#their unhappiness is hers. it's what she has passed on for them to inherit.

[tortoisesshells]

#GOD OKAY. the fact that burke gives vicki the locket after laura's death is EVERYTHING to me.#burke — twin to jeremiah both physically and psychologically — giving it to vicki —#the stranger brought inside the collins family; much like josette.#(which. according to much much later dialogue laura *was* jeremiah's first wife before josette.#it's an old song. it's an old tale from way back when. and we're gonna sing it again and again and again.)#that vicki; by saving david's life; is preserving the collins line — providing the heir (literally; though not biologically)#david turns away from laura and chooses vicki; replacing laura as mother-figure permanently;#as he's granted new life after the fire; born again into vicki's arms; not laura's.#the new woman in the collins fold — after the previous wife has been defeated and fire has cleansed the memory (à la jane eyre; or rebecca)#positioning her naturally as roger's wife. the mother of his child. the inheritor of the collins bridal locket.#the locket that distinctly belongs to roger's wedding *night* — tied up fundamentally with sex & childbirth & the provision of heirs.#(fitting then that the madonna and child serves as the vicki-as-mother equivalent to the painting of laura: the virginal birth)#and yet! simultaneously! the cri du sang — david's blood calling out to burke's.#roger notably absent during the fire; unaware of david's danger; unable to help him. burke drawn to him when his life is at risk —#and the one who carries him home; over the threshold; at vicki's side. delivers her the locket from the ash.#of course she is drawn to him — david's symbolic mother; his biological father —#jeremiah & josette; the empire-builder and the lost and lonely bride.#and. the vampire-figure; the parasitic lover. meeting her at the cliffs; joking about her falling from them —#who can give josette belonging by bringing her to the family tomb. (tags via @widowshill)

the locket, motherhood, & marriage.

139 / 139 / 136 / 136 / 191 / 191 / 191 / 142 / 134 / 143 / 143 / 144 / 144 / 139 script / 144 / 280 / 144 / 144 / 192 / 279 / 279 / 279 / 279 / 143

[daenerys-apolog1st]

Ok, I already posted this on TikTok, but I just thought I'd reiterate my thoughts here:

People that compare Laenor's situation with Robert's and try to use that to justify everything the Greens said about/did to Jace, Luce, and Joffrey have either watched both shows with their eyes closed and headphones on full volume or are intentionally being obtuse about what's going on in these situations.

First of all, I'm going to say upfront that I'm only talking about the respective shows here. In the books Jace, Luce, and Joffrey are in all likelihood 100% Laenor's biological sons and there's plenty of evidence to that point, the "bastard" rumors were just an attempt by the Hightowers to discredit Rhaenyra and her sons' claims. However, in the show they decided to make these rumors true because the writers are overwhelmingly Team Green and decided to sacrifice the original story as well as any kind of coherence in order to push the "both sides are bad" narrative---both points, I'll make posts about later on, but are beside the point here.

So, with all of that said:

Firstly, Laenor is 100% aware of Luce, Jace, and Joffrey not being biologically his- (and I say "biologically" because it's made clear in the show that he views these children as his own and has essentially adopted them).

Rhaenyra and Laenor quite literally have an entire conversation about it in Season 1 where he apologizes to Rhaenyra for being gay and not being able to give her children- (either because he simply can't with her, or because of infertility---because, in that same conversation, it's clarified that they did "lay together" and try but nothing came of it) -and Rhaenyra tells him that she's not sorry he is who he is at all because he's a good man.

However, as mentioned previously, Laenor is shown to be perfectly happy with the situation as is---he still views Luce, Jace, and Joffrey as his children and calls them his sons, and never once does he mention anything about "blood" or even seem unhappy that they're not his.

Secondly, everyone else that matters in the situation is also aware of their parentage, and doesn't give a fuck and supports them.

Corlys, the current ruler of Driftmark and Laenor's father, is also shown to be well aware of Luce, Jace, and Joffrey not being Laenor's blood---he and Rhaenys have a conversation about it during Laena's funeral where Rhaenys suggests changing the Driftmark heir from Luce to either Baela or Rhaena, since they can just say it's in honor of Laena and not cause any fuss.

However Corlys, when Rhaenys suggests this, tells her- "the blood doesn't matter, only the names, and they are Velaryons" -which, frankly, says everything that needs to be said about the situation and brings up the point that---whether Laenor's biological children or not---they were basically adopted and are, for all intents and purposes, his children so calling them the "Strong boys" or railing against the people calling them "Velaryons" is both tone deaf and disrespectful as fuck. But anyway-

Corlys, throughout everything, never wavers in his intention and support of Luce inheriting Driftmark and Rhaenys---even though she perhaps disagreed---knew this, which is why she defended Rhaenyra and her sons in that ridiculous "trial" held by the Greens.

Baela, who would likely be the one to inherit Driftmark if the succession was in question, is also shown by this point to be aware that Jace isn't Laenor's blood, but she's also shown to not give a fuck. She loves Jace and views him as a Targaryen, which he IS, case closed.

And while it's not shown whether or not Rhaena was aware, although I'll bet she probably was, she was going to marry Luce and therefore inherit the Driftmark throne anyway---and the throne would then pass to her children, grandchildren, etc.---which also closes the case for that matter of succession as well.

The ONLY person who opposed it was Vaemond who, I'll remind everyone, WASN'T advocating for Driftmark to go to Baela or Rhaena---the next logical heirs, if Laenor's children were off the table---he was advocating for HIMSELF to get the Driftmark throne. He might've said he was doing it for his family and honor and whatever, but he WASN'T---he was just being greedy and wanted Driftmark and its power for himself.

And, another reminder, Luce didn't even WANT Driftmark because- "that would mean everyone is dead" -which shows that he actually cared about his family since he was willing to forgo power and wealth if it meant his family was still alive, which---call me crazy---makes him more honorable and more worthy of inheriting Driftmark than Vaemond, who openly called Rhaenyra a whore in public court and ignored his brother's CLEARLY STATED wishes.

That covers the Driftmark succession, since the main issue with bastardy in noble/royal society was inheritance, and Jace inheriting the Iron Throne was never in question since the throne is passed through the ruling family---the Targaryens---and Rhaenyra was his mother, so the throne passed to him through her. There's no issue there.

Not to mention that, say what you want about Viserys---and I will eventually, literally the entirety of the war could've been avoided if he wasn't such a moron and actually had a backbone---but he was the king and the king's word is LAW, he said those boys weren't bastards---something supported by the family/house who would've actually been hurt by the bastardy in any way---so, legally, those boys weren't bastards, blood or not.

----------

Moving on to Robert's situation, it's completely different in every possible way.

Robert is shown, in detail, to not be aware that Joffrey, Marcella, and Tommen aren't his children---and Cersei had bastards intentionally, without his knowing.

Robert and Cersei definitely did NOT have the same arrangement that Laenor and Rhaenyra had, and it's shown in multiple ways that he and Cersei COULD have had children together. They originally had a son together, although that child died, and Cersei explicitly tells Ned Stark that she was happy that she didn't have Robert's kids and that she intentionally- "finished him off in other ways" -so that there was no way he could get her pregnant.

Cersei also, in contrast to Rhaenyra, did everything in her power to make sure that Robert never knew that "his" children were actually bastards---she had TWO Hands of the King killed, as well as who knows how many other people, in order to make sure that Robert stayed in the dark. Which shows that---unlike Laenor---Robert wasn't aware of it and definitely WOULD NOT have been fine with it, and succession IS actually a problem in this situation because of it!

If Cersei's children were in line to inherit titles, power, etc. from HER House and family---the Lannisters---then succession wouldn't be an issue, since they'd be inheriting it through her. However, they're inheriting the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms which were being held by the ruling family, which---as of Game of Thrones---were the Baratheons, of which they were not. Not to mention that every Baratheon family member was vehemently AGAINST Joffrey inheriting the throne and no one was in his favor.

Even NED, who gained NOTHING from Joffrey being disinherited and would even LOSE power---since Sansa, and therefore his blood/family/house, would no longer be marrying into the ruling house/family---was like- "oh no, Robert wouldn't be okay with any of this, I need to make sure the rightful heir sits the throne" -which is exactly why HIM being vocal about bastardy is honorable and Vaemond's wasn't.

Ned was actively letting go of power in order to do the right thing, and he was doing it for the right reasons and to make sure that he did what Robert would've wanted if he had all the facts, meanwhile Vaemond wanted to GAIN power and didn't care about Driftmark going to the blood heirs, Baela and/or Rhaena, nor about honoring Corlys' wishes. It's selflessness vs. selfishness.

So yeah, these situations are nowhere near the same, so please shut up about it.

[the-loststone]

HotD Team Green Defense

The amount of people who fail to grasp Team Green's perspective is honestly staggering to me. So many people are Team Black, maybe out of some (misplaced) belief that they are being feminists and advocating for female power, or something like that, and choose to ignore the very legitimate worries and motivations of Team Green. Admittedly, the show has gone out of it's way to villainize Team Green as much as possible, while victimizing Team Black, and deviating from the source material for this narrative. (I would tell them to be suspicious when showrunners do that because they did the same thing to Daenerys in GoT and everyone was surprised when she turned around and burned a city down in a rushed ending because the show never properly developed her arc.) Nevertheless, despite their efforts to make Team Green the less appealing side, if I had to compare motivations, Team Black is the more villainous.

So many people dismiss the fact that for Rhaenyra to secure her throne, she would have to kill her siblings. They write it off as paranoia of Alicent, or ambitions of her and Otto, that they are making excuses for Aegon to be made king instead of Rhaenyra. But that's just not true. These are very real likelihoods. Even if Aegon did not seek the throne, or he and his brothers decided to gracefully allow the succession to pass to Rhaenyra, it would never be peaceful. Just look at Rhaenys and how Corlys is still bitter and Viserys has been worried that they may come after him since she has a right to the throne. That's one of the main benefits in having Rhaenyra marry Ser Laenor was to join their claims. Or look at how worried everyone was of Daemon, and how he may seize power after Viserys. The only thing keeping him alive was his brother's love for him, the fact that their house was dwindling, and no one was fighting on his behalf over Viserys. So if there is every another claimant, it would be a great worry that the side in power may be kicked off by another claimant. And Aegon and his brothers are men, and just by virtue of having dicks, they have a better claim to the throne. All laws, precedent, and cultures in Westeros have male heirs before female heirs. The king's word does not change that. And note that the King only made Rhaenyra his heir over his brother. So technically, the King said "all my children first, including my daughter, then my brother." (Something already controversial because if it was accepted before, Rhaenys would be Queen and he would be nothing). But he never again made a statement for the lords after his sons births. He never reinforced Rhaenyra's succession as his heir outside the privacy of their own quarters. Alicent even said, let the lords come and decide, and make vows, and he and Rhaenyra reject it because they worried the Lords would choose Aegon.

Rhaenyra knows, to inherit without rebellions every few years from lords who are unhappy with her and want to supplant her with her brothers, she would have to kill her brothers and make sure there are no people who can contest her right to inherit.

And this is just Rhaenyra's succession. Now add in the fact that she's claiming illegitimate children as her heirs. Very obvious illegitimate children. Even if Rhaenyra managed to successfully inherit with no push back from anyone, and no one wanted to supplant her with her brothers so she didn't have to kill them then... well guess what, she'll have to kill them to secure her son's ascension to the throne. (And if she won't then Daemon certainly would). And then, even if she does kill all the Greens, then there's the issue of her legitimate children vs. her illegitimate children. Even if the kids grew up to love each other, someone may say, well the first three shouldn't inherit, let's put the legitimate ones on the throne. And then you have a completely different succession crisis.

Viserys' actions may seem to the viewers as promoting girl power and feminism, but that's not what's happening. He's being an abusive, neglectful shit. He's deliberately putting the rest of his children's lives in jeopardy, and even the Strong grandchildren he claims to love, because by keeping them in the succession despite their obvious illegitimacy invites people to contest that. And that's not to say he couldn't have taken steps to remedy this. He could have changed the rules so that succession passes to the eldest child, regardless of gender. But he didn't. He could have acknowledged that his grandchildren were illegitimate and forgiven it and legitimized them as Targaryens, but he didn't (conveniently usurping Valeryons - and people may argue that Baela/ Rhaena can still rule being married to Jace/Luke, but that's not the same as being able to rule in your own right, otherwise, why not take the offer for Rhaenyra to marry Aegon).

But since he didn't do any of these things, the only way to stop the Dance would have been for him to make Aegon his successor. Something that everyone would have been relieved by because it would have prevented war. But he didn't. And so, Alicent has to fight to keep her kids alive. The Greens have to push their claim to survive. Whereas, had Rhaenyra graciously backed off her claim, saying that yes, she had 3 brothers, and while they were younger, the laws and precedent are in their corner to inherit, then she would have lived. People wouldn't have fought for her claim if she hadn't pushed it. Nor would they fight for an illegitimate heir.

But some may say... Well Rhaenyra has more supporters. She does. She has the Velaryons and countless other houses backing her. So do the Greens. (the Greens have the wealthiest houses). But once it becomes a fight to throne, it's less about who has the right, and more about who can offer you the most. Notice the Starks and the Baratheons agree to fight because they'll get a wedding out of it (and the Starks because they'll have somewhere to send people during their current famine). The Vale because of the blood ties. The Lannisters because of past insults. Once it's decided to be a fight, it's never about who actually has a right to the throne, it becomes about who can give you the most so you can help them win it.

And this is what it really comes down to. Rhaenyra had a choice. She can back off, and her family can survive. Her brothers can live. Her sons will live. Or she can inherit, and her brothers can die. And she is perfectly willing for her brothers to die. And some may say that that's a very jaded view to take on Rhaenyra and she would never kill her family if she could help it... but it would be out of her hands. It would be necessary to protect her son's right to inherit and to keep away possible rebellions.

And you know, fine, that's okay. She wants to fight for the throne, more power to her. She can go after the throne and kill her brothers. But I don't think it's right that people say that she's the aggrieved party. She's not. She's the aggressor.

And that is why I'm team Green. Because Alicent is right. Just by living and breathing, Aegon and his brothers are threats to Rhaenyra. And this would have happened no matter who Viserys married. Sure people can be upset that Alicent married her bffs dad (something that only happens in the show because in the books, Alicent is 10 years older than Rhaenyra and they weren't close), but that doesn't mean her children should die because Rhaenyra is the preferred child. That doesn't mean the realm should be thrown into war because Alicent 'seduced' a widow. (And I say that with heavy sarcasm because Viserys is a grown ass man.)

And then there's the argument of who's the better house because of blood purity. It's a ridiculous argument and I'm honestly annoyed by people who are Targaryen purists and believe in the whole, dragon supremacy. Hightower is badass house. A lot of people don't realize that they've been around since The Wall and Winterfell were built (Bran the Builder built Hightower, commissioned by the Lord / King of Hightower). They've been around since before Targaryen's rode dragons. So spare me the ridiculous arguments of who's got the most Targaryen blood. If anything, Team Green is more Westerosi, you know, the country they are trying to rule.

In the end, the show will do what it does best, and disappoint you. Either they'll continue pushing this narrative of girl-boss queen and fail to show the complexity of the political situation that result from Rhaenyra's decisions. Or they might stick to the book and have a complex issue actually displayed and show both Aegon and Rhaenyra's descent into madness.

There are more issues one could delve into. Like the fact that Rhaenyra married Daemon. That either Corlys Velaryon has so much unhinged ambition that he's ignored deaths in his house to side with those who have literally murdered his family (cough cough Vaemond and Laenor) (and the whole Laenor excuse in the show makes no sense because no way in hell are Rhaenyra and Daemon risking that he's ever found and that their kids are declared bastards; it is much cleaner for them to do it like they did in the books and kill him) or there will be serious repercussions from the deaths of Velaryons and continued discussion of the succession of Driftmark/High Tide.

But that's the main summary of my thoughts. 👍

If you made it to the end of my rant. Thank you.

[fabuloustrash05]

this has always been in my head, but I always think of the possibility of Vegeta's mother. what does she look like? what's her personality like? does she love her two sons? was she as strong as king Vegeta? she's gotta be if she's the queen. although Vegeta is one of the main characters, we barely know much of his family history. even the other characters were surprised he had a younger brother. just tidbits from official sources and anime only scenes.

You and me both. I’m always thinking about Vegeta and Tarble’s Mother, the wife of King Vegeta III, the literal Queen of the Saiyans!

What happened to her? Where is she? Did she die along side the Saiyans or did she pass before the destruction of their planet? Does Vegeta know his mother, if so how did he feel about her? What was his relationship like with her? SO MANY QUESTIONS!!

And given that we didn’t get a confirmation of Goku’s own mother, Gine, until like 2014 when she made her debut in the manga and first animated appearance being in Broly movie in 2018, it’s probably gonna take even LONGER for us to get even anything in canon to acknowledge Vegeta’s mother.

I've always said that the next thing we should get is a Vegeta movie, specifically a movie about his life growing up in the Frieza force. Have the movie explore deeper into what his relationship was like with Nappa and Raditz, see him transform into a great ape for the first time and how he learned to master it, and maybe even have flashback sequences of his father and also his mother just to get more of an idea of what his relationship was like with them.

But if were gonna talk about the Saiyan Queen, I wanna share some of my headcanons I have on her!

First off, her name! In DB Super, before his daughter is born, we get a scene of Vegeta brainstorming baby names and he thinks of the name "Eschalot" (pun on the vegetable "shallot") and seems quite fond of it, saying its "not too bad" and says his daughter deserves a transitional Saiyan name. I like to think Eschalot was his mother's name.

Queen Eschalot, has a nice ring to it, huh? :D

So I'm going to refer to her as such for the rest of this post. Queen Eschalot and King Vegeta ruled Planet Vegeta together, both as strong warriors. Eschalot was known as being very calm and collective, strategic and a skilled fighter, and also a bit aloof at times as well. Rarely smiled, not that she was unhappy, but that she believes a Queen must always seem strong and never show weakness, and to her a smile was a weakness (basically always had a resting bitch face, one that Prince Vegeta inherited lol) and King Vegeta truly loved his wife. She was his world.

I shared another headcanon once where I said Saiyan women take initiative when it comes to dating/courting/finding a partner. So I imagine Eschalot, who was a high ranking warrior or a noble woman, saw King Vegeta, thought he was hot and walked right up to him. K!Vegeta is shocked this mysterious elegant woman just approached the newly crowned King of Saiyans without hesitation. "Do you have a Queen yet, your majesty?" she said, her voice calm, almost coming off as threatening. "N-No." the kind replies, overwhelmed by her beauty. "Well, you do now." she offers her hand, signaling for him to take it and he does.

Soon they were married, Eschalot became queen and eventually gave birth to the heir of the Saiyan throne, Prince Vegeta IV. Eschalot adored her first born son and P!Vegeta loved his mother, despite not seeing her as often as he wished (always on planet conquering missions since childhood, you know?). Then Eschalot was pregnant again and gave birth to Tarble, but unfortunately she didn't make it. Queen Eschalot died giving birth to the second Saiyan Prince. Heartbroken over the death of his wife, K!Vegeta had Tarble banished to a far off planet, blaming him for killing the Queen. When P!Vegeta asked why his brother was sent away, K!Vegeta lied and said it was because his brother had a low power level and P!Vegeta, believing his father, didn't question it. Tarble and Vegeta never knew the truth about what happened to their mother. Vegeta never even knew his mom died giving birth to his brother, believing his mom died along side the other Saiyans at the hands of Frieza (because again, Vegeta was always off planet so he wasn't there when his brother was born, mom died, etc.)

After all these years, Vegeta struggles to remember his mother and he deep down feels ashamed to have forgotten her. She died when he was so young and even during his youth he rarely saw her. All Vegeta remembers of his mother now is her name and the faint sound of her voice.

[dorminchu]

Every Day Like the Last: Chapter V

Summary:

A year has passed since the Battle of Heaven and Earth. P. Galliard and P. Finger are married. Vice Captain A. Leonhardt steps down, waiting for her ailing father to outlive her. Eren Jaeger is exiled from Paradis as a renegade to spend his days in Liberio as an expat. Without the threat of Titans or a country to divide them, what comes after the armistice?

Rating: M

Pairing: Annie/Eren, Pieck/Porco

Genre: Drama | Hurt/Comfort | Romance

Can also be read on ao3 | ffnet

a/n: ft. commissioned art by lunarcallisto! thank you for helping to make my wildest dreams come true :)

Ironically, putting in a notice of leave was easier than getting his papers sorted out. "A week’s leave should be no trouble at all. We've got someone to cover for you in the meantime." The superior even shook his hand and congratulated him on the engagement.

The main had never looked so beautiful or cold. Sunlight beamed against the polished floors, the glare blinding as he passed. The occasional pair of eyes followed him. A grinning man who Eren recognized as one of the camp-de-aides nudged his unhappy colleague who shoved a ten mark note into his waiting palm. "Must be one of the Warriors. He’s close enough to one and who else would be interested?"

“There’s one who isn’t taken.”

"Leonhardt? My God, she's inhuman. He’s probably found another Eldian."

Amused, Eren saw no reason to correct them.

He walked out into the warm sunshine and a future bright and impermanent.

This vestige of civilian life, always denied in words, finally within reach. As a boy he’d clamored for what was beyond the Walls, never caring whether or not it existed for the possibility itself was more tantalizing than the truth. If he’d survived, not as a Titan but a civilian, his options were to start a family or climb the political ladder and send money back to his aging parents while less fortunate soldiers died for the same platitudes that had once preoccupied him. Better to give one's life for a cause than squander it in safety. He’d sworn with a child’s conviction to eradicate all the Titans, but it was never about one enemy. The ocean just another obstacle beyond himself and the intangible forces wishing for Paradis's destruction, an end to the mistake immortalized in history books.

In Marley, he clung to the last vestiges of sanity, grounding himself in this day-to-day routine of survival without an outlet. In every outcome the Progenitor laid before him, there was only one in which Paradis survived untouched. Very little of what Eren had been shown in these flashes had come to pass in the way he’d foreseen. Poisoned by his resolve, he had never stopped to question what was in front of him. His survival was not imperative, for his allies would never forgive him once he succeeded, which made his situation all the more damnable. From the moment he woke up to stitches in his neck, Mikasa and the Corporal carving him from the Titan’s blistering remnants, he’d already failed. Exile was worse than death itself. Without the Jaegerists or his inherited abilities, he was barely a threat. Just a fool who’d wielded power beyond his understanding or capacity.

Despite ample time and opportunity, Marley and Paradis seemed disinterested in continuing the war he had initiated. As a matter of fact, there was talk of Paradis sending their ambassadors over directly to Central Marley—survivors from the Battle of Heaven and Earth.

On a day such as this, Eren had no desire to dwell upon the past despite its habitual ease. He’d been invited to meet the other Warriors in person. The letter in his pocket, written by Pieck, provided the name of a street within walking distance.

Echelons of Marley's second class were still packed into rows upon rows. The domiciles in Shiganshina had been built horizontally, a consequence both of the island’s elevation as well as limited materials and technology, and yet Eren had nicer memories of living in a two story home with his mother and father and Mikasa than his limited existence within Liberio’s tenements. He passed the street once, then took the letter from his pocket to verify his placement, then rounded the street again.

"Hey," the man called. "You've rounded this corner a couple times, are you lost?" The man from the pub had a cigarette. Eren walked up the steps.

They moved into the entrance hall and left their shoes by the door. Eren noted a boy's pair of brogans and a girl's boots. He could smell something cooking. The closest to home he'd been since ten years old.

"The kids just got back from running an errand with Ms. Braun."

A dark-haired girl came over from the kitchen and blenched at the sight of Eren. "Mr. Jaeger," she said, with a slight flinch before offering a hand, "I'm Gabrielle Braun."

Aside from using her as bait, Eren supposed they never had been formally introduced. Falco followed in her wake, already a little tense. The formality was part of the charade. A muscle jumped in Falco's jaw. "How long have you been living in Marley?"

"Almost a year."

"Ms. Braun said you'll be going abroad for a while."

"Marley's a big country. We'll find a place to go."

Gabi said, "Miss Leonhardt must mean a lot to you." The unspoken tension that hadn't been settled since his betrayal under the tenements. A perpetual lifelong undercurrent, questions better left unturned. The war was settled and there wasn't any point in discussion. "I don't think she's ever been friendly to another Warrior."

"I know what you mean. I used to train with her."

Falco and Gabi exchanged a glance. "Isn't she supposed to be here?"

"Annie will be here shortly. She stopped in to speak with her father this morning." Pieck noticed them and smiled. "Oh, hello again."

She bade Eren follow her into the living room while Falco and Gabi watched over the food. Pieck was telling him about the news that was coming out. Representatives from what was left of the Titan Research Society, herself among them, had come to consensus. Beyond doubt, the severing of the Progenitor’s direct ties was not simply a victory for humanity. “Many of the injected Eldians and surviving Warriors are expected to live past their designated term of service, potentially up to half of their natural lifespan given proper treatment.”

“How many of these candidates are going to receive treatment?”

“As many as our medical facilities can safely hold. Unfortunately, the brunt of that expertise was entrusted to the Titan Research Society which has since been fragmented. We’ve been tracking down the doctors and convincing them to pass along what they know, but it’s hardly straightforward. I expect we won’t see the results of this endeavor within our own lifetimes.”

Of course. They’d always be Eldians, even without the devil in their bloodstream or a reason to wage war. For what purpose had they accepted him and their failed subjects of Ymir, if not to write them neatly out of history within the next generation? He’d simply have to live with it, like every other disaffected citizen caught between their learnt contempt and their own powerlessness. Self-loathing was not a trait reserved for Eldians alone.

So really, what good was there in hoping to cross paths with anyone from Paradis? They’d just as well abhor him for what he attempted. They’d lacked the will to carry through.

He’d break the news to Annie if she didn’t first. There would be plenty of time to discuss the future.

“There should be a letter for you.” Pieck sighed. “I’m sorry. It must be in the guest room upstairs. I’d have brought it down with me, but I didn’t want Falco or Gabi asking too many questions.”

Eren, left to his own devices, looked around the home for a sign of recent life. He found a door ajar, perhaps a guest room. The bed along the wall was freshly made, and a wooden chest at the foot. Scores along the wood flooring that had once bore furniture. The curtains clean. No recent sign of activity. Atop the dresser's surface was a small figurine and a faded yellow armband. Stitched under the Marleyan star, he could make out the name: R. Braun.

The floorboards creaked. Eren turned with a start. An older woman with blonde hair stood by the threshold.

"I'm sorry," he started to say, "I was looking for the guest room."

The woman's expression faltered, as if he'd spoken in a foreign language. An instinctual glance at his forearm before returning to his face. She seemed to collect herself as he moved past her, closing the door in his wake.

"I was in the middle of cleaning when the children dragged me off on an errand. Gabi’s been helping with the cooking." Her eyes, amber, fell on his hand. In a strange, brusque tone, she said, "You must be Eren."

“Ms. Braun?”

Her expression cooled. “Is there something you were looking for in particular?”

Standing before the mother of that soldier-turned-traitor, the last four years weighed heavy between them. Both of them strangers, sharing nothing but their devil blood and contempt for the enemy be it Marleyan or Titan. Eren's ties were severed. Reiner never spoke of his family back home. A hometown, once or twice, only with Bertholdt close by. Never a name. All that had mattered back then was supplanting his grief into anger. A justification, however childish, was easier to accept than the bigger picture. He'd had time to think things over but never to apologize.

He said, "I knew your son." Karina froze where she stood. "He was the second best of the cadet corps. He would have made you proud."

Her face contorted. She grasped his arm. “Then—you must have seen him. Please, you must tell me what happened to him. This is all I have left of him.”

“He’s dead.” Eren held her gaze until it averted. “He sacrificed himself to protect his comrades. There wasn’t much left to bury.”

Karina let her hand drop. She covered her mouth, her eyes welling. She wasn't hurtling insults at him. Perhaps that would come later. Eren longed for a drink.

“I’m sorry, ma’am.”

She looked away, her voice tight and controlled from a lifetime of smothering her grief into apathy. “There’s a letter for you. In the other room.”

Eren followed her. On the desk was a manilla envelope which he scanned and pocketed to read away from prying eyes. As he moved away, he could see Karina through the slit of the door. He moved onwards.

"There's no council to disappoint," Galliard was saying, "and two more Eldians who've outlasted their regime. Why shouldn't we celebrate?" On the porch, Galliard hid his feelings under a terse, short conversation about what Gabi and Falco would be enrolling next year. He smiled around the unlit cigarette. Eren did not smile back. "Well," he said, "best of luck to you."

On the train out of Liberio, onward. Annie eyed the other seats for wont of something to do.

"Who d'you usually send after defectors?"

"They're brought in and dealt with like any other political criminal." She glanced out the window, but there was not much to see apart from Liberio's architecture. "That was back when I was in training. But they're not interested in us. And I doubt you'll attract any attention unless you do something foolish."

His brow furrowed as he seemed to work over the words in his head. Then he sat back straighter as if to make up for the weariness of his eyes.

"Did you sleep?"

"I haven't been sleeping much."

Annie frowned.

Eren bristled but didn't answer. What should she do? Take his hand? Say something reassuring? What did one say to their fiancé who still woke up miles across the ocean, at home?

"It's all right," she said, "I'll be here when you wake up."

He nodded off. Leaning on her, their arms interlocked. She reached for his hand, catching his wrist. Annie laid her head against his shoulder. Her heart fluttered.

They rode on through Marley into the heart of the country. Liberio’s cramped and opulent sprawl giving way to an untouched wilderness broken up by settlements and outposts. The sky unbroken and clear.

They stopped at a small hotel for the evening, the settlement reminiscent to what Eren had left in Paradis. They used gas lamps and crystal torches in tandem.

A short man eyed them from behind the reception. He came over and greeted them warmly. “Halil!” the man called. A boy about Falco’s age came out with a broom. This he set against the wall as the man spoke to him in a tongue Eren had heard during his days in Fort Slava.

“We don’t get many tourists,” the man said. “When I was a boy, there were a lot more of them. During the course of the war they moved on from here.”

The boy offered to take their valaise and bags. Eren nodded at the boy and then looked away.

Halil clambered up the steps. He set their bags aside and said, “I’ve seen you before.”

Eren froze.

“Miss? My father says you helped stop the war on Paradis.”

Annie blinked. “Yes.”

Halil was beaming. “I knew it! Ramzi won’t believe it.” He noticed Eren and his expression changed. “Thank you, sir.” He didn’t speak again but nodded to Annie and left.

Neither their annihilation not existence held any significance to him, apart from failure. The images repeating, always the same no matter how he bent his will. Without the constant threat of war and annihilation on the horizon, the idea of enduring one slow day to the next became suffocating. Standing at the window he could see only the settlement and the flat plain beyond.

It wasn’t yet evening.

“Eren?”

His breath stuck in his throat. A flicker in her eyes. She could sense the pain but not its reason. He didn’t want to permit that sepulchral mood into this moment. Least of all to his wife. Strange to permit himself this distinction and yet effortless to accept it. From comrade to enemy to spouse.

The Founder’s will pushed him into a singularity — the dead and the dying along the shores. Ruins all that were left of this civilization would be washed away.

He moved outside in the hall and paced like an animal down the length and back. He counted to fifty, but he couldn't stop trembling completely as he opened the door.

He sat on the bed and she went along, side by side.

"What happened?"

He looked at her, struggling to explain. "I haven't been here in a while."

She hesitated. "We can stay in."

He breathed evenly. She was only trying to help and he'd made it complicated. He had no interest in explaining right now, it wouldn't fix anything. She laid a hand along his neck and he reached to caress her hand. Delicate and vulnerable. He felt a terrific surge of affection for her. One of the toughest soldiers he’d ever known. Perhaps he didn’t deserve her, yet she refused to let him go.

“What is it?”

He touched her face. “You’re beautiful.” Smoothing his palms down her sides. His lips on her brow. His mouth curled, an unfamiliar sensation. “I can’t believe it.”

Her eyes softened. They fell onto the bed, chuckling.

He was too weary to speak. When he laid his head along her thighs, she didn’t push him away. Her hand slowly passed through his hair.

He dozed. When he stirred, the pattern of shadows over the room had altered. She stirred.

“Did I wake you?”

Like before he was too keyed up to relax. He reached up to caress her face.

“No.”

Annie kissed the inside of his wrist. His cheek moved to her abdomen. He kissed her clothed stomach. Hands slipping under the dress.

“How many?”

Annie hummed.

“Children.” He rucked the dress over her thighs. “How many would you want?”

She was looking at him in a naked and nervous way. Her mouth opened and closed. When she finally spoke her voice was small, “I’m not sure.”

Eren was relieved and disappointed in equal measure. But then, if he’d lost his mother that way he might feel different.

“We can wait.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder. Annie tensed.

“I’m not saying I wouldn’t.” Eren could glean the edge in her tone. Her mouth trembling at the edges. He let his hand drop. “It would be a year, at least. Maybe more. I can’t promise that, and if something happened to me—”

“—don’t say that—”

“—you’d never forgive it.”

Her eyes bored into him. Eren wasn’t expecting this to be a simple conversation but he’d failed, in his desperation to be free, to consider she was just as pinioned as him to this future and its limitations, not just as civilians or Eldians. Both of them needed time to adjust, but he had no idea how to console her.

“My dad was about the age we are now, when he had his first son. Years after he was injected, he had me. It’s probably not that different for us.” A short, sharp snort of laughter escaped her. “Hey.” Running his hands over her shoulders, forearms. She couldn’t stop trembling. “Hey. Talk to me.”

“Even if I can conceive,” she said, in a soft, high voice he didn’t recognize, “what effect would it have on the baby?”

Eren paused.

“Is it something you’d want, if you were able?” Her expression faltered. Bracing herself for a worse reaction. He felt powerless to assuage her. “I can’t go back to my old life. That much is true.” He took a breath and let it out. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to us. But I’m sure that you and I are not our fathers.”

Annie turned, pushing her shoulder into his chest. He pulled her into a hug. With her head to his sternum she began to relax. She didn’t return the embrace but she didn't squirm away.

“It can’t be like it was, for us. This has to be different.”

He swallowed dryly. “It will be different.”

He leaned in and gently kissed her scalp, and she grasped the side of his neck and pressed closer. Without thinking, he kissed her shoulder, working on undoing the buttons of her blouse. She reclined onto the bed and he went with her. His lips brushed her neck, running a hand over her chest. He put his mouth to her ear. "Don't get up. I'll take care of you."

She leaned back, curious rather than pliant. His hand swept up her calf to thigh and his stomach tensed at her state of arousal. He rucked the skirts up, falling in a heap about her midriff. Improprietous and beautiful and urgent. Her mouth lifted into a wan smile. Relief and desire and fear, all resolving into the same intention. He knelt down and unfastened the garters and slid them down her legs.

He shrugged out of the suit jacket and hung it up in the closet.

She'd drawn her legs up to her chest. Her hair cascading like gold across the sheets.

"Take me like this," she whispered.

He was already hard and so he pressed into her. Annie bit her lip, brow furrowing. The angle was a little tight but she didn't appear to be in any discomfort. The skirts pooled between their bodies. He should have taken his shirt off first. She placed small kisses on his jaw, mouth, and cheeks, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Pulling out until just the head was inside of her and thrusting. Annie made a soft noise. Her eyes blue and lustful and a bit distracted. He leaned down and kissed along her lips to her neck. He braced a palm under her spine, keeping pace. Tension gathered behind his navel. Rather than struggle against the inevitable, he concentrated on pleasuring her. Mouthing the ridge of her clavicle, the swell of her breast popped out of her blouse and she gasped. Her fingers tangled in his hair, restless and urgent.

He sat up and lifted one leg under the ankle, fitting it over his shoulder.

The skirts fell back into her face. He uncovered her, gathering the fabric against her belly. She let her head fall back against the pillow with a snort. "I feel like a barmaid."

The idea clicked in his head and he sucked in a breath. Annie chuckled low in her throat. He could feel that too, in the rise and fall of her ribs and her muscles fluttering around him.

"Oh—is that what you like?" she whispered. "I can—wear this if you."

He pressed his forehead to hers. She got a hand on his nape, the other already snaking down her front until the skirts got in the way.

Amused, Eren simply bunched it up, pushing it aside to thumb the little twitching pulse. Whimpering, she caught his wrist. He glanced at her and she took a deep breath. He relaxed his touch and let her steer, tight, slick little circles. It didn't feel like he was doing much, yet her expression clouded, mouth upturned at the corners. Her eyes falling shut as she began to undulate. The skirts whispered over the bed. She bit her lip as he braced a hand beside her head and began to move.

His mind short-circuiting. He undulated into her before he came to crisis, slumping across her and slowly regaining composure. All in all he was the happiest dead man in Central Marley. Kissing a path to the corner of her mouth and brushing their noses together. Even if he didn't deserve this peace, he desperately wanted to hold on to it. Memories and a life beyond this vestige of hell.

"Hey," he said. "Good?"

Annie's mouth curled. "That wasn't particularly hazardous."

Eren frowned. "Hazardous?"

She sat up. "The position. For my delicate constitution."

"I've never heard of such a thing." He frowned. "Are you OK?"

She nodded. "I never imagined this happening to me."

Eren understood all too well. The setting sun on her hair and lashes, the first time they'd truly been free. "You don't have to imagine anymore."

She looked at him in a way she rarely had. Pity for an ant under her boot, or simply endeared. She kissed him on the cheek. She brushed his hands away and stood. Hanging up her clothes in the small closet. She moved over to him, radiant in the light, warm and a little surer.

"Perhaps we could try some more, just to be safe."

He shed the rest of his clothes, joining her.

They got to know each other's bodies. It was different from the desperate rendezvous in Liberio or their fooling around before. No inevitable deployment to the front lines, where they'd be fighting to the death in an unwinnable circumstance.

He stayed with her until her breathing calmed. Then he got up and redressed, leaving her to sleep. He closed the door carefully behind him.

[thetempleofthemasaigoddess]

Dracule Mihawk's older sister headcanons (part 1)

Dracule Mihawk x sister!reader.

This fic is part of the Beast in Black series.

This idea was born from a conversation with @giurochedadomani, as well her amazing blog. This is part one of two, part two is here.

*****

🗡️ Mihawk’s sister is twelve years older than him. They are born in an impoverished noble family; she receives a good education and pretty clothes, but has no dowry nor prospects. She is born with a lame leg, which makes it difficult for her to walk unless assisted by a cane. 

🗡️ Her father is a distant man, not physically violent but too occupied with his books and hunting and social visits to pay any attention to a female child; her mother is a kind, melancholic woman, unhappy in her forced marriage but who has found some happiness in the rearing of her daughter, and charity, and painting - one of the few appropriate hobbies for a noblewoman. Her mother paints a little portrait of her and her daughter together; it is not particularly good, since the artist lacks any real talent, but Mihawk’s sister will keep the painting with her for the rest of her life.

🗡️ Her mother dies in the birthing bed; she cries all her tears as she cradles her newborn baby-brother in her arms, deaf to the midwives asking to take him to wash the blood and the amniotic fluid away. She has no idea what will become of her, and him, now that their mother has passed, but as she holds him against her chest, the fussy baby immediately calming at her comforting presence as he looks at her (yes, he looks, and she knows newborns are almost blind, but she can’t shake the impression he is actually staring up at her, tranquil and almost solemn) with those lovely yellow eyes he can’t have inherited from anyone in their family, she promises she’ll take care of him, she’ll protect him and make sure he grows as the honourable, good man their mother had hoped he’d be.

🗡️ Mihawk is the male heir their father had hoped for, but by the time the child is six or seven lord Dracule has already started distancing himself from his son, and realising he doesn’t particularly like that stubborn, quiet child, who like his sister looks much more like their mother than him. Mihawk is clever and polite but wilful, not exactly disrespectful but clearly not deferential to a father he doesn’t respect; the child never cries nor begs for forgiveness, not even when his father uses a belt to discipline him or has his meals taken away. 

🗡️ Mihawk’s sister is a quiet, withdrawn young woman, not unpretty but pensive, who spends much of her time reading and embroidering; she loves roses, and finds happiness in growing them in the house’s garden. Having been prohibited from making friends with the lowborn people of the nearby town, and with both of them being reserved, introverted people, the two siblings spend much of their time together despite their large age gap. Since the family cannot afford a governess, she is the one who teaches him to read and write, and gives him as good an education as she can.

🗡️ She also teaches him to sew, a feminine art that, nevertheless, she thinks he could have to make use of in the future. One day, when Mihawk is seven, their father accidentally finds the two siblings in the parlour, with his sister helping Mihawk sew a button on a pair of trousers; lord Dracule orders him to stop and, already inebriated and in a bad mood after an evening spent playing card with disastrous results, he slaps his daughter, ordering her to stop raising my son like a sissy. Mihawk reacts to defend her, pushes his father away from her so forcefully the man stumbles, and then instinctively grabs a letter-opener from the desk to point it against the man. “Touch her again and I’ll kill you.” he threatens; the blade is tiny, and unsharpened, and the child weighs perhaps a fourth of his father, but lord Dracule is suddenly terrified, and as he looks in those eyes he has always disliked for some reason, and that now stare at him, merciless and furious, he knows his child would be more than ready to actually kill him, if he ever hurt his sister again. 

🗡️ He never does, but the awareness that he is scared of his seven-year-old son is a shame lord Dracule knows he will never forget. He starts despising, even hating him, while he simply ignores a daughter he considers too dull and unintelligent to be of some use for the good of the family. 

🗡️ One day the two siblings are allowed the rare treat of a visit to the town; they visit a tea house, and Mihawk, already a little gentleman, opens the door for his sister, insists on carrying her parcels and walks slowly to make sure she doesn’t fall behind because of her bad leg. As they return to their carriage, they walk past the town’s recently inaugurated swordsmanship school; Mihawk stops, hit by an impulse he couldn’t explain, and “May we go in for a moment?” he asks, which his sister of course concedes. She has no idea, but she has changed his beloved little brother’s life forever, and hers as well. 

🗡️ An hour spent observing the swordsmen practising in the school, exchanging parries and thrusts, and Mihawk has decided this is what he is meant to do, the art he will devote the rest of his life to. While happy for his usually apathetic little brother’s enthusiasm, his sister highly doubts their father will let him join the school, for a variety of reasons; perhaps, she muses, she can sell what little jewels she owns, and it will be enough to pay the tuition for a year or even two. Their father already spends as little time with his son as he can, he may not notice Mihawk disappears for two hours three times a week…

🗡️ They have no time to put their plan in action, since two days later, after Mihawk has convinced an old tenant of his father, a carpenter, to carve a wooden sword for him (he’d rather have a real one and is already sure he could wield it easily, but the family owns no weapons and the few guards they have left are incredibly jealous of theirs) his father announces he’s going to marry again. The bride is from a rich but non-aristocratic family, a classic nobility-marries-wealth deal. She plans on having children (which is unlikely, Mihawk’s sister thinks, since the future groom is getting on in years, but she has the good sense of keeping that reflection for herself) and has no interest in dealing with any step-child; their father, all too happy to get rid of his turbulent, rebellious son and insipid, gloomy daughter, has decided to send them away, without even granting them a pension and literally throwing them in the streets.

🗡️ Mihawk feels no sadness in leaving his father, even though he regrets his hopes to attend the swordsmanship school are dashed, at least for now; his sister, on the other hand, is hurt by their father’s callousness, sad at having to leave the house she has grown up in, and scared about their future. She wants to take care of her little brother, she dreams of sending him to a good school and letting him pursue his interest for the sword, but how? Having no formal education herself means she cannot apply for a job as a governess, and her bad leg makes it hard for her to perform most jobs. As she lies in their bed (a couple of distant relatives have accepted to host them for a few days, but she knows she has to find a way to support them both quickly, before they are booted out for the second time) worry making it impossible for her to sleep, she feels her brother’s small body cuddling against hers under the blanket, his arm circling her waist. “We’ll find a way to survive.” he promises in a whisper, the determination in his voice making him look much older than his age “I promise. You won’t have to do it all by yourself; I’ll help you, and I’ll protect you.” 

🗡️ She finds more consolation in that innocent, confident promise than she would have imagined; she holds him in her arms, promising herself, and her mother, there is nothing she won’t do to protect him and offer him a chance at life, even if it means having to sell her own body or resort to crime. 

🗡️ Almost miraculously, a way out is offered to them a week later, when an old, richer friend of their mother offers Mihawk’s sister a job as a companion; she is paid very little, and the young woman is to all intents and purposes more a maid than a lady-in-waiting, but she is happy with her new situation, since her employer has accepted to house Mihawk as well as her, and even to have him study with her children’s tutor, which will grant him a good education. She works hard; she falls in love with a guest of the house, she is loved back, but receives no marriage offer since the man is also penniless and has to marry rich to support his family. She cries for days, heartbroken, but goes on, already resigned to remain a spinster but happy to see his brother grow into the attractive, clever and capable man she had always known he could be.

🗡️ Mihawk doesn’t particularly like his new housing situation, but makes do for the sake of his sister; he is asked to perform odd jobs around the house, which he does obediently, but when the lady’s children try pushing him around, he uses his wooden sword to whack them and make it clear how already dangerous it is to mess with him. The children leave him alone; they resent him, and whatever hope a friendship would be born between them is dashed, but Mihawk couldn’t care less, because the company of his sister is the only one he has ever wanted, and in any case he has no use for friends, since all his time and energies are focused on something else…

🗡️ As luck would have it, the lady’s older brother is a capable swordsman, a former soldier who has won renown on the battlefield with the Marines and then, having discharged himself after the death of his father, a professional jouster. He treats the new lady’s companion and her brother with distant courtesy, but his interest is piqued when he sees the child practising (actually, waving it around as he imagines slaying an army of enemies and saving his sister from a ferocious dragon) with his wooden sword in the garden; he sees the raw talent, the naturalness of the relatively heavy weapon in the child’s hand, and most of all the stubborn determination of one who believes in himself and in what he can achieve, a particular state of mind in balance between confidence and arrogance that makes Mihawk spend all his time with that simple piece of wood, all day, every day, come rain or shine. As if holding a sword were as natural, as essential, as breathing; as if the lack of a blade by his side made him feel as if his arm had been amputated. 

🗡️ The lord looks discreetly at the child for a few days, without approaching or speaking to him; then, he takes his second best sword, joins Mihawk in the garden while the child does his best to mimic the complex attacks he learnt from a fencing manual his sister has found in the house’s library (and fails miserably; just… not as spectacularly as most other children would) and unceremoniously hits him across the back with the flat of his sword. “Keep your guard up, boy.” he orders “And widen your stance, otherwise you’ll lose your balance. You’re so thin a gust of wind could make you fly away. Doesn’t my sister feed you enough?”

🗡️ That’s how it starts. Mihawk knew already this is what he is meant to do, and at the mature age of eight, he realises the sword can be his way out of obscurity, his chance to prove the world what he is worth - not an unwanted son, not a child servant, not a charity case, but a great, dangerous, famous swordsman - the greatest swordsman in the world, perhaps, one day. Someone other people would respect, and not cross if they valued their life; someone who would not rely on the charity of others to survive, but who would amass riches of his own and whose name would be famous all over the world. A man, chiefly, who could offer his sister a comfortable life, worthy of the noblewoman she is, not having to earn her keep working but with servants of her own, free to pursue her interests and eat good food and wear nice clothes. 

🗡️ This is what pushes him forward; ambition, and love. A diabolical combination, that soon proves fruitful nonetheless. 

🗡️ The lord never proposes Mihawk, or his sister in her role as tutor, to take him as an apprentice; he simply does, and starts training the child. He talks to the lady to have Mihawk exempted from his chores around the house, and reluctantly acquiesces when the child’s sister refuses to allow him to stop attending his classes to make him focus on the sword - an unexpectedly determined stance from an usually quiet and demure woman. Apart from that, master and apprentice spend virtually all their time together; the training is hard, especially for such a young child. His small hands are soon covered with calluses and blisters; the lord uses a blunt blade, but that hurts nonetheless and Mihawk soon starts carrying bandages and antiseptic with him in order to clean his wounds before returning home and not have his sister see him bleed. His master is inflexible, no matter how gifted and dedicated his young apprentice is, and even cruel, as if he enjoyed torturing a child who barely reaches his elbow; he doesn’t, but he knows taking it easy wouldn’t do, not with him, not if he is to unlock the enormous potential inside the hawk-eyed child, which is what they both want. He is stingy with his praise, and generous with his criticism; his apprentice must be the least lazy child in the world, driven by an almost fanatical drive to succeed, but he pushes him even further, beyond the limits of his still tender body and his already steel-like mind, until Mihawk and his sword are one, until he can use it like an extension of his arm.  

🗡️ And as the lord expected, but faster than his most optimistic expectations, Mihawk doesn’t simply progress; he blooms.

🗡️ He is not even ten when he wins his first competition, a regional and relatively important tournament; he is the youngest competitor, and most of the opponents who look down at him (literally; he hasn’t gotten a growth spurt yet, and he is still as slim as a girl) soon have to change their minds as they witness the inflexible ferocity he fights with, knocking over boys twice as large as he is, determined as if his own life were at stake. He wins, most of his opponents unable to land a single hit; the lord approves, complimenting him with a brief, rough pat on the back and his first sip of beer, drunk secretly on the carriage on their way back home, and his sister is prouder of the cheap medal he brings her than if her little brother had found the One Piece, but there is no monetary reward and his name is only mentioned in passing in a short article on the local paper. Mihawk, while secretly happy for his victory, is frustrated: he wants more, and because of this he asks his master to enter him in more important competitions, with prize money he can bring back to his sister.

🗡️ The lord approves of his apprentice’s ambition, but he knows Mihawk is not yet ready to face the world; he could try to reason with him, but deeming that the best lessons are the ones one learns on their skin, he instead calls a couple of his acquaintances, kids barely older than Mihawk but who at this point are still immensely superior to him, and tells them to go as not easy on him as they can. Mihawk fights back valiantly, but in the end the lord is forced to carry him back home, his face bleeding and his dominant arm broken.

🗡️ That night, Mihawk and his sister fight for the first time in their life: she begs and then even orders him to stop, or at least to find a less inflexible master, because she doesn’t want his brother’s obsession (because this is what it is, and she cannot deny it anymore) for swordsmanship to lead him to his death; he stubbornly refuses, defying her for the first time in his life. He has heard recently his father has already replaced them with a new child, a boy, and he sees how tired his sister is at the end of her work day, how her bad leg hurts after being on her feet, walking and going up and down the stairs, for so long, how dismissively her mistress treats her (not outwardly cruel, but making a point to remind her she is a servant - specifically, one hired out of charity) and how empty the little tin box she puts away her savings in is. He knows he is still a child, and that the last thing his sister would want is for him to feel responsible for her; and that is exactly why he wants to persevere on the way he has chosen for himself. 

🗡️ “I won’t. If that… displeases you, if that pains you, I’m sorry; I don’t want you to worry, or to make you cry. But the sword is my destiny, and our opportunity for a better life; without it, I am nothing. It is not that I love it more than I love you, or that I don’t care about your feelings; but this is what I am going to devote my life to, and please, if you want me to be happy, don’t hold me back.”

🗡️ She doesn’t; she cries in bed, aware Mihawk is different from most children and would probably be as maniacal in his pursuing of swordsmanship even if he were a crown prince, and still ashamed she can’t offer him a better life, one in which a ten year old doesn’t need to take responsibility for their survival. Still, she decides to leave him be, confident (or simply hopeful?) the lord will remember his apprentice is still young and most of all aware she simply can’t stop him, no more than she can forbid rain from falling or teach a wolf to eat plants. She doesn’t need much; she’d rather have a less tiring job, to earn a little more and not to be reminded on a weekly basis by the lady they would have ended up in the streets without her, but she is content with what she has. Mihawk is different. Mihawk has chosen the way of the blade, and is destined to greatness, even she can tell; keeping him home or begging him not to take the risks that way of life entails, even with the best intentions, would be useless and even deleterious, not unlike denying a flower the water it needs to grow. In the end, no matter how much her brother loves her and wants to make her happy, the choice is not hers; for people like Mihawk, destiny is already drawn.

🗡️ Mihawk grows. The lord’s training destroys him, sometimes physically, pushing him beyond limits he didn’t know he had, and re-builds him as a sword-wielding machine. He gets stronger, and as he grows, his body does as well; soon his abilities exceed those of his peers, and of swordsmen older and older than him. The lord, wanting Mihawk to also learn other styles and techniques, introduces him to fellow fighters, both of his age and much older, to fight and to learn from; he also enters him in more and more important tournaments. Mihawk soon starts making a reputation for himself; some of the kids he meets during his training or the various competitions offer him their friendship, but he snubs them, more out of lack of interest than of haughtiness. He doesn’t care for company, and his sister’s love is deep, encompassing, uncompromising; what else would he need?

🗡️ During an important tournament, he crosses paths, and swords, with a boy barely older than him, born in the East Blue; the fight is brutal and in the end Mihawk defeats him, but in his heart he must admit Roronoa Arashi is one of the strongest opponents he has ever fought. 

🗡️ When he is seventeen, the lord admits there is not much else that Mihawk can learn from him, or in their little corner of the world; his name is well known by now, maybe the most capable swordsman in the country even though he’s still a boy, but this is sort of fame Mihawk is not interested in, nor does he plan to live off his cash rewards or open a school to teach the next generations of fighters. He needs to go in the world, he tells his sister one evening as they sit on a bench in the house’s garden after a brief stroll (Mihawk doesn’t miss how exhausted she looks, at the end of a week spent taking care of the lady’s brattiest child, who is sick and demands to be attended night and day, her delicate hands made red and swollen by her duties a washerwoman. She’s all right, she promises him, after all she’s still young and the lady has promised her three free days once her child gets healthy, but the sight makes Mihawk seethe with helpless anger), to test himself against the best swordmasters in the world and learn from them, which will make him stronger - the strongest, one day; quite a result to aspire to, especially for a person barely out of boyhood, but this is what he is destined to do, the only occupation he would be content with. “I… I am going to depart come spring, as soon as the tide turns.”

🗡️ His sister doesn’t protest, not even when her brother tells her he plans to become a pirate, not out of a particular interest for that way of life but simply because so many great swordsmen live on the sea, and facing them would have the double advantage of testing his abilities and claim their bounties to support them; they both know that choice will undoubtedly have the consequence of bringing him to the attention of the Marines, who would then put a bounty on his head. Only the Gods know how dearly she’d want to keep him from going, to keep him with her, safe and close so that she won’t miss him like a part of herself, but she loves him too much to try and stop him, or even just to hold everything I have done for you against him. She doesn’t, and instead she makes sure he has everything he needs when he finally departs, on a clear but cold morning.

🗡️ Mihawk gifts his sister a beautiful dagger, with a rose engraved on the hilt; it is small enough to be hidden among the folds of her skirt, but the blade is sharp enough to seriously wound an enemy. “My master told me centuries past men used to hide a blade in their walking sticks; I’ll have one of them made for you, for your cane.” he says “But in the meantime please, promise me you’ll always carry this with you. I’d make me sleep better, knowing you have the means to defend yourself.” She considers it an excess of caution, because what danger could she ever find herself in?, and in any case she doubts she would be able to use it effectively, but she doesn’t want Mihawk to worry about her while he’s away and accepts the dagger, almost invisible in the small sheath hanging from her belt.

🗡️ “Please, be careful; take care of yourself, of your health, and promise you’ll write to me.” she begs him. She knows those words make her sound like a nagging mother and won’t matter in any case, because her brother is just a little too confident in his own abilities and the sort of man who would fight any opponent he’s interested in, no matter how low his own chance of survival is, but she can’t help it. It seems yesterday that he was still the quiet, too-serious child who clung to her skirts and glared at any man who approached her, and while she’s sure he is destined for greatness and smart enough to take care of himself, part of her regrets he had to grow up.

🗡️ So he leaves; she feels alone, but fortunately Mihawk does write often, and it’s not long before he starts making a name for himself, as a pirate and a swordsman both. “Hawk-eye Mihawk” they call him; she keeps aside every newspaper article she finds about him, her heart full of pride and anguish at the same time, and wonders if their father has heard about him, what he thinks about it. A matter of a few weeks, and he already has a bounty on his head; he’s in Loguetown to witness Gold Roger’s death. He’s fast, he’s strong, he’s solitary, without a crew following him or allies to ease his job; he doesn’t want them and even less needs them. He faces many strong foes, and dispatches most of them. He’s wounded more than once, sometimes badly, but he survives every time; he knows victory, but defeat as well, a bitter taste on his tongue he swears he will soon forget. Stubborn and just a little overconfident, he nonetheless learns from every adversary he meets, as he travels around the world to test himself and become what he is meant to be. Like his sister, he dresses himself with elegant practicality; he is still able to mend his clothes, and he starts embroidering roses on his coats and jackets, a hidden message he knows his sister will catch when she sees his picture. I think about you every day. I know you pray for me, and I am grateful for that and for everything you have done for me. I love you more than anything else in the world; and one day, I will give you the life you deserve. 

🗡️ The first large bounty he claims, he sends all of it to his sister, asking her to leave her job and rent a comfortable abode somewhere; he’ll send more money soon, and she’ll never have to work again. She doesn’t, deeming it is still too early for them to rely on her brother’s earnings to survive in case he decides piracy is not for him or, Gods forbid, he gets hurt, but in a year three more bounties arrive, each higher than the last, and then a guest of the lady gets drunk and puts his hands on her, and she uses the dagger Mihawk has gifted her to make him back off, and wounds him. She is not sacked, because the lady recognizes she had to defend herself and even does her best to comfort her, but she is tired of that house and tired of that state of things, and hands in her notice.

🗡️ She writes to Mihawk to inform him, and asks if he’d let her use the money he sent to buy their childhood home, closed for years after their father moved with his new family to a more fashionable and comfortable residence. “If that makes you happy; you don’t have to ask for my permission, use the money as you want.” he writes back; he doesn’t plan to return to live on land permanently anyway and, while he regrets not having been there to protect his sister from her assailant, he is full of pride for how she was able to defend herself “Hire servants, furnish it as you want. I want you to feel at home.”

🗡️ She uses a middleman to buy the house, not wanting to have her father know she is the client, but a few days after taking possession (she has moved into her mother’s old rooms, using her own as a study) she is told the previous owner has arrived, and asks to be allowed to take a few personal belongings he had forgotten there. She says yes; when her father arrives, she presents herself wearing the most regal of her mother’s old dresses; she expects him to be surprised, even flabbergasted, but the man’s face turns white, as if he were seeing a ghost. “(name)?! What in the world are you doing here?!” “I live here. My brother has bought it for us, and now I am the mistress of the house.” she answers, straight-faced; she was prepared to feel sadness, or resentment, or even hate, upon seeing the man who has destroyed her and Mihawk’s life, but she doesn’t; the only feeling in her heart is a distant contempt, as if her father didn’t even deserve the effort for some stronger emotion “Shall I send the maid to help you find your belongings, sir? I am quite busy and I am sure you won’t want to stay longer than you have to.” She remains courteous, as appropriate for a woman of her standing, but doesn’t offer the guest any refreshment, calls him sir instead of father, and at last she asks to see the things her father is taking to make sure they actually belong to him, pretending to accuse him of theft. Her father doesn’t protest, even though he has gone red in the face with anger; a moment before leaving he looks at her, and he’s about to talk (to say what she doesn’t know, but she could wage her life it is not something kind) but then she looks back at him, and she has normal brown eyes, not her brother’s intimidating hawk gaze, and she is still shorter and half his weight, but it’s enough, and the man scuttles away, his head bent low, towards the garden where she has already planted a number of beautiful rose bushes.

🗡️ There is a portrait of her father she has found in a storage room, debating whether to let him have it or let it be; once the man has left, Mihawk’s sister drinks a full glass of red wine, then places the portrait on the floor and steps and then even jumps on it, smashing it to smithereens, unleashing all the rage and pain and helplessness she has felt for years on that innocuous wood-framed piece of fabric. Then, panting, brings everything to the house’s backyard and lights a match to it; she looks at it burning, the flames’ warmth dancing on her skin, and she feels the shackles she has carried all her life open and fall, leaving her free to breathe for the first time in her life.

[screamting]

Part of what makes Rpatt's Batman so compelling to me is the same reason I fell head first into batfleck as soon as he woke up from that nightmare and downed his xanax with bordeaux.

Martha is institutionalized for an unnamed mental illness that-- listen-- could very well have just been grief or disobedience.

But it may not have been. and it could be something passed down. Something Bruce may have inherited, along with the money, and the company, and Carmine Falcone. Legacy he doesn't want to have but you don't get to choose what family you're born in or what happens to them when you're a kid and someone threatens them.

And there's a moment right after the reveal of Martha being institutionalized that-- Riddler swerves directly to Thomas having the reporter murdered-- but there's a lingering sort of feeling that Bruce is much like Martha. She barely gets mentioned in the murder allegedly done in her name. She and Bruce are both just there, learning what Thomas would do for them without the ability to offer input or refute it. Neither of them speak out against it, Martha because she's been dead for years and Bruce because what can he even say?

If his family saw him now, would they institutionalized him? Crazy, violent Batman, running around at night with no friends and strange drugs and neglecting everything around him that isn't part of the mission?

Is he just another crazy, rich orphan like his mother?

...

I could make this a separate post for dramatic effect but to ensure it's all in one place and not mistaken for 'owo spooky mental illness' :

I like Bruce who becomes meaner and more critical because he doesn't think he can trust his own memories. I like a Bruce who maybe has a family history of schizophrenia, who struggles with whether things are grounded in reality or not. If he seems more sympathetic about Harvey Two Face because he spent years feeling like a stranger in his own skin and not knowing how to rip the disguise off without ruining everything. If he goes to seemingly ridiculous extremes because he doesn't know and what if he's wrong, or worse, what if he's right and neglected it even though he knew it was coming. 'if you stay in the dream forever, you could be happy--' but he has had years of practice, waking up the next day to an unhappy, difficult world. If he knows there is something wrong with him, but there isn't any fixing that. There is a place in his brain where the wires cross. It doesn't matter if it's been there from birth or was implanted when his parents died. Unless you can remake him a different person, it's staying.

He has to live with himself.

He has to figure out how to do what he wants to do, despite it.

[kingsanddragonsandgods]

About the Great Council of 101 AC

Is it just me or does it bother anyone else the changes the show did about the Great Council of 101? Like, Rhaenys was passed over when her father died in 92, that was it. 101 was about Viserys and Laenor, and if a woman could pass the 'right' to inherite the IT to their male children. Laenor lost, 20 to 1. They run away from the point to make it meaningless.

I don't think the Great Council was Jaehaerys being weak, this guy is literally remembered and regarded as a wise and smart King, he consulted with his son, an Archmaester over the topic.

It has already being established that a women can not inherit, there is more than one precedent in their brief history to this point: Rhaena, the eldest daughter of Aenys, was passed over; Aerea, the named heiress of Maegor, was passed over; Daenerys, lost her position as heir the moment Aemon was born; Rhaenys, had no brother, so she was passed over in favor of her uncle, who already had two male heirs.

This all created a precedent. No woman shall inherit, no matter if she's the eldest daughter, the only daughter, or the named heir, as long as there is a male relative(brother, uncle or cousin).

There is not much sense in the Great Council of 101, Baelon the heir died, sad, but he had two sons, logically, his sons come next. What could have motivated the Great Council? This was not about the lords, not about giving them power, this was about family.

The Baratheons, who at this point, were family, Boremond and Jocelyn were Jaehaerys youngest half-siblings, and Jocelyn is Rhaenys mother, they are unhappy that he 'displaced' Rhaenys as heir; and Corlys a ambitions man who wants his blood in Jaehaerys throne, he married Rhaenys believing he would 'rule' as King Consort, and this was taken from him, and he is also unhappy that his wife was displaced as heir. This is about resolving the problem that the Baratheons and Velaryons could be in the future.

SO, here we have King Jaehaerys indulging them, let's pretend they stand a chance, but all must agree to the result, no more disatisfaction, no more nagging, no fight. The Council serves to: put Rhaenys, the Velaryons and the Baratheons in their place without being to upfront about it (it's also a humiliation, but oh, well); to show his family, look this is the position of our subjects, they don't want a woman ruling over them, to force it upon them would't go nicely(20x1, this is a shit ton of lords against); to create another precedent: a woman can't pass the 'right' to the Iron Throne to a son.

By the end of the Great Council what has been plainly estabilished by Jaehaerys? No woman can rule, no matter what, and the right to rule can't be passed through her to her children.

Jaehaerys estabilishes once and for all a agnatic succession. He secures the throne for Viserys with these proceeds and then, four years later, Viserys fucks up, spits in everyone's face, and names Rhaenyra as heir.

Rules and laws do not apply to him. He's the law. He's the King.

Yeah, Rhaena, Aerea, Daenerys, Rhaenys were not usurped! It was rightful!

Their situation was not that different from Rhaenyra's but somehow oh, poor Rhaenyra, but no one even care or remembers about all those that came before. Is laughble that Rhaenys would fight and die for Rhaenyra, for the daughter of the man who usurped her throne.

Jaehaerys did everything as to not look like a hypocritical usurper, only for his grandson to come and commit precisely the stupidity he tried to avoid.

[albywritesfiction]

--Ædan route thoughts--

Well, I already told you I would love him to be an option, and that I love "betrayal + forgiveness" tropes, in romance and outside of it.

Now, I'd say most of my ideas about an Ædan route would be pretty Helene dependant actually?

If Helene is truly evil and would be actually harmful for the kingdom: in this case, I would imagine a story in which Ædan would by chance discover what she's planning, or at least the gist of it, and realize just how dangerous she is, but like... This would happen when he's too deep into it, when already married and when she's at peak popularity and so on, and not a lot of people would believe him if he told someone - not to mention he'd REALLY seem unreliable to people at that point since he randomly left his bethrothed only to get engaged with someone else... People would think he's now casting aside the new lover, probably for someone else again. In that case, maybe he'd turn to the only person who could trust him in a backward logic - the MC. The reasoning would be considering just how badly he betrayed them, it would seem idiotic to turn to them for help, but that would be a good move since in a way, the MC could take him seriously BECAUSE it's so unbelievable he'd go to them. And Helene wouldn't expect it too, probably.

If Helene is truly evil but not necessarily wanting to HARM the kingdom, just wanting it for herself: in this scenario, she'd want to marry Ædan to become part of the royal family, and then she could want to get rid of her husband to be the only one in that position. Maybe of the other siblings who could inherit too, in order to ensure she has the spot. It seems unbelievable she'd be able to kill them all and not be suspected, but well, she IS the saintess - and killing wouldn't necessarily be the only way. In that case, she could have attempted to kill Ædan when they were travelling and left him for dead, but the MC would have been there and found him then saved him. In both this scenario and the previous one, they'd basically have to prove to people Helene is the one who was scheming and doing whatever atrocities could be happening, and that would bring them back together.

If Helene is very power hungry and manipulative but not full on evil: I'm assuming in this case, her trying to seduce Ædric would come more into play. Basically, Ædan would learn of that and realize she's probably not truly in love with him. In such a configuration, I can imagine the royal family kicking Helene out and that would be it when it comes to her scheming (of course she may come back later in a different way, but wouldn't be a focus of the day to day part of the story). In this configuration, Ædan would suddenly be alone - she left the MC who truly loved him, and then discovered the one who he thought was his true love didn't actually care for him. This is a very karmic scenario in a way. In this case, I can imagine that awkward situation in which the MC is still in love with Ædan, and Ædan realzes more and more that he was actually happier with them and that he didn't realize it until it was too late, but he'd feel bad about trying to get their forgiveness and love again after what he did. So like, two clowns turning around each other but neither of them managing to talk to the other about their feelings.

If Helene is just scheming and totally not sincere, but still playing her role well: that would be a slow burn of sorts. Basically, the "thrill" and stress of the forbidden relationship, on "how to get with my actual love" and stuff like that was blinding Ædan before. But once married to Helene well... the rose tinted glasses would break, and he'd be more and more unhappy with each passing day, and missing what he had before more and more. That would allow him to progressively see who is his ACTUAL true love. But of course, it would take long for him to really see it, and it would be a problem since now being with the MC would be cheating - in the eyes of people. And with his ex of all people!

Regardless of which scenario it would be, I would really love a "soulmates" concept for this route. Basically, the MC and Ædan are true soulmates in the purest of senses, and the most "magical" one. But Helene did something to blind Ædan and basically tear him apart from his soulmate. Hence why the MC was SO crushed by it too. And so, the route could be the rediscovering of that bond, and how it should be stronger than anything else.

Of course, this is VERY rough because I don't know what Helene is doing and planning exactly, and I'm missing too many details. But that gives a general feeling of what I think.

There is also a theory of mine that Helene actively wants to harm either Ædan or the MC or both, for some personal reason, and that the fact she "stole" Ædan from the MC was because of that. It would also explain her trying with Ædric afterwards (that WAS an actual thing you said right, not only stuff people were saying in asks?). But if that is her motivation, it could still fit most of the scenarios I've mentionned above so yeah...

Hi again Konoï and Noir!

Oooooh I like how you had different and really intriguing ideas for each degree of “How sus is Helene?” 😂

Seriously though, with all the great ideas I’ve been receiving even before I opened the poll, I think I’d be pretty much ready to write an Ædan route after I finish my current plans for ATE

Regardless of which scenario it would be, I would really love a "soulmates" concept for this route. Basically, the MC and Ædan are true soulmates in the purest of senses, and the most "magical" one. But Helene did something to blind Ædan and basically tear him apart from his soulmate. Hence why the MC was SO crushed by it too. And so, the route could be the rediscovering of that bond, and how it should be stronger than anything else.

This concept is so sweet and angsty 🥺

It would also explain her trying with Ædric afterwards (that WAS an actual thing you said right, not only stuff people were saying in asks?).

Well, uh, in the original post where I think people picked up on it (link), it was implied, but apparently the people who read my posts are professional plot detectives 😅 though to be fair, my cryptic responses to some asks may have also tipped them off somehow 😅

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on an Ædan route!

[dragynkeep]

What types of abuse do you thing Winter, Weiss, and Whitley experienced from Jacques and Willow?

What were the differences with Weiss’s relationship with her father in volume 1-3 compared to 4+? Was it more nuanced?

i think the types of abuse that weiss, winter & whitley experienced with jacques was mainly mental, emotional, neglect. we can see that none of them have great relationships with him with winter refusing all contact, weiss running to beacon as soon as she could & whitley being stuck in the home clearly unhappy & ignored.

there is also an aspect of financial abuse wherein this is how jacques controls weiss while she's in beacon: while i think the depiction of abuse was more varied / nuanced in v1-3 in regards to weiss, what i did dislike is that this financial abuse was treated as a joke. winter even makes a joke of it in explaining that jacques had done the same to her & treats it like a lost allowance, not weiss being punished financially for not wanting to talk to her abusive father.

in regards to the difference between eras: like i've said, i think poser era handled the abuse more diversely even with the pitfalls of it being treated like a joke at times which has really just been the entire show.

when we get to v4, weiss is back in the hands of her father & he emotionally & verbally berates her for not following his orders & not behaving. he threatens to imprison her & tell everyone she's sick / implied to be mentally ill like her mother. while this is more overt than maybe some of the more subtle abuses from the poser era: it loses any momentum when jacques ends up losing all intimidation & is treated again, like a joke but even worse.

weiss goes from understanding this man is a danger in regards with her safety to arresting him while childishly asking if she can do that. jacques once they return in v7 has lost all semblance of what previous menace he had & is instead not even an obstacle for the children he abused anymore. why should we take it seriously that he slaps weiss when the previous episode our own protagonist had been slapping her friend multiple times? it makes no sense.

in regards to the slap: i do think that this is the only instance of physical abuse that happened from jacques to his children. there's nothing else to suggest that this is a regular occurrence in their relationships & weiss looks shocked when it happens. this was something i appreciated because parent - child abuse so rarely excludes physical abuse because they think the physical abuse is what validates it as abuse.

as for the abuse we get from willow to her children: it seems to be firmly seated in neglect. she abandoned these children to their abusive father to drink herself sick in the garden & absolutely failed them. however there is an additional aspect in her relationship with weiss where it takes on an emotionally incestuous / parentified aspect in willow passing on the parental responsibilities for whitley to her daughter with no care for her well being. willow becomes spiteful & emotionally abusive when weiss dares to criticize her & it's something that only becomes even more apparent if we take the comics into consideration.

weiss in willow's abuse has taken the place of jacques in being both responsible for her mother & her younger brother: something winter seems to have inherited with weiss's apparent "death."

[chaosandcrimson]

no way is that AMIRAH 'AMES' DASAI-SHEHADI.. they’re a 25-year-old SYNTH notoriously known for being VAIN  &  CONDESCENDING but there are some people who have seen them being ASSERTIVE  &  VIVACIOUS.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of sparkling tiaras, the crisp whiteness of a silk sash, and a winning smile that hides more than meets the eye, but that could just be because they’re considered the TROPHY CHILD around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..

I was grinning like I'm winning I was hitting my marks 'Cause I can do it with a broken heart

OVERVIEW

Name: Amirah Genevieve Dasai-Shehadi

Nickname(s): Ames (by friends)

DOB: June 10, 2099

Age: 25

FC: Jihane Almira

Height: 5'9"

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Bisexual

Occupation: Head of Acquisitions at OmniCorp Holdings

Relationship Status: In a relationship with Iker 'Ike' Dutton

[+] assertive, vivacious, strategic [–] vain, condescending, pedantic

BIOGRAPHY

tw: depression

Amirah, affectionately nicknamed Ames, is the third child of corporate parents. Her two older siblings are children from their respective previous marriages—her father had a daughter with a woman who sadly passed away, and her mother had a son with a man she then went through an amicable divorce with.

When her parents met, her mother was in line to take over OmniCorp Holdings—one of the Big Three corporations which she is now the CEO of. They wanted to have a child together, but they knew that navigating that with their respective careers would be hard without setting one of them back.

Choosing to raise a Synth was the ideal solution, and with significant resources at their disposal, they were able to pay for the best of the best. The result was Ames, a curated combination of her parents' best personality traits wrapped in a beautiful, 5'9" package with shiny hair and flawless skin.

She grew up feeling a lot of pressure to be perfect because of the sheer amount of money that her parents had spent, and continued to spend, on her. After her sister Nadia declined her position in the line of inheritance, and her brother seemed to struggle with the responsibility, that pressure increased tenfold.

She was entered into beauty pageants from a young age to prepare her for a life in the public eye. It encouraged her to think about how she presented herself, taught her how to be articulate and composed under pressure, how to handle scrutiny, and overall turned her into a more polished version of herself.

She was also very good at it, and became the first Synth to be crowned Miss United States when she was 21 years old. Her title turned her into an influential voice and she used that to further elevate her family's standing.

She is currently working as the Head of Acquisitions at OmniCorp Holdings. It was in that capacity that she visited The Obelisk—a club owned by the Dutton family—and met Ike Dutton. She was interested in acquiring the club, and has since offered increasingly ludicrous sums of money for it, to no avail.

She has the perfect life, and yet she finds herself deeply unhappy with who she is and what she does. She would like to use her platform for good but feels trapped in the corporate life and needing to carry on her family's legacy. She wakes up every day wanting to scream, but as soon as she walks out the front door, you would not be able to tell from the picture-perfect smile on her face.

MISC

She has many creative hobbies as a result of her days on the pageant circuit. She plays the violin, but her main talent is illustration; she can frequently be seen doodling little comics based on her own observational comedy.

She was the maid of honour at her sister's wedding, and when the ceremony was attacked, she was the one that Nadia instinctively moved to protect right before her fiancé was killed. Her and Ames were the closest witnesses.

[megasaurus-regina]

So, this has been a long time coming. Months of writer's block due to life stress and hyperfixations on other things, but I was inspired, I guess, to write this tonight. A bit of a drabble based on a writing prompt.

Tagged by @satashiiwrites many times to share writing (thank you!) and always supported by @quietborderline.

Fandom: 911 Lone Star

Pairing: Tarlos (who else)

Possibly part of chapter 1 or a prologue or even just a stand alone. Who knows!

* * *

Cool air breezed through the trees, creating a gentle ambiance, blocking out most of the chaotic bustle of New York. He was never comfortable visiting the city, but fortunately only made the trek once a year, sometimes every other year when life got a little hectic.

“The kid changed everything, funny enough.” The man’s laugh was an empty sound as he stood before a lonely pair of graves. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to see him grow up. You always deserved better than what you got.”

Gwyneth Morgan. Enzo Romano.

Carlos sighs reading the names. He regrets their lives ending within a year of each other. He regrets that neither of them got to experience the lifelong joy of raising their son Jonah, watching him grow and become the amazing man he is today. He is even more regretful that he wasn’t sharing this day with his soulmate.

“Say hi to TK for me.” Carlos wiped away the tear that dripped down his cheek. “Make sure he is doing okay without me.”

His places his fingertips on the marble of Gwyn’s gravestone. He knew she would be delighted to be reunited with her eldest son once more.

“Jefazo, you are going to catch your death out here in the cold.”

Carlos turned to the new voice and saw his 52 year old, strapping pseudo-son walking towards him.

“Mijo, I’m paying my respects to your parents.”

The man’s long strides finally brought him to Carlos and he wrapped his long limbs around Carlos’ shoulders. He had certainly inherited his parents’ height, unlike his husband.

“I know, and I respect your diligence in visiting them. I will always love and respect them, but you raised me. You and Jefecito. And your grandchildren will be unhappy if their abuelo ends up in hospital with pneumonia because he is a stubborn old man.”

“I am not stubborn. I had to ask them to look after TK for me.”

The man placed a kiss on Carlos’ silver curls.

“I know. Even more reason to look after yourself Jefazo. My kids have already lost one grandparent this year. Their hearts and my hearts couldn’t take it we lost the other.”

“Jonito, I am fine.” Carlos knew this was a lie. He felt physically fine, besides a bit of chill from the late fall wind, but his heart ached for his soulmate.

“Please come. The pollitos are all desperately waiting for you at home.”

Carlos chuckled. Jonah’s ‘chicks’ were now all grown up themselves, going to college.

“Okay Jonito, I’m coming. When do your brothers’ flights land?”

“José and Enrico land at 5pm and Marco and Annie land at 6pm.”

“Good, I can’t wait to see all of the grandkids under the one roof again. You all will have to come visit me down in Austin next year. I don’t think I’ll make the trip to New York again.”

“I know. Ezra is ecstatic that you made it for his graduation. He is really hoping for NYU.”

“You know Jonah –”

“Uh-oh. The full name has come out, what have I done wrong this time?” The younger man chuckled as he led his pseudo-father out of the graveyard.

“I never thought I was ready to be a father. Grew up not thinking I could ever be allowed to marry legally as a gay man, let alone have children. Luckily TK was willing to stay with me despite me never wanting children. But then Enzo passed and I couldn’t bare the thought of you ending up with Owen or in the system.

“You changed my life. And I will be forever thankful to both Gwyn and Enzo for that. I couldn’t imagine my life now without you, José and Marco enriching it with such joy and fulfilment.

“I would have been alone the day mí alma passed, stuck in an empty house to wither away from a broken heart, if I had had my original wish. But instead, I am surrounded by mí familia.

“Mijo, te quiero.”

“I love you too, Jefazo. You and TK, were the best dads that us three boys could have asked for. We love you both so very much. We will miss Jefecito, so much. But I’m glad you are still here. Hopefully for many years yet.”

The two men had meandered through the gates leading back to the city, leaving those resting at peace, not forgotten, but their loss not as sharp as once felt. Love softening the edges of loss. Carlos could have sworn as he crossed the threshold to the cemetery that he smelled once more the familiar citrus scent that was so uniquely TK, and he smiled.

* * *

Let me know your thoughts. I'd be glad to hear them.

Also... ahhhhhhhh this is the second time I am actually putting my inner mess of thoughts in public for someone else to read. So this is nerve wracking!

[fridaythe13ththeseries]

New Feature

Going to post a new feature here. Once a week, I will post a chapter of a fan fic I wrote for the 2008 NaNoWriMo event, a story I called Reflecting.

Having been unhappy with Ryan's departure and the lack of a proper finale for "Friday the 13th: The Series", as well as similar sentiments about the CBS late 80s "Beauty and the Beast" ending and the loss of Catherine on that show, I came up with an idea to fix all the problems that annoyed me.

This is fan fic, remember. Just my way of giving characters I liked proper, happy endings. I hope you will enjoy it. But I'm just happy sharing it, regardless. For this week, here is the prologue.

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

Reflecting - Prologue

Friday the 13th: The Series

Lewis Vendredi made a deal with the devil to sell cursed antiques. But he broke the pact, and it cost him his soul. His niece Micki, and her cousin Ryan inherited the store... and with it, the curse. With their friend Jack Marshak, they vowed to get everything back.

Their mission was never easy, they sacrificed much and suffered often. Yet they grew - as people, as friends, as a family. They were resolute, determined to remove this horror from the world.

But an encounter with an evil man and his attempt to raise the Antichrist nearly destroyed Ryan’s soul. Instead, he was transformed back into a child, his memories gone. Sending Ryan away for his own safety, Micki and Jack continue their mission with their friends, Johnny and Rashid.

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

Beauty and the Beast

Vincent: This is where the wealthy and the powerful rule. It is her world, a world apart from mine. Her name is Catherine. From the moment I saw her, she captured my heart with her beauty, her warmth, and her courage. I knew then, as I know now, she would change my life forever.

Catherine: He comes from a secret place, far below the city streets, hiding his face from strangers, safe from hate and harm. He brought me there to save my life; and now wherever I go, he is with me in spirit. For we have a bond stronger than friendship or love...and although we cannot be together, we will never, ever be apart.

Such was the story begun of two souls with all the odds against them. Yet they persevered and overcome everything to fall in love. Fate intervened, however, in the form of an evil man named Gabriel. He did what nothing else could - separated Catherine and Vincent, perhaps forever. Vincent avenged her death and saved their son, but was left without his true and only love, believing her dead and gone, his heart shattered.

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

A year has passed since Ryan’s departure and Catherine’s death. Yet their stories are not over, for the lives of all concerned are about to cross in a story of love and hate, life and death, resolutions and second chances for a happily ever after.

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

Next Week: Chapter One

[miss0atae]

The Jungle - 8th Episode Review

Here is the review for the 8th episode and I truly was not excited about this one. I really wanted it to be better than what the preview was giving yesterday but you’ll see really quickly that my hopes died so fast.

We get the backstory behind the reason’s why Hack came to see Irin. He was having sex in the bathroom at that time with a random woman (or was it just a hug XD. The spice is so tame in this series) then Hunter knocked at the door with an unhappy face. Turns out he was the messenger for Pine who wants someone to take care of Irin while he is not here.

Suddenly we have a flashback from 7 years ago with Irin coming at the RV (was it her first time?). The RV is freaking old for a secret bar. She struggled to get in because she didn’t take the same piano lessons at school like Pladao or Gale. Hack helped her get inside and we also learn that apparently you only get three chances to get in. Excuse me! Since when? I remember Pladao and Gale doing more than that. They got a free pass, or what? Anyway, Hack is flirting but Irin is not into it. We discover that she already knew Pine but not Hack at that time. He offered her a drink but she rejected him. He is trying to explain the personality of Pine to her but in vain. Mostly it looks like he is trying to ruin her chances with him. It was the only point where I thought Irin was the most clever girl among all the group so far. That quickly disappeared too. She saw right in his bullshit which was a refreshing change. Also, Hack has a big ego! It's the size of a mountain. “You will come to me when you are tired of trying to break his walls”. Man calm down! You're not that great either. So Irin is a butterfly. What would be an episode of the Jungle without these little comparisons with animals. It is to keep alive the vibes of wildlife documentary introduced from the first episode. So back in the present with Irin being again tired with Hack's bullshits. My question is why Hack thinks he can score good points with Irin if he is mocking her all the time. Plus being jealous of Pine for about 7 years is too much!

Wow! In the next scene we got Bad mom the return! I wasn't expecting it. Wayu wants to come clean to Pethai's grandparents about taking his brother’s identity but Bad Mom thinks it won't work. She should be the one apologizing why he is doing all the work?! Wayu just wants to tell them that he doesn't need their inheritances. Dude is rich why would he need them anyway? I assume a celebrity in Thailand earns a fair amount of money. Bad Mom is still thinking only about her. That woman is so shameless and self-obsessed. Is she pretending to faint now? My bad, I was bad-mouthing her when it turns out she has cancer. Oh please! Stop trying to make every villains a good y in disguise.

We leave Bad Mom and Pethai to switch to the twins. Nannam is mocking his twin for not going through his love story with Pladao. Nanfah is really becoming the sweet Naan. Is there hope for a real love story between them in the next episode? You can't just be friend! Also I don't care about Irin/Hack and Pine, love triangle. They should have made the show focus only on the twins. I love this kind of story. The twins taking the identity of the other one was amazing in Not Me. I'm quite impressed with Nanon here. He is not bad at all. Of course we are not at the level of Gun Atthaphan but it's a quite good performance from Nanon. Sweet Naan stop thinking you'll hurt the girl. Pladao is not her cousin. Besides she did so many dumb things before and she is still fine. This girl has nine lives. Nannam is not helping at all xD. Your brother needs to have some reassurance. Stop trying to be the better man Naanfah. Go after her! I was shocked to learn that Pine could be the real leader of the Jungle. I also notice that that Naanfah said Nannam and Pethai were the right hands of Pine and he only has Hack now. So Nathee is only in the Jungle for what? Just to look pretty.

Let’s move back to Irin who is drinking her problems away and Hunter acts like her sober companion. He also tries to convince her to strop trying to get with Pine because it's not possible since there was only one person for him anyway. I guess he is talking about his true love (Is it August or another girl? Because they all talk like she is dead so I don’t know). I kind of feel sad for Irin. She will have to settle for Hack. We got another Flashback with an audition for Irin where they order her to undress in front of a man to get the job. Again everyone goes to the RV to celebrate. This bar is supposed to be hidden but everyone gets there. The man who conducted the audition is trying to grope Irin. He can't leave her alone. I hate those kinds of scenes. They are really hard to watch for me. I understand why we get them for the plot but gosh it's so infuriating. Hack helps Irin. Then Pine also joins in. Irin tries to go home but the man is really assaulting her this time. The Jungle arrived and saved her. That’s how she got so in love with Pine because she views him as her savior. Was the encounter before or after she came for the first time in RV? In the present, Hunter is still acting as the therapist of everyone here. Irin is in her delusional era. Why forcing yourself in a relationship when the other person doesn't want to be with you? Let it go! Find someone who really wants you for you. Well, after drinking a lot and going after Pine in her home she wakes up in his bed but it didn’t happen. She thought she had sex with Pine but it was Hack in fact. Don't drink kids or you will regret it. Hack is having fun while Irin is freaking out. My guess... They probably didn't really do it. I thought like that with Pladao and Nanfah in one episode but they never really said if it happened or not.

Why are these relationships all starting badly in this show. It's getting boring after a while. Irin went to pick up her sister in her school but she had one class to still do so she joins her. The sister has a law class to attend and she said she likes this class because of the teacher... we all know the teacher is Hack because the world is so small. He teases Irin in his class by asking her questions. I stopped caring at that point so I can just say that it was to show their relationships after their night. Then after the class we got a product placement for milk when they met outside. Has anyone tried it before? I can’t drink cow milk but I’m curious about the taste. Did we also got a Durex product placement too? They disagree about many things. Really I got bored of their conversation. There are absolutely zero sparks between them. I saw Krist on Be My Favorite recently and I know he can have it with a co-star so my guess is that it's bad writing/directing in action again.

The series is really trying to make Bad Mom a good person deep down. So annoying. Wayu and her are reminiscing about the real Pethai. Wow two brothers who look the same but have different personalities. Groundbreaking! Sorry I can't feel sorry for Bad Mom. There isn't enough good writing to make that possible. She tried to ruin life for others. Wayu is a fool to fall for that. I can't. This part is the most ridiculous in the whole series. It's a big no for me. I feel zero empathy for them. It's terrible.

Irin has an identity crisis and an accident at the same time. Turns out she is fine and only the car got damaged. She calls someone to help her and I guess it’s Pine, but he doesn’t come and instead we have Hack. Irin is furious and disappointed. She is jealous and hurt because she knows she will never be in Pine’s heart. Hack looks almost hurt for her. It was the only time where I thought it looked like he wants her. He is offering her an escape by telling her the truth about Pine and how he lost his love. Also we learn that Pine has sex with different women and drinks to forget about that person. At the end of this episode, Irin decides to sleep with Hack to forget about Pine.

This episode was so boring. Like really it was the first time I couldn’t concentrate because there were no reasons for me to be really attentive. I only liked the part between the twins. The preview for the next episode is not that interesting too so I don’t have a lot of hopes for next week. At least, we’ll have more info about Nathee and the beginning of his love story with Florence. Aye is a really good actress and I can’t wait to see her. She is one of the reason I decided to watch this series so I was really anticipating her apparition. I also hope Pladao and Nanfah will get their romance in the coming episodes but I doubt it will be in the 9th.

[adamandjohn]

So. I know on your main you've talked about the unused potential of Ocelots parents. I'm wondering, what thought have you given to Ocelot inheriting some of the spirit medium powers of the Sorrow? It's part of the plot of the Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinée comics, but not really canon in the main games perse. Obviously since I'm asking here, I'm interested in how it could influence Adam and John's relationship if they're together, and if John would want to use that power to try to gain some sense of closure from the Boss?

Oooh interesting question... I'm unclear about what Kojima's final verdict is about this, but I don't care, to me the possession in MGS2 was absolutely real, and was possible BECAUSE Ocelot inherited his father's powers (and then Ocelot decided that fuck, that's a good idea, he's gonna pretend he's possessed by Liquid's ghost! But the guy himself is too volatile and unpredictable so he went with hypnosis instead, which I imagine if he do himself can put install some safeguards of sort maybe?)

But yeah I never really thought about Ocelot's powers beyond that. If he does have them in canon, they're probably not THAT powerful? I've read some excellent fics where he has mediumnic power, such as Unhappy Anniversary by banana_pattern_camo, where Ocelot gets some comfort from the Sorrow). I don't think I've read one where Ocelot can talk to his mom, but I really love that idea. It'd be amazing for him to get to know her finally, and be able to pass messages to Snake as well. I think that if that happened that would instantly turn the world of that fic into a hard AU. If both Snake and Ocelot were in direct contact with the Boss, maybe she could convince them to follow in her footsteps, and fight to achieve peace? It's interesting to imagine what kind of men Snake and Ocelot would be with the Boss there to guide them...

[zorkaya-moved]

JJK VERSE ORIENTED — LIMITERS, WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW THEY AFFECT OTHERS' PERCEPTION ON ZARINA.

What are the limitations that are used by Zarina? Simply speaking, they are a parody of Chernobog’s Seals on Morana’s Doll. They are created by infusing cursed energy of the Chernobog’s blessed and their blood, which is then used on the person who inherited Morana’s cursed. Usually, that’s why Sokolov’s family must have two children of two different sexes every second generation due to how curse affects them (boy being blessed by Chernobog and girl being cursed by Morana). 

In modern day and age, the Sokolov family has made a variety of different ‘limiters’ for Zarina to use as a way to make her ‘burden’ easier. It was especially pushed forward by her younger twin brother Victor who became Chernobog’s blessed as he didn’t want his sister to be unhappy about those ‘limits’ in some way or form. At the very least, he wanted to make sure she likes the look of them and they don’t feel like legitimate chains on her. Thus, the limiters are cursed tools that with Zarina always look like common jewelry or accessories (cue the easier reference to them as 'accessories'). 

Victor spent days upon days making them for his sister, which she greatly appreciates every single day by wearing them in different ways. Rings, hair clips, necklaces, chokers, earrings, bracelets, and more. It fits Zarina’s appearance and the lifestyle she shows off. Throughout years, she gathered countless different smaller cursed tools. They are not activated until they are put on Zarina as they directly connect with her innate powers and connection established through bloodline. This means that they seem like normal accessories until coming in contact with Sokolova herself. They do not react to any other curse or any other sorcerer. 

Zarina altogether can wear ten limiters if she wants to, which will significantly decrease the power observed by others, which can even make her pass as a normal civilian. Each limiter seals away ten percent of her power respectively, but she usually keeps to having nine on to still be recognized as a jujutsu sorcerer. They hide away the oppressive aura she may gain upon exposure and they also keep her on her toes as she prefers to first always use her cursed weapons or use as little of her cursed technique as possible, preferring to push her limits through physical means and sole physical enhancement. 

The limiters are not full-proof. They can break and they can shatter upon certain conditions. Zarina can easily break them with simple will power, shattering them into dust. It only happens if she is in a life or death situation OR she is extremely mad/angry, which happens almost never. However, due to how the current situation in Japan is, there is a higher possibility of how her emotional output levels may act up. 

The accessories/limiters also affect how attuned Zarina is to her powers and how strong her connection to Morana’s Doll is, which peaks during Domain Expansion. What does this mean? Morana’s ‘aura’ may start to affect her in a sense that certain people may consider her to have a curse on her or even relate her to a curse, which won’t be that wrong. Specifically, Special Grade curses can see Zarina as someone who has a fellow curse’s existence. You can say that a curse like Mahito can see the disruption of her soul by having a second soul that occupies her body, and that ‘second soul’ becomes more and more prevalent the less limiters she has on herself. That ‘second soul’ is indeed Morana’s soul.