it, why couldn't I simply make one like Kitty's?" says Mari letting herself fall to her bed.

"Because, and you know it, Alya ships LadyNoir. Well, she also ships LordNoire but that isn't relevant right now" says Tikki smiling.

"I know, but I don't get it. We're four teammates, why do we have to date between us? And why do they asume we're hetero? Yes, I know Marin is, but I'm bisexual, I could perfectly be with Kitty Noire" whines Mari.

"But you know you're good friends with Kitty" says Tikki. "But you do treat differently Chat".

"Because he's usually my partner!" says Marinette.

"Admit it, he is good looking" teases Tikki.

"Well... Yes! But he's horrible and his humour is loathable. He's also a flirt, it's his fault people ship us" says Marinette nervously.

"I've only heard him flirt with you thought" says Tikki.

"Whatever. He's a good partner, but I still haven't forgiven him for trash talking about Marin and denying Kitty's feelings" says Marinette.

"It has been two weks Marinette" says Tikki and they hear a knock on the window.

"I'll hide, if it's an akuma I'll get Marin" says Tikki phasing through the bed.

Mari goes to her window and takes a look outside opening her window. "Who's there?"

"I'm Kitty Noire" says Kitty getting closer so Mari can see her. "Can we talk a bit?"

"Um... Sure? What does one of the heroes of Paris want with me?" says Marinette nervously, wondering if Kitty had heard her talk with Tikki. "Come in please".

Kitty entters throught the window and sits on Marinette's bed. "What a nice room" says Kitty.

"Thanks... You wanted to talk right? What happens?" says Marinette nervous.

"Well, first of all, I want to apologise againfor what my brother and I did two weeks ago. It was out of place and we shouldn't have done it on your rooftop" says Kitty lowering her ears.

"I'm not mad for it... Not too much... Not on you definetly" says Marinette.

"Thanks for forgiving me. Second... I have this for you from my brother" says Kitty giving her a package.

"What is this?" asks Mari confused.

"Well, my brother was really shocked of what you said and felt very sad. He thought that he ha disappointed you and apparently he cares an awful lot about your opinion on him" explains Kitty calmly. "He even freaked out searching an apology gift for you and almost skipped his patrol to come to give you this".

"Wow... I didn't know he thought so much of me. I mean, I overheard Ladybug and Lordbug saying you two know us out of the mask, but I didn't realise I matter so much. Am I going to be surrounded on superherobussiness now?" says Marinette, unsure of what to think or say.

"Well, not on our end at least" says Kitty Noire. "We don't want to trouble you and we're kind of ashamed of our behviour".

"Oh please, I've seen Lordbug worse and I've fed their magical thingy, something like kwamees or kwamis, more than once now" says Marinette.

"You've seen their kwamis?" asks Kitty surprised.

"Yeah, small red flying thingies with a black spot. They are adorable and very nice" says Marinette mentally cursing her own stupidity.

"Wow, I wouldn't have expected it. But then again, you saw threw them like nothing, so I guess it's normal for them" says Kitty.

"I guess. Thought it was the kwamis who revealed themselves when we told them we knew about their superheroing stunts" says Mari improvising.

"Oh, that makes sense" says Kitty. "My brother's kwami and mine are two mischievous little trolls, I'm surprised that they hadn't 'accidentally' revealed themselves to someone else"

Marinette giggles. "Poor you. I guess they must be tough to deal with".

"Oh you know nothing, they break havoc a lot and eat this awfully smelling cheese that stinks most of our stuff" says Kitty, happy to hear Marinette giggling. They spend a couple of minutes in silence until it truns awkward.

"Well... Kitty, I'll be honest with you" says Mari getting up. "I'm still a bit annoyed with your brother, but since he seems to respect me so much, I'll also forgive him if he promises to listen to you and not asume everything. Also tell him thanks for the present. What is it?"

"Well, he casually heard you were making a Chat-like costume for Halloween and wanted to contribute a bit" says Kitty with a wink. "Now, I have to go, but stay safe Mari".

When Kitty has already left, Marinette opens the present and sees a blonde wig with fake cat ears attached, just like Chat ears, a copy of his baton and clawed leather gloves. Mari smiles. "That dork, looks like I'll have to forgive him".

"He thinks greatly of you" says Tikki.

"He respects me. Maybe he's even afraid, from what Kitty said" replies Mari, ignoring Tikki's questioning look and going to sleep. "Good Night Tikki".

"Good Night Mari" answers Tikki.

______________________________

First - Previous - Next

[villainscomplex]

O, My Heart

i actually forgot about my @it-zines piece, but I was forcibly reminded, and in light of BNHA Chapter 290, no time like the present to actually post it. 

warnings for implied non-con, domestic and child abuse, among other things courtesy of Todoroki Enji.

YOU CAN ALSO FIND IT ON:

AO3

FFnet

Wattpad

Quotev

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

The first time she meets Todoroki Enji, Rei is fresh out of high school and looking forward to her future. She’s always been kind of indecisive about what she wants to do, but it’s easy enough to get a job as a receptionist at one of the local clinics. 

“You should be a hero with that quirk of yours.” Her coworker tells her in passing. “If I had a quirk that powerful, I’d go right into hero work.”

“If everyone was a hero, there wouldn’t be anyone left to do our jobs, don’t you think?” She retorts, but her coworker just frowns and carries on.

The first time she meets Todoroki Enji, the city is falling apart around her. People flee, shoving and pushing, as a villain topples buildings, sending rubble and concrete raining onto the civilians below. Rei isn’t a large person by any means and people spare her no expense. The ground is not a welcoming force, sharp with glass and rock shards. 

Rei’s first instinct is to panic. She’s a soft soul; situations with high tension and stress are bad places for her to be, and being in the path of stampedes of people and crumblings buildings is certainly one of those situations. She’s so busy dodging feet that she almost doesn’t notice the massive piece of concrete plummeting towards her until the shadow of it covers her.

Her heart jumps into her throat and her hand instinctively flies up, head jerking away to hide. She’s going to die here. 

Her ice responds to her call, a curved wall of glace protecting her, but the rubble never reaches her. 

The first time Rei meets Todoroki Enji, she is laying on her back in the middle of the carnage of a villain attack, and the sky is made of fire. 

For a moment, everything sort of loses focus. The edges of her ice start to turn to water, dripping down the sides of the glacier, but her eyes are fixed on the sky above her and it’s red and red and then a different kind of red, darker, and blue.

“You need to evacuate,” his voice cuts through the haze, and suddenly everything comes rushing back, “can you stand?”

“I-” Her voice fails her momentarily. “I think so.”

He doesn’t wait. The redheaded boy tows her up to her feet again, glancing between her and the glacier with a furrow in his brow. He couldn’t be any older than her, but there’s something about him that seems leagues beyond her. 

“That’s an impressive quirk,” he remarks offhandedly, “but you need to get to safety.”

He releases her and her arms are cold where his hands had been. “Wait,” she reaches out, snagging his sleeve, “what’s your name?”

She can’t think of eyes as clear and blue as his. There’s dirt smudges on his face, but the flames that frame his costume illuminate his features like a halo. She thinks that he must be the type of person who carries the sun on his shoulders.

“Todoroki,” he tells her, “Todoroki Enji.”

And he marches back into the battle.

--

They call him The Flame Hero: Endeavor and Rei doesn’t think for a second she’ll ever see him again. She allows herself to think about him frequently for this reason alone, her knight in flaming armor.

“Oh,” says someone on the subway, jostling her, “s- wait, I know you.”

Rei lifts her gaze and meets the very blue eyes she’s been thinking about. “Oh,” she replies, eloquently.

It’s a week later and he tells her, “You never told me your name.”

Her heart ignites like his armor. “Rei.” 

Enji’s smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes, but Rei doesn’t think much of it. 

--

Just like that, she starts seeing him frequently. He’s kind to her, even if his personality is rough around the edges and he’s always bothering her about her ice quirk. His smiles come rarely, but when it does, it’s lopsided and endearing. She falls a little more in love with it. 

With him.

“I’m going to become a top hero,” he tells her, taking her hand in a strong grip, “and then I’m going to marry you.”

At the time, it’s less of a threat and more of a promise. At the time, she doesn’t realize what that promise entails.

When she’s twenty, she comes home to Enji eating dinner with her family.

“Rei,” her mother scolds, “you never told me you were dating the number two hero. I’m so happy you’re getting engaged.”

There’s something a little off about her mother’s voice, but Rei is too overwhelmed at the words. She’s getting married. She’s marrying Enji. He ducks his head a little as if he’s embarrassed, and Rei gazes at him like he carries the sun.

And to her, maybe he does. 

(For a while, she believes he genuinely loves her.)

--

Todoroki Rei, officially, dreams of a fairytale life. She wants to live in a small house with a happy family, where she can spend her days cooking and tending to flowers. It’s not like that, she knows, not with her husband being the number two hero, but she dreams.

It’s hard being isolated for a while. She no longer lives with her family and Enji is rarely home, but Rei tries to keep herself entertained in the large home Enji’s selected for them. She tries gardening, but it turns out she doesn’t have much of a green thumb. She cooks, but there’s no one but her to cook for until Enji gets home late and tired. She cleans and cleans and cleans, but eventually, the house is spotless and there’s nothing left to organize.

But still, she’s happy with Enji. For a while.

When Touya is born, there’s a new little light in Rei’s world, all red hair and blue eyes like Enji. He looks nothing like his mother and everything like his father, and Rei adores him. The pride on Enji’s face when he’s born is like nothing she’s ever seen from him before. It makes her heart swell.

They’ll be a family.

She doesn’t notice it yet, but something changes in Enji that day, the moment he holds their baby in his arms, large and intimidating and out of place in the small hospital room. Rei is so, so happy.

But Enji is happier.

(Until he’s not.)

--

The change is slow. At first, he’s an attentive father. And then gradually, creeping like darkness, obsessive. The closer Touya gets to the quirk presenting age, the more Enji hovers, watching like a hawk, like a wolf watches a rabbit.

Touya’s quirk is fire. Rei knows first because she tends the burn his flames leave behind on his soft skin. Enji’s eyes are painfully bright, twin slits of ice, when he learns of Touya’s quirk and the potential his fire holds. And all at once, they’re bottomless pits of freezing water, cruel and piercing and angry when he’s told that Touya’s quirk would almost permanently deform him if used too much.

Enji is suddenly very absent again. Rei has Touya now, but somehow, she’s still painfully lonely. Touya stays happy, but somehow that makes it worse.

Fuyumi comes next. Touya is overjoyed that he’ll have a sibling to play with now, even if she is a girl and years younger than him. Enji steps into their lives again, and Rei begins to think that he’ll be around more with two children instead of just Touya.

For a while, he’s doting again.

They’re happy again.

For a while.

Fuyumi inherits only an ice quirk, similar to Rei’s but nowhere near as powerful. She sees the look in Enji’s eyes, twin flints of ice, of hellfire, burning into the backs of their children. His lips press into a tight line, and Rei is suddenly reeling, wondering what had gone wrong and why she kept failing to recognize the man who came home to her every night. 

A part of her wishes he would stop coming back, She tucks that part away neatly, safe behind locked doors and thrown away keys,

But she begins to dread Enji’s presence, dread his presence in their room and his hands, hard and insistent and again, again, again.

--

Enji buys her a canary for her birthday. He sets in in the front room in its gilded white cage, where it sings and sings and sings. The bird seems content in its cage, where it’s sheltered and cared for, but Rei can’t help but wonder if it ever wants to stretch its wings. 

Sometimes, the bird gazes back at her, head tipped, as if he’s wondering why she hasn’t left her cage either.

Rei can’t remember the last time she’d talked to any of her old friends. 

The bird keeps singing.

Rei lets it go and Enji doesn’t once take notice to the silence.

Natsuo is born whether Rei likes it or not. He’s a hard birth, long and complicated, and the doctor tells her that having any more children could potentially kill her. She only gathers up energy to smile placidly at him and nod absently as the words pass in one ear and out the other. It’s a risk she knows they’ll take if Enji isn’t satisfied. She’s beginning to think Enji won’t be satisfied until she’s in the ground. She isn’t sure what he wants from her anymore.

At one point, Rei thinks that maybe the awkward boy with the gorgeous eyes would exist only in her daydreams, and then in her city, and then in her life. At one point, Rei is just a girl in love with a boy, and she thinks Enji is just a boy in love with a girl and that’s enough for both of them.

Natsuo inherits an ice quirk.

Nothing is ever enough for Todoroki Enji. 

There’s a brand of bone-deep exhaustion that takes root in her body and makes a home there. 

She thinks about the canary. She thinks about flying far, far away. 

--

Rei and Shouto are both hospitalized when he’s born. It’s a close call for both of them, but they pull through, and the doctors smile when Rei cries, thinking it’s of happiness.

Enji’s eyes are wild, only for Shouto, only for the child who could be his last chance to achieve whatever goal he’s unwittingly dragged Rei into. He visits Rei once for appearances, twice to take her and their fourth child home. 

Shouto is a gentle child, cheerful and toddling, but it’s painful to her how much the half of him looks like Enji. He’s split clean down the center, half her, half his father, and Rei tries to smile when he seeks her attention. It’s more than she can do for Touya. She loves her eldest dearly, but when she looks at him, she sees Enji.

Shouto is five when he presents his quirk, split straight down the middle with fire and ice. Suddenly, Rei understands what Enji’s been doing this whole time. It was never her. It was her quirk. He wanted to create something powerful enough to surpass the both of them and everyone else.

She knows he’s ambitious, but she’s severely underestimated how much. She’d known about quirk marriages, but she hadn’t thought for a second her family would hand her off into one.

Rei hides Shouto’s quirk as long as she can, but inevitably, Enji finds out. It only takes a second and Shouto is that songbird, locked away, separated from his siblings and treated like a tool and a soldier instead of a child. 

His happiness is feral and cruel and terrifies Rei to the bones.

“Enji,” she pleads, shielding Shouto with her own body as he doubles over on the floor, sick from the horrendous training Enji puts him through, “please, he’s still only a child. He-”

If Todoroki Rei had any lingering feelings about their prior relationship, Enji physically shatters them in a heartbeat. She’s standing one moment and on the ground the next, and everything aches, from the stinging in her face to the way her heart splits down the middle.

When she sees Enji, she sees a man unfamiliar to her, eyes so blue and bottomless that she could sink forever. When she sees Enji, she sees a wraith of a man, a spectre surrounded in flames and fury and ambition, a man who cares for nothing but his goals and will plow through anything to get to them. There had never been a point where Rei thought, even for a second, that Enji would raise his hand against her.

But he does.

And with it, he slams the door of her cage shut.