#there actually is a strong family resemblance there but their demeanors are so different people overlook it

[imakemywings]

Happy Thanksgiving sometimes Maglor puts his hair up a certain way and people remember he actually looks quite a bit like a less hot Feanor.

AO3

- - -

            It wasn’t often they were all together anymore, and when they were—as then—it was usually owing to the summons of Nelyo. Forget whatever the so-called high king of the Noldor was demanding—they came because Nelyo called, and for no other reason. Maglor took his time in front of the vanity before traipsing downstairs for breakfast. Celegorm was at the table with coffee and a missive from Himlad, while Maedhros was in the kitchen adjacent and Caranthir picked over an anemic pear a few seats away from Celegorm.

            “Good morning, everyone,” Maglor announced his arrival, unable to enter a room otherwise. Caranthir looked up and, stricken, simply said “NO.” Subsequently Celegorm also glanced up and choked on a sip of coffee.

            “Morgoth’s fucking balls Kano, you have to warn us before you come in looking like that,” he said. Maglor frowned petulently and Maedhros emerged at the usual sound of commotion from a gathering of his brothers. For a moment he only stared and blinked, and then he said:

            “I thought Atarinkë said he would be late.”

            “Ha-ha,” Maglor said, attempting to be dry, but sounding a great deal more like he was on the verge of storming out. “You should all run a family comedy troupe.” He took a seat at the table and helped himself to the coffee.

            “You really should warn us, Kano,” Caranthir said with a troubled frown as the sound of footsteps sounded through the kitchen.

            “Hey, Nelyo, can we—fuck,” said Amrod, coming to a dead halt in the kitchen doorway. “I thought necromancy was frowned upon around here.”

            Amras just laughed, doubling over until he wheezed.

            “Hey, Atya—sorry, Kano—didn’t hear you get in last night,” he choked. Maglor sat primly at the table looking more and more like that might be a kinslaying gleam entering his eye.

            “You’re all so very funny,” he said, and perhaps the razor’s edge in his voice was incidental, or perhaps it was a reminder.

            “Don’t worry, Kano,” said Maedhros, waving a hand as he turned back towards the kitchen. “I’m sure Ammë would find it charming.” For that, Maglor was going to write another song about Maedhros and teach it to his troops. There were plenty of things that rhymed with “ass.”

            As the twins helped themselves to food and drink and Maglor wrapped his hands around a mug of coffee, the sound of familiar familial bickering sounded outside the door.

            “—told you if we had taken the longer route we wouldn’t have had to ford the river—”

            “It was still not as long as taking your route—”

            The door flung open to admit Curufin, his wife, and a deathly-bored looking Celebrimbor, who brightened at once at the sight of his uncles.

            “It’s about time you made it,” Celegorm opined. “Here I began to think you’d decided to take a scenic diversion through Nan Dungortheb on the way.”

            “Don’t be stu—” Curufin looked up from stomping the ice off his boots, caught sight of Maglor, and actually took a step backwards with a sharp intake of breath, white visible all around his dark irises. He exchanged a hasty glance with his wife.

            “Oh!” said Celebrimbor in surprise. “Makalaurë, you look so much like grandfather! I remember he used to wear his hair that way!”

            Maglor exhaled long and slow and reached up, yanking his hair down from the topknot he had carefully arranged it in that morning.

            “You know, I had almost forgotten,” he said. Another thing he had almost forgotten: what a waste of time it was to try anything artistic in this wretched family.

[readingforsanity]

The House in the Cerulean Sea | TJ Klune | Published 2020 | *SPOILERS*

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentified green blob, a were-Pomeranian and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they're likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren't the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place - and realizes that family is yours.

Linus Baker is an ordinary man working an extraordinary job. He is a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. These children, deemed strange and unusual by ordinary people, are kept in orphanges or schools until they hit adulthood, where they would then be registered with the Department in Charge of Magical Adults, where they can be monitored in everything they do, everyday.

When Extremely Upper Management requests Linus for a special assignment, he begins to question what their motives are. He is told that he would spend a month on the island of Marsyas, where an level four orphanage is being run by a man named Arthur Parnassus. In his tutelage are six magical youth. Linus is given their files on what is known of them.

There is Talia, a garden Gnome who is 246 years old. She is considered strange as Gnomes are typically male and not female. She keeps a wonderful garden on the property surrounding the orphanage, and despite her hardened demeanor is actually quite a joy to be around. There is Theodore, a wyvern, one of the few left of his kind, who keeps a hoard of treasures that he finds or takes, usually in the turret of the orphanage where he sleeps, or under the couch. He only lets the most trusted of people see it. Next we have Phee, a young forest sprite who remained next to her dead mother who had starved to death until she was rescued and brought to the orphanage. With the help of an island sprite, she has been able to control her powers, which for someone so young is rumored to be quite strong, something also unheard of and quite feared. There is Sal, a young broken boy, the oldest of the lot at 13, but who had been through so much. Within the last few months, he had been shipped to several different orphanges, and the more times this occurred, the less he felt like he was being accepted and at home where he was. His magical being is a Pomeranian, which he turns into when he is scared or angry, and after being struck by the master of his last orphange, was sent to the island, where he feels a bit more accepted but is still scared to come out of his shell. There is Chauncey, whose magical being isn't quite known or understood, but he resembles an octopus. His greatest desire in life is to become a bellhop and help people, and he does a wonderful job practicing with others in the orphanage as well as with Linus upon his arrival. And lastly, and quite honestly the biggest shock for Linus, is Lucy, short for Lucifer. He is titled as being the Antichrist - his mother deceased and his father is the devil himself. He is a 6 year old boy struggling with many emotions, and isn't quite sure how to handle the nightmares that occur, but with Arthur's help, these nightmares have become few and far between.

When Linus arrives on the island, he is determined to get to know the children in an unbiased way, as well as Arthur. He is unsure of Arthur's past, as his file had been suspiciously lacking in information. But, Linus begins to get to know the children, and Arthur, and his time on the island begins to open his once closed-off mind to the wonders of each of the kids.

During the week, he observes them during their schooling and personal time. He is invited to see their rooms and spaces that are theirs, and with a little determination, he earns the trust of Sal, who was once terrified that he had been there to send him away once again.

As the month goes on, Linus finds himself opening up more and more. And to his surprise, he also learns that Arthur is a magical being: a Phoenix, the last of his kind. Linus is absolutely floored by Arthur's beauty and their flirting becomes stronger and stronger. And through perserverance and Linus's help, Arthur is able to take the kids into the village where they are despised so much.

But, at last, Linus's time with with the children and Arthur has come to an end. Zoe, the island sprite, is devastated at Linus's choice to leave, and while Linus himself is hesitant to do so, he knows that the orphanage relies on his final report findings.

When he returns back to his home and his regular life, Linus feels lost. He explains to Extremely Upper Management that the orphanage should remain open, and that they should remain with Arthur, who has become a father to these children who have otherwise been burned by the government.

After weeks of hearing nothing, Linus learns that they had agreed to keep the orphanage open, and with that, Linus packs up his desk and quits his job, determined to return to the island, which he does, where he is accepted with open arms. He and Arthur begin a relationship, and everything is fine. It is when the mayor of the village comes to the island with a request to take in a new, undocumented youth, whom is a Yeti named David, that we learn that Arthur and Linus have decided to put in a petition to adopt the six children in their care together, and that Linus has officially moved into the home with the family he now loves so much. It is also alluded that he and Arthur will get married, and they can live their happy lives in the Cerulean Sea.

[heididthat]

Our Mama, The Rolling Stone

Our mom's life resembled the leaves of a tree in cold autumn's breeze. Yeah, I think this is a decent place to start.

Loretta Marie Kingston wasn't born to stand still or be quiet. She went wherever the road would take her. As we grew up, her life remained a mystery and she wouldn't share. All she said was "It's best you don't know."

And then we grew up and found out the ugly truth. Why we never knew her parents or her side of the family. Why she was so hard on us growing up. Why our education meant so much to her. Why she loved us so fiercely. Why her heart hurt so deeply when we struggled with loving ourselves or other issues.

You see, our mother was neglected by her parents and kicked out her sophomore year. She ran away shortly after and never finished high school because of it.

She was the youngest, unwanted girl child in a family of 3 older brothers and 1 older sister. She was deemed an accident and ultimately, became their maid. While our aunt and uncles fought hard to protect her, our grandparents were horrible to her. She never discloses what they did but I can tell it still affects her deeply. All she says was they blamed her for her sister's death and now, we're here.

And so, at 15, our mother found her way around the world, running and trying to find herself.

And while finding herself, she found three men at three different times.

Michael, her first love.

Jeremy, her muse.

And my dad, Daniel, who broke her spirit. Although I don't know how.

She ended up having three girls (myself included), one with each of her lovers. Us girls, sisters, were raised under one roof by our loving, confused parents. As siblings do, we grew up to be very different despite our similar backgrounds. Now, we've settled down in Newcrest, trying to learn a few more things before tackling the adult world.

Y'all should meet my sisters!

Let's start with my Eldest sister:

Amaya Kingston-Brown: Stylist Extraordinaire

As our mom's first born, Maya was naturally the favourite child and I couldn't even be mad. Humble, intelligent and slightly awkward like her dad, Michael, it was very hard not to like her. Maya is the best version of the golden child but don't let her appearance fool you. She's not as innocent as people think (and I used to—nvm)

She definitely looks the most like mom out of all of us but there's definitely no denying her paternal genes.

My sister is a silent lover, so silent that you'd never know how she felt about you. She'd just sit back and watch life pass her by. I thought she was gonna die alone at one point, she's so unflirty but luckily for my eldest sissy, I am matchmaker extraordinaire and I happened to notice a certain author neighbour of ours trying to get her attention.

Meet Zechariah:

Aren't they just the cutest? Fun fact: I was actually there for this date, hiding in the bushes. But #Zamaya is still going strong and Zechariah is an absolute sweetheart. I know they'll work out.

Amaya has the biggest heart and I hope to be as cool as her someday (I'll take this to my grave).

Then we have my other older sister:

Anna-Marie Kingston Layne : Editor/Investigative Journalist

Annie has the longest name of all of us but she absolutely loves it (she's actually so adorable, love my sis🥺❤). But don't let her soft demeanor fool you, she's absolutely ruthless with a pen. She's become such a credible source in the world of journalism, slowly but surely making a name for herself.

She doesn't think she looks like mom much but I definitely see it. There's definitely no denying she looks most like her dad Jeremy.

As for romance, once again, Matchmaker Me to the rescue! Turns out Zechariah, has a cousin on his mom's side who lived with him. I happened to name drop my sister who'd be working and then.. Tannie (?) Maariq (?) was born (we're still working out the ship name). They instantly hit it off and just look at how cute they are!

We also found out that Taariq and our cousin, Alanna's husband August are cousins on his dad's side! Super small world.

So where do I fit in this dynamic?

Well, I'm her. ↓

I'm Crystal. Crystal Kingston-Hoang, or Chrissy for MUCH-short, the baby of the family. I went to school for the fine arts, much to my dad's disapproval 🙄 but now I'm living out my dream as an actress who's recently made the B-List! I'm also the mean sister so don't cross me. I used to fight for my older sisters, especially Annie. While they used words, I used my fists (once again disappointing my father🙃).

My dad is the strictest and most hypercritical of the dads. He always had such unattainable expectations. It's a surprise he gets along with anyone in this house but despite how irritating he can be, he's my dad and I love him.

I don't really think I look like mom. Maybe the face structure (?) but not much else. Genetics are kind of cool.

Loretta and I always clashed growing up. Hell, we still do. Dad says it's because I have the personality mom did when she was my age.

Now that we're older, Loretta's trying to figure out which of our dads she loves the most. Just between you and me, mine has no shot 💀

As for my love life, it's borderline non existent (👀 well, to my family anyway). It's hard dating as an actress, people's intentions aren't always the nicest (hence why I had 2 failed relationships). But l think I just met the exception so fingers crossed for me please!

Our family may be a bit unconventional but I love every part of it.

I can't wait to see what Newceet has in store for us!

Xoxo,

Chrissy

[margoshansons]

Alina’s Keftas: An Analysis

So I used to be a costume designer, which means that I pay very close attention to movies and tv shows, specifically their costumes (duh), and I noticed a few cool things about Alina’s keftas in the first season of Shadow and Bone and wanted to share them with you.

(tagging @kazinejghafa​ cause she wanted to see it!)

Let’s start with her blue kefta, the one she wears the most:

Right away, I already notice quite a few things. One, her color blue is a lot darker and richer than Zoya’s and the other Summoners. It’s a way to make her stand out among the Etheralki more than she already does. We know that Alina just wants to be seen as normal and equal, especially when she’s already ostracized for being Shu, but she's already set up to fail because of the color of her kefta.

Number two, Her kefta is made out of silk, while the others are made out of wool. We know that it’s wintertime in Ravka and we also know that many of Grisha eventually go to the front as part of the Second Army, usually wearing wool to protect themselves from the cold. But the choice to make Alina’s kefta silk implies that she was never seen as a soldier by the Darkling, the King, or the Grisha. She’s a figurehead, something to point at and give the people hope. As soon as she was given her blue kefta she wasn’t a soldier anymore, she became a saint. 

Third, the kefta does not fit Alina at all. The belt isn’t tight enough, the shoulder seams are lower and don't line up, it’s baggy and ill-fitting. She looks like she’s drowning in it. This is to perpetuate the idea that Alina doesn’t belong among the Grisha yet. She doesn’t feel like she’s one of them and she’s still clinging onto the hope that Mal will show up and she’ll return to the First Army. Alina doesn’t feel like she fits in, and so her kefta doesn’t fit her either. 

Also, the colors of her kefta are unique as well. I know according to the books that Blue is the Etheralki color and gold embroidery is for Sun Summoners, but there’s also another connection there. Blue and Yellow are the colors of the Ravka Royal Family. In a way, through wearing that kefta, Alina is pledging allegiance to the King outright. It’s a sign to anyone that Alina is under the King’s protection, that she’s granted the protection she is because she made her promise to destroy the fold to the King. She’s doing it out of love for her country.

Alright, now let's move onto one of my favorite keftas: the Black Kefta.

(Holy shit she looks so pretty)

First thing first, obvious color change. The Blue is gone and replaced by Black, symbolizing her shifting allegiance from the King to the Darkling. She’s not longer destroying the Fold for Ravka, she’s destroying it because it’s what the Darkling wants and she feels as if he’s the one that’s given her new purpose. She’s left the First Army behind and fully embraced her role as a Grisha. 

Because as we can see, this kefta fits perfectly. 

The shoulder seams line up, the belt cinches directly around her waist, and it looks tailored to her own measurements. But her kefta is still Silk. She’s not seen as a soldier she’s still seen as a figurehead, something that people cannot relate to. 

One thing I also want to touch on is the embroidery and the length. This kefta is clearly more elaborate than any of the other ones she wears. The golden embroidery reminds me of a couple things, around the collar it almost resembles a lion’s mane, and lions are often seen as symbols of majesty, strength and courage as well as military might. Alina herself is reveling in her own majesty and strength here, as well as showing off the new military might of the Second Army through her demonstration. 

Then the embroidery spreads out down her sleeves almost resembling flames. Now this could be a reference to sun itself and it probably is, but those who read the books know that there is a certain creature with flaming wings that becomes very very important later on, which I believe this is referencing. 

The embroidery itself is also symbolizing Alina’s power. The gold embroidery against the black is her Sun Summoning abilities breaking through the Fold, tearing it apart. It also symbolizes the slow way she’s breaking through The Darkling’s demeanor. She has the power here, not him.

The length is also important to note here, because this kefta is much longer than her other ones. If I’m remembering correctly it touches the floor, which, again, differentiates her from other Grisha because theirs fall to their knees or their shins. It can also be seen as The Darkling trying to make Alina seem older than she is, as length (especially in fantasy) is often used to show how old or young a woman is in society. 

Finally (I could literally talk about this kefta all day) I’m gonna touch on the neckline because it is so different from anything else we see. EXCEPT for the Darkling.

The collar is obviously much shorter here, but my point still stands. It’s a connection between these two. And knowing that the Darkling commissioned the kefta himself, it’s deliberate. He’s claiming Alina. It’s also important to note that this is the first time we see Alina without the standard undershirt and turtleneck that comes with the keftas. She’s letting the audience and the Darkling know that she’s vulnerable now. She’s opening herself up, and she’s doing it under the careful manipulation of the Darkling.

Alina’s collar also reminds me of Elizabeth the First and the Elizabethan Era with those stiff necked collars. It’s reminiscent of royalty.

Also! One last thing, I love that this kefta looks the most Eastern in style. It reminds me of a kimono and other traditional asian clothing moreso than the other keftas. 

Finally, we are discussing the golden kefta.

I love this kefta because it mirrors the black one in every way. 

The length is the same, the Darkling still trying to convince both Alina and himself that she’s older than she actually is, that she’s more mature than she is. BUT MY FAVORITE THING IS THAT THE BELT IS IDENTICAL TO THE ONE SHE WORE AT THE FETE.

It’s the same circumstances, a show of military power, but she is not the one in control here. It’s a direct callback to the last time Alina felt powerful and strong, except now the circumstances have completely switched and she’s under someone else’s control. The last time she wore this belt she was someone’s equal, now she’s their slave. 

Also the colors have been completely reversed. I talked a little bit about how the gold on black was symbolic of Alina’s power and control over her situation. How it symbolized the light spreading through the darkness and destroying the Fold and breaking through The Darkling’s hard heart. But here it’s the opposite. 

The black embroidery almost looks malevolent, spreading and infecting the golden light. The Shadows are creeping through and slowly overtaking Alina just like her light was overtaking the Darkling. The lion symbolism is gone, the firebird symbolism is gone, all we see is black tendrils of shadow reaching out and infecting Alina and her powers. The Darkling is claiming her again, but in a much more malevolent way. 

He’s saying “I have corrupted her, she is no longer in power, I am.”

Also again, we have the open neckline, except this one is more westernized. The angular neckline, the lack of a collar or protection. She is completely vulnerable and at the mercy of the Darkling, a white man (synonymous with western power). It’s showing off her amplifier, it’s showing off the Darkling’s claim over her. Almost like a brand or a dog collar. This open neckline is the Darkling’s way of saying “See those antlers? That means she’s mine. I own her.” It’s disgusting and fucked up but it works.

And again, Alina is in silk, not wool. She’s not being taken seriously as a soldier, just a figurehead at the mercy of the highest bidder. First it was the King, now it’s the Darkling. The silk has become symbolic of how she has no real power of her own, that she’s doomed forever to be an outsider among the Grisha. 

Which makes it all the more powerful when she takes it back.

Also HER HAIR! I could do a whole other post about her hair but this is already getting too long hahaha.

I hope you enjoyed this deep dive into Alina’s keftas from a Comm Major who has wayyyy too much time on her hands haha.

[idiotwhotalkstoomuch]

I never expected you guys to like demon Senjuro so much lol I’m really happy to see that like it was such a random impulse thought but the au has a lot of room for growth

In this post Im gonna establish a few things about what happened to Senjuro and Kyojuro in the events between Senjuro’s “death” and the pillar meeting. I will only cover their relationship and a little bit of Senjuro’s relationship with Tanjiro. The others can come at a different post cause this post is gonna be long lol so I put it under cut cause no one really wants a post to flood their dash

TW: Mentions of death (some are children), mentions of cannibalism (If you’ve seen even the first episode of demon slayer and had no problem, you’re fine with this post. This post is slightly not anime only friendly as I make references to an upper moon and I show a manga only panel as of posting this) Shnjuro gets really depressed but luckily there is no attempted suicide

Senjuro Rengoku

- His class was at the bottom floor and they were cleaning the school (I heard thats a thing in Japan if someone has a better idea on what they’re doing feel free to shoot an ask) when they got attacked

- In canon we dont know his age but I’m gonna guess like 12-14 but in the au he is 13 so he was 12 when he became a demon. A rogue demon attacked Senjuro’s class and Senjuro ran to get help and was fatally injured but still managed run to get help as he was given a nichirin sword and even if it didnt change color he must have known breathing techniques at the very least on a basic level and the demon was too preoccupied with some of the teachers and others trying to kill the demon, of course unaware of what it was except for Senjuro

- Upper moon 4 was sneaking around when he saw the all but dead body of Senjuro and demons really dont have standards for turning people into demons so when he noticed he was alive, turned him into a demon mostly so that if he did find any “evil people” (demon slayers) he could use him as his meat shield alongside his personalities

- When Senjuro woke up as a demon (cause even if he was a breath user he was very inexperienced so Hantengu had no problem making him a demon), he had no memory of his life as a human and looked around trying to find a human to satiate his hunger and saw a human in the distance with someone and began to run to them to satiate his hunger when he felt himself being held back. 

- The spirit of Ruka Rengoku gently held her son back and instructed him to not eat humans as that’s not something he should do and even if Senjuro couldn’t recognize the woman holding him back, he found himself obeying her and running to go to a place to hide from the sun

- From that moment on for a few day he would hop from place to place whether underneath homes, in caves or any place he could find to avoid being seen and to be shielded from the sun and found himself growing sleepy so in the cave he hid in, far away from the place he was last in, he closed his eyes and fell asleep for a year

- When he woke up, he had unwittingly burnt away Muzan’s control of him and was unsure on what to do when Ruka’s spirit appeared again telling him that he needs to find his way home. Senjuro wasn’t actually listening to a lot of what she said except one thing stuck to him. 

- “Senjuro”, he didn’t know what his name was as a demon but the name seem to stick to him and he figured this must be his name (he would of course be correct)

- When he found himself staying with the Kamaboko squad, having been spared despite being a demon due to him not having any form of aggression to them (something they all noticed due to his general demeanor and their enhanced sense) and Tanjiro could smell he hadnt eaten one human and he invited him to join them. He joined Nezuko in her box (she can grow really really tiny if she wants or is tired)

Reference: 

Kny chapter 85

- He joined for two reasons: One, he was really scared of people and demon slayers especially so when Tanjiro offered him the chance to be able to be safe and hide he took it. Secondly, he wasn’t sure but the smile Tanjiro gave and his warm reassurance reminded of him of someone, when he thought hard he only saw blurry shadows and got a headache so didn’t try to push it

- Tanjiro did ask him in the wisteria house while Zenitsu was chatting with Nezuko and Inosuke was off being Inosuke about his past and Senjuro told him about his brief meetings with a woman with black hair and asks if they’ve met before as he feels familiar

- This is where he gets the idea that the woman with black hair (Ruka) is his mother and Tanjiro guesses that the person that he thinks is Tanjiro must be his father (right on the first part Tanjiro but wrong on the second lol, you tried)

- He wears a cyan yukata with a new hakama pants as the clothes he was previously wearing was the same bloodstained clothes he wore after turning into a demon and Tanjiro didnt want to leave him in that. Tanjiro thought to get him a gag but the idea made Senjuro uncomfortable so Tanjiro made him swear to never eat a single human

- In Mount Nagatumo, he was too scared to jump out to protect Tanjiro like Nezuko but when she gets sliced up he leaves the box to watch her while Tanjiro fights Rui, unfortunately he is caught in Rui’s webs like Nezuko and was saved from it by Nezuko flames (though it did burn him a fair bit, Nezuko would apologize to him for this later)

- Giyuu doesn’t kill Senjuro cause his resemblance to Kyojuro despite the different clothes and demon eyes is clear to anyone who can see and Shinobu also finds herself hesitating but shakes those feelings off as Kyojuro deserves better than to see his little brother as a demon. Luckily Giyuu stops him and Senjuro runs with Nezuko and Tanjiro but is later taken back to the demon slyer corps by a Kakushi who put him and Nezuko back in their box

- When Sanemi stabbed the box, he moved to try and protect Nezuko but the box was too cramped and they both got stabbed despite his efforts. Later when he tries to bait him with his marechi blood, he’s too focused on resisting the blood and on Nezuko who he had grown to see as a sister to care about the wide eyed looks the pillars were giving him.

Kyojuro Rengoku (I am so sorry in advance Kyojuro simps I put this man THROUGH IT)

- He had just finished a mission and was going to get another mission when a crow he hadn’t seen work in years came flying to him, obviously panicked telling him how Senjuro’s school was attacked and how no one can find Senjuro among the bodies. The crow was Shinjuro’s

- When he hears that, all the kakushi and other demon slayers present would say they had never seen the flame pillar run so frantically, he only stopped to apologize briefly if he bumped into someone while running but the only thing racing in his mind was his little brother who had no weapon to defend himself with. He forced the image of his brother being nothing but a corpse away only thinking about saving Senjuro

- When he reached the school, he forced himself to calm down. Panicking isn’t going to magically bring Senjuro to him so he needs to keep himself in check because with so many people dead, he’s not the only one concerned over the kids

- There were no survivors on the area that was attacked, the police were there investigating the deaths of the many children and teachers, Kyojuro had to spend time convincing the police he was with them and to be allowed to investigate as well

- With no survivors, he heard from the police that there was a blood trail when they got there and he went to find the trail, when he reached the end of it where there were no traces of Senjuro but since the people there were untrained civilians, Senjuro was the only possible person to have been there

- He spent multiple days searching, Mitsuri was at one point sent to check on him and it was clear he was pushing himself, as days passed by, his composure and bright demeanor were crumbling and he started latching onto any lead to at the very least find the body of Senjuro to take back home but it was becoming clear that he would never find it and a kakushi had to be the one to tell him that his body was likely eaten to the bone or eaten and discarded to either rot away or eaten by someone else

- Kyojuro took a week off, not just because of the grief he felt at that moment but because he needed to check on his father and make sure he would be okay, the man didn’t even face Kyojuro when he came in to visit, he forced himself to not cry in front of his father as he tried to talk to the man who couldn’t even say a word and just drank away even as his eldest son tried to talk to him

- Servants were hired to monitor Shinjuro by Kyojuro as he was concerned about his health both physically and mentally but he did notice how Shinjuro never resisted to being taken care of by the people he hired. They reported to him he could be heard muttering Senjuro’s name and even stares at his room for extended periods of time

- When he made his return, he apologized to the pillars for his behavior the past two weeks (even though no one blamed the man, some even said it was okay if he needed more time, they wouldn’t judge) but whenever he was told that he said he had to be strong to protect the weak so he could be someone that could stop families from ending up like his own

- He was far more determined in killing demons, demon attacks had become personal to him now, whenever he saw a demon eating people he found himself wondering what they must’ve thought in the afterlife as the demon desecrated their bodies

- In the pillar meeting, when he was informed of a swordsman who travelled with not one but two demons, he felt disgust as who knows how many humans they could eat. On the way to the meeting, he couldn’t help but notice Shinobu deliberately avoiding him a bit, Giyuu was doing the same but the man never really talked with them much to begin with

- When he saw Senjuro go out of the box with Nezuko, he felt the smile on his face drop and his heart practically sunk to the core of the earth as he saw the unmistakable hair of a Rengoku and the face was so clearly Senjuro’s despite his eyes having a black sclera and his iris and pupil becoming cat like, the pillars had all turned to see if the flame pillar was alright and he could hear Himejima mutter prayers and Mitsuri was on the verge of tears seeing Senjuro alive but as a demon

- He found himself going into denial until Tanjiro, who had been freed as Obanai left to comfort the distressed love pillar, ran and yelled Senjuro’s name and told him to resist his hunger

- “My sister and the other demon with us are different! They would never eat a human!”

- Senjuro was a good kid, he was innocent, kind and a bit on the timid side. He had helped raise him, he knew Senjuro would never want to harrm a fellow human even when threatened. 

[thedeviljudges]

yohan + physical tough + trauma response

disclaimer: this is based off of eps 1-7, and preview of ep 8; i wholeheartedly recognize that this post may become the worst meta ever depending on how the rest of the show goes. however, i do think there are still some interesting things to note about yohan. a lot of this is also me just talking shit out as i was sifting through all the eps again. i’m more than willing to change my mind or hear other thoughts.

also i kinda, sorta, unnecessarily included all of the moments of yohan and any physicality. a lot of them are not super important, but i do think they help draw a distinction in how he reactions when surprised, alone and around other people.

so, here’s a long ass post that is literally 99% me bullshitting, lmao.

so i wanted to delve more into yohan’s response to physical touch by way of trauma. while i know a lot of us have pieced it together, i think it’s pretty cool to lay it all out visually because i think there’s much more justification for his reactions; not to say it makes it right, but it does really flesh out a fundamental part of his characterization that i think is highly, highly important to understand.

yohan lives on the cusp for reckless behavior, almost as if he doesn’t care whether he lives or dies. the car chase, running through industrial buildings where safety isn’t a concern, etc.

episode one

the first time we see an instance of his disinterest in physical touch is when he first meets gaon. he actually offers him his hand, but the way he goes about it isn’t a handshake. he almost looks hesitant, and then he squeezes and does not shake. it’s truly a split second gesture out of formalities. granted, he’s just met someone he thinks looks like isaac, and might be in a little bit of… not shock, but certainly distracted.

later in the episode, yohan is in an abandoned building with homeless people. he’s checking people’s wrist, but he’s quick about leaving them alone. until, a homeless man comes up behind him and grabs him. in response, yohan swings his arm to knock him off. then, he punches him, steps on him and decides whether he’s worth the effort. again, granted, no one likes to be surprised in a creepy situation like this, so his response? kinda understandable at this point.

next is the scene where yohan catches gaon in his office, where he pushes him against the bookshelf and kinda, more or less, comes off as a bit luring. we know yohan knows gaon’s lying, but a couple of things here. yohan initiated the physical contact, and he did it because of the suspicious nature of gaon. yohan also knows how to use his power and charms to catch people off guard, and i think really, he was messing with gaon when he brushed his shirt and asked him if he lived alone. gay as fuck, lmao, but i also see it as an intimidation tactic, in a way.

i could also pose a couple of theories aside from intimidation if we wanted to squint:

yohan is still in a state of awe of gaon’s resemblance to isaac. he’s not heard his voice or been around the other man for at least 10 years, and now there’s tangibility at his fingertips.

if we want to look at it from the gay perspective, gaon is clearly intriguing to yohan, and as i’ll note further down in this post about yohan in relation to physical touch, i’m sure it could be assumed that this is one of the first people in a long time that yohan has an interest in making a connection with. however, because of his upbringing, it’s clear he does’t necessarily know how to connect with people (ie. ep 7 trying to connect with elijah, eps 1-6 with him trying to non-verbally tell gaon that he has bigger plans than what’s in front of his face. his admission in ep 5 about being monster). more or less, he knows his charms can be used, but when it comes to actually flirting and/or liking someone? it’s left to be addressed, but could be assumed he’s just as awkward about it as when we see him at home.

we also see a small instance of him letting someone dress him. there’s still touch involved, but it’s very clear what the intention is. he has control over the situation, and it’s not a surprise.

the next time he engages in physical touche, again, he initiates it because he’s in control, and it’s meant to be comforting, to an extent.

and then to round everything off, we actually see him reaching for isaac, who is actually gaon in the court scene, but you know storytelling and all that. he reaches for him both in the courtroom and within a flashback.

him reaching out for isaac seems to be a motif within the show as it happens later on, of which i’ll point out.

episode two

we see him initiate a handshake again. at first, to gaon, and then with jinjoo. controlled situation.

later on in the episode is when we see our first glimpses of batshit crazy yohan, an absolute delight and fav, lmao. he actually reaches out to the spoiled kid, and it’s clearly to legitimize intimidation and a position of power.

okay look, i’m not even gonna front, this was a cute scene. when jinjoo gets out of the car, he checks to make sure she’s okay, and they have this moment before they go onto the red carpet where they smile at each other. yohan is confirming she’s okay, and she agrees. again, controlled, and i don’t know for certain if yohan is more comfortable around women, or it’s just mere fact that he doesn’t always have a problem with touch when the situation is safe. he actually lets her take his arm further on in the scene, and yes, it is a public display of niceties, and he knows that.

so in the midst of this happening, we get the ‘devil child’ story. and i want to make note of the bird scene because i do think it’s important to note that people yohan cares for, he’s willing to go to the ends of the earth to protect them. yes, they’re children in school, but the girl next to him is the only one who showed him an ounce of kindness, and yohan is proven to remain loyal to those he loves or trusts in some capacity.

of course, he ends up pitting the rich and the poor kids against one another for their betrayal and making him an outcast. in yohan’s mind, what he did wasn’t necessarily wrong because his sense of justice is based on protection and when people wrong him or those he loves, it’s seeking justice on their behalf or making the situation better - not in the technically right way, but right to him. yohan comes across as a fixer and problem solver.

yohan has a very, very strong sense of trust and loyalty, and we can assume that stems from isaac, who clearly tried to protect yohan from his father, who went out of his way to do so as best as he could as a young kid. yohan values loyalty not because he necessarily wants lap dogs and people to do his bidding. it comes from a place of love and security he’s never really had.

anyway, back to the gala with jinjoo, he does shake the minister’s hand. again, controlled. there are cameras. he also puts his arm around her, and that’s mainly because it’s a battle of the wills, and she’s trying to reprimand him, lol, as if she could. he hugs her a little hard and a little enthusiastically, and you can clearly tell it’s for show.

and then he dances with both jinjoo and sunah. and there is a stark difference between these two scenes. yohan actually teaches jinjoo the proper placement for where she should rest her hands and how to move. he’s actually having a good time with her, and again, it’s actually really cute.

with sunah, he’s reluctant and definitely on guard. he can tell from her demeanor that her intent is with purpose trying to get close to him. at this point in the story, he probably sees it as sunah coming onto him and not because she’s actually the maid from when they were children. when sunah reaches up to whisper in his ear, you can really tell he doesn’t like her being that close to him at all especially because her words may not be overly threatening, but there is purpose behind them, which means yohan’s guards are up. he physically removes her hand and than blatantly turns her down: she tells him that enjoying things alone isn’t fun, and he counters it by saying he’s having a lot of fun.

so at this point to reduce on some screen caps, he meets the minister’s family, has handshakes with her husband and the kid he went after to essentially beat up his car with a mallet, lmao. the handshake is quite funny because they both know what happened. yohan is in control, and that kid is shaking in his boots.

then the explosion happens, and of course, it makes sense that yohan helps gaon after he’s hurt. gaon has never been a threat to yohan, and it’s clear yohan’s not heartless whatsoever, but it’s also poignant to note that gaon helped saved yohan’s life, thus starting yohan’s journey of loyalty to gaon. i think he’s always had his sight set on gaon to begin with, possibly long before he even became an associate judge, but if this was a test, gaon passed it with flying colors because if gaon can rescue a little girl, and he can help an old man who fell off his bike, would he really go the lengths to save yohan who has shown him time and time again his sense of justice is different?

episode three

yohan reacts negatively to soohyun and within good reason when she questions where gaon is. he turns away because for him, the conversation is over, but for her, it’s not. to get his attention, she grabs him when he’s not paying attention, and of course he has a very adverse reaction. at this point, it can be chalked up to disrespect given the fact that he’s a head judge and she’s just a mere cop, but hindsight is 20/20. he does throw her arm off by flicking out his arm. but instead of berating her, he just tells her to catch the culprits who harmed gaon and leaves it at that.

and then of course, everyone’s favorite scene and rightfully so. yohan caring for gaon? very sexy of him. gaon is injured, poses no threat, and as i said above about yohan finding some amount of loyalty in gaon means his physical boundaries aren’t jeopardized. and for that, we get these wonderful scenes of yohan helping gaon as he heals.

and then scenes of him messing around with gaon by hitting him. truth be told, i wonder if this was something him and isaac did as young kids. anyone with siblings know how that goes. fake picking on each other? fake bickering? yeah.

and then it slowly, but surely, it’s revealed that yohan didn’t have the same upbringing as isaac did. our first instance that something at home wasn’t right wasn’t just the conversation with ms. ji and gaon. it’s the flashback with yohan reading in his room when the door opens. he hastily pretends he’s asleep, and you can see he’s visibly shaking and breathing roughly until he realizes it’s isaac who’s there to give him books.

and that’s also when we get our first glance of what kind of abuse yohan suffered from at the hands of his father. it’s clear this isn’t the only incident, and there’s been many times that isaac wasn’t around to help defend him.

it’s also very clear in how yohan acts when he’s terrified and that his abuse has gone on long enough to be a routine pattern in the house. any time he hears heavy footsteps or thinks his father is around, he visibly shakes and gets panicky.

episode four

i include this scene because it’s been noted that a lot of books yohan reads are about humans, human nature, animals, animalistic tendencies, and he says random shit like this that directly points to what he thinks about humanity and humans themselves. we notice this most prominently at the dinner with gaon and jinjoo earlier on when he describes that he likes the feel of the chew and that he cannot taste. he always mentions hunting and prey, and i think this is one of those very clear instances where he actually reveals to gaon what he truly, truly thinks; no gimmicks. this also comes into play later on in ep 6 when elijah is worried about him being out all night. yohan clearly doesn’t trust people at all. he understands their intentions, their motives and how much pain they can cause other people for their own profit and their own gain. it makes sense that he wouldn’t leave his house, especially if he has a strong sense of loyalty to isaac (even after all these years) and caring for elijah.

this is also one of the very direct moments that yohan doesn’t understand family dynamics. when it comes to people, it’s a giant chess game. not only that, later on in the episode when they’re in the car and yohan talks about how people, no matter what, are always the same in front of greed, yohan is cynical, and he expects the bad every single time.

what he reads and the way he words things (here and the discussion of him being a monster, for example) is clearly an indication that he doesn’t trust; that he cannot trust, nor does he want to at this point. yohan doesn’t understand the concept of kindness being given freely (ep 7 when he berates elijah for being used by gaon, telling her she falls for kindness every time). and yet, later on in eps, it’s clear when he’s around the right people and the right mindset (uh, gaon?? lol), he’s constantly putting up a front.

after all in ep 7 when he tells gaon that confidence is key, it literally gives him away not just in the courtroom but in his personal life. there’s a reason he looks softer at home than when he’s not there (the hairstyle changes and clothing).

basically what i’m getting at is this behavior can be seen as a defense mechanism because of his abuse.

then it’s another gala event with gaon and yohan this time. another lovely favorite where yohan helps him get dressed and then proceeds to drag him around and safe him from the lion’s den.

tbh i dont even need to include these, but i’m doing it for the indulgence.

yohan does sorta physically throw gaon as well during the rich people party, but that’s mainly to get him to shut up because he’s trying to show gaon the truth at hand and how all of it’s pretty much a farce.

later on in the episode is when we first have gaon truly attacking yohan verbally, and that’s when yohan snaps. it’s clear that isaac is a trigger for yohan, especially from someone who speaks out of line on something they know nothing about. gaon, truth be told, had a stupid moment confronting yohan the way he did. i don’t know who waltzes up to a proposed murderer and just asks them, lmao.

but here’s the thing, thus far, gaon has not entirely posed a threat to yohan. whether that’s from yohan planting gaon and guiding him exactly where he wants him or gaon just not being as thorough as yohan would like, and he’s trying to tap into that talent, is anyone’s guess. but as i said above, the one thing yohan protects is the things he does care about the most, and he tries to talk himself out of his own feelings. he constantly compares himself to an animal (again, dinner scene with gaon and jinjoo) to justify his actions, and to possibly not feel anything; because that’s easier, isn’t it? not feeling. so on top of gaon calling him a monster and a killer, confronted with the possibility about being a villain in his own brother’s story, obviously sets him off. he beats down his emotions until he’s confronted with it - and this is what gaon also meant in ep 6 about how it’s ridiculous that yohan calls himself a monster over a victim because yohan can’t even see himself in that light. not because he truly believes victims are weak necessarily, but i wonder how much he realizes that what happened to him wasn’t his fault.

to me, and as i just said, yohan convinces himself he’s a monster to make it easier for himself to belief his actions (ep 5 telling gaon some humans are born monsters in relation to himself). it’s not that he inherently thinks he’s wrong, but i think his guidance for what’s right and wrong was misconstrued without a parent figure in his life, especially if he’d read crime and law books as the focus. yohan’s actions, at least quite a bit of them are, are based on a gut feeling of right and wrong. when you think about it and your own sense of justice, how would that differ without the checks and balances in place? what punishment do you think fits the crime if we weren’t bound by written law? yohan thinks any action to protect those he loves is, more or less, justifiable because it’s a means to an end. it’s making a worng right again.

i don’t think yohan is a monster. i think his feelings, and what he knows is love, is misconstrued in terms of how to express it. we see this in episode 7 with his and elijah’s conversation where she’s just trying to be a teen, but his version of love is protecting her without, once again, understanding family dynamics and the pain points of growing up, the learning she has to do on her own. yohan might technically be right; similar to being book-smart but not necessarily street smart. his theory of telling Elijah that she’s soft for kindness and being used was true, but his delivery and the idea that that’s how humans develop doesn’t work. he’s telling her text-book rules, but people don’t live through books. they live through real life. yohan reads to get a sense of fulfillment and to learn. he’s learned his way into adulthood, but that’s not normal.

so uh anyway, back to this familiar scene:

because we don’t know the actual story of isaac’s death, it’s hard to say what role yohan played in his death, but i don’t know that i believe he was the one who did it. the entirety of the devil judge is relying on unreliable narration, so it’s difficult to gauge (for now since we’re on ep 7) how this will turn out and what happened, but to me, it really comes across as yohan upset over the insinuation that he could be the one to cause the death of the one person he loved the most. plus, i think it says a lot that he cares/loves elijah, and she was part of isaac. gaon crossed a thine line. yohan essentially welcomed him in, and this is gaon toeing it. we can also look at this is not gaon being an outsider to their family, but now has become part of the family, and so it’s easier for yohan to be ‘abusive,’ if you will, rather than the perspective of gaon still on the sidelines and pushing too far. by this i mean, the accusations made by gaon threatens their formulating family dynamics.

and once again, the only person he ever actually reaches out for is isaac.

and then we have the aftermath of yohan’s nightmare, where he’s still caught in the dream as gaon comes in, and refuses to be touched after, even if gaon’s intention is to see if he’s okay. yohan makes it very clear to gaon not to touch him, and that’s when elijah comes in with a very accusatory ‘what are you two doing?’ in this moment, yohan is not just vulnerable, but he’s emotionally sensitive. i’ve no doubt he’s still dealing with a form of sensory overload from his dream.

and then, i don’t know that this was necessary? was it necessary?

the following set of scenes are the ones where gaon tells him he’s a victim and he hasn’t confronted his own emotions about his abuse. i think yohan realizes gaon is right to some degree, but it is convoluted, and it’s not so simple to face your own traumas. however, he does for a moment after gaon leaves, remember another instance of abuse he couldn’t stop but wishes he could, wishing a parental figure of sorts would’ve come in to save him like his older self is trying to save the kid version if only he could turn back time, if only he had the power to do what he wish someone else had done for him.

and then the kidnapping scene is just. fucked up in and of itself. it actually makes my skin crawl. not because sunah is scary necessarily, but the lack of autonomy yohan has - especially when we find out later more of sunah’s story. to do something like this after what she’s suffered through makes this scene even more disturbing.

you can see the moment yohan hears heels when sunah (not knowing it’s her yet) comes in. literally the minute he knows someone’s headed his way, he checks the fuck out. his whole face goes slack, especially when sunah reveals herself. and when she’s kissing him? blank as fuck, too. it’s the most dead-eyed stare i think we’ve seen from him.

episode six

so, we get this gem from elijah that i’d like to touch on later. it’s more speculation and just me running through ideas more than it is canon fact. but what it does let us know is that yohan doesn’t seek people out. he prefers to be at home and staying there.

after we get the maid story, and we do get yohan touching sunah’s cheek, and in some fucked up twisted way, this is his way of protecting one of the things isaac cherishes the most. the point of the gesture isn’t just intimidation but serves as an act of intent, of protection in the only way yohan knows how. he’s safeguarding isaac. you can tell he doesn’t actually like sunah at all as a kid, but uses that to his advantage. imagine yohan learning violence for ‘good’ things when his father used violence for ‘bad’ things. what a twisted way of looking at it? and the irony at hand.

additionally, the main reason i’ve included so many varying scenes of yohan touching people isn’t to establish that he’s okay with being touched given how many scenes there are of him randomly shaking people’s hand or touching them. it’s all about context and what the intent is for. most often than not, really way more often than not, yohan only reaches out for people when it’s socially acceptable to do so and because it’s manners. and yet, even in some of those cases, there is still intent behind the gesture.

the moments he acts out the most are when he’s not in front of an audience, when he’s more likely to be alone with his thoughts and is exceptionally more vulnerable to his own triggers.

and i think the scene after he’s back at his house from the kidnapping is noteworthy because it doesn’t just feel like he’s shaking off the effects of the drugs he was given. he seems to visibly trying to compose himself of the mental and physical play he just had to deal with.

the next scene is yohan angry with gaon for taking elijah out. which really, he does have every right to be angry, and one thing i didn’t note above during the ‘you killed your brother’ choke out scene before is that when yohan is backed into any kind of corner, he reacts like a caged animal.

because we’ve already established the scenes with his abuse, his father took his anger physically out on yohan. so how else was yohan supposed have developed the tools to express it? it’s easy to hurt the things you love the most; it’s easy to abuse the ones you know, and between gaon and himself, they both have an unhealthy dynamic because gaon is old enough, strong enough to take whatever yohan gives him. gaon is not family and so there’s still that clear divide and a distinction as to why he lays a hand on gaon but not elijah, for example. gaon can still pose a threat. elijah is family. then again, it can also be said that maybe yohan considers gaon family, and gaon betrayed elijah and therefore yohan, and you don’t do that. not with yohan’s understanding of family dynamics.

but with that said, it begs the question why yohan keeps gaon around, and i think some of that has to do with the fact that gaon surprises yohan. he might’ve set his sights on him long before he became an associate judge or maybe he took interest after gaon was chosen for the role (this is still up in the air), but deep down, yohan sees something in gaon despite his snooping, despite his righteousness. it could be the potential; it could be the fact that gaon could be better than yohan if he just allowed himself to loosen the ropes he’s tied himself with when it comes to the court of law and the justice system.

but here’s the thing that idk a lot of people have really picked up on. gaon is one side of the same coin underneath it all. he’s also provoked yohan with physicality when yohan brought up details about soohyun.

to be fair, we can say that yohan evokes a different type of anger in gaon, one that he hasn’t tapped into for years that allows him to open up to that more physical side of himself he learned to put behind him. gaon doesn’t really come across as the physically threatening type, but yohan does push his buttons and vice versa.

but then, of course, we have the big fight scene where gaon goes in on the attack, and that’s when yohan makes his threat not to attack him ever again. it’d be easy to say he says it based on the merit of him not actually attacking soohyun, but seriously speaking, the intent feels much more than that. more along the lines of asking gaon not to provoke him without warning again because next time might be bad. most of their other fights, especially the one above,have been in the midst of conversation. this time, it’s from a place of complete surprise, and you can tell yohan goes on the defensive when his first instinct is to not just throw gaon back but raise his fist to strike.

episode seven

the only physical contact yohan has with anyone is the president, and that’s when he turns on the live video of the two of them, and it’s clearly intended to be a lowkey threat. he keeps pulling the president back into his side to be on the live camera after the dude tried to come after yohan. i do think it’s hilarious that yohan manipulated the situation with a live component just as the president and the rest of the rich people thought they could turn a live court show into manipulating the public.

and then, of course, the jail scene. the part where he makes gaon stay. he also touches gaon’s shoulder later just before they leave.

episode eight

the most prominent scene in this ep is certainly the scene where sunah comes onto yohan, and you can tell she did it to get under his skin in some way. of course, he’s smart and knows she’s up to something, but i think it’s so interesting how he wraps his fists around hers, almost as if to tame her and prevent her from trying to further put her hands on him.

we also know yohan has no issue with using physical force regardless of who it is (obviously, his dialogue in this scene, too) when he feels caged or trapped. his intention is also to retrieve isaac’s necklace, and i like how he uses literally anything to his advantage. meaning, he’ll use physical touch, his mentality, etc to get what he wants or needs, even if it is marginally uncomfortable to some degree.

and i think that also says alot about him is that he’s able to displace what makes him uncomfortable in moments like this to achieve an end goal.

additional thoughts

i know this isn’t really common with a lot of the characters in general, and could be chalked up to a cultural component, but yohan’s definitely not a hugger.

the other thing i wanted to note is yohan’s seemingly adherence to touch unless it’s for good reason in relation to sex. the main reason i bring it up is because i’ve seen it discussed a bit, especially in regard to elijah’s comment about him not staying out overnight since the fire. there are a few plausible scenarios, maybe more, but for the sake of this, we’ll go for these.

yohan has had past relationships/experience or will in future episodes

day flings

he’s never had an interest in anyone before given his upbringing and abuse and therefore never sought out sex

inexperience could be from lack of interest in other people and sex itself

he’s never found anyone to really connect with and trust in such a way and has avoided it for that reason

and i bring this up mainly because i think it could be something to explore in fanon, but also because i’m kind of annoyed with how people have been talking about yohan being a virgin. i’m not quite sure what the joke is, but lack of sexual experience does not mean naive or that he doesn’t have a sense of humor when that’s clearly far from the truth:

i don’t know that people find it unbelievable because of his age, because of characterization of yohan being more dominant, but none of these things negate this being an option. i think it’s perfectly plausible of a situation (from what we know right now), and truthfully, it would make a whole lot of sense. i just don’t get the jokes about it that i’ve been seeing online (twitter) when there isn’t a mutual exclusiveness to any of it whatsoever.

yohan already has a hard time connecting with people, and i can imagine that level of physicality could be difficult. clearly he knows how to use a version of it to get what he wants. i’ve no doubt he’s used his charms in situations where he’s needed to. yohan knows he has that going for him, at the very least. but sexual appeal and jokes doesn’t mean having a body count any more than it could indicate there being one.

lastly, i also want to pull these paragraphs from @b612sunsets​‘s post because i think they do a much better job than i ever could of explaining, short and sweet, a fundamental part of yohan’s characterization, and mainly what i was trying to get at with this long ass post.

“There's two things we already know about Yohan from the last 6 episodes: he hates being touched when he doesn't see it coming and doesn't have control over it because of the abuse he suffered (I assume). To name a few: Soohyun grabbing his elbow to stop him from leaving and get answers about Gaon, the beggar that touched him while he searched for the fireman, Gaon after punching him and Yohan clearly telling him to NEVER do it again. The impression it gave to us is that if there's a next time he might not be able to stop his instinctive reaction of defending himself and using violence back (something worse than choking or pushing Gaon and he doesn't want to do that with him).

“Unless it's a friendly/small/slow touch like in the breakfast scene when Gaon touches his arm when he gets up to offer them some fruits. When he had the nightmare with Isaac, his walls were up high so even if he could see Gaon's touch coming and it was friendly, he decided to stop it because he was too defensive and sensible to accept the gesture (it would be the first time Gaon started physical contact with him too, he wouldn't be ready for that in such a state).

“The second thing is that Yohan hates when people take what is his or mess with what is important to him. Again, to name a few: Sunah with the necklace when she was a maid, the fireman with Isaac's watch (Yohan made them fall from high places, not caring if they died or not), the guy that fabricated the small bombs that hurt Gaon (Yohan would have burnt his face if "K" hadn't stopped him) and Gaon taking Elijah out of the house to Soohyun without previous notice (a cop and someone he doesn't trust).”

yohan has a very, very large sense of self-preservation for himself and for those he cares about. it’s in his intention, actions, facial expressions, movements, the way he interacts with people. i find it fascinating how calculating he can be, but at home, he’s at his most vulnerable and almost socially unaware and awkward.

yohan is a bit of an irony. he understands people from an action-oriented, instinctual level, but he doesn’t necessarily understand their thoughts and emotions in the waves of nuances that people live through on the daily. like, he gets it to an extent and on a practical level, but he himself is a square trying to fit into a circle - he doesn’t always understand it for himself and has to actively work on social cues so as not to come across as the devil child he was once painted to be.

and let it not be unsaid, yohan really will go to the ends of the earth for family, even if it means stepping out of his comfort zone.

and so anyway, i doubt this offered any real insight, but i think this is my way of breaking all of this down for myself. so, tada!!! lmao

[alotsgonnachange]

Fan apprentice Bios

for the alotsgonnachange/the arcana cinematic universe that eye personally believe to be better than the original game...

Name: Isabella Ciccino

Meaning: Promise of God

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Height: 5′10

Birthday: October 28th

Star sign: Scorpio

MBTI: ISFJ-T

Patron Arcana: Justice

Sexuality: Lesbian

Favorite Food: Lemon chicken orzo

Drink: White wine (Vinho Verde)

Magical abilities: Plant care/recognition (green witch), Foraging

Ethnicity: A small rocky/mediterranean esque island off the coast of Venterre that would strongly resemble sicily and malta.

Family: Mother, Angela Ciccino (deceased). Younger sister, Annamaria Ciccino (deceased)

Backstory: WIP

Occupation: Seamstress/tailor

Hobbies: Ballet, reading, drinking wine, dancing, tending to plants

Familiar: None (for now i guess??)

Love Interest: Nadia

Description: Isabella is a mysterious and alluring magician. To most people she is kind and charming, but private. She is incredibly helpful and caring to those she is friends with and cares about and will drop what she’s doing to assist. Likes to do quiet introspective work like reading, sewing, knitting and caring for plants. She’s a bit of a homebody in that sense. She comes across as level-headed and assertive in formal settings and does not allow others to talk down to her. With friends, she is a bit more sassy and teasing. She hates answering personal questions and has strict boundaries, which can lead to her being standoffish and stubborn at times.

As a Love Interest: Very loyal and committed, generally very gentle towards whoever she is seeing. You are going to have to get her to open the fuck up though she’s not good at being vulnerable AT ALL. The type of gf who may or may not qualify as a therapist/mother which…yikes. needs to work through her fear of intimacy before she can have a healthy relationship awwww 5/10

___

Name: Danielle Dupont

Meaning: God is my judge

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Height: 5′6

Birthday: September 7th

Star sign: Virgo

MBTI: ENFP-A

Patron Arcana: The Sun

Sexuality: Bi

Favorite food: Pain au Chocolat (Chocolatine for my canadians…)

Favorite drink: Espresso or a good wheaty ale

Magical Abilities: Sexual magic, chemistry/potionmaking, candle magic, topical balms/solutions

Ethnicity: Whatever the Arcana equivalent is of like. Western Europe germanic? A country including but not limited to Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland. Who cares really she is white and an Orphan

Family: Orphan!

Backstory: WIP

Occupation: Shop owner who sells potions, balms, candles and various other uhhh items usually of the purpose of sex (literally think a modern day sex shop with dildos and shit but also candles and skincare too)

Hobbies: Socializing, singing, making/testing potions, foraging, baking

Familiar: None, is in fact frightened of several animals due to trauma :(

Love interest: Lucio (Her taste is questionable and that’s okay!), also portia

Description: Danielle is a cunning and animated witch. She’s outgoing, bright and carries herself with confidence. In the past this has made her friends and enemies alike. She’s charming but can be a bit of a trickster. Her demeanor is generally calm and she does not often experience strong anger. She’s very smart and dedicated to her craft, and she is a perfectionist. As a worker, she gives excellent customer service and is a good saleswoman. To her friends, she’s teasing and wild, but loving and encouraging. On her worst days, she has the potential to be a bit more inconsiderate and is not the best at handling huge displays of emotions from others.

As a Love Interest: Girlllll…. first of all she needs to stop being emotionally stunted! My good sis cannot handle open displays of emotion at all and tends to shut down! The physical aspects are all there and excellent and she is going to be sweet, caring and loving but she needs to take things more seriously and be able to talk about feelings!!! 3/10

____

Name: Jia Song

Meaning: In korean it’s “clear” or “good”

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/her

Height: 5’5”

Birthday: August 5th

Star sign: Leo

MBTI: ENFJ-A

Sexuality: Bi

Favorite Food: Pulled pork or a good seasoned steak

Drink: limeade

Magical Abilities: Potions/herbs and healing

Ethnicity: Her father is from the same country as Ki (in a modern AU, this would be like. Korea.) and her mother is from somewhere uhhhh near nopal or something. Warm tropical nice (in a modern au this would be Brazil), but she grew up in her mother's country.

Family: I don't currently have names but basically, her father, mother, aunt (deceased) and two younger brothers.

Backstory: will be linked coming soon

Occupation: Healer, researcher, linguist

Hobbies: Dancing, reading, adventuring

Familiar: None

Love Interest: Julian

Description: Jia is a bright and curious magician. She’s a bit nerdy and loves reading/learning new disciplines. She is an energetic and altruistic person who is liked by many. She comes off as kind and forthcoming. She is very helpful and if she can’t help directly she will find someone who can with her connections. To her friends, she is loyal and sweet and affectionate, but also has the potential to be grumpy and even a bit negative. She’s very determined in hard situations and won’t back down until things are made right. Despite this, she can potentially overthink and overestimate situations and is incredibly stubborn when she wants to be.

As a romantic partner: loving, but definitely also able to keep independence. Not necessarily a stage 5 clinger but somewhere in the middle. She will love just spending lots of time with a partner and just picking their brain and learning everything she can from them. The type to brag about them to her friends. A wonderful listener but give her a chance to speak too she likes talking a lot as well! 10/10 would recommend

____

Name: Ki (Kiyoung) Kim

Meaning: Debatable but Ki alone means arisen and i’m getting “Vigor and eternal” But i think names differ based on the characters u use i am not korean so take this with a grain of salt

Gender: Nonbinary i think...

Pronouns: He/him or they/them doesn't have a preference

Height: 5′8″ Short king

Birthday: February 27th

Star sign: Pisces

MBTI: INFP-T

Sexuality: Gay

Favorite food: Budae Jjigae or Yongeun jorim

Favorite drink: any alcoholic beverage where you can’t taste the alcohol and strawberry milk

Magical Ability: Divination and mediumship (idk what the proper term is) so he can communicate with spirits/the dead

Ethnicity: Think of a small nation veeeery far away from Vesuvia that's cold for a lot of the year (for reference, think Korea).

Family: a twin sister named Jiyoung, 3 older sisters (Jiwoo, Jeongyeon, Joonhwa), mother and father and paternal grandfather and maternal grandmother who are living.

Backstory: will be linked coming soon

Occupation: Musician - mostly guitar and piano. Enjoys instrument care, arranging and performing in large ensembles, not a soloist by any means. He’s a great singer but he’s shy and singing gives him anxiety

Hobbies: Playing guitar, composing/arranging, reading, writing, shopping

Familiar: a tiny white dragon named Egg. Idc if dragons exist in this world but i feel like they HAVE to..

Love Interest: Asra

Description: Ki is a perceptive and witty magician. To most he comes off as a bit anxious and shy, which he is. Once you get past that, he’s eager, forthcoming and empathetic. He is very kind and likes to believe people have good intentions. He is very helpful and always tries to make sure others are comfortable and happy. He enjoys music and learning musical instruments. He prefers to work more in the background so as to not draw attention to himself. With his friends, he’s actually very talkative, silly and goofy. He’s prone to anxiety and may tense up or feel attacked when put into frightening situations. Unfortunately he has self destructive tendencies and low self esteem and has a hard time due to that.

As a Love Interest: perfect little s/o shut the FUCK UP…. that is if u can deal with low self esteem and anxiety! He really really tries though! He’s also shy with physical affection but will warm up to it eventually with familiarity and trust. Very doting and randomly shows up with delicious food and takes care of u when ur sick. 8/10

____

Name: Mathilde “Tilly” LaRue

Meaning: Mighty In Battle? Lol

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/her

Height: 5’11

Birthday: January 16

Star Sign: Capricorn

MBTI: INTP-A

Sexuality: Bi

Favorite Food: Lentil soup

Drink: Black coffee

Magical Abilities: Divination, telekinesis, herbs, defensive magic

Ethnicity: From a large urban area with a large population somewhere in an area a bit cooler and rainier than Vesuvia. (think like. England)(in a modern AU think Afro-caribbean)

Family: Mother and Mother and an older sister named Topaz

Backstory: will be linked coming soon

Occupation: Court Magician (but like simply a well rounded witch who goes wherever the money is)

Hobbies: Exploring, foraging, reading

Familiar: A white ferret named Elle

Love Interest: Muriel

Description: Mathilde is a gentle and thoughtful magician. She is soft-spoken and hates raising her voice, and is often making bizarre and thought provoking side comments in most situations. She is curious and intuitive when it comes to magic and often able to use several methods to predict the future for others. She carries herself in a dreamlike/contemplative manner and does not really care what others think - She’s off in her own world. With friends, she has a good source of humor and gives good advice and is a very good listener. She has an affinity for animals and nature, and would generally prefer to be outside. She can tend to be unrealistic and naive and loses hold on her emotions in tough situations (angry crier…) and feels misunderstood by those around her.

As a love interest: Downright adorable. Sweet, will bring you cool items she found and very endearing. She’s also encouraging and surprisingly cheesy. Not outwardly clingy but if you let her she will. but good fucking luck starting to date her! She is extremely pretty and gets asked out almost every day, turning down 99.999999% of applicants because other people do not particularly interest her and her taste is insanely picky! 10/10 but FAT CHANCE

[emerald-amidst-gold]

*pokes head in through your door* Did someone request OC asks? :D

How did your Warden react to Zevran’s failed attempt on their life? Were they amused? Angry?

Did Alistair’s parentage surprise your Warden? How did your Warden’s feelings on the nobility affect their relationship with Alistair?

How did your Warden respond to Wynne’s comments if your Warden romanced someone? Did they tell her it was love or that the relationship was purely physical?

Did your Warden believe that Leliana was telling the truth about her vision from the Maker or were they skeptical?

How did your Warden speak to Sten? Did they fight with him often or were they more humorous in their responses?

How did your Warden react to Loghain’s fierce love for his daughter? Did they share a strong sense of loyalty to their own family?

*whips my head around smiles* That's meeeee! The OC asker in the flesh! Or well, digital. But, pah! 'Tis I! >:D

*rubs hands together* Let's do this! I've itching to share more of Elise, so thank you so much! X3

How did your Warden react to Zevran's failed attempt on their life? Were they amused? Angry?

Gonna be completely honest, Elise found it amusing. XD

At first.

She's lived her entire life in the Circle, a dismal cage with gilded bars. When she was conscripted, Elise looked at the world around her and went, 'I love it. I love it.' Tomes and stories that told of grand assassinations, trysts, and all manner of political intrigue were riveting to a mind that only knew stone walls and high, unreachable windows. So, when Elise found herself apart of an attempted assassination, a Crow assassination no less? Her heart sped up, her palms turned sweaty with excitement, and her magic sparked to life with more ease than she had ever thought herself capable of.

Obviously, when faced with Zevran after the fact, questions and answers holding dark shadows, Elise snapped out of her romanticizing. She saw that pretty bound books and an author's 'personal' representation of events they knew nothing about was merely fantasy; they weren't true, they weren't idyllic. They were cold. They were hard. They were just veneer to paint over the atrocity of war and power-mongering. People suffered for what she found so enthralling, and Zevran's attack, and later his past, makes her realize that she is truly naive of a world that she claims she loves.

Elise knew nothing about the outside world. Just like those authors knew nothing of the suffering of the people caught in the crossfire of war--those that had to do ungodly things just to survive.

Did Alistair’s parentage surprise your Warden? How did your Warden’s feelings on the nobility affect their relationship with Alistair?

Alistair's lineage did surprise Elise somewhat. However, in Ostagar, when she had met Cailan, and then went on to meet Alistair, something...stuck. There was a resemblance; Elise could see it in the faces of two seemingly different men. Cailan and Alistair don't look exactly alike, of course, but there are a few characteristics that made Elise pause while speaking to Alistair and go, 'Where have I seen the slope of his nose before?' or 'If his hair was just a shade lighter, he would be..' So, when Alistair finally shares the truth of his birthright, Elise takes it in relative stride, but it also makes her heart sink a bit.

By Redcliffe (in my play-through at least), Elise is beginning to development feelings for Alistair. She finds his presence comforting, his views refreshing, his resolve endearing, and his gentle awkwardness lovable. He's been with her since the beginning, when she was mildly frightened and unsure of a cage with no bars, but still a cage due to what she was; a mage. Alistair saw that, knew what she was, and still, he treated her like an equal--reaching out when nightmares took her, offering her a witty quip or a playful smile to try and lift her back up from the mud, and reassuring her she wasn't alone in this long and bloody task of their's.

Alistair treated Elise as a person, and Elise offers that same kindness when he reveals his connection to the throne. However, she can see the warmth in his eyes fade a little upon telling her, a crooked, wry smile replacing the jovial air of another, and Elise knows that Alistair knows.

She's a mage and he, a king. There is no happy ending in store for them, but love is as persistent as it is fleeting, and they fall into each other's orbit despite the pain it later brings them both.

How did your Warden respond to Wynne’s comments if your Warden romanced someone? Did they tell her it was love or that the relationship was purely physical?

Elise was kind of belligerent, not going to lie. It's actually the first time I envision that hardened side of her beginning to shine through.

When Wynne points out the fact that she and Alistair are both Wardens, and that he's the son of a king destined to follow in those heavy footsteps, it only succeeds in bringing those painful fears to the fore and reasserting to Elise that she can't be happy because of what she is. This conversation happens after the Broken Circle quest, so Elise is still haunted by those horrors of a home sundered, and most of all, Cullen and his words towards her. So, two sources have said to her, 'You can't have this because of what you are.', and that tears into Elise's slowly hardening heart. She knows her duty, she knows what she is and she's proud of it, and Elise believes that shouldn't bar her from what others are freely given.

"I am a mage. I am a Warden." Elise spat, fists clenching and unclenching sporadically as she glared into the elderly mage before her. "But, I'm also a woman--a person, Wynne. I have feelings, and I won't sweep those aside just because you think it's best, because the 'world' somehow suddenly demands it!" Magic tingled at her finger tips, sparks latching onto tiny energy nodes of the Fade as her hands began to shake. "I care for Alistair. I want to see him happy because this world hasn't let him be so! So...so, fuck your concern and wisdom! I have choices, Alistair has choices, and if that's irresponsible to you, then leave because my heart won't change. No matter what pain it could bring me!"

Did your Warden believe that Leliana was telling the truth about her vision from the Maker or were they skeptical?

Now, I think I've mentioned that Elise is somewhat religious. She believes in the Maker and Andraste, but like Dorian says in Inquisition, she doesn't believe in the Chantry's rhetoric.

In regards to Leliana's vision, the magically curious side of Elise comes out and she ponders if the vision was the work of it. She doesn't outright ask Leli that, knowing that it would probably be rebuffed or met with a, 'I'm...not sure.', but it lingers in the depths of her mind and Elise tries to do some research into similar occurrences, to no avail. All Elise knows is that Leliana finds strength and hope in what she saw, so she doesn't challenge it and spoil it with practical applications. After all, the nature of faith is shaped by the unknown, and Elise always did like a good mystery. So, even if she didn't completely believe it herself, Elise knows what it meant to Leliana to have that warmth long denied by a Chantry brazier.

How did your Warden speak to Sten? Did they fight with him often or were they more humorous in their responses?

Elise was fascinated by Sten. She had only read of the Qunari in the few meager tomes she could find--most struck from the records by the Chantry due to 'heresy'. So, when at camp, Elise took the time to learn from the stoic man. She asked questions, listened to his answers, sat, mouth agape at some of the more profound stories Sten would opt to share, and soaked it up like a sponge. Elise would challenge some viewpoints of Sten's, those concerning mages and the general people of Ferelden, but mainly because she wanted to hear his side. Elise was eager and undeterred by Sten's brusque, aloof, and outwardly annoyed demeanor. She just saw a person--a person who she could learn from. And I think Sten responded well to that curiosity and open-mindedness, even if he didn't show it all that well.

How did your Warden react to Loghain’s fierce love for his daughter? Did they share a strong sense of loyalty to their own family?

So, to start, Elise doesn't remember her family very well. She was taken to the Circle at young age, barely able to remember how she even came to the tower. But, her found family is everything to her and she would die, be tortured, and branded every manner of beast if it kept them safe.

And I'm not lying when I say that Loghain's love for Anora, and she for him, was what made Elise want to spare him.

In that moment, as the teyrn knelt upon the floor before her, sword limp, eyes downcast with all manner of emotion, and blood dribbling from wounds she had managed in a duel unnecessary, unfair, Elise didn't see a traitor, a murderer of Wardens and kings, or even a man whose sense of duty had been so warped that it led him astray.

No, she saw none of that. Instead, she saw a father--a father of both daughter and country.

Elise drew her lips tight, tasting the salt of her sweat and a hint of iron. Her hand shook upon the hilt of her sword, suddenly feeling too heavy, too much as she continued to keep it trained upon the defeated man. All eyes were upon her, their gazes like wildfire and bramble--burning, piercing, anticipating. Yet, she could not move. She could not do it.

She could not take a father from his child! She could not! Not when it wasn't necessary! Not when the Queen had asked, pleaded with tears in her blue eyes for a way out of this foolishness, for an end to the constant suffering! There was a way! There was!

"I--", Elise began, as shaky as her arm that brandished a sword instead of a staff. The tremors increased as the wildfire upon her back blazed, and her grip faltered, sword plummeting to the ground with a harsh clang. "I...won't kill you. I accept your surrender. I accept."

There were gasps and whispers of disbelief, but she blocked them out as tired eyes traveled from that abandoned weapon to her face, searching, seeking, and quietly suspicious. But, before any words could be uttered between them or explanations could be voiced, there was a shout--a familiar, but dreaded shout of anger, of disbelief, of betrayal most foul. One word. Just one, and it was sharper than her sword that lay upon the ground, coated with blood of thought up foes.

"What!?"

----

*drags hand down in front of my face in an elaborate fashion* And scene!

Thank you so much, friend! I hope you like the answers even if they are a tad long! :D

[diyunho]

The Joker x Reader - “Incubus”

Incubus is a special type of metahuman that can enter people’s mind and the only one known to possess such abilities is Y/N. Captured by an underground agency and forced to obey orders, she has a new task today: to get inside The Joker’s head and find out where he stashed half a billion dollars after he pulled what everybody calls “the heist of the century”.

“Regression will begin shortly,” one of the doctors announces on the intercom. “Prepare for countdown.”

You lay on the cold metal table next to the Joker’s body: he’s medicated into a dreamless sleep, ready to have you purge his mind for the answer to the burning question: where did he stash half a billion dollars?

After being arrested two weeks ago, The King of Gotham refused to speak and disclose any information to the authorities; they tried everything: drugs, blackmail, best intimidation tactics and psychologists without success.

J didn’t crack.

Fed up with the puzzling mystery, CIA decided to use the top secret research facility operating under the grid where the infamous Incubus is held prisoner.

“A few reminders,” the flat voice echoes in the sealed laboratory. “Do not attempt to elude us, we have your little girl! If you aim to play us we’ll revoke visiting time.”

You blankly stare at the ceiling, upset they repeat the same rules when you’re forced to use your powers; the 15 minutes you’re allowed to spend with Mia on Saturdays is all you live for since they incarcerated both of you six months ago.

How you wish you could kill them but they found a solution to prevent you from rebelling.

“Please note that in case you plan to get inside our brains and compel us to stop breathing, your daughter will die. Confirm acknowledgement.”

“Confirm,” you bitterly reply because it hurts to have your child endangered; you could end them right this moment if it wasn’t for her.

Unfortunately, they found a way to subdue your terrific ability: the crew assigned to project Incubus carries portable heart monitoring devices 24/7; they resemble wrist watches and if just one individual’s pulse deactivates, it will set of the explosive in Mia’s collar. The 5 years old has no clue that what she believes to be a cute necklace is actually a device meant to eradicate her.

“Countdown to regression,” the clinician reports and the speakers carry his words around the room. “Five, four, three, two, one. Initiate!”

**************

You walk in the darkness, surprised you didn’t bump into memories yet: usually that’s the first thing you stumble upon when invading a person’s subconscious. He’s been under your spell for 10 minutes now and the void proves his twisted mind is probably worse than anyone thinks: The Clown is lost in the maze of his own insanity.

A couple more steps and you finally distinguish four doors ahead which means you’ll be able to analyze The Joker’s recollections.  

First Door

The little boy cries in the middle of the room and you slowly approach, wondering if you should interfere or just observe. But tears fall from those innocent blue eyes and the fact that he’s maybe your daughter’s age makes you decide.

“Why are you crying?” you kneel by the young Joker and he wipes his face with the sleeves of his raggedy shirt:

“My mommy died.”

“Did she? I’m sorry… Do you miss her?” you manipulate the conversation since warping his thoughts might lead to your quest: discovering where the money is.

“U-hum,” he nods and asks. “I don’t like it at the orphanage, I want to go home…”

“Perhaps I can help,” you pull him in your arms and he whispers:

“Who are you?”

“Your worst nightmare,” Y/N sadly concludes because it doesn’t bring her joy to distort an already broken mind, nevertheless she‘s here bearing a clear purpose. “It’s ok,” you hold the child and soothe him. “I’m sorry this happened to you.”

The little boy whimpers, clinging to the stranger showing him kindness then vanishes in thin air: you got rid of a painful memory and replaced it with a nicer one.

Now The Joker will remember that someone comforted him when in reality it never happened.

Second Door

The young man is standing in front of the burning cottage while the firefighters are struggling to put out the blaze. He’s covered in ashes and his lips are barely moving; you can hardly discern what he keeps on repeating:

“They’re still inside… they’re still inside…”

The 24 years old Joker is numb and all you can conclude he seemed so different back in the day.

“Who’s inside?” you inquire and he glimpses your way without realizes he’s in shock.

“My wife and son. I couldn’t save them… I didn’t make it to the second level, the flames were too strong…”

You bend over and grab the blanket resting at his feet, placing it around his shoulders.

“I’m sorry they’re gone, you did everything you could.”

He glares at the Incubus for a split moment before disappearing: you just lift the burden of a horrifying experience and now The Joker will remember that someone offered consolation when in reality it never happened.

Third Door

The man is sitting on the floor with his back against the padded wall, tightly confined inside his straight jacket. He keeps screaming, then maniacally laughing and sobbing in the same time while straining to escape the garment.

“Calm down,” you slide near him. “You’ll hurt yourself if you continue.”

The 27 years old tries to articulate a couple of coherent sounds before reprising his yelling.

“Stop squirming,” you cup his face and make him pay attention. “Look at me. Relax,” you caress his cheeks. “Deep breaths, ok?” you plead with the madman. “Sssttt, it’s fine…” Y/N stares in his eyes and the shouting gradually dies out. “There you go,” you brush your forehead on J’s prior to him fading away: you switched a terrible incident into better conclusion by mimicking sympathy when in reality it never happened.  

Fourth Door

You’re surprised to notice The Joker talking to shadows: a woman and a little girl judging by their silhouettes; he resembles the most wanted criminal lying 10 inches apart from you in the secured establishment pushing you to accomplish their instructions.

A recent memory? Does it mean he has another family?...

You want to come closer and the sight of the contours disappearing is intriguing; The Clown rubs his temples and you can tell he’s distressed.

“What’s going on?” you dig in his brain for responses.

“They took my Queen and my Princess!” he grinds his teeth with resentment.

“Do you know where they are?”

“Yes,” J grumbles and evaporates saying a baffling phrase: ”I have to find the perfect plan in order to reclaim what’s mine!”

So weird the memory dispersed before you misled the truth in your favor … What the heck is going on?!...

The Cell

No rooms left and you stroll in the murkiness again, angry your scheme didn’t lead towards a better result: oddly enough The King of Gotham failed to unveil extra hints that could have aid you in discovering where the fortune he snatched is.

“Hello sugar,” the raspy intonation halts you in your tracks.

Y/N detects the heavy bars forming this square shaped cell containing what she suspects to be a version of The Joker; it’s difficult to restrain her astonishment since she’s witnessing a rare phenomenon: nothing less than a mind prison.

Jackpot! If he buried something deep inside and locked it even from himself it could mean you reached your destination.

“It’s nice to have visitors,” the eerie apparition chuckles. “It gets lonely.”

“I bet,” you pout. “Why don’t you break free?”

He kicks the bars, enraged he has to explain:

“I’m sure a superior creature such as the lady joining me knows a mind prison can only be opened from the outside!”

He’s self-aware! This is absolutely unbelievable: humans are never conscious within the deepest layers of their psyche.

“You are correct: you can only open it from the outside,” you agree. “What’s your name?”

“Joker. What’s yours?”

“Y/N.”

“Duh, I know,” he snickers and lets his tattooed arms hang loose outside the bars. “You have a kid, right?”

He sees your doubt and his gratification builds up to new highs.

“Yes.”

“What’s her name?”

“How do you know it’s a she?!” you counterattack with a quiz.

Damn, this whole charade is getting more and more fascinating by the second!

“I know soooooo many things,” the entity yawns. “For example I’m sure you wonder how I ended up in here.”

No sign you would deny his rambling thus he enlightens the riddle:

“Some are born with certain “gifts”, some develop them after a traumatic experience. I’m the lucky recipient of the latest, although I was locked in here from day one. If I had someone shatter the seal and by someone I mean you,” he points his finger at the smirking Y/N, “I could help you run from the place you hate. Tell me I’m wrong, but aren’t you trapped also?”

“You’re sneaky, I’ll give you that,” you laugh at his attempts to influence your actions.

“And you’re too powerful not to realize what’s going on! Snap out of it!!!” he hisses. “Are you single sugar?” the anger building up makes Y/N frown.

“None of your business!”

“Humor me, I beg,” he emphasizes the words.

“Yes,” you scoff and his demeanor doesn’t lower your guard.

“Are you 100% certain you’re not married?”

“What’s this nonsense?!” you sneer at the stupid conversation.

“Maybe you don’t remember because you created your own mind prison where you chained crucial data in order to protect the ones you love after you were captured. What’s your daughter’s name?” he sulks and you grumble.

“Mia.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am; do you think I don’t know my child’s name?”

“And you think I don’t recognize my own wife standing in front of me??!!!!” he snaps at your hesitation. “Set me free! Set me free and I’ll show you! I can get inside your mind and unlock your cage: you’ll remember everything!”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?!” you growl at the absurd sentences: like his devious tactic would work on you!

“I’m talking to the Incubus, am I not?”

Your mouth opens in amazement since there is no way in hell he could know that.

“Do I have your attention now?” the beast reprimands. “Good! Here’s what you deliberately forgot: nobody knows that we’re married, it’s better that way; yet a woman with your capabilities is bound to attract unwanted attention anyway. When we got together, we had a deal: you’ll never get inside my head and you consented. No? Doesn’t ring a bell?...” he cracks his joints. “After they took you and Emma from me…”

“Who’s Emma?” you interrupt, more and more convinced there’s something fishy happening inside The Joker’s subconscious.

“Our daughter, her name is not Mia, you just replaced it after you were both kidnapped in order to sever all connections with the past. Can’t blame you: it’s a great strategy given the circumstances: create a mind prison, hide everything connected to protect me and her. Last thing you needed was for them to find out we are actually acquainted in the most intimate way. That would have been a disaster! Do you know why I stole half a billion dollars and let them catch me? I knew that if I do that they’ll use everything possible under the sun to make me spill the beans. When all fails, won’t they flaunt the last ace in their sleeve? That’s how I got here sugar, it was the ultimate goal. I can’t function without my girls so I came to get them!”

“Listen here,” your menacing attitude takes over. “Who do you take me for?! Your fictional tale is starting to piss me off so I advise you to quit before I make your neurons crumble to pieces!”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it,” the feral beast sniffs the air. “You always kept your end of the bargain and never got in here before to poke the past. I respect that, sugar. Now I had no choice besides letting you in.”

“Stop it! Stop your lies!! You’re nothing more than a projection of The Joker’s mind!”

“Ahhhh,” the evil grin flourishes behind the silver teeth. “I am so much more than that. Do you want to get out of this facility? I suggest you set me free and I will prove I’m telling the truth!”

“Bullshit! What can you do anyway?! I can kill everyone and run, but my daughter will die!”

“Not if I help: you can make them stop breathing and I could keep the hearts beating until we get the key that unlocks Emma’s collar! It’s a dual team mission.”

“Her name is Mia! How do you know about the collar?!” the dumbfounded Y/N mumbles.

“Weren’t you listening? I know a lot of things!”

“Even if we assume you aren’t lying, how will you keep their hearts beating?!”

“Set me free and I’ll show you! SET. ME. FREE!!!!!! Or we are fucking doomed! Set me free!” he punches the bars. “Set me free and I’ll open your mind prison! You’ll realize each word I uttered is genuine! You’ll remember all of it! SET! ME! FREE!!! What do you have to lose, huh? Nothing! Do it!! Do it!!!!”

“How could you get inside my mind?! I’m a metahuman!”

“Goddamnit! SET ME FREE AND I’ll SHOW YOU!!!!! Do you want your daughter to perish in this place?! Do you???!!!”

You definitely are beyond skeptical; still… at least he’s correct about this: you have nothing to lose; you approach with caution and part the bars enough for the trapped entity to squeeze outside.

“Thank you honey,” he clumsily bows and before you can react he snatches in his arms and kisses you.

Y/N feels this electrifying sensation taking over, stupefied to understand what it means: she just unleashed another Incubus. And she always thought she was the only one!

You gasp for air and open your eyes, processing all the recovered memories rushing through your brain: your own mind prison was opened as promised.

You tilt your head to look at The Clown and he grabs your hand, panting:

“Are you ready sugar?”

**************

People keep falling to the ground, each step bringing you closer to your freedom. Emma’s face is buried in your neck as you jump over corpses on the way out of the underground laboratory:

“No peeking!” The Joker scolds and her little hands hold you tighter while obeying.

“Ok daddy.”

“Don’t be scared,” you kiss her cheek and continue the rampage towards the exit.

Screams intensify around the three detainees escaping their faith: the adults can’t afford any weakness or grant mercy to the ones that showed them none.

In the end, what is more terrifying than one Incubus that could plunge the world into complete darkness?

The answer is simple: two of them.

 Also read: MASTERLIST

You can also follow me on Wattpad and AO3 under the same blog name: DiYunho.

[kyogre-blue]

Nanowrimo, day 23 (wc 1601)

Uncomfortable. 

The carriage ride to Remano was the most uncomfortable experience of Alibaba’s life. 

Considering the twists and turns he had experienced -- from the slums, to the palace, to traveling the desert with all its dangers, to Amon’s dungeon, to the past in another dimension -- that was almost impressive. But mostly, it was really, really awkward. 

It would have been awkward no matter what. Most people wouldn’t feel comfortable hitching a ride with their king -- and damn Sinbad’s careless self-confidence in making this happen. Although it was obvious that Sinbad hadn’t actually known whom he’d asked for a favor… But it was so much worse given that this was Alibaba’s dead father, except alive and a decade younger and completely unaware of Alibaba’s identity. 

“Harun” or rather King Rashid had studied Alibaba for a long, tense moment when he finally turned his attention from Sinbad to the friend he had agreed to take with him to Remano. It was possible he’d noticed the resemblance. But even if he did, he could only write it off as a coincidence in the end. There was no logical way for him to make sense of it, without the… time travel. 

Even if King Rashid felt that something was off, what could he do? 

Comforting himself in this way, Alibaba slowly calmed from terrified stiff to just very, very awkward. 

And finally, dared to sneak a glance at his temporary traveling companion. 

King Rashid looked young. That was expected, of course. This was more than a decade before his death and nearly as long before Alibaba even saw him for the first time. But the difference was exceptional. At that time, the king had already gone entirely gray and his face had been lined with deep wrinkles. He had looked like an old man. 

By comparison, the man across from Alibaba in the carriage still looked in the prime of life, beard and all. When he caught Alibaba sneaking another glance, King Rashid smiled. 

“You said your name is… Ali?” he said. “Young Sinbad mentioned that you are from Balbadd.” 

And hadn’t that been fun. Since Sinbad didn’t really know why Alibaba chose to hide his name sometimes, rather poorly and inconsistently, he naturally didn’t consider that this might be another instance for that. Alibaba had to cut him off rather obviously. 

Maybe there wasn’t even any point. It wasn’t that rare a name. And even if anyone ever connected it to his younger self, would they really guess ‘alternate dimension’ or ‘time travel’, whichever it was? 

“That, that’s right,” Alibaba cleared his throat. “Your Majesty.” 

He glanced over again. There was a considering sort of look on King Rashid’s face, and for a moment, Alibaba almost thought he’d ask something more about his background. Which family did he belong to? Which trade? Why was he in Reim? How did he run into Sinbad, a country bumpkin from Partevia? 

But what King Rashid asked was something else. 

“What do you think of him?” he asked. “Of his dream? Has he told you?” 

...Right. Of course. That would be the more important thing. After all, Sinbad was the only known dungeon conqueror and the one who had somehow gained King Rashid’s interest. 

“To create a country and change the world?” Alibaba confirmed, uncurling as he finally looked at King Rashid fully. “I think it’s amazing. I’m looking forward to seeing Sindria for myself.” 

“So you think he can accomplish it.” 

“He can. Because he’s Sinbad.” 

King Rashid sighed, but Alibaba didn’t know what else to say. He knew Sinbad would succeed -- it was the future he’d lived. The high king of the seven seas and Sindria were just too momentous for them to somehow disappear just because of another dimension or his own presence. All of it would surely come to pass. 

More than that, Alibaba had seen Sinbad’s ability for himself now. Not just his exceptional ability to judge a situation, his skills and his calm, but also his fierce determination, his belief and his charisma. He had seen for himself how Sinbad persuaded Drakon, the assassins, Hinahoho -- and even Rametoto, a seasoned chief. It wasn’t just the words he said. It was his entire demeanor, the sense of unshakeable certainty. 

No matter what, Sinbad would find a way. He would make the world acknowledge him and his dream. 

The man across from Alibaba would be no different. 

Thinking about it like that, there was no need for Alibaba to say anything else. Sinbad didn’t need anyone to advocate for him. He would prove his own worth and the strength of his conviction. 

It was impossible to say what King Rashid thought of this answer. He didn’t press for anything further, only turning to watch the passing scenery of the Reim countryside. The busy road from Napolia to Remano was well-paved and smooth, letting the carriage fly toward its destination. 

Watching his profile -- the face of a man Alibaba had never thought he’d see alive again -- it felt like there were a million things he wanted to ask. Was he already planning the matters of his succession? Why had he chosen Alibaba back then? Why had he taken him to the palace in the first place? Why...

But of course, the King Rashid in front of him couldn’t answer any of it. There was nothing for Alibaba to say to him either. They were just strangers with a mutual acquaintance and no other connection at all. 

The rest of the journey passed in silence. 

~.~ 

As a foreign dignitary, even one that hid his identity while traveling, King Rashid would have accommodations arranged for him in Remano, most likely in the area set aside specifically for diplomats and visiting heads of state. Considering this, Alibaba chose to separate from them at the gate, once they had passed the guards and inspections. 

“It’s a bit late to ask, but what kind of business do you have in Remano?” King Rashid said as Alibaba stepped out of the carriage. “If it’s something that can be completed within a month, we could return to Napolia together as well.” 

“Oh... I think it might take longer. I really don’t know,” Alibaba sighed. He wasn’t even sure whether he would head back to Napolia afterwards either, but that wasn’t something easy to explain. “Do you know anything about the High Priestess, Scheherazade? Do you know if there’s a way to gain an audience with her?” 

King Rashid’s brows rose in obvious and visible surprise. “The High Priestess?” he repeated. 

“It’s... about magic,” Alibaba said vaguely. 

Weighing this for a moment, King Rashid seemed to decide he didn’t want to get too involved -- though judging by the flash of understanding that passed across his face, he had assumed it had to do with Sinbad’s djinn vessels. “Unfortunately, even I could not meet her easily,” he said. “The High Priestess is a very reclusive, revered figure. There are times when she appears -- at major celebrations, or at the invitation of powerful figures -- but I don’t know how you could enter those events either. I did hear she attends the colosseum at times, where the public can see her, but she only meets with the top gladiators.” 

Alibaba nodded slowly. It was about what he had expected -- damn Yunan for not giving him a little more to go on. “Then, I might meet her if I do well in the colosseum?” he wondered. “I’m pretty good with a sword...” 

“You must not!” King Rashid said sharply, making Alibaba stare in surprise. 

He had never heard the man raise his voice before, not even when Alibaba flubbed his lessons, or angered his teachers, or the one time he unsuccessfully tried to scale the palace walls as a child -- that had been the other King Rashid, of course. He hadn’t expected such a strong reaction to an ordinary comment. 

Clearing his throat, King Rashid explained, “You are still young. Don’t throw away your wellbeing or even your life in that kind of bloodsport. The matches are brutal. You could easily lose a limb or worse. It might seem like an opportunity, but rushing in could cost you all of your future prospects instead. It’s better if you take the time to look for a better, safer solution.” 

That... was not what Alibaba had expected. 

He had never realized that his father was this kind of person -- someone who would earnestly warn a stranger out of concern. Who would help a boy like Sinbad even without sharing his dream. 

Clasping his hands, Alibaba bowed. “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will take your words to heart.” 

“That’s good,” King Rashid said, smiling. “You won’t be able to help Sinbad accomplish his dream if you sell your life too cheaply. I’m sure that’s not what he wishes for either.” 

It was easy to guess that he thought Alibaba was one of Sinbad’s subordinates. And it wasn’t surprising that he had come to that kind of misunderstanding. Everyone else traveling with Sinbad was like that, and Alibaba had spoken for him rather fervently. It was certainly easier than trying to explain any part of the truth. 

But... 

“Sin will accomplish his dream either way. I believe in him,” Alibaba said -- and carefully unsheathed his dagger just enough to show the eight point star on the blade, “as a fellow dungeon conqueror.” 

Somehow, he couldn’t help wanting to show off a little. 

Without waiting to see King Rashid’s reaction, he stepped back from the carriage and hurried away, into the bustling crowds going to and from the gate. 

[bayoubashsims]

                                ~ A Marvelous Marriage ~

“Gunther Goth, the heir to the Goth family fortune, has married Cornelia Crumplebottom of the Crumplebottom clan, last evening at the Goth family home, Abundant Richness, in Valley View Drive at Moonlight Falls. The event was attended by the relatives and friends of both families as well the most prominent members of Moonlight Falls society, including the beloved Goth family matriarch and eldest member of the clan, Minerva Goth. This marriage is a tremendous event as it unites two of SimNation’s most influential families in holy matrimony. The evening ended on a high point with the couple and the guests dancing to the centuries-old Crumplebottom Waltz.”

Read more for my headcanons on the family members. Long post ahead! 

                                              ~ The Newlyweds ~

The charismatic and stalwart Gunther ‘Shrimpie’ Goth has been entrusted with a great responsibility since he is the only son of Victor and Gretle Goth. The future of the family company rests in the capable hands of Gunther, and his marriage to Cornelia is meant to seal the deal. He has shown that he has what it takes to tackle the challenges of a growing corporation, and his bravery in the matter is highly regarded among the Moonlight Falls society, and soon, beyond the Old Country. 

He has had his dalliances and past mistakes (like his previous marriage to the late Lolita Goth), but now he seems eager and ready to start anew and continue the family legacy. He understands now that he must follow his head more than his heart if he wants to prevail. As his father always said, ‘Duty, Gunther. Always duty!’ and sees this marriage as a new venture where he must cooperate to earn success. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elegant as ever, Cornelia ‘Nellie’ Goth (née Crumplebottom) was brought up to be a refined society lady, but she always knew that life was more than just debutante balls and perfect elocution—she knew her worth as a woman and that she had power, like a battering ram covered in a lace handkerchief. She is artistic and has many talents, and she is as good a hostess as Gunther is a good host. 

This sensibility was what led to her penultimate betrothal to the Goth family heir. Though a part of her felt insecure over the fact that she would be marrying a widower, she knew enough that she and Lolita are different people. Still, she sometimes fears that she cannot compete with a dead woman, and that her rather austere nature wouldn’t match with what she has heard about Gunther’s late young wife. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                            ~ The Goth Family ~ Minerva ‘Grandmama’ Goth knows the value of establishing oneself. She herself came from another place—Midnight Hollow—when her family decided to settle in Moonlight Falls. She is more than just the dowager matriarch of the Goths, she is a pioneer and a champion for both tradition and progress. Before she became the feeble grand lady of today, she was, in her time, an excellent horse-rider and horticulturist, with a type of cactus named after her.  She is a living example of how one must never forget one’s roots and that one’s value depends on what one sows. With her sharp wit and her extensive wisdom, she never forgets to remind the people around her (especially her family) when they fall short, and she seeks to counsel her new granddaughter-in-law Cornelia to help usher her in becoming a Goth family matriarch. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     Victor ‘Father’ Goth, much like his own father, knew that the key to a successful enterprise is hard work. Though he has been affluent all his life, he taught his son to look out for himself because things might not be as easy as it was back in his day. Fortunately, Victor has always been true to his name--a victor in his ventures, which makes them both grateful and relaxed that there’s always a capital to fall back on.

Still, Victor is relentless in his labor, and it often worries his wife Gretle when he sleeps in the rocking chair in the hallway and not beside his loving lady. Though generally an amiable and dapper man, he can be a cold and careless person and perhaps his family could have benefited more from the attention that he instead gave to his career.

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Gretle ‘Mother’ Goth is one of those mousy ladies who inevitably become responsible for managing estates, families, as well as events and functions because of her position of birth, but is not actually equipped to be so. In fact, she often suffers from a fair share of criticisms from her mother-in-law in being the chatelaine of the Goth family home. She can be prone to fainting spells and her moody nature would be passed down among her descendants to be the ‘infamous Goth family foul mood’. 

She has a great many attempts at maintaining the family’s social position, and though these actions often succeed, they wouldn’t have been so if not for the hard work of the people around her (that she would often badger to a point of consternation). This often rubs her own family the wrong way, especially with her daughter Frida, whom she wishes would find a man to marry soon. She had always said that she will not die peacefully until Frida is properly betrothed. 

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Samuel ‘Uncle Sam’ Goth is quite different from his elder brother Victor. Though he is just as hard-working and ambitious as him, he is in fact one of the most eccentric members of the family (the so-called ‘weird uncle’) and would more often be seen in the background--courtesy of his own family. He often argues that as a Goth, he is a valuable member of the community and unlike Victor, he often offers a fresh and different perspective of things. 

Though Victor may be quick in building connections, Samuel is excellent at forging new friendships. Unfortunately, though, his friends are often of the most odd sort and would often clash with his family’s more conservative sensibilities. Still, without him, things would be a bore and would lack a great deal of jellybeans!

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Frida ‘Sharkie’ Goth is often saddled with a lot of pressure from both her family and her society since they see her as this bookish spinster who has little attention for what they value. She shrugs this off more often than not, and when she’s not she plays along filled with mirth and discomfort. She is more interested in what books may offer her in the fields of history, art, and nature. 

The nicknames Sharkie and Shrimpie came from a nursery game Frida and Gunther played as children, so since they were little, she has always been very close to her little brother Gunther, who would often be the person to convince her to go through whatever nonsense their mother would put them through just to get it all over with. But when none can convince her, rest assured, she would be happily shut off in her room or off somewhere quiet with her nose in a book. 

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                                   ~ The Crumplebottom Family ~

Simon ‘Daddy’ Crumplebottom came from a long line of men who knew the value in a Simoleon and made sure that this was something every family member understood, especially in the prune caning business. They may have been old money just like the Goths, but the Crumplebottoms always favored a more down-to-earth and sensible life. Simon himself is a very sweet and agreeable man, and believed that there is goodness in everything.  Still, his frugality often gets the best of him, and it’s up to his wife to set him straight about the necessity for his daughters to have new dresses or more allowance as they grew older. Though he often relents for his girls, he has always been stingy with himself, and would often only eat toffee for his meals, despite warnings from his wife that he would lose his teeth if he keeps this habit up. 

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Prudence ‘Mummy’ Crumplebottom is known all around as a proper matron with the best-behaved girls. She raised them well and provided them with lessons in everything that made them into proper ladies ready to be released into a vicious world where they may lead life with their strong elocution and their genteel refinement. Though she is a prominent society lady, she is no fool and can be as smart as any man with her knowledge and diction.

Because of her keen, intelligent eyes, she would often teach the people around her that she doesn’t let anything pass her by. In her walks around town, she would ‘maintain’ her community by letting other people know that she knows and she cares. This nosy yet sympathetic nature is something she wants to pass on to her daughters, but she’s never quite sure if they would have what it takes to be someone like her. 

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Agnes Crumplebottom is Cornelia’s little sister and the maid of honor, prone to passing fancies and giddiness induced by the gentleman callers that would often come by the Crumplebottom house. Though this is often a source of headache for the Crumplebottom family, her parents made sure that she would at least be equipped with the right demeanor to face these men. Still, she causes more problems with her flighty nature and her tendency to take things personally. 

Despite her many suitors, Agnes is not a sociable person and only interacts with people that would give her the attention she desires. She is a through-and-through daddy’s little girl, not just because of how much he was doted on by his father, but because of how much she resembles him in their ignorance. 

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Robert Crumplebottom is a cousin of Cornelia and Agnes’, and Gunther’s old school chum as well as his best man. A dashing, lanky man, Robert has always been his aunt and uncle’s favorite nephew. Robert is a talented artist and entertainer, and is well-known for his advances in puppetry. Indeed, the guignols of SimCity benefited a lot from his artistry, but greatest of all is that his work is for charitable purposes. Many widows, orphans, disabled, and displaced pirates have benefited from his causes and SimCity always anticipates his annual winter charity performances. 

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Elmira Clamp practically grew up with Cornelia and Agnes and was very close to her Auntie Prudence, who taught her that ‘...the best mouth is a shut mouth!’. Indeed, this was a fine respite from her own family’s house--located between an airport and a construction site that never seemed to finish. It was unfortunate for her because her father was the lead drummer of an experimental rock band called ‘Nothin’ But Drums’ and her mother raised howler monkeys. 

Growing up with Cornelia and Agnes, she shares a similar demeanor with them but is probably the most conservative and fussy because of her personal traumas. Though Cornelia and Agnes was hoping that Elmira would be a bridesmaid for the wedding, Elmira declined because of her preoccupation in raising her ward and nephew Ian Arneson, and they came to the wedding a bit late and not even in the correct dress code.

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Ian Arneson was placed as a ward of his Aunt Elmira because of several unfortunate circumstances in his life. Elmira isn’t much of a parent, but she raised Ian the best way she knew how--based on how she was taught by her Auntie Prudence and from the books she has on childraising. Unfortunately, she often pushes these things aside because of her own inhibitions and shortcomings, which resulted in a very shy and bookish child. 

Ian often feels uncomfortable in how much Elmira pushes him to strive (or telling him to be quiet when he’s working on his little mechanical projects), but feels that there isn’t anything that can be done about things now or ever, and despite everything, he loves his Aunt Elmira dearly and just wants to help her dreams in having and managing a library.

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Beatrice ‘Bee’ Crumplebottom is the eldest of the three sisters who came from the magical branch of the Crumplebottom family. Bossy, temperamental, and bookish, it is quite clear that she is a Crumplebottom. Though she’s entrusted to care for her sisters, she’s more interested in having them following her way most of the time. Still, they had to buckle up their act for their Cousin Cornelia’s wedding, especially since they were the bridesmaids! 

Belinda ‘Linda’ Crumplebottom is the middle of the three magical sisters, and though she is often the one to keep her sisters in line from their antics, she often wonders if there’s more to life than to be with her sisters. Still, her concern for others is something the Crumplebottom family values, and that’s why she was to be the bridesmaid along with her sister Beatrice. 

Bianca Crumplebottom is the youngest of the sisters and has shown her talent in being the black sheep of the family. A self-centered little diva and a snooty brat, Bianca brings out the worst in her much older sister Beatrice. To counter this, her relatives have given her the position of being flower girl, giving her a chance to shine as a cherubic angel for a few minutes before turning back into her old, demonic spawn self. 

[kaiju-z]

Seon Adventures Episode 18: Welcome To Crystalgate

Following the month long journey from Menum to Crystalgate, full of peryls and wonders, our daring heroes find ourselves taking shelter under the roof of the Crusty Challice Inn. A shady tavern of sorts.

Possibly a fitting moment for the party to roll for either Stealth or Sleight of Hand, because by the time we get rooms, Belli finds herself 40 gold coins short.

Apart of that unfortunate circumstance, the party generally have themselves a well earned sleep. Sort of. Now that I think about it, the baby, Rimefang and the animals have the best sleep, as the straw and wooden frames were hell for the sleepers.

Personal shenanigans aside, by morning time, once we’re together again, everyone agrees to get grub once they’re properly inside the city, as opposed the outskirts of the walls.

Once inside, the party admire the view of the different shapes and sizes of buildings and a variety of people coming and going, following their own path in life. Immediatelly their eyes go to the blue section of town, walled off from the rest, guards protecting it.

Approaching them, the 6 quickly learn from the half elven guard that this is where the people of importance generally live. The rich people district, as it were. Cluing the party in on one of the jobs they are to perform in town, a personal quest for Nelatha, the half-elven bard, whomst clearly was being sought out by dangerous people, if the dead messenger was anything to go by.

The Charisma Duo of Belli and Luctan persuade the woman that they are up to good work and are allowed by the two to walk on in. Prestidigitation is cast. As the party walk,  Belli shares a look with Amelia, regarding the lady guard, which makes the blue Air Genasi flustered from the notion and possibility.

Until everyone has to pop the breaks, since they didn’t know the exact directions for Nelatha’s house. A quick run back and forth by Amelia, with questions asked and directions pointed fixes this tragic fate from becoming all the more and it doesn’t take the Cultbusters much time to get to the premises of a mansion.

Not as immense in size to the Narrahs, but still a presentable height and width to it.  Shadowspire Mannor. Adress of one N. Braville. It’s a traditional manor house with fancy green stained windows. For the aesthetic.

Luctan approaches the door to knock. (Insert ooc conversation, where we joke how it would be funny, since Luctan’s carrying a baby, that this is him delivering a baby to Nel’s. “ You have just won a baby. Congratulations. I’m the stork. “)

Stepping at the rug, wind chime make sounds from his approach. Shuffling behind the door and the one, who comes to the door is a human woman with blonde hair and cheekbones strong enough to kill a man. Older woman, around Amelia’s height. Bags under her eyes.

Pretty soon introductions and explanations are made. This is Norra, mother of Nelatha, if the family resemblence wasn’t a hint enough.

We are welcomed inside as Amelia hands the letter due to mass confusion. “NEL! COME QUICK! WE’VE GOT GUESTS!”

This is definitely a shoes off house. And it reminds Ficus of his and Belli’s auntie.  The group are lead into the front room by the overwhelmed woman. Not exactly a sofa living room, but fancy chairs with high up backs certainly make a change to things. There are tables, as well as an ostentatuous fireplace in the corner.

Not even noticing the half-elven woman next to the flames, Mournimar sits in a non-heterosexual way in one of the chairs. Again,  Nel is sat at the fireplace. Looking not surprised, expectant, actually. We discuss how we got here. A wild ride, for sure.

Luctan nudges Amelia to approach the Half Elven Bard, regarding the letter. And Belli chimes in, as well.  “Give it to her.” Which only adds to the blue girl’s flustered demeanor. It becomes pretty obvious to the rest that Nel had been scrying on everyone’s favorite knee destroyer.

Said knee destroyer, who had passed the letter onto Nel’s mom, who was reading it elsewhere at this very moment. Yeah, the Letter was for Nel. Luctan checks with the mom, but the man rolls a 0, so nah, Insight check fail. (Luctan 0 count: 1)

Everyone proceeds to just reminisse, now that they were together again.  You and Ames should go on a date.” Belli states and  Nel almost chokes on her drink.

Nel’s mom walks in. “I beg your pardon?” And Belli comes up with the lie of a “friendship date”. -wink-

Pretty soon we end up having to introduce Ficus to nel and there is a recognition between the two. They had met in Sa Doma, under other names. The implications are almost the expected ones by the party.

Well.

Except for Luctan, who just winds up rolling another 0 on his Insight Check. (Luctan 0 count: 2) He was too distracted by the youngster in his arm nest to really notice.

Amelia: “This is fine.”

“Make yourselves at home!”, Norra speaks, before herself and Nel go to a room upstairs, for a moment, to discuss the letter and are soon followed by the Chaos Siblings (and baby), after Belli gets some of the truth out, that nothing that they suspected was the case.

Nel had tried to arrest Ficus a year prior, until she realized what his exact profession was.

While Burk finds some frozen grub for his baby dragon (”Yay, food!”) Ficus tries to make peace with Amelia, with the power of Bumpkin. But alas. As the saying goes  “Pussy doesn’t solve everything.”

Amelia ends up admiring the decour and paintings in the guest room, having hit the jackpot on baby pictures of Nel. Including one of a chubby baby Nel getting a bath. Of her and her mom growing up. All very nice and quaint. Candles around and stuff.

Luctan, distracted by the little one, again ends up rolling a 0. (Luctan 0 count: 3) and cannot exactly succeed on stealth. The elven child is just so enamoured with the tiefling’s hair.

There are hushed voices behind the door, where the Braville women speak.

As the kazoo Bard has a stand off with the baby, the Ranger and Fighter hear most of what gets spoken inside.

Nel wants Norah out of town, because of assassins growing bolder. But the older woman stands her ground, stubborn, like her daughter and refuses to leave so easily. They go back and forth on this subject for a while as they discuss the letter...

Until the subject of Amelia is brought up.

“You’re not gonna listen to me. The least you could do is answer a question. How long have you known the blue one?” Information is traded between them and the mother does consede a bit.  “Interesting, maybe you should go on a friendship date.”

Given the bad stealth roll by the one with the many pointy weapons and the conversation drawing to a close, everyone tries to make a sneaky escape. With everyone, but Luctan succeeding. Nel’s Insight check is too strong, at 32. (But the group totally fools her mother, okay?!)

After some shenanigans and a polite conversation about frozen foods for Rimefang, between Burk and Norra, everyone soon find themselves out of the blue District and down, across a bridge, to a place called “The Tabernax Inn” tavern. One of the many suggested places they could visit, along side such locations as:

“ Ebriosus’Corner”. in the South West. ( an underground place for the “adult life), smoking, passions and raves)

“Tiger’s inn”, the Vineyard.

“ Harper Street” for sweets.

But that doesn’t matter right now. The party are too hungry to go anywhere, but the inn and any attempts to investigate, while walking are quelled for Luctan as the baby is his immediate world to protect.

There are people konked out at tables, inside. A Dark skinned Halfling woman, behind the bar. Giving a look over to the back of her room. There seems to be confetti on the floor. On the stage area there seems to be a large, very tall lute. Bellli recognizes the design. An experimental instrument. A base!

She approaches the stage and is met by the halfling woman, whom she begs to play the instrument. 

With some help of Luctan being the hypeman for the famous Narrah, Belli gets her chance.

And with a 24 in her Performance, she rocks out like there’s no tomorrow.

Food is on the house. Well, not on the house. On Nel.

Over breakfast  the full Brittish breakfast, the group talk in honest about Nel’s problem, which she denies she needs aide with.  People caught wind of Nel’s location and she had to lay low. Simple as that.  She’s obviously Fine. In all senses of the word.

We discuss in more in detail about what went down since last they talked with Nelatha. How they parted ways with Samson, upon reaching town. About the drama in Sa Doma and the news hitting them of Gexum. Of their move to inspect the orb again and the further revelations within. 

Luctan explains the addition of the baby and the party’s physical condition, thanks to the Flurries along the way and the wizard, who had ambushed them at night.

Nel suggests orphanages and delivering the baby to be adopted, which brings Luctan to the thought of how he didn’t even consider writing down that part as a task in Crystalgate. Some reflection is had, while Mournimar gets some pointers to visit the blacksmith  Dellemak, who would give a discount, if the tiefling mentioned he was a friend of “Matilda”. She suggest he just not ask too many questions. Alternatively, for armor, the Darksbane Army’s camp holds a smith, under the  Darkest Nightsbane.

Burk is inquisitive about Nel and Nora’s names and after a few minutes of being coy, the half-elven bard assures him that their names are their names.

Once Belli gets seperated from the guitar, as it’s original performer returns from sleeping upstairs, a Firbolg named “Lauren”...

... she joins Mournimar, Morgan, Burk and Rimefang on a walk to Dellemak’s. All the while Luctan, under the suggestion of Nel, finds the party some work from the Crystalgate Dungeons, joined by Ficus.

Pretty soon, the party are together again.

Mournimar with a new nail bat, an armor in the works and Burk? For the first time since they’ve known him, the party see the Goblin minus his armor.

Once together again, Luctan gives the group the skinny on what they can do for Crystalgate, in exchange for money. Five seperate jobs. Each promissing? Many possibly connected to the same pattern.

1. “Knight Kelvin Mountainsteel wants a job to be done, but the qualifications for said job are quite uncertain. He specifically asks to vet the people, who are to do the job for him, before he can even decide to hire them.”

2.  “Ziaz, Teller of Tales, slain in the Silver District. Anyone with clues to report back and can get a reward.”

3. “ Dame Carzyre Venzyre Carnove Pitra, famous dancer. had called in an Issue of screaming from a nearby home, the local guards are too occupied with other work in this metropolis to answer.”

4. “Lord Arwen of Elevir, Member of the “Circle of Shaksban”, wants help with an issue of possible high powered mage. Needs qualified people, who can handle magic users, rather than the guards.”

5.  “ String of Murders in the Bronze District, details inside.”

Upon the mention of murders, Mournimar can’t help but think of his mother and hopes this isn’t related to her or the cult. Whether that is the case or not is yet to be discovered, alas.

What catches Belli’s attention is the third job. The one of Dame Pitra’s call for aide. Belli’s heard of the dancer before. About 27 years old, the performer was/is a Fire Genasi. A fire dancer, if you will.

Short term, the group agree on what to do from here, for the day at least.

Part one: Try and convince The Darksbane Army to help out at Lake Stren and prevent the shedding of blood, the rise of a mysterious creature from beneath.

Part two: Help the Dancer.

Part three: Investigate the Keemis medalion, back at the Temple of Keemis. A curiosity that had been bothering Luctan since they found the medalion amidst the remains of one of the Flurries.

As they finish their meals and are lead to the location of the DBA, something in the skies catches their attention.

A dot at first. Then a mass. Which takes the shape of a person flying at 100mph down towards the ground.

Belli prepares herself to cast something to prevent her faaaaaaaall... Until the tiefling, herself casts Feather Fall and makes a dramatic landing. Eye catching, both in the execution and in the appearance of the Executor.

A tiefling of purple skin, red make up and bright green eyes, the acrobatic feminine figure brings attention to herself all the more with rhyming and yeet of a bouquet~!

Ashen is her name and Mysticism is her game!

Having most of everyone around in awe, by this point, Ashen smiles, throws two cards towards them and onlookers, before smashing a small gasbomb into the ground, disappearing from sight.

Upon these cards, there are four simple words:

“ Voltani Mystique” and “Every dusk.”

The younger members of the group can’t help but hoot and holler in excitement at what they had just witnessed.

That was wonderful! STUPENDOUS! And how she flew!

Oh.

She flew.

Luctan pretty quickly goes in a near fetal position over the realization that he too could fly, with wings that is, and now couldn’t. He just sits there, much to the pity of his friends.

Until Amelia steps in. And, like a baller, casts Levitation upon the disguised tiefling man.

To say that this brings happiness to his soul is an understatement as, pretty soon, after the baby gets held safely by another, Luctan proceeds to dance. Twist, turn and spin. Flip and maneuver as though he was flying with his own will and skill. Showing what his maneuvers had been like before tragedy tipped those away from him.

There is so much joy, so much bliss in the performance that he even earns two silver coins out of it from onlookers.

And if not for that.

Then Luctan wouldn’t have seen the figure, eyeballing him from the back.

Luctan recognizes someone from the shadows. Someone, who used to work with his mom. His babysitter at some point. And this is weird since he’s not from around here.

‘Concern.’

Previous Episode / Next Episode

[fascinatedhelix]

A shitload of Deltarune headcanons below the cut:

Hometown

Kris

Has selective mutism, but can really talk if you get them going.

Is skilled in many musical pursuits, including singing, but doesn’t like having to face the audience in order to perform, so they prefer the piano.

Might have something along the lines of bipolar disorder, but where that starts and the frequent possessions by foreign entities ends is a mystery. Adverse reactions to medicine prevent them from going the medical route of treatment.

Obtained the birdcage from the attic where either the previous homeowner or Toriel left it after having a pet bird.

Was adopted as a baby.

Highschool age but probably not a Senior or Freshman.

More of a battle strategist and puzzle solver than a leader, but still a valued member of the team regardless.

Susie

Has been an outcast from a young age.

Wore that funny ponytail from the concept art as a kid, as well as a bow. Probably dressed much more feminine back then.

Probably either poor or subject to subpar parenting, either neglect or hovering. Maybe something like Lancer’s situation where her family isn’t at rock bottom, but they don’t care enough to provide for her as much as they can.

Has some degree of pica, but has a stomach strong enough to not die from it.

Doesn’t like quiet people because one of her neglectful parents is like that.

Would probably eat cigarettes instead of smoke them.

If she had been introduced to Kris while they were pranking someone, they might have sparked a friendship as the school troublemakers.

The Town

Monster religion isn’t Christianity. There’s no cross, and there’s a pointed emphasis on worshipping an Angel as opposed to the son of God, so Jesus either isn’t in their mythos at all or is not considered as important a figure. One part of their religion is the reduced or nonexistent consumption of alcohol.

There was no full-scale war between humans and monsters, but there was enough conflict to designate territories where one is the vast majority over the other. Gerson’s writings may have been based on the tensions of this time period.

The school used to be a religious boarding school but was secularized sometime before the events of the game.

The general public isn’t 100% sure what is up with Kris. Though they’re a bit of a local celebrity, nobody’s really sure why Kris acts the way they do. Media doesn’t depict humans as being so taciturn or erratic, so they honestly don’t know what to make of them.

Darkworld

Darkeners

In nature, darkeners are not monsters, but rather another classification of magical being that is a little more physical in makeup. If a monster dies, they turn into dust, but if a darkener dies, they might leave a shriveled corpse or a pile of sludge.

Darkeners tend to be changeable based on the amount of light in the environment; too much light makes them antsy and irritable, while little to no light makes them relaxed and confident. Light and dark levels affect their power, so of course, it’d affect their moods too.

The Board used to be its own sovereign nation, but it was either conquered by the Card Kingdom or merged by way of royal marriage.

Darkeners can reduce themselves into cards or toys if too badly damaged, or to play dead if threatened.

Lancer

Middle school age. Probably knows where babies come from but he isn’t at the point where he finds it anything but gross (prepubescent).

More educated than he looks, but not in anything especially important, just stuff that looks good on a king.

Will eventually grow to be as big as his father, but he probably won’t develop his temperament.

He inherits his goofy personality from his mom, even though she died/disappeared when he was very little.

He’s got some dog-like traits, but not nearly as much as the dog monsters from Snowdin. It’s a contributor to his hole-digging habit.

He’ll probably have some initial trouble speaking when he grows his big boy teeth (fangs like his dad’s).

His goofy demeanor will cool down when he gets older so he might come to resemble Asgore in terms of personality when he gets to that point, though perhaps less oblivious to others.

The Kings

The King of Spades’ given name is Pike. He doesn’t like it because it sounds dog-like and makes him sound simple-minded, so it's using is only reserved for those extremely close to him (that is, his wife, at least before she left the picture, and maybe the other kings).

The other kings are either Spades’ cousins, his brothers, or members of three other royal houses. Either way, the lot of them have known each other for a very long time.

Clover is the Princess/Jack of Clubs, though she isn’t in the habit of acting like it, hence why she’s still running free despite being in competition for the throne, technically. Too busy arguing with herself.

The kings all had different reactions when the princess and later prince were born. Clubs was experiencing a lot of emotions when Clover was born, with pride and protectiveness lording over all the others. Diamonds thought the kids were cute as babies but he didn’t want them to puke on him so he kept his distance. Hearts loved the babies to the point he acted kind of like a second mom.

The King of Diamonds is a rather apathetic guy who just wants to do his job and get paid at the end of the day. He, like the Rudinns, has something of a weird dragon-like instinct to hoard shiny stuff, so he likes to have his things bejeweled to hell and back.

The King of Hearts is a lot like the Hathys in that he’s kind of a lovebug. He’s a sappy guy who probably reads romance novels, good and bad, out the wazoo and is probably the biggest consumer of romcoms this side of the Darkworld. Finds the art of courtship to be the purest of art forms, even though he’s single.

The King of Clubs has as many personalities as he has heads, and they all have their own names, but the consensuses he comes to are usually really sound and thought through, so he makes for an effective though slow king. He was perhaps the closest to Spades out of the lot of them, being black suits and all, but ultimately this helped none during Spades’ takeover. He’s kind of like a weird lion hydra.

The King of Spades was, at one point, a rather quiet guy himself. He preferred to work in the shadows and keep to himself, and to his credit, this worked well for him, though he tended to feel forgotten and useless at times. The Knight came after him because he was a relatively insecure soul and more prone to holding grudges, which gave the Knight something to latch onto and blow out of proportion.

Rouxls Kaard

He’s made of silly putty. Though most headcanons of him make it so he melts when stressed, I think he only gets all liquidy when he’s relaxed. He probably sleeps in a bathtub.

He consciously has to keep up that eloquent facade, because he thought it was cool at one point, but he’s done it so much it’s become a force of habit and now he can’t not do it.

I like to imagine he’s bisexual, though he’s probably too preoccupied with trying to keep himself alive than pursuing love. If he did return anyone’s affections, he’d probably be very hush-hush about it at first because of his concerns with Spades.

He probably has slurped worms from a soup bowl like he was slurping up ramen before.

He literally can’t stop smiling. Has anyone else seriously not noticed how his smile never wanes when he gets mad or scared? It actually gets wider, you can only see how he feels through his eyes and tone. Not sure if this is how his face is structured or what.

I like the idea of him having some degree of reality-warping powers as the rules card, but that’d require his opponent to be playing his game. So, the only instance in which he could do that is if someone accepted a proper challenge from him. Puzzles are not his forte at all, and it’s implied he’s incompetent at battle too, so what is his game, then?

[the-skooma-den]

threw together a couple headshots of Syke cause i wanted to do a proper profile of her, so anyone curious about the character i spend so much time ranting about and drawing thats gonna be under the read more

Part 2 here 

directory to all posts about her and her siblings are here

Real Name: Ava Aurelia Cassia Camoran Tharn Latona. she has an untold amount fake names and identities for a wide variety of purposes, Nowadays she mainly goes by Syke Ivywood, and thats what most of the Dominion knows her as (and is also her in game name)

Age: turned 28 right around when the main plot started. I assume years pass through the DLC’s, including one year where she does the mages and fighters guild quest as well as a bunch of quests.

Race: Imperial. Her father was a bosmer and she takes heavily after him. Her grandpas a Khajiit, which is only relevant here because her dad took heavily after his dad. Hence syke’s weirdly golden eyes and slightly to sharp teeth. 

Class: Nightblade, focus on siphoning magic

Personality: One might look at her usual scowl and her serious demeanor and assume she's the typical lone wolf edgy assassin, and they’re only really half wrong. She’s not a loner by choice,she doesn’t hate people really, shes just not great at interacting with people. Anyone who knows who she actually is tend to be scared of her (even other members of the brotherhood) and that's not great for ones self confidence. In a few words, she’s just awkward and extremely introverted. That being said she is kinda grumpy, but if an evil god stole your soul you would be to.

As for the series Demeanor, that really just her face. She’s just not a smiley person ya know? She just as an incredibly flat affect and it either takes really strong emotions or a lot of effort on her part to break it. She’s actually pretty damn nice, even if she doesn’t really “get” a lot of social norms.Being raised in a assassin cult worshiping the void can do that to a girl.

What also does not help the usual perception of her, is her Bad temper and very very low bullshit tolerance. She’s not hard to piss off and it can be explosive. Usually not the yelling and screaming explosive but the getting right up in your face out of nowhere and quietly informing you that if you say one more word she’ll individually break every bone in your hand type way.

She’s what her mother would kindly call “strong willed” and what everyone else would call debilitatingly stubborn . Keeping in mind this is a woman who was wronged by what is essentially the demon god king of domination and then decided “I’m going to kick his ass” and then did. For good or ill she rarely if ever gives up.

Due to the fact she is technically a noblewoman, she tends to be extremely private as well. The other Cyrodilic nobles know of her and her family, but just know them as the family that for the most part gave up their titles and have no intention of trying to get them back, they have no idea that theyre a whole family of assassin in the Dark brotherhood. That does not mean that they ignore her or her family as even if her family doesn’t want the titles the fact they exist can mess up others claims to the throne.Especially Ava who suffice to say has a pretty decent claim to several very important titles. This has lead her to take on a variety of different fake names and wearing different masks to avoid being recognized both in her daily life and in jobs for the brotherhood...at least at first.

As it turned out she's a natural actor with one hell of a flair for the dramatic. She may have issues interacting with people as herself, but she finds it easier when pretending to be someone else. She got so into it that she has whole characters that she pretends to be for all kinds of purposes, like say if she needs access to mages or fighters guild resources or if a particular job for the brotherhood calls to act as a maid for a little bit.

as for how the Dominion crew know her, well they actually come closer to knowing her then most. When Raz dragged her out of the ocean at Khenarthis roost she was so out of it she was barely able to come up with a fake name let alone a whole character, so they all end up genuinely knowing her as she truly is. Turns out she doesn’t mind that as much as she thought she would.

Backstory (before the main plot): She’s a third generation member of the Dark brotherhood, and most of her direct family (siblings, parents, aunt and one set of grandparents) are apart of it. Her grandmother, A Bosmer noble named Cassa, married an Imperial nobleman when she was pretty young. Cassa wanted to get out of Valenwood and her husband was looking for a way to rebel against his family and found it in a hot bosmer lady. They ended up having one kid together, Lara

A few years later Cassa ends up falling in with and getting pregnant by a khajiiti baker her husband hired, and her husband is not to happy about that to say the least.  He fires and sends the Khajiit away and Cassa is less then happy about that as well. She kills her husband and so convincingly makes it look like an accident that if the brotherhood hadn't already had a contract out on him no one would have ever known it was murder. 

So Cassa ends up joining the brotherhood after her second kid by the khajiit man was born. She never really connected with the bosmeri pantheon or the Green pact, and she ends up taking to Sithis real well. She also as soon as she was able went to find her love and they were married as soon as possible. They all lived in Valenwood for a number of years and both her kids grew up in the brotherhood as well. 

 Eventually the younger one son, Tanis, marries an Imperial woman,Livillia. Also a runaway noblewoman,her mother was friends with Cassa and she was seeking sanctuary with her. Livillia is specifically one of Abnur Tharns kids, who no longer wanted to deal with the Tharn family drama. 

They have a kid together (That is of course Ava). Tanis’s older sister and Cassa’s first child, Lara, has a one night stand with an Altmer and has her own kid who she names Ceryneian (or Nia for short). And they all live pretty happily for a while, as far as anyone knew the family was just a bunch of nobodies, rich nobodies who kept all hours but still just nobodies. They had for the most part completely abandoned all noble titles, even if the nobles weren’t done with them.

When Ava was about 10 years old her great aunt Cilvia tharn found out that Livillia was still alive. She was well aware that if she tried to do anything to Elsweyr Livillia would likely act against her. Livillia may be a member of the brotherhood, but she wasnt completely evil. Cilcvia sent assassins after Ava’s parents, they missed her but her parents were taken by surprise and sadly killed. None of her family felt right staying in valenwood anymore, So Lara took Ava in and moved to the Gold coast where she had spent her early childhood and had inherited some estate.  Her grandparents Moved to Elsweyr and both Ava and Nia would spend summers there as kids. 

So Ava ends up “officially” a member of the brotherhood ,after toddling around the sanctuaries her whole life, at about 15 years old, and was never prouder. Normally they wouldn’t have let someone so young in but once again, she had literally been toddling in sanctuaries, they figured it was fine.

On one of her first genuinely dangerous missions, to kill a necromancer in Northern Elsweyr (chaperoned by her grandma of course), she came across one of said necromancers future sacrifices. This sacrifice happened to be a 13 year old khajiit boy named Thera (later going by Jo’Thera)  with some odd fur patterns, and fuck man he was just a kid (granted shes only a couple years older then him) and Ava couldn’t just leave him there alone. Ava saved him and took her back to Anvil with her after she killed the necromancer as according to the kid, he didn’t have a family or anywhere to go. Lara hears the kids story and is just like…. Welp… guess i got a 3rd kid now.  (as Thera grows up if there's one thing he gets from his adopted family its a love for drama and dramatic irony. He takes to necromancy pretty quickly)

That peace continued for a few years until she was about 19. At 19 years old she got the offer to join the Psijic order, Not because she was particularly powerful or even all that good at magic (at the time of course, she gets much better later), but due to her lack of formal teaching she had her own odd way of casting and working with it that caught their attention. Basically imagine that she did a really complicated math problem wrong, but ended up with the right answer and somehow accidentally discovered a new much easier formula to that particular problem, she did the magic version of that and showed a lot of potential even outside of that.

Then she said no, she was happy in the brotherhood and her current life and she saw no reason to leave

When Ava was about 20 years old, Nia ran away because, well she wasn't as fond of the brotherhood as her mother or cousin, and its not exactly something you can just quit and walk away from. It broke the whole families heart of course but Ava took it particularly hard. She had considered her and had been referring to her as her sister even before her parents death

What really set it all off though was when Nia popped up again alive and well in Valenwood using the last name of their grandmothers family. She didn’t send them a message or anything, it just got to them by word of mouth because Nia had disowned them and been talking shit about them. After she ran away she went back down to Valenwood to claim the title that was rightfully hers, it turns out that she had found proof of her birthright and between that and her uncanny resemblance to her grandmother she barely had to be questioned. 

So Nia is in Valenwood with her relatives and had completely disowned the entire rest of her family. Her grandmother, Her mother and her (now deceased) Aunt and Uncle, and Ava and their brother as well. she never made any concrete statement as to why per say outside of “Not wanting to go down the same path as the rest of her family” which most people assumed meant completely abandoning their noble heritage and titles, not to mention their bosmeri heritage as well (which was partially true, but it was mostly about the whole murder cult thing). So yeah, Lara was heartbroken and Ava was pissed off to oblivion and back and Jo’thera....he was just hurt, but all decided that if that was where Nia wanted to be they weren’t going to drag her back.

At about 23 Ava met her first real significant other, A Dunmeri noble. It didnt go well for either of them really, lots of drugs, lots of unhealthy coping mechanisms, lots of secrets. not a good time. 2 years later, The Dunmer actually proposes to Ava, and Ava not only says yes but Ava tells her everything about the brotherhood, her own noble status, all of it. The Dunmer seems okay with it at first, and admits she kinda suspected who Ava’s family was based on the little she spoke about it, The brotherhood was the real surprising part there. The knife in Ava’s stomach later that night Makes it clear what she thought about that. So it was a messier breakup then most.  

Ava doesnt like to speak much of the relationship, but it hurt her more then she lets on and makes her more nervous then ever to be in a real romantic relationship 

Well after that mess Ava threw herself back into the brotherhood hardcore and also into hardcore drugs and alcohol.for about 5 years. Over those 5 years between the Dunmer incident, a lot of self reflection, and all sorts of anxieties she’s an unstable mess. Like verge of a mental breakdown type of mess. 

When she was kidnapped and later sacrificed by the wormcult many who knew her assumed that she had offed herself for good. She was gone for long enough that even her own family started to assume the worst

[twitchesandstitches]

Crossthicc Mega Man - Character summations

A general rule of thumb here. The different series of Mega Man translate to different bodies for the different characters. Even if that character doesn’t exist in canon for that series, they still have a body to match there. In general, Classic is their ‘default’ bodies; they’re not the most powerful but they’re the easiest on resource demands, very adaptable, and tend to be smaller and cuter. The X series bodies are extremely powerful, often larger than a human, and tend to be the most inhuman looking. The Legends bodies are effectively gynoids and androids; largely indistinguishable from regular humans, save for being generally better, and are subtly superhuman, able to shift into more powerful modes for bursts of power. They can have different forms to match different species, generally ones that fit their aesthetic. Mega Man, Protoman and Roll tend to skew towards human because of their father, Light, but the others tend to do their own thing. Finally, the EXE line isn’t really a body for them at all, but represents them digitizing themselves and uploading them to exist as informorphs, or information-based entities, and going full cyberspace.

Now, the actual characters!

The Robot Masters: All robot masters, Maverick bosses and similar characters are freed from being underneath Wily/Sigma’s control, and stay with the Fleet; either traveling with them or living on their planets. The gender ratios are different here, with most of the robot masters being women. They weren’t designed like that, but chose to alter themselves after feeling very at odds with their own identities following their freedom from Wily’s control. The Mavericks from the X series are the most likely to serve on the Fleet proper, but any of them might opt to travel with the Fleet for a while, in search of adventure or friendship. Several Mavericks and Robot Masters may have gone to the Stingers or even more antagonistic factions; but in general they’re not usually too nasty.

Protoman: Likely the main character of the Mega Man family, so to speak. He’s a blend of the helpful and protective, if aloof, big brother he is in canon, and with the tranquil fury of his Megas counterpart. He was the first true modern robot Light and Wily built, designed using lost technology that is now irreplaceable, particularly a power core said to be as powerful as a sun that may still incinerate him if he’s not careful. He has a terrible phobia of people trying to kill him and tear him asunder for his parts.

He and Zero, in all incarnations, are the same character here. In his base Protoman model, his platform has a really hard time channeling his power core’s energies and they tend to burn out fast, but have a lot of firepower. His small size, stoic demeanor, and adorable appearance tend to make him popular among Endowed of a protective mindset. He has a series of larger bodies termed his Zero series, ranging from a human sized war suit to a full on mini mech-class robot juggernaut, all of which favor the use of shields, laser swords and close combat. These tend to work better with his power core, and he has something of a thing against long range for this reason. He does have a Legends counterpart here: a stunningly handsome bishounen-looking guy with a massive mane of blonde hair, a truly massive pompadour, and a silent traveling swordsman motif.

He is a loyal big brother to Mega Man, even if he advocates a harsher response to enemies than his forgiving younger brother, he has a lot in common with his sister, Roll, and he tends to be a big brother to pretty much anyone around him; he’s a bit of a hidden romantic, too.

Mega Man: Or Rock, to use his personal name. Somewhat complex in that he is an avowed pacifist that detests killing for any reason, and yet is an incredibly skilled warrior with a pretty loose grasp on restraint. He really doesn’t like fighting and would rather be a helper to everyone around him, but he is compelled to help people in need, and may have a bit of a fatalistic streak that makes him gloomy at times. His strong sense of morality, status as a robot paragon, and mot of all just how dang adorable he is makes him VERY popular on the Fleet, particularly with the Smash-derived ladies.

In his base form, he’s not even four feet tall, very compactly build and seems designed to be as cute as possible. His X forms are closer to human size, a bit below average height, but tend to be constantly shifting form as he adapts to every available combat source. Larger X-models become progressively less human like, the biggest being giant-size mechs that resemble slender bipedal tanks with hulking cannons for arms. In general, though, he prefers elegance and understated friendliness to looking particularly fearsome. In Legends form, he’s a lot more charming than he normally is, shamelessly flirting with all the big ladies and even his enemies, and he’s certainly extremely pretty and non-threatening, even in battle. He is so very, VERY popular on the Fleet, you don’t even know.

Roll: She takes a much more active role here compared to canon, and is explicitly older than Rock and often acts as a quartermaster/administrator aboard the Fleet, taking charge and bossing people around in a helpful, gentle way. She’s more of a tank compared to Protoman’s glass cannon or Mega Man’s jack of all trades, and tends to move fast and hit really, REALLY hard. She tries to stay positive a lot, but she’s a lot more cynical and jaded than she lets on, feeling they should try to do the moral thing when they can, but if they can’t… well, it's out of their hands. She is definitely Endowed herself.

Though her brothers have more cutesy, tiny forms, even Roll’s baseline platform is taller than human average, almost seven feet tall, though this is appallingly tiny for an Endowed heroine. She makes up for it with her fembot body having absolutely massive breasts and hips, to the point that she is technically a shortstack in terms of body proportions despite her height. Her X-class bodies are way larger; even the smallest and most humanoid are over thirty feet high, with progressively more extreme boob/butt sizes that correspond to her firepower. She can synch up with other robots to boost their power, though this temporarily lowers her curve size. Her largest ones vary between either fembot bodies that are hundreds of feet tall, or literal walking tank mech forms that are not particularly humanoid in any way at all. They still tend to develop huge curves, due to her nature as an Endowed, but she can’t help it.

Her Legend form has to have height calibrated to the standard of whoever is around, but she can vary from several dozen feet to hundreds of feet, depending on what the general average is; she generally likes to be just a bit taller than other girls, if she can help it. She also has a LOT of hair, and likes to wear it wild and free. Her curves in this form tend to be pretty big: boobs as large as her upper torso, butt so large it doubles as a small chair.

Doctor Light: With the original Smash Fleet, he was a science hero and champion of robot rights, even donning a mech suit to fight for justice (and which has been the prototype for the Mega Man redesigns), but he was a young man in those days, and he’s settled down to raise a family (his one from the EXE series, specifically) and his youngest descendant, Lan, is a recurring partner to his… ‘brother’, in a complicated sense, Mega Man. He’s a robotics expert and often asked to lend his expertise to investigations. Usually he’s an elderly man, but he might take a longevity mod to return him to the prime of his (extremely handsome) youth.

Tron Bone: Older than in canon, impish as heck and something of a recurring, harmless antagonist. She is a gynoid similar to the ‘can pass as human’ platform the Light family robots employ, and appears to be something of a knock-off of the Light robots at first; she wasn’t made using the same processes as them, and her sapience coding is different. Her family of robot space pirates, who made a living by pestering archeologist who went to the ruins of ancient civilizations and pilfering the good technology they found, were all robots of various types who created new robot offspring by mashing up the stuff they found, and Tron Bonne was made using the Light robot positronic processor with various auto-factory gadgets and a humanoid frame. She’s a very intelligent woman, and regularly mass produces an army of tiny servobots in a process similar to organic hyper pregnancy.

She’s extremely attached to Mega Man, and despite being older than him and more experienced, she’s very immature and doesn’t really know how to communicate her feelings properly, so she makes do with half-hearted teasy rivalries and schemes to get his attention. Roll personally disapproves and would prefer her to grow up a bit first, but wouldn’t mind her being a sister in law if she can just mature a bit.

Tron Bonne’s robot family has, since she became its matriarch, joined up with the Cobalt Stingers and never looked back. She’s since been given the resources to design herself different bodies and platforms, and she switches between them so fast they’re like clothing to her. She has an analogue to a Classic body, and it's very similar to Roll’s; a human-sized and hyper curvy form that isn’t quite as massive as Roll’s but respectable Huge. She has a number of more powerful X-class fembot bodies that are obviously mechanical, and on par with Roll for sheer curve size. She doesn’t have many mech-class bodies, though, as she is very attached to her particular humanoid look. She’d rather pilot a mech than BE one. She can upload into data networks, EXE style, but she’s not too experienced with it. In general, her default form is modeled after her Legends look but is about twenty feet tall (with smaller variants), a little less hyper huge than Roll (proportionately speaking) with more of an extreme hourglass build.

She manufacturs her Servobots inside her body, and the overall effect is pretty much hyper pregnancy; her belly can get as large as the rest of her body from their sheer weight, and she becomes ravenously hungry for raw materials. She can also produce any weapon, robot, or complicated mechanical design as long as there is a schematic for it to be uploaded to her mind, but producing anything like this will make her insatiably hungry to eat things to use as resources. She can produce as much as she likes, but again, she is limited by available resources.

Wily: He used to be an extremist advocate for robot rights, and indeed his initial acts of violence were on behalf of that goal, but he’s fallen far from those lofty heights. At some point he did show signs of wanting to turn back, filled with remorse, and yet he’s redoubled on the cackling supervillainy. Something is very wrong with Wily, and he seems proof that the Maverick sickness can affect humans and other organics as well as robots, and provides a case study for its effects. Presently he works with Miscella Inc as a weapons designer, seemingly indifferent to them using robots as slave labor, but he has a lot of Wily robot duplicates around who all think they’re the real Wily, so he can pop up, anywhere, if a mad scientist antagonist is required. Sometimes he hangs out with his mad scientist buddies, including Liv Octavius, who is increasingly concerned by his downfall.

Sigma: He used to be an honorable and strong-hearted robot who aspired to nothing more than cataloguing archeological data and he certainly showed no indication of being anything other than a humble, helpful civil servant. That was before he worked with the Maverick Sphere and became… corrupted by it. He is a vector of it now, perhaps even an extension of it. There may yet be a way to save Sigma from its influence, but if he is still there, he is buried deep, and drowning. He essentially exists as a mobile incarnation of the idea of Robot As Threat, popping up wherever people fear machines that can think and feel, and he corrupts them into madness and violence, either bringing their fears to live for or antagonizing robots to the point that they lash out in self-defense. This factor is not well known, however; it's just known that no matter how many time he’s been killed, he always comes back, spreading yet more chaos for no apparent purpose, and every time his reasoning is completely different.

Other robots despise Sigma, even if they don’t know about the whole ‘driving them berserk’ thing. Many beings expect robots to be treacherous serial killers in any case, and he is making them look absolutely terrible. Organics detest him for the monster he has become, though there is an edge of pity from those who know his backstory. Sigma was a victim, yes… but so are those he torments, kills and corrupts.

Due to Sigma’s ever-shifting sense of identity and limitless supply of spare bodies, plenty of them might be uber-thicc fembots suitable to compete on the same level as Endowed heroines, Vriska’s chosen, or other super curvy ladies. Depends on Sigma’s mood, really.

Bass: One of the few Light robots who chose to follow Wily without having to be corrupted, and harbors a hyper violent fondness for battle that gets exacerbated with his upgraded forms into full on bloodlust. He’s a real black sheep to the Light family, and doesn’t really seem to care about much of anything but fighting and finding ways to improve himself. He hopes to attain what he calls the Strength Singularity, where he will achieve strength so immense that he will be the most powerful robot that could ever exist, and he is absolutely obsessed with this strange goal. He particularly has a grudge against Protoman, Mega Man and Roll, but any robot with great strength is a target to him, specially the Dinobots (who like to troll him by pretending they don’t know who he is), or the likes of Aradiabot and her follow robot gals.

Bass’ base form is small but extremely ferocious, but his upgrades make him progressively more violent to the point that they don’t really have higher reasoning, just combat awareness and a love for hurting things. These much larger and armored forms have been called his Vile forms, generally with a bit of a cyclops theme and big shoulder cannons. These range from nearly human-sized to terrifying engines of hyper-violence that are nearly as big as some of the spaceship-sized MILFs; however at that extreme, there is little left of Bass but bloodlust. He does have an android form, in the style of Legends, and mostly uploads into it to take part in tournaments and prove to himself that he can take on any organic even by limiting his power.

Rush, Treble, and others: this covers animal-like robot sidekicks such as those two, and characters that generally follow under their motif. They’re around and largely unchanged from canon: Rush, for instance, is a loyal robot dog who can shapeshift pretty freely, and he usually takes upgrade forms that complement Mega Man’s; a mech suit that another mech can pilot or wear as armor, for instance. In general, they have the same form options as the other characters listed. Their X-forms, however, are animalistic humanoid robots similar to the Mavericks.

[sassysweetstories]

Empress Part 7

Summary: You’re apart of the 100. You’re very bad-ass and don’t take shit from no-one. However, the longer you’re on earth, the more complicated things become.

Ship: Bellamy Blake x Fem!Reader, Dimitri!Grounder x Fem!Reader

Warnings: fluff, crying, angst, swearing, minor smut, fighting, mentions of abuse, blood, gore, etc.

Notes: none of these gifs are mine, credit to owners. i realize not all of this is side by side accurate to the show, bare with me. i hope you enjoy!

Tagged: @bailey-hoover @kiralivelove @thalia-prior-of-ravenclaw@anamcg317 @bellasett @queentiffanyyy @archer-whovian-violinist @beingmadinwonderland @princessisabelle19 @violence-and-velvet 

Third P.O.V

“Where’s (Y/n)?!” Bellamy yells, looking between the group of kids only to find that she wasn’t with them. Panic started to form deep beneath his skin, bubbling inside his heart. “I don’t know, I didn’t see her come back. I just saw her fall. Except when we went to look under the bridge, nothing was there.” Raven said, heaving for air after the long run from their immediate danger. Bellamy, still breathing hard, glared daggers at Finn. “You got something to say-” Even at the most inopportune times, Bellamy is more than willing to pick a fight when there isn’t a need for one. “YEAH! AND I TOLD YOU NO GUNS!” Finn screamed at Clarke to which she replied, “AND I TOLD YOU WE COULDN’T TRUST THE GROUNDERS AND I WAS RIGHT!” 

Raven nudged him in the shoulder, grabbing Finn’s attention. “AND WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU WERE UP TO?!” He shook his head at one of his loves. “I TRIED, BUT YOU WERE TOO BUSY MAKING BULLETS FOR YOUR GUN!” Bellamy cut him off, barking. “YOU’RE LUCKY SHE BROUGHT THEM! THEY CAME THERE TO KILL YOU AND (Y/N)’S GONE OR PROBABLY DEAD RIGHT NOW!” Finn threw his hands in the air, shocked by Bellamy’s already sure mentality. “YOU DON’T KNOW THAT! JASPER FIRED THE FIRST SHOT!” Octavia glared at Jasper, barely giving him the time of day before saying shortly and walking off, “You ruined everything..” The rest of them head back to camp, leaving Bellamy and Clarke. "How are we gonna get (Y/n) back? I didn’t see if any of the grounders took her but if they did it’s definitely a good move on their part, and don’t say you don’t want to go looking for her.” 

Clarke demanded. There was no way in hell she was going to leave (Y/n) alone, not when there was a chance that she was still alive. There wasn’t a body to be found, so there must be hope. “We go searching for her in the morning. The grounders know this place better at nighttime, I’m sure. Though she can be an ass, we need her. Besides-” He pauses, looking off in the distance to see a large mass barreling towards the earth at an alarming rate. “The Arke..” Clarke says with awe, happy tears beginning to form in her eyes at the thought of being reunited with her mother. That is until she noticed how fast the drop-ship was coming. “Something’s wrong-” All of a sudden, the ship crashed directly into the ground, a large explosion knocking a series of trees down in the process. “No..” Clarke said as she clutched her stomach in pain, heart aching for the last piece of her family left. 

Your P.O.V

Peeling my eyes open, I see nothing but a giant blur. Nothing is clear and my head and left shoulder are throbbing for a reason unbeknownst to me. Groaning, I try to blink and clear my vision to get a better view of my surroundings. When I attempt to prop myself up with my elbows, I’m tugged back down by a pair of drapes that bind me to a bed. The bridge attack, I remember. I tug again but I’m not strong enough to break them, especially considering the amount of blood I’ve possibly lost. All I could remember was being shot and a large, black mass coming towards me. Now I’m strapped down to a bed in a barely lit cave, probably hundreds of miles away from camp, with little to no vision. I tug against the restraints again, cussing under my breath when they don’t budge. 

As my eyes begin to adjust, I notice a tall body in the corner by one of the candles. Instinctively I jolt back, ready to fight whomever dared to hurt me before flinching in pain. The body quickly got up and walked out of the cave, out of my view. The second he walks around the corner, I shake and shimmy under the restraints, heart beat rising as I try desperately to get out of them until three more large bodies emerge along with the previous man. Two flank on one side while the other one flanks on the opposite wall as a man walks in between them. My heart is thumping in my throat as I await for my inevitable doom but the closer the man comes towards me, the more I recognize his facial features. We look deep into each others eyes before it clicks. “Dimitri?” He lunges forward, wrapping me in his arms before releasing my bounds. I cling to him like he’s life support. If I was bound, was I really that unidentifiable? Had I got hurt that badly? 

When he takes off his mask, I’m finally able to see his features, traces of him that I oh so love. “H-How did you find me? H-How did you know where I was going to be?-” Looking over his shoulder at the four curious eyes. Automatically, I stand up straighter and I can’t help but ask. “Dimitri, who are these people?” When he looks back at them, I notice a faint smile making its way onto his face. Because of Dimitri, I’m finally easing up to people but not enough to not be wary of them. “These are my closest friends. Princessa, I’d like you to meet Ruker, Dante and Sloane.” They take off their masks and I take their appearances in. Each one of them resembles Dimitri’s ensemble, this time taking notice to a distinct light blue bandanna with a white sun and moon symbol etched into it. All of them wear it on their right sleeves, near their armpits. “Thank you for saving my life.” I say, honestly. They must be in an entirely different clan to the ones we currently have beef with. Sloane and Dante give me a warm smile in return while Ruker eyes me warily, as if I’m going to strike at any moment. 

He notices me watching him, almost as if I read his own thoughts. “You don’t trust me. And you have every right not to. My people have hurt a large portion of grounders. Your wariness is valid and I do not take it to heart. I only wish to convey to you that I am not like them in their attempts to cause destruction. We are people trying to survive, only running on the mentality that we’d kill our own for one more day of life. That kind of way is almost innate. And I hope that with time your view of me differs.” I say with a strong voice before looking to Dimitri. “Love, how did you find me? How did you know I was in trouble?” Sloane explains before he gets the chance, almost aching to actually talk to a sky-person. Sometimes I forget that I’m a practical alien to them, someone they are genuinely intrigued by. “Dimitri had been looking out for you for a while and we have people always listening in on the other clans, heard there was going to be a meeting between Skykru and Treekru. We came to make sure you were alright.” 

I look at her in awe and then back at Dimitri. “You’ve been looking out for me? But I’m suppose to be your enemy, why? You all-” I look to them. “took a huge risk and saved my life. You could’ve left me for dead.. I am forever in your dept.” I feel Dimitri’s gaze on me the whole time before he finally looks back up at his friends before saying, “Can yu bants osir kom talk gon a minute?” His friends almost bow for him and I can’t help but tilt my head in curiosity. Sloane and Dante smile at me on the way out and I can’t help but return the kind gesture while Ruker continues to look at me unevenly. Was that a customary thing for his people to do? When I turn back, Dimitri’s lips crash into mine. I almost forgot what he felt like, his body pressed up against mine. “I’m sorry-” He says pulling away. “I couldn’t help myself. I just missed you. I wanted to see you.” Dimitri says, shrugging. I noticed he acts more carefree when he’s wrapped around my arms. Even with his friends, there’s a slight difference, like he has to act a certain way but with me, he’s free. 

Placing my free hand atop his cheek, I can’t help but look into his deep, ocean blue eyes. “Thank you. Thank you for saving my life. That was a huge risk you took for me. And to get your friends involved, that mustn't have been easy. You sacrificed so much for me. I don’t know how to repay you..” He shook his head, pulling me closer to him but wary of my wound. “Princessa, I would give my life up for you. You haven’t to return anything to me. But I do have a question.” I sit up, leaning against the wall for support. I notice Dimitri’s demeanor change, face rough, almost warped into a scowl that I saw when we first met. But what he asks next is more than I’m ready for. “When we cleaned your wounds, I- we noticed wounds, ones that weren’t from the bridge attack.. These ones were cuts, bruises, burns, etc. Princessa, I wouldn’t ask unless it was necessary but you are my sonraun- er- my life. I can’t sleep knowing you aren’t safe.” 

Instinctively I wrap my arms around my body, pulling myself away from him, feeling as though I’m shrinking and honestly, that’s all I want to happen. I want to curl up into a ball and disappear. He’s found out my darkest secret and now it’s too late, he’ll throw me away like he did because I wasn’t enough. It’s like he notices my internal struggle. Dimitri gently takes my hands in his before bringing my chin up to look at his beautiful eyes. It takes me a second to realize that he’s crying and I can’t figure out as to why before he explains, “Princessa, you are my everything. I need to know that you are safe. I broke down when I first saw these bruises.. Nobody and I mean nobody has the right to hurt you that way. (Y/n).. please talk to me..” I don’t know what came over me but when I looked at him, I didn’t just see the boy I’ve grown to love, I saw his soul, one that I could trust wholeheartedly. And so I told him everything. I let it all out like a dam breaking, crumbling for the first time in years. 

I tell him about the years of abuse from my father after my mother was floated. He never told me why she was killed but he blamed all of it on me. Kept telling me that I was useless, that we didn’t have enough to survive and I didn’t deserve food or the right to breath. I told Dimitri about the years spent trying to survive night after night full of fear, most of which were actually spent at Mrs. Kane’s place. She let me work and sleep there most nights. I told him about her saving me, about assaulting the guards to get down to the ground so that I could be free of my father. And when I’m done, I sigh a breath of relief. Dimitri took to his knees, his waist in between my legs as he wrapped his arms around my hips, sobbing openly into my side. I am more relaxed in this moment than I’ve been my entire life. Running my hands through his choppy, blonde hair, he continues to cry for me. Nobody has ever reacted this way, but now that I think about it, he was the first besides Mrs. Kane I’ve actually told. 

I don’t know how long we’re sitting like this until Dimitri finally pulls away, resting his hands on my cheek, I try not to flinch. The reaction is innate at this point, and sadly Dimitri notices the slight gesture, pulling away only for me to grab his hands. “Hey, look at me-” I lift up his chin to meet my eyes. “I’m not flinching because of you. I’m flinching because of what he did. I know you. I trust you. I’m not afraid of you. I flinch because it’s innate.” He shakes his head, face red with anger and sadness. Pressing his soft lips against my knuckles, tears fall from his eyes as he blinks up at me. “Princessa, as long as I have breath in my lungs, I will not let anyone harm you. Ever. It breaks my heart and hurts my soul to see this much pain brought to you. But I will always protect you. Some grounders may think that you and your people are the enemy but I don’t give a damn what people think.” 

He lifts my legs up to rest on the bed while he sits on the floor, running his thumb up and down my wrist. “Sleep princessa, you will better in the morning. Though I’d love for you to stay, you need to go back to your people and fix things. They need a leader. They need you.” I nod, smiling at him before I start to fall asleep. Right before I slip into unconsciousness, a series of voices surround me. “Ya know for a sky-person, she looks angelic. I thought she’d have like eight eyes or something.” Dante says. I feel his eyes almost watching me in fascination as Dimitri never lets go of my hands. “She’s the strongest of them all. No doubt about that. I think I’ve got a new best girl friend.” Sloane says, her voice chipper but strong nonetheless. “Ruker, I know you’re wary of her but I need you to trust me when I say that I care deeply for her. She could be a very strong ally.” Dimitri confessed as Sloane gawked. “You’re not suggesting-” Dimitri cut her off. “I am.” It was the last thing I heard before slipping off into unconsciousness. 

The next morning I wake up feeling better than I had before, more awake and rejuvenated. My shoulder is still sore from the bridge attack but I don’t let it stop me from moving. I have a heart to heart with Dimitri once more before thanking his three friends and heading back home. There was no way in hell I was going to tell my people know about them, especially not when the time wasn’t right. When I arrive back at camp, I realize it’s much quieter than normal. Taking off the hood of my cloak, I wave down the gun-men who unlatch the door and let me back in. One of the boys, Trevor, who never seems to leave my side or stop worrying about me, updated me on what’s happened since I was gone. “Murphy’s back, infected by a virus from the grounders. We already have had three deaths because of it-” I’m gone not even a full day and everything’s gone to shit. I shake my head before making my over to the drop ship, nodding to those who thought I was dead. Some gawk and drop their materials in shock as I walk by looking nothing but powerful. 

“Clarke!” I shout upon seeing her nessled up on one of the cots. “(Y/n)!” She crokes, catching Finn, Octavia and Murphy’s attention. “Don’t come near me!” But it’s too late, I’m by her side and for some reason I know I won’t be infected. Octavia gives me a hug while I provide Finn with a respected nod. “How the hell did you get out of there? We were just going to send out a scouting troop but we were infected before we could.” I shake my head, laughing. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you. Trevor updated me on what’s happening. Is there a cure for this?” Octavia shook her head, looking at the sick bodies. “Lincoln said that there was no cure, that it wouldn’t last long but set the grounds for war-” She pauses and my eyes go wide. “They’re coming. The grounders are coming at first light.” 

I take a deep breath in through my nose, unaware of how much shit we were really in. Before I come up with a plan to get all of these sick kids out of here, three new people enter the drop-ship. Two guards caring a pale, bloody boy. It takes me a minute to realize that that pale boy is Bellamy. “Bellamy, oh my god!” I take him from the two boys, lifting him up on my own and rest him down on one of the free mats before he turns his head to cough up blood. Octavia is by his side in less than a second, crouching down to her knees to pat the sweat from his brow. “Hey, big brother.. It’s gonna be okay..” Bellamy looks between us, his left hand wrapping around mine while Octavia takes his right. “My two favorite girls.. “ My heart stops for a second. What did he mean by that. “-I’m really glad you’re both here.. You are both here, right? I’m not going crazy? You need to get out of here or you’ll get infected. (Y/n), we were going to send a scouting crew, I swear-” I shush him, actually smiling. “Blake, it’s alright. I also think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. Maybe you’re not such an ass.” 

Despite the serious situation, he lets out a low chuckle that turned into a cough. “Don’t get use to it, your highness.” I shake my head at his sass, shifting my weight so I can help the others. “Alright, get some rest-” But as I’m about to move, Bellamy’s grip on my hand tightens and I try not to flinch, not that he would notice it. “Please, don’t leave me. Just sit with me, please.” Bellamy’s voice is so soft and innocent, for a second I think that the man in front of me is not the obnoxious Blake boy I’ve come to possess a love-hate relationship with. I decide to get comfy and take a free rag to cool his sweaty head as he drifted off into unconsciousness. “Ya know, Blake. You’re not so bad when you’re not being a dick. You’re actually kinda alright. I know that you’re trying to the right thing but sometimes the thing you might want to do might not be right. Get some rest.” 

Whilst unconscious and practically tied to Bellamy’s hand, I talk to Octavia. “So what did Lincoln tell you? What did he say exactly?” Octavia runs from one side of the room to the next, helping the dehydrated kids while explaining. “Lincoln said that they use the drug to set the playing field for war, a strategy to enable our defenses. When we’re at our lowest, which should be at dawn, they’ll attack. Finn and Jasper are heading out with a bomb that Raven created in hopes to destroy the bridge that they use to cross over to get us. If they pull it off, that’ll buy us some time to get everyone out of here.” Taking a quick scan around the room, I hadn’t realized that Finn had left the room. I’m also reminded to catch up with Raven, Monty and Jasper when I get the chance. If this is the last time I get to see them, I want to make sure I see them once more.

“Okay. Until they get back, we have to make sure everyone heals, or is at least up to par.” I replace my hand with a blanket so that I can help spread water, looking over my shoulder to talk to Octavia. “And what if worst comes to worst? What do we do then?” She sighs, patting one of the kids head. “We run or stick all of the kids in here. This drop-ship is pretty strong and should give us enough time to come up with a second plan.” I nod along to her words before going out to grab some more water, helping the infected back into the drop-ship for quarantine. Before I know it, it’s almost morning and Clarke and Bellamy are both up, leading people inside, looking much better than they had prior to yesterday. “Welcome back to the land of the living. You feeling better?” I ask Blake as he rubbed his chocolate brown eyes. The bags are gone and he has more color in his face than he had before. “Much better. I don’t remember if I asked, but how did you get out of that attack?” 

I open my mouth to come up with some bologna excuse that would be enough for him to accept until a loud explosion erupted from behind me. “Holy shit, Jasper did it.” Clarke said to the right of me while Bellamy gave me a faint smile as we looked up at a massive explosion erupting from the tree-line. I only hoped to god that Dimitri and his people weren’t harmed in the attack. The next two days pass by like a blur. I haven’t really been able to leave the camp to see Dimitri except when his owl comes to see me. He always comes when I’m by the fence at night, sending letters back and forth to one another. But besides that, I’ve been trying to pick up bits and pieces of what’s been around and too paranoid to have the grounders attack again. I’m so busy I almost don’t notice a fight that’s broken out and a small fire that’s burnt all of our food. Bellamy has taken the approach to break up the fight but we can’t use the water to put it out. “THAT WAS ALL OF OUR FOOD! WHAT THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSE TO DO NOW?!” 

When the fire finally dimes down, I make my way over to Bellamy and Clarke. “We have to hunt, we don’t have a choice. We break everyone into groups, one gun per group, no later than nightfall.” Clarke smiles up at me, probably thinking the same thing I was. Bellamy glanced between the two of us, not satisfied with taking orders from us but in reality, I’m sure it was a weight being lifted from his shoulders. More than one opinion is better than one alone. I’m off with a group of my own, grabbing as much as we can find before heading back to camp. I thank my group for their hard work and then head over to Bellamy’s tent to update him on how much we brought and numerically how much more we might need. When I open the tent, my eyes go wide before forcing my gaze to the ground. Raven and Bellamy half naked, wrapping in each others arms, both their bodies covered from head to toe in sweat. 

For some reason, I feel nauseous and dizzy. “Oh- jeez- I’m sorry. I should have knocked- I’ll go-” I’m gone and across camp, back to my tent before Bellamy or Raven can track me down. I pace across my makeshift tent, breathing heavily and unsure as to why I was feeling this way. I was heated and mad for some reason. Why would Bellamy’s sex life have anything to do with how I’m feeling? Maybe everything with the grounders is all getting to my head. I’m breathing heavily despite the fact that I have no reason to be winded. For some reason, I can’t pull the image of Raven and Bellamy together out of my head. However I’m not in there for long before Octavia comes in, telling me that both Finn and Clarke have been gone for far too long from hunting. 

Good, a distraction. I thought to myself before seeing Raven and Bellamy tag along. Raven gives me a respectful smile, as if she were trying to justify something to me. The longer I look at her, the more it makes sense. She didn’t sleep with Bellamy because she liked him, she wanted to get over the heartbreak of Finn. But why would she care, why would I care? I don’t have feelings for him? She walks with Octavia while I’m regretfully stuck with Bellamy. He carries his gun like it’s life support and I refuse to meet his strong gaze that seems to stair directly into my soul. His strong gaze makes me feel uneasy which is odd because I’m usually use to such facial reactions. But I can’t deal with it, walking in on such an intimate moment, whether he thought it was that or not. 

“You won’t look at me.” He says and I can’t help but roll my eyes. “Congrats, Sherlock. You’ve once again stated the obvious. Do you want a reward, or something?” Bellamy grabs my arm to get my attention and I try not to flinch at the sudden action, it’s not hard but it was definitely something I wasn’t ready for. “Why won’t you look at me? See something you like?” He has the audacity to wink and wiggle his brows up and down suggestively. This time I glare up at him with a fiery passion before ripping my arm out of his grasp. “Get your head out of your ass, Blake. You’re not my type. I won’t look at you because some people actually see sex as something important, not something to be thrown around willy nilly but at the end of the day it is your choice. I do not judge, I don’t have the right. Your sex life, or there lack of, has nothing to do with me, and I’d like to keep it that way. And finally, Bellamy Blake, I wouldn’t touch you with a thirty-nine and a half foot pole.” 

I march ahead of him, already exhausted with our childish bickering. “You sure about that, princess?” When he says it, I have swallow back down the bile that’s started to form. It sounds so much better coming from Dimitri’s soft lips rather than his. “It’s queen to you. You, Blake, remind me a Russian doll, full of yourself.” He’s about to retort but his radio cut him off. “There’s someone in the bushes.” Raven says, quietly. For a moment, we forget about out love/hate relationship. My heart is thumping out of my chest at every step I take, bow and arrow strung at the ready. Octavia and Raven get to the location first before we run directly into Miles, the other kid who was with Clarke and Finn when they ventured out. I kneel down and lift his head up before feeding him some of my leftover water. There’s an arrow wedged in-between his arm-pit and shoulder, along with one just above his knee, burred deep in his left thigh. “Miles, where are they? Clarke and Finn?” Raven asks with hope in her eyes.

Miles barely gets the words out, but I almost wish he hadn’t, maybe then the truth wouldn’t have been set in stone the way it now feels. “G-Grounders..took them..” I watch as all three of their faces go from their bright color to a cold, clammy white. “Take it easy. We have to get him back to camp.” Bellamy says, and if I’m being honest, I’m surprised that it comes from him. Ninety-five percent of the time, I think that he doesn’t possess a heart whatsoever. “Bell, what about Clarke and Finn?” Octavia asks, looking between her brother and I for an answer. I’m to busy dipping some leftover alcohol onto his wounds to respond, and honestly I don’t know what to do. Raven gets up, looking pale and to the point of tears and I force my gaze away when Bellamy follows her lead, speaking so softly, it was almost inaudible. “Raven, I’m sorry..” 

The way he says it makes me think he’s got something to do with it, even though he doesn’t. Bellamy has a bad habit of feeling guilty for things that’ve happen that he has no reason to be guilty for. “We need to make a stretcher-” Raven says before walking off to do just that. Octavia and I work on Miles’ injuries while Bellamy radios Monty. “Monty, we’re heading home, do you copy?” When he doesn’t respond right away, Bellamy gives me a worried glance. “Monty?!” This time Raven and Octavia stop what they’re doing to look at the radio, waiting for a response, only for it to be silence. He keeps asking over and over again but there’s nothing but silence. We carry Miles back to camp and I can’t help but smile at the sight of one of my two favorite boys. “(Y/n), you’re back!” Jasper exclaims before giving me a warm bear hug. 

Everyone around him watches in shock as I hug him back, not use to me displaying affection of any sorts. “Good to see you too, Jasper.” The longer I’m here, the more I realize that I’m like a mother to many of the kids here, matching Bellamy’s age, I’m one of the oldest, too. “You hear anything else about Monty?” He asks with hope in his eyes which quickly vanishes upon seeing my sad expression. “I’m sorry, Jasper. I haven’t heard anything yet since I returned with Bellamy, Raven and Octavia. But if I know them, they’re tough as hell. Monty’s a genius, Clarke is smart and Finn is a phenomenal tracker. If I can get out of the grounders grasp, then I know they can, too. We’ll go searching for them in the morning, I promise.” He nods, thanking me before helping Raven out with the explosives. Just when nobodies looking, I sneak right back out of camp. 

Nobody else is going to die, not Clarke, not Finn and not Monty. Though it’s quite dark and ominous out, I feel more alive than ever. My heartbeat is pumping so loudly I’m afraid someone would hear it. Just over the hills, I notice two faint flickers of light, bright enough that it gives off a orange-ish yellow hue around the area. As I creep closer, my suspicions are confirmed. A grounder group with Clarke chained in the middle, about twenty men along with the woman Clarke and I spoke to, Anya, I believe, at the bridge. I watch as another man comes from the left flank, jumping from the hill to yell down at her though it’s not loud enough for me to hear. Once done bringing down one of the many grounder leaders with just his words, he takes a step forwards towards Clarke with the intent to kill, stopping abruptly when a light from across the mountains lights up and fear washes over both Tristan, I believe, and Anya’s eyes before they leave Clarke alone for one of Anya’s soldiers to kill. 

Once she’s gone, I make my way over to Clarke as one of the grounders stalks towards her, knife in hand. The rest of the grounders leave back down to the river. The second they do, I strike down, kicking him in the side before punching him square in the jaw. He stumbles back, obviously not ready for the attack before pulling his hand up, almost in attempt to stop me. Before I can hit him again, he peels off his mask and I can’t help but gasp. “Lincoln?” Grazing his jaw with his right hand, he scoffs. “You have a mean right hook. Come quickly. Finn’s not far. Help me carry Clarke.” I nod along to his words, wrapping myself in the cloak to disguise my face before lifting Clarke up and onto his horse, jumping on right after. I’m not sure how far we’ve ridden but before I know it, we stop at the highest hill where one of the fires burns brightly. 

Once Lincoln unties Clarke’s bounds before she runs over to Finn. When they look back at us, I remove my cloak when he takes off his mask. “Lincoln? (Y/n)?” I smile and pull Clarke into a warm hug. “It’s good to see you too. We have to go. Now.” With a quick slap the hip, the horse is off in the other direction while we run back to camp towards somewhere safe. My heart is thumping in my throat and I can barely breath, but for some reason I feel more energetic and alive than ever. I’m more adrenaline than I am human at this point as we run from possible death. I can hear the grounders barreling towards us from behind, not close enough for them to reach but not far enough either. Lincoln pushes away a set of leaves, leading to a tunnel. Clarke and Finn follow but I don’t. “I’m meet you guys back at camp. I need to go somewhere first.” They’re about to decline but I’m too persistent. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I know these woods better than you think. Thank you, Lincoln.” 

I say to him before running in the opposite direction, away from both my friends and my enemies. Heading to the one place that might have exactly what I need that might slow the grounders down, a poison, something. However as I arrived at Dimitri’s cave, a group of grounders, ones I hadn’t recognized, were attacking another who wore a bright blue bandanna that wrapped around his shoulder. My eyes go wide at the realization that that little boy was from Dimitri’s clan. The older grounders are yelling at him in their language and I can only pick up a few words here and there before I wrap my scarf around my face and prepare to attack. Drawing my bow and arrow, I fire at their shoulders, catching the two off guard as they plummet to the ground. Jumping from atop one of the hills, I crash down with my sword, screaming. Despite my recent injury, I move swiftly, grunting here and there when one of them hits my shoulder. 

The fight doesn’t last long before I’m standing in front of the young boy. I put my weapon away and remove my mask to let him look at my warm eyes. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you, okay? Let’s get you home-” I say, crouching down for him to take my hand. His eyes shift from the grounders bodies over my shoulder and then back at me, slowly lacing our fingers together. The more I look at him, the younger he looks. Roughly less than the age of eight. I’m not sure where we’re going but he leads the way, practically running to the point where I have to skip after him. He refuses to let go of my hand the entire way before we stop right in front of a set of trees and I don’t go any farther despite the fact that he wants me to come with him. I crouch down and rest my hand on his cheek. “You need to go home to your family, okay? I need to go back to mine. Stay safe, alright?” 

I stand up to let him go but before I get the chance to move, he wraps his arms around my body before running the extra mile home. The entire run back to camp, I think solely about that boy and what he was doing out there at night. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that he looked quite similar to Dimitri, except his hair was dirty blonde instead of Dimitri’s natural color. I remembered being that scared little kid, never knowing how to defend myself or fight until I forced myself to learn. I grimace at the memory before arriving back home. Octavia’s at my side before I know it, Bellamy not too far from us. “Murphy’s got a gun and has Jasper trapped in the drop-ship. Bellamy’s agreed to trade himself.” Before I can stop him, he’s already halfway up the ramp. I don’t know what made me do what I’m about to do but I run in the opposite direction and jump over the gate before it closes, hitting the tarp and the ground with a loud, painful thud before standing up to meet the end of a gun. “How nice of you to join us, princess.” Murphy says with a wicked grin while another boy smiles up at me. Trevor. 

(I hope you guys liked it!! Please comment below! I really appreciate the feedback!)