#i grew up fairly wealthy like better off than a lot of my friends

[adaine-party-wizard]

i am so like horribly morbidly fascinated with the american phenomenon of homecoming and the amount of proms and dresses. like in canada there’s a lot of bleed of cultural stuff from the states but we don’t have any of this to the extent you do. we have senior prom. i didn’t know homecoming was a thing until uni and that’s more like a drinking excuse. but seeing all of these gowns and the hair and the makeup and the shoes and the excess and i cannot help but think about the just massive financial cost or like burden of participating in this but also the social cost of not. you have the get a new dress and get all pretty for homecoming or else you’ll be socially ridiculed. same for prom. for like four years it seems. that’s so excessive. the pageantry the putting on just the excess of it all really. i hate it but i can’t look away i will never understand but i desperately want to i am horrified i am fascinated

#it evoke similar feelings to bama rush content or sorority content generally #like i can’t quite explain my thoughts on this but like i have so many #i just saw a video of a teenage girl with the rhinestone prada purse for her homecoming outfit #that’s thousands of dollars! for a cheeky homecoming accessory! #and i know im only seeing a small selection of curated idealized american white teenage girlhood #but like… just the wealth and the cost of it all #i grew up fairly wealthy like better off than a lot of my friends #but my mom would’ve never let this amount of excess fly #it just seems like so much

[assigned-emo]

What do you consider to be a middle class girly like what are some characeristics of the middle class? Just so I can identify these people lol

"Middle class" is a broad category, so while lower middle class people and upper middle class people live vastly different lives, they technically exist in the same category- not in poverty, but not ultra wealthy. My post is mostly aimed at people who grew up and have remained either squarely middle class or upper middle class. Typically these are people/families who: own homes (especially in the suburbs), can eat at restaurants fairly regularly without worry, have a parent who can afford to stay home while the other works, have more than 1 vehicle, etc. What I said isn't meant to say that these people are inherently bad, just that a lot of them don't realize how much privilege they have, and can harbor classist biases without realizing it. I grew up with mostly middle class friends, and a lot of them said things that I didn't realize were classist at the time (not that I blame children for not understanding the class system.) As adults though? They should know better than saying shit like "just go to college" "just pay off your debts to avoid a bad credit score" "just get a better job" "just buy a car" "just buy healthier food" and then acting like they're radicals who understand struggle because they buy local and have student loans to pay off.

#classism #marxist #marxist feminism #radical feminism #misc #answered ask

[knifegiver]

Poverty is lasting. Even if you eventually are better off than in the past, the effect poverty had on you is here to stay.

I grew up poor, Mama-having-nothing-but-a-yoghurt-and-half-an-apple-today-so-I-can-eat-poor.

Making-do-with-shoes-too-small-poor.

Always-having-envy-gnawing-at-your-guts-when-you're-at-friend's-houses-poor.

We are better off now. We're not wealthy by any means, we are still very firmly at the bottom of the financial pit. But we have food, we have clothes, we have spare money we can use for new furniture if anything gives out.

But I still feel very poor. Not in the way of "Look at me, how bad I have it". That's cliche. Barely anyone who is actually poor does that. Because poverty is considered shameful. Not something to flaunt. I feel very poor in the way of second-guessing before I spend 5€. Asking myself if I really need a treat, and indulgence. Constantly worrying that I don't have enough money with me.

That last one has followed me through childhood, my teenage years, and up till now. Finding a balance of how much money am I taking with me, to cover my needs for the day but not mean ruin if I somehow lose it or it gets stolen. I had a constant fear of my wallet being stolen when I was a kid, because the 20DM in there were a fortune for me.

And I still dread it.

Which gave me a mind-boggling sense of guilt when I was spending a two weeks at a friend's a few years back. Let's call her Nadine. Nadine's family is fairly wealthy. They have a house, nothing fancy. They have two cars that are well-used. Nadine has a paddock, and as of now, three ponies.

And Nadine and her friends have the practise of rotating the bill when they go out. One time Nadine pays, another time someone else. It's a good practise, people like treating others to something. And they like being treated to something. And all in all, at the end of the day, everyone paid at some time. So, good practise. But not what I'm used to. When I go out with my friends we're all paying for our own food and drink.

This was mind-boggling for Nadine and Jenny. And I felt guilt creeping in. Doubt sneaking up on me. It took me quite some time to understand where they were coming from. And why they found it so weird that me and my friends would not treat each other but all pay for our own stuff.

Nadine and Jenny are well off. Not rich, but with disposable income. For them 60€ in one day is okay, they can pay that much for one meal with friends. And - as in the practise - they will get a free meal in return another day.

For me, it's anxiety-inducing. I can still barely wrap my head around spending 20€ for one meal, and I'm sure prices have gone up beyond that since the last time I ate out. Because for me 20€ are a big amount of money. For them, not so much.

Growing up, 20€ were for treating myself to a meal out with friends, maybe a hot chocolate and a slice of cake, too, if I was lucky. That was maybe once a month, if not rarer. And even those treats were streaked with guilt because those 20€ could've been spent on a lot more groceries.

But Nadine and Jenny don't know that. They have never known that. So, of course, paying for only your meal seemed selfish to them. They didn't say that, of course, they are decent people. But I could read it in their faces. Weird, and a bit selfish. I don't begrudge them that, that's how they grew up.

But I didn't. I grew up with the need to be selfish because I had nothing to give away. I would've loved to, don't get me wrong. I can't see people go hungry, it physically hurts me. But when I was a child, I didn't have the means to treat even one of my friends to a slice of cake.

I had no other choice but being what Nadine and Jenny saw as selfish.

And that's something that doesn't change, even if you miraculously climb out of the poverty pit. You are taking your poverty-induced mannerisms with you, and yes, you will run the risk of alienating people over it, even though you don't mean to. That's how poverty fucks you up, no matter what.

#Nessa rambles #poverty #Nessa thoughts

[riverdalee]

Something Forgotten

Pairing: Reader x Cedric x Draco x Harry x OC (there’s a lot about to happen here!)

Summary: The heir of a renowned pure-blooded family, you try to find a way out of your betrothal to Draco Malfoy but with no one on your side, sudden black-outs and your ex-boyfriend Cedric out for blood, you struggle to keep your focus.

Listening to: THIS PLAYLIST

MASTERLIST

Hogwarts seemed smaller from the top of the astronomy tower. You rarely ever went up there – no one did, really – but tonight you’d wanted to get away from the busy bustle of the castle on a Friday night. It should’ve been sunset but the sky was a lifeless grey, the clouds darker in the distance, warning of a storm.

In a few hours you’d be at a society party filled with people you rather disliked. You couldn’t believe something as backward as a pure-blooded society was even allowed to exist in the current climate and worse, that you had to be a part of it.

Your family was practically wizarding royalty. Generations of wealthy, pure-blooded Slytherins and you and your sister were the last remaining heirs. Your mother was rotting in a cell in Azkaban, Voldemort’s most notorious follower and right hand man, leaving the familial obligations to your and your sister. She was more than happy to shoulder most of it but you wanted nothing to do with it.

You felt like a hypocrite for attending these parties when you didn’t believe in anything they stood for but even from Azkaban, you knew your mother would punish you should you step out of line.

Even though you were well liked among some, many students at Hogwarts avoided you altogether in fear of your family. Before your mother had been imprisoned she had been accused for formidable crimes; crimes that some saw as only making her more powerful. Those were the type of people that attended these society parties.

The dress you’d chosen to wear was a simple, slinky black gown that you’d come to regret as the wind bit at your skin. As you thought about heading back to the dorms to grab a jacket, the sound of someone clearing their throat made you turn around.

“Draco,” you said, eyeing his suit, “So you’re coming tonight?” His family’s status has dropped significantly. You were surprised they were invited at all.

He nodded.

There were only five students at Hogwarts that were a part of the society and you and Draco made up two of them, thought admittedly his family’s status was fairly lower than your own. In it’s peak, your mother had led the society at the young age of eighteen when she’d married your father. When he passed she took over, making it what it was today; feared.

The two of you rarely spoke. A few words in passing, if that.

“I thought I should tell you…” He walked over to you, an envelope in his hand. “They’re going to ask you to step up as head of the society tonight. To announce it officially, anyway. You wouldn’t take over until after you graduate.”

“What?”

“Not so much ask but tell you that is what is required of you.”

“I- I don’t understand. I’m not even of age.” You shook your head. “I don’t even contribute anything to them.”

“It only makes sense. Your mother ran it before you,” he told you.

“But my sister-“

“Your sister is being recruited to lead a certain group within M.A.C.U.S.A. She won’t turn it down. The chance to influence American laws against muggles…” Draco said, “Things are changing.”

It was just like your sister not to inform you of important decisions being made on your behalf. Your mother had been the same.

“I’ll talk to her about it. Thank you for telling me.” Your sister was just as cruel as your mother, if not more since she felt like she had something to prove. There was no way she’d listen to you but you had to try. Even she would agree you weren’t suitable for the role.

“She won’t be there,” he told you. He swallowed hard. “When they offer you the position tonight, accept it and whatever else it comes with. We both know your sister won’t hesitate in punishing you if you don’t.”

He was right. If this is what your family had planned for you and you didn’t follow through, an imperius curse would make you. It wouldn’t be the first time.

You hadn’t even thought about what accepting it would mean but the biggest, maybe most terrifying part crossed your mind. “I- I’d have to be married.”

It was outdated and sexist but it was in the laws of the society; if a woman were to lead, they would need to be married.

He nodded. “I know.” He reached into his pocked and pulled out a small, velvet box.

You furrowed your brows together. “W-what are you doing?” He must have been desperate to help his family’s name if he was willing to try and marry you.

“Your  mother made a unbreakable vow with mine when we were children,” Draco told you, “We’re betrothed. Tonight will just make it official. That’s what the party tonight is for; an engagement. Then a wedding in two years once we’re both eighteen.”

“Our engagement?” You felt bile in your throat just thinking about it. “I don’t believe you.”

Is that why’d he told you all this? So you wouldn’t break it off? “Look, I know your family is hanging by a thread right now, but I’m not going to marry you just so you can attach your name to mine.”

“This is bigger than that,” he said, “Your mother will die if you don’t follow through on her promise.”

“You think I care about that?” Your eyes prickled with tears.

“My mother will,” he said, “And I can’t let that happen.”

He looked vulnerable. It was the first time you’d seen him that way.

“Draco, I’m sorry but I’m not going through with it.” You shook your head. “If I must take this position and I must be married, it won’t be to you.” You had no intention of accepting the position at all but even the thought of a wedding to someone you barely knew made your skin crawl. You were only sixteen.

“I don’t want this anymore than you do,” he argued, “W-what if we just got engaged tonight and then we have two years to figure a way out of this? If the engagement happens tonight, your sister won’t poke around and I promise I’ll help, okay? I swear it. I swear – just-“ he inhaled slowly, “Just please help me, just this once.”

“Draco-“

He reached for your hand and took it gently in his. “I know we aren’t friends and that you probably despise me but one way or another this engagement is going to happen,” he said, “Do you remember our first society party together? We both left the castle together because we were the only children from Hogwarts allowed to attend?”

You nodded.

“You spelled my legs to jelly for calling Granger a mudblood before we left and your mother took you up to a room to scold you,” he said, “I followed because I- I think I wanted to yell at you too… and I heard what she did to you. It was the first time I ever heard the cruciatus curse.”

Your jaw tensed. “That’s enough, Draco,” you whispered.

He squeezed your hand lightly. “I know your sister is capable to the same and I don’t think you deserve to go through that,” he said, “You can trust me. If you go through with this engagement tonight, without a fight, we will find a way out of this.”

Your mind was spinning and you couldn’t land on a solution better than what he was offering. He was right. If you refused, if you made a scene, you would suffer at the hands of your sister and quite possibly your mother; she had her ways, even from Azkaban.

And it was possible with his help there would be a way out.

Slowly, you nodded. “Okay,” you said, “But as of tomorrow, we both start searching for ways around the spell.”

“I promise.”

The party was a blur but the grey diamond and emerald ring on your finger was enough of a reminder of what had happened. That and the haunting silver scar wrapped around Narcissa Malfoy’s wrist, proving what Draco had said to be true.

Your mind had been so preoccupied with the nights events you had forgotten a small detail you were paying for now; that you weren’t the only two from Hogwarts that attended those parties.

As soon as you’d woken up you’d found Pansy sitting on your bed to ask if the news was true; were you really to marry Draco?

You’d made it to the great hall without being stopped too many times but all eyes were still on you and the hushed whispers were slowly driving you insane.

“I hear you had an eventful night.” Harry took a seat beside you, only one piece of toast and bacon on his plate.

“Don’t start,” you groaned.

Harry was one of the only people that had spoken to you during first year. Everyone had heard how terrifying your family was and steered away. He’d remained a loyal friend to this day.

“You really couldn’t find anyone better than Draco?” He raised a brow.

“I don’t want this,” you sighed, “I’m just so tired of everything.”

Harry didn’t ask why you’d agreed to it. He had a feeling it was in fear of your family. “Why not just run away from it all?”

“There nowhere I could run that they wouldn’t find me,” you told him before shaking your head, “Let’s please talk about something else.”

It was only the first week of school. In a months time, no one would be talking about this.

“I actually do have some news,” he said slowly, “By tomorrow, people won’t even be talking about you.”

“What is it?”

He leaned closer. “Cedric’s back. He’s in Dumbledore’s office right now,” he whispered, “Back to graduate.”

Had it already been a year since Cedric had left? He hadn’t even said goodbye, not that you could blame him leaving that fast after watching Krum die that night of the Triwizard tournament.

“Oh.” He hadn’t written or called. He’d vanished from your life but god, you had missed him. Just the thought of laying your eyes on him again was making your heart ache. “I- I should go find him.”

You were running out of the hall before Harry could get another word out. By the time you reach Dumbledore’s office your heart was pounding. At that moment the door opened and Cedric stepped out, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of you.

Your name on his lips was the sweetest sound you could hope to hear. “You grew your hair out,” he said, running a strand of it through his fingers and then dropping his hand to his side as he took a step away. “How did you know I was-“

“Harry,” you said, slightly out of breath.

“I’m sorry I didn’t write you, I was-“

“I don’t care,” you mumbled, pulling him into your arms, “I can’t believe you’re back.”

It’d been so long ago that the two of you had been dancing together at the Yule Ball, sneaking into each others dorms. You’d missed him but you hadn’t let yourself feel it up until that moment.

And then he pulled away.

“I was thinking,” he finished, “About everything that had happened.” He was distant; cold. You felt yourself panicking. “Your mother was in the graveyard the night Krum died,” he said, “Voldemort’s loyal soldier.”

“She’s rotting in a cell in Azkaban and you know I have nothing to do with that stuff. I would never-“

“It’s in your blood,” he argued, “It’s your birth right. Generations of-“

“Cedric-“

“Conceited, cruel and evil pure blooded Slytherins doing whatever they please,” he finished, “And one day you’ll be no different to them.”

“I am not like them.”

“Were you not at one of the parties just last night? Taking over from where your mother left off? Engaged to Draco?” He scoffed. “It doesn’t matter if you think you’re different, you’ll still do exactly what they want.”

“You don’t understand,” you shook your head, “I didn’t have a choice.”

You couldn’t tell him about the unbreakable vow. You had to act oblivious to it or your sister might catch wind that you were trying to find a way around it. And you couldn’t tell him how cruel your family really was – you couldn’t bear to speak of it. The cruciatus curse was the least of your mothers cruelty. “If I did, I would’ve chosen to be a nobody. I don’t want any of this.”

“The fortune, the fame, the fear at the mere mention of your name? You don’t want any of it?” he took a step closer to you, a dark look in his eyes, “You have no idea who or what you are but I can see it. Clearly.”

“Why are you being like this?” you asked him, “I’ve done nothing but miss you everyday you’ve been gone.”

He softened for a moment. “I think we should keep our distance. I’m not looking for a girlfriend right now.”

It hurt a little to hear but it was hardly the most awful thing he’d said in the last five minutes. “I didn’t – I didn’t come here to ask to be your girlfriend again. I just wanted to see you. I just want to be there for you, as a friend, if that’s what you need.”

“That’s the thing,” he said, brushing past you, “I don’t need you anymore.” And once he was far away enough, “And I don’t want anything to do with you.”

Once the sound of his footsteps disappeared, you let out shaky breath. Somehow last nights events had softened the blow of Cedric’s words. You had too much to worry about to focus on this one thing. But it still hurt. It all did.

Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, you tried to focus on finding a solution.

It was easy enough to find Draco, sulking in a corner of the great hall, his slender fingers picking at his food. You eyed the ring on his finger, the memory of putting it on him faint in your memory.

“So I was thinking we should make a trip to Diagon Alley this weekend. There’s sure to be someone there that can point us in the right direction on how to break the vow.”

Draco glanced up at you. “No.”

“No?”

He shook his head.

“Next weekend then?” you said.

He sighed. “You needed to hear me say we’d find a way out to go through with it last night. I only said what you needed to hear,” he stated, standing up, “There is no way out. The sooner you accept that, princess, the better.”

He walked away from you without a second glance. That was the second time in an hour you’d been left speechless.

You could see Harry watching the two of you, still in the same spot he’d been before you left to find Cedric. You thought to go over to him and tell him everything. You needed a friend, desperately.

But you felt the urge to be alone. To just let the hurt in for a little bit and then wake up tomorrow and figure things out.

Just once, you wanted to fall apart.

#harry potter fan fic #harry potter fan fiction #harry potter fanfic #harry potter fanfiction #hp fanfic #hp fanfiction #hp fan fic #hp one shot #hp oneshot #draco x reader #draco malfoy x reader #harry potter imagine #draco malfoy imagine #cedric x reader #cedric diggory x reader

[shellyb04]

And here we are, all caught up. You'll notice I fell into a bit of a Chinese drama and historical hole for these last ones! I will try to post as I finish shows so I can give a bit more of a review. Enjoy!

A love so romantic (Cdrama)-Girl pretends to be a long lost granddaughter of the Gu family and falls for the Gu family heir. 8/10 Very funny. The last ten episodes get a bit annoying with dumb amnesia and such, but overall really funny main couple.

The Greatest Love (Kdrama)-An A-list movie star with a heart condition meets former girl group member and now most disliked celebrity. Against all odds, he falls for her. 9/10 This is extremely funny and a bit tropey, but it gets major bonus points for the ending. There's no crazy amnesia or unreasonable misunderstandings. Their dilemma at the end makes sense and wasn't dragged out for too long. There was a bit in the middle where she was trying to reject him that dragged for me and I didn't like the other girl group members very much. But overall, really fun.

The Rebel Princess (Cdrama)-A princess is forced to marry a general turned prince instead of her childhood sweetheart prince. They ultimately fall for each other and endure war, kidnapping, betrayal, and every other kind of misfortune that can happen in a historical drama. 9/10 This drama was refreshing because the couple was so amazing together. They were kind as well as cunning. They were the only characters not seeking power and I just loved the way they worked. It does get a little draggy during some of the palace politics. I also think some of the villians didn't think through their plans. But overall, the leads made the show. Although there are some genuinely heartbreaking moments and too many women committing suicide.

Love Script (Cdrama)- A CEO gets into an accident and believes he's a Prince from the Ming Dynasty. A psychologist is hired and she becomes part of the palace staff in order to treat him. But she begins to fall for him. 8/10 I liked all the characters. It's a really light show and there's a couple of plot twists that ultimately made the lead romance work for me. There were a few too many flashbacks and I found myself skipping through them a lot.

A Girl Like Me (Cdrama)- Ban Hua has three failed engagements, partially because of her blunt manner and explosive temper. She begins getting visions of the future and uses them to save her family from trouble, along with Rong Xia who has his own agenda...but will he be distracted by Ban Hua!? 8.5/10 I really liked this one. The story moved along rather quickly. I love that the Ban family are perfectly happy in their little sphere of life. They adore each other and simply want their family to be happy. The only real negatives are that I don't think some of the villain plots made sense especially toward the end and I thought the last two episodes should have wrapped up the story not made more characters power hungry and foolish. Overall, I really liked it, especially Ban Hua and Rong Xia's banter and courtship.

My little happiness (Cdrama)-An intern lawyer and a successful neurosurgeon who were childhood sweethearts meet again as adults only she never knew his name. Watch the duo fall in love. 8/10 This is a pleasant little ditty with no big problems. The relationship between the main girl and her best friend feels super real to me. I love both main couples. It's a simple sweet sappy love story. There's never any doubt how it will end so just enjoy the sweetness.

Oh! My Sweet Liar! (Cdrama)-Historical- A female painter infiltrates the home of a noble family to paint a copy of a precious item. When her escape goes wrong, she fakes a pregnancy by the family heir to save her life. They make a contract marriage so he can escape an arranged marriage he doesn't want. But there are secrets and plotting people throughout the family home. 8.5/10 I really liked the majority of the show. It was a bit slow the second arc of the show and really the last three eps could have been a bit more streamlined, but I loved the Li family. It was so nice to see the love between the family.

Shopaholic Louis (Kdrama)- A wealthy heir gets amnesia and is found by a poor country girl newly arrived in Seoul to look for her brother. The two fall for each other while searching together. 8.5/10 Super cute. I loved the main couple the whole way through. The side characters grew on me as well. It was a nice sweet story overall.

Love in Time-Cdrama- Writer and a CEO were friends in Jr high but had a falling out. Present day they enter a contract marriage. 8/10 A point bump for 30 minute episodes. The story was sweet and simple with a few pleasant turns. The last episode is a bit dumb. I would've rather just had more epilogue than a faked amnesia plot. I liked the side friendships, but wish the "villain" had a better motivation. Just " I loved him and worked hard for him so he should be mine" obsession got old. The tropes were in full display so avoid if you hate those.

Love and Destiny-Cdrama- A young immortal wanders into the wrong place and awakens the God of War. He discovers a secret about her even she doesn't know. The two fall in love, but bad things happen. Can they overcome destiny with love? 7/10- This one seemed to be a bit long at 60 episodes and it took WAY too long to get started. But by episode 14 or 15 I was completely into the love story and most of the side characters. The two "villains" were annoying but ultimately I understood their choices even if I felt they were immature. Overall, it's good, but a little too slow in some places and the last ten episodes could have given me some more couple moments.

Divorce lawyer in love (Kdrama)- She's a tough as nails divorce lawyer and he's her office manager until she goes to far in a case and her license is suspended. Three years later she's the office manager and he's the lawyer and he sees his chance for some payback.. Enemies to friends to lovers. 8/10 It has its funny moments. I enjoy most of the "case of the week" stories. I thought the resolution to the main antagonist was a bit hand wavy, but overall, solid and enjoyable with mostly fun side characters.

The Sword and the Brocade (Cdrama)- A concubine's daughter marries a Marquis in an arranged marriage. She has to deal with conniving concubines, controlling mother and mother-in-law, as well as a family that doesn't want her around, and a rival family all while trying to continue her embroidery career. 7.5/10 Started out fairly strong but toward the end it felt really drawn out. I feel like the last two plots should have been more combined cause it really dragged the pace of the show down. The characters were good. I liked most of the characters a lot, but a few began to make weird decisions toward the end.

The Eternal Love (Cdrama)- Modern woman sucked to alternate past where she has to share her doppelganger's body. The two with the help of their maid try to figure out what's going on. But things are complicated as each soul is in love with a different prince.,-6/10 The story is okay, although the last four episodes are weird. Chemistry with the leads is fabulous. Really not great production quality. I couldn't get through Season 2.

Eternal Love/Ten Miles of Peach Blossom (Cdrama)- Bai Qian and Ye Hua are star crossed immortals who fall in love in three different but intertwined lives. 9.5/10 Started off slow, then got wonderful about ep 10, then pain and misery for a few eps before back to joy and falling in love and back to pain. But one of the best revenge scenes by Bai Qian! I sort of hated that basically every other couple seems doomed. I tried to watch the pillow book before this and just got bored. I may go back to it someday as I love that couple.

General's Lady (Cdrama)- independent noble sent to marry the "demon" general at the border only to fall in love with him. However there are factions trying to harm them. 9/10 Super light and sweet with lots of kisses. I got a bit bored a little past the middle of the drama when they went back to the capital. But the last several episodes brought me back around and I laughed out loud multiple times. Love all the couples throughout and how it showed there were multiple ways to be a strong woman.

#kdrama #cdrama #A love so romantic #The greatest love #the rebel princess #Love script #A girl like me #My little happiness #Oh! My sweet Liar! #shopaholic louis #love in time #love and destiny #divorce lawyer in love #the sword and the brocade #the eternal love #tmopb #eternal love #General's Lady

[e350tb]

The Owl House: A Blight on Gravesfield (Chapter Three)

Three

Everyone has a bit of a talk...

The Connecticut Witch Trials were the first large scale witch hunts to occur in the American Colonies. Eat your heart out, Salem.

Now it’s worth pointing out that they were much less intense than the Salem Witch Trials; more people were executed in Salem in fifteen months then were killed in Connecticut in fifteen years. Nevertheless, they certainly had an effect on the people of the young colony; and indeed, on the town of Gravesfield.

The panic started with the trial and execution of Alse Young in Hartford, in May 1647. The following year, also in Hartford, Mary Johnson confessed to ‘familiarity with the devil’ - because of a pregnancy while imprisoned, she wouldn’t be executed until 1650. The tendrils of suspicion seeped out across the land, and before long, an accusation was made in Gravesfield.

The year was 1651. Philip Wittlesbane was already a source of some contention in Gravesfield; he had written a pamphlet denouncing the execution of King Charles I, claiming it to be a ‘miscarriage of justice by a vengeful, prideful victor.’ He’d actually spent a day in the pillory for it, and probably would have suffered worse if he had not clarified that he certainly wasn’t a Royalist.

The Wittelsbanes had started off, like most people in Connecticut, as fairly staunch, if not particularly active, supporters of Parliament. John remained so throughout the Civil War period, but it seems Philip grew more and more concerned about the Roundheads as time went on. It was not the execution of Charles that really seems to have soured Philip, but the establishment of the ‘Rump Parliament’, which was basically a seizure of power by the supporters of Cromwell’s New Model Army.

That’s a gross oversimplification, but we’re not talking about Cromwell today.

By 1650, Philip had become a big supporter of the rights of men - not women, just men, this was the seventeenth century - and by men, we mean Englishmen. All Englishmen, regardless of wealth, status or faith. Well, as long as that faith was Christian, anyway.

This troubled John and the other city fathers, who had something of a stake in keeping power centered on a wealthy, Puritan elite. And as Philip started to get more and more in trouble with the authorities, John started to worry about his writings about witches coming out; because then, of course, the authorities would find out what John had been writing about them too.

On one hand, Philip was his brother. On the other hand, he might doom them both.

On a summers’ day in 1651, John and Philip went for a ‘private discussion’ out in the woods near Gravesfield. John’s friend, Thomas Goodfaith Masterson - fantastic name - waited at John’s house for them to return; ‘John hath told me most firmly that by sundown, the matter of Philip would be solved.’

John returned alone that afternoon. Philip never returned again.

--------

The tension in the air was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

Luz, Amity and Vee sat on the couch; Luz’ eyes were fixed firmly on the floor as Camila paced in front of them. No-one knew quite how to start this conversation; there was that strange feeling in the air, the feeling when nobody is in trouble, but at the same time everybody is in trouble.

Perhaps it would be more correct to say that nobody was in trouble from Camila, but they were all in a lot of trouble from reality.

Camila inhaled through her nose.

“Okay,” she said. “I want you to start at the beginning. What happened before you got here?”

“Well,” Luz rubbed the back of her head. “It involves Emperor Belos. And, well, I don’t wanna upset Vee…”

Camila turned to Vee.

“Vee, if you need to leave the room at any time…”

“No.” Vee shook her head. “I’ll be okay, I think.”

Luz nodded.

“Okay,” she said, “It all started this morning, at the Owl House…”

 -------

“Luz… hey, Luz… Luz. Luz. Hey, Luz.”

Slowly, Luz opened her eyes.

She had been lying face-first on the floor, scribbled notes surrounding her; the Echo Mouse snoozing quietly next to her. King was prodding her gently with a stick, and the rays of the sun were spilling through the window into the lounge room. When she had fallen asleep, she couldn't tell.

“Ugh.” She pushed herself up, turning onto her back. She could see Eda leaning on the door frame, arms crossed, a little smirk on her face.

“Fall asleep on the floor again?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey!” replied Luz. “It’s only been… one, two… wow, three nights in a row.”

“Yeah, and I can’t nap on the couch while you’re down there talking in your sleep!” exclaimed King. “What the heck’s a Vee, anyway?”

“It’s, uh, my favourite letter!” replied Luz, sitting up quickly. “Yeah, gotta love that letter V, am I right?!”

Eda and King stared.

“You don’t really think I’m that dumb, do you?” asked King.

“Something’s bugging me about you, Luz,” said Eda, walking over to her. “Is something on your mind?”

“You mean, apart from building the portal home?”

“You’ve been obsessed!” exclaimed Eda. “Normally you’d have been up two hours ago to go to school. I mean, if you wanna play hooky, go right ahead, but…”

“I’m missing school!” exclaimed Luz. “I can’t- I gotta-”

She ran a hand through her hair.

“I… no, I can’t go to Hexside, I’ve gotta focus on this!” she said, turning back to her notes. “I’m almost there, I’m sure of it…”

Eda and King exchanged glances.

“You, uh, you sure everything went okay with that portal?” asked King.

“If there’s a problem, you know you can tell us,” said Eda. “I mean, if you can’t trust family, who can you trust?”

Luz glanced from her notes to Eda and back again, exhaling through her nose.

“I… okay,” she replied. “It… it didn’t go that great.”

Eda sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to her. Luz gave her a small, grateful smile and took her seat.

“Mom… she really kinda freaked out,” she said, her fingers tightening on the edge of the couch. “And she was really upset, and I… I kinda promised when I got home…”

“...you’d stay with her,” said Eda.

Luz looked away, nodding.

“But you don’t want to?” asked King.

“I… I’d give the world to see Mom again!” replied Luz. “But I don’t want to give up you guys, or Amity, or Willow or Gus; heck, I don’t even wanna give up Hooty! I just… I’ve got so much more here in the Boiling Isles than I did in Connecticut.”

“Yeah, Connecticut stinks!” said King.

“You’ve never been,” said Eda.

“Yeah, but you can tell by the name,” replied King, crossing his arms. “It’s spelt Connect-I-Cut, but they drop the T! That doesn’t even make sense!”

Luz chuckled despite herself.

“It’s just… I don’t wanna go back to having no friends,” she said. “And I love mom, but it’s always just been me and her, and…”

“You don’t wanna be lonely.” Eda put a hand on Luz’ shoulder.

“Yeah,” replied Luz. “I don’t.”

“Hey,” Eda smiled. “We’ll sort something out, okay? If you want, I can come with you when you finish the portal, and we’ll talk to her about everything, okay? Maybe when she sees how good the Boiling Isles has been for you, she’ll let us… I dunno, timeshare or something? Is that the word?”

Luz looked up, into Eda’s eyes, and smiled.

“Yeah,” she replied. “Maybe that’ll-”

“SWEET TITAN, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO LULU!”

Hooty’s voice echoed through the house, and Eda shot to her feet.

“Lilith?” she exclaimed.

The three ran to the door, throwing it open.

Lilith was on her knees, about twenty five yards from the Owl House, bound by her arms and legs. Two guards stood on each side of her, pointing spears at her abdomen. Behind them were about a dozen more guards, and three hulking Abomatons - atop the middle of which stood a familiar, short figure.

“Kikimora!” exclaimed Luz.

Luz could just about see her cheeks raise - a sign that the little demon might have been smiling, or perhaps smirking was a better word.

“Sorry to barge in like this,” she said, in a tone that indicated she was not sorry at all, “But I’m afraid the Emperor has an outstanding warrant for Edalyn Clawthorne for disturbing his operations.”

“What?” demanded Eda. “You can’t prove I’ve done anything! ...recently.”

“Oh, really? I think you’ll find we can.” 

Kikimora clapped her hands together. A limp sack, like a figure secured in a black spider’s web, hovered out from behind the Abomaton. Suddenly it dropped, as if an invisible string had been cut, and the black tendrils fell away. A limp, bespectacled figure crashed down into the dust, coughing and wheezing.

Eda’s eyes widened, her fists clenched and shaking.

“Raine!”

 -------

“Raine?”

Luz shrugged as her mother asked about the name.

“I don’t really know them,” she said. “Eda mentioned them a couple of times, but…”

“Raine Whispers,” interrupted Amity. “Head of the Bard Coven. They disappeared a few weeks ago.”

Her fingers tightened on the edge of the couch.

“If Belos could turn on one of his own coven leaders…”

“I’m sorry, what exactly is a coven?” asked Camila.

“They’re like… I dunno, magic classes,” replied Luz. “Once you pick a coven, you’re stuck in it for life, and you can’t do any other magic. There are nine main covens, and then there’s a bunch of smaller covens under them, and… oh, yeah, and there’s the Emperor’s Coven, who can do any magic they want.”

Camila frowned.

“Pretty convenient that the Emperor’s Coven gets to do everything.”

“I don’t get it,” said Vee. “If Luz was with the Owl Lady, how did Amity get mixed up in all this?”

“I can explain that,” replied Amity. “You see…”

 -------

Hexside before classes started was always a den of activity. Students bustled too and fro, rushing to get to their first period (or not rushing, in the case of more than a few students), and the corridors were jam-packed with people.

Unfortunately, not the person Amity was waiting for this morning.

“Hey, Amity!”

Amity finished grabbing her books from her locker and turned - Willow and Gus were approaching, both looking more than a little worried.

“Oh, hey Gus,” said Amity. “Hey Willow. Have you seen Luz?”

“We were kinda hoping you had,” replied Gus. “We haven’t heard anything all weekend.”

“We’re hoping she hasn’t spent the whole weekend studying Philip’s diary and forgotten to sleep again,” said Willow, “But…”

“That’s probably what happened,” said Gus bluntly.

“Well, she did keep sending me pictures of echo mouse projections, so…” said Amity.

“Okay,” said Gus, punching his palm. “We’re gonna need to stage an intervention.”

“Please don’t tell me it’s gonna involve cinnamon and formaldehyde again,” sighed Willow.

“It was one time, Willow! One time!”

Amity rubbed her arm.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Luz has been really… distracted since she went through that proto-portal. I think something happened there…”

“Something bad?” replied Willow.

“I don’t know.” Amity looked down at her feet. “I feel like something bad happened with her and her mom, but…”

“Ahem! Hello there, students!”

Amity turned. Principal Bump was leaning against the next locker, one hand on his hip.

“Uh… hello, Principal Bump,” replied Amity.

“So, how’s that, uh, Grudgby scene going?” asked Bump, trying and failing to act casual, “Down with Glandus, am I right? Huh, am I right?”

There was a long, awkward silence.

“Principal Bump,” said Gus, “you’re making me very uncomfortable.”

Bump cleared his throat.

“Yes, quite,” he said. “Anyway, I just wanted to randomly tell you that, say, if I was privy to any information that the Emperor’s Coven was going to act against the Owl House, I wouldn’t be at liberty to tell you.”

“What?” quizzed Willow.

“I’m saying that, if I had somehow been informed that the Emperor’s Coven may or may not be attacking the Owl House, I couldn’t tell you.”

“The Emperor’s Coven is attack-”

Willow covered Gus’ mouth.

Amity narrowed her eyes.

“And who… wouldn’t you be able to tell us gave you this information?” she asked.

“I absolutely couldn’t tell you if it was the Golden Guard,” replied Bump.

“So it must’ve been someone else!” exclaimed Gus.

Willow and Amity shot him meaningful looks.

“Okay,” nodded Willow, “thank you for… not telling us, Principal Bump.”

“You did hear it from me,” nodded Bump.

He blinked.

“Wait, that should have been you didn’t hear it from… well, anyway, I’ll be in my office.”

He walked very briskly away.

“We’ve gotta warn Luz!” exclaimed Gus.

“Come on!” shouted Willow, “We might be able to get there before them if…”

“Wait, they might already be there!” said Amity. “We have to come up with a…”

She trailed off as Willow and Gus darted off down the hall, headed for the exit.

“Okay, forget the plan,” she shrugged. “Wait up!”

 -------

“And then what happened?” asked Vee.

Amity shrugged.

“Willow and Gus got there just a little before I did,” she replied. “But we were too late. The Emperor had gotten there first.”

Luz glanced at Amity, a slight frown on her face, but said nothing.

“And the Emperor hurt you?” she demanded, a dangerous ice underlining her voice.

“I… don’t actually remember.”

Luz rubbed her head.

“I remember Kikimora bringing Lilith and Raine to us,” she said. “Then it gets… blurry? I know the Emperor hurt me, but… not how?”

“Dissociative amnesia, maybe?” suggested Camila.

“Hmm?” Luz tilted her head.

“It’s when we block out memories associated with a traumatic event,” replied Camila. “But it could also be a result of head trauma.”

“What did you see, Amity?” asked Vee.

“I…” Amity gripped the couch harder. “I saw… I mean, I think… I remember…”

Her breathing became heavier and uneven, and she seemed to be sweating just a little bit. Gently, Luz put a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, it’s okay,” she said softly. “You don’t have to say anything until you’re ready.”

Amity swallowed.

“I have to…”

“You don’t have to be anything, Amity.”

Camila sighed.

“I think we all need to get some rest,” she said.

“Yeah,” Luz nodded, “Sounds like a plan, Mami.”

“Vee, are you okay to help me set up the airbeds?” asked Camila.

“Oh, I can do it if…” said Luz.

“Not until I know for certain you’re okay, mija,” replied Camila. “You were unconscious a few hours ago! I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

“I can handle it, Luz,” said Vee, smiling.

Before Luz could say anything else, Camila and Vee had headed up the stairs, leaving Luz and Amity alone.

“So, how’s about tommorrow we start working on getting you home, huh?” said Luz, grinning weakly at her girlfriend.

Amity mumbled something in reply.

“Amity?” Luz tilted her head, concerned.

Amity looked up - her eyes were somewhat watery.

“I don’t know if I want to go back.”

#the owl house #luz noceda #amity blight #camila noceda #vee #a blight on gravesfield #writing #king owl house #eda clawthorne #willow park #gus porter #principal bump

[entropictome]

Holiday Hot Pot

S:Final Fantasy XIV No plot or purpose. Just one man, his friends, family, his overwhelming grief and their very late Starlight. [mentioned non-WoL OCxThancred] 5754 words [ More FFXIV Content ]

“You look like shit.”

Moth’ir was missing his characteristic shades so all four occupants could clearly see the viera’s tactless comment send his eyes rolling. Five if the infant in his arms wasn’t soundly asleep. His comeback was snappy as always. “Thanks, kid. Thought I’d take a page from your book for a change.”

The Burn’s reaction was immediate. His rage coiled in his arms as he quickly changed stance. Ever one to turn to violence before reason. His voice rose as he started “,Why are you always-”

The rest was swallowed by a mitten plopped against his mouth. His smaller─but no less dangerous─companion shot him a long suffering look. Keeping The Burn’s temper under control was like trying to keep a lit match from igniting firedamp in a coal mine. Most folks had no hope but to abandon the mission to begin with. Ibuki was the sole exception. Though she could give him a good and proper dressing-down, it didn’t take much besides a sigh and disappointed look to upend his rampage before it started.

The anger didn’t go away, it just receded, but it allowed the pale and dark scaled auri to turn their attention back to their long missing friend. The three gathered around him with varying levels of interest. Leaving Havhen to flail helplessly as their presence was quickly forgotten in that of Moth’ir’s. Whom was obviously the more respected between the two when it came to their present company.

“You’ve been gone for months without word! We were really worried!” Ibuki stated, nearly whining with the intensity of her sincerity.

“We would have come sooner but there were a lot of things to take care of,” the Xaela man spoke apologetically. “There were so many festivals and trying to keep the bar staffed with so many people wanting days off and of course the Basement-”

Ibuki elbowed her much taller compatriot and cut his further worrying off by enthusing “,but Bukidai has dealt with all of it marvelously well so you don’t need to worry.”

“Oh?” Moth’ir looked at the Xaela with an appraising look. Though, paired with an easy grin, it was unlikely he was being serious. “Food baskets?”

“All delivered as of yesterday,” Bukidai, who was serious, assured him. “Thanks to our volunteers.”

“Volunteers is it? Did Mr. Auberdine show up?” Moth’ir asked and chuckled lightly when he saw Bukidai’s surprise.

“Ah, yes. Though we had to ask him to leave-”

“Because he was trying to convince everyone that volunteers deserved two baskets for their trouble.” Moth’ir interrupted, leaving Bukidai startled once again. “Did that every year. A few others too. Reason why I started delivering them my own damn self if I’m honest.”

“Every year?” Bukidai’s horror was indication enough that Mr. Auberdine had thrown one of his characteristic fits before he allowed himself to be let go.

“Grew up as a wealthy merchant’s son and then his family landed themselves in dire straights with bad investments,” Moth’ir shrugged. He was sympathetic but the sympathy was for Booker, not the man. “He’s remarkably less worse than he was but he’s never quite gotten over the idea he deserves more than everyone else.”

Bukidai sighed and shook his head. “Regardless, I think we can make do with our other volunteers if they want to pitch in again.”

“If you say so,” Moth’ir said dubiously. Bukidai held unto hope for dear life but Moth’ir had been divested of that a long long time ago. “Take care with old U’leh. Greying Miqo’te lady, very unassuming. She likes to troll through some of the donated items in Spring and Autumn for cakes to raffle off at her little charity parties.”

“She raffles off donated cakes?” Bukidai was aghast then pulled himself off the topic for another. “Spring is an awful long time away. Aren’t you coming back?”

“If you need to break out, we’ve got you,” Ibuki rose her sweater’s sleeve so she might flex her otherwise deceptively pudgy arm. Havhen─who had been watching their interaction with keen interest and was not familiar with Ibuki’s playful personality─shot Moth’ir an alarmed look over her shoulder.

“Contrary to whatever belief you might have, I am here of my own free will,” Moth’ir stated firm enough that they knew he meant it. He had certainly come of his own accord anyway. Staying was less than thrilling since he didn’t much care for the sole physician in this strange hospital. Divulging why was far more personal than he was comfortable sharing but he did add a “More or less.”

“More or less?” The Burn attention had been momentarily bought by the possibility of fighting.

Moth’ir gave him a stern look “,I’m staying.”

It was the right thing to do. More than that, it was where Thancred had left him. Left them. The four of them descended into an awkward silence. None of whom seemed particularly thrilled with the prospect.

Ibuki, hopping from one foot to the next, tried her best to break the quiet. “Is the baby yours? Bukidai said you left because you were feeling sick and had suspected but we didn’t know for sure.”

“Ibuki!” Bukidai chastised her.

Moth’ir gave him a solid kick to the shin. Which might have actually hurt had he been wearing anything but his slippers. He gasped and proclaimed with played up scandalization “What a gossip!”

Havhen was likely the only one of them who noticed the slight hissing. Something which indicated an actual irritation from Moth’ir he hid by dramatizing it.

“Is it a boy or girl?” Ibuki asked before throwing her arms up and blithely gesturing “,you know, for now.”

It was a joke that three of them understood better than the other two. Though she wasn’t aware of Havhen’s case. She had quite nearly forgotten they were there at all. Which was more or less in their favor as they were busy taking mental notes. Specifically on Moth’ir’s face after Ibuki asked her question. Moth’ir had settled into fatherhood like a round peg in a square hole. He’d fallen in but the corners weren’t right. Fairly typical of new parents but he’d taken his ineptitude as immediate failure and the guilt had landed him here in Havhen’s care. He’d only just been able to acknowledge his daughter directly at all.

Moth’ir visibly braced himself before muttering “,it’s uh... she.”

“She’s so cute! Can I hold her?” Ibuki thrust her arms out exuberantly. Either not noticing the stumble or too polite to point it out. Moth’ir handed her over mayhaps a bit too eagerly but the fact he’d been carrying her without needing to was progress. Havhen made a note of it.

Holding a baby was something Ibuki had enough experience in that she hadn’t needed coaching. Utterly doting, she looked fairly natural cooing down at the fussy bundle who had begun to stir due to the commotion and movement. Moth’ir struggled not to look miserable watching the pair, ears flattened against his head. Grief that went unnoticed now that all attention was on the baby.

“What’s her name?” Bukidai asked pleasantly.

“Doesn’t have one.” Moth’ir said flatly. Bukidai looked to him with confusion but Moth’ir waved him off and continued. “Her dad thought I should name her but I’ve been preoccupied and just... haven’t.”

Havhen distinctly remembered the white haired hyur had mentioned he’d wanted Moth’ir to name her because it might help them bond. And something about having already named two girls but that hadn’t been meant for Havhen’s ears. The concern of Moth’ir’s friends weren’t at all alleviated by the explanation but Bukidai had enough sense to recognize Moth’ir’s agitation. He simply nodded and smiled, if a bit awkwardly. “I’m sure it will come to you soon.”

Moth’ir brushed him off, glanced over at the window and the dwindling light outside. Whatever he’d wanted to see there caused him to sigh. He postulated “,You three didn’t really have a plan once you got here, did you?”

Said three exchanged glances that said they hadn’t and then all four heads turned to Havhen. The physician shook their head and crossed their arms in front of them. “Absolutely, not! This is a mental care facility! Not an inn!”

“It’s not like you’ve got any other patients and there’s not exactly a line waiting,” Moth’ir stated sternly.

“Nevertheless there are professional standards I have to adhere to,” Haven pushed back with just as much authority.

“It’s a madhouse,” Moth’ir exclaimed incredulously “,You’re already a joke and a half!”

“Not a madhouse!” Haven corrected him with a great deal of passion. “Those facilities garner their reputation by focusing on containment and are as like to cause as much─if not more─damage to their patients had they just left them alone. This facility is for study and treatment with the intent of rehabilitation.”

Havhen was a generally genial person but this was a subject they were particularly staunch on. Moth’ir, on the other hand, was just normally stubborn and exceedingly opinionated. Where the standoff would go was any one’s guess but it wasn’t likely to be clean. With that in mind, Ibuki interjected “,that’s actually quite fascinating! I’d love to get an interview with you on the subject for an article. Mor Dhona isn’t that far from Ul’dah, I’m sure some of my readers would love to know more.”

“You’re a reporter?” Havhen asked, scrutinizing the pastel garbed auri woman closer.  “Publicity would be nice but your ilk are so fond of twisting things on their head for greater attention.”

“Well, you’re in luck because miss Bunji is far more partial toward fluff pieces,” Bukidai noted with a fair bit of amusement.

“Oh! I’m so tired of writing hard hitting news! Everyone is so wary of talking to me now but I don’t mean to find bad things! I’m just very good at tripping into them,” her sudden outburst sounded surprisingly sincere considering it’s absurdity. It had also upset the baby who she quickly went about soothing. “Oh! I’m so sorry, dear thing. It’s okay! Nothing’s wrong! You’re not running a money laundering business out of here are you?”

The last question was aimed at Havhen who simply held their hands up defensively. “If I was I wouldn’t be struggling to make rent.”

“You’d be surprised,” Ibuki sighed as she gently rocked the baby back to complacency.

Havhen considered the three newcomers and nodded approvingly. “Alright. You can stay for a short while.”

There was a short lived celebratory movement before Havhen added: “Under the condition you do chores around the building and submit yourselves for an interview of my own.”

Moth’ir balked. “Nevermind, everyone can go sleep outside.”

Havhen crossed his arms and said firmly “,if she’s going to write about my organization she might as well get the best understanding of what I’m trying to do.”

“I think we can handle some housework and questions,” Bukidai offered, trying to hearten Moth’ir whose grimace only deepened in return.

Moth’ir threw his hands up and shook his head but went to his next order of business “,Regardless, your kitchen stock is atrocious. Scribbles, go out and see what food stuffs you can pick up for tonight. It’s Starlight and almost sundown so don’t expect a lot.”

“You can count on me!” Ibuki chirped despite his sentiment and snapped off a salute unfamiliar to Havhen.

“You,” he pointed at The Burn “,there’s some weird creatures out of town. Ask around the adventurers, see what all is edible and how, kill it and bring the proper bits back.”

The Burn grinned and smacked his fists together. “I can do that.”

“As long as you can ask politely and don’t pick a fight,” Ibuki said to him as more of a warning than anything else.

“You’re with me in the kitchen,” Moth’ir nodded toward Bukidai “,let’s prep and you can see if you have any more ideas about what we have on hand than I.”

“And me?” Havhen pointed at themself.

“You’re on baby duty.” Moth’ir gestured dramatically toward his daughter, still in Ibuki’s arms who passed her off to them.

“Alright kids, we have a short amount of time and very little to work with. Let’s move,” Moth’ir gestured and his people went to do as they were asked.

Havhen and the child watched them all scatter. Before today Moth’ir had been antagonistic and withdrawn around them. This commanding man and the willingness of his peers to follow his direction was bemusing. Both attitudes were entirely alien from the way he had been with his beau. At least when he didn’t think Havhen was looking. Assuming different personae to suit different groups was normal enough but, when all was said and done, some of Moth’ir’s faces would likely have to die to save the host.

“It should be an interesting night for us, I think.” They cooed gently to the nameless girl.

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

Havhen had hoped they might be able to observe something that would give them clarity on Moth’ir in the process of the night. What they happened to see was utter chaos. Babies need care and Moth’ir’s child was particularly fussy without any seeming need to be. A fact even her wet nurse had noted. Then there was the utter mess that Moth’ir and Bukidai were making in their kitchen. Which was adequate enough by Havhen’s standards but not theirs.

The Burn returned first. A bit bloodied for his trouble. He’d gotten a handful of strange looking material he all swore was good for eating in a variety of ways. Havhen had some doubts but Moth’ir took him at his word.

“Who did you piss off?” Moth’ir asked passively after getting a proper look at the viera’s nose.

“Some weird frogs, some newts, wriggly things, you know,” The Burn gestured toward his assorted meats as if the question in itself was inane.

“I said: who,” Moth’ir reiterated, pointedly.

The Burn crossed his arms and stood defiantly. Which unraveled under Moth’ir’s steely gaze and he finally yelled “,it was some roegadyn, okay? Didn’t like the way I asked and wouldn’t listen so he started punching. He was asking for it.”

Moth’ir shrugged and shook his head. He wasn’t exactly pleased but the disappointment didn’t stick. He said to The Burn “,Thanks for the bits, kid. Since you’re here, try and keep that one out of our hair.”

Moth’ir gestured toward Havhen, saying to them: “And you? Good luck.”

It was a particularly perplexing series of statements that cleared itself up over the course of a brief conversation. Havhen came to the conclusion that The Burn would make a good case study if he’d allow it. Alas, it was unlikely that The Burn would avail himself to their care so Havhen was forced to deal with him on a social level. Which was an exceedingly unpleasant task. He was combative, sullen, and downright rude without any self awareness. A hungry malboro would have made better company.

Luckily, Ibuki returned not too long after. If her strength had been in question, it was not now as she managed to juggle a notable number of boxes. Of which she was more hampered by the awkwardice of their distribution than their weight.

“What did you do? Buy the whole market?” Bukidai exclaimed as he started offloading her parcels.

“There’s a lot more in the market than food, you know,” Ibuki retorted. “I just got things that they said were edible and looked good.”

“Is that a whole dodo?” Moth’ir asked as he eyeballed what she’d brought in.

“Yup! The man said I could have it cheap because it’s Starlight,” she said as she divested herself of her last package. Arms free, Ibuki turned to Havhen and stretched them out to them “,let me see the baby!”

They could hardly deny her after she asked so passionately.

“More likely that the seller misjudged his buyer’s needs and wanted to offload it quickly,” Moth’ir commented looking the bird over. He’d found little wrong with it all the same.

“Oh! Oh!” She hopped back around to face him after having secured the baby in her arms “,I was thinking maybe a hot pot would be good?” Ibuki’s suggestion sounded more like the favorite child pleading a favor of an otherwise stern parent. 

“I think I saw a burner for one,” Bukidai added with a questioning note. Indirectly asking why Havhen would have one to begin with.

“I’m quite particular towards hot pot dishes, myself,” Havhen explained “,I should have noodles too.”

Ibuki looked enthused for all of a second before she schooled herself back and asked “,like, spaghetti?”

Havhen gave her a sympathetic look and patted her and the shoulder “,I’m not sure I’ve had pasta in a hot pot. Personally, I’m preferential toward glass noodles but I have udon too.”

This suitably reignited Ibuki’s excitement. She nearly launched herself at Havhen, might have had it not been for the babe, asking “,you have a lot of stuff from Othard here, actually. Have you gone to Kugane?”

Havhen suspected the woman might be a tad homesick but unfortunately had to shake their head. “Not myself. The matrons of my clan told me stories of Yanxia from when we’d travel before the Garlean occupation. I believe it’s a short boat ride between?”

Moth’ir audibly hissed. A thing so uncharacteristic that it completely silenced the room a second and then was immediately moved on from. Moth’ir’s friends assuming it had been unintentional; like a sneeze. They hadn’t been told that Havhen had just happened to be Moth’ir’s long lost sibling. That their clan had once been his. At least, before they’d left him to die as a small child. But Havhen did.

They gave him an apologetic look. Divulging details about their clan hadn’t been their intent. It was an act which Moth’ir had very clearly expressed wanting nothing to do with. Their conciliation did little to quell the absolute rage that Moth’ir was having trouble keeping from his face. Cooking did though.

Havhen and Ibuki settled into chatting idly about Othard while the babe slept in her arms. The Burn─whose chaotic nature had been hard contained just moments before─sat calmly watching Ibuki. A man who was seeing his girlfriend in a domestic light for the first time and wasn’t sure what to think. Havhen rather thought he looked awed. The dining table they sat at and the kitchen were hardly separated. Only a partition that covered perhaps half the room from view. With The Burn preoccupied, he could hardly stop Havhen from observing Moth’ir.

Havhen had thought Bukidai might be in charge of the hot pot, seeing a Xaela would surely know more of the concept than a Eorzean born miqo’te. He was no doubt talented but it was to Moth’ir’s beck and call that he scurried. Ibuki mentioned to them that the pair had come to Kugane some time ago and that’s when Moth’ir had picked up some new techniques. Havhen was fairly impressed that anyone could simply “pick up” traditional methods from one trip but there was a great deal they did not know about Moth’ir.

Ibuki and his hyur “friend” had both spoken about Moth’ir’s prowess as a craftsman. The man had asked him to make a dress for their child and what he produced was of a higher quality than Havhen had expected. The act of putting the dress on the baby had helped Moth’ir acknowledge her and he’d since made several articles of it’s ilk. They had encouraged it because it seemed to be a source of catharsis for him. In the kitchen, Moth’ir seemed just as at home as he did with a sewing needle. Though these two fields were not the limits of his capabilities, Ibuki confirmed they were two specialties of his many interests.

He also seemed to be cooking more or less as a stress relief at the moment. As evidenced by the increasing number of plates Bukidai was producing.

“This is actually pretty early for us.”

It was a lovely little spread. Maybe more geared toward ten people than five. Ibuki had gotten her hot pot. Her eyes glittered despite the fact some of the ingredients used were… questionable in texture. It did look appetizing despite knowing where some of it had come from.

“Do you usually make so much food too?” Havhen eyed the spread and glanced to Bukidai.

“Uh…” Bukidai sheepishly responded, rubbing the back of his neck and then taking a moment to remove his neck tie as he’d suddenly become cognizant of it. “Yes and no? Traditionally, we cook a lot more but we also share with the neighborhood.”

“They do that at the end of every moon but Starlight is supposed to be special,” The Burn noted dully.

“Must be profitable in Ul’dah,” Havhen suggested without having any real clue.

“Oh, it’s all free though.” Ibuki commented cheerily.

“Who knew you were such a philanthropist?” Havhen remarked, turning around only to find Moth’ir missing. They stepped into the kitchen and found him sitting behind the partition. His head between his knees and both hands resting on the back of his neck.

“Gimme a moment.” He’d murmured, completely devoid of any venom he’d usually summon. He could only turn with a facsimile of it when Havhen sat beside him but the comment he’d expected to have to beat off never came. They simply sat there quietly.

Bukidai pretended to busy himself with the spread once again. Shooing Moth’ir’s clockwork toy off the table. He remarked “,that thing has a mind of it’s own.” A statement that started Ibuki and The Burn on a discussion on whether it had been set to follow the babe─since it was never far away from her─or if it was actually possessed. For that matter, where was the other one? None of the three had seen that one in a while. They only made indirect mentions of the man whose countenance both automatons shared. Neither Ibuki or The Burn knew what his relation was to Moth’ir though they’d seen him from time to time. Only Bukidai had any clue.

Bukidai who much preferred this to impeding on Moth’ir’s privacy any more than he already had.

They sat like that for a long time. The three younger ones chatting amicably amongst themselves while the miqo’te siblings sat out of view. After a bit, Moth’ir had gathered himself enough to pull himself to a more relaxed position. Havhen gave him a moment before risking a quiet remark “,they sound like family.”

Moth’ir only hmm’d at first. When he managed to speak, his voice was quiet too but the lack of force was from the palpable exhaustion that colored the tone. The kind of exhaustion unrelated to sleep. He replied “,Maybe they are. Ul’dah is a long way from the Steppes, Hingashi and wherever the hell The Burn fell out of.”

“Ul’dah is a long way from the Twelveswood too,” Havhen said gently as they could “,but you seem keener to keep your distance.”

“So many questions,” Moth’ir spat but even this indignation lacked fire.

“When one cannot find answers they are often left with nothing but questions,” Havhen replied pleasantly enough. It still pissed Moth’ir off.

The Burn was yelling about something but Ibuki and Bukidai were laughing. At his worst there was a request he calm down because he was disturbing the baby. Words which were also choked with laughter.

Moth’ir let them hang there. Content to sit and listen and not at all up to acknowledging what was a valid statement. He was supposed to be getting better after all but sometimes Havhen and their questions made him want to disappear into the swamp.

“If you don’t celebrate on Starlight, what do you do?” Havhen asked him, trying another angle.

Moth’ir sighed with his whole body. He tried to say “stuff” but all he managed was a weak roll of his wrist.

“You and your man must have some traditions?” Havhen offered.

Moth’ir snorted. The idea of Thancred being any one person’s was cute to him. Even after the hyur had confessed all those things to him before he’d left. Before Moth’ir had had the ability to say it back. Words that he so desperately wanted to say back. They pooled in the back of his throat and begged to be released so Moth’ir did something uncharacteristic of him and spoke about him. If just to speak of him at all. “Thancred’s not usually home when the holidays come around. ‘Specially not these last couple years but when he is it’s just a drink and then sleeping in.”

“Festive,” Havhen said with a chuckle.

Admittedly it didn’t sound like much but it had meaning for him. Maybe Thancred too. A tradition started nearly a decade ago. A rare occasion when Thancred hadn’t had any luck with any fair maiden despite his “silver tongue.” Too inebriated to make it to his lodgings but just sober enough to crash against the backdoor of Moth’ir’s home and workplace. Thancred almost looked dignified sitting there, looking like a misplaced gift from Nymeia’s Saint after Moth’ir’s very long and miserable day.

Thancred somehow talked him into one single drink for the occasion despite Moth’ir’s distaste for alcohol. So they might be on equal footing or some line of the sort. Though Moth’ir wasn’t anywhere near as intoxicated by the time he’d managed to dump Thancred in his bed. Then they’d passed out in a sleep near as deep as death itself. An act remarkable for the both of them.

All their important moments seemed to be in that bed. Very few─if any─had a thing to do with Thancred’s typical salacious activities. It was another sort of intimacy only available to them in the privacy and relative safety of Moth’ir’s room. Honestly and vulnerability that they’d not allowed themselves anywhere else. And yet...

“I didn’t realize you lived together.”

Moth’ir rolled a hand dismissively again. “Some of his stuff is at my place but I don’t think he lives anywhere anymore.”

“Too busy doing what he does.” Havhen said with some meaning. Near everyone who paid attention to the daily happenings around them had some conception of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn even if they didn’t know each member. Savior’s of the realm and at their center the indomitable Warriors of Light.

But Thancred was quite faliable. It was one of his charms.

“I don’t want to go back.” Moth’ir said so quietly Havhen almost didn’t hear him.

Havhen lightly bumped his shoulder against Moth’ir’s. “His life is largely here in Mor Dhona now, isn’t it?”

Moth’ir crossed his arms over his knees and pressed his eyes there to shut out the pressure from behind his eyes. He’d had some conception of Thancred’s work but it was something alien and distant. He imagined it was much the same for Thancred and Moth’ir’s work outside the Tavern. They’d known each other in a way that no one else did─that no one was supposed to─but they’d lived separate lives save where they let it intertwine. A special and private part of themselves tailor made for each other. It had worked. Might have continued to work but then Thancred had taken him from this hospital to the Rising Stones.

He’d met the women who’d given Thancred a shave and a haircut and found he’d liked them both despite that. Hadn’t recognized the man with the sun and stars before he spoke because he’d been missing the goggles and shroud he’d seen him in before. Lightly roasted Thancred with a Seeker woman with whom he shared new material to his friend’s chagrin. One of them would tell him if anything happened to Thancred while he was on the field. Thancred had assured him of such before he’d left.

And he’d liked that. He liked the idea that he’d be one of the first to know. He liked that Thancred had shown him context to the part of his life that had been a thin outline. But Moth’ir could never go back to waiting and wondering and subtext and half told stories they were too tired to finish telling because living it had been too much. He liked knowing and he liked being here and he knew he could never ever go back to that room. It’s privacy and false safety be damned.

He’d fooled himself into thinking he’d feel differently once he returned and started to go around the usual rounds but here he was. The same comedy routine fit like a glove but it was a glove that weighed as much as a buffalo and he was so tired. More than that: “They don’t need me,” Moth’ir said, choking back something that might have been a sob. Though he didn’t know why or what he was feeling exactly.

“It’s gonna get co~ld,” Ibuki’s voice came from beyond the partition.

Bukidai’s voice came after, raised suspiciously “,alright! alright! But make sure you don’t eat everything!” His added emphasis that the couple had had a habit of scarfing down an absurd amount of food returned to a normal pitch but the reaction to it was no less raucous.

Havhen shook their head in agreement and said “,Maybe once, but they do seem to have themselves covered now.”

“Wish I did,” Moth’ir breathed. Drawing himself up and closing his eyes, trying to center himself once more.

It was quiet between them again. The only sound coming from Ibuki singing over what was assumedly a well done meal. But Moth’ir broke the silence by turning to them and stating “,I never wanted children.”

Havhen cocked an eyebrow at him but let him continue on his own without prompting. So Moth’ir continued. “I did when I decided to keep her but I never wanted children. I don’t know how to do this and I don’t… how do we do this? I don’t know how to name kids.”

Havhen considered the distance Moth’ir had kept himself from his family and friends. They considered that he carried internalized feelings of guilt as if his abandonment was due to his own fault. The way he shied away from his daughter and the way he tormented himself for having done so. They wondered if “I never wanted” simply meant he hadn’t thought he should as if he was not worthy.

Moth’ir could simply have been asking for their opinion but the emphasis on “we” seemed like more. They did not know if he meant as keepers or as a clan. They weren’t sure if offering their typical naming conventions would be much use to him. Havhen offered a smile and said “,Oh, I’m not sure it’s all very complicated. You just pick something you think sounds nice or has meaning to you.”

Moth’ir sighed, clearly unsatisfied by that answer. Answers to a question that wasn’t the one he wanted to ask would never be sufficient.

“I think picking a name of someone important to you is suitable as well. As a tribute of sorts,” Havhen tried again despite the futility.

Moth’ir’s eyes stared upward as he considered various people whom he’d had some attachment to. It was an ordeal when one specifically kept people at arms length with few exceptions. “Can’t just name her Menphina, can I?”

“I mean,” Havhen shrugged and said flippantly “,your fellow Eorzeans might find that blasphemous but it’s your daughter.” They received a gentle elbow to the ribs for their trouble.

“Moth.”

“After your mother?” Havhen asked.

Moth’ir eyed him warily. Karga clan was very distinctly something that was his and his alone. It was never far from his mind that Havhen had only ever had their gods forsaken clan. He did not know what they saw when they thought of him and his siblings and his mother together. They all had meant the world and more to him and he misliked the idea of someone belittling that.

Havhen continued to smile at him warmly as he tried to assure him “,I think it’s a lovely name. And, from what your brother has told me, a woman deserving of such dedication.”

Moth’ir only knew that Moth’wo had trusted Havhen with the health of his brother. He’d not had a clue said brother and they were related by blood. How close the two actually were was a mystery to him. He hadn’t even ventured to ask so he had no choice but to accept the comment at face value. Or at least he had no energy to grill them about it.

Eased somewhat he turned his attention inward. He reiterated the name Moth in a whisper. More for himself than Havhen’s benefit. Making it real. Making her real. He closed his eyes and used it as a point to center himself.

Havhen ventured to tap his shoulder to grab his attention before holding their arm out, hopefully offering a hug. Moth’ir regarded them irritably but leaned his shoulder against theirs and allowed himself to be pulled closer. Havhen lightly pressed his head against Moth’ir’s and so they sat. Silent while idly listening to the other three while their minds were elsewhere. For their part, Havhen was busy committing the moment to memory. A small victory for them that may mean nothing but a memento of their brother when he left them for good but that in itself would be enough.

“Hey, you think she can eat some of this meat?” The Burn’s voice asked from beyond the partition.

Moth’ir snapped to, breaking Havhen’s precious moment. On his feet and away in a second. “You feed that baby anything and I swear I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

Havhen let themself linger for a moment. Wrapped their arms around their knees and listening to the new argument. Havhen had been walking with Moth’ir’s ghost for over a decade. They’d been convinced of his death by their mother and it haunted them. But then he’d returned alive; so very much alive. That life had been a messy and painful one. Whether he cared to know or not, Havhen’s had been much the same. The mystery of what laid before them could very much be more of the same but that wasn’t the important part. That they were alive is what gave those lives meaning. Nothing more, nothing less. Which is why they allowed themselves a moment to linger and not a moment more.

A life must be lived.

And there was a hot pot they needed to get to before it was gone.

#My Writing #heirsofdiscord #Final Fantasy XIV #Moth'ir Karga (FF) #Thancred is technically here but also is he?

[forthsaw]

          hi  hi.  it’s  hazy  again  and  i’m  SO  EXCITED  to  bring  u  my  absolute  pos  alex.  this  man  is  ..  whew.  i’m  honestly so  so  so  so  mf  antsy  that  i  need  to  start  playing  him  like  ..  now.  TRIGGER  WARNING  :  death,  alcoholism  mentions,  neglect.

adam brody . cis male . he / him . well would you look at that , if it isn’t ALEXANDER “ ALEX ” BROSNAN wandering around glenview ! the THIRTY - NINE year old has been in town now for ELEVEN YEARS. from what i remember , they’re known for being a little bit CONFRONTATIONAL, but don’t let that sway ye’ , they’re also fairly SOCIABLE too ! must be why they’re known as THE CONNARD . in fact , they’re known to remind people of ADAM from WRONG TURN ( 2021 ). as far as i know , they were knew poor katie balmayne , in fact i hear that they were HER BABYSITTER way back when. i wonder how they’re coping seeing all these familiar faces again … ( hazy , 24 , est , she/her , no triggers )

♡       *      𝐇𝐄  𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐓𝐎  𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄  𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓  𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄  𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐎𝐍  𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐓.

alex  grew  up  with  wealthy  parents.  the  brosnan  family  knew  the  downes  family  long  before  jennifer  was  even  born.  alex  was  a  golden  boy  among  the  group,  along  with  his  two  younger  sisters  who  were,  funnily  enough,  pretty  close  in  age  with  katie  belmayne.  alex,  himself,  was  never  one  to  let  someone  outshine  in  him  in  the  spotlight.  he  was  only  eight  years  old  when  his  younger  sister  was  born  and  that  was  the  first  time  in  his  life  he  became  arrogant.  not  only  did  he  despise  his  sister  at  first,  but  he  was  an  six  year  old  who  threw  tantrums  like  no  tomorrow.  if  the  attention  wasn’t  on  him,  he  would  act  up  and  become  cataclysmic  to  his  own  home  to  the  point  where  even  his  own  parents  were  scared  of  him  for  a  while.  he  was  sent  to  a  private  boarding  school  when  he  was  seven,  sent  to  live  away  from  his  family  because  it  was  easier  for  them  to  function  without  him  there.  still,  they  consistently  gave  him  money  and  made  sure  he  could  survive  on  his  own,  but  contact  was  rare.  their  communication  was  so  bad  that  alex  wasn’t  even  aware  that  he  had  another  younger  sister  that  his  parents  had  when  he  was  eight.  that  bomb  was  dropped  on  him  during  christmas  that  year,  when  he  came  home  to  two  sisters  and  a  happy  family  ––  one  that  seemed  very  happy  without  him  there.

this  didn’t  stop  him  from  becoming  even  more  of  an  asshole.  as  much  as  he  wanted  to,  he  never  cried.  he  became  angry  instead,  lashing  out  or  acting  out  accordingly  whenever  things  slipped  out  of  his  hands.  he  was  ruthless  and  mean,  an  asshole  from  a  very  young  age  and  he  blamed  it  on  neglect. 

♡       *      𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍'  𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘,  𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘   !

when  he  was  twelve,  he  began  babysitting  for  the  downes  and  belmayne  family.  katie  and  jennifer  were  his  prime  sources  of  income  from  a  young  age  and,  because  wealth  was  such  a  huge  thing  in  his  family,  he  knew  he’d  need  to  keep  that  money  coming  in  for  a  while.  he  was  as  perfect  of  a  babysitter  as  you  could  be  to  the  parents.  they  praised  him  for  taking  care  of  their  children,  showed  gratitude  in  the  form  of  money  that  would  soon  become  an  obsession  of  his.  to  them,  he  was  an  angel.  to  jennifer  and  katie,  he  was  just  another  asshole  who  didn’t  care  much  for  other  people.  they  learned  that  by  growing  up  with  him,  until  he  was  nineteen  and  they  were  both  eleven  ––  old  enough  to  start  taking  care  of  themselves.  

because  he  had  been  a  babysitter  for  so  long  and  because  he  found  alternative  ways  to  make  money  for  himself  in  high  school,  he  was  able  to  move  out  on  his  own  at  nineteen.  in  fact,  he  moved  across  seas,  to  america  where  he  studied  business.  he  got  his  degree and  got  the  hell  out  of  there.  still,  he  kept  in  touch  with  the  downes  family,  but  rarely  his  own.  they  became  more  of  a  family  to  him  than  his  parents  and  sisters  ever  did,  treating  him  like  a  son  of  theirs  to  some  kind  of  extent.  they  attended  his  graduation,  were  there  when  he  opened  his  very  own  (  well,  he  was  part  of  the  corporation  that  owned  it  )  hotel  chain  at  just  twenty - three  years  old.  he  had  a  lot  of  help  and  a  lot  of  people  wrapped  around  his  finger,  of  course.  he  was  smooth  and  charismatic,  almost  too  cool  for  his  own  good.  he  got  higher  up  by  being  smart  and  as  ruthless  as  always.  blackmail,  threats,  and  other  forms  of  boosting  his  own  rapport  were  very  much  present  and  he  didn’t  show  much  mercy  for  people.  that’s  how  he  eventually  made  his  way  to  the  top,  as  a  chairman  for  bayview  corporation  by  twenty - five  years  old.

♡       *      𝐈𝐅  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘  𝐆𝐄𝐓  𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓  𝐈𝐍  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌  𝐖𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐒,  𝐘𝐎𝐔  𝐌𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  𝐀𝐒  𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋  𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓  𝐆𝐎  𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄  '𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄  𝐘𝐎𝐔  𝐀𝐈𝐍'𝐓  𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑  𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐀  𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌.

he  returned  to  glenview  to  pitch  an  idea  to  everyone.  that’s  how  he  earned  his  spot  as  chairman  ––  he  made  promises  to  expand  globally,  not  just  nationally.  that’s  why  he  came  back  in  the  early  months  of  1989.  he  had  connections  there,  thanks  to  the  downes  and  belmayne  families.  unfortunately,  bayview  had  been  too  big  of  a  success  for  just  glenview.  dublin,  though,  was  interested  in  the  idea  and  alex  kept  a  steady  form  of  communication  with  those  who  were  interested  while  relaxing  in  his  hometown.  

then  katie  belmayne  disappeared.  it  was  october  and  he  was  just  settling  into  an  agreement  in  dublin  for  a  hotel  location.  he  caught  wind  of  katie’s  disappearance  and,  for  the  first  time  in  a  while,  he  felt  real  pain.  katie  wasn’t  someone  he  was  that  close  to,  but  he  knew  her.  he  knew  her  better  than  he  knew  his  own  family,  who  he  had’t  even  spoke  to  since  moving  away.  it  shook  him  to  the  core,  knowing  that  there  was  a  possibility  she  could  be  dead.  yes,  it  put  some  bumps  in  his  plans  for  bayview  because  he  wasn’t  sure  how  to  react,  but  he  needed  to  move  on.  

well,  instead  of  doing  that  and  after  katie’s  body  was  found,  alex  stayed  for  two  more  years.  he  thought  being  there  would  give  him  a  sense  of  closure  or  home,  would  even  possibly  let  him  see  his  own  family  again.  it  didn’t.  instead,  it  left  him  even  more  cold  and  cruel  than  before.  he  was  always  an  asshole,  always  arrogant  and  boastful,  but  it  became  way  worse  after  katie’s  death.  he  became  erratic  and  impulsive,  even  turned  to  drinking  for  a  bit  to  take  the  edge  off  of  things.

♡       *      𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄  𝐂𝐀𝐍  𝐁𝐄  𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆.

still,  to  this  day,  he’s  the  same  alex  that  left  glenview  eleven  years  ago.  jennifer  downes  reached  out  to  him  and  extended  an  invite  to  her  wedding  to  him.  of  course,  he  happily  accepted.  at  this  point,  his  bayview  hotel  chain  that  had  been  pitched  to dublin  was  the  real  deal.  it’d  been  around  for  at  least  seven  years  and  he  is  still  the  chairman.  bayview  is  global now,  completely,  and  it’s  mostly  thanks  to  alex  because  he  channeled  his  grief  into  pure  work  to  get  what  he  needed  done  after  katie  died.  it  was  a  form  of  coping  and  it  worked.

glenview,  however,  still  haunted  him.  he  came  back  for  jennifer’s  wedding  and  officially  introduced  himself  to  joseph,  who  he  soon  became  friends  with  quite  quickly.  he’s  still  the  same  as  he  was  before  ––  loud,  obnoxious,  wicked  smart,  and  charismatic.  he’s  a  business  man.  however,  he  still  hasn’t  made  contact  with  his  family  or  his  sisters.  he’s  been  in  glenview  purely  for  the  wedding.  when  joseph  went  missing,  alex  grew  erratic  again.  he  freaked  out,  stressed  out,  and  got  angry  over  everything.  he  didn’t  like  being  questioned,  didn’t  like  being  accused,  and  he  sure  as  hell  doesn’t  like  that  some  psychotic  kidnapper  /  killer  is  on  the  loose.  

#glenview.intro

[whump-mania]

Characters and Background

TW FOR THE FOLLOWING: abuse, obsession, stalking, kidnapping, police, panic attacks, implied torture, gun use

Read with caution!

Ben Rosenbloom

-21

-Chloe’s twin brother

-5’10”

-short brown hair, curly

-green eyes

-jewish

-freckles

-very average body type

-not very strong

-gay (only Chloe knows, too afraid to tell parents)

-insecure of his strength and masculinity because of being constantly compared to his older brother Marcus (25)

-parents had an authoritarian style of parenting, clearly favoring Marcus over the twins

-did very well in school but never good enough to impress his parents since he and Chloe were always overlooked

-USED TO love to sing, grew to hate it for reasons*

Chloe Rosenbloom

-21

-Ben’s twin sister

-5’3”

-light brown wavy hair, slightly longer than shoulder length

-green eyes

-jewish

-freckles

-short but muscular, cares about being active/exercising and tries to encourage Ben to join her

-bi (got outed to parents by Marcus, parents were confused and not very accepting)

-more confident than Ben but more afraid of her parents than Ben

-less academically adept than Ben, got bs and cs in school but didn’t really care since she was so proud of Ben

Ben and Chloe are very close and look out for each other a lot. Chloe helps Ben out in physical situations, from helping lift things to fighting off Marcus. Ben helps Chloe out with academic and social situations, like doing homework and getting her girlfriend, Joy.

Aaron Walker

-25

-friend of Marcus

-rich white boy energy

-6’1”

-blonde wavy hair, almost shoulder length

-blue eyes

-christian

-gym guy, he’s ripped :/

-bi

-honestly a pretty bad person

Aaron was friends with Marcus in high school when Chloe and Ben were in middle school. He started going to the Rosenbloom’s house more and more to study the twins more, and eventually became obsessed with them, ESPECIALLY Ben. In a very creepy way. He had a weird desire to hurt him and…yknow corrupt him in gross ways. He would try to get close to Ben and Chloe while he was over at their house with Marcus, but the twins just thought he was creepy and didn’t pay him any attention.

Marcus Rosenbloom

-25

-Ben and Chloe’s older brother

-6 feet

-short dark brown hair, facial hair, glasses

-brown eyes

-jewish

-kinda buff, not as strong as Aaron

-straight

-pretty much just as good in school as Ben, but got praised because he’s the oldest and he did it all first

-verbally (and sometimes physically) abusive to both twins, more so to Ben, which is ignored/overlooked by the parents due to favoritism

-only friends with Aaron for his money and lost touch with him after graduation. Didn’t stop Aaron tho

Ethan Jung

-22

-Ben’s boyfriend (met after escape)

-5′9″

-spiky black short hair

-brown eyes

-korean

-christian

-fairly skinny, relates to Ben abt being kinda physically weak

-gay (out to his family/most people around him, very confident)

-himbo but not the strong kind, literally everything else is accurate tho

-got mentally and physically abused by his previous boyfriend Cole and broke up with him shortly after meeting Ben. realized he could do better, and better was right in front of him

-finds out about ben’s past after accidentally touching one of his trigger spots (jawline), feels terrible about sending him into a panic attack. chloe is there and helps ben explain everything to him. 

Joy Foster

-21

-chloe’s girlfriend

-5’7”

-black curly hair, most commonly worn in buns

-brown eyes

-african american

-christian, raised very religious and is still fairly religious herself, but not as much as her family

-taller than chloe by 5 inches and pretty active, excercises with chloe a lot

-trans lesbian (parents not very accepting of her initially but learned to love her over time, began her transition at 11 years)

-very confident and outgoing, has a great fashion sense and tries to makeover chloe and ben all the time (to their dismay)

-family is very wealthy, which contributes to how she was able to get a private jet to help ben and chloe with their first escape

Background to the main story

After Ben and Chloe graduated high school (Chloe took a gap year and Ben went off to a local college), Aaron stalked the two of them and planned out a scheme to get Ben all to himself. He reconnected with Marcus and paid him a large sum of money to make sure Chloe didn’t interfere. Marcus ended up becoming a police officer, so he was also paid to keep quiet about any questions about them missing and halt any investigation. Kidnapping Ben was fairly easy for Aaron, and he locked him up in an isolated cabin he bought a few years back for his plan. Marcus blackmailed Chloe after Ben’s capture. He told her he’d have Ben killed if she answered her phone, called the police, or told anyone anything. Chloe was eventually forced to live with Marcus so he could keep track of her, and was not allowed to get a job or use her phone. She was also forced to completely cut contact with Joy. Chloe plans in secret to help Ben in any way she can.

After Ben’s capture, Chloe’s plan goes into motion. She knew where her phone was hidden, but she had to wait for Marcus to finally go back to work. This took a whole month of waiting, but it was also time to gain Marcus’s trust. The day he finally went back to work in person, she snuck into Marcus’s room and found her phone. With a quick find my iPhone search, she knew Ben’s location. Another day when Marcus was at work, Chloe finally snuck out and found her brother. She was inevitably captured by Aaron and was captive alongside Ben for a short while. She tried fighting back, but she wasn’t strong enough for him. Ben had gained Aaron’s trust at that point and obeyed every one of Aaron’s commands, but he would still worry about Chloe. He would ask Aaron to hurt him in place of her often. Chloe thought he was truly gone until he snapped and shot Aaron off guard. Though Aaron did not die, the twins took the time to run to a different state, hide, and recover.

*One day in Ben’s senior year of high school (he was 18 at the time), he was singing in his room alone with headphones on. Loudly and confidently, like no one could hear him. But little did he know, Aaron was watching him, leaning on the doorframe. “I didn’t know you could sing, Benny.” Aaron’s voice took Ben out of his trance and he was terrified to see Aaron standing there, lust in his eyes, and…a hand in his pants. Aaron winked. “Thanks for the show.” Ben never sang again after that.

#whump blog #whump community #whump #tw kidnapping #tw stalking #tw gun use #tw panic attack #tw abuse #ben #aaron #chloe #joy #marcus #ethan #whumper #whumpee #caretaker #abc writing

[clawsandblood]

4 - “Do you trust me?”

link to ao3

first part on tumblr   previous part on tumblr

Once both men were awake enough, Borna told Steven of his strange encounter last night. Steven’s face grew more and more alarmed as the story progressed.

“You won’t believe this,” he slowly said, “but I also had a weird encounter last night and-” He stopped. “There was this woman, looking kinda how you said yours was looking, and in the end she gave me a huge tip, saying that both me and my friend could use some money.” 

“How huge?” Borna asked, brows furrowing.

Steven stood up, walked over to his jacket and dug out his wallet. “This big,” he said, showing Borna the hundred dollar bill.

“Fuck,” Borna swore under his breath. He took his phone, frantically going through his browsing history until he found a picture of Madam Reid. “Is that her?” he asked Steven, showing him the screen.

“Yeah,” he said hoarsely.

They exchanged looks. “How the fuck did she know we know each other?” Borna asked.

“Oh, shit.” Steven was staring at Borna. “You’ve already got a job interview with her company, right?”

Borna nodded. “Tomorrow. They were in an awful hurry.”

Steven collapsed on the couch. “What if they’re some sort of human trafficking ring?” he asked. “What if they’re with the mafia?”

“I think they won’t do anything after one interview,” Borna said. “Or I could just cancel.”

Steven nodded. “That would probably be the safest, yeah.”

Borna opened his phone, thumb hovering over the number that called him earlier in the morning. He sighed, putting the phone down. “But I’m curious,” he said. “Maybe one interview won’t be that bad.”

“Borna,” Steven pleaded.

“I can just decline afterwards.”

Their eyes were locked in a staring contest.

“If your kidney gets sold on the black market next week I won’t help you, I’ll just say that I told you so.”

Borna’s lips twitched into a smile. “Note taken.”

---

It took some digging through their shared wardrobes to find a presentable pair of trousers and a shirt for Borna to wear to the interview. Steven did have some semi-formal clothes, but Borna somehow felt like most of Steven’s patterned shirts were a touch too vulgar for the occasion.

“How do I look?” he asked, giving a little twirl.

Steven chewed on his lip. “Presentable,” he finally said.

Borna nodded. “I feel like a tuna fish in a can.”

“Meaning?”

“Stuffed, uncomfortable, about to be half-eaten, half-thrown away.”

“Having last minute jitters?” Steven smiled at Borna and clapped him on the back. “You’re gonna go there, snoop a bit during the interview, go home and tell them you’re actually going to Russia.”

Borna snorted. “Sounds good.”

They went to the building where the interview was going to take place together. It was a modern office building, fairly boring and unremarkable. The entrance had plaques of several different companies on the wall, Northwest Holistic Natural Remedies being among them.

“Well,” Steven said. “This is kinda anticlimactic.”

“What did you expect?” Borna asked him.

Steven shrugged. “Something more glamorous. Or completely rundown. I don’t know how human organ traffickers work.”

Borna elbowed him. “They’re not gonna sell my organs,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, yeah,” Steven mumbled. He gave Borna one last look-over, fixing his hair a bit. “You’ve got this,” he said and patted his shoulder. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Borna walked in, going to the reception desk.

Steven stood for a few moments, looking after his friend, and left. There was no need for him to keep loitering and there were groceries to be bought.

---

Borna found the office that the receptionist directed him to. The doors were slightly open and the plaque on them said “Northwest Holistic Natural Remedies - Madam Reid.” He tentatively knocked.

“Come in,” said a voice.

He entered, closing the doors behind himself. A different lady was sitting behind the desk, looking at him expectantly. There was a sign on her desk that read “Natalie Adams, secretary.” The walls were decorated with various pictures of nature, keeping a cohesive theme. It was terribly bland, yet tasteful.

“Madam is already waiting for you,” she said, gesturing to the doors to the side.

“Thank you,” he said and walked in.

Now that office was a lot different. The furniture was darker, sturdier. Decor was still revolving around nature, but this was darker, feeling more like antiques rather than mass-produced photos printed on canvases. Behind the desk sat Madam Reid, as sharp and poised as the night he met her.

“Hello, Borna,” she said. “Please sit down.”

Borna obeyed, drawing the heavy leather-padded chair. “Good morning,” he said.

Her pronunciation of his name was miles better than what he was used to, though her decision to use his first name rattled him. Maybe she just didn’t want to deal with pronouncing my surname, he thought, suppressing an amused huff.

“It’s two in the afternoon,” she pointed out.

He chuckled awkwardly. “Had another night shift,” he explained. “Those tend to mess with perception of time.”

She nodded. “Understandable.”

“I brought my resume with me in case-” he started, but got silenced by a hand gesture.

“I think both of us know that that’s not why you’re here now,” she said, fixing him with her stare.

“Then what is it?” he asked. He grew hotter in his shirt and dress pants.

She took his hand, unbuttoning the cuff and rolled up the sleeve until the bite mark was fully exposed. “When was it?” she asked, examining the scar. “Three days ago? Four?”

“Four,” he answered. “Are you also a…” He trailed off.

“A lycanthrope, yes.”

“Okay,” he said, still staring at where she was holding his arm.

She rolled the sleeve back up, buttoning it. “We need to keep together,” she said. “Lone wolves don’t survive for too long.”

“Meaning?”

“There’s an organisation that I’m a part of,” she explained. “It connects people like us all over the continent. We could help you out with things.”

His brows furrowed. “What things?”

Madam Reid gave him a look that he’d describe as sarcastic if she was literally anyone else. “Money.”

“I can get by,” he protested. “I’ve got a job, I can pay rent-”

“You work the graveyard shift at the carwash and have to live with a roommate,” Madam interrupted.

Borna swallowed. “How do you know about my roommate?” he asked quietly.

“I met him the same night as you.” She smiled, but it just looked like a beast baring its teeth. “He is a very friendly man. You two spend too much time together, you smell like each other.”

“We smell-?”

She nodded. “It should come to you soon,” she said soothingly. “You’ll get used to it.”

Borna nodded, staring at his own hands, trying to process all the given information.

“Borna?”

He looked up.

Madam Reid was looking at him, features soft and relaxed. For the first time she didn’t look like she was about to swallow him whole, though her eyes stayed the same. “Do you trust me?” she asked gently.

“I don’t know,” he replied softly. “I think you’ve been truthful, but I don’t think I should trust you just yet.”

She leaned back in her chair. “Smart,” she commented. “Not the smartest, but admirable approach.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “I’ve got a proposition,” she said, leaning forward again. “On Friday we’ve got a meeting. I’ll have Natalie email you details and you can come see how things work for yourself. How does that sound?”

He took a moment to consider her offer. “Okay,” he conceded. “Maybe I’ll come.”

“That’s all I ask for.”

He slowly started getting up.

“And Borna?”

He looked at her.

“I don’t think I need to tell you to come by yourself, right?”

He shook his head. “You don’t.”

“Good.” She also got up, offering him a hand. “Hopefully we’ll see each other soon,” she said.

He just nodded wordlessly.

“Goodbye,” she said and then he was already through the door. The secretary gave him a friendly smile and a goodbye of her own as he exited the office.

---

“How was it?” Steven asked him when he got outside.

Borna took a deep breath. “She’s also, uh-” he gestured at the bite mark on his arm. “She offered help. She knew we live together because we smell like each other.”

“Wait, what?” Steven was staring at him, nose wrinkled, and mouth falling open. “We smell like each other?”

“Yeah, I know.” Borna sighed. “She said I should be able to… detect these things soon too.”

“Ew.”

“Yeah.”

They stood in contemplative silence for a few moments.

“We should go home,” Borna said and Steven nodded. He had his arms occupied with bags from the grocery store and he handed over one to Borna, who automatically took it.

---

He was working the night shift again. Again, he couldn’t understand why would a carwash service need to be open at such unholy hours. Again, he was reminded that the wealthy, the weird and the criminals were also paying customers.

So far he had to deal with only a few people that seemed a bit too inebriated to be anywhere near car keys. He did have to watch himself physically way more than usual, but the drunk were usually quite generous tippers and that night didn’t prove any different.

He had a long period of nothing, where he almost nodded off several, but the noise from the neighbouring gas station managed to keep him up. Then, just a one hour before the end, a car drove in.

---

Dorian’s phone rang. He groaned, looking at the caller’s ID. Three poop emojis were displayed on the screen. He groaned again, louder, then finally accepted the call.

“Hi, Gary,” he said. For a few moments he was quiet, listening intently. “Fuck,” he finally said. “A feral one?”

He got up from the couch and turned off the TV, which was showing some shitty horror flick. He sandwiched the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he started pulling on his pants.

“Yeah, give me ten min, I’ll be there. Bye.”

He disconnected the call, putting the phone down. He dressed up, sturdy, warm, practical clothes, and left the flat, remembering at the last moment to take his phone and wallet.

He rushed downstairs and walked briskly to the main street. A car was already waiting for him. 

“Move it,” Gary said, poking his head through the window.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dorian grumbled breathlessly. He sat down on the passenger’s side, fastening the seatbelt. The moment he was done the car peeled off the curb, making Dorian swear quietly, which in turn made Gary cackle.

The car sped through the streets, out of town to the forest road.

“Do you know where it’s supposed to be?” Dorian asked.

“Somewhere in the west,” Gary answered. “Near one farm, the owners complained about the cattle being killed.”

“Not regular wolves?” 

Gary shook his head. “The tracks didn’t fit, plus there’s been rumors of Bigfoot in the woods.”

Dorian snorted. “Of course that’s what they say.”

Gary shrugged. “Not that far fetched in comparison to the truth,” he said.

Dorian sighed. “Fair point.” He started rifling through his pockets for the cigarettes. “Sometimes I still can’t believe this is my life.”

“Yeah,” Gary said absent-mindedly. Then he noticed the cigarette pack in Dorian’s hand. “Hey, fuck off with that,” he grumbled. “No smoking in my car.”

Dorian rolled his eyes. “So sensitive.”

Gary glanced at him with a poisonous look. “Don’t you dare,” he growled.

“I can open the window.”

Gary puffed out an angry breath. “You won’t you-” He pawed at Dorian, trying to take away his cigarettes, when something collided with the car loudly, making Gary swerve and brake.

“Fuck!”

They stopped abruptly and jumped out of the car. There was a dark figure lying on the side of the road, whining loudly.

Gary glared at Dorian, who awkwardly stuffed his hands into his pockets. They tentatively approached the lump. Coming closer, it was visible that it was a sort of a wolf, only larger and as much as the moonlight permitted to see, with a different coat colouring.

It started snarling as they approached.

“I think we found our feral wolf,” Dorian said quietly and squatted down, facing the creature. Gary stayed a bit behind him, standing.

“We got you pretty hard, didn’t we?” Dorian asked quietly.

The wolf growled in response.

“I know, I know,” Dorian said soothingly. He got up and started taking off his jacket.

Gary groaned. “I’ll get the stuff from the car,” he said and left.

Once Dorian stripped off all his clothes he squatted down, tilting his face towards moonlight and began to change. His body grew, transforming into a lupine form, growing thick fur all over.

He slowly walked over to the hurt wolf, sniffing softly. The wolf whiled quietly, but let him close. Dorian carefully nuzzled the other one and gave the bloodied fur a few careful licks. Finally, he settled, laying down next to the hurt wolf.

Gary sighed. He had thick gloves on and a gun in his hands. “Dorian,” he said disapprovingly.

Dorian looked at him and just gave the wolf another gentle lick.

Cocking the gun, Gary took aim and fired.

With one last whine, the wounded wolf died.

Dorian slowly got up, nudging the wolf with his head, giving it a few small, affectionate licks, before leaving it, walking over to Gary.

“You know I don’t like shooting when you’re right there,” Gary said.

Dorian in between transformed back to human, panting slightly from the effort.

“He was so scared,” Dorian said. “And hurting.”

“We did hit him with a car,” Gary pointed out.

Dorian shook his head. “It was something from before,” he said. “We should take a look at the body before we get rid of it.”

“I’m not hauling a huge wolf back to the city for you to play a doctor,” Gary said. He went back to the car, putting the gun away. “Come help me get the covering, I don’t want blood all over my car.”

Dorian sighed and finished dressing up. Gary had a waterproof tarp in his trunk and they used it to protect the interior of the car before they dragged the cadaver into it. They had to put it on the backseats, the trunk of the car being too small to fit a grown werewolf.

After some more driving they found a muddy road through the forest. Gary parked in the undergrowth and they spent the better part of the night digging a large and deep enough hole.

Dorian wiped sweat off his forehead. “We deserve a bonus for all this,” he groaned.

Gary glared at him. “Like you’re doing that much,” he grumbled.

They were hauling the body out of the car now, Dorian desperately trying to carry an equal share, but he was mostly getting covered in blood seeping from the plastic while Gary was supporting most of its weight.

“Not all of us spend all the time in the gym,” Dorian bit back.

They finally hauled it to the grave and rolled out of the tarp, pushing it in.

“You put the tarp in, I’ll take care of this,” Gary said and started pushing the dirt onto the dead werewolf. Dorian nodded and started folding the plastic, trying not to get blood everywhere.

They were finished soon, getting back in the car. Dorian had the bloody tarp resting in his lap, clothes almost equally as dirty.

“You look like you showered in blood,” Gary said after a while. They were still driving through the forest.

“I kinda did,” Dorian replied.

“My car must look like shit.”

Dorian shrugged. “It’s just some mud.”

Gary huffed. “And blood too.”

“It’s just some bloody mud.”

---

The car was covered in more or less fresh mud, with a bump in the front that looked suspiciously bloody. Borna approached the driver’s window, squinting at the bright headlights.

“Good evening,” he said automatically.

“Do you guys have anything extra for mud?” the driver said.

Borna barely heard him, because in the passenger’s seat was an unmistakable figure.

Fucking hell, why Dorian covered in blood?!

Alarm must had been written on his face, because the driver laughed awkwardly. “We hit a wolf,” he explained. “Hauling one of those beasts off the road is a nasty business.”

Dorian met Borna’s eyes and quickly looked away.

“I see,” Borna said. “I could clean the dirt manually but it would take longer and cost more.” He tried not to stare at Dorian, who was very stubbornly pretending not to see him.

“Eh, I’ll just take the basic automated wash,” the driver said.

Borna nodded. “Okay.” He directed the car where to go, turning on the wash cycle. The overwhelming smell of the detergent finally overlaid the stench of blood, but Dorian’s blood-soaked image still danced in front of his eyes. Once the car was clean the driver paid, leaving a small tip and left. The entire time Dorian pointedly avoided Borna’s eyes.

Once they were gone from the station, Borna took his phone out, opening the text messages.

“what the fuck was all that??” he typed out, sending the message to Dorian. He leaned back on the wall, waiting for the response and staring at the clock.

#whumptober2021 #no.4 #do you trust me? #OC #fic #animal death #blood #steven #borna #dorian #madam reid #writing

[treh-co]

FAHC Headcanons

So I feel like a good amount of my hcs are a lot different than other people’s??? And I’ve done a LOT of thinking abt them so! Here’s kind of like a masterlist of my general hcs! I’m just gonna go through this person-by-person.

(This got Kinda Long, so it’s under a read more. Sorry mobile users,)

Geoff

Obviously, he’s the one who started The Fakes. Basically, he went into the military after high school, came back and was like “Damn. Hated that” and then some old friends are like “Hey wanna do crime” and he was like “Fuck it”. That ended up being the beginning of The Roosters, which would grow to become the most powerful crime syndicate in Los Santos.

However, when they started shifting more towards managing the organizations they controlled, Geoff felt like he was missing the hands-on action. With the others’ blessing, he branched out to create his own gang under the syndicate, which would be the Fakes.

Geoff was the acting boss, supervisor, and manager of the Fakes for many years, while still juggling responsibilities with the Roosters. After a while, he felt the stress of it all begin to weigh on him, so he decided to pass some of it off. He made Trevor the acting supervisor of the crew’s regular business, while he handed management of behind-the-scenes matters to Lindsay. He’s still technically the boss, though, and any Big decisions go through him.

Jack

Jack actually met Geoff when they were in the military together. While he was a journalist, she was a pilot, and while she’d always been a sort of straight-laced, innocent kid growing up, she discovered that she actually loved flying. More than that, she loved the excitement of a chase or a gunfight. When she got back, she found herself bored.

That was around when Geoff called her up with an offer- one that not only allowed her to get back in the cockpit, but promised twice the action way more money than she ever got in the military. Of course, she said yes.

Jack’s main role in the crew is transport and evac. She can fly or drive anything, from a city bus to speedboat to a cargobob. Unofficially, she’s a sort of second-in-command for Geoff. He usually discusses any business stuff with her before making decisions. She’s also probably the most capable medic in the main crew, though she’s not an expert, and will pass off the responsibility if they have access to someone more formally trained.

Gavin

I imagine Gavin comes from a criminal family. Nothing exciting; standard white-collar stuff, embezzlement and fraud. They were substantially wealthy from their exploits and sent him to private school and all that, but Gavin found it all horribly boring. By the time he reached high school, he was experimenting with every type of low-level crime he could think of; theft and vandalism, all that shit.

Eventually, his habit of making enemies got him in over his head, and eventually he found himself in serious hot water. Out of options, he forged some papers and got a flight out of Britain. He’d far from learnt his lesson, though. He didn’t plan on cleaning up his act, and he decided to hide in plain sight, in the most crime-infested city America had to offer- Los Santos.

That was where he met Geoff. He was working odd jobs around the city, still new to America (and, though he’d never admit it, pretty lost and scared- he’s only sixteen). He gets hired by some asshole to take out Geoff, and he isn’t familiar enough with the scene to know better, so he goes for it. When Geoff has the knife out of his hands and a gun pointed at his head in less than two seconds, he’s pretty sure he’s fucked- but Geoff doesn’t shoot. Because fuck, how the hell is he supposed to take out this scrawny, terrified kid? So he talks to him instead, and when he finds out that Gavin has no loyalties to the guy that hired him and has a much broader skill set than Geoff would have expected, he decides to take him in.

As for my take on The Golden Boy- I personally don’t see Gavin as a hacker, and tbh I personally Cannot picture him suave enough to be some smooth-talking informant. In my mind, he’s sort of the crew’s everyman. He does a little bit of everything- stealth, dealing, hacking, fighting- he isn’t really an expert at any of it, but if you need something done, he probably knows enough to help. 

Michael

Michael was raised in New Jersey with his brothers. His life was fairly normal, to be honest. He got a gig as an electrician, and it sucked, but he was doing okay. And then his mom got sick, and things started falling apart. Long story short, he ended up turning to more unsavory ways to get the money she needed for her treatment. He found out that he was pretty good at making bombs, and even better at cracking skulls. 

Michael only ever dipped into those practices to help his mom, but once you go in, it’s pretty hard to get out. He was running with a gang in New Jersey for a long time, until one day, their leader sold them out to the cops. He and some friends ran away to Los Santos, but still got caught, and suddenly he was locked up in a LS prison.

It was in prison that he met this guy named Gavin. After bonding through some good old fashioned prison fighting and saving each other’s asses, Gavin told him that he’s part of a powerful gang that was planning on breaking him out. He said that he needed help with the prep work they  needed done on from the inside, and if Michael helped him, they’d break him out with Gavin. Against every instinct, Michael agreed, and they broke out together. After they got out, Geoff decided to offer Michael a job- partly because he was impressed with him, and partly because Gavin wouldn’t stop whining until he did.

Michael is great for a steady gun or a good fight on missions, but his expertise is in demolitions. He’s self-taught, but he’s one of the best in the business, and he has fun with what he does.

Lindsay

Lindsay has always thrived on chaos. This presented itself more innocently in her childhood, but once she reached her teen years, it quickly spiraled into something more dangerous. She was always looking for something more risky, more exciting. Speeding, then shoplifting, then vandalism; it was never enough.

That being said, it shouldn’t have been that big of a surprise when some friends easily talked her into her first burglary. From then on, it was an easy slide into the more serious world of crime. She was a gun for hire by twenty, had long left her well-meaning parents behind, travelling with no real goal and making both allies and enemies everywhere she went.

When she cropped up in Los Santos, trailing gunfire and spray-paint cat tags where she went, Geoff knew she was meant to be one of them. He hired her for some odd jobs at first, just to make sure; but just a few looks at her style proved his theory. He offered her permanent position and she took it on a whim.

True to her role, Lindsay is the crew’s wildcard. Sort of like Gavin, except her skills are more specifically in the “fuck shit up” range.

Jeremy

Born and raised in Boston, Jeremy had a not-so-great home life and started hanging with the wrong crowds from a young age. He grew up through fistfights and car wrecks, and by the time he was grown, he didn’t really know anything else. He was actually pretty close with his gang back home. They were the ones who taught him the importance of loyalty; how important it is to have people you can trust. Nothing good lasts forever, though. When another gang- much bigger, much stronger- started picking them off, their leader made the tough choice to disband. Despite communal reluctance, she got them all set up to go underground in different parts of the country. Jeremy was sent to Los Santos.

While there, Jeremy saved a boy he saw being jumped in an alley. The boy turned out to be a hacker and information dealer named Matt. Jeremy was homeless at the time, and Matt offered to let him stay at his place as thanks. Somehow, this quickly turned into them being roommates and friends, and then partners, when they decided it would be a good idea for Jeremy to tag along on Matt’s deals for protection.

While helping Matt, Jeremy made a name for himself in underground fighting rings, known by his half-joke moniker “Rimmy Tim”. One night, a non-regular sat in to watch the fight, and afterwards approached him with an offer. The stranger was one Geoff Ramsey, and the offer was for a job with the Fakes. Jeremy happened to know who the Fakes were- and be a big fan of their work. He was nervous, but he accepted the offer, and it only took a few weeks for them to essentially pull him in.

Jeremy is, in simple terms, the crew’s muscle. He drives, he shoots, and most importantly, he can fight. If anything needs doing that involves those three things, he’s good for it.

Matt

Matt grew up in a small, boring town with a small, boring family. He filled his boredom with the digital world. Eventually, he started diving deeper; learning how to code, and then how to program, and then how to hack. By the time he was seventeen, Matt was going by the alias of “Axial” on dark-web forums, dealing information and breaking into everything from private systems to locked-down, international servers.

After turning eighteen, Matt decided he was sick of his home town and used the money he’d gained from his illegal business to disappear and move somewhere more exciting- Los Santos. After a few months of living there, he met a boy named Jeremy, who saved him from a deal gone wrong. He liked Jeremy, and it seemed like Jeremy liked him; despite the suspicions they both probably should have had in their lines of work, they became fast friends and roommates, deciding to work together.

When Jeremy got hired by the Fakes, Matt was disappointed, but resigned to the fact that he would be back on his own. Until he was pulled away from his work one night to a knock at the door, and found the Vagabond there, ready to take him to the penthouse. Apparently, the crew had been in need of a hacker for a while; and a certain new member had put in quite the good word for him.

Matt is, obviously, the crew’s hacker. He doesn’t really go on the field too much; he’ll tag along if there’s a proximity requirement on his part, or if a bunch of people are unavailable and they really need a backup driver or something, but for the most part he operates from the penthouse. He’s usually on comms during the heists to give directions or help with security or recon in real-time.

Trevor [TW: Sex work mention]

Trevor grew up in a trailer park in Blaine County, raised by a single mom. She loved him, but was involved with all the wrong people. When an altercation with an ex-boyfriend ended up deadly, fourteen-year-old Trevor up and ran as fast as he could, and ended up in the streets of Los Santos. He got by with begging and soup kitchens at first, but he started picking up tricks, on his own or from others he watched. Pickpocketing, manipulation, shoplifting; whatever he could use to get a bit of an advantage, he took.

It was just a while after he turned eighteen that a man he met outside a bar proposed he enter a different “path” of business. Trevor was reluctant, but he was also desperate, and the man made a lot of promises. He ended up spending two years as a prostitute, until one night he’d had enough. He killed the man who’d been selling him and ran once again. 

Once again faced with life on the streets, he returned to what he knew he was good at- lying and stealing. He came up with the alias of Reached, and became a thief and informant by commission, fairly well-known. He became close associates- maybe even friends, if such a thing existed in Los Santos- with another duo, Rimmy Tim and Axial. One day, they gave him a call- saying their new employers needed someone with his skills on a job. To make a long story short, when the Fakes met Trevor, he was pretty much already a part of the team.

Trevor is a thief by trade. Stealth, deception, and stealing is what he does best. He’s a master lock picker and an expert at slight of hand, and is far too good at putting on an innocent face. 

Alfredo

Alfredo was raised by a big, loving family; but people are a product of their environment. A combination of wrong place, wrong time, and peer pressure had him messing around with local gangs far before he should have even seen a gun. But Alfredo always had a knack for precision, and he had the aim of a trained vet, and he was probably a little too busy being cocky to understand the risks he was taking.

Eventually, those risks caught up with him. He was in a lot of hot water and he knew his family was in danger. He couldn’t let them get hurt on his account, so he ran to protect them. He considered turning a new leaf when he got to Los Santos, but quickly realized that if that was the plan, he’d picked the wrong place to do it. It wasn’t long before he was dragged back into work as a gun for hire.

He was good- really good, and when some hot shot rolls into the city with a sniper and skills like that, it shakes things up, and word gets around. Word even gets to some of the most powerful men in the city- including Geoff Ramsey, who decides that if this kid is really as good as he’s heard, there’s no way he’s letting him get snatched up by anybody else first. His invite to Alfredo is more short-notice than it was with the others, but he and the crew click in about two seconds flat, so it really doesn’t take a lot of convincing.

Obviously, Alfredo is their sniper. He’s a hell of a shot with any gun, and can do fine with up-close combat when he needs to, but he’s at his best when he’s giving cover from a rooftop.

Fiona

Fiona comes from one of France’s most infamous criminal organizations. Her parents run the group, and she was raised, essentially, as the heir to the business. She’s been trained since she was a child to be the best at any skill she might need. An array of languages, hand to hand combat in five forms, dozens of weapons, from blades to melee to guns- most of all, she studied deception.

There was a small problem, though. Fiona appreciated everything her family did for her- but there was also no way in hell she was just going to drag on the family business. She wanted to make a name for herself, and she wanted more than the stuffy, starch-white world they were giving her. So she ran away to America. She spent a few years travelling, testing out different paths. At one point, she ended up in long-term employment with a gang. Except she ended up hating said gang, and she wanted out.

Luck happened to be on her side. One day, she was told that they’d kidnapped two people who happened to be members of a powerful crew called the Fakes. Fiona knew the second she laid eyes on the two- a strangely similar looking pair named Trevor and Alfredo- that they were her ticket out. She made a deal with them, that she’d let them escape if they took her with them and kept her safe, and the three of them had a wild adventure that lasted about a week, and ended in the three of them strolling into the penthouse, ragged and exhausted but looking like they’d just had the time of their lives, with Trevor and Alfredo proudly declaring that Fiona was now their newest member.

Fiona is a master of disguise. She’s good at a lot of things, but putting on an act is what really sets her apart. Give her a wig and a makeup kit and she can turn herself into a new person in five minutes flat- complete with an accent and everything. She’s the go-to when the crew need undercover jobs done.

#fahc #fake ah crew #fake achievement hunter crew #fahc geoff #fahc jack #fahc ryan #fahc gavin #fahc michael #fahc lindsay #fahc jeremy #fahc matt #fahc trevor #fahc alfredo #fahc fiona #headcanons #ghost archives

[demonicintegrity]

oKAY heres the details on that depressing Devildice human highschool au i made with a friend back around 2017/2018. Kinda a mess so bare with me. long post with themes of abuse, depression, and other nasty stuff.

- Lucifer Angelo grew up in a pretty bad place in Texas. The details werent fleshed out other than that it was a pretty ignorant place.

- The important fact of the matter is that his dad (who we never did settle on a name for lol) was a Christian preacher. Charismatic man, but an absolute shithead to Lucifer. Even with his other kids he was strict and pushed his ideals and plans onto them. Also had a temper and a loud voice.

- Preacher Angelo was once a pretty alright man, although very self-centered and was pretty condensing. He had a marriage early on in his life and had a few kids, named after archangels. Marriage fell through, and he starts drinking and moves on the next one a bit after. Have a couple more sons named after archangels. It also falls apart. On number 3? he has the final sons to complete his arch angel themed kids. At first it was just in honor/inspired by the angels and his Christian lifestyle, tho i think around the second marriage is where he just started getting delusional and started thinking himself as godlike and thought his sons will spread his word and whatever. Needlessly to say, his partners once they found this out went :/ and it went downhill from there.

- Man we really just took every flaw and worse thing to have in a parent and shoved it into this bastard lmao

- Lucifer was actually the product of an affair within his final marriage. Ofc cheating was a dealbreaker and they divorced. The girl he was cheating with stuck around a little bit, but died in childbirth due to complications. Thus he was left with this child that wAs BoRn FrOm SiN so he named him Lucifer. He would be his son of sin while his other sons would be Perfect People. (Even though they and their mothers started to want nothing to do with him lmao)

- He got by and took care of Lucifer decently but because this was an AU of Angst(TM) Preacher Dickhead became an alcoholic, had money troubles over time because economy troubles or whatever, and took out his temper on his son more and more. Luci was taken to church every Sunday by his dad.

- Kingsley Dyce was born in Lousiana to his parents Patrick and Fahri. We had a whole separate story for Fahri’s family and how they met, it was cute but that’s completely irrelevant right now. They lived modestly and were technically stable but there wasn’t always extra money for fun stuff and there were times were they were just getting by, but they never let Kingsley onto it.

- Kingsley (nicknamed King or KD by his friends) was a pretty cool kid. Had fun in Louisiana despite being a bit flamboyant and full of himself, made good friends. His relationship with his parents were fairly okay. He was a total mama’s boy, loves his mother to death and would do anything for her. As he became a teen his relationship with his father got a bit more strained because Patrick was a very Traditional person and into his teenage hood Kingsley had a habit of dancing not-so-masculine or modestly. He also was getting into makeup.

- Stepping back tho, as a kid he was in the church choir. His family is Catholic and his parents took him to church every Sunday. His favorite activity was to rollerskate. He and his friends were always skating to each other’s houses or skating at the rink. Skating, video games, and singing was his life.

- During his 6/7th grade his family moved to Maryland because of a job opportunity. King was suuuupper bummed. Maryland isn’t like Louisiana at all so there was an adjustment curve. Despite that, he didn’t have a hard time make friends. (insert humanized casino crew here)

- Side note: KD had a tooth gap as a kid and got braces during middle school to correct it. It gave him a lisp. He also had glasses and a questionable sense of fashion throughout middle school. This isn’t super relevant but its important to me that you can imagine this kid as the doofus he was. He also was roughly at an average height.

- In 8th grade there was a new kid that came into his class; Lucifer. Luci’s dad had also moved to Maryland for a job. Despite his entire class wondering what the hell was this southern emo kid’s problem, he wasn’t overtly bullied, just ignored. KD however, was intrigued by this asshole and made it his goal to figure out his issue and be all up in his business.

- Luci is currently dealing with some of his hardest years here. In Texas he had a hard time making friends, was bullied, and wasnt surrounded by the best sort of people. His abuse was getting worse as his father struggled more and more, and the move wasn’t the greatest fix considering he was still drinking and getting himself into debt. Luci didn’t care about school nor about life in general.  But then this asshole waltz into his life and boy golly was he feeling things about it.

- The relationship at first just KD latching onto Luci and talking to him about any and everything and trying to drag him around town. Slowly, Lucifer began to be amused by this jerk and his friends. He also didn’t live too far away so KD was able to easily bike to his place even though he never wanted KD over.

- KD picked up on the abuse Luci was going through, and honestly didn’t know to confront it. At first it was just sharing food cuz Luci wouldn’t eat and chatting to him because he got uncomfortable seeing Luci alone with head down all the time. Eventually he talked to his mom about it and the two of them kept inviting Luci over. Fahri became the mom Luci never had and Patrick despite working long hours and extra shifts, would take time to give Luci practical lessons and be a better masculine figure in his life. Luci was slowly being given a family but he also was pulling away from it. He was in the midst of a depression and he was pretty mean to everyone to deal with it, and pulled to himself more as he began to love KD and his family. The new friendships doesn’t cure depression, nor was it helpful against abuse.

- TW under break for more details of abuse, neglect, depression, and suicide

- His abuse was verbal and physical. He got yelled at for being a failure, yelled at because he didnt care about school, drunk his fathers booze, got into trouble and lashed out. He got beat for back talking and whenever the drunk asshole wanted to fight with him. It had been going on for years. He was also neglected pretty bad. Food wasn’t super plentiful in the house, he lived on fast food and luci didnt know how to cook. There was more booze in fridge than food. Power/water would sometimes not be on if his father forgot about certain bills. It was bad.

- Some time during this 8th grade year he also developed a crush on KD, he didnt voice it because his dad was homophobic as shit but also because he certainly didnt know how to navigate love and didnt want to ruin his relationship with KD. So he repressed it.

- Also during this 8th grade year Luci tried to commit suicide. He had texted KD before hand too, with some note that boiled down to he cared a lot about KD but couldnt stand anything in the world/his dad/bringing KD down/whatever and it was obviously a suicide note. KD freaked out and immediately got his ass over there, kicked down the door, and found Luci in his dad’s room with his dad’s gun to his head. I don’t think we ever settled on the details of the situation but it was traumatizing for both individuals to say the least.  KD was able to talk him out of it.

- That incident made them inseparable. Luci never had someone care for him like that, cry for him like that. KD had grown attached and close enough to consider him his best friends, the incident only solidify his want to make his best friend’s life better. It was a rough few months after that and KD was sworn to never tell his parents what happened.

- TBH that was about the worse of it, this was an high school AU and high school became a bit better for them in certain regards. KD got his braces off, got contacts, and had one helluva growth spurt going into HS. Luci went deep into a punk-emo phase his freshman year which killed his fashion, but was slowly becoming a bit more confident in himself. KD and his parents were able to help him a lot. Emotional support, practical life lessons, and food was always a given.

- Its a bit of an up and down throughout high school. KD gets into makeup, heels, dancing, and bisexuality and it causes a major strife with him and his dad who wanted a “real” son. The relationship went through major struggles and would take a couple years to really heal.

- Luci struggles a bit with drinking and deals drugs and booze to get his own spending money. He starts somewhat taking his school seriously, but even though he does work in class he doesnt always do homework or projects and whatnot. He has a habit of physically intimidating other students and occasionally tries to pick fights.

- The “casino gang” also have their own things going on. If a recall correctly, Wheezy was also in a neglectful house, Pip and Dot ( ??? and Dorothy) were twins from a wealthy well off family but were ignored and were terribly bratty, Piroeutta was just an quiet Russian outcast, Mango had 7 siblings and no space to himself and who was bullied for his large off-putting appearance, Chips was just loud, and i completely forgot what everyone else’s deal was. KD and Luci mainly hung out with Chips, Piro, Pip, and Dot. They were still pretty close to the others but those four were the only ones they regularly hung out with at lunch and outside of school.

- There are a couple things that could happen throughout high school. My personal fav i can remember is a particular angst with KD trying to get with another dude and Luci being Upset and lashing out at him at a party result and ugh that scenario was angsty but also turned very cute???

- Regardless, when they do get together they’re unstoppable tbh.

- and yes, the gang would readily throw hands with anyone who said shit. Barely any of them care about suspensions.

- I kinda forget a bit of stuff. I know misc. scenarios here and there both fluffy and angsty, but this post is already long enough lmao so feel free to hit up my ask box with any questions/comments. I dont really think Ill come back to this au?? If i do Im gonna edit a ton of stuff because looking back certain themes and scenarios seem borderline insensitive and/or poorly thought out. I did found a fic of this au on my phone with KD and Luci as adults tho and Im v tempted to rewrite some of it and finish it because it was good.

#long post #tw abuse #tw physical abuse #tw verbal abuse #tw suicide #suicide mention #cuphead dont deal with the devil #ch devil #King dice #devildice #snakeeyes

[screamingatanemptyroom]

I Can’t Eat Love Side Part 4 - Edith

One more side part after this one. This is from Edith’s perspective. I’ll go ahead and warn you now, it isn’t happy, obviously. After this though is the Queen, and i’m really looking forward to her part!!

Master post linked here. 

Enjoy!

_________________________

In a previous life…

Everyone has a place in life. A shining spot belonging just to you. And if you are able to sit in that spot, your life will be happy and blessed. This is what I’ve always believed.

There is a girl who stole that place from me.  

I learned about this while I was still young.

“Mother, why doesn’t Father like me?” I was crying, a feeling of frustration and helplessness overcoming me. Even a simple conversation with my father led to criticism, he looked at me as if… as if I were something worthless. Something dirty.

My mother, the Countess of Erand, was a beautiful woman. She had large eyes, a pitiful expression which inspired sympathy and love. She shook her head at my question, smiling strangely.

“That’s because he isn’t your father, silly.” What a shocking thing to tell a young child, but she didn’t seem to sense any inappropriateness to her words. Mother quickly explained my true parentage, that my father was the Duke of Armeny, one of the most powerful noblemen in the kingdom.

“Why don’t we live with him?” I felt upset, looking at the poorly furnished room we sat in. In our home the outer sitting rooms were luxuriously furnished, but it was only a front. The Count of Erand was not a wealthy man, and so our actual living quarters were quite humble. 

“He married another woman.” Mother smiled despite the terrible words. “He didn’t have a choice, his heart will always remain with me.”

I stared at her in shock. “Can’t you win him back?”

“I wouldn’t want him to be unhappy, or mire his name in scandal.” She shook her head slowly. “He has a wife, and a daughter now. She’s actually close to your age.” A small sigh escaped her. “She’s your half sister, but she looks a lot more like your father than you do.” 

“Is she… better than me?” I whispered, my heart breaking at the sight of my mother praising another girl. 

“She’s raised by your father, so naturally she will be more noble and refined.” Mother shrugged, not noticing the despair she caused with these few words. “I want you to become friends with her, but make sure to always treat her well! Don’t embarrass your mother by acting poorly in front of her! She’s HIS precious daughter after all.”

“O- of course, mother.” I smiled, the expression at odds with the coldness I felt in my heart.  I was young, but even I could sense the unhealthy light in my mother’s eyes as she spoke about that man and his daughter. She loved him, to the point of madness, until she could ignore everything and everyone else.

I thought love was a fairly pointless thing, then, if it made you like this. 

I wanted to ignore her words, but a seed had been planted in my mind. No wonder I was unhappy. I wasn’t where I was meant to be. The place in life I was meant to have had been taken, which was the source of all my misery. If I just could take it back…

Thus began my obsession with my half-sister, the girl who stole my place.

_________________________

 “Hi, I’m Lenora.” A smiling young girl, with light colored hair and bright eyes, curtseyed prettily in front of me. She seemed happy, secure, and comfortable in the luxurious environment around us.

I felt immediate dislike for her, a thick wave of jealousy choking in my throat. 

How dare she look so content? How dare she enjoy the shining spot that was meant to be mine? She had wealth, a position of power, and her father at her side.

I wanted… I needed to take it all from her. 

_________________________

I pretended to be Lenora’s friend. It was surprising easy. Despite her position she was desperately lonely, pathetically latching on to any attention I would give her. All it would take was the threat of ignoring her to get her to do what I wanted. Sometimes she would resist, however

“Give me the doll.” I held out my hand, demanding the item she held to her chest with an imperious expression.

Lenora shook her head, clutching the ratty toy tighter. “No, Edith, this was a present from the Queen. I really love it.”

“Why do you care if the Queen gave you a toy?” I smirked. “It’s so poor looking, it’s better if you don’t have it.”

“No! The Queen says one day I’m going to be her daughter! I’m going to marry the prince and live in the castle with both of them!”

She held onto the doll tighter, tears forming in her eyes.

She was going to marry a prince? My gaze narrowed, and without further thought I reached out, ripping the toy from her and tearing it to pieces. 

“If you had just given me the stupid doll I wouldn’t have had to do that! Now it’s ruined and it’s all your fault!”

She burst into tears, the frightened sobs racking her small body. I felt a bright smile form across my face, a relaxed feeling taking over. I knew then, it wasn’t enough to simply take my spot back.

I had to make her regret ever having it in the first place.

_________________________

As I grew older, my methods became more complex. I bought over her personal maid with the money I had saved and the promises of future favors for her brother. With Angela’s help, it was all too easy to dress her in ridiculous clothes, convincing her it was the height of fashion. I took her out to the royal gardens almost every day, urging her to try to catch a glimpse of the prince. I wanted her to love him. I wanted all of her hopes to be set on him.

“Your highness! ” I met Prince Ronan “by accident” one day in the gardens when Lenora was ill. “I’ve heard rumors that you were handsome and intelligent looking, but I think you are even better than what people say!”

Shameless flattery, but from what I heard, Ronan was a simple man.

“I am pretty great!” He smiled brightly at me. “What’s your name?” 

I curtsied, keeping a shy expression on my face. “Edith, Your Highness. I’m a… acquaintance of your fiancé.”

“My fiancé? That foolish girl my mother wants me to marry?” He sneered. “How dare they try to tell me what to do?!”

“I agree… Lenora says that the Queen will force you to marry her no matter what! It makes me so sad to think of a wonderful man like you being trapped by a woman like that!”

I dabbed my eyes with a handkerchief, forcing a few tears from my eyes. From the corner of my vision I stole glimpses of the prince’s face, satisfied by what I saw.

Ronan looked furious.

_________________________

It was simple to pull him over to my side. Constant flattery, with mixed in hints of how Lenora was an arrogant girl who thought she was better than him. As his opinion of me improved, I added on sob stories of being bullied by Lenora, enjoying his righteous anger on my behalf. 

Lenora, foolishly, had no idea. I had made him promise to be polite to her, to pretend nothing was wrong. Of course, if he wanted to pull pranks on her publically, like tripping her at her birthday party… I couldn’t object to that. That was just free entertainment.

Everything was moving along as planned.

_________________________

As we grew older however, I noticed a worrying change in my half-sister. She disagreed with me more often, trying to spend time with other girls and make friends. She frequently quoted the queen when she was disagreeing with me, not immediately capitulating to my opinion as she had in the past. One day I visited her room, only to find her in a beautiful gown.

“What is that?!” I forced a disgusted expression. It was difficult to hide my shock. The dress was beautiful, a delicate violet ballgown with light blue embroidery, highlighting her petite frame.

Lenora hesitated, looking shy. “I designed it myself! Do you like it?”

“Where did you get the idea for something like this?” Every gown I helped her buy was hideous! How could she design something like this?!

“I wanted to wear something more like the Queen.” She smiled brightly, touching the small sapphire amulet hanging around her neck. I hated that necklace. It was a gift from the Queen, a family heirloom that was to be passed down to her daughter.

That should be mine! How dare she wear it!

“You look nothing like the Queen.” My voice was cold. “You look ridiculous in that.”

Her face paled. “I do?”

“Yes. Hurry and get rid of it, before someone sees you in it and laughs.”

I watched her eyes fill with tears, satisfied for a moment. But soon it was replaced with a feeling of panic.

I’m losing control of the situation. I need to hurry things along.

_________________________

 “Your Highness!” I sobbed loudly, burying my face in his shoulder. “Please break off your engagement with that girl! I can’t live without you!”

“Don’t worry.” A warm hand patted my hair gently. I frowned as it mussed up the careful styling, the expression hidden by his coat. “At my birthday, dearest! I’ll be a legal adult, I can break the engagement without my parents’ approval and I’ll announce you as my future bride the same day!”

“Really? What about your mother?” I sniffed, pretending to be consoled by his clumsy gestures. “Won’t she try to interfere?”

“Who cares if she does?”

“The nobility care…” I whispered these words, however, knowing he wouldn’t understand. If the Queen was there she would stick up for Lenora. She doted on her too much already. I knew I would have to take matters into my own hands if i wanted a perfect defeat of my half-sister.

Even though the one she should dote on is me!

A simple poisoned tea made the Queen too sick to attend, and the party went off without flaw. The prince renounced Lenora publically, holding me to his side. His eyes were filled with affection as he looked down at me, but I immediately looked away, all of my attention on the crying young woman being helped out of the room by our father.

WHY ISN’T HE LOOKING AT ME?! 

I was taking my proper place as the future queen. The place Lenora stole from me! She was broken, defeated… but still he only glanced in my direction once at the beginning, with the same haunted guilty eyes he always had when he saw me, before turning back to Lenora.

The glass in my hand cracked under the tightness of my grip. I brushed it off with a gentle laugh, saying I was nervous. Everyone smiled at me, including the prince. I was the center of attention.

But still I could only stare at the empty doorway where they had left without a single glance behind.

I almost quit my plans then. I had taken her engagement, taken her place… I should have been happy. But it wasn’t enough. I had to keep going.

She wasn’t miserable enough.

_________________________

I worked with Angela to intercept all letters between the Queen and Lenora. I started rumors, making sure to repeat them frequently to Lenora, that the Queen had no interest in her anymore. Each time I saw the agony on her face at the abandonment, I felt happy. But the feeling was fleeting. It wasn’t enough.

Even without my help, the Duchy of Armeny came to ruin. Their debts were called in, their home was taken, and Lenora moved out with her parents.

I hired people to keep an eye on her, trying to find enjoyment in the day to day life as a future Queen. It was difficult. Mrs. Rendler, the etiquette instructor, disliked me. She only agreed to teach me after a direct order from the prince, and yet she frowned whenever she was looking at me.

“Lenora was a hardworking girl. Intelligent too. She mastered this much more quickly.” Her words were barbs underneath my skin. I tried to ignore them, but they struck at each weak point I had, making me lash out. I fired her, hiring a new teacher, one without a connection to my half-sister.

Ronan doted on me as usual. The King ignored me, for which I was grateful. His eyes were cold, and I couldn’t help but feel the schemes he hid in his smile. I knew that he would easily destroy me if it worked for his plans. 

As for the Queen…

I tried my best to form a relationship with her. I brought her gifts, invited her to parties, visited daily… but each time she would politely thank me for the attention, and then turn back to the window, where she always looked out, as if searching for someone. It made me furious.

How was she any better than me as a future daughter in law! Why, even when that wretched girl is gone, does she still only think of her?!

I needed to act soon. I had convinced the Queen through messages sent by Angela before the fall of the duchy that Lenora despised her, and never wanted to see her again, but I knew it wouldn’t be long before she looked to see her again. I just needed an opportunity…

And one day it came. A young girl around our age was murdered on the streets. As soon as I got the news, I had one of my people make the face unrecognizable. I then approached the Queen with a sad, teary-eyed face to give her the good news.

“Lenora is dead. They found her body this morning.”

I left her in agonized tears, feeling elated that soon the Queen would see me instead of Lenora. She would forget all about her. And that girl’s stolen place in her heart would belong to me.

But it didn’t work. 

No matter how many months passed, the Queen refused to stop mourning. She stayed in her rooms, with only the butler to take care of her, refusing all invitations. I was furious, but everything I tried was useless.

_________________________

I came across a notice from my men one morning. Our father was dead. He had been murdered by a loan shark who he had borrowed money from, his body recovered in a gutter. I paused as I read the report, unsure of how to feel.

I’m glad that Lenora is in pain. And what did that man ever do to me? He only stared occasionally at me and felt guilty. What use was he? An uneasy feeling remained in my heart, but I irritably brushed it aside.

I lost track of her for a while, after her mother died and she last came to find me. I panicked when my men lost her, unsure of how she escaped my view. I felt empty… confused… lost. As more and more time passed, I worried that she had found a new place, become happy, had taken more things from me.

But finally I found Lenora once again.

_________________________

She was begging streets, slowly starving to death. Wherever she had been, whoever had been helping her was gone, and now she was alone. I was content once more, reading my daily reports on her activities. I arranged to ride by her street with Ronan, flaunting my wealth and happiness. 

I grabbed his arm once we passed by her, smiling brightly. “I’m so lucky to be able to marry a wonderful man like you! But, some days, I just feel so guilty that I stole Lenora’s place…” 

“Lenora? “I’m glad to be rid of her. Who would want her when they could have you?” Ronan reacted exactly as I hoped.

I looked down, hoping she would cry. “Yes, who would want her?”

_________________________

Close to the end, Lenora finally sold the necklace I hated so much. A priceless treasure, all for a loaf of bread. I bought it immediately, and kept it by my side, frequently taking it out to look at it. I considered breaking it to pieces, but still I held on, waiting.

The day Lenora died, I tossed the necklace to the Queen, and told her the truth of what I had done. I smiled at the despair in her eyes, enjoying her pain. I had already poisoned her, so there was no fear of her telling anyone else. It was a painful,l pathetic end.

Exactly what she deserved. Who told her to love Lenora and not me. 

I had won.

A strange emptiness came across me at the thought. I went back to my lavish rooms, sitting down and looking around.

I had done it. I had taken my place back. Lenora was broken, and gone, her body thrown to the forest for the animals to tear apart.

She was dead.

My eyes began to burn, and to my utter horror, I felt tears… genuine tears… fill my vision, overflowing and tracing down my cheeks. My throat burned, my breath came in gasps, and above all I was undeniably… 

EMPTY.

I shook my head. What was I thinking?  I won! I had taken Ronan from Lenora.

I lived in a loveless marriage with a fool I despised.

I was going to be Queen. 

In a country that was financially bankrupt, with a scheming king who saw me as a pawn.

Lenora had lost her parents.

My father died too, never caring once about me except to feel guilty. My mother had died only a day after hearing the news. The horrific end to her obsessive love.

She had lost everything. I had everything!

My entire life had revolved around Lenora. What did I have now that she was gone?  What special place? What bright and happy life? I was more miserable now than I ever was when she had everything I wanted.

I had nothing.

I was…. Empty.

Hysterical laughter gave way to screams of pain, the sounds tearing themselves from my throat as  I sank weakly to the ground.

_________________________

In another life...

“Edith.” A familiar voice woke me from my sleep. I turned in place on my hard cot, looking through the bars. My cell was small, but furnished, having been built for nobility who had committed crimes against the crown. At my status as a count’s daughter I normally wouldn’t have been kept there, but Ronan had requested I be moved there to be more comfortable. The only concession his father would make. I sighed loudly, sitting up and facing my visitor.

“Ronan, what brings you here?” My voice was cold, emotionless. I had no reason to pretend to care for him anymore. I had tried in the beginning, hoping he could pressure the king for my release… but it had come to nothing, and I gave up the farce after a while.

The prince smiled at me, but his eyes were angry. “I wanted to see the girl who ruined my life.” 

“Ruined your life?” I couldn’t hold back a laugh. “How many years have I been locked up again?”

“You deserve it, for your crimes.”

I smiled at him calmly, despite the rage in his voice. “You haven’t visited me in years, and now you come back to berate me about this old matter? I didn’t even manage to kill her.”

“You lied to me!” His hands shook, and he clenched them at his sides. “You told me Lenora was a fool! You convinced me to break ties with her!” 

He began pacing back and forth as he spoke. “But day after day that’s all I hear about. Lenora is a genius. She’s a prodigy at diplomacy and etiquette, a master of business and economy. Tilendria has flourished under her and Nate, becoming much stronger than us!” He paused in his steps, glaring at me. “They laugh at me! Mocking me through songs! I’m the foolish prince who dumped the girl who became a marvelous Queen.”

I felt a pain in my chest at the mention of her, but it was a dull ache, the years spent away from my half sister causing a slow detachment in my heart. I hated her. I despised her still. But it seemed to matter less now, within the confines of this cell. “Why bring this up now?”

“I saw them.” Ronan whispered, his eyes haunted. “I saw them both at a diplomatic function. They were happy, smiling. They spoke about their lives… children.”

BAM!

His fist struck the bars, causing me to jump back a little at the loud sound. “THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME! I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPY!”

BAM! 

“YOU LIED TO ME, RUINED MY LIFE!”

BAM! The bars shook, but stayed firmly in place, the skin of his hand tore at the repeated blows, blood dripping onto the stone floor at his feet, but he continued to stare at me, ignoring the wound.

“Because of you that bastard took my place! Nate took my wife, my family, my happiness! Even my mother! His kingdom flourishes, while ours goes under.” He sat on the floor, his legs seemingly giving out from under him.

“The Duchy of Armeny seceded. They officially joined Tilendria. They were the cornerstone of our economy, our foundation… “ He chuckled bitterly. “I will become a king of nothing. And it’s your fault.”

“Is it really?” I stared at him, a flicker of recognition within me

He nodded. “Yes! You and Nate! He took everything from me! He took my place! My happiness!”

“…” A silence fell between us.

I began to laugh. A quiet, almost silent expression, which soon grew louder and louder, echoing off the bare walls of my cell. It took a long time to regain my composure, but I slowly did, looking up at my former fiancé whose face was pale with rage.

“It was never your place. None of it belonged to you. Even if I hadn’t lied to you, even if you had married her, you would have never been as happy as they are now.”

“How could you say that?”

“Because we’re the same.”

 I had a feeling deep down, that even if my plan had succeeded, I wouldn’t have been happy. How could I have been content when everything in my life had always been focused on her happiness?

I stared at the prince sadly for a moment. I knew if he was saying these things to me, he had likely said them elsewhere too. I had heard rumors that Lenora kept spies in Reterand, and had a feeling she would show little mercy if he tried to plot against her family. He would not have a happy end if he continued down this path.

“Go home, Ronan. Try to forget them. Find your own place. Find your own happiness.”

I leaned back on my cot, staring up at the ceiling, refusing to look his way again.

“Before it’s too late.”

I closed my eyes. 

“Before you end up like me.”

#writing #i can't eat love #edith's side part #she's not a nice person #one part left before it's all over #i can't believe it

[oofcori]

⌠ ELLA PURNELL, 21, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, CORRINE ACCOLA! according to their records, they’re a SECOND year, specializing in THREAT ELIMINATION and SEDUCTION AND FLIRTATION ; and they DID go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of ( plump candy pink lips, cherry-printed socks and curling strands of hair between fingers ). when it’s the (gemini)’s birthday on 5/28/1999, they always request their DUTCH PANCAKES from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation. 

her pinterest is here! 

LIL BIO

yo ur homegurl grew up in a small swiss town, her mother, carla, was french, and her father, tobias, was german so they did travel around a lot between the countries while she was young

when she was seven, her parents died in a mysterious fire

corrine was soon placed in the foster system, but not for long as a wealthy family had signed the papers to adopt her quickly. she moved to london with them and resumed a fairly normal life

except when she turned ten a man tried to kill her, her foster parents having to eliminate the threat quickly

which is how corrine came to know of the world of assassins and just exactly who killed her birth parents — turns out they themselves were spies who had tried to retire once they had their daughter. her dad was an elite hacker and her mum was a top assassin in her field, but they wanted better for corrine

her adoptive parents were actually her godparents she never knew and great friends of her her parents

soooo even though it’s the opposite of what her parents wanted for her, cori has been involved in the spy life from a fairly young age ! 

she’s been obsessed with becoming an assassin like her mother for as long as she found out about her tbh !

PERSONALITY

can be high key blair waldorf when she wants to be, but also very charlie kelly and an occasional dwight shrute tbh it depends on who you are she has a billion personalities

prepared to cut people off at any minor inconvenience but also super clingy and needy and will crawl back if she has to ! 

competitive af and a sore loser 

learnt about death from a young age so is very aware she has to live fast since she could die at any time so ??? catch her doing some dumb af stuff — she’s a total yes gal, legit would try anything if offered so

a flirty uncontrollable romantic ??? if she’s not batting her lashes at you, there’s a problem

falls in love every damn day probably more with the imaginative scenarios she forms about your character rather than them themselves ! 

despite being vain and having the biggest ego possible, she wants everyone to share that mentality n she’s super supportive and a hype girl !! love urself, accept urself !! 

can be childish af, especially if she wants attention and ridiculously if she’s not receiving it !! 

her parents totally coddled her, godparents spoiled her, so she’s very needy and craves physical touch a lot — loves cuddling and hugs !! always touching ppl she has to stop !! 

can either be very in your face 24/7 or very distant, her mood is like 99% cheery, optimistic, energetic but she’ll have bad days where it just dips and she’s incredibly depressed and unmotivated and thinking about death all the time !!! such fun !

OTHER THINGS X HEADCANNONS IDK

she’s a total loser because she likes to think she’s a charlie’s angel or something, you can bet kim possible and totally spies were her favourite shows growing up

do not call her corrine, she will laugh and then punch you. she goes by ‘ cori ‘ which is pronounced cory like as in cory in the house

she is truly an assassin through and through and knows she’s 100% going into that field as soon as she graduates … quite proud about it and will try and prove she’s better than you at anytime 

her dad was german, her mother was french, and she grew up in switzerland so her native languages are german, french and italian. her english is perfect except for the very occasional word that will bring out the teeeeensiest accent. she also knows spanish, mandarin, arabic and russian

speaks broken, mixed up english x french x german when v e r y intoxicated  

can horse ride, a proficient skier and competent climber, loves outdoorsy stuff and sport

so V A I N — she checks herself out in the mirror every morning and knows she’s hot af like why lie??? her parents fc in my head are natalie portman/orlando bloom so she knows where she’s got it from lmao

gets very flirty & giggly, especially when drinking wine, blames it on being half french, would make french sex jokes to seduce u

feels kind of bad that she’s gone into the life her parents didn’t want but also ??? what did they expect ????????

loves colourful socks and things with cute patterns like cherries or dinosaurs and is a mega nerd despite having a sort of queen b persona ?? she loves anime and video games, genuinely a child in a woman’s body tbh ?

truly loves to be nude ??? will use any and every opportunity to take her clothes off, very much supports other people taking their off 

#gallagher:intro #ignore me reposting these #i just did graphics n they dont set properly if i havent made it a 'photo' post jxbdjhs #but i have edited these slightly

[e350tb]

The Owl House: A Blight on Gravesfield (Chapter Five)

Five

The sun rises over Gravesfield.

...so the first essay topic will be up online this afternoon. Now back to weird local myths!

In 1660, King Charles II was restored to the English throne, and the whole Civil War period came to a close. Sort of. There was still a lot of political and religious controversy in both the British Isles and in the colonies; but that’s mostly a topic for another course. We are going to be following the continuing adventures of the Wittebanes.

John died in 1672 of pneumonia, but before he did, he had a family house constructed on his estate; that house, the Historic Wittebane Home, is still, and access is free to all Gravesfield residents, so if you have some time it’s well worth a visit. Although it looks small and uncomfortable now, in the 1660s it was the height of colonial luxury.

John left his estate to his son, the confusingly named John Philip Wittebane. We’ll call him John Philip to avoid too much confusion. Before John Philip took over the estate, he had sailed both as a merchant and as a buccaneer in the Caribbean; we believe he sailed with Henry Morgan in the raid on Maracaibo in 1668-69. While there, he purchased investments in a number of industries, and while he divested from them when he returned to Connecticut to collect his inheritance, they had made him a very wealthy man.

He immediately put his wealth to use by buying up most of the small farmers around Gravesfield, and by 1690, it was reckoned that most people in Gravesfield were employed by him. It became effectively a Wittebane company town, with John Philip even serving as the city’s mayor several times.

This is where our next myth comes to play; that in 1687, John Philip Wittebane had a woman put to death for witchcraft, and that consequently, her ghost haunts the Historic Wittebane Home.

Now, I’m a historian, I can’t tell you ghosts are real. That’s a job for ghostbusters. But was a woman really hanged in Gravesfield for witchcraft, nearly twenty years after the end of the Connecticut Witch Trials?

The local newspaper tell us that on June 13th, 1687 - a Friday - a ‘vagrant, suspected by some of heresy and witchraft, was duly hanged by the magistrate on account of the cruel and vicious murder of Henry Finch, who had been struck down while attending the ‘pigges’ on the Wittebane estate.’ So we have a clear cause for the hanging, and a ‘suspicion of witchcraft,’ but we don’t have a connection.

Frustratingly, this newspaper doesn’t tell us how poor Henry Finch died. Was he cruelly hexed? Well, if we go digging about in the archives, we might find a different story…

----

A brisk and foggy dawn was breaking over Gravesfield.

Ben Frakes was not a man of means by any stretch of the imagination, and as he stepped out into the cold air, he wished he could afford a car. (Well, he could, but it was hard to justify the expense.) It had been an uncomfortable night. Life in his one-room apartment had its charms - chief among them proximity to the college - but on cold nights it could be miserable, especially when his radiator was still broken.

Still, he was in fairly good spirits. His course on Gravesfield’s myths, and the truths behind them, was going very well, and the students seemed engaged. And it was a very good time of year to be in the history business; the annual Gravesfield History Fair was coming up, something he always looked forward to. It was always a riot; apart from a small county fair, there would be historical talks and tours of the old battlefield and the Historical Wittebane Home, and even the yearly battle reenactment; one which Ben had taken part in every year for his whole time in Gravesfield.

He was always on the Redcoat side and therefore always lost, but having fun was the main thing. Even if it was a bit of historical revisionism on the part of the townsfolk.

He was just starting off down the sidewalk to the college grounds when he spied a rustling in the nearby bushes. For a moment, he was prepared to dismiss it as a rabbit or a bird, but then, to his astonishment, a little white head poked out.

“Is that a cat?” he asked himself.

Slowly and gently, he crept forward, leaning down behind the bush. The cat emerged, gently headbutting his outstretched hand.

“Hmm… too much grooming to be a feral,” mused Ben. “Have you gotten out of someone’s yard?”

Carefully, he picked up the cat.

“Am I gonna have to print out a wanted poster for you?” he asked, chuckling. “I’ve got some milk in my fridge, maybe… what the?”

His gaze turned to the cat’s paws. Just under one of the back paws, he could see a peculiar mark, almost like a lock. He frowned.

“That doesn’t look healthy,” he mused. “Okay, pre-class prep can wait, I think you need a vet.”

He started off in the direction of the vet. He wasn’t concerned about making it to his class; that was still hours away, and he’d been planning on spending the morning doing some marking. But that mark… cats did not have marks like that.

At least, not in his world.

----

Camila was not an oblivious woman, especially when it came to her daughter.

She had had some suspicions the night before; most people wouldn’t jump through a portal into the unknown to get their friend to help, after all. But things were messy and upsetting, and people did irrational things under stress, so she’d shelved that thought.

When she walked into her living room the next morning and found them sound asleep in each other’s arms - well, suffice it to say, her suspicions grew a bit.

When Luz eventually blinked open her eyes, she found her mother sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in her hand, smiling wryly down at her.

“Good friends, are you?” she asked.

Luz blinked, and then glanced over to Amity.

She yelped and pulled herself out of her friend’s arms, which in turn woke her up with a start. Both sat up, Luz turning bright red.

“What’s going on?” demanded Amity. “Are we being attacked?”

Camila took a sip of her tea.

“Don’t worry,” she replied. “If we are, I’m sure Luz is very well protected.”

“Mooo-oooom,” groaned Luz, burying her head in her hands as Amity turned red too.

“Uh, Ms. Noceda, it’s… I’m…” Amity scratched the back of her head. “Please don’t get mad, Luz…”

“Mad?” Camila tilted her head. “Why would I be mad?”

“I… um… I…” Amity stammered.

“I need to take a shower!” exclaimed Luz. “Far away from here! Goodbye!”

She darted off the inflatable mattress and out the door.

Amity buried her head in the blanket, moaning softly. Camila frowned, moving a little closer to her.

“Amity,” she asked. “Is everything alright?”

“Sure,” sighed Amity. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Camila reached down and put a hand on her shoulder. She was surprised to see Amity jolt away from her; her frown deepened.

“If you ever need to talk,” she said. “Just remember that I’m here.”

“Thanks,” replied Amity, looking away, “But I don’t think I will.”

She got up and walked away.

----

Luz spat her toothpaste out into the sink (she was surprised at how much better-tasting human toothpaste was than the stuff they used on the Isles, although it probably didn’t provide the same magical plaque protection) and washed her hands, whistling to herself. She didn’t know why - it wasn’t as though she was calm or cheerful - but perhaps music calmed the soul.

“Okay,” she said to herself. “Gotta go back to the historical society. Maybe there’s a lead to getting Amity home on that creepy curator guy’s conspiracy board… also wanna see if the bookstore’s still there. I think Amity would like it.”

She turned to the door and immediately froze.

Camila was leaning against the closed door, arms crossed.

“I think it’s time we talked, mija.”

Luz pursed her lips.

“...do we have to do it in the bathroom?”

#the owl house #luz noceda #amity blight #camila noceda #vee #lumity #a blight on gravesfield #writing

[sorin-fowler-dragon-rider]

Sorin Fowler Intro

Intro Template

HOLD! WHO GOES THERE? WHY, IS THAT [Sorin Fowler] THE [Dragon Rider] OF [East Reach]? THEY DO LOOK [jaded] FOR A [MAN] OF [23] YEARS. DON’T THEY CALL [Him] THE [Clever AND Bold]? I’VE HEARD THEY’RE ALSO [Cynical AND Distant] THOUGH. DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT BUT THEY DO LOOK AN AWFUL LOT LIKE [Thomas Doherty].

Basic Info

NAME: Sorin Fowler

PRONUNCIATION: so-rin fowl-er

TITLE (IF THEY HAVE ONE, OCCUPATION IF NOT): Dragon Rider of the Dragon’s Order.

AGE: 23

PLACE OF ORIGIN: East Reach

FAMILY MEMBERS: Sara Fowler (mother), Saul Fowler

Physical Description

HEIGHT: 5’9”

HAIIR COLOR: Brown

EYE COLOR: Blue

GENDER: Male

BUILD: Svelte, some muscle but not a lot.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES? (SCARS, TATTOOS, PIERCINGS): He has little burn scars on his hands from his magic and a scar under his left eye from a training accident.

ANY HEALTH RELATED ISSUES?: Insomnia. Sorin can’t seem to turn his mind off.

Personality

Before his father up and left, he was a fairly happy kid, after he became sullen and angry. These days Sorin is outwardly moody and sarcastic. He holds his cards close to his chest and doesn’t reveal anything he doesn’t have to. He tends to be analytical of situations but not very sensitive, he is the sort who would say that he’s not out to make friends. He is loyal, at this point, to his dragon and his mother beyond that he follows the rules only insofar as it benefits him. He came from poverty before he was plucked from his home to start working with the dragons and he’s not the friendliest to nobles. Sorin is capable of being polite but it will always seem forced. Sorin tends to be a little softer with children and people who aren’t super wealthy or powerful.

Inwardly Sorin is pretty sad, he was really broken up about his father’s rejection as well as how he was rejected. Loosing the house he grew up in as well as one of the only two people he really had messed up his ability to become attached so he avoids even friendship if he can. Deep down, no matter what he achieves he still sees himself as the kid who was arrested. Sorin wants to be the kind of man his father isn’t but in putting up all those walls of his and becoming cynical and jaded he’s actually getting closer to becoming his old man than he wants.

Sorin is sarcastic, chaotic and has a tendency to act before he thinks. He can be flirtatious and charming but never really opens up.

Additional Info

Literally anything to do with him meeting his father or someone who knows his father. Given how the rebellion treats dragons I imagine this is bound to cause some tension on that front alone. I could also see this cause issues with the order, causing his loyalties to come into question.

I would like to see some conflict with other dragon riders, especially order members. Sorin follows the rules outwardly but inwardly is jaded and rebels whenever he can. I can see this causing resentments and judgements, especially for more noble minded characters who see him and his attitude as making a mockery of the order’s honour. Perhaps on assignment his reckless behaviour causes things to get a bit dicey, ultimately okay, maybe even better than okay but still unsafe.

Sorin loves his mom, he doesn’t tell anyone this but he does. He does his best to find ways to talk up her herbs while travelling. He wants his mother to succeed partially to make her happy but also because if she’s successful he’ll have fewer reasons to feel compelled to stick around the order.

Any and all adventure, treasure hunting, battling and the like is welcome.

History

Sara and Saul met in East Reach one day when Sara’s journeyed with her father into the city to ring their crops to the market. As a young teen, she’d never been much further than her farm or the village, she was struck by the sheer vastness of the seas of people, the hugeness of the building and the noise. She got separated from her  mother and met a young man named Saul. He was a ruffian, he had no riches and everything he did have was gained by questionable means. He was charming and within a few hours she was hooked. Her parents disapproved of Saul but she ran away with him and they settled on their own little spot of land. One spring day, Sorin was born and the two of them became a family.

The Fowlers were not rich folks, they barely got by, a fact that had not gone unnoticed by Saul but had definitely gone unnoticed by Sorin. The child loved to be outside, the smell of dirt, the feeling of the wind on his face, the cool water of streams on his feet. Not far from their farm was a wheat farm and when it was at its highest, he loved to run and hide amongst it. He grew strong relationships with all sorts of animals near his home, in the little woods nearby. His father wasn’t often around which was confusing to the child but he was sure to soak up Saul’s attention when he was around…he tried to at least.

When Sorin was eight years old, he went with his mother into the city. He woke up early that morning to the sound of angry shouting coming from the other room. When he went to investigate the shouting stopped, there was an odd coldness to his father’s expression and tears were in his mother’s eyes. She smiled at him and told him to get ready, that they were going into the city. Sorin was thrilled, he’d never been to East Reach and always wanted to go. He sat next to his mother on the wagon and steered the horse on their way in, trying to get the sight from that morning out of his mind but he just couldn’t. Every sight he saw in the city that should have been exciting and new felt off, tasted off, looked off. Sorin had the overwhelming sense that his father should have been there.

Three hours to reach the city meant it would be two hours to get home, which also meant by the time they did, night had fallen. Despite the darkness, they could see their house long before they might have even in the day and that was because it was burning. The look Sorin saw on his mother’s face that night as she pulled the wagon to a stop would haunt him for the rest of his life. It was a look of pure hopelessness. The light behind his mother’s eyes had been snuffed out, his father had left and before he did he made sure he could never return and neither could they.

Sara and Sorin’s home had burned to the ground by the time they got back, the sun rising on a new, darker chapter of his life. Sara had cut ties with her family and so she couldn’t go to them for help, she saw that they had no choice but to guck to East Reach and hopefully carve out a place for themselves there. Sara got a robin a tavern, the pay was awful, barely enough to cover the room they were boarding in and definitely not enough to eat. It made Sorin angry, they had very little on the farm but they had next to nothing here, which is when he discovered it, the sparks that he could make with his fingertips. He would listen to the rats and the birds to hear where food might be found and he would light little fires to distract crowds while he stole to help feed him and his mother.

Sorin managed to successfully steal enough food to keep his tiny family from going hungry. He was always admonished for his actions by Sara but her words were hallow as she ate alongside him. Eventually when he was fifteen he was caught, incidentally by a member of the Dragon’s Order. The dragon rider recognized in him his bonds to animals and so they vouched for him. Sorin was turned over to the authorities by the dragon rider but was given a choice, to go to the shepherds in the breeding grounds, to potentially one with a dragon or community service and a life of hunger. Sorin chose the obvious answer.

It wasn’t long after he arrived that his ability to communicate with dragons was made clear. He bonded with his dragon and together they trained together, eventually earning a spot amongst the Dragon’s Order. Currently he sends most of his earnings to his mother who was able to start a new farm, a somewhat successful quality herbs venture.

#kc.intro