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justatypicalwizard · 2 years ago

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Rough and new | bakugo | part two

✦ Summary: You meet a new and interesting creature that seems to share your curiosity. Both of you have motives to your actions that turn out to be vastly different.

✦ Warnings: mer!Bakugo, fem!reader, adult reader, smut(ish) content due to the curcumstances of the story do not expect full smut, dubcon

Minors do not interact

Humans are specific, very weird in their actions and customs yet, like every other creature in the world, they deserve respect. Some mers know a lot about humans just as some humans know a lot about mers but on a daily basis the sea specimens don’t really care for the two-legged. They were always present in the world and that’s just it.

Due to that, humans were never really present in Bakugo’s mind. He never anticipated he would become so attached to one of them.

It was a peaceful day of hunting, guarding and all of the other shit he has to do for the colony. The dynamic of the group he’s in fluctuates easily. It’s a mixed group of mers, which in his mother’s opinion is healthier than living in a similarity-exclusive one. Because of that the mers living in this place are of all colours and shapes. Because of that he was also destined for a certain role. His mother taught him, from the very beginning, how to be a warrior, a tough and resistant one. At a very young age he picked his weapon- a sword.

Now he was sitting on a rock next to the main gate of his group habitat. It was hard to give a proper name for places like this. Mers mostly availed what the natural landscape gave them, building their homes from what they found. Bakugo’s home was situated in an underwater cave hideout. The undetermined and rough shape of its inside has been softened by decorations, lamps and various different signs of family life. Yeah, the whole group of mers was mostly like a big family. Smaller caves, often connected to others by winding tunnels and corridors, were occupied by single mers or families. Elders and adults spent their time educating the younger, pursuing the groups history by painting murals or telling stories or just simply scolding the youth for their dubious games and horrific lifestyle. The stronger ones went hunting or guarded the main, and a few smaller gates. Pup’s swam everywhere when it was not lesson time playing the, earlier mentioned, dubious games.

Bakugo rested his back on the stone grumbling to himself out of boredom. He was well aware of how important keeping guard was. Even though nothing happened to their hideout for years it didn’t mean they could underestimate what the sea hid beneath its dark waters. As important as the job is, it is also painfully boring. Sitting with his sword sheathed on his back he looked at Kiri situated on the other side of the gate. The redheaded mer swung a heavy war hammer in his hands, back and forth. Ditching the designated sitting spot for a guard, Bakugo swam to his friend.

‘’Whatcha doin’ Katsuki?’’ Kiri’s soft yet masculine voice rang through the silent, slightly too loud.

‘’You saw me for the last thirty minutes, what could I be doing?’’ Bakugo asked, slightly annoyed. He wasn’t irritated by his friend but more because of the overwhelming boredom.

‘’I don’t know, I’m gonna fall asleep any second now.’’ The redhead sighed, not losing the wide smile from his prominent face. He was so used to Bakugo’s causticity that he didn’t mind the snarky remarks.

‘’Better not, my old hag is gonna bring us food any minute now and she will kill you if she finds you asleep.’’ The blonde smirked at the thought of his mom giving Kiri, yet another, earful. She treated Kirishima like her own son which ment hard love and a lot of scolding.

‘’Thanks for reminding me that I’m hungry, now ‘m not only bored but also starving.’’ Kiri deflated on the stone he was sitting on.

‘’Worry none.’’ Another blonde mer swam their way making Kirishima perk up on the stone and Bakugo turn around with an always present frown. ‘’Here boys.’’ His mother handed them fish placed neatly on seaweed. It was chopped and decorated with some seasoning but still pretty much raw. ‘’And why exactly are you not sitting on that stone?’’ Bakugo’s mother pointed to her left with a scrutinising glance.

‘’To piss you off.’’ He spat before digging into his meal.

‘’Thank you for the food.’’ Kirishima tried to sooth the growing tension between the two explosive mers but his tries backfired instantly.

‘’Yes, thank you to Eijiro. Don’t you think using magic words would be nice brat, eh?’’ Bakugo’s mother swam closer to him, yet her son kept ignoring her, on purpose. ‘’Do you really think this is a fucking game between you and me?’’

In their pup’s years Bakugo always fought with his mother. Having no proper fatherly figure he was forced to rely on her. She never let him down but there was one certain problem. The two shared nearly identical tempers which turned out to be a minefield. From the very beginning Kiri remembered Bakugo always ranting about how stupid his mum is and how much she expects from him. Of course he didn’t really think like that, at least not about the first part. On the other hand the expectations… they were high.

Bakugo’s, Kirishima’s and a few other families had been the main guards and warriors of the whole colony for a long time now. Raising him a certain way was obvious and the blonde didn’t have a problem with it, at least with most parts. He loved being a warrior, training and fighting, bathing in the glory that no other speciality could encompass (at least that’s how he saw himself in his head). Unfortunately there was one thing that he never agreed to and always fought off.

The mating.

Kirishima was well aware that the same responsibility lay on his shoulders, but for his own peace his parents didn’t pressure him about it. The thought rooted in his head was enough for them to be calm about their son living up to the expectations. Bakugo on the other hand openly voiced out his total disagreement. His tossing around made a handful of elders disappointed in him which also took a toll on his mother's reputation. These old pricks were so dramatic.

The duty was simple. As a warrior, mate in the best and most fertile years of your life. The later you’d start the lower the chances of breeding another great warrior. That’s something the colony could not suffer. Actively look for a mate or at least don’t brag about ditching your responsibilities (like a certain someone). The colony gave you the best meat, the best sleeping quarters, the best jewellery, all in thanks for your sacrifice, your hard training, your long hours of guard and your simple, natural duty of passing down your power with your blood.

This is why some looked at Bakugo with a mixture of emotions. He was great in everything he did, except for that one little thing. Why can’t he just obey?

Why? The answer is simple and one that the explosive blonde would never voice out to anyone. He was sacred. Mers mated for life so he had only one choice, for eternity. This made uneasiness bubble inside of his chest as if someone constantly reminded him that one mistake would doom him. He didn’t want a life of spite. For the one person in the whole sea who is supposed to be his soft spot and safe shore to be his collar.

Bakugo couldn’t believe how careless Kiri was about the topic. How little fear he felt. The redhead always said that he’ll just wait a bit more. Maybe the person isn’t from their colony, maybe he should visit some neighbour mer hideouts and look around there. He believes that when he meets the one he’ll know in an instant.

Oh yeah, Kiri was all ears for the elders' stories about how monogamy is rooted in mers DNA, how meeting the right person sparks something in you. It only takes the scent of the other person to recognise that you only have a half of your heart, the other piece is in their hands.

Bullshit.

Bakugo never believed in this shit. It was all a bluff to make them less hesitant about the mating for life. Nothing like that happened, at least not on a daily basis, not with everyone. The harsh truth was that he’d have to court someone he doesn’t even probably like and then bear with them for the rest of his life. And produce pups, oh for fuck’s sake, he’s so done with this. Nothing in the sea will make him end up like that. Not a chance.

Lately such thoughts clouded his mind every time he talked with his mother. Bakugo saw that behind her eyes, felt that in her angry tone. She was counting time for him, she was well aware of his statement, she hated it. Yet, she cared for him. If it wasn’t for the sheer fear of being kicked out of the colony which meant countless dangers for her son and a lifetime of loneliness, she wouldn’t pressure him as much.

Just bear with it, accept it and don’t be so hung up on the one small topic. You just have to make a few pups and move to a different pit. Later you can live your life how you want it to. Please…

Yet, she knew he wouldn’t listen to her begs. Softness and sweet words never laid in their dynamic. It was anger, frustration and ambition that pushed them, both of them, to the goal. She knew she had to do it like that, even if it wounded her heart.

‘’Not a chance.’’ Bakugo spat at his mother. ‘’Leave me.’’

She rolled her eyes knowing well, spotting it in his composure, that he didn’t mean the food she just brought, the long hours of guard he had to keep today or anything else. He was already deep down spiralling in his self-destructive thoughts.

She had to pressure him.

‘’Can you at least once in some time do what you’re asked and supposed to.’’ She growled at her son.

‘’And what the fuck do you mean by that?’’ His gaze was piercing but so was hers.

‘’You know damn well what I mean by that.’’ She pointed her finger straight into his muscular chest. He was bigger than her but their presence was identical, clashing, none of them able to take complete power over the other. ‘’What do you plan for mating Eiji?’’ Both of their blonde heads darted Kirishima’s way. The redhead prayed for this to stop before they smash him to the ground with their hateful gazes.

‘’I don't know yet…’’ He tried to wiggle out not hurting Bakugo but also not getting on his mum’s bad side.

‘’Don’t you lie to me.’’ That scrutinising finger pointed his way this time and he felt daggers shot at his chest in embarrassment. She read him like a book.

‘’I think I’ll visit some… other… colony…’’ Each word that rolled out of his mouth was more and more quiet until he was mumbling under his breath looking everywhere except for the two mers in front of him. If he’d stand up he'd be bigger than both of them but unfortunately he sat on that damn rock, looking small and not very serious afraid to move even an inch under Bakugo’s mother’s gaze.

‘’See? Is it that fucking hard to do anything?’’

Pretend, just pretend you’re doing something. You don’t need to settle down if you hate it that much. I don’t care if you breed another warrior, I just want you to be at peace finally.

She couldn’t tell him what she really thought. It would be wrong, not educational. She just prayed he would finally get to it on his own and pretend until people forget about this issue. He could say that he tried but never found anyone and they would believe, take care of him, saying how sorry they are that he didn’t find the one. And he would have lied to them for a bit and it would all be over.

‘’I’m not doing anything like that. Leave me.’’ Her son was unmovable, his feelings carved deep down into his soul. Stupidity and lack of cleverness too. Maybe also being truthful, he couldn't lie like that to himself or anyone else. What a disaster.

She left, huffing and puffing. He was also fuming for the rest of the guard with Kiri trying to lighten his humour, telling him that they can go together to search in other mer hideouts.

As his job for today neared its end Bakugo found his way back to their lair, having changed the guards. He was still angry, the intrusive thoughts never leaving his head. The blonde swam around pointlessly hissing at the pups that bounced off of his tail. He wasn’t able to find a place for himself. This feeling was familiar to him, as if the multiple layers of water above pressured him too much, crushing his form.

‘’Another fight for mating?’’ The blonde heard a familiar screeching voice.

Skula, one of the most elderly elders, swam up to him. Subconsciously he slowed down his pace for the crippling mer to catch up. She looked as if she was to fall apart any second. He honestly asked himself how old she was. Some said she forgot and came up with a random number every time someone asked about it. That way sometimes she was 98, other times 105, on better days 21.

One thing about Skula distinguished her from the majority of elders. She honestly liked Bakugo and believed in him without even a tint of dissapointment. Skula remembered the old days when the sea wasn’t as peaceful as it is now, maybe that’s why she had a soft spot for any warrior, or maybe she just recognised Bakugo’s distress.

Nevermind her motives, she held onto his fin, the one situated beneath his back. Usually that spot was reserved for more… intimate situations but Bakugo knew damn well that this old witch wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to entertain herself before she dies (and she looks like she’s ready to die anytime soon).

‘’Oh, you just swim too fast, I need some help.’’ She laughed at his eyes rolling.

‘’You just want a handful old hag.’’ Skula brushed off his remark.

‘’Another fight?’’ She pressured the youngster.

Bakugo only nodded. He never knew why but this woman always made him open up, even if it was just a tiny crack in his various defensive layers.

‘’Go clear your head before you bite any pup.’’ She patted his back a few times.

‘’No place for it here.’’

‘’You’re hot-tempered, angry and aggressive.’’ She began in a slightly lower tone, as if she didn’t want anyone else to hear her. Bakugo looked at her wrinkled face that held a mysterious tone in it. Was she about to start again with the stupid shells and rocks she’s been looking into all day long? Prophecies and shit? ‘’The ocean’s cold and calm, deep, dark and mysterious. You’re none like it. You shine my young Bakugo.’’ She circled soothing eights up and down his back. ‘’Don’t blame yourself for feeling out of place here when your heart’s not at peace.’’

‘’Do you really mean that I’m just a shity mer?’’

‘’No stupid, listen to me.’’ She huffed at his flat response. ‘’You need something else. I want you to see something. The waves told me about it.’’ There you go again. ‘’There’s something matching your temper that you need to see with your very own eyes. Something as hot…’’

If she’ll really tell me in a second that this hot thing is my butt then I’ll honestly kill…

‘’It’s up there.’’ Skula pointed her crippled finger upwards, following with her eyes. ‘’It’s big, hot and golden. It’s gonna speak to you, listen to all of your problems and tell you what to do.’’ She was mysterious yet enthusiastic.

Normally Bakugo didn’t follow Skula’s different prophecies and things she read out of scattered stones but this time…

‘’D’you mean above the water?’’

She nodded her head a little too fast, it looked like it could crack.

‘’You want me to swim to the surface and talk to… something big and fucking golden?’’

‘’Exactly.’’

This was stupid enough to entertain him. Beside there was one crucial thing that Bakugo was interested in. He never swam to the surface. It’s not forbidden but why should anyone do it? There was nothing interesting there for him. He heard stories that the surface felt hot, or extremely cold. It depended on something but he didn’t remember what it was called. Sometimes water poured from… something there. Ah shit, he didn’t know anything about the surface… and this only made him more interested.

‘’And when should I go, oh mighty oracle?’’ Bakugo asked Skula theatrically.

‘’Now.’’ She stated simply as if it was nothing.

‘’Now?’’

‘’I thought I was the deaf one.’’ She snickered.

‘’Don’t laugh at me old hag.’’

‘’Go, nothing’s gonna happen. Nothing bad my child.’’

‘’Mum will…’’

‘’I’ll tell her it’s my fault. What will she do? Shout at me, an elder?’’ Bakugo honestly loved this old witch and how she still fearlessly lived her life. Jokes will never leave her side.

So Bakugo went, up and up and up. With only his sword, frustration and the stupid little prophecy that a golden thing will cure his problems. It felt tiring, as if the water above was endless. He imagined what it would look like, the very top. Would it be a single, straight line or did the water disappear gradually? Swirling and turning he went up, climbing layers and layers of water. It started to feel warmer. Why?

After a long journey he neared what looked like a breaking point. The water looked weird here, like it was pierced by something light. He had to squint his red eyes, slowly nearing the edge. Anxiety flooded over his body, pumped by his racing brain. Was he scared? Yes he was but he’ll never recognise it. Clenching his fists he swam up, finally breaking the surface.

‘’Ah fuck!’’ The mer growled as the sun burned his eyes.

After what felt like an eternity of pain his eyes finally started to adjust to the new light source. It was so bright, so hot it fact. He felt it on his cheeks. Was this why the water here was so hot? Guarding his eyes with his hands he looked around. The surface was weird, not exactly flat but also not gradual. It moved constantly, splashing aggressively. He liked it. There were some elements in his field of vision that seemed to stand still. One of them was a big rock. At least that’s what the thing looked like, it was similar to boulders down in his hideout so he just assumed the obvious.

Bakugo swam up to the rock. It sank deep down, reaching the downhill seabed. Behind this one there were a few more on them. Then he remembered. Big, hot, golden thing. Groaning, he felt the need to do as Skula pleased. She was the one that gave him this idea and he had to admit, the surface was more than he imagined. He felt so good here, between his and this world. The blonde honestly started to like how that hot feeling falling from above him kissed his wet cheeks, whatever it was.

He looked around, not spotting anything in particular. Then, he looked up.

‘’Fucking shit my eyes!’’ Once again he was blinded.

Shielding his face with his palm he took a glance up. There was something big there, yellow or maybe orange… gold? A very warm colour at least. The warmth seemed to flow from that. Was it the thing that Skula talked about? Did her prophecy really come true? Then did every one of her prophecies mean something? (If yes then he had a problem because she often foretell for him various stupid things)

Should he really talk to that thing? It seems pretty static and… not doing anything. He hated feeling dumb and that’s exactly how he felt right now.

Suddenly something splashed into the water near him. Instantly he lowered himself, burying his head under the surface. From behind the sunken boulder he saw some commotion in the water. Something was there, something big in fact. Should he retreat? No, he’s not a coward.

The thing stopped moving after a few seconds and he waited. It seemed like an eternity of him, hiding behind the boulder observing the very same spot, waiting for the thing to make its next move. It never came, the water splashed above him like it did all the time, swaying him back and forth against the stone.

His turn. Bakugo swam up closer, slaloming between the few stones underwater. Finally, he reached the one that particularly interested him. Something above the surface moved there and then went still. He couldn’t make out the exact shape because of the waves. He had to swim closer.

Putting both of his hands on the stones surface she went up once again, nearing the strange thing. The closer he got the clearer the image. The thing started to look just like him… at least its upper part. It had a face, hair, a torso, hands that held it form as if it was scared and…

As if he’d been lightstruck something clicked in his brain. That smell, that faint tint. He felt intoxicated as if he could only breathe this for the rest of his life. What the fuck was that? Why did he never feel it? Where is the source?

The thing moved, and he saw a hand stretched his way. The palm, the fingers looked just like this, except for his membrane. It didn’t have a membrane… that’s a human. The first human Bakugo ever saw in his life.

The faint smell hit him again. The human put their hand under the surface and touched his hair. He didn’t have a clue why he allowed all of this. Some mere human roaming their hands all over his head… but he liked it. The small fingers grazed his forehead slightly, their touch soft and subtle. It moved lower. With its palm just under his nose he finally got what he was looking for. That sweet intoxicating smell came from this human.

Bakugo felt a million emotions rush at one time. He was hungry, desperate, interested, intoxicated and horny. Could it be? Is this his mate? Do they feel the same?

He grabbed the tiny wrist connected to the small arm (at least compared to his). The human jumped back and started to squirm but Bakugo didn’t care. He was too high on the new feeling springing inside his ever so cold body to acknowledge that the human didn’t look at bliss like him. He pushed himself more and more wanting to show off his body and inspect the mate, subconsciously knowing how to court.

Suddenly the human screamed. The primal sound tore him out of his clouded state and he dipped back into the water slightly. The human hugged their wrist, then looked at it and finally after some time showed it to the mer. He saw a bruise in the shape of his hand.

Did he just hurt his mate? Were they this delicate? Fuck, he should have known. This was definitely not very courtesy of him.

‘’Fuck.’’ He mumbled.

Looking up at the human’s face he saw that the earlier fear subsided to curiosity once more. Were they also interested? He had to check.

Emerging from the water he sat next to the thing. It was harder than he anticipated, slipping at the first try. Something pulled him down like it was crashing down from above him, he felt heavy here. It didn’t matter, the intoxicating smell was more important.

Bakugo followed the human’s eyes and spotted that they’re looking at his tail. The small hand of the creature neared his scales. He felt excited, deep down he wanted this touch, he wanted that human’s hands all over the place where his skin met with orange scales. He wanted to tangle the human, wrap around them, claiming all of their body. He was blind to the crucial differences between him and them. Yet, his mum raised him to be somehow a good boy, or at least to have some manners. This was too intimate for seeing each other for the first time so he slapped the human’s hand away, much to his own displeasure.

He was happy, no, he was in a state of complete bliss. The creature, his mate, wanted to be close to him, wanted to claim his body just as he wanted to take theirs, they just showed it. The eagerness, that look in their eyes. Do they also feel intoxicated by the scent of his body? Should he show off more? Should he unsheathe his sword and show combat skills? No, he could scare them just as he hurt them a moment ago. This creature’s very delicate.

Bakugo was honestly out of his mind right now, blinded by something written deep down in his DNA. He wanted to touch the human, subtly, let them know that he wants to take it slow, the right way, and court them like they deserve. They didn’t once talk to him so he also stayed silent a bit scared after what he did to the human’s wrist.

Bakugo dipped his hand into the human’s hair. It was soft, extremely soft and delicate. It felt like nothing he had ever touched in his life. He smeared his hands all around the weirs texture wanting to feel the most of it until he heard something pierce his ears.

It was the human’s sound. He had no clue what it meant, not understanding a single thing but he loved it. The tone, so much more melodic than how he and his species spoke. Or at least that’s what he thought. He wanted more of that sound so he continued to play with the human’s hair.

That smell, it was still all around him, dripping off of the creature’s body. He wanted to scoop closer. Bakugo held the human’s hair and exposed their neck for him. The smell was thick there so he buried his face into the crook of their neck. It made his insides twist out of hunger and need. He wanted to devour them, have all this sweetness to himself, bathe in it, let his own skin soak with it. But he’s gonna play it nice, just like they deserve.

What did your body look like? He wanted to know every inch, every important thing. Their teeth, were they sharp like his? Do they have pointy canines just like him? He dug his finger inside the human’s mouth searching for an answer. They started to squirm. Did he annoy them a bit? He liked the thought. Loved the feeling of their body moving under his. He could make the trash, he wanted to hear those primal sounds erupting from their throat just for him and because of him. But he’s gonna play it nice.

Bakugo found his answer. The human’s canines were short and soft, just as he imagined. It was not perfect for raw fish but he didn’t care, the feeling of his mate being weaker and softer than him made him want to claim here and now. But he’s nice.

The blonde straightened his back moving away from his mate. He looked them up and down, pleased with what he had, excited for what he would do next, how their relationship would bloom and how he’d make them feel. He was still blind to the fact that your bodies were very… different.

PART ONE | PART THREE

SERIES MASTERLIST

#katsuki bakugo x reader #bakugou x you #bakugou fluff #mha bakugou #bakugou x y/n #katsuki bakugo mha #bnha bakugo katsuki #bnha bakugou #boku no hero x reader #boku no hero acadamia #my hero academia #mha bakugo x reader #bakugo smut #katsuki smut

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wheredidhiseyebrowsgo · 2 years ago

Note

I was reading a story recently where Stiles and the Sheriff were talking about the things that keep happening around them and the Sheriff said something like Stiles talks and acts like veteran soldiers do and after thinking about it that analogy does fit his character so well. It also made me really want to read more stories to do with that idea so I was wondering if you knew any?

Here's some where he has PTSD.

A Little Bit of Encourage-Mint by Mischief_x_Managed

(1/1 I 3,273 I Not Rated I No Pairing)

Stiles goes to a therapist who doesn't try to kill him. Surprisingly it works out well.

Dating and Mating Stiles Stilinski by 1Ginger1Keyboard

(4/? I 4,838 I Teen I Sterek)

Derek isn't used to feeling anything as deeply rooted as the feeling revolving around the hyper teen that goes by the name Stiles Stilinski. It takes Derek a while to wrestle these emotions into a form that allows him to decided he wants to pursue them. Yet, he's normally the one being chased, Derek has never had a problem getting peoples attention, he has a good body and charming looks, so he has to work out how to win the heart of the hyper teen. And to put it gently, Stiles has his very own courting ritual that is unlike any wolf or human ritual. It's just, neither of them knows that. To make it worse, the wolf under Derek's skin is growing impatient.

///What am I?/// by Nel_Lino

(1/? I 6,068 I Explicit I Scallison)

Stiles: Why haven't burnt alive? How could Derek die? Why do I care if he died? *** Scott: I need you to own me, now. Isaac: turn around, little whore. *** Danny: And if you want to try some more of that stuff we did, count on me. *** Young Derek: come here you little superhero! Mietek: I am not a superhero, I am special human!

Dreams Will Be Unified by SilentMagic

(4/? I 16,585 I Mature I Sterek)

When Stiles woke up for his eighteenth birthday, he was expecting a day of celebration and maybe a pack party. He was not expecting to wake up beneath the Nemeton, nor sprouting four furry paws in an alternate reality to learn what it means to be a Guardian. He really should clarify to the universe that he would like a break for at least a whole year before the next supernatural event comes his way.

It Was a Wednesday by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella)

(2/2 I 80,129 I Mature I Sterek)

“What happened? Where are you? What’s that sound?”

Derek jumped, having momentarily forgotten Scott was on the phone with him because Stiles had started moving. He’d stalked over to the other side of the cave, still eying Derek warily and growling, then settled protectively over a mass of clothes, leaves and animal innards. It was probably where he was sleeping.

Lovely. No wonder he smelled like death.

“Stiles,” Derek said, answering Scott’s question. Or, one of them, at least.

“Stiles? What do you—Stiles is making that noise?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“How fast do you think you can make it to the south lot of the Preserve?”

Daybreak by TheObsidianQuill

(10/10 I 70,382 I Mature I Sterek)

"There . . ." Stiles swallowed and looked down at the bottle in his grasp as he slowly swirled the amber liquid inside. "There's really nothing left. For me. Everyone is . . . gone, and it feels like I haven't thought of tomorrow in years." His words rang in the air like a gunshot, he took another heavy drink. "I would trade every last breath I take to just have another shot—not even a guarantee, just a chance to make things right and bring back even one of them." -----

The pack was gone. He had nothing left. He had no one. With nothing to lose, Stiles puts everything on the line to go back in time to try to prevent the future from becoming his past. Broken, guarded, and haunted by his past, only one overgrown-pup of a wolf seems able to get past his defenses. Changing the future? Easy. Finding a place for himself in the Hale Pack? Impossible.

I'm not real. Am I? by lady emebalia (emebalia)

(64/64 I 127,977 I Explicit I Sterek)

Derek is not real. He's just a pretty form Stiles came up with. At least that's what Stiles keeps telling himself.

You're stronger than you know by Littleredridinghunter

(15/15 I 234,195 I Not Rated I Sterek)

Set at the end of season 2, Stiles survives his encounter with Gerard and his goons, but it isn't easy.

The pack are letting him down again, his dad is not speaking to him, his life is just generally falling apart.

Until he has to get a bronze dagger to kill a siren and his whole world gets flipped on it's head!

Alpha, Mage, Pack by Foxfire2018

(48/? I 480,285 I Explicit I Sterek)

Set at the end of Season 2. Stiles was kidnapped and tortured for hours. Yet no one came for him. Hurt and cast out of the pack by people he thought cared for him, what is he to do? He finds himself accompanied by someone he never expected and someone he is eternally grateful for. Derek feels betrayed and foolish for what he allowed to happen. Out of anger and hurt he forced a valuable member he really started to care for out of his pack. With the pack scattered and people hurt, what will come of them? Will they bond together again in time for the next big bad?

AND

@neverdust suggested this one!

Play It Again by metisket

(3/3 I 53,206 I Teen I Sterek)

In which Stiles goes along with one of Derek’s plans and ends up in an alternate universe as a result. He should’ve known better. He did know better, actually, and that means he has no one to blame but himself.

“Laura wants to lure the kid in with food and kindness and make a pet of him, like a feral cat. Derek wants to have him arrested for stalking. They’re at an impasse. (And the rest of the family is staying emphatically out of it in a way that suggests bets have been placed.)”

#teen wolf #sterek #stiles stilinski #derek hale #ptsd #hurt/comfort #anon

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vahntares · 1 year ago

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a/b/o #DarkLanZhan

For about 6 months or so, Wei WuXian has been dating an amazing alpha. He is handsome, caring and very mature. However... Something is wrong...

Wei WuXian feels that there is another person in Lan Zhan's heart.

And he is not wrong.

Wei WuXian noticed the first signs when he met him. Lan Zhan had a subtle scent of milk, as if he had been with a pup for a long time.

He said the pup was his brother's son, but... Why after these months could he still not meet this brother and nephew?

The young omega tried not to think about how that hurt his feelings.

The next signs became clearer. Lan Zhan never invited him to his house, never introduced him to his friends either and, Wei WuXian was not considered someone toxic, but Lan Zhan never allowed him to touch his cell phone.

When did he get the last piece of the puzzle? When Lan Zhan was taking a shower in the hotel shower room.

Lan Zhan's cell phone kept ringing. Wei WuXian took the device out of the alpha's coat.

/MianMian/

Wei WuXian swiped right without noticing.

"Mr. Lan?"

"... No..."

"I'm sorry, I thought it was your husband. I'm calling because your little A-Yuan is feeling sick to his stomach and won't stop crying. Could you come get him? His mom's pheromones always calm him down"

"... Sure... "

"It will be good to see him again."

"..."

Wei WuXian hung up.

When Lan Zhan came out of the shower he saw Wei Wuxian crying sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Wei..."

"When were you going to tell me that I'm your lover?!"

"..." Lan Zhan didn't know how to react and froze.

"God, you have a husband and a son, A SON!"

The omega's sadness flooded the room with a bitter aroma of rotten apples.

"You have a son..." he sobbed "dammit.... You made me a home wrecker..."

After that, Wei WuXian did not let himself be comforted by the alpha, he only accepted the alpha to take him home. That would be goodbye.

"What are you doing? This is not the way to my home."

"It is" the alpha's voice came out a little broken.

It took a few minutes to reach a very luxurious area.

"I don't know what you're planning, but fuck you, I won't be the one to tell your omega husband that you're putting your fucking alpha cock in another hole!"

"Language," was all he could say. Lan Zhan had a complicated look on his face, something between sadness and anger.

Wei WuXian tried to fight the alpha, but Lan Zhan was much taller and stronger, dragging him in was easy.

"Help! HELP!"

"Wei Ying!"

Wei WuXian stopped fighting, Wei Ying, who was Wei Ying?

Entering the lobby, Wei WuXian soon realized, thanks to the many pictures lining the walls, he was right.

Lan Zhan had an omega husband. He had someone in his heart.

And it was him.

Lots of pictures of trips together, pictures of dates in the park, pictures of the two of them holding a baby.... His baby... His A-Yuan.

Then he saw down the hall, a large, elegant room and baby toys. It was wrong. It was still wrong. That wasn't his house.

His original house had a lot of blood, the living room was somewhere else. Wei Ying was hugging his little baby to protect him from the attacker. Wei Ying was so covered in red and was so scared.

Wei Ying remembered the fear and terror. A strong blow to the head caused him to lose consciousness, he prayed that the attacker would not touch his defenseless pup.

Wei WuXian's brain felt oversaturated with information and the young omega fainted in the alpha's arms.

---

Wen Qing checked the IV and made some notes.

"I thought I stressed the importance of not giving him strong stimuli? The lifestyle you have triggers those bad memories. His amnesia brought him back 3 years before he met you, before he was surrounded by luxuries and before that stalker of yours tried to kill him."

"He... He was going to stop trusting me. I couldn't..." Lan Zhan squeezed the hand of Wei Ying, who lay unconscious on the hospital bed.

Wen Qing sighed.

"You're not mated, obviously he's still a young omega who meets an impressive alpha, he's not going to trust you at all"

Lan Zhan caressed Wei Ying's soft skin. If they had been bonded everything would have been easier. Wei Ying's idea of waiting to mating up until the wedding was a bad decision.

He wouldn't make any more mistakes.

"When he remembers, he's going to hate you for this."

"Mn. It'll be fine."

Lan Zhan approached the young omega's neck. He couldn't wait, he didn't want him to think they were strangers again.

They would reset everything, this time there would be no mistakes.

(End. Stay with this thread like this. Don't make me drag it out or I'll ruin it because you know my Darkjis aren't very cute xD What happened to the stalker? Well, it's hard to swim in the sea when you have your legs and hands tied :3 And Lan XiChen went for A-Yuan. The happy ending lives in your hearts!)

#mdzs #mdzs au #wangxian #lan wangji #lan zhan #mdzs manhua #wei wuxian #wei ying #the untamed #modern au #dark lan zhan #darkji #omegaverse #omegaxian #alphaji

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minty-mumbles · 1 year ago

Text

Flared Fins

AN: I posted part of this AU a while ago, but I've since written more. Enjoy! I also have a lore dump post here

(Read on AO3)

~~~

“Hey! I’m not going to hurt you! Stop running away!” The shouts from the sea slug Mer behind him did nothing to persuade Hyrule to slow down.

The other Mer hurting Hyrule was the least of his worries. Of course he wouldn't hurt Hyrule. The Mer had seen Hyrule use magic. He knew that there was much more to gain in keeping him alive than killing him.

If he could just lose the other Mer in the maze of coral, he might be able to get away. Sea slug Mer were notoriously slow, even if this one seemed faster than he should be. As long as Hyrule got a large enough lead, he could find a good hiding spot or outpace the other mer.

Suddenly, Hyrule spotted his possible chance of escape. A high rock formation loomed to Hyrule’s left, which had been keeping him from turning left, but as Hyrule moved along as quickly as he could, he spotted a narrow crack in the rock. The faint coolness of a fresh current coming from the crack assured him that it went all the way through the rocks. The opening of the crack would be too small for most Mer to slip through, but as an octopus Mer Hyrule was much more flexible than others.

Hyrule wasted no time in shoving himself into the crevice, but to his horror, he found his way barred by more rock only a few feet in. The crack didn’t lead all the way through. There was a small gap where he could see the open ocean on the other side, but it was a dead end for anything bigger than a small eel.

The part where Hyrule could fit wasn’t deep and despite his best efforts Hyrule couldn’t fit more than an arm’s length into the crack. The other Mer could reach in and pull Hyrule out if he wanted, and Hyrule wouldn't be able to stop him.

Hyrule squeezed his eyes shut, gill fluttering as he breathed in quickly to try and calm his pounding heart. A trill of panic escaped him, and he hoped the other Mer hadn’t heard that. He didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

Wind, Wild… I’m so sorry. Hyrule thought miserably. He should have been more careful, but ‘should have’s didn’t mean anything. All that mattered was that Hyrule had made a horrible mistake.

It didn’t take long for the other Mer to appear at the opening, peering in with eyes that were a starling shade of violet. “Come out.” The other Mer was out of breath, but still able to demand Hyrule leave the limited safety of the crevice.

Hyrule didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay here, but the other Mer could very easily reach in and grab him if he wanted to. He probably wouldn’t be gentle about it either. He wasn’t much bigger than Hyrule was, but his lean form was filled out with muscles, and a healthy layer of fat offered him protection. It was obvious that his pod kept him well-fed and healthy. If Hyrule wasn’t so overcome with terror, he would have felt a flash of envy.

His pod didn’t do nearly so well for themselves. They were a pathetically small pod, too small to really support themselves. There was only Hyrule himself, Wild, and little Wind. Only two juveniles and a pup. They couldn’t hold down a permanent territory, so they were forced to eke out a living on the edges of other pods’ territories, constantly on the move so as not to overstay the generosity of those whose prey they stole.

Even Wind, who was given more food than Hyrule or Wild, was still concerningly skinny for a Mer his age. He should be plump with baby fat, and if he was in the stranger’s pod, Hyrule was sure he would be.

(When food was particularly scarce to come by and when they were sure Wind was asleep, Hyrule and Wild argued about leaving Wind on the edges of another pod's territory. A kind pod, who might adopt him and feed him better than they could. They’d never tried, but it had come close, sometimes.)

The other Mer was still staring at him from the opening of the crevice. Slowly, knowing he had no other option, Hyrule let out a small warble of submission to tell the other Mer he will capitulate. The Mer blinked at him, backing away from the entrance, leaving enough room for Hyrule to exit.

He thought about darting away again but he knew this close, the Mer would catch him easily. He emerged slowly, hands held up to show he wasn’t armed.

The two Mer observed each other in silence. They hadn’t had the chance to get a good look at each other during the chase.

The stranger was a sea slug Mer, as Hyrule had noticed. His tail was a baby pink color, with a few sparse lines of a darker red. The bright pink showed he was a juvenile, and perhaps even nearly an adult, with that red coming in. He was older than Hyrule was, in any case.

His hair was a dark golden blonde, with a pink stripe along one side. Hyrule wondered if the stripe was natural, or colored with dye.

The wickedly sharp blade of a fishing spear poked over the other Mer’s shoulders. Hyrule tore his eyes away and tried not to imagine that blade piercing his own flesh.

The Mer wore a plethora of sparkly rings and a pretty necklace studded with bits of sea glass polished to a shine by the waves. He even wore a golden tail ring. Perhaps the Mer was courting someone who had an expensive taste in gifts. He wore little clothing, as was typical in the shallow seas. A large bag was tied around his waist, and his only covering was a red shawl wrapped around his shoulders. It was made of gauzy silk-like material with small golden beads woven into the edges, and looked expensive.

Hyrule reevaluated his previous thoughts about the Mer’s Pod. Not only were they well-off, they were downright rich. (With the territory they possessed, he wasn’t really surprised. There was more food here than anyone could eat. They could easily trade extra food or even temporary hunting rights with neighboring Pods. And that wasn’t counting other goods they might produce.)

As for the other Mer, he took the moment to glance Hyrule up and down. Hyrule tried not to let his tentacles squirm under the scrutinizing gaze. He knew he wasn’t half as impressive as this Mer was. He’d grown into his juvenile colors- going from a dull olive green brighter, leafy color- but he hadn’t started to get his adult markings yet.

He wore no clothes or decorations except a roughly woven band of seagrass around his waist with a knife tied to it. His Pod had no time to learn the skills required to make clothing, and they couldn’t afford to buy things unless it was absolutely necessary. His knife, the only personal object he had, had been stolen from a Pod whose territory Hyrule had passed through when he was still a loner.

(He did not dare try and use the knife on the Mer in front of him. Hyrule wasn’t going to escalate it to violence if the other Mer hadn’t. He knew wouldn’t win.)

The final difference between him and the other Mer was the scars. They both had them- it was unusual for a Mer to grow up without accumulating a few- but Hyrule had more by far. The few he could see peppering the skin of the other Mer were old and had healed over nicely. Nothing at all like the scars that littered Hyrule’s body, which showed the poor healing they had undergone.

(There was no time to rest and let the skin heal when one of them was injured, and there was only so much Hyrule’s healing could do. His Pod had to move ever onward.)

After a moment, the other Mer stopped his inspection. He sighed. “I guess I gave you a bit of a scare, chasing you like that. My bad. I didn’t want to lose track of you. My name is Legend.” It was a good sign Legend had apologized to him. Maybe this Pod would be kind.

After a pause, when it became clear Legend was waiting for a response, Hyrule offered his own name. “Hyrule,” was all he said, so quietly the other could have missed it.

Legend nodded in acknowledgment. “That was very impressive magic. I can’t do magic myself, but I have a collection of magical items back at my Pod’s grotto.”

Oh, great. A collector of magical items, was he? Hyrule knows better than to hope that the Mer doesn’t see him as a magical item to collect.

“Do you want to come back to see?” And there it was. The question that wasn’t really a question.

Hyrule bit his lip, restraining himself from giving a sad trill. With one last thought of Wild and Wind, he closed his eyes and nodded his assent, sealing his fate.

~~~

Wild remained ever thankful that his scales had turned a dark blue as he had left pup-hood. It was a pretty color, the same shade as the deep ocean and dark trenches. More importantly, it wasn't overly flashy like the scales of tropical Mer could be.

The color made it vastly easier to be stealthy. He was an ambush predator, lying in wait along the sea bed for unsuspecting prey to pass over him. His dark color helped him blend into the rocks and coral. He couldn’t imagine how much harder it would be if he were, say, a bright red.

Wild knew hunting down in the depths would be even easier for him, where he could hide away completely in the darkness. He couldn't say he minded, though. He might not catch something every time he tried hunting up here, but there was so much more prey in the shallows. He had more chances to hunt in a day than he would in a week down in the depths.

That was what had drawn him up to the shallower waters in the first place. He’d been following the prey, at first. A lone Mer, freshly out of pup-hood, seeking the easier prey the shallows offered. And even if he hadn’t managed to catch anything, there were always mussels or clams to eat as long as he could pry the shells open.

The abundance of food might have been why he had come to the shallows, but it wasn’t why he stayed.

That honor went to the small figure Wild held in his arms.

Wild sighed, tightening the grip he had on the pup. Wind was young, and had been even younger when Wild had found him. Too young to be all alone. His birth Pod had been driven out of their territory by a larger Pod, and he’d been left behind in the chaos. Thankfully, the encroaching Pod had been kind enough to leave Wind on the edge of the territory, in case Wind’s old Pod came back for him.

They hadn’t.

Wind had been left to wander by himself when he wasn’t even seven years old. He was lucky Wild had been the first thing that found him.

Before he had met Wind, Wild had never counted himself as very parental. His species was solitary, only ever coming together to trade and breed. Wild had never thought he would ever sire a pup, much less raise one. Pups of his species stayed with their mothers until they gained their juvenile coloring, and then they left to strike out on their own.

Other species often thought it was cruel, but it was simply the way it was. Wild did not resent his mother for it. He even had many fond memories of her from his time as a pup. When he’d grown into a strong young juvenile, she had paid less and less attention to him until instinct had driven him to leave her territory.

He had not known his sire, and did not ever think of him. Wild knew that even if he did ever sire a pup, he likely wouldn’t know that they even existed.

But here he was. Even his species knew that pups could not be left alone. Once they were juveniles they could look after themselves, but pups were mostly helpless. They couldn’t defend themselves and they couldn’t hunt. They weren’t even strong enough to break through the shells of clams and mussels.

So when he’d seen Wind, Wild had known he couldn’t leave him alone. He’d taken the little pup under his fins, lack of parental skills be damned.

It had been hard at first. It had been made only slightly easier by the addition of Hyrule to their group, making them a proper Pod rather than a pair of loners. Wild thanked his lucky seastars that the two of them had wandered into the meager territory that Hyrule had been camping out in. The octopus Mer had been kind enough to let them stay, even though the space hadn’t been enough to sustain three Mer. When Wild and Wind had left, Hyrule had left with them.

Neither Hyrule nor Wild were meant to be part of a Pod. Wild’s species was solitary, and Hyrule’s usually preferred to be by themselves or in bonded pairs. Neither of them was built to be social. Yet neither of them could bear to leave a pup by himself.

Wild frowned at the thought of Hyrule. The Mer had left three days ago to hunt. He hadn’t returned, and Wild and Wind were growing hungry.

Wild would have to leave soon too.

Carefully, Wild released Wind from his grasp.

He slipped out of the cave as stealthy as he could. Mostly because he didn’t want to wake Wind, but also because they were in another Pod’s territory. He didn’t want to be caught. Anyone who could hold onto territory like this must be fearsome fighters indeed. He didn’t want to be spotted if one of their patrols came this way.

Wild’s Pod had already cleared the area directly around the cave of shellfish, so Wild had to move further away to gather an armful of clams. Not too far though. This territory was truly rich in prey. Wild envied the pod that owned these waters. They must never go hungry if there was this much abundance here.

When he returned, Wind was awake. The pup was still curled up, but was blinking up at Wild with big blue eyes as he shook off lingering sleep. The sight of the food Wild had brought back roused Wind enough for him to uncurl. The pup gave a tired trill in greeting, and then an inquiring buzzing sound low in his throat.

Hello, good morning, I love you. Food?

Wild gave a comforting warble in return, and then an inviting chirp.

My pup, good morning, I love you. Come eat!

They ate quietly, focusing on breaking apart the shells rather than speaking. The only sounds in the cave were the occasional chirp of happiness from Wind as he filled his belly. Wild ate only enough to give him the energy to hunt, leaving the majority to Wind. He needed it more, as a growing pup.

When they finished eating, they curled up, twining their tails together, purring at each other. The sound was meaningless but comforting, and they spent an hour or so just enjoying each other's company. They both knew that Wild would be leaving soon. He needed to hunt. Shellfish were all well and good, but they needed more substantial meat.

This was routine by now. Wild and Hyrule would go out one at a time to hunt and bring back food to wherever they were staying. It was unusual that Wind would be left alone, but this time they had no choice. Hyrule was gone, had been gone for almost four days. That was longer than they usually spent away from each other.

In such a prey-rich territory like this, it shouldn’t have taken the octopus Mer two days to bring back food.

Wild tried very hard to ignore the explanations for why he might not have returned. It didn’t matter why Hyrule had not returned. They could wait no longer. Wild must hunt.

But hunting meant leaving Wind alone. He didn’t want to do that. Usually only one of them went out at a time, leaving the other to watch over Wind. That wasn’t an option this time.

Wild wrapped his tail tightly around Wind’s, cuddling the pup closer and tucking his head under Wild’s chin. Wind gave an inquiring buzz, and Wild sighed.

“I have to go.”

“Don’t want you to.” Wind complained, and when Wild pulled back his face was scrunched up in an adorable scowl.

“I know, but aren’t you still hungry? I have to go get us food. I’ll try and get some octopus for you, if you want '' There wasn’t a taboo against eating the animals that you looked similar to, but Hyrule didn’t like eating octopus anyways. Wild didn’t exactly blame him, but octopus had become something of a special treat shared between Wind and Wild.

“Hyrule will come back with food. You don’t have to go.” Wind protested. Wild said nothing in response, not voicing his own doubts. He pulled away reluctantly, removing Wind from where he clung to Wild’s tail. He swore, sometimes he thought Wind was the octopus Mer with how clingy he could get.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, pup. Stay here, and be quiet as a cuddlefish for me, okay?” Wild purposely mispronounces the word, hoping it would make Wind laugh. It didn’t.

Wind’s lip wobbled. Wild would admit, he fled like a coward. If he had stayed to hear Wind’s sad little trills, he might not have left.

~~~

Wind wasn’t crying.

For one thing, Mer couldn’t cry. What was the point of leaking water from your eyes when you were already underwater? Wind thought Hylians were very strange for leaking water, even if they did live above the surface. They wasted water when they did that. With the dry environment they lived in, it didn’t make sense to go about spilling water from their eyes whenever they were upset. Then again, things above the surface of the water rarely made sense, and Hylians could be a little stupid sometimes.

So no, Wind wasn’t crying. But he was releasing the semi-involuntary squeaks, trills, and wails that counted as the same thing, to Mer. It was meant to signal to his Pod that he was in distress and needed comfort or help.

Wind was a big boy, though. He should be able to control his calls. It was especially necessary for him to learn how to do so. His pod was so small and only consisted of him and two juveniles. They absolutely could not afford to attract predators or rival Pods. No matter how upset you were, nothing was more important than keeping yourself hidden.

Wind’s pod couldn’t afford to fight. They’d learned that a long time ago, and Wild had paid dearly for it. It was only by the grace of Hyrule’s magic that he’d survived, and even then he hadn’t come out of that encounter in one piece.

So Wind knew how to be silent, even if he was upset. He knew how to muffle his wails as well as any adult could. At least Wind had thought he could, but here he was, wailing desperately for his pod.

Wind wanted them, where were they? They wouldn’t leave him alone, would they? They said they would stick together for as long as they could.

Wild and Hyrule’s species were usually solitary, but they had promised Wind that no matter how much they each wandered, they would always return. And usually, they made sure one of them stayed with him while the other went hunting to blow off steam.

Their species might typically be solitary, but Wind’s wasn’t, and he was only just shedding his pup fat. The scales along his ribs and the end of his tail were a slightly brighter orange, hinting at the colors his scales would turn in a few years, but the rest of him was still firmly the dull orangey-brown of a pup. He was still too young to truly be alone.

When Wild and Hyrule had found him, Wind had thought the universe had been kind to him. He’d thought he had found a replacement pod for the one he’d lost. But it’d been five days since Hyrule had wandered off last, and Wild had gone hunting, but that was two days ago!

Wind was hungry, but he didn’t want to leave to try and find something to eat, because what if his pod came back when he was gone and they couldn’t find him? And Wild had told him to stay here and stay quiet.

Wind couldn’t make himself quiet, no matter how hard he tried. But he would stay here. He could at least do that much.

So he curled up on the cold rocky floor, his tail coming up to drape over his neck protectively. Normally it would be one of his Wild’s tail draped over him to keep away the chill, or Hyrule’s arm slung around his vulnerable neck. But they weren’t there, so he had to do it himself. He did his best to ignore the calls that still escaped him.

There was no one to answer him anyway.

~~~

Wild hadn’t been careful enough while he was hunting. He’d stupidly forgotten that while fish and other animals might overlook him lying on the seabed, a patrol of mer from the Pod that owned this territory wouldn’t. He’d been deep in thought when they’d happened upon him, and they’d startled him so badly he was struck dumb, staring up at them.

They were only feet away.

There were four of them, three adults and a juvenile. Although calling the largest one an adult was a bit of a disservice. The white Mer that led the patrol was absolutely massive.

Wild knew, logically, that Mer didn’t stop growing when they reached adulthood, but he’d never seen a Mer this large before. He was nearly three times the size of Wild! He must be positively ancient.

Finally breaking out of his trance, Wild flung himself up. He wouldn’t be caught failing in the sand. If he needed to fight or flee, he would do so, but he would not simply wait for these Mers to condemn him.

Strangely, the four Mer didn’t attack him automatically. That was the typical response when someone caught him hunting in their territory. They didn't even look mad, really, just surprised.

Okay, the juvenile in the back of the group looked pretty mad but other than him, no one looked mad.

The largest one, however, wasn’t looking at him with surprise like the others were. He looked thoughtful. “I think,” he rumbled, “That this one might be able to shed some light on the mysterious Mer Legend brought back a few days ago.”

Wild turned tail and fled. He wanted to scream and wail and thrash in grief, but he still had Wind to look after. At least now he knew what had happened to Hyrule.

The sounds of the four behind him giving chase weren’t surprising at all.

~~~

A familiar scream woke Wind. He’d slept in late, and the sun that filtered through the shallow water shone brightly into the cave entrance, warming the water while he slept. It only took a few moments for him to shake off the haze of sleep after hearing that noise.

That was Wild’s warning call and from the sound of it, he was fighting something.

Wind was at the entrance of the cave in a flash. The relief he felt at hearing his podmate’s return was quickly squashed by the sight outside the cave.

A good distance away, Wild was facing off against four other Mer. A spear of dread shot through Wind for a moment, before relief hit him when he realized Wild wasn’t actually fighting them yet. Wild was a good fighter, but there was no way he could win against four Mer at once.

Wild had stopped a good distance away from the cave entrance, evidently not wanting to lead the strangers directly to Wind. He faced off against them, but Wind could see it was hopeless.

One of the strange Mer looked like a pup at first glance, but his colorful scales revealed him to at least be a juvenile, despite his small size. A second Mer with a royal blue tail with orange markings hovered near the back of the group, observing the on goings on with a critical air.

The two that drew the most attention were the two that were closest to Wild. They were both large, especially compared to Wild. One of them practically towered over Wind’s podmate. He looked especially fierce, with scars crisscrossing his white scales. One long scar covered his eye, bisecting the red and blue markings he had on his face.

The fourth Mer had a seal’s pelt tied around his shoulders. He wasn’t nearly as large as the white one, but even from Wind’s distant point of view, he could tell the Mer was rippling with muscles. In fact, all four of these Mer looked incredibly strong and well-fed. They looked to be in better shape than any of Wind’s pod, who were all too scrawny.

Wind could see Wild pressing himself down to the sea floor. It might have been confused for submission if it weren’t for how he flared all his fins out. (And WIld had a lot of fin to flare.) His mouth was open in a silent hiss, fear stealing his voice from him for a split second. Wild’s silence only lasted a moment, before the Mer with the pelt made an aborted movement towards him.

His movement seemed to give Wild a bit of courage. The Mer flung himself up, all his fins flaring out.

Even with half his dorsal fin being a mess of scar tissue, Wild’s threat display was truly impressive. He wasn’t fully grown yet and his markings hadn’t started to come in yet, but he was still a sight to behold. Wild’s bioluminescence didn’t add much to the display in the middle of the day like this, but Wind knew from experience that at night or in deeper waters, the eerie blue glow could make some fully grown Mer back off.

These Mer remained mostly undeterred, which showed exactly how confident they were. Rightly so. Despite his threat display, it was clear Wild was no match for them.

The large white Mer seemed utterly unphased. He flicked his tail, sending himself effortlessly through the water, closer to Wild. Wild snapped his jaw threateningly, his teeth clicking together sharply. When that didn’t work, Wild unhinged his jaw fully and let it gape unnaturally open. His long sharp teeth were on full display. It was something only deep sea Mer could do, and it was a little unsettling even to Wind, who’d seen him do it before.

That display finally made the white Mer stop moving forward, but he had gotten too close to Wild for Wind’s taste. Wind couldn’t stop the chirps from rising in his throat.

Here, here! I’m here, I’m scared, I want you here!

The attention of all four of the Mer snapped towards Wind at the sound of his chirps. Wild screamed in anger at that, but the damage was done. This new figure was more interesting to the Mer than the angry juvenile they’d been chasing. No matter how Wild flared his fins, he wasn’t able to grab their attention back from Wind.

The small one with the colorful scales huffed when he saw Wind peeking out of the cave. “Exactly how many pups are we going to find swimming around in our territory?”

The royal blue Mer seemed to agree. There was a hint of amusement in his voice when he spoke. “It seems we have an infestation.” He agreed.

The one with the seal skin around his shoulder was frowning at Wind. It would be rather intimidating, especially with the crooked fangs poking out of his upper lip, but Wind got the feeling that the Mer’s frown was directed at him.

“Is that your pup? He doesn’t look like it.” The question was directed at Wild. Even Wind knew he was referring to the fact that Wild was a deep sea Mer, and Wind was tropical. That and the fact that Wild looked too young to have sired a pup as old as Wind.

Wind bristled at the implication that he wasn’t Wild’s. He hated it when Mer did that. They may not be the same species, but Wind and Wild and Hyrule were Pod. Wind hadn’t seen any tropical Mer lining up to adopt him when he’d been alone and wandering.

Wild seemed to take the same offense. “He is mine! Don’t you dare touch him!” Wild’s voice had risen to a fever pitch of stress and anger. Wind flattened his ear fins to his head at the sound. He hated to hear Wild sound so distressed. He moved without thinking, flinging himself out of the confines of the cave.

Wild gave a warning call, and the strangers startled back, clearly not expecting Wind to move. But Wind only bee-lined towards Wild. The two of them were going to need to flee, and Wild couldn’t do that if the strangers got between him and Wind.

With Wild sounding so distressed, Wind wanted to be right next to him, not waiting helplessly for whatever fate would befall him.

Within moments Wind was at Wild’s side, pressed against his scales. With a movement of his tail, Wild raised himself high enough for Wind to duck under him. It was a little awkward. Wild wasn't full grown, and couldn’t hide Wind entirely. But he was still big enough to loom protectively. It made Wind feel slightly better.

(Whenever Hyrule or Wild did this, it reminded Wind of his mother and his birth pod, bringing comforting memories of being so very small and pressing comfortingly to his mother’s yellow-orange scales.)

More confident now that what he was protecting was within his arms reach, Wild gave a hiss towards the stranger. The sound was wounded, but there was a challenge there too.

Grief, grief, grief, anger, rage, I will never forgive you.

Then Wild spoke. “You already took Hyrule from us. Go away! Go away, we don’t have anything for you! We’re leaving, we’ll never come back here if you just let us leave.”

Wind felt an icy chill shoot through him. He sank down to the sandy seafloor, feeling weak. Wild followed him, keeping his chest pressed against Wind.

These Mer took Hyrule? What did that mean? Was Hyrule… dead? Wind had known that Wild had thought Hyrule was dead when he hadn’t returned from the hunt, but Wind hadn’t wanted to think of that possibility.

The white Mer slid forward a few feet, making Wild shift uneasily. “Are you sure about that? I’m sure Hyrule would love to see you.” Wind perked up from where he’d been pressed to the sand, wailing welling up in his throat.

Hyrule wanted to see them? That meant that Hyrule was alive!

“Wild, we have to go get Hyrule.” Wild hesitated. He still glared at the strangers, but Wind could tell his mind was racing. Wild clearly didn’t know what to do.

The other Mer could tell it too.

“You won’t be harmed, I swear it.” This time it was the Mer who wore a long blue scarf that spoke, moving forward towards the front of the group. “It can't be easy out there, just the three of you. Come rest with us for a while.”

Wind looked up at Wild, tugging plaintively on one of his fins. “Wild, I want to go see Hyrule.” He knew he was whining, but they hadn’t seen the octopus Mer in days and Wind missed him. And the strangers didn’t seem too bad. Maybe they had food at their grotto?

Wind hoped so.

Wild only hesitated another moment more before drooping, his fins closing. He looked defeated. Wind had little time to worry about it before Wild nodded his assent and Wind was distracted by the thought that they were going to see Hyrule soon!

#linked universe #lu mer au #mint's writing #lu wild #lu hyrule #lu wind #lu legend #lu time #lu twilight #lu four #lu warriors

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r0-boat · 1 year ago

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Courting gift

Tarzan! Emmet x gn!reader.

Sfw drabble

When Zoroark's court, they give valuable gifts, whether that be food or some sort of trophy from accessible hunt, anything to show their strength and ability to provide.

Emmet was in a dilemma with this human he had been watching for quite a while. You were indeed not a Zoroark, and he had not cared enough in the past to pay attention to what humans like to give their mates. He would like to kick his past self in the tail now that he was actively trying to court the human that had just set up camp in the middle of the woods.

What do humans like??

This question he pondered while digging through his den, deciding to hold on to some sparkling rocks that caught his interest and some bones from his greatest kills. His eyebrows furrowed in annoyance; you ignored the berries and bones he had left before he almost got your attention with the shiny rocks. He watched you from the dense brush as you picked up one to inspect it, only to put it to the side.

Humans were quite picky creatures, but he would not give up. He did not want to lose you to a weak and inferior human he always sees stumbling around the man-made dens.

No, he was better as the same member of your species that seem to have a close bond with Pokemon as you did. And not only that, he was strong, having been essentially raised by Zoroark apex predators of Hisui. He could hold his own against any threat that threatened you, he could make sure you were fed every day, and he could provide you with warmth and love beyond your wildest dreams. Emmet hated losing, especially when he was obviously the better choice.

That's when his eyes laid upon it, his precious treasure, a medium-sized rock that he had found back when he was fooling around in the caves with the pups in his pack. For some reason, the indents and markings drew him to this rock. And he knew that you would be drawn to this rock like he was before.

When he laid the rock in front of your tent, his heart hammered in his chest like the last few times he had placed something in front of your tent before. He had never interacted with another member of his own species; now, the thought of doing so scared him. At some point, Emmet wants to get closer, but for now, just watching you from a distance is enough

With a yawn, you stretch your first week camping alone in the wilderness. It was Child's Play compared to your previous excursions going head to head with dangerous Alpha Pokemon. However, a few days after trying to map out your camping spot and the forests surrounding it, you've had peculiar things happen to you. It seems something or someone had been leaving items around your tent. You thought at first it was some wild Pokemon, but you have come to realize that the Pokemon around here were far too skittish around humans for that.

First, it would be berries. The berries looked fresh enough though you had no idea where they came from then; it was shiny rocks and bones. You wish you could at least find the Pokemon that was giving you these trinkets, and they get with at least a scratch under the chin and coo about its cute and unusual behavior. When you crawled out of your tent, you had failed to see the much larger Rock from the last just outside your tent.

You hissing pain as you stub your toe picking up the rock. Your eyes widen when you turn it over. It was just a plain rock at first, but the markings that resembled a feather felt nostalgic for you, a sense of warmth culminating in your chest as your fingers gently traced over the plume. Wanting to keep this strange rock that gave you such a feeling of warmth safe, you brought out your bag from your tent, stuffing the stone inside.

From the bushes, his eyes widen, seeing the slight smile on your face, his heart trumming in his chest.

Does this mean you accept his courting gift?

He wanted to puff out his chest in pride and March up to you, presenting himself as the male who gave that illustrious gift to you, but something within him stopped him. The idea of your eyes upon him made butterflies flutter in his stomach; the concept of Emmet being in your presence made him feel shy. He wasn't ready, but he didn't want someone else to take you. He would have to work up the courage, and by tonight, he would finally meet you. What could possibly go wrong?

#Submas #pokemon emmet #subway boss emmet #tarzan!submas #tarzan!emmet #pokemon emmet x reader

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realm-sweet-realm · 2 years ago

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Can you give us family headcanons for the Pokemon villains?

Sure! Hopefully I won’t get anything too wrong here.

Giovanni: the mob has always defined Giovanni’s family life, from the time he was young to present. His father was killed when he was a preteen, defeated by an enemy Team boss who was stronger than him. This fueled Giovanni’s desire to be as strong and dominant as he could be in every way he could be, and to make Team Rocket into the most powerful evil team in the world. This desire was only strengthened after Silver was born. He had another child, too, a year younger than Silver, but she ran away at the same time Silver did. Unlike Silver, she never came back and couldn’t be found. This haunts Giovanni to this day and his greatest fear is losing Silver permanently.

Silver: Giovanni always emphasized the importance of strength to Silver growing up. While Giovanni never forced Team Rocket on him, Silver looked up to him and wanted to follow in his footsteps, and that made Giovanni very happy. That all changed after Giovanni’s disappearance, of course. After his Pokémon journey, Silver understands the bonds between Pokémon and people and doesn’t want to break those bonds by stealing Pokémon, so he no longer wants to join Team Rocket, let alone lead it. Giovanni knows and accepts this. While Silver’s relationship with him is a little awkward now that he’s grown a conscience, they’ll stay in close contact for the rest of Giovanni’s days. Silver knows that anything else would cause his father a lot of anxiety.

Archie: he and Maxie had a long-term relationship back when they were in Team Rocket together. Since, Archie has had numerous of flings with various members of Team Aqua. He’s found it enjoyable but it doesn’t quite fill the void. Team Aqua is like a family to Archie.

Maxie: after Archie, Maxie had a few longer-term relationships during periods when his work was lighter. Nothing ever quite filled the void Archie left, though. Maxie prefers not to mix family and business. Most people in his personal life are sympathetic to Team Magma’s cause but aren’t a part of the team.

Cyrus: Cyrus cut ties with his family basically the second he left home. He also changed his name, which is why neither his grandfather nor the people of Sunyshore use his name while talking about him, and why he’s on their mind- they’re praying that the omnicidal monster they’ve seen on the news isn’t who they think it is. The commanders (except for Charon) are basically eachothers’ family, and though Cyrus wouldn’t call them family or even friends, they could be his family, too, if he opened himself up to the possibility.

N: in N’s earliest years, Pokémon of various species that wouldn’t normally even interact came together to make sure he was cared for. A darmanitan kept him warm and safe, a zoroark and woobat kept him fed, and the zoroark’s pups were his playmates. After N was captured by Ghetsis, he was surrounded by abused Pokémon, most of which were too scared of humans to give him much parenting. They nonetheless formed a strong bond with N as he grew and learned to care for them, and N would consider them family. His only human contacts were his sisters, Ghetsis, and, over the years, a few tutors who helped him with various subjects. Ghetsis was kind to N to manipulate him, and had more contact with him than anyone else, so N was attached to him before the events of the game.

Ghetsis: he was raised to be a great religious leader. While this was a somewhat unconventional upbringing, he wasn’t abused in the slightest and didn’t find this particularly unpleasant. All the corrupt elements of the religious institution that most would pass off as “it has problems to be fixed, but nothing’s perfect” fascinated Ghetsis. They were The Point to him. Targeting members of a certain religion wasn’t enough for Ghetsis, however: he wanted to be able to manipulate anyone. This is why he broke away from religion and founded Team Plasma, which uses a rhetoric that appeals to basic empathy instead.

Lysandre: his whole family and a good portion of his social circle are, with a few exceptions, such elitist, classist jerks that it’s surprising that Lysandre was a man of the people for any length of time. And of course, they were all too eager to comfort him when his philanthropic efforts weren’t going so well, letting him know that it wasn’t his fault that the lower classes didn’t know how to use his gifts.

Guzma: Guzma would consider Team Skull to be his family. After Team Skull disbanded, Guzma was forced to return to his parents briefly because he had nowhere else to go. After a while, though, Hala took him in and made him his mentee so that he wouldn’t have to live with his abuser. Many former members of Team Skull also remained close friends after the team disbanded. This includes Guzma and Plumeria.

Lusamine: Gladion took the brunt of her abuse before he ran away, both because he was the rebellious one and because he tried to keep her attention off of Lillie. Things got much worse for Lillie once he left. After Lusamine was cured of the nihilego poison, she went on to be a decent mother and her children will keep a relationship with her into their adulthood.

Rose: Rose has long wanted a family, but can’t quite hold onto a partner. The combination of Rose’s fame meaning that no one who dates him keeps their privacy, Rose’s very high expectations, and the fact that he’s pretty unlikeable once you get to know him keeps anyone from sticking around despite his wealth, handsomeness and superficial charm. It doesn’t help that he tends to treat people as tools for his image, either. If he hadn’t gone to prison, he’d probably adopt another child after Bede and try to mold them into a champion trainer.

Piers: Piers’ parents have been largely absent ever since Piers became a gym leader. By their logic, since he’d be in town all the time and was in his mid-teens by then, he was old enough to look after his little sister and so they could go off and do whatever they wanted. So Piers has had Marnie’s wellbeing as well as Spikemuth’s on his shoulders from a young age. Between that and the work he puts into his music, he doesn’t even have the energy for resentment. He absolutely adores Marnie, though.

#pokemon #thanks for the ask #rocket boss giovanni #rival silver #aqua boss archie #magma boss maxie #galactic boss cyrus #pokemon n #plasma leader ghetsis #flare boss lysandre #skull boss guzma #lusamine #chairman rose #gym leader piers #pokemon villains

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disillusionedjudge · 8 months ago

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For the headcanons meme: How do you think Gylfie's timeline or the course of her life in general might have changed if she hadn't killed her father? What if he'd lived through to the end of the events of FFXII, or even to see her become a Judge Magister in her own right? What might that have changed for Gylfie, either mentally or events-wise?

send me questions you have about my character!

((ooh, I like this! So... hmm. Well, for starters, Mt. Bur-Omisace. It could go two ways, though there's one way I prefer over the other, heh. The one I prefer less is that Takrin doesn't die, and Gylfie is forced to go on the run with Ashe & Co because she turned against him and Bergan. He could return to Archades, claiming that Drace's treachery had spread even to his daughter, and would ultimately put more pressure on Gabranth since he's now the only one able to protect Larsa, given that Gylfie no longer has the option of returning to the Empire.

Now, the other way I can see it going, is that... Gylfie doesn't stay behind on Bur-Omiscace with Takrin and Bergan. She wants to, because she doesn't trust her father or Bergan and wants to know what they're planning, but maybe Gabranth orders her to stay with him and Zargabaath once they collect Larsa. Maybe he's afraid he'll lose her, too, and needs someone around he can still trust. She listens to him (the hound's pup always follows), and Takrin escapes as the only survivor. He'd pin the blame on Ashe & Co (and Al-Cid), because, as much as he disdains Bergan, Bergan was an ally of Vayne's, and Takrin is ever faithful. He wouldn't tell what Bergan had done or what he had become, and would serve Vayne loyally - eager to continue Archadia's bloody expansion to the west.

Obviously, this means another obstacle for both Gabranth and Gylfie, though... I honestly see Takrin staying close to Vayne. I don't think he'd actually pose as an active threat until the showdown on the Bahamut, though, actually, he'd probably just follow in his own airship with his fleet in tow, much like Zargabaath. That could change because, uh... fun fact, I still haven't finished watching ffxii sfdgjhfsd - hopefully this weekend? I was gonna do it tonight but I also wanted to get things done, and I couldn't do that while distracted with watching the movie xD

Anyway, how I have it in mind, is that Takrin would follow with his own fleet, which means he can still remain Judge Magister when everything is said and done. Why? Because he, like Zargabaath, was following the Emperor. They fought for Archadia and were following Vayne's orders like the good Judge Magisters they are. Now, of course, with Zargabaath, he means well despite how his by-the-books approach to his duties can cause more harm than good, and... Takrin doesn't, heh. But, with Takrin alive and still in power, Gylfie would take over Drace's bureau instead of her father's. Which... ngl, I'm actually tempted to make that Gylfie's canon anyway. But we'll see!

Now, with Takrin still in power... things are going to be dicey. Gylfie is going to warn Basch that her father had been loyal to Vayne and had supported him because he shared his ideals, and would warn him that Takrin is easily a threat to Larsa. I... don't think Takrin would try to kill Larsa, but he'd... certainly make things difficult. He would challenge Larsa, try to make him seem incompetent or unfit to be Emperor, and may even branch out to run for emperor himself come the next election. If there is actually an election. I could get into how that one line from Vayne about Archadia voting for it's emperor doesn't make sense but I won't do that here sdfkhjsgdfhjk

However, the biggest issue is that, if Takrin ever finds out that Gabranth is actually Basch, everything is going to be screwed. He will not hesitate to blast that for everyone to know, and would absolutely call into question Larsa's loyalty to Archadia if he finds out Larsa was perfectly aware that it was Basch. He would also use it against Gylfie as well, and argue that that was a reason why he knew she should have never been promoted to Judge, let alone Judge Magister.

With all of that, Gylfie is going to have her hands full. Her father will continue to challenge her and undermine her authority even when she's promoted to Judge Magister in her own right, so he's an added stressor on top of losing Drace and Gabranth, needing to protect Larsa, and trying to keep Basch's secret to keep the Judge Magisters in line and to keep Larsa safe. Actually, now that I think about it, I could easily see Takrin causing enough unrest amongst the Judge Magisters to cause such a division it could equate to a civil war, but I digress. I feel he'd fill in Zargabaath's role in Fortress, though... that in itself is an entirely different issue I also won't address here because that is just me ranting lol. Anyway, so not alone is she struggling to adjust to everything, but... she now has to deal with her father a lot more than she did before because they're now in the same rank. The thing is, though, they're both going to be careful with how they play it out - Takrin doesn't want to lash out at her and look like a fucking idiot while Gylfie's calm, cool, and collected, but... at the same time, Gylfie knows she can't lose her temper with her father's subtle jabs and constant challenges, because if she does, she'll screw herself over because everyone will think she's too emotional like Takrin had been saying all along. It's... a lot of subtle mind games with the two of them, though there will be times when their hatred for each other will shine through, even if only briefly.

I... might tackle this after I finish the movie, because I could very well come up with other problems that Takrin would present if he were to have survived. But, in short, he would be an added stressor for Gylfie when she becomes Judge Magister, and he would not hesitate to wreck everything the moment he learns of Gabranth's death. He will make Larsa's rule as difficult as he can without getting dismissed from his position, though I think he'd be too much of a coward to attempt an assassination. He would keep the unrest amongst the Judge Magisters at best, and outright cause a complete division at worst.

Gylfie might still kill him somehow, though, heh. Still with the goal of protecting Larsa and Archadia in mind, of course, but... it'd definitely be harder for her to find a way to go about that without getting caught.

#headcanons #death tw

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msfbgraves · 2 years ago

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What do Terry and Daniel do for their first anniversary in MobAU? Obsessed with this AU, I only wish you'd upload it to A03 so it's easier to follow ;(

Terry Silver. Respected businessman, very recent father and (hopefully) beloved mate - kicked out of his house on his 1 year anniversary!

"Stop hovering!" Daniel had said. "Samantha and I are perfectly fine! Don't you have somewhere important to be?"

"You are important."

A laugh. "Flattery won't work. Terry, I need a few hours alone or I'm going to bite someone."

"I love it when - "

"Out! And don't come back till 7."

Isn't that great. Anything might happen. At least he can take over the surveillance himself -

"Madonna mi, Terry, I can see you! Get out of the street!"

It would not be right to lose his temper at an as yet vulnerable mate. But neither would it be right to set a precedent. He needs advice...

Amanda is cackling at the other end of the line. "Oh, Terry, you knobhead, have you not left the house for a month?"

"Of course I have. Plenty of places open at 5."

"5 AM...?"

"People do not raid houses at dawn. But they're usually still up. And pretty malleable."

She sighs. "Terry. I don't know if that's insane or brilliant, but if you actually want my advice, you have to go back to normal -" he breathes in - "Don't interrupt. You have your people?"

"It's not their pup!"

"But it is their life, and you are known to kill slowly."

He snorts. "I could do with a good one right now."

She laughs. "Haven't gone soft, then?"

"Moved up in the world, love. Not my job nowadays."

"Such a saint." They're both silent. "Terry," she says softly. "I know you love them. But when Olivia engaged a dancing master for my Anna I had to step in, too."

He smiles. "She's walking then?"

He hears a disparaging sound. "As if Her Ladyship would ever be allowed to touch the ground, going by Olivia. No, not yet. But soon."

"I'd love to see her."

A pause. "I don't want to travel with her now, Twig. And you can't, with Daniel."

It's not the real reason.

She clears her throat. "So, paper. What you get him?"

"Sheet music."

"Oh? Who by?"

"Robert Johnson."

She hisses. "Way to set the mood!"

"It's personal."

"Good." Another slight pause. "Twig, love. You'll be OK. The two of you will be OK."

His throat hurts. "I'm trying, Mandy."

Her voice is soft. "I know you are. Don't try too hard, now, Terry."

He can't go crying on a transatlantic call. "I'll be grand. Love you, darlin'."

"Love you, Twig."

He sits for a while after hanging up the receiver.

He and Danny boy... they're married. They're mated. They have had a pup before the year was even out.

But does he have his Danny's heart?

The question is redundant. The deed is done, till death do them part. They do their duty to each other. He keeps his Danny safe, his Danny keeps him warm. They make each other laugh, they keep each other fed, each in their own way. They're building a home. That's what love is, all the little actions -

But to say it, and not hear it back...

It would destroy something. They can't risk it. He... he knows he couldn't bear it, himself. He'd punish the boy for it, if the words were not returned, and what misery would that be, as long as they both shall live. It's something he envies John and his Betsy. She, a beta with nothing to her name. But she ran to him at the altar, and how close he held her as they danced, how softly he stroked her cheek. They had nothing but love.

And Terry's darling Danny...

He'd burn the world for him, he's spoilt him, he's held him, tickled him, cradled both him and their Sammy in his arms. Shared kisses sweet as treacle. Mated him, bred him, and is very much looking forward to doing that again. Yes, he's taken him, in every sense.

He thought it would feel strong and it did.

He'd never thought he'd pay for it.

Alright, Silver. Nothing is for free.

He shakes his head. There's many shipments he has to look into. Amazing what you can smuggle if you hide it in dirt. How little you have to pay those even willing to go near it.

As they said in Rome: money doesn't stink.

He does freshen up and change before he goes home. He's had his wedding suit altered. Danny's golden chain cleaned. The flowers will have been delivered by now. A new set of teddies for his Sammy girl.

Sweet Mary, mother of God, he's...

He's nervous.

But when he comes back to the house, he's greeted by...

Stew. And what smells like soda bread. The flowers are arranged in a beautiful centerpiece he definitely didn't order. A table set for two, a small package at his seat.

"Sit, sit, I made you a cocktail," Daniel says. "Ok, watch that it all doesn't burn when I do my hair, yeah?"

His throat is aching. "You did all this?"

"What? No, there were six of us," he says, giving him a quick kiss. "They said Laura O'Donnell is the best cook around, she taught me. Like your mother made it, or close as you can get. Terry?"

He blinks. Hard. "Smells... smells grand."

"I wanted gnocchi tomorrow anyway," Daniel says. "I fed Sammy half an hour ago, she should be out for a good while." He looks at the packages Terry carried in. "Oh, presents!"

He pulls him close. "Hurry up, then."

Daniel nuzzles him. "Hmmm." Then he bounces off.

Terry's sure Daniel meant for the cocktail to be savored, but he downs it, and chases it with whiskey. Focus, Silver, focus! He puts the packages near Daniel's plate, walks over to the stove and lifts off a lid.

Just like his Mammy's. Jaysis.

Here Daniel is, though, in a white blazer Terry hasn't seen before. It's out before Terry knows it: "Well, hello there, gorgeous!"

Daniel looks away with a soft smile. "I'm not supposed to talk to strange men."

Terry flashes a smile of his own. "I won't tell if you won't."

A giggle, then he looks down again. "Oh no, sir. I'm spoken for!"

"Oh, yeah?" Terry says, reaching for him. "Why don't you show me that little neck and prove it?" He tilts Daniel's head. "What's thi -"

A new necklace, and a pendant:

"TS".

"You've... you've had it all along?" (He's raised such a stink at the jeweler's!)

He blushes crimson. "I'm sorry, Terry, I swear, I paid them double for this one!" He slips away, straight to the table. "Open your present, you'll see why!"

Terry opens the red and silver package and sees pictures, his Danny boy and Sammy girl, Danny's collar proudly opened to show the bitemark, tasteful but undoubtedbly there. Around his neck the necklace he is wearing now, "TS" in red and gold, and his puppy, held up proudly for the camera, clutches a bracelet with the same in silver. Daniel looks down with him. "Isn't she perfect?"

"Yes," he says, pulling his Danny close against his chest.

Then his mate sniffs. "Daiiii! The food!" And suddenly there's a flurry of activity, a litany of Italian curses, and an exasperated: "'Watch it' means you have to turn the fire down, Terry, how have you not poisoned yourself yet," and Terry sweeps him up, bridal style, for a struggling kiss.

They'll be OK.

#silverusso #knights and pawns #mob au #omegaverse #arranged marriage #anniversary

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dragonfelling · 2 months ago

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STORYTELLER SATURDAY!!! top ten chien facts?

HAPPY STS!

Oh this ones fun. I wont put them in order, but heres some of the funnest facts

Crown Chien's name is in parallel to Monarch Caleb's. They both have meanings to do with dogs. Chiens name also means someone who kept hunting dogs and money. His middle name is Mirka after his mother. That name means glory and peace. Aeraki of course means breeze/wind and has been the Anemoian royal families last name since its beginnings.

Chien was crowned at only 12 and a half. He was not expected to know everything yet, and his uncle Iasis became his regent until Chien was 16 and well tutored. He remained accompanied to various meetings with other nation leaders until he was 18, after then he was independent from Iasis and only took who he needed to.

Chien has been divorced twice before his current wife. He was married for politics once at 13, and again at 16. His first wife tried to kill him and his second, convinced he was going to be just like his dad, was unloyal to him and uninterested in Chiens wellbeing.

Chien has always been best friends with Ilonia. She had been in junior guard as early as she could be put in and she is the daughter of the head knight, Kurtys Lutalo and Lady Taifun Euphemia-Lutalo. She has always been given a spot of high recognition from Chien, and she helps train Chien in self defence. She is a very high energy, quick and aggressive swords-woman while Chien plays a hard defensive and got extremely good at it through sparring with her.

Chien use to be friends with Ilonia's brother, Fluvius jr, before Kurtys died. After Kurtys died and Fluvy began acting out, their friendship waned and then turned into hating each others guts. When Chien's parents disappeared and were considered dead, and then Xavier died, Chien grieved heavily. These two are a foil to one another in a lot of ways. Both lose people in really horrible ways, but Fluvy goes off the deep end while Chien is basically forced to maintain his appearance and behavior despite the heavy loss hes feeling. He is now Crown/King after all, and the responsibility of his nation is on his shoulders. While Fluvy jr can go wild and free and do as he pleases... He gets after Chien often for having such an old soul and his need to be an adult so early in his life, giving him hell for not letting himself just relax and act his age. Later, when Fluvy jr grows up, he does something that drives Chien to act out finally. It results in the loss of Fluvys arm. In his twenties, Fluvy is taken under Jeremias' wing to train as a bloodletter. He has blood powers, and he becomes an sequential part of Chien's medical team. Chien is and has always been very sick. He has bad asthma attacks and heart issues, which (ACTUALLY) is helped by controlled bloodletting. They start to actually respect eachother then and once more are close.

Chien is terrified of his own powers. He has lightning in him much like his mother, and his paternal grandfathers before him. His lightning is very volatile and the few times he has used it against someone it has caused severe damage. He has to work on his confidence with it for a long time before he can use it in a less explosive manner. His wife, Sinclaire, manages to help him realize a lot of the issues are a mental thing rather then the fault of his powers. He gets too riled up before using it, but if he relaxes prior he can have a lot more control.

Chien's Chelat was a gift from his father when he was 5 and beginning to show signs of asthma. The Chelat was young and trained to detect changes in heart-rate. It wiggles its quills, stomps, and makes a fuss when it detects any large changes. Originally, Mav tried to gift Chien a Pero flag dog, but he was uninterested in raising one of the pups

Chien dresses very unlike his predecessors on most days. He likes a snug long sleeve, well fitted pants, and his uncle's cloak over anything else. He often doesn't even wear a sash like most Anemoians, electing to tie it to a belt instead. The black cloak he wears is 33 years old by the time he is born. It is well maintained by Xavier and Chien keeps it in immaculate condition until the day he dies. He is buried in that cloak when he dies at 62 and the cloak is 95. By then, he has likely stopped wearing the cloak as the threads have worn so thin, but he keeps it in his room.

Chien is very Midonian in his beliefs and comes off as a very modest, religious man. However, Chien has his moments where he is really just like his dad. He hires 3 different consorts before he meets his wife, Sinclaire, and he fools around with one of his doctors, Kid. Just like Mav for real... He of course stops all that when he marries Sinclaire, but hires his 3 consorts within the castle doing various jobs. Lucius as his attendant and stylist, August as a cook (who would rise the ranks to head chef) and Niomi, who was learning to be a physical and mental therapist like her father, as part of the infirmary team (essentially taking her late fathers role)

Chien is a pacifist for most of his reign and relies heavily on established legal systems, but after a lot of shit goes down and he struggles to use this system effectively, he decides to go above it to bring justice down upon various people including one of his own sons and a magistrate he had been trying to convict for years. He hangs them publicly for their crimes

Bonus: Chien has 9 children with Sinclaire :) several sets of twins but otherwise, yikes. His wife wanted a huge family as well. Chien mainly wanted a huge family so he could repopulate the Aeraki family as they were running out of legitimate heirs.

#Chien #Aeraki #Anemoi #storyteller saturday #writing #ask

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reallyromealone · 2 years ago

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Kind of nsfw

Be warned

Omegaverse

Doma watched as (name) rested, body exhausted after basically an entire week of nonstop fucking as he underwent the transition of human to demon and it was marvelous to see the process.

His sweet mate smelt oh so wonderfully of pregnancy and Doma, the Alpha pleased that he now could have his sweet little dolly to himself forevermore and oh feeding him! Oh that would be wonderful to do together!

Omegas typically didn't do well with the transition and with this knowledge Doma kept a very close eye on his mate, he couldn't lose another love.

He refused.

"Muzan is curious about the pups, I am too..." Doma said dreamily as he pet his beloved omegas hair "I hope they have your eyes..."

(Name) slept for days, the Omega grunting slightly as he awoke to find himself snuggled into Domas chest and looked up to see his beloved's sweet smile and pastel eyes.

"Hello pretty omega~"

"Alpha?" (Name) mumbled, wincing as be suddenly could hear e v e r y t h i n g.

He covered his ears as the sound of heartbeats and blood streams, it was all so much for him "oh my little Omega, is it stressful?" Doma cooed out, voice echoing through the omegas head as he weakly nodded and whined as Doma removed his hands from his ears only to replace it with his own the chill of his hands and the pressure muting out any sounds. Doma watched (name) visibly relax in his hold, opening his eyes once more and Doma was almost in awe at the color, it was still his beautiful (color) eyes but... More vibrant and ethereal.

Doma never wanted to look away.

"So pretty...we get to be together now darling" Domas voice was muffled as (name) snuggled into his hands "pup...?"

"They're fine darling, all is good" Doma said softly and moved to kiss his little mate, a possessive nature to it because now his mate could never leave him and with pups they could be a big happy family!

(Name) was the first Omega they changed and if he could give birth to pups while a demon, Muzan and Doma were curious of the pups abilities.

Would the parents blood art transfer to the pup? Would it be stronger?

Not to mention (name) was impregnated while human, what would the pup come out now that he was a demon?

Doma was fascinated by these possibilities.

Eventually (name) calmed down and Doma slowly released his hands "shhh, don't worry my petal... You will get used to the sounds" Doma said softly as (name) focused on his voice "starving..."

"I have something for you beloved" Doma then left (name) for a bit, returning with chopped up human flesh and blood "later we can try you on a fresh kill"

As a human this would have horrified (name) but now... It looked so good, the thought of killing and devouring a person...was appealing.

"You like that idea baby? Killing with your alpha?" Doma said teasingly into his ear as he held a chopstick of flesh to (name)s lips and he couldn't resist it as he took it into his mouth, moaning a bit and Doma took a bite of food himself before feeding his mate once more, finding a weird pleasure from feeding the other, knowing he was most definitely starving.

Thankfully he didn't go feral during the transformation as many demons do.

Did not need that in the middle of the compound.

(Name) devoured his meal, sustained for now.

"I wonder what you will get..." Doma said absentmindedly, rubbing (name)s belly as they snuggled in (name)s nest, only the finest fabrics scented by Doma were allowed in there and a few of Domas clothing that the Omega stole from the Alpha "who knows you might become stronger than me darling" Doma said knowing even if that were to happen it wasn't like (name) would ever leave the private rooms that no one were to enter but Doma and Doma alone.

He would kill anyone who did.

Weeks had passed, Doma introducing (name) to devouring fresh kills though Doma mainly did the killing as he didn't want his Omega to dirty himself to much and he noticed even for a new demon (name) was much hungrier than the usual, must be a pregnancy thing.

Something Doma enjoyed was that sex lasted much much longer now that both parties had unlimited stamina, the two constantly going at it like rabbits.

Months had passed and (name) was very round and rarely left his nest, often flickering from feral to coherent much to Domas curiousity and delight. Doma always had an obsession with (name)s chest, often biting and licking the others nipples but now they were filled with milk for their pup and God did it do things to the blond.

They were barely an A cup but that didn't stop Doma from squeezing and licking them as (name) clung to him helplessly "Doma~ it's for the pup!" He cried out but the other payed him no mind as he greedily ate his meal, moving down his hands to rub the others belly with his icy hands "so yummy" he practically moaned but halted all movements when be felt a strong kick from his mates belly and the sound of (name) yelping "what was that?" He asked wide eyed "pup kicked..."

Amazed Doma moved to his mates stomach completely and felt around and when another kick came he let out a giddy laugh and (name) smiled at the sight, Doma looked so happy that his pup kicked where he placed his hands and watched the two interact.

After this Doma became extremely protective, (name) thinking the realization kicked in and now he wasn't going to let (name) be unprotected for a moment.

Doma constantly scented (name) especially if he needed to leave and if he had time gave (name) a good fuck before he left.

He had left for a meeting, (name) despite being a demon and never needing sleep felt drained because of the pregnancy and slept often, earlier into the pregnancy he felt full of life but now he just wanted to sleep.

So he did, whenever the opportunity came.

Doma fed (name) constantly, bringing victims from outside the compound for his mate (he didn't want to deal with his followers wondering where people are vanishing to because of his mates hunger) so he should have expected the others blood art to develop eventually.

He wasn't expecting it to be this.

Flowers and vines were everywhere, his nest covered by vines and affectively hiding him from the world and the room smelt fragrant and noted the different types of flowers..."if he can make flowers, could baby make the spider lily?" Doma was very invested now.

Walking to the nest he moved some of the vines to see his beloved sleeping away, Muzan said something about the possibilities of the pup transforming into a demon when (name) transformed, explaining why he was so tired as the pup was taking a lot of energy from him.

'Poor little thing' Doma mused mentally as he pulled the other close 'though at the rate we mate, he might always be tired...'

It was when they were eating when his water broke, Doma had brought him a fresh kill and fed (name) happily as he sat in his lap "(name)... Did you somehow pee on me?" Doma asked seriously and when he saw (name) contort in pain he realized what was happening.

This was (name)s first time meeting Muzan, the Alpha treating the Omega like a science project but being mindful that the other is flickering in and out of being feral because even Muzan new to never fuck with a feral Omega especially with the abilities of a demon.

Six grueling hours it took when the pup was born and it was very obvious who the father was by the eyes alone, tiny claws and pitiful cries "my pup..." (Name) mumbled and Muzan handed the other the tiny baby who wasted zero time latching onto (name)s chest "you remember your part of the deal Doma?"

"Yessir!" Doma said cheerfully and (name) looked confused "what...?"

"Don't worry my sweet, were just going to keep close tabs on our little pup" Doma said smoothly, it was a half lie honestly because yes they were monitoring the tyke but they also wanted to do some tests but both men knew not to tell (name) this.

It was easier.

When Doma presented (name) with bloodied flesh he wasn't expecting his pup to look so interested in it, the little demon able to keep his head up unlike human pups and sniffed his little nose much to everyones interest as Muzan collected some blood from a spoon he kept in his medical bag and presented it to the pup who wasted zero time trying to get it in his mouth and looked very interested for more "well at least we have options..." (Name) mumbled but the two alphas were more curious on how this would affect the babes possible blood arts.

(Sons name) eventually settled down and began feeding from (name), neither alpha caring as the others chest was exposed while they spoke about the possible developments.

Eventually Muzan left the small pack to attend to other things, having what he needed for now and would return when there's new developments.

Doma watched his family with a look of possession, their pup a perfect blend of the two and as Doma hoped he had (name)s eyes.

Moving close he began scenting his mate and pup and watched (name) quickly get his energy back now that he didn't have something actively drain it.

Doma quickly learned how protective (name) was of his pup, not wanting to leave him alone for a second without almost going feral so Doma didn't bother stopping this behaviour and when Muzan would do check ups Doma would simply restrain his mate so the other could check the pup.

The pup would never know more than the walls of their families living quarters, the cult completely devoted to the three and seeing the tiny pup as a Demi god of sorts.

He would keep his family safe at all costs.

#demon Slayer x male reader #demon slayer x reader #kimetsu no yaiba #Kimetsu no Yaiba x male reader #doma x male reader #doma x reader #douma x male reader #douma x reader

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guess-my-next-obsession · 2 years ago

Text

The Stable Girl: Finale

pairing: joel miller x f!reader (Sunshine)

chapter rating: M (mild descriptions of gore, death, grief, depression, a happy ending of course)

word count: 3.3k

a/n: oh my goodness! what a fun time it’s been writing this story. this was my first joel work i’ve created so it’ll always hold a special place in my heart, but i’m so so so excited for all the Joel content to come in the new year. thank you so much for the love on this story and all my stories. you make my world brighter. i love you all!

series masterlist

Over the last forty or so years of his life, Joel Miller had become quite close acquaintances with death. It was the most sure thing he ever knew—until he rode into Jackson and met you.

His first meeting with death was when he was ten. Butch, Joel’s childhood shepherd, had been adopted by his parents only weeks before his birth, allowing the pair to grow up together, in a way. The two were thick as thieves. Wherever Joel went, Butch was sure to follow, leading his parents to nickname their son “Sundance”—an ode to Joel’s favorite Western.

“Butch and Sundance were at it again,” his mother would lament after the duo would return from an afternoon of playing outside covered in dirt and scrapes. “Boys’ll be boys,” his father would respond, no doubt flipping back in time to relive his own memories from boyhood.

When Butch got sick, it tore Joel to pieces. On one hand, it was a fast death—Butch passing in his sleep as Joel held onto him for dear life, his tears falling onto the pup’s fur.

But while the death was quick, the grieving was anything but.

Joel didn’t go outside to play for at least six months afterwards, choosing to shut himself away in his bedroom and practice his guitar instead. It took nearly a year until he resembled the boy his parents knew and missed, but even then, for the rest of his life, whenever he saw a dog, all he could see was Butch.

His next meeting with death was shocking and sudden, his heart and mind taking weeks to accept that the event truly happened.

When Joel was twenty-one, Sarah was four, and Tommy was eighteen, his parents passed away in a car accident—another quick death that was followed by insurmountable grief. This time, Joel was too busy being a father and an older brother to process anything, his responsibilities preventing him from locking himself away in a room to come to terms with it.

If he were being truthful with himself, he still hadn’t dared to touch that wound.

And his third encounter with death…

Joel didn’t like to talk about his third encounter with death.

After losing Sarah, every life lost, every death, simply felt like a reunion with an old and loyal friend. Every kill, every loss, none of it affected him for a long time. Until he found Ellie, then you, and now the family you so generously chose to give him.

Death was no longer a friend. Now, he was an enemy that Joel Miller feared more than anything. In fact, it may have been the only thing he feared.

“Check over there! Thought I heard somethin’ move.” Joel called out into the cold night, his horse trotting slowly up a hill while he scanned his surroundings with a flashlight. Tommy and a few other rangers were out with him searching for Matthew, or at least the supplies he’d stolen. They’d searched for at least five miles, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, Joel?” Tommy shouted from across the snowy hill. “I think we found him.”

“You think?” Joel asked with a quirked eyebrow, changing course to join his brother who stood about a hundred feet away, shining his flashlight into a ditch.

When he arrived to where the small search party had all gathered, Joel hopped off his horse and walked over to the ditch, sighing at the sight of Sunshine’s brother bloodied and torn to shreds by infected. Though he was used to such gruesome scenes, he couldn’t bear to look at Matthew’s body for too long, thoughts of having to tell Sunshine consuming him.

“What do you think she’d want us to do with his body? Burn it, bring it back to Jackson?” Tommy asked in as gentle a voice as he could muster, watching as Joel slowly made his way back to his horse.

“I don’t…it ain’t the kind of thing we talk about, Tommy.” Joel sighed, clicking his tongue at his horse, Callus. “Burn it, bury it…don’t matter. Her brother is dead and I gotta be the one to tell her.”

“Joel,” Tommy tried to call out but Joel and Callus were soon flying through the woods to get back home, his eyes staying vigilant now that he knew infected were very recently in the area. The last thing he needed was for you to lose a brother and a partner tonight.

Paul was the one to greet him at the gate, their typical short exchange made even shorter by Joel’s refusal to stop at the stables, bending the rules in order to get home faster.

From the living room window, Joel could see you laying on your back on the sofa, reading a book to his children, both babies asleep on your chest. Though the moment looked tender, he knew your mind was a flurry of anxious thoughts and fears. He felt a pang in his chest as he realized he would have to be the one to worsen your mood even further, but at least he was here. At least he could hold you through it.

“Hey,” he exhaled as he stepped through the door, keeping his voice low as to not wake the twins.

“Joel,” you seemed to breathe properly for the first time in hours, Joel’s face soothing all of the sickening anxiety and concern away. He walked over and grabbed Luna off of your chest, carefully resting her to lay against his as he carried her on one hip. You stood up with Lucas and did the same, the two of you keeping as quiet as could while walking them upstairs to their bedroom. Once the babies were in their cribs and fast asleep, Joel walked you back downstairs with his hand in yours.

Something was off about him. He was too quiet, too stiff, too…scared? Why did he look scared?

“Joel, what’s wrong?” You finally broke, keeping your voice soft but the concern in it was obvious.

“Come sit down with me,” he husked as he walked you to the couch, pulling you down onto his lap so that he could hug you close. Your brows furrowed as he rested his cheek against your chest and squeezed you, your hand reaching to scratch at his scalp. “I’m sorry.”

“What for?” You asked, your voice hardly a whisper.

“Your brother, baby, he, uh…” Joel took in a deep breath as he lifted his head from your chest to look into your eyes. “Infected got to him.”

“What?” She asked with a disbelieving skeptical chuckle, though there was no trace of humor on her face.

“He’s gone, baby,” Joel exhaled, his chest tight as he watched you come to terms with the news, his eyes able to spot all the emotions that came with a loss like this—emotions he’d known so well. Your throat seemed to be swelling, your thick swallows inability to verbalize even a sound giving you away. Your stunned eyes welled with tears, eyelashes blinking them away until they fell down your cheeks. “I am so sorry.”

“Matthew’s dead?” You asked again in pure disbelief, standing up and cupping your hands over your face as you paced around the living room. Joel leaned his elbows on his knees as he watched you, unsure of what to say. “I can’t believe this…I…am so mad at him!”

Joel nodded at you as you finally dropped your hands, looking at him with a scowl.

“Why did he have to do that? He could’ve been happy here! He could’ve found love and settled down and—but he chose that ending!” You ranted and Joel listened patiently even though your volume was too loud, but he didn’t dare silence you. With a sob finally breaking from your chest, you covered your face and rushed to where he sat, straddling his lap as you shook with emotion. Joel held you close, stroking the back of your head with one hand, your fave buried in his neck, and using the other to rub circles on your back. “I just wanted him to find peace.”

“I know,” he cooed, resting his head against yours as he held you. “He’s at peace now.”

“Do you believe that?” You lifted your head to look at him, studying the hesitancy in his hazel eyes.

“I try to,” he whispered.

You hugged him close again, needing his warmth to soothe the ache that filled every single dark corner of your soul with grief. Your mind and body couldn’t understand this sort of loss—it didn’t know what to do with it. It seemed the only thing you could do was cry, so that’s what you did.

All night.

All week.

All year.

November 25th, 2038

“Hey, El,” Joel called out into the busy house as he held Luna on his hip, Tommy’s family over for Thanksgiving. Ellie walked in with a two-year old Lucas on her hip.

“What’s up?”

“I need to go upstairs. Could ya watch Lulu?” He asked with a calm urgency, Ellie nodding in response. Joel set his daughter down and mumbled a thanks before rushing up the stairs to his bedroom where you were getting changed out of your messy cooking clothes into a nicer set. With a knock on the door, he cracked it open and saw you sitting on the floor, silently crying as you held an Arizona keychain Matthew had found and gifted you ten Christmases ago. “Baby…”

“I’m sorry,” you apologized, wiping your face before stuffing the keychain back in a wooden box full of momentos. You stood up and shoved it back in the dark corner of the closet before turning to him.

“Hey, stop. Why are you apologizin’?” He rushed to you and cradled your face in his big, rough hands, his thumbs wiping the tears that remained on your cheeks away.

“I wanted today to be happy…and I fucked it up.”

“No, you did not.” He lovingly scolded, pressing his lips to your forehead. “You’re allowed to grieve, baby.”

“I know, but…I just wanted one day where I’m normal again. Where I can pretend to be normal with all of you and instead I’m up here crying on the floor,” you almost whined, leaning your head onto his collarbone as you hugged him close. Joel kissed the side of your head as he swayed you back and forth, his hand rubbing your back.

“You’re with family, darlin’…you don’t gotta pretend to be anything. We all love you here.” His voice did so much to soothe you that for a minute you wondered if he had a secret superpower he hadn’t told you about. You lifted your head and nodded at him, allowing yourself to buy into what he was telling you. With his thumb stroking over your cheek, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss to your lips. “Come on, the Turkey’s almost done.”

“Okay,” you slid your hand in his and allowed him to walk you downstairs to join the rest of the family.

“Mama!” Lucas called out as soon as he saw you, squirming in Maria’s lap to get down so that he could run to you. Your smile was genuine as you scooped up your son and placed a kiss onto his cheek. “Mama, I hung-y.”

“Dinner’s almost ready,” you informed as you walked further into the room, Joel’s hand resting on the small of your back as he followed you to the couch. He was the first to sit down and to save room on the singular sofa, you sat on his lap with your son on yours.

For a minute, you could see everyone trying to figure out something to say to you. You didn’t blame them for it, after all, you’d pretty much disappeared besides fulfilling your duties at the stables and taking care of your family. There wasn’t much to talk about because they didn’t really know much about you anymore. You didn’t know much about you anymore.

“Vivi was doing great at her horse riding lessons last week,” you started, taking the burden off their shoulders.

“Really?” Tommy chuckled, looking at his daughter who was sat on the floor with Ellie and Luna, playing with some building blocks Joel had made her. “She came home begging us to not make her go again because the horse ‘didn’t like’ her.”

“Well, Snow doesn’t like anybody,” you chuckled. “But they were doing good with each other.”

Another awkward silence passed over the room but was thankfully interrupted by the bell going off on the oven.

“Turkey’s done,” Joel tapped your hip and you stood up, choosing to walk with him, your son still perched on your hip.

“It’s so awkward,” you whispered to him in a whine as he pulled the turkey out. “They don’t know what to say to me. I feel like a sad little alien.”

“No,” he was quick to shake his head as he set the turkey down on the stovetop, peeling off his oven mitts and setting them down on the counter. “They just don’t wanna say the wrong thing, is all.”

“I know,” you sighed and leaned over to peck your sons cheek again out of a need for comfort. “I wish everyone didn’t see me as this fragile thing.”

“I’ll…try and start the conversation, then.” You guffawed at his proposition, watching as he gave you a playfully narrowed look. “What? I know how to keep a conversation goin’.”

“You? Joel Miller? Baby, you’re great at a lot of things, but small talk has never been one of them,” you reached to stroke his beard, earning a chuckle.

“Well, for you I’ll try,” he promised, pinching your chin before turning to the turkey and clapping his hands. “Alright, let’s get carvin’.”

In fairness, Joel had turned out to be quite the conversationalist when he put his mind to it.

As the family sat around the table eating the small feast that you, Joel, and Maria had helped whip up, there was no more awkward silences. Joel kept the conversation going with stories from his childhood, Tommy eager to chime in with his side of each story. Eventually, Maria started to share some of her own memories of holidays pre-outbreak before eagerly turning to you with a smile.

“What about you? Did your family have any holiday traditions?” You sucked in a breath as you cut up the twins food into more manageable bites.

“Uh, I was a little too young to remember much of it, I think,” your eyes flickered to Joel who was already looking at you. He cleared his throat before changing the subject to football, the Miller boys and their father sitting down in front of the TV every thanksgiving with round bellies and heavy-lidded eyes, watching the game.

“Tommy always passed out before halftime,” Joel added with a chuckle, his brother throwing a piece of stuffing across the table at him.

“And you were asleep by the third quarter.”

“I remember my dad and Matthew used to watch the game every year,” you spoke up, causing every set of eyes to turn to you. Joel gave you an encouraging nod as you looked at him, his boot touching yours beneath the table.

“Who was his team?” Tommy asked as he lifted his glass to his lips.

“The Cowboys,” you answered with a shrug. “I don’t know anything about football besides that people either love them or hate them.”

“Well, you’ll find you’re amongst friends,” Tommy gestured between himself and Joel. “We’re Texans, after all.”

“Well,” Joel interjected, earning an eyebrow raise from both you and Tommy.

“Well what? You jumped ship in the twenty-three years since football ended?” Maria asked with a chuckle.

“I’ve never been a Cowboys fan,” he chuckled his response, glancing between each shocked face. “I’m a Texans fan! Tommy, you know that.”

“No the hell I didn’t.”

“So wait—there’s a Texas based football team called the Cowboys, and then there’s another Texas based football team called the Texans?” Ellie asked with a confused look.

“Yes,” Joel and Tommy answered simultaneously.

“Well that seems like an oversight in planning.” She commented, earning a laugh from you. Everyone at the table looked stunned for a moment at the sound before easing into it and joining you.

For the first time in a long time, you felt like things were normal again. You felt like things would be okay. And while that sounded like very little to ask for, to you—in this world—it was everything.

After locating the football he’d found a few month back while on a supply run, Joel and Tommy attempted to show Ellie and Vivienne how to play football out in the snowy back yard. You sat by the fire with a big blanket wrapped around you, the twins upstairs taking a post-dinner nap.

“Tommy’s gonna throw his damn back out,” Maria lamented as she sat down beside you with a spare glass of wine in hand, handing it to you.

“Thanks,” you accepted it and took a swig of the dark red liquid. “Joel’s so sure he’s still a thirty year old. Poor guy is gonna be in pain in the morning.”

“Those Miller boys,” she sighed with a chuckle. A moment of comfortable silence passed over the two of you as you watched Tommy try and fail to tackle his older brother, earning a playful shove into the snow. “Are you doing okay? I know it’s not an easy thing to talk about, but…I just want you to know that I’m here. I know what it’s like to lose a sibling like that. And…I’m here. That’s all.”

“It’s so strange to describe to other people, you know? Even to Joel,” you paused, basking in the sight of the love of your life laughing with his head tipped back as Ellie tackled Tommy into the snow. “It’s not even about me being sad that he’s gone—he was an ass. But he was also the only thing I had left from the world before all of this.” You gestured around. “You asked me earlier about my family’s old holiday traditions and I couldn’t remember anything. But Matthew would have.”

Maria nodded, reaching over her hand and squeezing your knee. The simple gesture was enough to have you crying again, this time out of sheer gratefulness for the family you’d stumbled onto in all this horror and strife and grief. In all of this bliss and beauty and belonging.

Joel’s head whipped over at the sound of a single sniffle, his smile fading into a look of concern for a moment before he saw it—your smile. He watched you lean over and hug Maria close, and he watched as you wipes your tears away with the heels of your palms. And when your eyes met his, he saw you for the first time in a long time. You. His Sunshine. The woman responsible for everything bright and blooming in his life. The woman he thought he might have lost to the darkness of this world, who’s light had almost gone out for good. But here you were again, beaming and warm, full of life again.

With a smile on his face, Joel walked to you, his feet moving slowly and carefully through the snow until he stood in front of where you sat, your eyes locked on his. Joel leaned down, his gloved hand cradling your jaw, his thumb stroking over your cheek, his lips close enough to feel the warmth of yours. Before he leaned in to kiss you—to show you that he missed you—you halted him with your voice.

“Thank you for the life you’ve given me,” you whispered, just for him to hear, and even then, he thought he might have imagined it. “Thank you for being my light, Joel.”

“Oh, Sunshine,” he exhaled, overwhelmed by his love for you. His lips pressed against yours, your hands resting on his head to keep him there until everyone started to boo at their display of affection. Joel pulled away with a chuckle and rested his forehead against yours. “I’m so glad I met you.”

“My cowboy,” you whispered, running your thumb over his cheekbone.

“My stable girl.”

taglist: @uselsshuman @joelmillerscoffee @wildemaven @axshadows @sherala007 @browneyes-issac @kimm4710 @stxrrylunatic @sara-alonso @paulalikestuff @chxpsi @auberosier @mashomasho @harriedandharassed @trickstersp8 @trinkets01 @jlmaddinson @laureliciousdefinition @oh-no-a-whovian @buoyfriend @chorraich @extraneous-trip @oliviajdjarin @wumpsquill @love-affair-with-fandoms @graciexmarvel @amb11 @t0fudaddy @reigndropss @wondeerfull @multifand0m-gal0re @bfences @hypnoash @chronic-aly @wheresarizona @pedropascalsx @xocalliexo @myswficlist @untitledarea @lexloon @bbyanarchist @alwayslurkinginthebackground (sorry if your tag isn’t working! and let me know if you’d like to be added!)

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal smut #pedro pascal fluff #the stable girl #joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller reader insert #joel miller x y/n #joel miller x reader smut #joel miller angst #joel miller fluff #joel miller smut #joel miller x you #joel miller fic #tlou joel #joel tlou #tlou fanfiction

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happyk44 · 2 years ago

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Being a backseat driver was hard. The road they were on was always stressful. The driver never listened to any of his advice. He argued, pretended he was alone in the car, yanked the steering wheel away whenever he could. And now he was purposefully trying derail them off the road into a collision.

Stop! Grace shouted.

Jason startled. The knife nearly slipped between his fingertips. A stab through the foot would be fine so long as it was accidental. The blood pooling in the tiny cut on their thigh? Not accidental.

Pale skin littered with faint scars - teeth, swords, scrapes from nails by other kids, monster wounds.

They didn’t need to add fucking “self-inflected injuries” to the list. They already had the bruises from Jason’s overwhelming insistence on pummeling their body when they were alone. When he thought he was alone. When he thought he deserved it, that it needed to be done, that it had to be done because of bullshit reasons.

“I didn’t last long enough in this fight, I didn’t hold the shield right, I didn’t dodge that punch.” All a stream of muddled consciousness Grace couldn’t understand was a real person. A real person and their host, no less. What in the actual fuck.

Who thought so little of themselves? Even JJ, in all his assorted miseries, knew he held a purpose. Was worth more than all the whining of wolves and children.

Grace wasn’t scared of the long-term consequences of Jason doing this, digging in a blade until he bled. He wasn’t going to kill himself, kill them. But it hurt. It was a repeat of pain. You don’t deserve food, pup, you didn’t train hard enough. You don’t deserve a bandage, you shouldn’t have let them get you. Defend, attack, blah blah blah.

Didn’t he hear the voices rattling around in his head like a warning?

JJ’s presence was a cold nudge to his metaphorical left. No. He was quiet, faint. Just us.

Didn’t Grace know it. Must’ve been nice. All the pain and fear rattled across the two of them, leaving Jason emptied of any real emotions. No wonder the kid didn’t know how to cry properly. Didn’t know how to scream.

JJ fucking snagged it when their brain was divvying up the responsibilities.

Would’ve been useful if Jason could make friends but he didn’t know how. None of them did. Friends were not a luxury for them in the Wolf House. Ironic, given the notability of packs in wolves. Clustered furred bodies nipping playfully against one another while they were stood out in the corner. Furless and naked. Teeth dull with humanity. Nails barely sharp.

All they had was the bleed of lightning in their veins and a stark instinct to live.

One Jason was pissing on with this stupid knife.

STOP! Grace shouted again.

Influencing Jason was hard. He was a stubborn little shit through and through. Pushing himself forward was a blinding pressure. Repeatedly he pressed through the mantra of “the knife isn’t useful, the knife isn’t useful”. It was easily resisted by the battering of “I have to hurt myself, I don’t know what else to do about my feelings” that Jason was oozing on his side.

But surely and slowly Jason stiffened up and set the knife aside, inching backwards and backwards and backwards until his back cracked against the cold tile of the silent bathroom.

Thank fuck.

Could he not hear them or was he just tuning them out? Grace wasn’t sure. They were clearly still in the early stages of whatever was happening here and Jason seemed wholly unaware of what was going on on his end. Stumbling through answers, vague and uncertain. He approached every person like he wasn’t sure if he’d met them before. People would reference events they’d never been in, never experienced, and he’d hum along like he’d been there too. If called out on it, he’d always spin a quick lie that pushed them off his back - “Oh, I was laughing because it was funny. Oh, I was nodding because I can relate.” Crap like that.

At least the Wolf House was structured. Every day was the same. Fight, fight, fight, fight. No need to worry about losing time or missing faces. Everyone was just trying to get by. No one cared if the skinny blonde kid who’d been there for eight years knew who they were.

Camp was different. They wanted memories. They wanted differences and experiences and fun.

The Wolf House was not fun.

Statement pretty proven by the three people stuck in a ten year old’s body. That didn’t seem right. Surely, if other people were dealing with this it’d be more noticeable. And Grace’s instinct to hide, to put on his Jason mask and smile and play the part that everyone expected, wouldn’t exist. Because it’d be normal. It’d be human.

This didn’t feel human.

Or maybe that was Grace and his wolf-like haunches sat back on the game of humanity and growling quietly.

To his metaphorical left, JJ was strengthening in stride. All the turmoil rolling against the edges of their skin was pulling up hard as Jason’s presence began to flicker like a light. Then off it went. Jason disappeared to wherever he went when he wasn’t there.

Wet tears crawled down their face. A bubbling wail caught empty in their throat. Their lip was bitten hard, screams of long untouched pain refusing to be released. Otherwise it would wake up the people just on the other side of the door.

Grace hoped they could make it outside the cohort bunk and into the trees. Some place for JJ to lay down and screech to his tiny heart’s content. Some place he could wake up and feel more like a person, more like a wolf, than he had since getting here.

They were always surrounded by people. Always touching him. Always holding weapons.

Always dangerous.

Nails dug sharp into the skin of their thighs. Grace tumbled as the world felt suddenly too big and too small at the same time. Suffocating and broken. JJ was a lot to experience. The intensity of his emotions always had Grace careening back. Sometimes he could stick around. Shoved to the trunk instead of thrown out of the car altogether. Shout whatever he could that felt soothing in the moment through muffled walls. Anything to make JJ feel less alone. To make all of them feel less alone.

This wasn’t one of those times.

#happy talks pjo #did!jason #my writing #my fanfic #jason grace

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dualnaturedscientist · 1 year ago

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Once the broadcast finally finished, the room was so quiet that they could hear the squeaking of the mouse pups. Being tended to in the other room by Becky and Alex. Alex had taken her upstairs the moment he saw the three men on television. He knew Becky shouldn't be watching that. He was also angry that they thought to play that on a kids channel. How many upset children will be in a panic? Whose bright idea was it to broadcast it when there were children watching? Alex had kept Becky distracted the best he could. Bob, for the first time since they arrived, reacted more than just staring. He made sad, distressed noises. He understood it. He still heard it despite being taken with Becky. He knew it was lies, what they said about Carl. A spark of his former life showing through. Downstairs, they just stood there stunned. "LIES! I'd never corrupt him! Nearly everything they said is a complete lie!" Matthew wanted to march to the news station building and make them fear the right person. Him. Honestly if they were just to make the broadcast about his escape, he wouldn't have cared. Yet the moment Carl's name was slandered by such vicious lies. That was too much. "I know. I see what they're doing. They're covering their own rear ends because you guys escaped. So they had to make Dad look just as bad. Now even Dad can't go out. He's wanted just as much as you now. Luckily, no one but us and a few others saw you and they already know the truth." Just then, Victor had his cellphone go off. His expression told that he knew who it was and just what the call was about. He quickly excused himself to another room to answer it in private. Carl couldn't help but just to stare. Stare wide eyed at the screen. It was back playing Becky's favorite show. He was trying to fight back tears, placing a hand over his mouth. Dr.Two-Brains was absolutely livid but he couldn't lose himself to his emotions again. Not when his father got kicked down emotionally. Carl finally found his voice. "What they said about me. They sprinkled in some truth to it. Of course the obvious lies you can see right through. But my experiments with cloning. My work with genetics, they were indeed illegal. While I did not kill anyone while we escaped. I did defend myself and Steven from a psychotic scientist who worked there. Everything else. They're...they're making vicious lies to get us back there." The tears wouldn't stop streaming down his cheeks. "I know Dad. Of course you wouldn't have done that. Don't worry about that. Everyone else here knows the truth. As you said. They're not going to get away with a thing. I know you wouldn't ever do that to Becky or her monkey. Emphasis on monkey because people in this city can't seem to get it right. No one else knows your here so you're safe in this house. Just don't go outside anymore. That goes for you too, Matthew. Steven. I'm sorry but you have to wait awhile to talk to your mother and Jessica until we get this mess taken care of." Carl couldn't stop himself from crying. Matthew was enraged. How dare they make him look like a monster. Carl wasn't anything like him. The cloning. He just wanted kids of their own. That was his goal. Unethical his butt. It broke his heart to see Carl break down like this. Matthew walked over to his ex husband, pulling him into a tight embrace in an attempt to comfort him. Wiping his tears away the best he could.

Everyone was exhausted from the eventful day. Dr.Two-Brains had put the mice pups on a makeshift little bed for them to sleep on. They seemed to have grown attached to both Becky and the mad scientist in the short amount of time they were taking care of them. When they put the mice pups down they squeaked to be picked up again. When they finally fell asleep, full from their dinner, Becky and Dr.Two-Brains quietly left. Though Becky didn't want to leave the pinkies alone. The villain spoke softly. "They will be okay there. I promise. Let's be quiet and let them sleep." Becky stared at her father for a moment. She had a thoughtful expression, following after him. Dr.Two-Brains had put his kid to bed. Once she was tucked in. Bob too. He kissed her forehead goodnight. "Goodnight my little ray of hope. Rest well. I'll never let anyone hurt you anymore. I promise. You'll be safe from now on. I'll never let you out of my sight again." He mumbled this, his eyelids feeling so heavy now. He drifted off to sleep, head on the bed. Becky untucked herself and made herself comfortable near her dad. Bob made himself comfortable as well on the opposite side. Both of them curled up next to him. The others had already left for their own home. Leaving Carl, Steven and Matthew with them. Carl and Steven had been taken to the spare rooms while Matthew had only the couch to sleep on. If he was going to be honest it was still much better than the poor excuse of a bed they forced him to sleep on during his time in Maximum prison. The facility where he was transferred was so much worse. He was going to take what they gave. As his son in law wished, he was on his best behavior. It would stay that way until they didn't need him anymore. The truth was, he wants his kids to be happy. Just like any other parent would. Once he was of no use anymore, he will make sure they never see him again. He'll be far away. Just like they wanted. Despite what happened, Gene was still his favorite. He was so proud that his son turned out to be so brilliant, kind from what he saw. He was still all that despite the mouse brain. His son was strong. Maybe even more than him. He gave in, Dr.Two-Brains didn't give into it for the sake of his daughter. Matthew finally allowed himself to drift to sleep.

The next morning, Matthew was woken up by his son cooking breakfast for everyone. Well everyone but him. He assumed that Gene would want to feed the man he hates. Matthew felt guilt. Over hurting his son like that. Everyone else woke up soon, gathering around the table. Once it was set up, everyone helped themself to the delicious and cheesy meal. Matthew stayed in the living room though. Becky glanced over at him, puzzled why he wasn't joining them. Dr.Two-Brains felt his insides twist. As much as he hates Matthew he couldn't let his little girl panic like that. If he's staying here, he must eat as well. He spoke in a less than enthused tone. "You want your plate over there or are you going to join us?" Matthew blinked owlishly. He saw that the table seemed a bit crowded and he doubted they wanted him to sit with them. "I'll fix up my plate and eat on the couch. Thank you." There was no sarcasm in his tone. He was genuinely thanking his son. After they ate, Matthew and Dr.Two-Brains were alone in the living room. It was tense. Matthew wasn't looking at his son, not wanting to make the situation worse. He didn't see the expression Dr.Two-Brains was wearing. Grim. He wanted answers. He was finally able to ask this question he had been dying to ask for years. "Why did you do it? Why did you massacre all those heroes? Rebecca?" Two-Brains found himself even more emotional, bringing up his late best friend. There was anger in his eyes. Sadness. Hurt. Matthew only felt guilty when it came to his family. He hated seeing them hurt. A thought he always had. If he hadn't massacred the heroes, maybe he could've done something to prevent Carl and Steven from being kidnapped. Prevent Gene from going through all that. "You wish to know? I'll tell you. Just a heads up. I'm telling you why and it's not an excuse for what I did. I'm simply telling you what happened." Matthew paused for a second, frowning at the memory. "A good man died so many years ago. Not one hero shed a tear for someone whose intentions were good. Despite his less than legal ways of achieving his goals, he was on their side. They never saw it that way. It didn't affect him in the least. He still fought for what was good. They said horrible things about him. Yet he never retaliated. Never spoke against them in anger. My uncle. He hated this vigilante just as much. Hated that he was teaching me just as much. I didn't realize it at the time but this vigilante was more of a hero than the others were. Not one of them, including my uncle, mourned for him. They never even mentioned his passing once. The one who killed him, he wasn't going to stop. I had to make him stop. The anger I felt. I wiped him out. With his goons. They didn't care how many lives were lost. That added so much fuel to my hatred of heroes. So much so. It blinded me. Making me no better. I became the malicious monster that my uncle said I was. The rage grew in me. He disowned me. So did my mother. When the rage grew, I only had one thought. One goal. I was unfortunately blinded by this. Not seeing the damage I've done after I executed my plan. All of my rage was released. I don't remember killing most of them. But I know I did. I truly love you and your siblings. Your father, I never stopped loving him. Yet my hatred was stronger. I gave into it. I know this is the consequence of my actions and I accept it. If you wish to get revenge, I won't fight back. Do as you please. I'm truly sorry. I know it doesn't mean anything to you since it's from me. But my apology is genuine. I am sorry. I don't expect forgiveness. But I thought you deserved an apology."

Dr. Two Brains sat stunned at Maddrix's explanation. He had no idea Matthew used to be a hero. None of them did. He didn't know how to react to his apology either. It was a little too late to say sorry. Yet on the other hand, Two Brains could tell he was being serious and genuine. Maddrix's explanation though, it opened up more questions for him as he reflected on his past before the massacre, analyzing Matthew's actions and comparing it to what he knows now. "Is that why you raised me to be a villain? So I wouldn't end up like the heroes you hated so much?" Two Brains asked. Matthew shook his head. "I had that hatred festering, but it wasn't the main reason I raised you to be a villain. I genuinely saw the natural spark and flare you had for villainy at an early age. When you acted sweet and innocent as a cover to get what you want or to get away with biting people that made you mad." Matthew paused a bit as he chuckled a little at the memories. "I honestly lost count of how many people you bit." Two Brains couldn't help but smirk at that. "It was the only way I could get back at those who made me upset. Neither you nor dad would let me gain access to tech until I was 13." Two Brains quipped. Matthew nodded with a bittersweet smile. "True. We were both slightly afraid what you mind would do if we gave you access to tools and tech before you were mature enough to use them." Matthew then frowned. "The true reason was I didn't want you to end up like me. I had a lot of anger and aggression issues when I was growing up. I don't exactly know where they came from. I just know that my uncle nor my mother never gave me the help I needed. My uncle saw me nothing more than a weapon that made him look good until I didn't. My mother was a spineless fool who went along with anything my uncle told her. I wanted to help channel your villainous impulses into something productive. I wanted to give you the helping guidance I never got. Even after you got me arrested. I was miffed yeah but I was never truly mad at you. I'm proud of the person you grown up into. Not because of the villain part. It's because you have a lot more control over your priorities and better restraints over your impulses than I ever did." "So that's why you told dad you were an orphan." Two Brains muttered as he processed what Matthew told him. Maddrix just shrugged. "Well your biological grandfather walked out when I was a toddler and the only true parental figure I had died when I was teenager. It was easier to say I was an orphan than to go into the nitty gritty." Dr. Two Brains leveled Matthew a hardened look. "You kept a lot of secrets from dad, including the part about you and me being villains. I remember you said it was best that no one else in our family knew the truth about our villain work. Even though they wouldn't be bothered about it, you still didn't want them to know. Why was that? Were you afraid of them getting hurt if they knew?" Dr. Two Brains interrogated. Matthew's expression became pale before he turned his gaze away Dr. Two Brains looked at the man with annoyance and confusion for not answering his question in a rude manner. A thought then struck his head. That evasive and somewhat rude reaction. He knew it all too well. "You were afraid dad would hate your for being a villain and kick you out like your mom and uncle did. That was why?" Two Brains muttered quietly. Maddrix didn't reply. He didn't have too. Dr. Two Brains could see clear as day the prickling tears the villain was trying to blink away. Two Brains gave a bitter chuckle. "I guess I did take more after you than I realized." Two Brains mumbled. Both he and Matthew never wanted their loved ones to see the true them, consumed by their fear of being hated and alone by those they cared the most. The difference here, while Two Brains found a better way to cope with his fears and learn to be more open to others, Matthew didn't. @dualnaturedscientist

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