#we had to go get one from other roommate's papa and now we have to mow this whole shit ourselves with an old ass push mower when they ave

[teja-has-puppet-autism]

just mowed 3 stripes of the lawn and am down n out with heat sick + pinprick pain someone tell me what a good creature I am XD

[starsignchaser]

February 2024 starsignchaser Fic Recs!

Welcome back to everyones favorite time of the month; Where I tell you all the favorite things I read on AO3 in the last few weeks! I will admit, I took a step back into reading in other fandoms and also I spent half the month traveling so I didn't have a ton of time to read, unfortunately. Sorry! March will be better (maybe...) Anyway, let's get into it!

Jegulus

Baby, now my head is on backwards by messymoony (6k, rated E)

James has had a bad day at work. Regulus makes him feel better. t4t jegulus you have my heart!!

Meet on Telegraph Avenue by ani_wahstan (34.6k, rater E, features wolfstar!)

James Potter was doing his best not to defile his roommate's younger brother because Sirius told him to “keep his slutty hands off of Regulus or else," but finds himself unable to keep the promise.

my favorite jegulus fic of the month, you can just tell this is a labor of love from the author. I also really really loved the inclusion of so many different songs from the time period of the fic!

second chances by introvertedhufflepuff (34k, 10/10, rated M)

when Regulus is hit with a rogue spell that sends him back to a 6-year-old, Sirius is forced to face their adversities and grow past their animosity.

not only Jegulus but some v good Black Brothers Angst. this fic fits v well in my headcannon of who reg was as a child and I love getting to see Sirius of the "present" interact with little reg of the "past"

Perfect Little Life by CRAmber (6.5k, 5/5, rated E)

Just a collection of snapshots from the life of Jegulus raising Harry and being hot and in love.

I suffer from a terminal case of jeggy dads brainrot </3

Drarry

The Vault by erlasart (comic, 2/2, rated M)

Harry is out for an evening walk when he sees Draco Malfoy disappearing into a seemingly abandoned building. Harry, of course, has to investigate.

I have been absolutely loving comic fics recently, I love seeing the art and the story work together and this one is really good!!!

No Place Like Home by dracogotgame (4k, rated G)

James Sirius has been at Hogwarts for exactly one day, and he knows he doesn't belong. All he wants is to go home. A late night Floo call fixes everything.

drarry dads <333

papa says harry potter helps people by jilliancares (10k, rated E)

Draco Malfoy is reintroduced into Harry's life when a little boy enters his shop, lost. The same little boy upends all his bookshelves, which Draco holds himself responsible for. It all kind of escalates from there.

Scorpius bringing these two dummys together <3

together we wait for silence by ashes_and_ashes (23.6k, rated T)

the combined swimming/road trip au that no one ever asked for and yet is now here

My fave drarry of the month!!! I LOVE fics like this with a somewhat nonlinear timeline and so much unspoken angst and UGH I just really really really loved this fic.

[nightwalker6200]

I really think this foreshadows the rest of the season- i think we might see some hurt/ comfort from Rei/ Kazuki with the possibility of them dying in the field or getting hurt/ incapacitated. Perhaps in E8, Rei will come back hurt thus leaving Kazuki to face the idea of fatherhood on his own as we saw Rei face that possibility in E7. I also think Miri will be taken away at some point (either by SS in which Kazuki and Rei would have to figure out if they could even get her back, legally, possibly with Kyutaro’s help in forging, or check in on her from time-to-time as she goes to a “better” family; or, kidnapped as leverage thus leaving Kazuki/ Rei to find her). It would be interesting, as this could happen, with Rei being demanded to take over the family business- Rei would take this deal in order to protect both Kazuki and Miri- the Boss could demand he cut ties and his presence immediately (a breakup/ divorce, if you will). Thus, leaving Kazuki as a single parent for a while as Rei was ordered no contact and no family (I would assume if this were to happen, we’d see some montage or episode with Kazuki and Miri struggling, and Rei even more reclused or depressed- possibly deep in work; then, Miri gets kidnapped (either Kazuki will show up to the Boss’s house, pleading, or Rei will show up at his last apt), leaving Rei to make a choice- become a traitor with his father and go against him in order to find Miri, or remain in the business and leave Kazuki to deal with this on his own. Assuming Rei decides on patricide, I think we will have a huge BADASS fight scene with Rei and Kazuki showcasing their skill sets pushed to the limit. 

Also, unpopular opinion: As much as I want this to be YAOI because come on- two badass assassins protecting a sweet little daughter, I highly doubt we will ever see a Rei X Kazuki scene. 

Something else I wanted to mention- in light of the words uttered in E8 about things being taken: Happiness exists to be taken: Before Miri, the idea that either one of them had to betray or kill the other, would have meant nothing. For example, they seem to be friends who live together, or at least, “friendly” roommates (yes, there’s a difference); so, assuming Rei would have had to kill Kazuki or the other way around, then this task would have been quite easy. They saw each other every now and then, and did some stuff together, but their connections were minimal. They didn’t really mean that much to each other- so killing each other would have been like a small papercut/ annoyance. 

However, after Miri, the idea of having to kill/ betray each other would be far worse and difficult. Even if Miri were to leave the rest of the series, the connections established between Rei and Kazuki would still be there. So, if Rei were to try and come after Kazuki now, I’d assume he’d struggle with the task, perhaps even ignore the order, because he’s developed further emotional ties/ connections with Kazuki through Miri; opening himself up more and establishing himself from the Boss- becoming his own person- the same would be said for Kazuki. Killing each other now would HURT far worse, resembling a breakup or family member death- they’d break the connections between themselves that they have now- at the very least, their connections blossomed into a friendship deeper than the original (deepening every day as they are more than friends at this point; they are family); and they would hurt for Miri as she would also feel the fall out of this transaction. Killing each other or going after one another (ie. Rei targeting Kazuki and vice versa) would essentially kill Miri as well. She regards them, as they themselves, as her Papas. 

The connection between Rei and Kazuki, although might not be, nor ever be romantic, is extremely emotional and nurturing (ie. Rei saying in E8 to Kazuki: Before, you never meant that much to me) from where it originally started. If we ever see a target put on one of them for the other to carry out, i highly doubt they’d be able to finish the job (this doesn’t mean they won’t actually be able to start the job), which in turn could mean that someone else would be tasked with carrying out the hit thus causing a lot more protectiveness from either partner or confessions of guilt. Like mentioned, even if Miri were to somehow “disappear,” those connections would still remain because their memories would still be there as Rei and Kazuki are no longer friends (if they ever were) because they are now family (Miri just helps them see that a little better). 

Episode 8 spoilers discussion below:

With Rei fighting his mentor, and his mentor saying that Rei was a puppet--- that he used to be like that too until he found something to fight for (his now dead girlfriend), foreshadows, in my opinion, Rei’s possible future. We don’t see Rei react until the blade is pulled on him, leaving the real possibility that he could die or fail to kill his mentor thus leading to the Boss coming after his “family” as Rei would be marked a traitor. When he reacts, he shoves his mentor away with some newfound strength, saying he, too, found something worth protecting (Kazuki/ Miri)... This shows that although Rei might have started out a puppet, living any life the organization wanted, he no longer does now (which would mean, unless he cuts ties very quickly, he’ll be labelled a traitor too)- Rei fell in with a family of his own against/ soiling if you will, the Suwa bloodline- ironically the Boss mentions something along the lines of “we are the darkness in sunshine,” which I find extremely befitting as Rei and Kazuki are opposites (dark and light). 

Anyway, back to the main point, Rei’s mentor was basically Rei fighting his future self as he soon will be viewed a traitor, and someone will come after him to kill him. Rei is aware of this; he’s aware that if he doesn’t go back to his father, someone will come after what he loves- Kazuki and Miri. His mentor’s last words, “I’m on my way,” before he dies, is to his dead wife/ girlfriend/ partner- he was happy to die as he knew this was the only way he could be reunited with his family, the cause for his fight (Kazuki, I’m sure, feels this way for Yuko- I forgot how to spell her name- and is learning to live past it. I’m curious as Kazuki has now allowed himself to move on, and the Boss mentioning that Kazuki’s skills were adequate, just how badass he might be- he might be just as equal to Rei when it comes to assassinating, weapons, and stuff but was held back by his desire to see his dead wife/ child again). ANYWAY, the mentor’s last words, “I’m on my way,” were a slap in the face for Rei- he becomes highly aware, in this moment, that if he stays how he is, living with Kazuki and Miri, then he will inevitably get them tortured and killed, and the only way he’d ever be able to see them again (if he stays) is through his own death. 

Rei has found something worth protecting, worth fighting for, but to do so so openly in front of the organization, would mean Kazuki and Miri die (if Rei stays, he stays for his own selfish reasons, and they die; if he leaves, he does so through selfless reasons, and they live). I think Rei mentioning to Kazuki in the car that, “Before, you never meant that much to me,” was a goodbye, in a way. Rei knows in order to protect his family, in order to keep them safe, he needs to leave. Even if this decision isn’t what he wants, it’s one he’d gladly make in order to ensure Kazuki and Miri get to live. This will be, from Rei’s standpoint, his final and most open act of love for Kazuki and Miri. 

[visiosatanae]

The Gauntlet

Chapter 3: Sloth

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Cirrus/F!Reader | Sister of Sin

(CW: Smut, Drug use, Cirrus being a master at oral)

Ao3 Link Ch 1 Ch 2

"Who gave you those?" Sister Chloe asked.

I was staring at the bruises Dew gave me in our full length mirror. They littered my neck and shoulder, as well as my hips in certain places. They were all deep purple and angry looking, barely even starting to heal. Beginning the Gauntlet right out the gate with wrath probably wasn't my smartest move. 

"Had a random encounter with a ghoul," I frowned, finding yet another one on my leg from where I'd fallen to the floor. I poked at it. Yep, still hurt. 

"Yikes, you get a feral one or something?" 

"Something like that…"

Chloe and I had been roommates ever since we were novitiates, so we knew almost everything about each other. She also knew that having a random quickie with a ghoul wasn't exactly my thing. She gave me another once over but didn't ask any more questions, probably figuring I'd tell her if I wanted to. I so desperately did, but for obvious reasons I couldn't. 

"I'm taking the day off," I changed the subject, turning away from the mirror to head towards my wardrobe. "Do you still have any more of that salve from Papa Secondo?" 

"Yup!" She hopped off the bed and made her way to our shared bathroom. 

I pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, then worked to put my hair up in a messy bun. No need to put in any effort today. Chloe came back with the salve before departing to start her Sisterly duties, telling me to get some rest before the door closed gently. I took care to rub the salve onto all my bruises. Papa's salves and elixirs tended to work miracles, which is what I was really needing right now. Once I was smelling strongly of mint and eucalyptus I flopped down onto my bed, wondering what all I should do to really hammer home the whole Sloth thing. 

An idea popped into my head as I remembered the joint I had bummed off of Sister Vivienne a little while ago. Digging through my bedside table I found it and my lighter. Getting comfortable amongst the pillows I lit it up and took that first earthy drag. I coughed profusely as the smoke settled in the back of my throat. I guess it had been a while since I’d done this. 

Once I got used to the burning sensation, it didn't take long for me to sink further into the bed, scrolling aimlessly through my phone. This felt… nice actually. I hadn't really let myself relax like this in ages. After a little while, I started to become bored with what was on my phone and tossed it aside with a huff. Maybe this sin was going to be harder to complete than I thought. I sighed, letting my mind wander. This felt like such a waste. I couldn’t even catch up with Chloe because she wasn’t even here. 

Wait. 

I felt my cheeks heat up at the thought my brain had suddenly come up with to ease my boredom. I took a second to listen, making sure my roommate was indeed gone and not coming back to barge in with no warning. With the coast clear, I slipped a hand beneath the waistline of my sweatpants, rubbing a couple fingers over the cotton of my underwear. I let out a shaky breath. It felt like it had been forever since I had the room to myself, so doing something like this felt so strange. My mind, ever the vessel for intrusive thoughts, decided to wander back to what happened in the closet yesterday. I felt my body tense, my other hand brushing gently over the marks left by Dewdrop. Even if he had been rough, I had cum after all. 

My fingers pressed down more firmly, feeling myself begin to soak through my panties as I remembered what happened. Eyes fluttering closed, I allowed myself to indulge, fingers working faster over my clit. As my breathing started to pick up, there was a knock at the door. 

Startled, I clumsily withdrew my hand and wiped it roughly on my sweats. I groaned quietly, figuring it was probably Chloe coming back because she forgot something. I waved what was left of the smoke away and made my way to the door. But when I opened it, I was surprised to see a silver ghoulette mask looking down at me. 

"Oh!" I straightened up slightly, although my disheveled appearance and stench of weed probably didn't help at all. "Um, sorry I wasn't expecting anyone. Can I help you?" 

"Actually, I came by to help you," her eyes behind the mask darted to the bruising on my neck and shoulders. "I heard Dew bragging about the number he did on a Sister and I wanted to see if you were alright." Her voice was mature but kind sounding, not exactly what I was expecting. 

"Oh, that's… extremely sweet of you.” The situation felt even more awkward now given my current state. As well as what I had previously been doing. “Well, I’m doing alright. Just trying to relax today.”

I swore I could hear her snort behind the mask. “I can tell.” I would have been more embarrassed if she didn’t still sound so kind about it. She raised her arm, holding her hand out stiffly. “I’m Cirrus, by the way.” 

Slightly taken aback, I shook her outstretched hand. “Oh! Are you the one that’s been playing the organ during mass?” She nodded. “You play beautifully.” 

“Thank you,” she hummed appreciatively, her head cocking to the side. 

The air hung with awkward silence as we both weren’t entirely sure what to say next. I cleared my throat. “Would you like to come in for a minute? I apologize for the um, smell,” I grimaced. “I wasn’t expecting any company until my roommate got back from chore duty.”

The ghoulette took a step inside the room. “It doesn’t bother me,” she quipped brightly. “You wouldn’t believe how the ghoul den smells after the boys throw a rager.” I felt my nose wrinkle at the thought. “Do you still have any left?” I was surprised by her question, but nodded, coming back over to the bed where I had left the other half of the joint in a tray on the end table. 

As I lit it back up, I noticed her taking her mask off out of the corner of my eye. Once I got it lit, I turned to look at her properly. She was beautiful, with dark hair and pale eyes that looked like they knew more than she was letting on. 

“Bring it here, hun,” she motioned for me to hold out my hand. 

Her lips met my hand as I held the joint out for her between my fingers. She took a long drag, her eyes never leaving mine. Even the way she exhaled the smoke from her mouth was erotic, gray tendrils curling up from her mouth to frame her face. I felt something inside me twitch with need. I brought the joint back to my own mouth, hand trembling slightly as I took another hit to calm my nerves. 

On my exhale, Cirrus crawled towards me on the bed, motioning for another hit. I held it up for her as she took an even longer drag but she didn't blow it out this time. Instead, she grabbed the neckline of my tank top, pulling me towards her. She used my surprised gasp as an excuse to bring her lips to mine, shotgunning the smoke into my lungs with an extra gust of air. 

I pulled back coughing and gasping, my lungs burning and the high hitting me like a freight train. I felt myself falling back on the bed, my eyes unfocused as Cirrus laughed low in her throat. Her tail swished back and forth in anticipation before it wrapped itself around my thigh, pulling me towards her. My sudden view of the ceiling was quickly overtaken by her face. 

"Hm, you're cute when you don't know what's happening, huh?" Her tail gave me a squeeze. "I'm going to help you relax,okay?" 

I could only nod, mind already feeling foggy as she plucked what was left of the joint from my fingers. She took another drag, smiling down at me as her lips met mine again. My eyes drifted closed, the kiss feeling like it lasted forever. Whenever I felt I needed more breath, it was like fresh air was being pushed into my lungs. I allowed myself to relax in her embrace, letting her maneuver my body however she pleased. The high meant every touch and caress was electrified, tiny tingles coursing through my body deliciously. 

When my eyes opened again, I realized my legs were now spread for her, my sweatpants somehow removed during the kiss. In stoned bliss, I couldn't even care at how exposed I was to someone I had just met not even 20 minutes ago. The rest of the joint was long gone.

Cirrus caressed the side of my face, looking down at me with a mixture of amusement and pity; as if this was all too easy for her. "You know," she hummed, almost to herself as her hand began to trail languidly down my body. "Dew wouldn't shut up about how good you smelled." She smiled thoughtfully, fingers barely brushing over my pert nipples through my tank top. It made my breath catch in my throat, releasing itself as a soft moan. She looked pleased with my reaction. "I know now what he meant," she sighed contently. "I can smell how wet you are already." 

My thighs trembled, clenching together slightly. Not from embarrassment, but arousal. Her soft voice and sultry words only furthered to lull me deeper into the mattress. Her fingertips caught the hem of my top, pushing it up until my breasts spilled out the bottom. I felt myself flush as her eyes took in my body, vulnerable to her gaze. 

“Adorable,” she breathed, leaning down to lave her tongue along the newly exposed skin. My body tensed as she drew closer to a nipple, but she stopped short, making my body want for her. She glanced up at me through her lashes with a smirk before finally giving me what I needed; my waiting nipple in her hot mouth. A whine broke from me, her eye contact making the coil in my stomach tighten. I couldn't help but rub my thighs together, hoping the friction could ease the ache between them. 

It didn't. It also didn't go unnoticed by Cirrus. 

She pulled off of me with a soft pop, my skin pink and slightly sore. "Oh, sweetheart," she cooed, "you want it that bad already?" I nodded without realizing, her eyes reflecting her amusement. “Well, you’ve been so good, how can I say no? Especially when you smell so appetizing…” She let her words trail off as her eyes flitted down to my panties, no doubt completely soaked by now. My brain felt too foggy and needy to be embarrassed now. All I wanted was her hands, lips, anything of hers against mine. Despite this, she couldn’t help but tease as she slowly slipped the cumbersome fabric down my legs. The cool air of my room met with my damp heat below, causing me to whine involuntarily. Cirrus hushed me softly. “I know, I know. I’ll make it better soon.”

Underwear now tossed aside, I felt her fingers tease me apart, letting her get a good look at… well everything. She hummed appreciatively and immediately dove in, her tongue gliding along my slick folds. I gasped sharply, the anticipation having been too much as I bucked into her mouth. She took it in stride, letting me ride her mouth however I needed to. And oh, how I needed to. Everything felt completely different than it had the day before. While Dew had been rough and brutal, Cirrus took her time with me, fully enjoying herself as much as I was. Every moan of hers was mirrored by me as I let myself become putty against her. 

While it certainly felt like she was down there longer than the average person, it still felt too soon when she pulled away, her face slick with my arousal. “Sathanas, you’re so sweet,” she panted, licking her lips. I whimpered as she eyed me hungrily, more than ready for more of whatever else she had in store for me. I felt her fingers now tracing along my folds, creeping lower and lower until I felt them begin to press against my opening. “How many?” she purred, a smirk evident even through my unfocused vision. 

My sluggish brain took a second to realize what she was asking. “T-Two, please,” I winced internally at how my voice cracked. 

“Thought so,” she hummed, sinking two digits slowly inside. I instantly clamped down with a moan as she pushed them deep to the knuckle. She chuckled. “That feel good or something?” she teased. 

“Lucifer, yes!” I whined, hips already grinding into her hand desperately. “Please, Cirrus, please keep going!”

She grinned, her fangs flashing and making my stomach flip. “Alright, alright.” Her fingers finally moved, pumping in and out slowly and curling just right. “So desperate for me to fuck this needy little cunt, aren’t you?”

Her words only added fuel to the fire in my belly, causing me to choke on a sob with a vigorous nod. Her smile grew wider and her fingers moved faster, easily hitting the spot inside that made spots dance across my vision. My eyes squeezed shut, my arm flopping over them to shield them. Everything was too much. I only wanted to focus on how she felt inside me, nothing else. I already felt so close. So when I suddenly felt her mouth on my clit, I cried out, my body jolting. . She moaned against me, sending tingles up and down my spine as I raced towards the edge, silently begging and pleading with the Dark Lord to let me just fall already. 

As if Cirrus was the one hearing my prayers, she sucked harshly on my clit, sending me crashing over the edge in a tidal wave of ecstasy and expletives. I could barely register as I felt her tongue move down, capturing all my juices as I clenched around her fingers. I rode her fingers and tongue as I slowly came down from the high… or at least one of them. Eventually I was able to peek up at her from beneath my arm. The ghoulette finally pulled away once she had her fill, sucking her fingers clean like she had just finished the most delicious meal. My gut did another flip. She looked as breathless as I did. 

“Fuck, Sister,” she licked her lips, “I’ll definitely have to try a bite next time if your pussy alone is this good.”

Some of my inhibitions must have returned after the orgasm as I felt my face burn. “Anytime,” I breathed, still absolutely mesmerized by her. 

She hopped off the bed with a little hum, coming up to meet my face in a messy kiss that let me taste myself on her. “I’ll hold you to it,” she smiled, grabbing her mask. “Now, get some actual rest. But that should have helped.” Her hand gently brushed my hair from my face.

As if on cue, I felt exhaustion fall over me in a wave, a yawn forcing itself from me. My eyes were closed before I even saw her leave the room. 

***

When I woke up, feeling loose-limbed and refreshed, I noticed that the bruises had all completely healed.  

[lake-archive]

Day 3

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Walking The Road Together

Characters (main): Ritsu Sakuma, Nyeli (OC by @watersofcamelot), Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC), Karl Wolff, Hilda Wolff, Ole

Other Characters: Tsukasa Suou, Izumi Sena, Leo Tsukinaga, Arashi Narukami

Previous Chapter - Masterlist - Next Chapter

The day had arrived quicker than thought. The night had passed and before knowing it Ritsu had been woken up a little earlier than expected. He didn’t have any idol activities until the afternoon so he wanted to take the time and sleep in… Oh the benefits of no longer being a student. No more doing work, no more studying. There was none of that to worry about next to idol work, even on a weekend. Yet he would not have such a luxury.

Much to his own dismay he had been awoken early in the morning by having been shoved from side to side by two pairs of arms. Not just that but he had also heard the word ‘Papa’ over and over, somewhat loudly. Ritsu had been a little grumpy at first as he usually doesn’t like being waken up like that. He would rather sleep and not worry about a thing. Yet the one talking to him had been insisting. 

“Papa! Get up! Get up, get up, get up!” The voice would beg. It was the equivalent of a young boy’s, just barely having reached his teenage years. Yet it was as begging and pouty as ever, especially so early on. “Teacher already left! And I want to spend the day with Papa!”

It had been a few more minutes of this before Ritsu had finally decided to sit up, blinking half asleep with his hair a little messy yet also looking slightly peeved. He then made his gaze wander to the bed next to him. A boy had been standing right then and there, staring ever so eagerly with his bright, brown eyes. His short, black hair had been a little messy yet brushed through properly all the same. It may as well resemble a cat’s fur. Speaking of cats, there had been cat ears placed right on top of his head, matching the black hair altogether. His clothes were simple, though clean – A blue hoodie as well as light blue jeans… Though said jeans may have been a little ripped. 

This boy? This was Nyeli. Yes, the Nyeli. The tiny kitty. He had grown up, enough to enroll at Yumenosaki. Not just that but he has also become a fully fledged roommate of Ritsu’s and Mikarin’s, having gotten his own part of the room. At first he had been like a stubborn kid. “ But I want to sleep with Papa! ” He had protested, the tail behind him having stood up at the time. Honestly, it had taken a good while to calm him down that day yet they had managed to get him to sleep in his own bed. Besides, it wasn’t as if Ritsu hadn’t been in the same room. So outside of sleeping in separate beds, nothing would really change. 

Honestly, it was hard to believe that this boy had been so little last year. But look at him now, having had a sudden growth spurt and being as tall as Nazunyan… Well, maybe a tiny bit taller yet it would not be visible by much. 

But not just that, it seems that New Dimension had picked up the boy without second thought. For now he had not joined a unit as of yet but Knights was more than happy to take him under their wing, just like many other idols. Though maybe it had been everyone’s personal bias. After all, Nyeli had gotten to know everyone last year. 

Even Secchan was more than happy to cooperate, yet having dropped his usual line.

“ Listen Patch, just because you’re everyone’s ‘darling’ doesn’t mean that I will show you any mercy. Got it? Big brother will get you into shape! So I will be as strict as I have to be! ”

“ Yeesh, Izumi–Chan… Nyeli–Chan is just a beginner. No need to make it sound like that. ” Nacchan had been brought up, trying to defend the boy.

But it did not seem to have fazed Secchan in any way. “ Naru–Chan, we can’t coddle him. If he’s serious about this, he’s going to learn the hard way! So if I see any of you pampering him as well during work— ”

“ Yeesh Sena, calm down. I’m sure Nyeli will be juuust fine, right~? ” Tsukip threw in, though having let out a laugh at the time. This was met with an eager nod. “ See? And Suou will help him out during his first year at school too! Right right!? ”

“ Of course. As KING it is my duty to guide our SQUIRE. ” Suu–Chan had said, a little too seriously. It made anyone grin a little yet he was being very honest here. 

Needless to say, everyone within Knights was more than excited to teach Nyeli the ways and help him in any way possible. 

But enough about all of that, back to the present…

“Uh… Momnya, Dadnya and Gramps are arriving today! I want you to meet them too!” The boy had explained, almost whining. It took Ritsu a moment to register the words properly, blinking for a short moment before it had hit him… Oh, right. Ann–Chan had mentioned it, didn’t she?

Ritsu had still been sitting in his bed, rubbing one of his eyes while letting out a yawn… “Huh… What is it?” He asked, half asleep, thus only barely registering Nyeli’s pout.

“Yeah… My parents. Nothing happened to them or anything like that! It’s nothing bad! Just… Uhm…  Well… They’re coming over to Japan for some time.”

Right, that was it… Honestly, he didn’t know if he wanted to get involved. After all, it should be a personal family reunion. And he was sleepy to be honest.

“You can go without me…” He yawned, about to lay back down yet it seemed to not sit right with Nyeli… Because the cheeks puffed up further and he suddenly ripped the blanket off Ritsu, holding it tightly.

“No! I want to go with Papa!” He protested. “Papa is family too!”

It had hit Ritsu then how cold it was, shivering right on the spot. “Hey, don’t just do that Nyeli… Can you give it back?”

“Not until you agree to come along!”

“I—”

“Then say goodbye to your blanket Papa!”

“Unfair…”

It was hard to reason with Nyeli in this state. He sure could be stubborn, couldn’t he? What a pain honestly, where did he get this fro— Oh, right. Heh, looks like he has learnt after all, hasn’t he?

“Uhm… You know, Mom might—”

In the end Ritsu had not much of a choice but to agree yet for the time being he had decided to take the backseat. After all, to the rest of the family he had been nothing but a stranger. And he wasn’t sure how Ann–Chan would feel about this. In fact, she had been a little surprised when Nyeli had walked to the airport, dragging his half asleep ‘Papa’ along. To the boy it was simple, introduce his ‘Papa’. But Ann–Chan… Well, she had different thoughts.

“Hehe, it’s fine Sisnya~ Momnya won’t notice a thing! Besides, you told them about Papa too, right?”

“W… Well… A little. Only that he is taking care of you so…”

“Then they should meet him! Papa is fyamily too after all~”

Clearly the one out of the three who had been eager was Nyeli himself. He had even wagged his ears and tail with said excitement, making it even impossible for Ann–Chan to deny him. So it had been more than obvious.

Yet Ritsu wasn’t sure what to think once he had spotted the two– No, three in question. Maybe he had just spaced out a little as he wasn’t fully awake at the time… Not to mention how bright the sun was, forcing him into the shadows despite being indoors. It was the windowed roof on top of them is all. 

Regardless, he had been a little surprised when seeing them standing there. There were two adults, a man and a woman. The man had been tall, the tallest of them all. Short, wavy black hair and pale skin. His hair had been a little similar to Ann’s, meaning that he had also covered one of his eyes with it. Not just that but he also had green eyes, though a little darker. And he was a little pale. His clothing had been more on the formal side however, being a black suit with a tie. Actually, only his shirt had been white, nothing else. Is that… The father? He looked… Nothing like an old man. At least not as old as Ann and Nyeli had claimed him to be. He had to be in his 40s at most… Right?

In his arms the man had carried a cat. It’s fur was shaped like a tuxedo, funnily enough. Give him a bow tie and no one would know the difference. Most of his fur had been black outside of the belly and parts of the paws. Those were all white. Oh, and a white spot on the nose. And very long whiskers. And not just that, his eyes were wide and green. The cat had the equivalent to a baby face as well as pointy ears. Was this really the rumored ‘Gramps’ Nyeli had been talking about?

As for the woman around Ann–Chan’s own height, though a little taller… She had a face similar to the brunette’s yet that was where the similarities ended. Her hair was long and blonde, eyes blue and figure slim. Her clothes simply hugged said figure and she was not afraid to hide it in any way whatsoever. Not just that but she was also the most expressive out of them, changing her gazes on a whim. Though she was smiling more than not, hugging her daughter without a second thought and only letting go moments later. That… Was her mother? She also looked incredibly young… If Ritsu had not been told anything he would have assumed that this was Ann–Chan’s older sister if he was completely honest.

Shortly after he spotted Nyeli joining the quartet, being greeted right away by the mother. She had taken him in her arms right away and was squishing him without mercy. Yet the boy didn’t mind, even having his purring expression on. “ Sieh dich an! Du bist nicht mehr unser Kleiner Nyeli, sondern unser Großer~ ” A sentence Ritsu didn’t even try to understand. 

In fact the entire family had been conversing in a language foreign to him. All he could do was sit there and observe them for the time being, having his impression of them by looks alone. So that were the three of them… The remaining Wolffs… 

Honestly, judging from how much they all seemed to smile and laugh they were… Close, weren’t they? Or was this just an act? No… It felt too natural for that… And yet—

“Momnya Dadnya! This is Papa!” Yet before he could continue the thought he had heard Nyeli’s voice right then and there, making Ritsu come back to reality. He had then spotted the family right in front of him, all of them looking at him… Or at least three of them. Ann–Chan seemed to turn away, a little embarrassed, while Nyeli looked at the three with excitement. But Ritsu had not minded being eyed like this. It was only natural for them to be curious… Right?

“Hmm? So that’s the boy who started taking care of Little Nyeli~” The blonde woman said, having caught the young man off guard.

“You speak Japanese?” He asked.

“Well, one of us has to. My husband certainly can’t~”

“ Anja, Worüba redn de beidn? ” The man had asked, in a… Different language? Ritsu understood that even less… Huh.

“ Das du kein Japanisch kannst. ”

“ Haha! Dei Muada warnt den Burschn oiso? ”

“ So… Ungefähr… ”

Yeah, he didn’t understand it at all. Yet he was turning back to the woman as a result. All while feeling the cat in the man’s arms having gotten a little closer, sniffing Ritsu as much as he could. It was certainly something.

“Don’t mind them dearie. They’re just talking a little as well. Afterall, Ann usually has to translate everything for her father~”

He only nodded, though having been a little overwhelmed by this. He had not expected this at all… Maybe it was not the best idea to meet the parents just yet. He would need a little more time. But there was no backing out of it now, was there? Especially with Nyeli having been so eager… 

“So that’s what my future in–laws are like.”

Before knowing it however it had slipped out. He had just said it and only noticed when he felt the stares right on him, silencing everyone. The blonde woman had been eyeing him with wide eyes, the cat stopped sniffing and the tall man only stared in confusion. As for Nyeli, he had remained the only one smiling yet Ann–Chan… Oh Ann–Chan, her reaction was the worst.

“R… Ritsu! Don’t say that in front of—”

“Anja! We need to talk right now!” The blonde woman interrupted, turning to Ann–Chan in one swift motion and dragging her away for a moment.

Ah… He’s done something, hasn’t he? … Well, it can't be changed now, can it?

Previous Chapter - Masterlist - Next Chapter

[robbyrobinson]

Buddy Daddies (Review)

So here we go. Buddy Daddies is an original series about two professional assassins, Kazuki and Rei, who are given the task of removing a human trafficker, but they did not have the gift of hindsight to realize that the guy they just killed was the father of a young girl named Miri. So, the two roommates now have another mouth to feed for the time being.

When I first heard about this series, it was natural to compare this show to one of the most popular anime series at the time Spy x Family. Y'know, a "fake family" raising a daughter and all? This obviously tossed some allegations the show's way that it was ripping off a well-liked show by opting to follow the leader rather than be something original. Having watched my way into 8 episodes, what do I think?

There are some similarities, but there are several vast differences that the show. For one, both "parents" are assassins so no espionage-related aesthetics. The show also feels more grounded in reality. Obviously, no instances of characters having freakish superhuman strength or any other fantastical aspects that Spy x Family has. The big one is that there is no overarching "mission" the "dads" are in like the Forger family. In fact, their taking in Miri was more because their latest hit aligned itself with Miri going to find her biological father. It was purely happenstance that the two ended up meeting Miri.

Another difference is how the show depicts the young child of the two families. In Spy x Family, Anya tends to be more collected and "stable" largely because of her telepathic abilities giving her a more analytical mindset. Miri, however, is a realistic take on a child who is an unadulterated ball of chaotic energy. In her debut episode, she literally runs through a room while Kazuki and Rei's targets are firing up a storm of bullets. She is completely unaware that she is in danger.

So Kazuki and Rei should probably make it clear that another difference is they are roommates who alternate with being Miri's "Papa" rather than being in a fake marriage as a result of a mission. Kazuki, for instance, is completely straight which is brought up by his frequenting casinos and greeting women, or how his backstory revolves around a lost love of his.

Though despite the show being called Buddy Daddies, it should honestly be renamed to Single Father Raises Two Kids because Rei is more or less a manchild. Rei's interactions with Miri mostly consist of them playing games together, and they both have the same preferences for food like sugar-coated candy. As such, this leads Kazuki to be the one to do most of the housework to his chagrin.

Both express their love for Miri in different ways. While he was initially annoyed with Miri, Kazuki gradually melts into the father role who becomes concerned for Miri if she were to be in trouble or if he would be near clinically depressed if Miri told him she hated him. A lot of this does come from his backstory with his wife/girlfriend which, knowing that, adds a layer of sadness to Kazuki's character.

As for Rei, it is more subtle. They bond over video games as I had mentioned, but Rei would be more reluctant to take on the fathering role. That is until he is put into a situation where Miri needed to get taken to the hospital. Normally, Kazuki would fulfill those needs, but Kazuki is absent leading Rei to rise to the occasion. What is noteworthy about Rei is where he sleeps. Unlike Kazuki and Miri who have their own beds, Rei sleeps in the bathtub. He does this largely, from what I can see, because he found it is one of the few secure areas he could lower his guard. The fact that he ends up sleeping with Kazuki and Miri shows that he is slowly breaking out of that safe space he assigned to himself. Speaking of Rei, snippets of his backstory show that he also did not have a good upbringing. He was raised by an abusive father who only answered to the name "Boss," and was to inherit his assassin business.

With its humorous moments, the show also masterfully depicts more serious moments. Besides Kazuki and Rei's backstories, you get twinges of melancholy throughout the show such as with the truth of why Miri was sent away. On the one hand, you can have fierce hatred for her mother for resenting her daughter and abandoning her, but there is also the side where you can slightly sympathize with her reasons as she was thrust into a position she hated. Miri just so happened to be born into it. Still, resenting a child through no fault of their own is bad.

Besides the main cast, we also get some good supporting characters my favorite being Anna, Miri's daycare teacher. She is just adorable and has a motherly demeanor to her. Kyutaro, Kazuki and Rei's informant, is also a good character who once volunteered to babysit Miri when he started to notice them falling behind on their quotas.

Overall, definitely an enjoyable show with some real laughs and heart. While it may have been inspired by Spy x Family, the show does not define itself strictly on that, and I am tempted to say it actually does a few things better than SxF.

= 9/10

[thewitcheswitch89]

The Witches Image

Papa Emeritus IV - Part 2

You can also read on:

Min Heyoka (@TheWitcheswitch89) - Wattpad

"Hi, I'm Madison!" She held out her hand to me with a grin and pushed a strand of her straw-blonde hair behind her ear with her other hand. Her bright blue eyes scrutinized me curiously.  "You're really pretty!".

"Ehmm... thanks?" I grinned back and shook her hand. "I'm Lia! And it looks like I'm your new roommate!". Madison laughed.

"Yes, I've been living here on my own for a while. So please don't be surprised... I've made myself quite at home here in that time. If I'd known earlier that I was getting a new roommate, I would have cleaned up!" She put her hands in her pockets and nodded at me.

"Yes... I was taken by surprise too! It was more of a spontaneous transfer!" I let my gaze wander around the room. In the middle was a small couch with lots of colorful cushions. In front of it was a small table and a simple flat-screen TV hung on the wall. There was a console underneath.

"Wow... you have time to play games here?" I asked.

"Yes!" Madison laughed. "We sometimes have a lot of free time. Especially when we have another tour coming up...we often get to work on our own!".

I'd almost forgotten about the Ghost Project. From what I had heard, they had only recently returned from their last tour. I loved their music, but hadn't had the chance to really follow them recently. My day had been too full for that and I was too tired in the evening.

The kitchen was small, but had everything you needed to prepare a small snack. A small fridge, microwave, tea cupboard, kettle and, most importantly, a coffee machine. A small stove with a mini worktop was squeezed under the window next to the sink.

"It's not much!" sighed Madison next to me. "But we usually go to the canteen for lunch. The food is ok...We're also lucky here with the showers. We have one of the few rooms that has its own bathroom. The lower rooms have to share one! This is my room...and this is yours...it's even a bit bigger!". Madison winked at me and opened the door on the opposite side of the room.

"The sister who lived here before really liked the color black...I hope you like it. It's not so easy to get paint here."

I was amazed when I saw the dark walls. The dark wooden floor creaked with every step. A large metal bed stood in the middle of the room, on an old Persian rug, comforter, pillow and cover neatly folded on a gray wing chair in the corner of the large window. Next to it was a desk and a dark two-door closet.

"Amazing!" I marveled and dropped my bag next to my suitcases. "This room is as big as the room I shared with one of my sisters in the old convent!"

"Well... that's luxury for you then!" Madison leaned against the doorframe and watched me with a grin. "You'll have more privacy here."

"Privacy?" I laughed. "What's that? Sounds like music to my ears!".

"Speaking of music...I still have the old stereo from your previous tenant...would you like to have it?" she asked and disappeared into the living room without waiting for an answer, shortly afterwards she came around the corner with a box. "There are CDs here too! From Ghost, of course!".

I took the box from her and was amazed when I examined the system.

"Why would you leave something like that behind?" I asked myself.

"She moved out overnight! I don't know what really happened! But she must have been kicked out!" Madison sighed and knelt down next to you to look at the CDs. "Above all, I would have taken these with me...they're all signed!". I took the CDs from her hand in disbelief, wondering at the same time what you had to do to get kicked out of a convention. The realization hit me in the face shortly afterwards. Wasn't it almost the same for me?

"I'll let you unpack first," she said and stood up with a sigh. "When you're done, I can show you around later...I have to go to the library now...catch up on stuff. I'll be back around 6pm. Then we'll go to dinner...see you then!". She waved to me and reached for her bag on the sofa. Before she went out the door, she turned around again: "Nice to see you here Lia!". I nodded to her with a grin. The door closed behind her and I was alone.

The first thing I did was connect the system and insert one of the CDs. "Prequelle." The music filled the still empty room and I closed my eyes for a moment. How long had it been since I had had time to listen to the music I wanted to hear. Without having to pay attention to anyone. Copia's voice was beautiful and dark. It was only one song later that I was able to tear myself away from the trance state the music had put me in and start unpacking my suitcase. I put my clothes neatly in the wardrobe. I stowed my books and the stereo in one of the three dark shelves, which I dusted off first. The only decorative items I had were a wooden crucifix, which I placed above my bed. A wall cloth with a tarot card motif of the moon, candles and a string of lights that I draped over the headboard of the bed. I decided to visit the city in the next few days. Perhaps Madison would accompany me.

After making my bed, I took my laptop out of my bag and sat down at my desk. A quick glance at my alarm clock told me that I still had half an hour before Madison would come back. Enough time to surf the internet a bit.

The encounter with Copia had stayed with me the whole time. My thoughts were constantly revolving around him, if only because I was listening to the album for the second time now and just couldn't get enough. His voice was like a drug, I couldn't get enough of his singing and the words he was saying. 

First I typed Ghost into the search engine and was rewarded with lots of pictures. He in his various stage outfits, which looked more than just good on him. I scrolled and scrolled and lost myself deeper and deeper in this rabbit hole. Before I knew it, I found myself saving one of the photos to my laptop.  A picture, black and white, obviously taken during one of his performances. His stage make-up matched his outfit perfectly. His gaze was directed at the audience and his white eyes stood out under the dark make-up. He looked very different in this picture. Different from the man I had met in Sister Imperator's office. So confident and attentive. His broad shoulders under his military jacket looked muscular and strong. His hands in the black leather gloves. The tight pants that...

Stop... I closed the laptop and stared out of the window. What was I doing here? Just a few hours ago, I would have loved to get back on the plane and fly home. And now I was sitting here... all my thoughts focused on just one person. Sighing, I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. Faith was playing in the background. And I had to laugh at the irony of the lyrics. He was in my thoughts. He had crept in and taken up residence. From one second to the next. Just one look was enough. Ignoring the uneasy feeling in my stomach, I decided to freshen up for dinner.

"The food today was really exceptional...good!" laughed Madison. We had just eaten dinner. It hadn't been bad, but I was still glad that I hadn't had too much of an appetite.

"We could make Ramen later!", she suggested as we left the canteen behind the others.

"I'd love to!" I replied. And wanted to go the way we had come earlier, but Madison stopped me.

"Wait, we still have to do our Tour!" she grinned.

"But it's to late..." I said, frowning when Madison looked at me like I was crazy.

"Lia...you're here now...things are a bit more relaxed here!" she assured me with a raised eyebrow. I just nodded uncertainly and followed her. "Besides, it's much nicer at noon!".

Madison hadn't promised too much. The first thing she showed me was the chapel. Large candlesticks lined the aisle leading up to the altar. A figure of Lucifer raised one hand to swear and held a bare-breasted woman clasped around the waist with his other arm. Her face contorted in desire. His horns, large and pointed, reached up to the three large arches of stained glass windows behind him. I was sure that the woman in his arms represented Lillith. The first witch, the first wife of Adam, the mother of all demons and the wife of Lucifer. The candles bathed the scene in a beautiful light. The unholy writing was emblazoned on the altar. Surrounded by dark red roses and black candles.

"Didn't I tell you that it's much nicer !" Madison whispered, but her voice still echoed off the walls. The last rays of sunlight refracted in the window and made Lucifer's features seem almost real.

It was hard to tear myself away from this sight, but Madison wanted to continue her tour.

She showed me the Classrooms and Needlework rooms, as well as the Workshop, which smelled of resin. On the way to the library, we stopped at a large iron door, which was only lit by a single dim lamp in the dark.

"Where does it lead to?" I asked, taking a step towards the door.

"Wait!" said Madison. "Don't go in there...the door leads to the Ghoul's common areas...they don't like it so much when you enter their area...territory and all...". Without elaborating, Madison continued on her way in the opposite direction. With one last glance, I followed her towards the library. And if the chapel hadn't taken my breath away, this had. Huge shelves lined the walls and formed rows all the way to the back. Shelves filled from top to bottom with books and scrolls. Large arched windows lined both sides of the room. Tables with chairs or armchairs stood in small alcoves, just beckoning you to snuggle up and read.

"Impressive, isn't it? Come on, I'll show you my favorite place!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me behind her. One of the most beautiful chandeliers I'd seen in a long time hung magnificently from the ceiling with flickering candles.

"This is where I always sit and study...". You stumbled against Madison's shoulder as she stopped abruptly. I looked at her, startled, wondering what had startled her so much. Until I followed her gaze and looked into the eyes that I hadn't been able to get out of my head all day.

Copia was sitting in one of the armchairs in front of the crackling fireplace, holding a book in his hand and staring at us as perplexed as we were at him. The light from the fire cast a warm shadow on his face and made his white eye glow almost orange. His gaze traveled to Madison and then to me.

"Ohh...ehh...good evening!" he closed the book and a smile played around the corners of his mouth. His eyes lingered on mine for a moment too long and I avoided his gaze.

"Papa!" Madison had found her voice again. And gave Copia a look, which he returned. "We're sorry! We didn't mean to disturb you...I...I'm just showing Sister Lia around."

"Ah...buono!" he laughed and nodded at me. "Stick to Sister Madison...she's one of my best students!". Unable to speak, I just nodded at him, which only made him grin even wider.

"Let's get going then! Good night, Papa!" Madison curtseyed briefly and pulled me after her. We ran out of the library, taking one last look at Copia.

Back in your little apartment, I wished Madison a good night and got ready for bed. I slipped under the lavender-scented comforter and stared at the ceiling. I could feel the tiredness slowly pulling me into a deep sleep. When I closed my eyes, I saw Copia's face. His eyes, each a different color, but the white one stood out. Glowing white under the black make-up. This day had done me in. Mentally and physically.

I was glad it was over and wondered what else was in store for me.

"Lia!". A hand gently stroked my arm. Sighing, I turned onto my side and pulled the blanket up to my chin.

"No!" I mumbled.

"Lia!" laughed Madison. "Come on, you have to get up. It's almost noon. You've been asleep so long. Sister Emperor has sent a ghoul. She wants to see you in her office in half an hour!".

I shook my head and turned on my back to look at her out of tired eyes.

"Get up sleepyhead!" she laughed, "You go shower and I'll make you some coffee!". As she walked away, she grabbed my blanket and pulled it to my feet.

"Hey!" I called after her. Which she only replied with a laugh.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and slowly got out of bed. For having slept so long, I felt like I had pulled an all-nighter.

The shower woke my tired bones and the coffee did the rest. 30minutes later I was standing in front of Sister Imperator's office and hesitated for a moment. I needed a bit more time to prepare myself mentally. Just as I sighed and raised my fist to knock, I was distracted by a throat clearing behind me. I winced and turned around.

"Ohh...Mi dispiace, sorella!". Copia was standing behind me, his eyes wide and his hand on his chest, "I didn't mean to scare you!".

For a moment, I lost control of my speech. He was standing so close to me, I could smell his aftershave and I swallowed hard.

He furrowed his eyebrows worriedly and took a step towards me to put his hand on my upper arm.

"Are you all right?" he asked. I shook my head almost imperceptibly, almost as if I was trying to get my brain to work.

"Ehh...yes. Yes!" I stuttered. "I was just so lost in thought! I'm sorry!".

"No need to apologize!" He shook his head and stroked my upper arm. A warm shiver ran down my spine. I looked at his hand and then back at him. The warmth crept into my cheeks as our eyes met. My brain paused for a moment.

"That feels good!" my lips moved as if of their own accord. His eyebrows lifted. And his gaze seemed to glaze over, the pupil of his green eye widened.

 For a brief moment, there seemed to be this tension between us. His fingers gripped my upper arm tighter. His eyes wandered to my lips, lingered there. His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something. His fingers slid naturally from my upper arm to my shoulder and rested on the back of my neck. His thumb stroked my chin. Where he touched me, he left a burning sensation on my skin. I shivered under his gaze, which flitted back to my eyes. Deep inside me, I felt the desire to overcome the few centimetres that separated us. Without realizing it, my back pressed against the door leading to Sister Imperator's office. Copia took a step towards me and I felt my heart pounding against my chest. Unable to move, I just stood there, wishing for his lips on mine....

With a jolt, I was snapped back to reality.

The door I had been leaning against opened with a jerk, and the next moment I saw myself lying on the floor in front of Sister Imperator.

"What the...", startled, she looked first at me and then at Copia, who was staring at me with wide eyes. I sat up and rubbed the back of my head.

"What's going on here?". Her eyes wandered questioningly back and forth between me and Copia. Copia was the first to regain his voice.

"Oh... I'm sorry, Sorella!" He bent down to me and held out his hand to help me up. Which I gratefully accepted. "I'm afraid I startled Sister Lia when she was about to knock...Mi dispiace davvero per la mia goffaggine...!".

"It's all right! I'm fine!" I replied. Sister Imperator let out an annoyed sigh.

"Come on, my dear. Sit down!" She gently placed her hand on my back and gently pushed me into her office. "And you... I'm sure you're busy! I'll talk to you later!". I gave Copia a look over my shoulder, which he returned with a nod. Before he turned to Sister Imperator and said: "Of course. Sister! I'll talk to you later!". He put on a smile and disappeared down the corridor with one last fleeting glance at me.

Translation

Mi dispiace davvero per la mia goffaggine - I'm really sorry how clumsy of me 

[naminethewriter]

Reminiscence

Let's have a Blast from the Past for @loceitweek Day 6, both in the story and as a callback! Because this is set in my AU where Logan and Remus are Janus' fathers! The other stories related to this - but not necessary to have read to understand this - are Today's Topic: Snakes, The Third Snake Plan and As Long As You Try Your Best. (I would make them into a series, I just don't have a good name for it...)

Masterpost | Loceit Week 2023 Masterpost | Ao3

Summary: Janus is about to move to college. It's a big change for both him and his fathers.

Content Warnings: mentions of snakes

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

Janus sighed as he looked around the room. It was so weird seeing so empty. This had been his room, his safe haven his entire life but now it was time to leave for college. It still felt unreal to him.

A knock on his open door pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked over to see his father leaning against the frame. He was smiling but it seemed not quite genuine.

“How is the packing coming along?”

“I’m mostly done,” Janus hummed, again surveying the room. “This feels really weird though.”

“It does, doesn’t it? I always thought that the tearful goodbyes as the child heads off to college in movies were very overexaggerated but now that I’m faced with the reality myself? I can see where they are coming from.”

“Well, I didn’t think you would be the emotional one about my move and not Dad.”

“Oh, believe me, he will be more emotional than me when you actually get in the car. These kinds of things hit him more in the moment than during the built-up.”

“Yeah, I know.” Janus smiled sadly. He was excited to go to college, to stand on his own two feet and meet new people while also having Virgil around still (he said that he agreed to go to the same college as his cousin because of his anxiety but secretly he’s very happy to have Virgil as a constant himself. Also removes the issue about having to get along with a stranger as his roommate,) but he would miss his dads.

“Repurposing this room will take some time to get used to as well,” his father added, finally walking inside and towards Janus’ desk on which some mementos were gathered.

“You didn’t need to do that right away, by the way. I will come to visit during breaks, you know,” Janus snorted, joining his father as he leafed through a photo album.

“It wasn’t needed in the sense that we needed the space, but I think it is better for both your Dad’s and my headspace to do so. Maintaining this room just for you to eventually visit us is not the kind of parent I want to be. There will be a place to sleep for you here, always, of course but it won’t just be yours anymore unless you move back in at some point. Which you are free to do for any reason, of course.”

“Thanks, Papa,” Janus laughed, leaning against his father’s side as they looked at the pictures together. “Oh, look, it’s Jake, John and Joey!” He pointed to a picture of himself around seven years old with three snakes wrapped around his arms and neck. “I miss those three.”

“I imagine you would. You were devastated when they passed.” Logan laid a hand on his son’s shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.

“Yeah, they were my best friends for so long,” Janus whispered, thumbing over the photo once. “Did Dad ever tell you I took Jake to great-aunt Cathy’s funeral?” Logan let go of his shoulder and faced him with a raised brow.

“He did not. Why would he allow you to do that?”

“Oh, he didn’t,” Janus laughed. “I just told him about it when I convinced him to buy me John.”

“I see. You have always been very good at wrapping Remus around your finger. He just never learned how to say no to you.”

“Oh, please, I could wrap you around my finger just as well.”

“I can’t truly deny that,” Logan laughed.

“What are you two talking about without me?” Janus’ other father suddenly called from the door, making the other two turn around to face him.

“Just reminiscing a bit, dear,” Logan explained and held out a hand to Remus as an invitation to join them. “Want to take some time to just look at some pictures together?”

“Hell yeah! Anything that gets me out of carrying me stuff to the garage!”

Janus chuckled as he watched his Dad’s antics. He was going to miss both of his fathers so much but as strange as that may sound, he kinda looked forward to it.

[moonlit-orchid]

You got what you wanted, DRAMA >:) Enjoy!

Don had kept up his act for as long as the kids were awake, pretending to act normal, act like nothing was different, and Eliphas too had kept up an act.

But the kids weren't awake now.

There was nothing holding Don back as he approached Eliphas, an icy glare in his eyes, far from the carefree father he was barely half an hour ago when he took the kids to bed. And Eliphas was scared. Don could see it, he had seen it since he'd walked in with Astral, with his son, and their eyes had met, telling him all he knew.

"How could you? How dare you?" Don whispered. It was scarier than a yell. Eliphas would have rathered Don yelled at him. "Not only did you force me off my own throne, you lied to me about the lives of those I love, and then you took my child and used him against me."

"...you were dangerous," Eliphas said quietly. He was terrified, and he couldn't meet Don's gaze. This wasn't Don his annoying roommate and ex-evil overlord, this was Adonis, Emperor of Astral World and the most powerful being alive, this was who this man was now. And he terrified Eliphas.

"I was dangerous. The excuse you've used for centuries. I was dangerous, was I?" Don asked sarcastically. "So why the hell did you send my child after me?"

Eliphas stuttered, trying to voice his reasons, the explanations, but he couldn't speak. "I...he... he was the best suited to-"

"He was twelve!" Don yelled, and Eliphas jumped back. "He was only twelve years old! Twelve, Eliphas, twelve You took my baby boy and turned him into your machine, and he was only twelve!"

"What did you expect me to do?! Who else could stand up to you?!" Eliphas shouted back. "You were insane!"

"If I was insane it was because you betrayed me and pushed me to the edge!" Don shouted. "Yes, yes, I was insane! And yet you sent him after me! You sent a baby to go fight a god! You sent that baby boy multiple times to go fight demons!"

"He is not an infant, Don! There is no time for childhood in war. And at 17 he's old enough to fight!" Eliphas yelled defensively.

"He's thirteen!" Thunder crashed outside with Don's yell, reminding Eliphas of his power. "Thirteen!"

"H-he is not!"

"You think you know better than I? I, who sired him and raised him and love him more than anything in any world?" Don demanded. "That child is thirteen!"

"And so what?" Eliphas snapped. "What difference does it make? Have you forgotten that we were considered adult by 14? You were but 16 when you married Ena, and a little later the boy was born."

"That never made it right!" Don retorted. "We shouldn't force others to grow up just because we were forced to! And yet, what did you do? You took my child away from his mother and turned him against me! I cannot begin to imagine what you put him through."

"It was necessary for the good of the world!" Eliphas yelled.

"He is thirteen! Enough of this 'for the good of the word' bull-"

"P-papa?"

Don and Eliphas froze at that voice and spun around. Astral stood at the end of the corridor, eyes half open, hair messy and fluffy from sleep, looking visibly frightened as he looked between them. "Wh-what's going on?" he asked.

Don instantly dropped his anger. He walked to Astral and crouched to his level, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes. "It's ok, honeybee," he said, his voice soft. "It's ok."

"What's happening?" Astral asked, his voice small, scared.

"Absolutely nothing, honeybee," Don replied. "Ok? Nothing bad's happening. Eliphas and I just don't like each other sometimes. But everything's fine, ok?"

"Ok," Astral whispered, trying to calm himself down.

Don smiled, and pulled Astral into his arms. "Let's get you to bed, alright?" he murmured into his son's hair. "You wanna go back to sleep, don't you?"

"Yes." Astral's voice was muffled, tired, and Don carefully and easily picked him up.

"Let's tuck you in, then, honeybee," he said softly. "It's late."

He shot Eliphas one final, ice cold glare, before taking Astral to bed, sneaking in to avoid waking Yuma who was sleeping next to him. They really needed bunkbeds, but Don knew Astral slept easier if he was next to Yuma.

"Alright, let's get you in bed, honeybee," Don cooed as he put Astral down, and tucked the blanket around him. As he did so, and smoothed Astral hair back, his eyes finally registered the fact that one of his eyes was white. The boy had been born with full gold eyes.

"Hey, what happened to your eye?" he asked, frowning a little. It looked like a scar.

"N-n-nothing," Astral mumbled. He didn't make eye contact. And Don felt very worried.

"Apis, talk to me, what happened, baby?" he tried again, softening his voice even more.

"It got hurt," Astral said, still not making eye contact.

"How? Who did it? Was it me?" Don asked.

"Not you," Astral said at once.

"Then who?"

"It was my fault."

"How?"

"I was stupid."

"How could you ever be stupid?" Don asked incredulously.

"Because I was, that's why it happened," Astral replied. He was shaking a little, and Don realised he was minutes away from crying.

"Alright, honeybee," Don said, ending the discussion. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Astral whispered, looking a little confused.

"For bringing it up, it's upsetting you, and for not being there for you when it happened, that's what I'm sorry for," Don replied, running his hand through Astral's hair.

"It wasn't your fault," Astral replied.

Don chuckled a little. "It was. It was. It wasn't my fault alone but I do have half the blame. Why am I talking about this now? Go to sleep, honeybee, ok? Do you think you'll be able to sleep?"

"Yes." Astral said, yawning a little as he snuggled closer to Yuma, who in turn plonked him arms and head on Astral. "Please tell me he isn't drooling on me," Astral mumbled. Don chuckled again.

"No promises," he grinned. He leaned down and gently kissed Astral. "Good night, honeybee."

"Night, papa," Astral's voice was slurred, and less than a minute later he was asleep.

Don gently placed another kiss on Astral's forehead, looking down at the scar.

He knew exactly who did it, and it made him livid.

He had enough. Tomorrow, he would talk to Astral, 96, and Yuma. He would talk to Ena. Then, he'd take all of them to earth, find a house near Yuma's, and live there. Give the kids, give Astral, a life they can't have here, in this world where they're seen as soldiers and there's nowhere to go. In the same world that Eliphas rules.

He needed to take them away from him, before he could try fixing the damage he's done.

[reefer-reelz-n-reviews]

47 Ronin (2013)

47 Ronin (2013)

Smoking: Papa Smurf

This movie encompasses a lot I like in a movie; kung fu, action, fantasy, drama, love, and the best thing of all Keanu Reeves!!! My love for him knows no bounds. Sorry hubby. Hahaha

This movie is about samurai who ended up becoming a ronin and have to fight to avenge the death of their lordl I unfortunately ruined the ending of the movie for my roommate, sorry girl! So, if you don’t want to know any more about this movie STOP READING NOW!

Starts with Hiroyuki Sanada, whom I loooooove also, who is playing a character named Oishi. He finds KR passed out in the river and then HS tries to kill him! Of course, because they think he’s a demon because of where he was found and that he was half American and Japanese.

We see a relationship build between KR and Ko Shibasai form an early age of what looks like love *eyelashes flutter and palms go under chin*

Now we flash forward. KR is still repressed and is always asked basically to help with dangerous missions. More because Min Tanaka (who is Lord Asano) trusts him to actually get the job done and done quickly, not because he is fodder. MT really adores KR, sees him almost like a son, but of course knows his place as a servant.

KR defeats this animal with what I would say would be minimum effort. He gives the praise to another samurai who would be honored in place of him because he doesn’t want any issues between him and the other man, but my man HS knows the truth. He sees the blood of the animal on KR hands. He does not say anything but he knows who really slain the beast. Then KR sees this two toned eyed white fox just staring at him. Wonder where this could lead….

We come back from the hunt and MT is greeted by his daughter KS. MT can see that his daughter is asking a lot of probing question about if any one was hurt and he can see KS looking around for someone. He asks who she is looking for and does this raised eye brow thing. You know her dad knows what she thinks. He can see it. He knooooooooooows. Then of course when KS hears that KR is back, she goes to him. I’ll leave the rest up to you WATCHING the movie lol, or you already know hahah

Now for this big tournament of samurai between nobles. And a witch passes a spell on MT’s samurai. KR has no other option but to go out and fight for them. Because if no one goes out then Ako, the land that MT rules, would be disgraced. Being a half-breed/demon, not even remotely in the realm of a samurai. I can’t think you would think them finding out would be okay. Because if you thought so, you are so wrong. His helmet falls off, and everyone can see he is not full Japanese and that he is not one of MT’s samurai. The shogun wants to call for his head, but because KS is in love, she stands between the blade and KR. KR is kicked out of the land. KS knows this and you can see regret on his face.

Now you got the witch, literally her name in the movie played by Rinko Kikuchi, just running around bewitching people left and right. Little B!TCH is more like it. Ends up making MT do something that he ends up being put to death for. This is why the Samurai become Ronin.

I’ve never really noticed before, but the people in this movie walk very smoothly. Like their heads don’t bobble back and forth like you see in those scenes that have those crowded New York scenes.

Now it is one year later. HS goes to look for the half-breed, KR. Who just happens to be fighting some kind of….I’m gonna go with ogre...yeah ogre for sure. Then comes like the first person to person fight scene. I had to stop typing and watch because it was KR and HS. It was like KR was in survival mode until HS said Mika’s name and he snapped out of it, and they escaped together. Of course, fighting all the way lol.

And now for a trip into the Tengu Forrest. Where they will be able to find the weapons to defeat the Lord Kira. Which in the case KR was with demons, but not one. He was left in the forest to die because he was a “half-breed” and they taught them their magic.

Then we got some creepy wall fungus that’s breathing. Trying not to give away the whole movie is hard! I know some of my last reviews were pretty long. Especially Forgetting Sarah Marshall! Lol!

Now we are coming to the end of the movie. The final battle during the wedding of KS and Lord Kira. This is where the ronin get their revenge! And like KR tells the demons, I too think their cause is just. The ronin sneak in to the compound of Lord Kira and it’s on!

Now like I said, I’m “attempting” to shorten these. It may take a few movies to get the hang of it. So, I’m not going to tell you anything about the final battle. You’ll just need to go on HBO Max and watch it, or buy it off of Amazon like my movie hoarding self-did! Haha!

Side note. The witch is a bit of a bad ass. Like she’s evil sure, but I kind of wish I had some of that power.

Then we have the ending. Which I won’t ruin for you like I did for my roommate. Once again, so sorry Torinthia! Promise I didn’t think you were listening to our conversation! Love you!

That’s it for this round of Reefer-Reviews-N-Reels!

Till next time 😉

-RRR

[mlobsters]

supernatural s13e1 lost and found (w. andrew dabb)

metallica's nothing else matters for the road so far recap? mmmk. i loved the black album.* it's in my big playlist right now! and nothing else matters was very teen angst sad boy shit appropriate for me (album came out when i was 11 and i remember it featuring at middle school dances) but this song is way too downtempo for the clips/editing as it progresses before we get to the loud parts. weird choice. and maybe shows do this all the time and it's not with songs i know well enough to notice, but splitting the song up midway through is very jarring. i get cutting down the long instrumental intro, but segueing into lyrics differently? buh. stranger things did it with atmosphere by joy division and it wasn't terrible, but noticeable. but the scene/song combo was so impactful to me i didn't care because i was a mess

the overriding theme here with this song and clip selection is like 🚨FAMILY 🚨okay bro, i get it. calm down. is this why i see people harping on how the show is about family, not just sam and dean? is this gonna be A Thing? or am i projecting? both?? i have literally nothing else i might want do if i don't watch this. but i also don't really want to watch this. sigh.

and now i'm all distracted by them using some new fancy filming technique while they're driving where they're being paced and we're seeing the conversation from the outside and it was cool at first but it keeps going and now i'm just too busy trying to figure out where the camera is and where it's going and getting vaguely dizzy.

i get what and why they're doing this thing with jack being at the station with the sheriff but also. im tired

all right. this also reminds me of hmm. combo leo in titanic and ...josh hartnett in pearl harbor?? o.0

glad sam is totally freaked out and afraid of jack, as he should be

JACK (still fondling the wall) Lucifer? No, that's not his name. My father is Castiel.

LOL transcriber! fondling?? how about touching. anyway. papa castiel it is

MIRIAM I don't know what he's told you. I mean, I can guess. Some line about how he and his brother… (deepens voice) save the world. Grr. So macho. (she sighs and speaks in her normal voice) But really, he's not a hero. He's Becky. DEAN Becky? The roommate Becky? MIRIAM You take things and break things and piss people off, and just do whatever you want, no matter who it hurts. Also, you're a giant super bitch. DEAN Well, it takes one to know one. MIRIAM So, yeah, you're Becky, and Becky needs to die.

really odd choice to go with becky for this whole story business, unless they're invoking the actual becky from the show it's just confusing. i really hope it's not show-becky.

i think these are the angels that were in the script in 12x23? got 'em in now, i guess. so i thought carver was around for s12 but apparently it switched to dabb/singer as showrunners that season

....why did the angel just stab the sheriff's kid...? i know they're generally not big on humans but stabbing one for no real reason other than some distraction seems a bit excessive.

MIRIAM: Oh, sweetie. Almost anything. Castiel, he's dead. All the way dead, because of you.

rolling my eyes. that's a reach to try to induce a guilt trip

conveniently got confirmation that jack can't be killed easily, as expected being how they talk him up like he's more powerful than anything basically for whatever reason

DEAN Okay, Chuck… or God, or whatever. I need your help. See, you– you left us. You left us. You went off. You said… You said the earth would be fine because it had me… and it had Sam, but it’s not, and we’re not. We’ve lost everything. And now you’re gonna bring him back. Okay? You’re gonna bring back Cas, you’re gonna bring back Mom, you’re gonna bring ‘em all back. All of ‘em. Even Crowley. ’Cause after everything that you’ve done, you owe us, you son of a bitch. So you get your ass down here and you make this right, right here and right now.

being a cynical asshole but ok scenic backdrop for this praying to chuck that he could have done in the car. and he's giving my kids when they want something. need some foot stomping. punch something and risk breaking your hand instead, good choice

i think there's a handful of reasons** but i have never emotionally connected with cas and this... angsting and preparing to burn him and all, knowing that it's all going to be walked back at some point, it's just frustrating and exhausting. and now we're mourning cas, kelly, mom, crowley....

i didn't want to be sitting and stewing over pondering the logistics of how cas comes backs so i went and looked it up. and um, okay. i'm sure i'll have some thoughts about when it rolls around.

well, suffice it to say, i didn't particularly enjoy this episode. and had surprisingly little (for me) to say about it.

**his characterization that seems to change week to week is part of it and how the show talked up his relationship with the boys but didn't match up to what they were showing us for seasons on end. and unfortunately, how some sectors of fandom are about him also i think has an effect. which is a bummer all the way around

*oh james. i do enjoy your voice. i saw them live once or twice i think, but i don't really remember it. it was in the days of the album with the blood and jizz on the cover, which people didn't like. the songs or the jizz, i think

according to wikipedia, james also didn't like the blood and jizz artwork, and says homophobic shit in his explanation. great!

[theunfortunateplace]

Home coming ( Namor X POC Original female character

AO3 18+ Chapter 2

summary 

After being away from home for so many years due to school keeping Adella busy she's finally able to go home after her hard work pays off but what she didn't expect was such an eventful homecoming. 

                                                       Chapter 1

I slid my sunglasses on as I let the door close behind me. After a long drawn-out senior year, I’m finally a marine biologist. If my mom was alive today she would be proud of who I’ve become I know it. “ I can’t believe you’re leaving me!” My roommate Mel whined. I chuckled and turned around while lifting my glasses up. “You only say that because you now have to find someone to pay rent.” She snickered and rolled her “I'm serious, I’ll never find someone like you! Especially someone who pays rent on time” she smirked and I playfully pushed her

“I’ll miss you too if I'm ever back in town, I'll give you a shout.” I smiled and leaned in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around me eagerly. We both knew our words were true. We might have not been super close but we both enjoyed each other's company, especially the nights that kept us up. No thanks to boy trouble

“ Now go before you miss your boat I don't want to be the one behind your anger” she patted my back and I said my final goodbye. The pier wasn't far from where I stayed living by the water was a benefit for me. Not only did it remind me of home it made my student life easier not having to travel hours just to conduct an experiment or research. “Adella! Princesita I've missed you so much!” I immediately drop my bags not caring where they land and snatch my glasses off and squeal. “TIO!” I ran as fast as I could and ran almost tackling him in the process

“Umpf my gosh look how much you've grown” he hugged me tightly but pulled back shortly after “ And this hair you've grown out it's beautiful” he smiled wide moving my coiled hair so that it rested on my shoulders.

“I've grown? Look at you Tio I see Tia finally let you grow your beard out.” He let out a belly laugh grabbing my shoulder in the process “Yes, but I have to cut it soon,” she says, it makes her face itch.” I shake my head knowing exactly what she sounded like saying that she hated when he grew his beard out. He leaned down abruptly and grabbed my bags. I didn't even try protesting because I knew he wouldn't budge. Even if I took the bag from him he would snatch it back. Tio Mateo was very old school in the sense of how a man is supposed to treat a woman

“ I'm sorry I didn't get to come to your graduation.” I groaned as we boarded his boat. He apologized profusely already for this and I knew he was going to start up again. I knew he was sorry and even upset he had to miss it but I wasn't. I understood he needed the money. The boat I stood on now was the one he was constantly sailing around with fishermen that didn't have their own boats. He got a small fraction of whatever they caught but also got paid to keep the lights on. But he insisted it was his duty as an uncle to be there since my mom wasn't here anymore and my dad well I never knew him he died before I was born.

This was going to be a long ride I missed being on the boat. Sure I went out in the sea during my years of college but nothing compares to being on my Tio’s boat. I don't know how I even managed to graduate high school. I was always sneaking on his boat to skip school. Of course, he lectured me every time and had Tia’s slippers thrown at me.

“You know, every time I see you the more you look like your mother,” he said as I stood behind the wheel. I sat down in one of the chairs nearby I always loved watching him.

“My brother would be pissed if he heard me saying that.” He let out a soft chuckle making me smile. I knew exactly where this was going. “Before you were born he would always say you were going to look like him and how he was going to get you to say papa first.” I would be lying if I said I didn't mourn his death and the death of having a father because I did know my mom missed him for sure.

She wasn't native to the lands or anywhere nearby. I laugh to myself recalling the story I heard so many times but it never got old She was originally born in Jamaica and one day while she was at the beach with her friends, she said a man in cargo shorts came walking up to her with the most confused look on his face. She immediately could tell he wasn't from there and when he opened his mouth, her suspicions were confirmed. But good thing for her she knew Spanish. Turns out it was his first time sailing and found himself in the Caribbean and the rest is history “ If you need me to take over I’ll be in the back” he scoffed and shook his head making me smirk. We both knew I only took over in case of emergency other than that he was the one calling the shots

It was as if time passed by way too fast when I was at sea. It was always like that and I hated it. If it were up to me I would live at sea not having to worry about anything. But I know Tia would raise hell she already does with Tio, but through recent conversations with her, she finally eased up on him.

“Oh, Dios mío, ¿esa es mi Adella?” (oh my gosh is that my Adella?!) I heard from behind me. I turned around and was engulfed in a warm hug.

“ Mateo she's grown!” she spun me around observing every inch of me “ but what's this you've lost weight?” I chuckled knowing she would say something like that. Thankfully she wasn't the type to call you out for eating too much or gaining weight. She was the complete opposite

“Just a bit this year was stressful” she tsked at me, shook her head, and dragged me into the house.

“That won’t do you need to eat!” She opened the front door and slipped off her shoes, quickly putting on her signature house slippers.“Your Tio and I cleaned up the house.”

I slipped my shoes off and my feet were greeted by the cold comforting tile. I knew exactly what house she was referring to it was the one I grew up in “But you know you can come back here anytime.” I nodded my head and viewed all the pictures on the wall. It was a routine of mine. It's been years since I’ve been back and I indeed missed these walls. Finally making it to the kitchen the smell of soup hits my nose.

“How did I know?” She turned around and smirked, just like my mom. She would make soup on a hot day. I never understood it. The outside of my body is already hot why would I want the inside to be as well? But I never fussed because I loved how the soup tasted.

“ I made a lot of food for you to take back and I don’t want to hear it.” She pointed the spatula at me and I held my hands up “Mmm after being away for all these years I’ll gladly take it.” She placed the big bowl of soup on the table and I thanked her.

“You look just like Cynthia.” She tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and smiled.“ Tio said the same thing.” I said while scooping some of the liquid goodness in my mouth.

“He's right, the only part of your father you have are your eyes and ears.” She smiled as she continued to fix my hair. Besides me being me my hair was one of the many things she loved. Constantly learning from my mom how to do it since her hair was a lot straighter than mine it still had some curl to it but nowhere close to the ones that grew out of my head. We sat there in the kitchen catching up on everything of course she asked for me to tell her about my relationship.

Just like any close relative, as soon as you were done with school the next step was to find a husband get married, and have kids. And it’s not that I was opposed to finding a partner it’s just that I seem to repel the good ones and attract the ones that should have stayed in the sewer. “ I don’t see why a good man hasn’t gotten with you yet back in my day.

"Oi mi armor, don't bore the child with your love affairs.” Tio said with an annoyed voice cutting her off She rolled her eyes and looked back at me “ he’s only saying that because he’s jealous.”

“What’s there to be jealous about?” He raised an eyebrow

“You do this every time it’s clear as day you get jealous whenever I talk about the men who were on their knees for me.” He scoffed and waved her off. I snickered as they bickered. It's cute that they act like this. Especially at the age, they're at and how long they’ve been together.

“Anyway Adella, your car is out front. You should get going before night falls you know how the street lights are around here.” I nodded my head thanking him in the process. Especially for keeping my car safe. It was too expensive to bring with me while I was off at school so I had to stay here. Tia kissed my forehead and handed me a big bag full of containers. Most likely filled with food.

She took the empty bowl of soup, and I made sure to say my goodbyes for the night. Though the house was far I will always make the effort to come back here. “Don't stay out too late I know how much you love going down to the beach for a swim!” She warned. “ I make no promises!” I smirked mischievously and she playfully rolled her eyes.

And just like that, I was off traveling down the winding road that would take me to my childhood home. A home that I haven’t been to in years but home nonetheless after two hours of driving I finally made it. I piled all my belongings in the kitchen and ran to the beach. I didn’t care that the sun was setting.

Nothing bad ever happened on this side of the island but I always carried some sort of weapon with me. I quickly stripped out of my clothes. I didn’t care that I was about to go swimming in my underwear and bra. The fish are lucky I’m not going in there naked.

I pull my thick voluminous hair into a high bun and make my way to the water that I missed so much. My friends would always get mad at me when we would go swimming or play a game. Saying that I was cheating when going underwater at one point they thought I was dead because I was under for such a long time So when I say I have a love for water I mean it I closed my eyes as the warm breeze hit my skin.

“ I’m finally home” I smiled and ran full force into the ocean. I needed to feel the waves on my back and the slimy seaweed at my feet. My friends always said I should have joined a swimming team. Not only was my swimming good I could see clear as day underwater. When my grandma was alive she would joke about how I was her little fish sometimes I wondered if I was.

She would always tell me stories about how our family were good swimmers. That’s why most of us stayed by the ocean we didn’t need those big fancy oxygen tanks or insulated suits. We could go hunting for fish and didn’t have to worry about running out of breath. It could be evolution it could just be plain luck but she said it was a gift from the gods that was given to our ancestors.

I don’t know much about them but from the stories I was told they were great, no one could compare to them in battle that is when it’s fought fairly. I roll over onto my back and look up at the sky. The sun was setting fast but I didn’t want to leave the water. I knew I'd been out here for hours now but no matter how long it’s been it felt like a mere couple of seconds.

I swam back to shore and lay out in the sand watching the sunset. It feels good to be home and to be done with school. The sound of children’s laughter begins to fade the sun is soon replaced with the bright moon. Nothing in the world compared to this. You could take me to the top of the Eiffel tower, and I wouldn’t be impressed. I sit up and bring my knees to my chest listening to the waves crash and dance

My eyes widen as the water becomes still ahead slowly rising from the water, catching me by surprise. I look around frantically I was the only one here where did this person come from? I jump to my feet and rush into the water. I don’t know who this person was but I wasn’t about to let the die in front of me.

The cold water didn’t stun me I kicked my feet vigorously while moving my arms I needed to get them back to shore! After swimming closer to them, I wrapped my hand around their muscular frame and started my journey back. They were limp I didn’t even know if I could help them...no that’s not an option. Getting back to shore, I wrapped both hands under the man’s arms and began to pull him away from the waves that have grown violent all of a sudden.

Placing him flat on the sand I rush to his side and began performing CPR rapidly, pressing on his chest hoping something would change. “God damn it WAKE UP! I frantically yelled “this isn’t going to work” I quickly placed my lips on his and began to perform mouth-to-mouth. After a few pushes of air into his mouth, the taste of salt water rushes into my mouth. I quickly move back and spit the salty taste out. He turned over on his side instinctively and began to cough out the water that had gotten stuck in his lungs.

I took the limited time to observe the man in front of me. Tanned brown skin probably three shades lighter than me, but the thing that stuck out to me the most was his ears. I’d never seen someone with ears like his they were pointed at the top Just then he starts coughing ferociously my eyes widen and I start slapping his back to get whatever was left remaining in there.

His eyes widen clutching the sand below him then with one last swing to his back he coughed out a big chunk of seaweed. “Are-“ he swung his head back surprised by my voice “Níib óolal” (Thank you)

He said with a hoarse deep voice, I didn’t understand what he said. The language he spoke wasn’t one I knew nor recognized. He tried getting up be instantly fell back down. “Wow wow! You hurt your leg” He looked at me confused then proceeded to stay and stand again. Like the last time he didn’t make it far he fell once more but didn’t get up.

I rushed over to him and tried my best not to injure him any more than he already was. My house isn’t far I can bring him there and help him better. If I kept him here he would just wake up and try to get back to the water again. I didn’t have time nor the hands to grab my clothes they weren’t important. What was important was helping this man. I wouldn’t normally do this for all I knew he could be faking or crazy and then turn around to kill me but I had a feeling an inkling he wasn’t going to harm me.

[shadowsong26fic]

Papa and J-----, 28 August ‘34

Author: shadowsong26

Rating: PG/PG-13

Fandom: Les Misérables

Characters: Technically all on-page characters are OCs; Valjean, Cosette, Marius, and Javert are discussed as historical personalities. Backstory Cosette/Marius and heavily implied Valjean/Javert.

Warnings: Nothing specific, I don’t think?

Summary: Euphrasie Pontmercy--known in the art world as La Jardinière--isn’t exactly a household name. Still, the sheer length of her active career (her work was first displayed and sold in 1839, and she left one last work unfinished at her death in 1910) makes her interesting to people who actually study that century in art. But as far as the historical record is concerned, Jardinière seems to have sprung semi-fully-formed from the streets of Paris somewhere in the mid-to-late 1820s. Other than the fact that she was educated in a convent, essentially nothing is known about her parents or her childhood.

Until now.

Or:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a PhD student with no thesis topic must be in want of an undiscovered painting to go absolutely feral over.

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of their respective creators.

Notes: So, this story came out of a midnight/one am rambling conversation with my roommate @tigerkat24. And then we realized it was interesting enough to be worth, like, polishing up and turning into an Actual Thing (translation: tigerkat dared me to actually write it and I was like ‘you know I really could’), so here we are. As the title implies, this is an AU timeline--short version, Javert didn’t die; he went to talk to Valjean some time later, and then just sort of…never left; Valjean also successfully failed to pine away in 1833. All other relevant AU details should be included within the text of the fic, which is set in a vague Present Day. My knowledge is primarily of the musical, though I have drawn in a few details from what I remember of reading (an abridged version of) the novel years ago; tigerkat just read it and has also provided some additional notes/helpful bits and pieces to draw in.

It all started on a blind date.

Which, I mean, when I tell people that’s how I met the love of my life, they assume I mean Phil. Don’t get me wrong, Phil is great, and I love having him in my life and have no intention of changing that any time soon. But he’s not what I’m talking about.

Phil was a friend of a friend of my roommate; I was working on finalizing my thesis topic for my PhD (art history, with a planned focus on the intersection of technological changes and shifts in the art world in the middle third of the nineteenth century). He worked in a bank, not at the university, which was probably for the best. Academia is a small world, and it can get super incestuous when ninety-five percent of the people you meet are, if not actually in your fairly small field, in something related.

So, Phil wasn’t an academic (although he had worked as a freelance translator while getting his CPA), and math (especially money math) has never exactly been my strong suit, but we found plenty of other things to talk about. A shared fondness for murder mysteries, the more ridiculous the better; a couple of fandoms in common; a similar sense of humor. And he was over the moon proud of his older sister, who was apparently making a major name for herself in the world of classical piano, so. You know. He clearly appreciated super-nerdy niche careers, even if he didn’t have one himself.

Besides, it was nice to get a break from going through all of the preliminary research I’d gathered, trying to find a thread to follow and spin into my actual thesis.

It was even nicer when the Agatha Christie movie we saw was better than we expected, and then we spent almost two hours at my favorite Middle Eastern place (best falafel in town) just talking, until they kicked us out at closing time.

Phil was sweet, and kind, and funny, and I’ve always been a sucker for boys with big blue eyes.

Naturally, we ended up back at his place.

He lived at home with his parents--which, no judgement; I’d probably still be living with mine if I hadn’t had to move halfway across the country for my PhD program--but they were out of town for the week, and I like to give my roommate a little more notice before asking for privacy.

His couch was also a hell of a lot nicer than mine.

We’d been getting into a nice rhythm, and then Phil had come up for air--and to strip his shirt the rest of the way off--when it caught my eye.

I’m still not sure what exactly drew my attention. The piece isn’t large; including the frame, it’s only a little bit bigger than a standard letter-sized piece of paper. A simple portrait of two men at a window; one seated, the other standing.

“Oh, hey, what’s that?” I asked.

“Huh?” Phil said, blinking a couple of times, then turning his head to see what I was looking at. “Uh…the painting? It’s…a painting? I don’t know, it’s been there for as long as I can remember.”

“Right,” I said, sitting half-propped-up on my elbows, still looking more at the painting than the (admittedly very pleasant) view of shirtless Phil. “…sorry. Uh. Art nerd brain activating.”

“…right,” he said, and sighed a little, but sat all the way up himself, climbing off me and pulling one of the couch cushions over onto his lap.

“Thanks. Sorry again. Can I take a closer look?”

“Go ahead,” he said.

I smiled at him and headed over to the other side of the room, leaving my own shirt behind.

Could be anywhere from the late 1820s to the 1840s, I guess, I thought. Men’s fashion didn’t provide as many clues as women’s fashion in that period. At least not to me--while I had done some research into fashion and textiles, if only because I was interested in the development of dyes and other pigments, my focus had always been more on painting.

My phone was on the coffee table, right where I’d dumped it when it started getting in the way; I picked it up. “Can I…?” I asked.

“Sure,” Phil said, running a hand through his hair.

“Great.” I took a quick picture of the painting on the wall--I knew a couple people who might have a better time dating it by the clothing than I would.

Right. So, I have at least a vague time period. What else?

The subjects weren’t young men; I’d guess both were somewhere between fifty and seventy or so. The seated man seemed like the older of the two, but that was hard to gauge even with a photograph. He had broad shoulders, a full beard; was wearing a fairly plain dark suit. First impression: quiet, steady, calm, strong. A vague melancholy, but not overwhelming. Just a general vibe.

The other man was positioned just to the side of and slightly behind the chair, standing absolutely perfectly straight--but not stiff; more like the kind of ingrained upright perfection you see in career military men. Impressive muttonchops, rather than a full beard. Everything about him said stern, severe; except for one hand, resting almost gently on the back of the chair.

It was definitely posed--most portraits before the Impressionists were anyway--but there was almost a sort of casual intimacy to it, anyway. What kind, I couldn’t say. But whoever these men were, they were close. One way or another.

“Do you know who the artist was?” I asked.

“Uh, my great-great-something grandmother, I think?” Phil said. He got up off the couch and wandered over to stand next to me. “Like I said, it’s been hanging there as long as I can remember, and I think it’s been in the family forever.”

“Right.”

With that in mind, it could have been an amateur piece; plenty of upper-class and bourgeois women and girls studied painting as just part of how to become an Accomplished Young Lady. But there was something familiar nagging at the corner of my mind. Something about the hand on the back of the chair, or the eyes, or…

If I could get a closer look, really get into the fine detail of brush strokes and other aspects of the composition, maybe it’d fall into place. But the style was definitely familiar, and not in the sense of ‘this was the work of a talented schoolgirl; I’ve seen half a dozen like it before.’

More specific than that.

“What was her name, do you know?”

“Family stories always call her Mémé Cosette,” he said. “But that was a nickname, I think. Her real name was…very French, but, well, that side of my family’s French so that’s, uh, not really surprising.” He frowned. “I know I know it, hang on.”

Well, worth a shot. “Maybe it’ll come to you in a minute,” I said. “Is this the original frame?”

“Far as I know,” he said. “Sorry, like I said, it’s been there forever. Just sort of…part of the living room.”

So, maybe. “Can I take it down? I’ll be careful, I promise.”

“Sure,” he said. “…Emilie? It started with an E, I’m absolutely sure.”

“Right,” I said, absently, focused on taking the wooden frame off the wall.

A simple thing, and definitely actual wood, not plastic; probably not brand new. So, it could have been original, or not too much later than the portrait. Or it could have been a decent frame from ten years ago. Once again, hard to say for sure without further study.

I flipped it over. There was a handwritten inscription on the back.

Papa et J---- 28 août ’34.

And the handwriting was--

Oh my God.

“Eugenie? No, that’s not--Euphrasie? Yeah, I think that’s it.”

I had always thought that, when people said their heart skipped a beat, it was a poetic exaggeration. But, hand to God, in that moment, mine did.

“Ari?” Phil asked. “You okay?”

“Euphrasie,” I said. “Euphrasie Pontmercy?”

“That…sounds right,” he said. “…wait, you know her? Uh, of her?”

I turned the painting back over, and--yeah, yes, absolutely, that was it. That was what I was seeing--the distinctive way she did detail work in her early period, particularly in the shading around the eyes and hands in her rare portraits. The things that show the most humanity, as one of my high school drawing teachers had put it. I’d still need a closer look, outside the frame, to be absolutely sure, but.

“I--yeah,” I said. “Yeah, I…I know her.”

And the inscription on the back--Papa et J----, 28 août ’34. Papa and J----, August 28, ‘34. 1834, obviously. And--Papa.

Holy fucking shit.

“Wait,” Phil said. “Was…was Mémé Cosette actually famous? Like, people study her?”

“She was pretty well known for a while, but mostly it’s the length of her career that makes her interesting,” I said. “Not like she was a major player in any of the art movements she was on the fringes of, but she adapted some of their techniques to her own style as time went on, and…yes. Yes, people study her.” I took a breath. “Is there…do you think there’s any chance your parents would let me borrow this? To do more detailed study and analysis, I mean. Maybe. Maybe write a paper?” Or a thesis?

“Probably,” he said. “I mean, you can always ask, and I don’t see any reason why they’d say no?”

“Great,” I said. “Uh. Just let me…” I took a couple more pictures with my phone--the portrait, the frame, the inscription--and then carefully, and hopefully without being too obviously reluctant, hung it back in its place on the wall. “…I’m sorry, Phil, I have to…”

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “Rain check?”

I blinked and--we’d had a good time, before I sort of ruined it, and he was very beautiful, standing there with his shirt off and those big blue eyes. “Definitely,” I said, leaning in to give him a very quick peck on the lips on my way to collect my shirt. “I’ll call you. For more than just the painting. Promise.”

He smiled, and. Oh, yeah. Definitely calling him back.

Later. In a few days.

First, though. That painting.

[hoyaaaalissa]

If you don’t like sappy posts, i advise you keep scrolling ‘cause this is going to be long, sappy, and probably poorly written because I’m horrible at words.

To my dearest Cassian woods, cass, papa bear, baby, babe, Viking, Canadian cowboy, and every other name i or my friends have called you,

I knew you were someone special from the moment you took me on a walk through Paris at 4:00 in the morning just to try and distract my drunken self from the thoughts of a guy who broke my heart. I knew you would be special to me as you listened to me talk and comforted me as i cried. I knew you’d be special as you asked me what my favorite pastry was, then made it a mission to walk until we found it so i could get my mind off of everything that overwhelmed me that night.

I was extremely upset when i was stood up and left roommateless for that trip, i posted thinking no one would respond and i would just end up alone, but luckily you reached out and that was the start of our sweet friendship and a trip that left me with a lot of memories with you from the start and now a forever roommate who i can make lots of memories with and not just in different countries like France and Indonesia

I remember one time i thanked you for all the kindness you had shown me in Paris and you asked me if i have ever had a positive experience in a relationship (or something to the point) and i told you the truth is that I haven’t had much luck in relationships, I’ve been hurt too many times to count by less than a handful of people, and i realize that I’m not easy to love with the trauma that has left me anxious and worried, i often apologize and thank you continuously for things I’ve been made to feel ashamed of or things that have never been done for me in the past by these guys that claimed they’d never Leave me, but you always reassure me and make sure to let me know that you’re just doing what a good partner does and that i don’t have to apologize for the things i often catch myself saying sorry for. You make me feel genuinely loved and valued by your words, reassurance, and actions.

You plan sweet outings (like this one i snuck pictures of while we went and had a picnic and little fishing time with the dogs at the pond on the property) that i cherish and value along with the time spent with you talking about any plans we may have in the future (which gets me giddy and happy and blushy)

You always make sure I’m safe, happy, and comfortable and consider my needs and wants, you listen to the little things i say and show me through your actions that you have listened. You’re someone I’ve been waiting on for years and a person i never thought existed, but here i am. Sitting here with my dream man and about to celebrate two of my favorite holidays with him.

I only hope that i make you at least a fraction of how happy and joyful you make me. I hope that you always know just how much you mean to me and that we get the life we have sorta been planning already 😜

I love you, @intotheheartofdanger, more than you will ever know, and will forever cherish every millisecond i get to spend with you.

Love, Your baby bear

Alissa Violet-Marie Butler

[aurelia-in-letters]

Saturday, April 20th, 2024. 2:01am

I wish it wasn't so hard to find the free time, energy, & motivation to write. I've started & abandoned so many journals & diaries in my life, & I have such poor memory as well. So many things I recorded & lost, that I forgot & will now likely never remember. I know moping & being sad & regretful about it isn't going to get me anywhere, but I can't help it. I come back to it every now & again.

Anyways, it wasn't a super eventful day. I didn't go to work, I slept from 1pm to 6:30. My nana babysat my half sibling (I was not raised with her, we aren't close & I don't consider her to be my sister), & at some point the power went out - no one realized at first because it was such a a bright & sunny day that we didn't need to use any electrical sources of light indoors. I looked up the outage zone & it was rather big, but as far as I can tell, no one ever released an official reason for the event.

I holed away in my room for a while because my awful homophobic excuse for a sibling (one who I was raised with) came over since she was within state lines with some other family members I'm unfamiliar with. The door doesn't lock (I am so tired of doors that don't lock - though the last time I did have one, it didn't stop my psychotic ex roommate & friend from breaking in) so I pushed the obnoxiously heavy bedside table in front of the door & left it there for the duration of their visit as I did not expect her to respect my boundaries (she never has before) but she actually never came to bother me.

I made it through that visit unscathed & then had to spend an hour or so trying to get the kitten off the roof of my papa's garage - how did he even get up there ... ? Had some more leftover coffee with my nana & then I took a nice bath & washed my hair - running low on my fancy shampoo & conditioner, & my sugar cookie body wash from Native. I'll have to order more shampoo & conditioner soon, but I do have a couple back up body washes from Native, so that can wait. May purchase some more deodorant from Native as well. I bought 3 in December & I just ran out of one, & I'm like halfway through a second - I keep one in my bag & then I keep one at home, & the third stays in the bathroom, where it rarely gets used unless it's closer or more convenient to do so. I ran out of the cinnamon heart one, & I have the sugar cookie & vanilla buttercream remaining ...

Other than that, I would like to express my frustration that I cannot seem to get through a single day without spilling a can of coke zero - two tipped over today & I very narrowly saved them. Is this some bizarre curse?

Anyways, I should sleep soon. I work early today.

[marcusoseman99]

Songs of the Isle Pt 10

Reegan: shut up and tell me the story it’s been boring in here.

Apollo:  I did have an eventful day.

Reegan: I seen that from your wound.

Apollo: I meet a guy in the forest by the lake he got jumped by some Kappas I think he even knocked one around a little before I showed up *laughs*.....I had to put two of them *sighs* down..... one got away but the cherry on top was this soaked and frightened guy that just seen the supernatural for the first time.

Reegan: And?

Apollo: And what?

Reegan: that’s the story.

Apollo: Yeah its got a start and ending..... what more do you want spectre.

Reegan: God let’s hope you never start writing stories.

*The pair laugh while Apollo and Reegan finish their drinks*

Reegan: So....what did this dude look like paint me a picture.

*Apollo fills their drinks back up*

Apollo: His names Vick, purple coloured hair, hazel eyes, and great lips

Reegan: That’s great but lets leave it at PG 13.

Apollo: *laugh* sorry I forgot.... fear of *gasp* sex.

Reegan: Fuck you.

Apollo: *laughs into coughing*

Reegan: so, you gonna see him again?

Apollo: pffft course not man he’ll never set foot in this forest again and it’s not like I have the time to hang out with anyone other than my shut-in roommate.

*Apollo stands and starts walking toward a door at the opposite side of the room to the entrance*     

Reegan: i hoping to aviod this but i think you need to get out you are missing out man......you have alot to offer dont throw it away.

Apollo: *sigh* I wish that were true......I really do.

*Apollo walks through the door then the scene cuts to Vick sitting in bed wrap in an unholy number of blankets with his papa sitting across from him*

Papa: So what you’re saying that you fell into the lake, how?

Vick: just kinda lost my balance I guess..... I don’t know.

Papa: ok, ok I’ll leave you alone just be careful next time you go there you could have gotten sick or hurt out there.

Vick: but thanks to your compass that didn’t happen.

*Papa smiles then climes down the ladder where Debbie is waiting for him where she is pacing the hall while biting her thumb till she sees Papa at the bottom of the ladder she rushes him*

Debbie: what happened is she ok?

Papa: He is fine just needs to warm himself up a bit he says that he lost his footing and fell into the swallows of the lake.

Debbie: And you pay that crap you need to get into those woods and get whatever got her- him

Papa: We haven’t had trouble in the forest in years not since Dad pushed through the forest

Debbie: We need to keep our foot on the throat of anything that dares go into our forest.

Papa: All this our and we..... woman you do not know what horrors I have seen in that place but until I know for certain that I must go into that forest for a hunt I will stay and wait like hunters are taught...something you have no clue about.

Debbie: Or you are losing your edge and can’t do your duty....maybe I show get one of the others to come out and take your place before you get too soft.

*Papa lowers himself so that his and Debbie’s eyes are staring into each other’s then places his hands on her shoulders*

Papa: Now have you forgot the sacrifices my family has made to keep those beasts at bay or the opportunities they searched for in vain to stop the hunts for good i wont make a move till i know something for sure.

Debbie: That’s a nice sentiment but-

Papa: But on the other hand if anybody threaten my position here then I would have to go back into that lock box, filled with all the cursed and dangerous items that hunters have collected and then make a move.

Debbie: W-what?

Papa: You heard me....unlike me and my family you are expendable so stop pushing before something pushes back

Debbie: huh?

*Papa lets Debbie go then turns his back toward her*

Papa: Also you should start using our grandsons name before you push me and him too far

*Papa walks away through the hallways of the house while Debbie stands frozen in place*

*A few hours pass and Vick is sitting in bed under the coverings laying on his back but he is wide awake and then springs out of the bed, slowly making his way through the house till he gets into the basement where he careful opens the murder hole, only making minimal noise afterward he reaches into the hole to bring out the dishevelled box*

Vick: Papa will never know.....hopefully fuck I shouldn’t have done this but I have come this far and I need to know what the hell is going on in that forest and unfortunately......our families notes and books are all I got right now.

*Vick reluctantly opens the box and looks through its contents*

Vick: I can’t move to many things; I don’t know if Papa will check.

*Vick careful picks up one of the books titled “The Arawn’s family grimoire and alchemy collection” and in even smaller text beneath the title is “translated to modern day English by William Arawn” 1982 (writes note: could change sorry my math is terrible) *

Vick: Papa translated this I guess it is worth a gander Jesus did I just say gander.

*Vick thoroughly places all the books and charms back into the box and places it back into the murder hole before anxiously traveling back to his bedroom, he sits in his bed with the Arawn grimoire*

Vick: I need answers and this is the only way.....Papa will understand and the only other person or thing I can talk to is that Apollo guy but I doubt ill see him again so I need to do this.

*As Vick opens the grimoire the scene changes to Apollo waking up in a bed with not legs and instead of a mattress and pillow there is hay and a pillow case with more hay in it, the only other thing to comfort him is a dark blue blanket covering most of the "bed" *