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lilmothscocoon · 5 months

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A while back, I have this expanding concept that I started a year ago of an in universe anti-mystery kids that was inspired by the Bad End Friends and Dark Avengers. They’re known as the Adolescent Anomalies, a group of supernaturally twisted children banding together for the sole purpose to destroy their rivals. The art here is old, so I’m going to tell you the current line up of the members and how they foil their counterparts

Ellen (The Witch’s House MV):

what was once a young girl enduring her family’s curse, now inherits her friend’s body out of witchcraft and deceit in deal with her demonic feline partner to get rid of said curse. She’s a smart and well mannered girl who’s chosen as the leader of her group for her intelligence, but can easily fall into blind rage when things don’t go in her way. She’s capable of wielding black magic as result of her deal with the cat, she’s also capable of regeneration and with her violent frenzy which makes her an unpredictable fighter.

Ellen represents everything Coraline despises, from being a witch, parent killer, manipulator, and an uncaring person driven by a selfish desire whereas Ellen would greatly envy Coraline due to her past against her witch, and having loving parents whom she saved them from said witch. In short, Coraline hates the person Ellen is and Ellen is jealous of Coraline’s life.

Jude/Brahms (The Boy 2):

A young boy named Jude who’s sadly tricked and possessed by a demonic doll named Brahms despite his parent’s attempts to save him. Brahms behavior of formality is merely a facade of the obsessive and unnerving side that lies underneath. The doll’s influence gives the body supernatural strength and immense durability and is experienced in hunting such as setting up traps and tracking prey down for the team.

Brahms was initially Coraline’s counterpart in the beginning considering his obsession of pretty girls and representing as everything she initially saw in Wybie, however that changed when I found Ellen and saw no equal to Wybie. So I made Brahms/Jude Wybie’s counterpart for a simple reason, Wybie’s a caring friend and mechanic while Brahms/Jude is a simping creep and a brute.

Ellie & Bird Head (Pet Sematary):

One should know that some things should stay dead, in the end they all realize it too late of the Wendigo’s curse being too tempting to turn down in grief and too powerful to be stopped in the end. Ellie and birdhead are undead who still retain their intelligence and verbal capabilities, though they prefer not to speak. They are the ears and eyes of the team and are unfazed to all damage coming at them. And like all zombies, they eat meat but they don’t infect, they’re just cannibals.

Ellen and Birdhead’s situation is essentially an inverse of what Norman and Neil had to go through. Rather than dealing with zombified adults cursed to be punished by a scared child, they’re now facing innocent pawns forced to expand the power of a literal monster that follows on nothing but its own instincts. So even though Norman can see through the curse and is determined to free the spirits of the undead, the children would only see him as a threat and will have no problem in killing him, and he also can’t talk down a feral beast.

Milo & Ashley:

Members of a spiritual cult, both Milo and Ashley are fanatics that pleases their god Bughuul by murdering their families while recording it all and recruiting more members to the cause. As spirits, they enjoy wreaking carnage through their belief and enjoyment with Milo’s cunning ways and Ashley’s upfront approach as they love to get the fullest of attention of themselves.

Their personalities greatly clash against the pine twins with Mabel’s happy go to attitude against Ashley’s stern demeanor and Dipper’s observant honesty against Milo’s charming charisma. On the contrary, while D&M’s relationship are more genuine and understanding of one another as all siblings do, A&M aren’t siblings, so they see each other as accomplices than anything. Milo would want to recruit Mabel while Ashley would want things to be done and Mabel would be tempted at first, but Dipper’s observation would eventually save them both and would have beefs with Milo.

Joshua & Scarlet (Silent Hill):

In a nearby town of Maine, a deal was struck between the residents and a cult of a neighboring town, to protect them from their god, they must sacrifice their children. Of course this it didn’t end well with ritual going wrong. Scarlet is reformed out her love of dolls and the fury of her father’s betrayal by cutting her to pieces, this resulted her attacking anything to quell her wrath acting more beast than child. Joshua however was more disciplined for his desire to be a soldier like his father and held the power to manipulate water for he was drowned by his brother and caused the ritual to go wrong as he wasn’t the chosen sacrifice, but he forgave the accident.

Once again, originally a powerful psychic named Stephanie was apart of the team, but she was too op however she’s still on the team as an extra.

Like the Psychonauts, Scarlet and Joshua are both the powerhouses of the team being both psychic and magical, they also could be seen as dark elevation of Raz and Lili’s traits. Scarlet’s rage and tragedy peeks a bleak possibility to Lili’s temper and relationship with her father while Joshua’s fanaticism to be a soldier could also be seen as a contorted outcome to Raz’s devotion as an agent

There are also more who mirror the extra members of the Mystery Kids, but that will come later so I hope you enjoy my expansion of the Mystery Kids lore thanks!!!

#mystery kids #coraline #paranorman #gravity falls #psychonauts #the boy 2016 #sinister #pet sematary #silent hill #the witchs house

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tenthgrove · 3 years

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Hello, I just saw that you opened your request. I'm the one who ended up writing a whole prompt! Imagine this for each member from La Squadra: they had an one-night stand with a random woman, she accidentally got pregnant and decided to have the baby without telling them. After a while, the woman got ill and passed away, but not without before sending her child with their father (let's imagine she has the direction of their hideout even if it's ooc, or she knew where they hang out). So, one day someone knocks the door and introduces themselves as the kid of one of the members/if it's too young, someone left them on the door with a explainatory note... How do you think each member would react by discovering that they have a child and they're supposed to take care of them from now? You can make each kid with different ages if you want, it would be funny to see Prosciutto or Ghiaccio dealing with a rebellious teenage son or Risotto trying to take care of a toddler, but I guess not all of them would want to keep their children. Sorry if it's a lot, haha.

La Squadra did a Diavolo

La Squadra x Reader, Platonic/Familial, SFW

A/N: your idea about mixing up the ages got me thinking, and I ended up using randomisers for the children’s ages (though I did consciously change some of them) and genders. It added a fun bit of chance to this prompt.

Formaggio, with an 8 year old daughter

The whole thing feels surreal to him. There's a little girl on his doorstep calling herself his daughter and by all evidence, it's true. He doesn't really know how to feel about it at first. On one hand it's kind of cool he had a kid all this time and you're clearly a lovely girl, but on the other hand, what the fuck? Still, not being the practical sort, his sense of sentiment far outweighs any question of how he's actually going to look after a child, so without much deliberation, Formaggio agrees to let you stay.

Formaggio isn't too experienced with kids but he doesn't exactly dislike them either, so he figures he knows what to do. At your age you can at least do the basics of looking after yourself, so he isn't too worried. The only problem is that if you ask him to cook for you or help clean your room, his eyes go very wide. He never quite picked up those skills himself, he's afraid, so you're going to have to ask someone else for that one.

The good news is that Formaggio is a very easy-going, fun sort of dad, who is a natural at playing with you and lets you do what you want when he can't be around. He quickly gets used to showing affection to you, letting you cuddle up to him on the sofa in front of the squad and even carrying you around once in a while. He gives amazing piggy back rides.

The bad news (or more good news, depending on how you are) is that you have to leave school. Risotto says that at your age you can't be trusted not to tell anyone your new family is a bunch of assassins, and taking you to and from school each day would be too much of a hassle. Nonetheless, you're welcome to continue your education from home, though Formaggio will hardly push you if you don't keep up with it. Melone is much better on that front.

Despite the risk, Formaggio can't bring himself to force you to lose all your friends, so he lets you keep meeting with them. Furthermore, he knows a few guys in other squads who have kids about your age, so he's happy to introduce you to them if you want a friend you can be more honest about your home life with. Formaggio might not have a clue what he's doing, but he's doing pretty good.

Illuso, with a 3 year old daughter

He's been fearing this day would come for years. A small child knocking on the door of the hideout, holding a note in hand addressed to him, just as a shady looking car drives away. Yeah, Illuso remembers your mother pretty well and he remembers the distinct lack of precautions they took during their encounter. Now, the consequences of his actions are here at his house, and Risotto is currently standing in the doorway of the office looking ready to give him the biggest dressing-down of his life.

After his tongue-lashing, Illuso frantically agrees to take responsibility for what he's done and see to it that you're well cared for, and begins the task of looking for relatives who might take you. Unfortunately, none of your mother's family can be traced, and Illuso can't exactly call up his own right now. Leaving you on the door of an orphanage isn't an option because you're old enough to say where you've come from, so it looks like for the time being, Illuso is stuck with you.

Initially, Illuso is not thrilled. He pawns you off on Melone, Sorbet and Gelato whenever possible and tries to live his life as before. But increasingly, he can't help finding himself visiting your room whenever he's stressed or has had a bad mission. There's something so pure about gently stroking your hair as you sleep. He can't help but feel... attachment, as he rubs his thumb against your tiny palm.

From then on, Illuso starts to make a point of spending more time with you. You're at the age where you just want to touch and explore everything you're given, so letting you make a mess with his makeup and beauty creams is an easy way for him to observe and learn about you. He even starts doing the more practical things like washing and feeding you every so often.

Eventually, Illuso becomes an actual father to you. He loves you as a father should and puts his time into making you happy. Illuso is glad he didn't give you away, as you've opened his eyes to so many things. For the first time in many years, he feels human. He feels redeemable.

Prosciutto, with a 13 year old son

As you tell him your story Prosciutto racks his brains. He didn't have many one-night-stands in his youth but the ones he did have were so far back he barely remembers them, so your mother's name doesn't immediately ring any bells. If it weren't for the striking resemblance between you, Prosciutto probably would have thrown you out for a liar there and then. But as you are, it's clear you're being honest. He lets you in.

After a short interrogation by Risotto to make certain you aren't acting on behalf of some third party looking to infiltrate the squad, it's agreed you can stay, so long as you keep quiet about it to your friends. At your age you can largely look after yourself and all you really needed was a roof over your head, so there's no problem with you moving into the spare room as long as you stay out of the others' way.

Education isn't much of an issue either, since you're likely well settled in your current school and can get yourself there and back. Just whatever you do, don't go telling anyone you live with a bunch of gangsters now. Prosciutto means it, you could seriously put yourself in danger if you do that.

Much to your father's ire, you end up befriending several members of the squad, especially the younger ones like Melone, Ghiaccio and Pesci who have some generational overlap with how you were raised. Prosciutto would rather you didn't do this but at the end of the day, he can't really stop you. God forbid you call him an old boomer again.

Your relationship is overall positive- Prosciutto makes a point of taking you on outings when he has the time, and giving you parental advice when you need it. However that doesn't stop you from making fun of his stuffy, old habits, and playing the moral high ground in regards to his work.

On that note, the problem comes when you develop an interest in the squad's work. It's only inevitable, given how pervasive the topic is in conversations around the house, and the fact you're more than old enough to know what a gang is, but the day you first ask him about it is no less welcome. What's scary is that you're about the same age as Passione's youngest recruits and, well, if you ended up joining them because of him, Prosciutto might never forgive himself.

Pesci, with a 6 month old son

He knew it had been a mistake. Not long after his 18th birthday he'd given in to the squad's pestering about his virginity and finally gotten rid of it just to shut them up. Now he's ridden with guilt. Not only did the poor woman get pregnant because of him but now she's died. He can't help but wonder, the letter attached to the basket you came in was very vague after all, was your mother's death at all related to your birth? If so, Pesci doesn't know how he'll forgive himself.

Pesci immediately panics and stumbles into his Fra's bedroom crying louder than you are. Prosciutto remains calm, advising him to first make sure this actually is his baby through Melone, in case this is somebody trying to trick him, and to then think through his options rationally. As far as Prosciutto sees it, he has two. He can either see to it that you're taken in by a caring, reliable individual, or he can keep you for himself. Surprisingly, Prosciutto's actually okay with the second one, since in his eyes duty to one's family is absolute.

Pesci stammers a bit and asks if he can wait a few days to make his mind up, which Prosciutto permits. But it isn't long at all until Pesci is far too attached to you to ever let you go, and it becomes clear you'll be staying for the long-run. Risotto is hardly happy about this but agrees with Prosciutto's sentiment of family, so he doesn't try to insist you be sent away.

Pesci is an incredibly loving father. He'll dash from the other side of the house at a moment's notice if he hears you crying. That said, being so young himself it's inevitable he requires some help with raising you. Sorbet and Gelato chip in quite regularly, as does Melone when Pesci is desperate enough to fall on using him. Prosciutto helps out too, being your uncle, and occasionally you've even had Risotto answer your cries.

La Squadra can only hope their situation improves somehow in the coming years, since Pesci has no idea how he's going to deal with an older child in a house full of assassins. At very least, being so young it's a long time before he has to worry about things like school. For now, what's important is that you are loved very dearly. Pesci has discovered a new protective streak in himself, something he discovers every time he looks in your eyes.

Melone, with a 4 year old son

When you arrived you were frightened and confused. You struggled to babble out the story you were told to tell as the strange men crowded around you in the front room of the house. Then, a bizarre looking man with purple hair pushed to the front of the crowd, insisting he knew what to do in a situation like this. He carried you somewhere quiet, and gently asked you to repeat your story again. You told him you were looking for your father, Melone.

Melone is elated. He's always wanted a child, but getting into a relationship stable enough to produce one has never been an option with the life he lives. Now the happy accident he never new he had has come home to him! Carrying you back to the living room, Melone introduces you as his son and announces to the team that he will be keeping you.

This is met with some protest. Not only are you of the age where you'll need constant supervision, but quite frankly, nobody trusts Melone to take care of a kid. Melone refutes their accusations harshly, making it absolutely clear he will not be giving you up without a fight. Finally, Risotto surrenders, on the terms that if he catches any signs of abuse or neglect, he will see to it personally that you are re-homed elsewhere.

Melone's parenting style is relatively laid-back. He believes parents should be a 'safe base' from which children should explore the world, coming back when they need advice but ultimately following their own whims within reason. He encourages you to play as you wish and does not stop you from bonding with the rest of the squad. Finding supervision for you while he's on missions proves to be a non-issue, since his stand's massive range means he can often do most of a mission's work at home.

When the time comes to educate you, Melone decides against the risks of enrolling you in school. He is an amazing teacher and can teach you everything you'd need in half the hours of a typical curriculum. Beyond the essentials of literacy and simple maths, Melone largely encourages you to follow you own interests rather than stick to some boring, arbitrary list of useless things a normal curriculum for some reason expects you to learn.

That said, he knows the importance of making friends, so he frequently takes you out to meet with neighbourhood children. All-in-all, the squad is surprised at his sensible parenting choices, and the happy child you are turning out to be.

Ghiaccio, with a 2 year old son

It's almost comedic the lengths Ghiaccio goes to to avoid the problem. As the others crowd around you in Melone's lap, Ghiaccio cowers in the corner insisting that you absolutely cannot be his. It's very obvious you are, of course. You look almost exactly like him, and have a cry to match. You've even inherited the same, mild visual impairments that earned him his glasses. There's no getting away from the truth.

After accepting the truth, Ghiaccio takes you away to his room to 'clear his head' before deciding where to send you in the morning, but when morning comes, that deliberation time quickly turns into a few more days, then a month, then never. It's clear Ghiaccio's become attached to you, and he cannot bring himself to give you away.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have the foggiest clue in hell how to look after a toddler. He has a hard enough time understanding what it is adults want from him, let alone small children. There are times he even considers giving you away again, but they never last long enough for him to go through with it. Bit by bit, he slowly learns how to be a father.

Melone is his primary co-parent. As cautious as Ghiaccio is about letting him around his baby, it soon becomes clear Melone can understand your needs far better than he can. The pair have many sessions together teaching Ghiaccio how to do things like wash you or cook your food. It's honestly a massive help, and probably the main reason Ghiaccio doesn't completely melt down within a month of having you.

These issues aside, Ghiaccio is a person who is very genuine in his affections. He would break the shins of anyone who even looked at you threateningly, and every fibre of his being wants you to be happy. He even learns to control his temper, as he knows from experience just how damaging an angry parent can be for a child. He's going to give you a better childhood than what his parents gave him, and that's a promise.

Risotto, with a 6 year old daughter

Well, perhaps this ought to have been expected. In his early 20s Risotto was really far less careful than he ought to be in regards to his encounters, so he probably had this coming. You are at a difficult age, old enough to understand your father is a criminal but young enough to still need his care. If he takes you in, there will be many challenges. And yet he cannot bring himself to turn you away. Looking at you he feels... obligation.

In the early days he tries his best to shelter you. He keeps you in his room and tells the others not to talk to you. But that's no way for you to live, and he knows it. Eventually, he swallows his fears and lets you explore your new home, even taking you out to the park a few minutes each day so you can run around. He talks to Melone about continuing your education, and asks Sorbet and Gelato if they'd let the spare room next to them be turned into a bedroom for you. He's going to make sure he raises you right.

Risotto may be quiet and introverted, but do not mistake that for emotionally distant. He does not underestimate his vital role in your emotional well-being, and is quick to pick up on when you are feeling sad or lonely. He makes sure to pick you up in his arms and ask what's wrong when that happens.

Though he didn't know her well, he mourns your mother with you, and is very watchful for the signs of attachment issues that may result from losing a parent at such a tender age. Being all you have left, Risotto gains a new instinct of self-preservation. For the first time in years, his life has meaning.

In terms of bonding, he prefers calm activities that allow him to passively observe your interests, such as watching movies or reading you books. When he's working in his office and doesn't need his camera on, he's happy for you to sit in his lap as long as you're quiet. He would ask if you don't read what's on his screen, though, at least not while you're so young. He'll give you a better explanation of what he's doing some day, but not just yet.

Sorbet and Gelato, with a 12 year old daughter

First of all, let's make clear that regardless of which one is biologically your father, they both feel equal responsibility for you. No doubt they were both present for your conception anyway, so as far as they're concerned, if one of them has a secret kid from a hookup, they both have a secret kid from a hookup.

Having always wanted children, they are happy when you appear on the doorstep and introduce yourself as their daughter. Though they don't say it out loud to avoid upsetting you, they kind of wish your mum had kicked it sooner so they could have raised you from a younger age, but they're more than happy to make do with what they've got. There's no hesitation in welcoming you to live with them permanently, and anyone who has a problem with this isn't brave enough to say it.

Right from the get-go they are very permitting parents, awarding you a generous helping of their cash each week and having a rule list that pretty much starts and ends with "don't talk to the police." Despite your age they don't expect you to be independent, and are happy to cook for you and help you out with other things when you ask. It seems parenthood was made for them.

Despite all this, there is one problem in your relationship that is making things difficult. That of your fathers' work. You're 12 years old and you aren't stupid. You know they kill for a living and you know they enjoy it. When you stumble into the bathroom at 1am to find them covered in blood and laughing together, there's no making excuses. No matter how good they are with you, this is going to make you afraid of them.

Sorbet and Gelato are incredibly stringent in solving these early issues. After all these years they've finally got the family they wanted, and they aren't going to let it slip away from their own cruelty. They are honest with you about their occupation, since they want you to know you can trust them, and make absolutely clear it won't affect their care for you. You are welcome to ask questions and receive honest answers, but other than that Sorbet and Gelato will make a point of not accidentally causing you to witness something you shouldn't.

With them, you are welcome to continue your old life in terms of school and friends. They want to spend time with you, but they don't want to overtake your existence completely. When you are up for it, they are keen to take you on outings that interest you so you can spend time together as a family. They hope you know how happy you make them.

#la squadra #la squadra di esecuzione #la squadra x reader #formaggio #formaggio x reader #illuso #illuso x reader #prosciutto #prosciutto x reader #pesci #pesci x reader #melone #melone x reader #ghiaccio #ghiaccio x reader #risotto nero #risotto nero x reader #sorbet and gelato #sorbet and gelato x reader

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xiaomoxu · 3 years

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West Moon (坠月之宴) Chapter 1 Part.TWO

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️ A story from CN server which hasn’t been released in EN server. Contains detailed spoiler from the AU (Alternated Universe) - 坠月之宴 West Moon Story.

Read Part.ONE here

There’s some sub-chapter which full of battle stage so I didn’t put it here.

Stories under the cut-

Chapter 1-7

Across the wide square, I stood under the long steps in front of the Royal Association and looked up.

The blueish-white stairs kept going up, as if the end was invisible, and the uncut gray stone glowed with a faint phosphorescence under the sunlight.

I have passed by here many times, and I only took a look at this long step, which is said to be only climbed by a hidden person, but this time it was my turn to climb.

When I tried my best to reach the last step, the sun had already risen to the center.

Looking down from a high place, the long stairs are like flowing water down a bay, making it even more spectacular.

It's a pity that I'm too tired to appreciate it now.

MC: Phew, is this the Royal Association?

As soon as I walked in, I saw a group of young masters gathered together and whispered about something.

Young Hermit: Do you know? The demonized swordsman who arbitrated himself in the Three Dreams Square a few days ago, heard that he did not leave any hidden dust after his death, but simply disappeared!

Royal Hermit: You are well informed, do you know why?

The young hermit the crowd looked as old as I was. He smiled even more when he heard someone follow him.

Lu: I heard that this is not the first time this situation has occurred, but it was because of fear of panic.

Lu: That man, I heard that he also participated in the Battle of Demon Abyss three years ago. I don't know why he didn't turned into a demon.

Speaking of this, the people around were all embarrassed and sighed with emotion.

Royal Hermit: Maybe it's a trick! She's just a pawn in the army, for strength and power, it is not surprising to do such things.

Royal Hermit: It's just that there are more and more occultists demonized during this period, and there may be someone behind this.

Lu: Wait a minute...who are you?

Following his movements, dozens of eyes instantly turned towards me, who was standing on the side listening seriously.

I quickly pretended that I hadn't heard anything at first, and I looked at them curiously.

MC: Do you register here to join the association?

Lu: Join the association? You?

The young man obviously didn't put me in his eyes. He walked over and looked me up and down. He moved his head and was very disdainful.

Lu: Recently, there have been demonization incidents everywhere in the banquet. In order to prevent hidden inferiors with ulterior motives from entering, the association now only accepts referrals from registered masters.

MC: In that case, as long as there is a recommendation from the Imperial Hermit, it is enough?

In my eyes, I can see that he's thought that I had "ulterior motives".

Lu: Seeing you're so sweaty and out of breath, let's go back and practice again. Who wants to introduce you to the job? Listen to me, he is harming you!

MC: It's Gavin, do you know him?

Lu: Who are you talking about?

His eyes were wide open, as if he had heard something incredible.

MC: Gavin, he belongs to the Bai family. One of the three imperial hermit families, do you know?

*) Notes: I don’t know how should I translate his family name, so I put “Bai” as the original

MC: But he may not come often. Do any of you recognize him?

Lu: .....What, are you kidding?!

Lu looked at me strangely.

MC: Does anyone know him? Do I need any proof?

I frowned, somewhat inexplicable about this situation. Isn't Gavin a regular hermit?

When I hesitated to wonder if Gavin had a bad relationship, the crowd started to laugh.

Royal Hermit: The little girl lied and didn't write a letter! I'm afraid that she has been worshipping for a long time and has become a demon.

Royal Master: The young master of the Bai family has always been a dragon without seeing the end, and never had a close friendship with Master Association. How would you make a referral?

I listened to the whiteness in their mouths, and then I gradually found a familiar feeling.

MC: He is actually the same, he hasn't changed much...

I whispered, and he took the hidden symbol to the table and gave me an ultimatum.

Lu: Unless you play for nothing, we won't let you join!

The lingering sound of this remark hasn't fallen yet, and suddenly there is a loud voice.

The wind surging from outside the door raised the veil on my veil high, and my vision became blurred for a while.

I turned my head and looked, and saw the person we argued with, and the wind fell in front of my eyes.

Gavin looked at me and raised his eyebrows slightly, seeming to ask why I am here.

I hurriedly stepped forward and pulled his sleeves and looked at the crowd.

MC: He is here, can I join now?

Everyone stared at Gavin blankly, and did not recover for a long time.

I looked at them and I was thankful that I was calm on the surface, but my heart was thumping.

Yesterday, Gavin had a vague attitude and did not agree to recommend me to join the Royal Association. Fortunately, I came today.

Gavin: What happened?

He turned his head to look at the young masters who did not dare to speak, and only Lu, who claimed to have seen Gavin, approached him.

Lu: Gavin, why are you here? It turns out that this is someone you know. Are you planning to introduce her to the association?

Gavin: Hm.

Seeing that he wanted to deny it in vain, I secretly tugged at his sleeve and turned my head to pray in a low voice.

MC: Allies, do you remember that we formed an alliance?

Gavin: I can be your referrer.

I didn't expect that he would agree so happily. After a while, there was no response yet, and it was indeed until the second half of his sentence.

Gavin: But you must promise me one more thing.

MC: One word is for sure! No more conditions are allowed.

I agreed in one fell swoop, for fear that he would repent, so I pulled him back and walked quickly with Lu.

The speed of "going through the back door" to complete the procedures was much faster than I thought. When Gavin said that I don't need to perform a hidden energy test, his eyes became more subtle.

Seeing those eyes, I felt a little guilty for a while. However.. Getting a job is the most important thing.

Gu Yu: This is your magic instrument and imperial talisman, please keep it.

The young boy who was in charge of the reception in the hall of the association showed a gentle smile and gave me the things I needed urgently.

With these two things, there will be no forbidden reasons, and the fragments can be found faster.

MC: Gavin, thank you for this time.

Although I was forced to agree to a condition, I expressed my sincere gratitude to him.

He responded, his eyes swept across the thing in my hand, and his voice was lowered.

Gavin: What are you going to do next?

MC: For the next thing, I still need time to prepare.

I remembered the unfinished thing three years ago and the ceremonial a few months later. I was silent for a moment and raised my smile to look at Gavin.

MC: If there is something that needs your help at that time, I will bother you for a favor.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes lightly.

Gavin: Of course, we are allies after all.

Chapter 1-8

After getting the promise from Gavin, the weight on my heart seemed to be lighter.

Walking out of the Royal Association, the translucent hidden stone at the door is still dark red, as deep as the whirlpool of a building, making people unable to see for a long time.

I remembered the conditions that Gavin asked me to promise earlier, and hurriedly asked him.

MC: What did you want me to promise?

Gavin stood with his arm folded, raised his eyebrows, but his tone was flat.

Gavin: I'll tell you when it's time for you to do it.

MC: You are really.... I didn't expect you to become such a person!

Thinking of how I promised casually, I regretted it.

Gavin: Hm? Then what kind of person do you think I should be?

MC: Justㅡ

I met his eyes fixed on me, but I didn't know what to say.

After all, at our age, three years is enough to make a person changed, but I missed it.

I still remember that Gavin three years ago, carrying that sword that no one would let anyone touch, was clearly still a young boy.

MC: I believe in what you are, and what I promised you, I will do it.

I raised my hand earnestly, looking at my movements, he was a little bit astonished, but he quickly reacted and gave me a high-five.

Gavin: You still have a lot of ideas.

Gavin chuckled. I don't know if the sun has softened the lines on his face, but I have found the feeling of the past.

Handing over to Gavin to say goodbye, I turned my head, and the long forgotten stairs appeared before my eyes again.

Why did the Royal Association want to build such a long stairs to ask for hardship? I secretly groaned in my heart, and when I watched Gavin on the side, I suddenly had an idea.

MC: Gavin, haven't I told you what my hidden energy is?

Gavin: .... is it dancing?

MC: No, dancing is not hidden energy, it's just the work of witches!

After being blocked by Gavin, I was a bit speechless, but saw him glance at me with a smile in his eyes.

Gavin: Okay, what is that?

I'm speechless for a while, don't turn a blind eye to him.

MC: ....Give me your hand.

Gavin's hand is much larger than mine, enough to hold my hand whole. He took my hand and looked up at me.

Gavin: And then?

His eyes were as clear as the wind with a smile, which made my heart a little confused.

I focused my mind, closed my eyes, and felt the cool, pure, morning breeze coming from the palms that were close to each other.

But there seems to be something uneasy lurking in the wind.

MC: Actually this is the first time I use this kind of hidden energy.

I whispered embarrassedly and opened my eyes. At the same time, the kingdom of wind, born out of thin air, surrounds us, gathering more and more.

The sudden sense of suspension under my feet made me nervously hold Gavin's hand, and the distance between us was also pushed closer by the wind.

MC: Can you use my abilities?

Gavin reacted quickly, but did not resist, but let me carefully try to use it.

MC: Well, I can borrow abilities through contact, but the other party must cooperate.

Gavin: Do you have to do this every time you use it?

His eyes fell on the hand we clasped together.

MC: No, as long as you touch it, anywhere is possible.

Gavin: Any place is ok?

Gavin lowered his voice, with some doubts in his eyes. However, his words fell in my ears, I always feel that something is wrong...

Suddenly I felt the warmth of these words, and there was a thud in my head, everything was messed up all of a sudden, and the wind that supported us also broke away in an instant.

Oh No!

I exclaimed, my body fell back uncontrollably, but was supported by a strong arm, and I fell into a windy embrace unexpectedly.

Gavin seemed to be a little puzzled by my reaction, but didn't ask too much. After taking over, I started to only use hidden energy.

Gavin: Ready?ㅡ

Gavin's voice just fell, and the silent wind steadily supported us....

The wind that I had struggled to control before now became extremely warm, leading us to go up quickly.

The building of the association quickly became smaller in my eyes. The long steps shone in the light, and gradually changed from a river to a creek.

The wind in mid-air hits my face with a coolness, and the scene in front of me is open and far away, which feels refreshing and makes me a little scared.

MC: Have you ever thought about what to do if you fall?

I tried to chat with him to relieve the inexplicable panic in my heart.

Gavin: Why the sudden thought?

Gavin said it quite naturally, as if he had never really worried about this issue. I looked at his expression, it was a relaxed look that I had never seen before.

His eyes stretched, the scattered strands of hair curled up in the wind, and even the corners of his lips seemed to show a soft smile, which made my heart move.

So, flying is such a happy thing?

Compared to both feet, the extra long steps were quickly passed by the wind.

Gavin took me to a stop on the square in front of the long steps, and released the arm that hold me.

The feeling of stepping on the ground again is still a little light, and I still feel a little regretful in my heart. I don't know if I still have a chance to fly again.

Gavin: Well, see you next time?

MC: Huh, what?

I was still immersed in the feeling of flying into the air, and I couldn't get back to my senses. Gavin looked at me, amused, helped me lift my hood.

Gavin: There are so many people here, I will go first,

Seeing Gavin turn around, and once again leap up the steps behind me by the wind, his figure quickly disappeared.

MC: ....When I see you next time, please come up with something that you want me to do.

Chapter 1-10

MC: I didn't expect it to be so troublesome to be an imperial master.

On this day, I first went to a few contact points to hand over the name tag, and then did the task of getting started with the master of the hermit, and received a monthly assessment form.

After finally being officially listed and got work, it is almost time for curfew.

There was no one on the street, and with closed doors, I walked towards the wine shop.

MC: !

Suddenly, I felt an extremely familiar and dangerous force, and my heartbeat stopped, almost asphyxiated.

That was the power I felt just before I fell on the high platform three years ago

That is the hand that stretched out to me from behind...

I squatted down slowly against the wall, hugged my knees tightly, and panted desperately to keep myself calm.

It took a long time for the pain that was almost a dull knife to cut the flesh before falling asleep and the flying power eased. I bit my lip tightly, and my palms were sweating unconsciously.

I will never forget this feeling!

I stood up and followed this force without a doubt.

Gradually chasing to the depths of the alley, a red lantern suddenly floated in the dark.

The faint red light of the lantern fell on the ground, and there was no sound on all sides, followed by my sight.

I used to hear people say that the banquet has a black market called "Dark Moon Set". The location changes at any time, and only a red lantern is hung when the market opens.

Yandu's Dark Moon Collection, they are doing ugly business

Smugglers, murderers, and surreptitious.. The unheard of rare treasures and secret techniques are all circulated here. They are never thought of and cannot be bought.

Someone was crying in the depths of the alley, and I felt a cloud in my heart, and I couldn't help but walk over.

The dark night was deep and the trees were full of shadows. Except for a little light covering them, there was only darkness left.

??: Move, quick.

??: Please...let me go.

A low male voice urged impatiently, and the shadow on the wall spread violently, like a hand, and the whimpering begging for mercy suddenly weakened.

Blood splattered on the wall, the shivering figure gradually fell, and the man triumphantly pinched something on his fingertips.

I can't help but move forward, wanting to see what he is holding.

The blood-stained spar glowed strangely in the night. The man looked at the spar and laughed with satisfaction.

??: The harvest is not bad.

??: Move faster and don't leave your feet behind.

The shape of the man’s fingertips was almost unfamiliar, and my breath shook involuntarilyㅡ

What he holds in his hand is obviously a hidden stone!

The hidden stone and the hidden crystal on my chest are from the same origin. The hidden crystal on my chest is the only one in the world, and I have it when I was born. The hidden stone can be collected near the abyss of the same home.

The hidden stone can enhance the power of the hidden person, and has always been the most precious resource. It has been managed by the Royal Association supervised by the court.

If you are found to sell hidden stones privately, you will be punished by capital.

I accidentally kick the stone.

The sound of rolling down can be heard clearly in the empty dark alley

??: Who? Come out!

What to do?

The man's footsteps gradually approached, and when I was approaching my hiding place, there was a sudden sound above my head.

A crystal clear glass glass slid past my eyes, and it was exploded into pieces on the ground mixed with the depressive liquor.

But the shards of colored glaze stayed in the air, even the crimson wine was condensed into the shape of droplets, and the shadow of the man on the wall froze in a weird manner.

This isㅡ

??: Go.

I raised my head.

Above the high wall, a small window was still lit and illuminated by the light, showing a vague figure.

The person's voice was as cold as water, beyond doubt, I suppressed my doubts and ran out of the alley without thinking too much.

I ran all the way back to the main street. When I couldn't run, there was a faint sound of debris falling to the ground.

When I looked back, the city was silent, and the light in that window dimmed, hiding in the deep night.

The wind blows the trees, everything is back to normal again, what happened just now, everything seems to be just my illusion.

I looked at the fallen leaf falling in my palm, as if holding a broken clue, a wave of unwillingness and melancholy rose in my heart.

It's just that the night is getting dark, so I closed my eyes and tighten my cloak, and didn't dare to stay any longer, and walked straight to Three Dreams Square.

What I didn't see was that a child appeared in the shadow of the alley.

He stared at the shadow that gradually disappeared at the end of the road in the distance, showing an expression of indifference that did not match his age.

The child took out a gray homing pigeon and let it into the air.

The homing pigeon flaps its wings and flies towards the depths of the building after the building, disappearing into the night sky,

Chapter 1-11

After running all the way back to the backyard of the wine shop, I locked the door and let out a long sigh of relief.

Had it not been for the kind-hearted man in the restaurant to help secretly, it would have been inevitable just now.

I shook my head, swept away the various thoughts, sat down in the courtyard pavilion, poured myself a glass of wine, and reconsidered the magic qin

From the outside, this qin couldn't be more ordinary.

Although I was sure that the fragments were in it, I was holding the qin upside down for a long time, and there was no trace of fragments.

I looked at the qin in front of me with some discouragement, and suddenly a flash of light flashed in my mind.

The strings rang, and the clank sound steamed away like water, and I was swept back by a force, and the scene in front of me was turned upside down in an instant!

Consciousness breaks away from the body and gets involved in that qinㅡ

A smell that belongs solely to the battlefield rushed over, with blood mixed in the sand and dust, as well as demonic energy everywhere.

This isㅡ a magic wave!

I looked at the blood-stained knife in my hand and the armor of the West Moon female soldier on me, feeling a little at a loss for a while.

A gun suddenly flew past my eyes, and a young soldier in heavy armor struggling to get up, was pierced in the chest in an instant.

His blood just hit my face, and I couldn't help but shake.

The screams of repair, the sound of mourning, the warhorse. The remains of humans and demons will fill the trenches in history, and the two soldiers trampled past, smashing their swords with their red eyes.

I looked at the tragedy before me, my throat seems to be tightly choked.

??: Why are you stupefying!

There was a loud shout from behind, and when I was thrown down, I saw a front half coming through the air firmly nailed to the person behind me.

Looking back again, the soldier who rescued me just now was covered in blood.

MC: what happened to you?

He rode and coughed out a few mouthfuls of blood, and dropped his head in my arms

MC: Demon Abyss...Battlefield.... Why am I here?

I looked up and couldn't see the bridge of Linyuan in the distance, and suddenly remembered

While wandering around the market today, many storytellers in teahouses and pubs were talking about the "Linyuan Battle" that suffered heavy casualties three years ago.

My heart jumped, it seemed to understand, I seemed to be taken by the magic qin into another person's body, and this person...

I don't know who screamed sternly, and the rout soldiers could be seen everywhere, throwing their helmets and armor, and fleeing in all directions.

On the bridge of Linyuan, a tall figure pulled a weapon, and stood up covered in blood.

The robe under the armor was hunted and raised in the wind. He wiped the blood from his lips, raised his head, and saw the soldiers on the hillside in the distance draw their bows towards him.

The military division shouted hoarsely, suddenly the voice was sad and angryㅡ

The major general has become a demon, and only by killing him, we can go home!

He closed his eyes, his face was tired, and he slowly clenched his sword.

Countless arrows were shot at him with black pressure, and the sound of war drums sounded again.

The sound of the wind is like the roar of the ancient gods, coming from the end of the vast world, rolling up the gravel and flying sand that cover the sky and the sun.

The well-trained cavalry soon got ready again, all raised their guns, and only waited for the drums to stop, they rushed to surround him.

He turned around, blank in his red eyes.

At this moment, the mountains on both sides of the Demon Abyss shook, raising layers of yellow sand.

The wind is getting more and more violent, the scenes on both sides are involved in chaos, and another scene emerges like a production building in the sea.

Amidst the twisted flying sand and walking stones, the stretch of the cliff collapsed, and the soldiers and horses ran around in panic.

I suddenly remembered that in the mouths of the storytellers at the market, a general made great achievements at a young age, but he soon fell into a demon.

It is really sad.

When I raised my eyes to try to see his face clearly, he had already turned and walked towards Demon Abyss.

Looking at his back, I don't know why, a deep pain suddenly surged in my chest.

In just a moment, my consciousness attached to this real body was once again swept away by a powerful force.

The wailing of war horses and the sound of desperate fighting gradually disappeared from the ears, and the picture in front of them quickly receded, leaving only a piece of whiteness.

My legs were weak and I slumped on the ground.

My chest was still rubbed tightly by an inexplicable sorrow, and in front of me were the afterimage of the man on the lonely bridge in the abyss, and the blood-stained armor on his body.

I remember, the storyteller seems to have mentioned...

The major general who walked towards the demon realm and never returned, his name isㅡ

Those three words were stuck in my throat, and when I was about to remember, the magic qin on the table suddenly rang.

MC: !

I saw a burst of dark red evil spirits floating on the qin, rising into the air, and hitting me.

Chapter 1-12

The backyard of the wine shop is bright and clean. I was in a panic, and breathed a little, I still had the chance of being attacked by the magic qin.

It turns out that there is a demon in this qin, but I don't know. I bite the tip of my tongue tightly, and my trance thoughts quickly gathered in the sharp pain.

... not a dream.

Even if I closed my eyes, the figure of the major general could not help appearing in the pitch-black vision.

Victor.

I remember, this is his name.

Is the current king of the Demon Territory the major general? I don’t know how the relationship between the two clans has been during the years I slept.

However, the soldiers under the devil are regarded as enemies. Even if they become the devil, they must have an unwillingness to let go.

The fragments of hidden crystals that fell outside, the bell that I heard when I fell from the stage three years ago, the invisible hand, and the memory of this belonging to someone else...

The intricate clues are intertwined in my mind, and the location is not clear.

The predicament in front of me has not been clearly thought out yet, but the sleepiness gradually hit me.

No matter what, go to sleep firstㅡ

When a person can't figure out what to do, they should honestly wait until he wakes up before asking the master.

The empty wine steamed down on the table and turned around, and I closed my eyes in fatigue.

...

The night was dark, just when everything was silent, the magic qin on the table suddenly moved slightly.

The dark body of the qin glowed with a cold and gloomy light, and under the vast moonlight, a red-clothed human figure floated out of the body.

Suddenly there was a greenery in the courtyard, and the shadows of the trees and the bamboo leaves shook slightly.

Someone inadvertently changed the bamboo wind to solve the problem, worrying about being in the ink painting.

He raised his sleeves and flipped his hands, and hold the floating fuzzy human figure back into the qin.

That man made a fierce and gentle movement, and the strings only rang softly.

The girl on the bed moved her finger slightly and turned over, but did not wake up.

He looked down at the girl in his sleep, his eyes dark and deep.

The human figure who was imprisoned by the qin struggled unwillingly twice, making noises in the silence, and then quieting down again.

He turned and stared at the qin, his brows restored as indifferently as before.

Mysterious Man: It's not time for you to play yet.

-----END OF CHAPTER 1-----

#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc translation #mlqc west moon #west moon #mlqc victor #mlqc lucien #mlqc gavin #mlqc kiro

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giuliafc · 3 years

Text

Stuck in a Cabin (with you)

Read on: Ao3 || FFN || Wattpad

Summoned to save his Lady's life, Adrien gets stuck with her in a cabin during a blizzard. Identities get revealed, feelings come out...but who's been plotting to kill Marinette? Will the culprit be punished? Read to find the answer :) (Adrienette)

Written by: JuliaFC

Betas: Khanofallorcs, Agrestebug, Etoile-Lead-Sama and genxha. Thank you all so much!

Cover Art credit: Rosehealer02 on Deviantart

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc, TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 1 — Lila’s plan

Lila sighed looking at the message that had just pinged on her phone.

Mamma: [Sorry, tesoro. I got stuck at work because of the snow, don’t know when I’ll get home tonight. If you want, you can order something. Otherwise dried pasta is in the first cupboard at the side of the hob. I’ll make it up to you. Love you!]

Even after all those years, messages like those left a hollow feeling into her heart. Lila had been moving around a lot in the last few years, because of her mother’s job. She hated her mother’s job. Because of it, Lila had had to leave her grandparents and aunt in Sicily and all her childhood friends. Besides, her mother had been completely absent since she started working at the embassy, sometimes not even coming back home before Lila went to bed. Sometimes she wouldn’t see her for days in a row because when she woke up to go to school, mamma was sleeping and when Lila would go to bed, mamma wouldn’t even have started to come home. Mamma tried to make up for it by filling her days off with a lot of activities they could do together, but that wasn’t enough for Lila. She wanted more. She wanted her mother all for herself, like she had been at home, when papà had been there and mamma hadn’t yet obtained her role at the Italian Embassy.

She had been moved around like a pawn: Vienna for a couple of years, then Berlin, Geneva, Dublin and finally Paris. A lot for a 14 year old girl, having to leave it all behind way too many times.

When she moved to Vienna, she had been bullied quite badly because of her accent and her difficulty speaking the language. She had been ostracised and had spent the better part of two years fighting against stupid kids that she couldn’t even understand very well. Add to the mix the fact that papà ended up having an affair and mamma decided to divorce and leave him, and Lila’s life became even worse, even lonelier.

Luckily her mother had been moved to Berlin, but the situation hadn’t improved for her. Vienna or Berlin, the language was still incomprehensible to her and the kids didn’t like her because she was new, uncool, and because her accent sucked. Because her skin was too olive. Because her hair was too brown, or her eyes too green. They used to make fun of her hairstyle, of her clothes, of anything they could put their hands on. Lila started developing a huge amount of rage, frustration and anger. Plus, she missed her papà terribly, and she couldn’t understand in her mind why her mamma had decided to leave him.

Then she moved to Geneva, and on her first day there she met a girl who ‘acted’ cool. She was a couple of years older than Lila; her name was Charlotte, but she allowed Lila to call her Lottie. She took her under her wing and gave her some very interesting lessons. Lottie was a manipulative wench. She used to be the most popular girl in class because she always knew what to say in order to flatter the interlocutor, twist words around and obtain their favour. Lila was fascinated by her ability and craved to learn how to do the same. She worked for months to copy Lottie’s mannerisms and behaviour.

‘In life, you need to always take the upper hand,’ Lottie told her. ‘Tell people what they want to hear. This will automatically bring them to your side, and when you have them wrapped around your little finger, there’s nothing that they won’t do for you. You just need to keep up the appearances and you’re set for life.

‘Always settle for the best. If you set your eyes on a boy, make sure that he’s the best catch in the whole school. Make sure to understand what he likes and slowly set your trap. Let him fall for you, and you’ll be automatically the most popular gal around.’ Lottie had proved her own advice right easily, and had ended up in a relationship with a pop singer that attended their school. That increased her popularity even more and Lila became much more envious of her.

‘If someone bothers you, destroy them before they can attack you, or as soon as you can after that,’ was Lottie’s last bit of advice.

Lottie taught Lila to act cool, taught her that image was everything. Soon ,they had become like twin sisters and instead of being the bullied one, for once Lila enjoyed the feeling of being the bully. They were L&L’s, and they were respected. Her heart broke the day her mother told her that they were moving again, but she had no choice. Saying goodbye to Lottie was one of the most difficult things she had to do in her still young life.

‘Stay strong, Lil,’ Lottie had told her. ‘Remember, image is everything. Teach those Dubliners how great you are and you won’t have any trouble. And if you do,’ she added with a wink, ‘send me a message and I’ll hop on the first flight!’

That had made her laugh. Lottie acted strong and rich, but Lila knew that in reality she would never have been able to uphold her promise, as she was still too young, and had no money.

Dublin hadn’t been that bad for her. Except the weather. The HORRIBLE Irish weather. She still had nightmares of the torrential rain and the storms. But at least, there was the sea. Lila had missed the sea so much in the last few years. She used to make excuses that she was sick, to skip school, take the DART metropolitan train and get off at Portmarnock, Greystones or Bray (more the first two than the latter, because the sandy beach reminded her more of the shores at home). She would walk on the beach without a care in the world, listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the sand.

She had followed Lottie’s advice and had acted cool as soon as she started in her new school. She had gotten used to lying when she was in Geneva under Lottie’s wing, and now the lies came out more natural than the truth. She had become immediately popular when she started, managing to get into a relationship with the most exclusive guy in the class (she didn’t like him, as he was a twat, so full of himself that you could hear him boasting from a distance, but she didn’t care. He was popular and that was all that mattered. He would never realise that she was only using him). She learned how to trick everybody, making them think that she knew all sorts of actors and celebrities. It was fantastic, she was loved and popular and her life was amazing. She was so upset when her mother was moved once more.

And that’s how she ended up in Paris — again far from her beloved sea. She hated the city, she hated the noise and the frantic way of life. Despite the horrible weather, she had loved Dublin because it was smaller and reminded her more of the small town she was born in. But Paris was massive, full of people, of noise. She couldn’t stand the noise. And she hated all those lights. Ville lumière my foot.

Immediately as she started in Françoise Dupont, she tried to remake the same setting she had carefully created in her previous location. But she found the big obstacle of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The most annoying girl Lila had ever dealt with. Except Ladybug, obviously. Such a tiny girl, but such a big problem for her, and for her resolution to follow Lottie’s footsteps. From the very beginning, Marinette had never fallen for her lies. From the very beginning, she had tried to unmask her and show to everyone her true colours. From the very beginning, she had been an absolute and utter pest.

Lila had fought back. She wouldn’t make it easy for Marinette to win against her; Lila had soon managed to get every student in the class wrapped around her little finger, as Lottie had taught her. She had hoped that soon Marinette wouldn’t be a problem anymore. But unfortunately, she still was. Even more annoyingly, Adrien, whom she was trying to charm in order to again be the most popular girl in school who dated the most handsome and popular guy, seemed to believe Marinette.

Lila had tried all her tricks. She had tried to bring the whole class to her side, she had tried to even manipulate Adrien’s father and make him think that Marinette was a bad influence on his son. But nothing seemed to have an effect on the blond model, and Lila had gotten desperate. She had finally managed to set up a great trap and had gotten Marinette expelled. However, the joy hadn’t lasted long because Adrien had threatened her and had gotten to the point of making a deal with her so that Marinette would be readmitted to school.

Lila was seething that day, but she had no choice. Losing Adrien’s friendship would have been even more detrimental to her image. It didn’t matter if it was only a fake friendship; it would add to her image, and image was everything, as Lottie said.

The more time passed, the more Lila hated Marinette. She had tried everything she could to make her life miserable, but the young designer somehow always managed to resist. Even getting akumatised and trying to use Hawkmoth’s power against Marinette didn’t work, because Ladybug and Chat Noir would get in the way and protect her. They would try to expose Lila’s lies. She had had to make her lies become bigger and bigger and create more and more imaginative excuses in order to keep up with the popularity she craved. And it was never enough, because Marinette always managed to dismiss her claims and most of the time prove her wrong.

From Lila’s point of view, Marinette was the enemy. She was the sole obstacle left in her path to getting what she wanted, and she would get what she wanted, no matter the cost. In her mind, there was only one path left to take to get rid of her.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had to DIE.

Finally, she had managed to come up with the perfect plan. The perfect opportunity.

The perfect excuse: a school project. She had cheated the sorting and gotten paired with Alya, and the weather today was giving her even more help. When something is meant to be, it’s meant to be. It had already been a cold winter up to then, but very unusually for Paris, in the last week the temperature had dropped way below zero. In fact, it had dropped so low that it had been declared the coldest winter in history, only topped once in the late 1800’s.

Lila didn’t like the cold. Her family came from a little village on the sea, where it was always warm even in the bad season. Yes, it had been cold from time to time, but the sea warmed the temperature up and made the chill more bearable. Her beautiful sea, which she missed so much after having gotten a taste of it back in Dublin. But there was no sea in Paris, only that stupid river… and no warm weather in the winter, especially not this year.

But that cold weather, for once, wasn’t upsetting her because it was helping her craft her plan; she had faced the freezing temperature that very morning before school, and had set up her trap. She would use the cold to her advantage. And this time, she’d have the perfect alibi, and not even Adrien would suspect of her.

This time Marinette would be gone. Forever.

“Are you all right, Lila?” asked Alya, her face showing genuine concern when Lila dumped her phone on the desk in front of her with a pout.

“Yes, I’m fine. Just another charity event being cancelled this week because of the snow,” she made up. Alya’s frown disappeared and the girl gave her a look full of admiration.

“I don’t know how you do it, Lila, your commitment to charities and people in need is admirable, really.”

Lila gave Alya her best puppy eyed glance. “This city, and especially Ladybug and Chat Noir, have done so much for me with all the times I have been akumatised. It’s only nice to give something back!”

Alya put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re a truly amazing person, Lila. I have been akumatised four times, and I guess half of Paris has been in a way or another, but nobody does all you do to ‘give it back to the community’.” The girl with glasses looked at her door thoughtfully. “But if you’ll excuse me a moment, I need the restroom.”

And that’s when the perfect opportunity arose. Alya’s phone was resting on the desk in front of them. Lila gave a cunning side glance to the brunette who had just stood up and was fixing her glasses on her nose and, with a graceful flick of her finger, she pushed Alya’s phone slightly making it fall to the ground, quickly kicking it with her foot underneath the computer desk so that Alya wouldn’t find it.

“Uh… I’m sure my phone was here a moment ago…” muttered Alya looking at the computer desk and scratching her head. She moved her gaze around superficially, but since she couldn’t see the phone anywhere, she sighed. “Well, never mind. I’ll be right back,” she said, looking at Lila before disappearing from view.

“Take your time,” said Lila, her lips curling in a wide smirk as she picked up the phone from the ground. Things seemed to be going her way this time. The phone was unlocked. Lila’s eyes had a triumphant gleam in them as she looked for a conversation with Marinette.

She quickly peeked to ensure that Alya was still in the restroom and opened the chat with Marinette. Then she typed the message she had been planning all day, clicking send immediately after.

Alya (Lila): [Hey, girl! The girls and I are planning to go to Lac Daumesnil. Fancy doing some ice skating with us?]

She kept eyeing the door of the restroom with concern, but Alya was still there. Soon she saw the three dots of the conversation flashing, meaning that Marinette was answering.

Marinette: [It’s been some time since I went ice skating. Last time was a disaster. Sounds like a good idea, Alya. I will be there in an hour]

Alya (Lila): [Great. Start skating if you get there before us. We’re on our way!]

Marinette: [OK!]

Lila looked at the messages with a smirk and took care of deleting each of them one by one. Alya wasn’t going to find out. It was after she had just deleted the last message that Alya emerged from the restroom and she put the phone down immediately.

Alya frowned at her. “Are you okay, Lila?”

“Yes. I found your phone; it was on the floor here.” She pointed at the side of the desk. “I thought I heard it notify you of something, but there’s no notification, nothing at all.”

Alya looked at her phone with interest. “Oh. Maybe an akuma alert?” She started scrolling through her phone, but she didn’t find anything new. “That’s peculiar, there’s no new announcement.”

“Don’t worry, I must have made a mistake,” said Lila, dismissing the conversation with a gesture of her right hand. “So we were saying, about Napoléon?”

This took Alya’s attention away from her phone and brought her back to concentrating on the project they were working on. Lila smirked — her plan was unfolding well.

Author’s Note:

Hi again! I know, I know, another story. I told you I was going to unload everything I had this weekend. This isn’t finished yet (well, one part is, and in theory it could be left like that, but the second part I thought is worth writing!) so I will update this, the AU and “When Magic Fails” as soon as I can. Hope you liked getting inside Lila’s head. The next chapters are not about her, don’t worry. Or rather, worry, because the next chapters are her plan unfolding. And the title of the next chapter (and the beautiful cover art) is kind of revealing… so, well, I’ll hide again… ^^;

In the next instalment of “Stuck in a cabin (with you)”, “Drowning”:

— “I don’t know, Marinette. This sounds fishy. Why aren’t your friends here yet?”

— “I can’t move, Tikki, I think I have cramps! HELP ME!”

— “Sugarcube! It won’t happen again, not if we can help it, don’t worry!”

Ehrm… I know. Doesn’t sound good, right? ^^ Please subscribe if you’re interested in knowing what is going to happen, so you will know when the next update is!

Last but not least, as usual, if you read this and you’re not part of our wonderful Discord server already, but you enjoy reading, writing and talking about Miraculous, please join our Discord server, Miraculous Fanworks (for people on FFN, discord dot gg slash mlfanworks). See you there soon. Not sure when I will update this story but it won't be too long! Promise!

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #miraculous les aventures de ladybug et chat noir #adrienette #adrien agreste #adrien and marinette #reveals #identity reveal #marinette dupain cheng #tales of ladybug and cat noir #ladybug #lila rossi #hurt/comfort #angst #romance #hurtcomfort #marichat

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thedemisedroyal · 3 years

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Dangerous Betrayal | TVD/TO

The Vampire Diaries & The Originals

AU Story

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 | 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓

𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝙾𝙽 𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝙵𝙸𝚅𝙴!

• E S M E •

"Please, just make it stop!" The princess yelled in agony as she held her head. All the memories rushing through her mind, all the pain, all the hurt, everything bad she had done in her life ran through her head. But it was intensified by a trillion, this was on purpose, they wanted her in be pain.

Adara and Eila laughed manically, "Oh poor little baby, is something wrong?" Adara baby talked, chuckling in between. The princess yelled out, closing her eyes, trying to fight it, but she can't, she couldn't. The girl was consumed with guilt, making her walls around her mind tremble, they were weak, ready to fall down at the slightest of touch.

She had been tortured for years and years, after her mother banished her from the Void, they had sent her to Heaven. Her parents left her there as they hadn't finished their final punishment for their youngest daughter and child for her crimes. Until then, she would be tortured, just for laughs, just for entertainment.

"You know, for the Goddess of All Creation, you are weaker then I thought you would b-"

"Esme!" The Gilbert broke out of her thoughts, she fell into her head and she looked at the mirror in a weird angle, making her eyes shine like a golden-yellow. Making her the olden days, the years that started all of this. "Esme come on, we're gonna be late!" Elena shouted once more, the two, had school, as always, and were back into cheerleading, the younger twin seemed more willing to go then the oldest. But it made sense, things were different now.

Esme grabbed her bag and water,"Coming!" The middle child yelled, running out of her room and downstairs. "Let's get this show on the road." Esme mumbled under her breath, seeing her sister, not in her cheerleading costume.

• A U T H O R •

As time went on, Elena and Stefan had gotten much closer, dating now, which led to Esme of course threatening him if he didn't anything back to her sister. But all in all, Esme liked Stefan, trying to get close to figure out what he wanted in the end.

But days went by and she had met Damon as well, sensing he was also a vampire. But Jordan also noticed Damon looked at her with some sort of admiration, or maybe some sort of love. She had no idea was this was about, but she would definitely find out soon. As it was all too weird, now that her best friend, Caroline Forbes, was dating this Damon, who was eyeing her.

Right away she didn't exactly like him, he was a cocky and arrogant man who liked to stir up trouble. For instance, when Elena had a little dinner party with Bonnie and Stefan, Caroline and Damon had arrive unannounced, soon the blonde pulled the younger twin downstairs to join the fun. Which was a very awkward introduction between the raven haired and brunette.

It was even more awkward when the oldest Salvatore brother talked about their past live affair. Who was named Katherine, Elena had informed her sister on the love triangle, whilst the two watched and dried dishes when everyone else was in the living room. Then he walked in, and then Elena left the two alone, awkwardly.

During the time, Damon and Esme got to talk a bit, trying to get to know each other, but the girl felt very uncomfortable as Damon had this weird look in his eyes, a softness, with a genuine smile on his face which was rare for him in his case. Luckily, Bonnie had came in to ask if she needed more help, as Esme was taking quite a bit of time in the kitchen.

But that was awhile ago, and now it is the day of the football game. And the girl needed to be on her game for the cheerleaders and her best friends. Though it didn't help with the Tyler and Jeremy fight, and Stefans cover nearly blown with the cut on his hand, with Elena as witness.

• E S M E •

"God guys, I'll be back, I left my jacket and water in the car." Esme rubbed her forehead, Caroline and Bonnie nodded, the Gilbert quickly ran out the field and into the parking lot. The game was to start soon, and if she wasn't present soon the Forbes girl would have her ass. Esme quickly opened up the trunk, grabbing her maroon colored jacket and her big water bottle, that's as surprisingly still cool after being left in the car.

She swiftly turned around, gasping as she was face to face with Damon Salvatore. "You scared me. W-What are you doing here?" The Gilbert questioned, Damon looked over his shoulder quickly, then putting his hand to the side of his mouth,"I'm hiding from Caroline." He whispered. Esme quirked a brow,"And why is that?" She playfully whispered as well.

"I needed a break. She talks more then I can listen." Damon widened his eyes for a second. "That could be a sign." Esme nodded her head, kind of uncomfortable. "Well, she's awfully young".

Esme narrowed her eyes at the Salvatore,"Not much younger than you are." She responded back, Damon chuckled a bit. "I don't see it going anywhere in the bigger picture. I think she's drive me crazy." Damon spoke, Esme rose her brows and tilted her head a bit. "Caroline does have some really annoying traits, but we've been best friend since the first grade and that means something to me." The Gilbert defensively spoke, sternness in her manner.

The girl watched as something switched in the raven haired man,"Duly noted. I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable. That's not my intention." Damon talked in the soothing voice, as if he was trying to persuade her. But the girl didn't fall for it, Damon was already on her bad side,"Yes, it is. Otherwise you wouldn't put an alternate meaning behind everything you say."

Damon smiled, shaking his head,"You're right. I do have other intentions, but so do you." Esme folded her arms across chest,"Really?" She questioned, wanting to see where he was going with this. Damon hummed as a response,"I seem 'em. You want me." Esme scoffed, feeling offended,"Excuse me?"

"I get to you. You find yourself drawn to me. You think about me when you don't want to think about me. I bet you even dreamed about me." Damon looked straight into Esme's eyes, the girl immediately knew what he was trying to do. "Compulsion." The voice in the back of her head reappeared for her once again. The girl was confused, what was this little voice, and most importantly, what the hell was Damon trying to play at here.

She snapped back into reality when she heard his voice once again speak,"And right now.. You want to kiss me." Esme had this emotionless look on her face, though it was pure anger, Damon smiled as he succeeded or he thought. He slowly leaned in with a smirk, Esme looked at his lip, before her face was painted with a scowl, and without thinking, Esme raised her hand and slapped him hard.

"What the hell?" Esme scoffed, glaring at him,"I don't know what game your trying to play here. Maybe trying to mess with Stefan, I don't know. But I don't want to be a part of it. And I don't know what happened in the past, but let's get one thing straight." Damon was in complete shock, Esme locked eyes with the man, who was holding his cheek,"I am not a pawn." Esme glared once more before tightly holding her water and jacket and walking away.

She didn't even realize what she had just done, she had blown her own cover...

• S T E F A N •

The blonde haired vampire watched as Matt walked away, feeling slightly more happy and comfortable with the complicated situation between him, Elena and Matt, but it was short-lived as he heard someone clapping behind him. He swiftly turned around, to see his older brother leaning against the brick wall.

"Isn't that nice? Stefan joins the team, makes a friend." Damon announced, pure sarcasm out of his tone of voice. "It's all so,'Rah, Rah, Go Team, Yeah'!" Damon raised his arm in a fist bump, clearly mocking his brother. Stefan shook his head, turning his body to leave,"Not tonight. I'm done with you." As he turned he was met face to face with Damon, who used his vampire-speed. Damon tilted his head, "Nice trick with Esme. Let me guess— vervain in her bracket? Necklace or ring maybe?"

Stefan was confused, he never gave the girl any vervain, only Elena. But he made sure to not show any unsureness, as he didn't even know why he couldn't compel her. "I admit, I was a bit surprised. It been a while since anyone could resist my compulsion." Damon lifted his eyes, throwing a innuendo in there. Stefan kept a cold, and stern face, unfazed,"Where'd you get it?" The older brother asked, "Does it matter?" Stefan started to walk away, going around his brother.

"Guess I could just seduce her the old-fashioned way. Or I could just..eat her." Damon cockily spoke, knowing that caught his brothers attention. Stefan stopped, turning around, confidence in his body,"No, you're not gonna hurt her." He slowly walked towards him as Damon turned around to face him.

"No?" Damon arrogantly asked,"Because deep down inside there is a part of you that feels for her. I was worried that you had no humanity left inside of you; that you may have actually become the monster that you pretend to be." Stefan with confidence, knowing he wouldn't hurt her, not if she looks the way she is.

Damon squinted his eyes,"Who's pretending?" Stefan looking him in the eyes,"Then kill me." Damon smiled,"Well I'm— I'm tempted." He looked up, shaking his head as he looked as if he was deciding. "No, you're of. You've had lifetimes to do it, and yet, here I am. I'm still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me. After one hundred and forty five years. Katherine is dead, and so is Natasha. And you hate me because you love her, and you torture me because you still do. And that, my brother, is your humanity." The two had a tense stare off, but it was quickly interrupted by the annoying douche, Mr. Tanner.

"Salvatore!" The blonde haired man turned around with a stern expression, the teacher walked towards him with open arms,"What the hell? We've got a game to play!" He yelled, frustrated, Damon looked at the teacher with an idea popping in her head. "If that's my humanity..the. What's this?" He gulped, flashing a quick and sarcastic smile towards Stefan.

Then using his vampire-speed to Mr. Tanner, his vampire fad slowly unraveling, his fangs then digging themself into Mr. Tanner's neck. He yelled in pain,"No!" Stefan yelled, seeing as his brother slowly drained the teacher for all he was worth. Then just like that, he was dead, Damon turned around, blood all over his mouth, dripping to his chin, his vampire face still out,"Anyone, any time, any place." Stefan blinked in shock, this was going to be a lot more tougher.

• E S M E •

Dread...that's what filled the Gilbert body as she was in the field with the rest of the cheerleader, practicing. Until that emotion she knew all to well filled her body, it nearly paralyzed her when she felt the sense of death. She could smell it in the air, feel it in her finger tips, taste it on her tongue.

She held her head as a pain rushed through her body, she walked away from the group, though no one noticed, luckily. Then aloud ringing filled her head, making her groan, she opened her eyes, but shut them immediately when the lights hit her. "Fuck!" Jordan clenched her eyes in pain, she then moved further away from her group, feeling a sudden breeze of wind hit her face and body. She opened her eyes as she heard no one, and felt no light on her.

"What in the?" Jordan looked around her new surrounding, seeing she wasn't even on school soil anymore. No, she was in the empty park of Mystic Falls, far away from the school. She then felt a rush of power surge through her veins, Jordan gasped as she lifted up her hands to see scarlet red flares dancing around her hand.

"What's happening to me?"

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strrwbrrryjam · 3 years

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Iroh

In reference to @volkswagonblues poll on the Avatar: The Last Airbender Fandom. So I thought I’d give my own two cents. Throughout my blog, you can read that I have only ever said positive things about both Zuko and Iroh, most of it being so that they are my comfort characters, but I know that they have flaws and that it is their flaws that make them who they are.

To me, Iroh is one of the most morally grey characters in the show, his good and bad qualities balance each other out, he most definitely has his flaws and can come across as one-minded and hypocritical of certain characters, most of it coming down to his treatment of his niece, each of which I will talk about in this character analysis, if that is what you can call it.

Iroh’s Relationship with Azula

Iroh’s relationship with Azula is one of the reasons that many seem to hate him, most of who in fact criticize him for his famous line, “She’s crazy and she needs to go down,” from Bitter Work, Season 2 Episode 9. But, people seem to forget that she almost killed him, using lightning, which many do not survive from. There are many instances in the real world where teenage girls are charged with attempted murder, who can and do go to jail, Such as:

Recently, a fourteen-year-old girl charged with attempted murder on the Isle of Wight, where she can be sentenced to a maximum term of life imprisonment with a starting point of 6 years in custody.

The famous Slender Man stabbing where two twelve-year-old girls were found not guilty of stabbing another girl nineteen times, both of who had been found not guilty but sent to a mental institution of twenty-five to sixty-five years respectively.

In Florida, a fourteen-year-old boy was charged with attempted murder of three police deputies and is fleeing from the law, being charged with three counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, armed burglary, and theft of a firearm.

But listen, the context of this line is critically important, as he is with one child, who has been repeatedly tormented throughout his childhood, who, again, has almost been killed by the same child several times prior, asking whether he still should get along with his sister who is actively trying to do harm to him. If he tries to get along with Azula, he is repeatedly putting himself in harm's way because Azula is not above manipulating him into believing that his father can love him, that he has to constantly remind himself, that she always lies. Azula may be a child, a child who has been emotionally abused her whole life and has been propagandized to believe that what she was doing is right. She showed no doubt to this, wholeheartedly believing that the only way to survive in this world is that others have to fall. But she is still responsible for her own actions, just as anyone else is, no matter the age.

Their relationship is none existent, Iroh does not know Azula. Iroh does not know Zuko or Azula at this age, being a general at the time, plotting for the Siege of Ba Sing Se. Azula has repeatedly shown distaste to Iroh, actively wishing death on him at a young age to pave way for her own father, Ozai. When learning of her own cousin's death, and how Iroh crumpled in relief, she calls him a “quitter” and a “loser,” saying that a real general would “burn Ba Sing Se to the ground.”

Azula is Ozai’s favored child, the golden child. She is everything Ozai wants in a child, so, therefore, he would not let Iroh, who is actively one of Ozai’s threats to the claim to the throne, even corrupt his perfect pawn for his plan of world domination, he does not care for Zuko, believing that he is lesser for not being a child prodigy, which is why he likely has no qualms about Iroh joining Zuko. Azula actively dismisses Iroh when he shows her one of his tricks, in the Crossroads of Destiny, Season 2 Episode 20, while Zuko, knows exactly what his Uncle is talking about. While yes, Azula’s situation is downright dreadful, and Ursa should have most definitely done better in parenting Azula, actively being there for her, teaching her the right from wrong, and not letting her daughter think that her mother thinks of her as being a monster. “Uncle” Iroh has no chances to do so. Yes, he could have tried, yes, he should have tried, but during this time in the show, Azula is under the watchful eye of Ozai and he has no chance to.

Side Note: Out of anyone in the show, I would think of it being Iroh who knows when their younger siblings are going down a dark path, considering who his younger brother is.

Iroh’s Treatment of Women

This is most definitely a valid reason to dislike him. As a person who presents as a female, sometimes. Whenever I see Iroh, flirt, or for lack of a better word, perv and flirt his way out of situations, has always creeped me out, this doesn’t even have to be an old man, like Iroh, I get actively creeped out when Lucifer, played by Tom Ellis, does so. Please, please stop this trope of men and women actively flirting their way out of situations, showing the respective sex as nothing but a piece of meat. I always cringe when anyone does so, especially Iroh. I couldn’t even watch it when June had fallen and Iroh had faked paralysis because of how utterly disgusting it was.

Iroh is a War Criminal

This is an utterly undeniable fact. It is also one of the reasons why Iroh cannot and should not rule the Fire Nation. He had redeemed himself to an extent, but he should have and could have done more. Yes, he was grieving, and yes, he lost his son. But so had many others, people who worked for him, had lost their lives, and he had done nothing once he returned from his two-year spiritual journey. He could actively afford to do nothing while the people of the Fire Nation couldn’t because he had wealth while they did not. Also, his retreat at the Fire Nation, is a tragedy but also one of the many reasons why the people of the Fire Nation could not have Iroh on the throne. Because, imagine, the only reason why they retreated was that someone more important than their sons and daughters, thousands had lost their lives to the greed of this one man. It makes him not only actively hated throughout the Earth Kingdom but the Fire Nation too.

Iroh’s Decision in the Comics

Listen, I myself am a firm believer that comics, do not exist. They have their own issues and the Promise, to me, is utterly horrible. It fails as a continuation of the beloved series that is Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Iroh’s decision to have Zuko as the Fire Lord has its own faults, yes, leaving a sixteen-year-old on the throne to a country that has devoted itself to war sounds like a terrible idea, and it is, but I understand why Zuko was a perfect choice, and why they cannot abolish the monarchy this soon after the war.

Zuko is the Perfect Choice™ for Fire Lord.

They cannot abolish the Monarchy.

Zuko has the perfect story, for the rest of the world. He loves his people, does not care for the noble class, and actively spoke out against the war, albeit for his own people. He was banished and branded for his compassion and love, actively succeeded in the impossible task he was sent out to do, but in doing so learns of the fact that what his nation is doing is wrong and has the veil of propaganda lifted from his eyes. Leaving his nation he worked so hard to fight against the world and return to his nation as Fire Lord Zuko, Bender of Dragon Fire. He has shown compassion, dedication, and yes, unquestionable honor. He has been trained for this his whole life, as the replacement heir, and while ‘Zuko only having a thirteen-year-old education’ is a fun thought, I highly doubt that Iroh, who sounded so sure of Zuko being the Fire Lord would let him slip on his education.

People in a country, those who are sane, do not actively wish for war. When they have children and grandchildren that they wish to see grow and have their own families, they have no reason to go to war, which is why you have fed your nations lies and propaganda to believe that war is beneficial to them, which is what Sozin had done. When your president is ‘chosen’ by your patient spirit, who speaks through your Fire Lord, who are you to question them? They went to war because they believed it was right, they were being told it was right, they trust their spirit, therefore, they trust their Fire Lord. To abolish the monarchy so soon after the war, would lead them down a downward spiral to destruction, for them and the other nations.

However, despite this, Iroh’s decision to stay in Ba Sing Se while his beloved nephew is actively suicidal and leading another war on the Earth Kingdom while he serves goddam tea is utterly despicable and devastating. Yes, I understand having Iroh being watched in the Earth Kingdom so Zuko is not seen as a Puppet King is a valid complaint, but having one traumatized nephew, from a lifetime of abuse, death, abandonment and leave him alone on a thrown with nobles who actively hate him for ending the war? It is one of the stupidest things in the world, Iroh should at least have stepped up as regent or something, just staying there with his so-called “son” so Zuko doesn’t plunge to his death, is pretty good idea.

Iroh’s Relationship with Zuko

Iroh’s relationship with Zuko is one of the most heart-warming and -wrenching relationships in the series. It pulls at the heartstrings in all the right ways. Here is an Uncle who lost his son, and a Nephew who never had a father and they find each other.

Even in Season One, where Zuko is at his worst, he still shows that he cares for his Uncle by, yes, despite having a small tantrum, he still concedes with Iroh’s request, no matter how silly it is. He shouts, shoots fire, yells insults, but he still does so. Iroh’s silly requests are ways to delay Zuko going back to his father, who doesn’t want him, he respects him, knows that it is good in his heart. He is so attuned to him that he knows what is thinking, he calls him ‘honorable’ and instead of bringing it up again to Zuko’s question, he talks about tea, which tells Zuko that his honor was always unquestionable. Zuko gives up his chance to go after them to save his Uncle, and Iroh doesn’t even doubt that Zuko will choose him. He takes care of him and nurtures this broken boy into something wonderful.

In Season Two, they are forced into an uncomfortable situation where they hit the lowest of the lows, yet they still care for each other, yes Iroh disapproves of Zuko’s highway robbery streak, he knows this is how Zuko needs to cope with this. When someone assaults Iroh, Zuko works on his revenge to steal from him. Their relationship is tested, they still need each other and very much care for each other. He isn’t happy in Ba Sing Se, but he goes along with what his Uncle wants because it makes him happy. But, he isn’t ready yet, as an example in “Hello, Future Me,” video on On Writing: Redemption Arcs his view of the world has changed, his view of himself has changed, but he hasn’t had the capability to change his stakes because he isn’t ready to redeem himself because he still believes that there is a chance that his dad still loves him.

We don’t get much of Iroh and Zuko together in Season Three, for very good reasons, yet Zuko’s continuous visits to Iroh, he still values his opinion. His stakes are changing and his Uncle is the person he goes to when he doesn’t know of his place in the world. When he leaves, he works his way to breaking Iroh out of jail, but he’s too late. When he begins to join the others, he’s still in enemy territory, but he still becomes the missing piece Team Avatar needs, Iroh is regularly mentioned despite never being there because Zuko both loves and misses him so much that it doesn’t matter the company that he is in, whether in a group of technically enemies or friends. That apology scene is one of the best scenes in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Zuko got Iroh locked up and possibly marked for death, as Iroh committed Treason for helping the Avatar and Zuko still receives unconditional love, many of whom will not be received with such.

Conclusion

Listen, Iroh has many qualities to like and has many that he doesn’t. Both opinions of him being a hypocrite war criminal who peeves on women and a man who is working to redeem himself. He is both of them and that's what makes it great, Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of those shows that all characters have flaws, even Mentor characters who take as in children who have lost everything and had none of it in the beginning. You can love him and hate him and that's okay.

I love Iroh, despite his faults, because as someone whose childhood has been far from ideal due to parents and siblings, having a lonely childhood, full of depression and neglect, I would have loved someone like Iroh to take me in and help me.

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eujazmine · 3 years

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all gifs from christianscody !

JAZMINE HARPER - TV TROPES

manipulative bastard

The Manipulative Bastard is the master manipulator of people, in essence, a character who manipulates others through their emotions, perspectives, psychologies and any other way they can get them dancing to their tune. This is the guy or gal who gets off on playing head/mind games—clever and dangerous and lacking comedic overtones (usually). She always has a plan ready, but rather than do any work, the Manipulative Bastard prefers to play on other characters' emotions and mental states and then watch the victims destroy themselves as they waste their energy on fighting against fake dangers or their friends.

are we surprised? with a lack of loyalty to others, including her own family, jazmine will gladly step on others and use their weaknesses to her advantage to get what she wants. she’s been a manipulative bastard since she was a child, ever since she first discovered how much her mist control could control the perceptions of others. observant and resourceful, jazmine has no qualms using her talents to gain unauthorized information about others and using it for her personal gain. she views people as her pawns, and her selfish way of thinking gives her little guilt about physically or mentally forcing others into submission. this is a trait she’s picked up from her own father, which we will delve into in the next trope.

daddy’s little villain

mention of emotional abuse tw

She's the daughter of an Evil Overlord, who shares her parent's ambition, cunning, and cruelty. She could be anything from a simple Spoiled Brat to an Overlord in waiting. She's also likely to be a Princess (since even villainy is improved with that), although she will still prefer wearing black or dark colors over pink.

jazmine’s mortal father can largely be thanked for the way she is now. from as young as she can remember, he was training jazmine to be a powerful force in both the demigod and mortal world. while he raised her to think she could accomplish anything she worked toward, she was mostly a pawn to satisfy his thirst for power. he didn’t care much for her as a daughter; mostly for what she could do for him. she started to recognize this during her formative middle school years, consequently turning her childhood role model into her worst enemy. when she started rebelling against him and acting out, he sent her away full-time to a camp on the other side of the globe. since then, the issues only progressed, eventually leading to a falling out in which she hasn’t seen or spoken to her mortal family in many years.

this upbringing has fueled her desire to constantly be the best in her fields of expertise, which is partly why she quested for years in hopes of some type of recognition. with the heavily hidden hope that she could one day rub in his face that she had succeeded without him, all her life she has fought to try to ‘prove her worth’ to others despite being the daughter of a minor goddess (or titan). because her father only loved what she could do for him, she places everyone in two categories: the puppets, and the puppeteers.

and she will never be the puppet again.

broken ace

He's tall, charming, strikingly good-looking, well-spoken in five languages, and classically trained in even more instruments. But inside, he's an ugly, writhing mass of self-hatred and Parental Issues. Expect him to have at least one bizarre trait or ability that should not be overlooked, as well as an unhealthy attitude about love, life, and humanity in general. He most likely doesn't have anyone that loves or respects him for what he really is. This may be justified. This character is usually male, but not always. Also, he may just be a perfectionist crumbling under his own standards. The chief difference between the Broken Ace and the usually female Stepford Smiler is that the Stepford Smiler wants to appear normal at all costs, often to the point of hurting herself emotionally (or because she's sociopathic). This guy has the same setup, but is more talented and wants to be the best, loved by all, and accepted.

although the timeline wasn’t as accelerated as she had hoped when she was a child, jazmine was making waves in the world of deities before her last quest against zeus had occurred. now, as a semi-retired quester, she is captain of the football team and starting to make a name for herself in the mortal fields of business and sports. despite the air of nonchalant superiority that she constantly tries to present, she is in a constant state of despair. right when she starts to undergo some development in her relationships with others, they leave, and she is constantly failing her own impossibly high standards. she’s crumbling, and at any point she is ready to run away again.

ice queen

Much like a Tomboy, the Ice Queen is a major character archetype which is somewhat hard to define. Her signature characteristic is that she is cold; the ambiguity comes from what "cold" means. She has a cold heart, a frosty demeanor and very often a resting bitch face; she attracts but will never be wooed. The Ice Queen is considered dangerous to love because she will not (or cannot) love back. She's not much for friendship either, preferring to be alone. Situations where an Ice Queen "thaws" and learns to enjoy the company of others are so common that they have their own trope.

she’s cold and takes no shit. she holds people at a distance, even those that could potentially be considered friends. she doesn’t believe in unconditional love, and she believes that most affection direct toward her is generally a ruse to get her guard down. she’s unnecessarily rude to others, almost relishing in the negative reactions at times, but to her, she’s just keeping it real.

the trickster

A trickster is a character who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. The Trickster openly questions and mocks authority, encourages impulse and enthusiasm, seeks out new ideas and experiences, destroys convention and complacency, and promotes chaos and unrest. At the same time, the trickster brings new knowledge, wisdom and many An Aesop. Even when punished horribly for his effrontery, his indomitable spirit (or plain sheer foolishness) keeps him coming back for more. Tricksters can be anything from gods of chaos, bedeviling heroes for a few laughs, to master manipulators who use cruel ploys and sadistic choices. They can also be heroes (or more likely Anti-Heroes) who make up for a lack of strength or bravery with manipulation, planning, or just plain cheating. The trickster is often a Master of Disguise and may have magical or super-powers. They're often found Walking the Earth.

although this description was much more relevant when she was younger, jazmine has a penchant for drama and chaos. she genuinely has fun engaging in pranks and tricks, and she gladly lifts a symbolic middle finger to authority in any chance that she gets. in middle school, she was nearly expelled from a mortal school because of all her tricks, and she spent a sizable portion of her adult years before eonia traveling and engaging in casual mayhem. when she isn’t getting revenge or fulfilling a paid request, she generally has fun toying with others.

deadpan snarker

A character prone to gnomic, sarcastic, sometimes bitter, occasionally whimsical asides. The Deadpan Snarker exists to deflate pomposity, point out the unlikelihood of certain plans, and deliver funny lines. Typically the most cynical supporting character. In most cases, it is implied that the snarker would make a good leader, strategist, or consultant given their ability to instantly see the flaws in a constructed plan. More often than not, their innate snarkiness is the only thing preventing the other characters from comprehending this for themselves. In other cases, the Deadpan Snarker resorts to sarcasm because they're the Only Sane Man. Tends to be shot a Death Glare when they go too far (and probably isn't without one of their own, either). Note that due to the definition evolving, the "Deadpan" part of the title has gradually become The Artifact and a deadpan delivery is no longer a necessary part of the trope.

jazmine is no stranger to delivering biting remarks coupled with foul language. she’s quick to point out flaws, opting for the brutally honest approach more times than not. she’s aware that her language can hurt others, but she finds it easier to escape the frivolities and get to the point. depending on the person, she exaggerates this trope by trying to draw out a bad response from them, mostly for her own entertainment. people already view her as heinous, so why not embrace the reputation, right?

survivor guilt

death mention tw

You might be the Last Of Your Kind or someone else made a Heroic Sacrifice for you or you lived through a Restricted Rescue Operation, but whatever the reason, you're going to feel a massive sense of guilt.

although the quest with adelphie and celeste was technically a success, with the trident successfully being returned back to poseidon, the team had faced major losses. adelphie had lost her life, and celeste had suffered debilitating injuries. physically, jazmine suffered the least, and it’s a guilt that she continues to carry.

aloof big sister

to the majority of the hecate family, especially @rostameu

He's smarter, stronger, faster, more talented, and more refined than the hero, and — just to add insult to injury — he's probably sexier, too. His only problem seems to be moving his face out of that expression of bored, dignified disdain. And he just happens to be the elder brother of one of the main cast, which often gives them a raging inferiority complex. Will most likely double as the Ineffectual Loner and Noble Demon, thereby running the risk of becoming an Ensemble Darkhorse. May or may not be evil, strictly speaking, but is almost guaranteed to fight against the protagonists at one point, and spout off Cryptic Conversation to prove how much better informed he is. May or may not be a Stealth Mentor and/or consider his younger siblings annoying. Often an integral part of a mysterious organisation, and may be the Enigmatic Minion or even a Hero Antagonist in that case.

OKAY, so the running joke with jazmine is that she dislikes her siblings, which is very true tbh. i’m not going to speak for rostam and say most of that stuff actually applies, but jazmine is very cold toward her younger brother and views herself as much better in every way. with loner tendencies, disdain toward her brother, and shady side hustles, she matches this trope very well, and it was only fitting to add a trope about disliking siblings to jazmine’s task. and yes, she’s technically one of the youngest right now but hush.

#eutropes #( tasks. )#emotional abuse tw #death mention tw #whewww i didnt bother proofreading this but lmk if anything is just ... impossible to read LMAO

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mcheang · 4 years

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Can we have a fan-fiction where Bunnyx goes to the past to tell Alix that Lila is lying and that she should investigate the stories Lila tells plz? Also after Alix finds out Lila is a lies Alix switches to team Marinette and Alix and Marinette become really good friends

Time travel doesn’t make sense

Technically I have a similar fic in response to your request. See Justice In Red.

Normally it would be suitable to use the Ladybug episode situation to write your story, but I want something new. So I’m heading for post-Chameleon and post-timetagger. For the record, I claim this as a rough draft because I am not fully sure about this one. It’s new territory. I’m more of a expose-Lila-now kind of girl.

Alix had been so excited. Earlier today at lunch, Lila mentioned she had met Roberto Riva in Italy and he had been kind enough to teach her roller blading. Alix had been green with envy at Lila’s luck.

Luckily, Lila promised that if she should ever meet Roberto again in Italy, she would ask him if he would be willing to give Alix some tips.

Alix was thrilled. She had been having a block thinking up new tricks to perform. Honestly, she never really thought about roller skating as a career but Lila convinced her she should give it a shot. It would mean less time for art club though.

Alix was troubled by that. She wasn’t like Marinette, able to juggle so many responsibilities and hobbies.

When Alix was troubled, she headed to the museum. All those fossils and art sometimes gave her inspiration or new solutions. It was also where she learned of her destiny as Bunnyx. Too cool!

As Alix skated through the halls, she found another skater. A young woman with pink hair and brightly-coloured clothing.

“Hey, mini-me,” future Alix greeted with a chill smile.

“Woah,” Alix stopped. “Hey yourself, myself. Um, what are you doing here? Is there another time-travelling akuma?”

Future Alix smiled and shook her head. “Nope. Not that this isn’t an emergency. You see, I’ve had memories of when I would get visited by my future self. This is one of those days.”

Alix tilted her head. “Why?”

Future Alix towered over mini Alix and clasped her hands together. “Last time I was sent here to stop an akuma. This time, I’m here to save our class’ future.”

“Woah, woah, what?”

Alix stared into her other self’s eyes. They were deeply serious. “Here’s the deal. Lila is a liar.”

Alix almost wanted to ask if Marinette had finally gotten to her (her dislike of Lila was well known but she kept her distance), but then stopped herself.

“Excuse me? But how do you know that?”

“Well, it took time for all puzzle pieces to fit. But Lila’s connections; they are all false. And it’s messing up our future. It kept changing and that alerted me to check the past. Rose got conned to give Lila money meant for charity. It’s only now she realizes that there was no such charity. Same for Ivan and Mylene. Alya’s reputation as a blogger was ruined when Ladybug finally snapped at Lila to stop lying about their so-called friendship. Her chance to be a journalist’s intern was ruined. Lila sabotaged Juleka’s chance to model when they were at the same shoot so she could take her place.”

“Ok, stop. I get it.” Alix was shellshocked. How could Lila do this to them. After all they had done for her. Wait...

“Did Lila also lie about her injuries?” Alix asked hollowly.

Future Alix nodded again, her face darkening. “All so we could carry her lunch and bags for her, so she could skip gym, and pretty much frame Marinette.”

Alix staggered back against the wall. “Oh my gosh. Marinette had been right along. I’m such an idiot. I should have listened to her.”

Future Alix kept quiet. Alix didn’t look up to see her reaction.

“What happened to Marinette?”

Future Alix winked. “I’ve given you enough what if spoilers. But rest assured, Marinette can take care of herself. She’s not alone.”

Alix felt relieved at that. “But what should I do now.”

Future Alix put her arms behind her head and started skating backwards. “I don’t know mini me, what do you think we should do?”

Alix wanted to confront Lila right away, but she knew that didn’t work out for Marinette. No, Alix needed a different tactic. “I need to expose Lila with hard evidence. So she can never get away with deceiving anyone else ever again!”

Future Alix winked, “it’s a good idea. But I say it’s better to keep your enemies close. Even if Lila is exposed, she’ll still find a way to recover and we won’t be so close to her as to find out her plans.”

Alix groaned. “So I have to be a double agent?”

“Nope. You can keep a “friendly” distance from Lila. You just need to remove her influence on our real friends.”

“That’s not as much fun.”

Future Alix shrugged. “I was chosen because I could keep secrets.”

From that day forth, Alix did her best to guide her friends away from Lila’s suggestions. Sure, she gritted her teeth and kept silent throughout Lila’s tall tales.

Her one comfort was Marinette. She understood exactly how Alix was feeling, even if their reasons were different.

Alix nearly punched Adrien for his stupid high road because hello, Lila’s pawns could be akumatized too once she was eventually exposed, with worse consequences.

Adrien had guiltily apologized once Alix downright accused him of being a lousy Friend and a traitor.

He had been willing enough to join their small team to subtly discredit Lila, especially once Alix threatened to disband their friendship.

Alix couldn’t give away her knowledge of knowing Lila was a liar. So she continued to join Lila’s entourage, but kept asking polite questions and requests that deterred Lila.

When Lila tried to accuse Marinette or exclude her, Alix protested, which prompted Alya to join in when she was torn about whether to split events with her 2 friends.

When Lila tried to ingratiate herself with Adrien, Alix finally taught him how to identify sexual harassment and to quit indulging her already!

Adrien even managed to convince Alya to remove her interview since it was endangering Lila’s family.

Even though Marinette and Alya were still BFFs, Alya wasn’t include in the Anti-Lila league. Marinette and Alix had a shared secret and this made them grow closer as friends. Whenever Alya was with Lila, Alix would immediately join Marinette. Whenever Lila appeared, Adrien stuck to Marinette.

Mylene, Ivan and Rose were encouraged to support known charities that were already making headway. They suggested Lila give them her charity email so they can set up communication with the persons in charge. Lila quietly backed out when she realized how well prepared they were against any cons. She made up a lie that it was a previous school fundraising and was temporary.

Adrien promoted Juleka to a new modelling brand. Lila tried to join in but Adrien shut her down.

Together, Marinette, Alix and Adrien were paving the way for a future where the class could pursue their dream jobs without Lila’s hindrance.

#miraculous ladybug fanfic #miraculous ladybug fic #ml fanfic #ml fanfiction #ml fic #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #post chameleon #post time tagger #bunnyx #adrien salt #lila salt #lila is exposed #ml salt fic

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maswartz · 4 years

Text

RWBY: After Salem (concepts here are free for anyone to use, just give credit)

In the final battle with Salem the heroes combine the power Ruby’s silver eyes with that of all four maidens to purge her of the Grimm essence and manage to get her to admit that she’s moved on from her daughters deaths resulting in her losing her immortality. Aging thousands of years in seconds she was soon dust. However before her defeat Salem managed to unite the four relics. The Brothers had returned. Displeased by the conflict still existing they were about to judge humanity as irredeemable when the heroes convinced them that humanity was not that far gone. Listening to their argument the Brothers agreed that humanity was neither worthy of them returning nor did they deserve extermination. Thus they returned to the stars. Before leaving however the God of Darkness left a gift. One in every five hundred babies born after this day would have the gift of magic. In time the four maidens would create the Seasons Academy to teach these new magic users how to use their gifts. Magic users have weaker semblances so the scales are not too unbalanced. Magic users are given the title of Wizard or Witch and act like Huntsmen, protecting the people of Remnant from the always present danger of the Grimm. The Huntsmen Academies lowered the age requirements after Salem’s final plan involved destroying many of the minor academies. In the following years much has changed. One such change is that Menagerie is now an official kingdom. Technology has advanced at a rapid pace, trains using anti gravity technology connect most cities. As a result trips that would have taken days now take a matter of hours. Due to this more and more cities rise outside the kingdom borders. The heroes of team RWBY and JNOR and their allies have all begun new lives after the fall of Salem.

Ruby and Oscar are married with four children. Ruby now runs a weapon repair and modification store with Nora while Oscar writes books about the past Ozes. Maria Pine-18 Lyme Pine-16 Sunny (M) and Luna (F) Pine-12 year old twins. They don’t possess magic or have silver eyes but their parents have made it very clear they love them all the same. Especially after they learned about Maria’s insecurities. Sunny and Luna have reached the phase where they want to be individuals instead of just one half of twins. Recently they unlocked their semblances. Sunny can sense aura and Luna can read body language. Based on Apollo and Artemis. Blake and Yang are married with two adopted children. Blake works to help Faunus equality across Remnant while Yang helps design and test new vehicles for the SDC. Tawny Belladonna-Xiao Long-18 Vivi Belladonna-Xiao Long-17 Weiss and Jaune are married with three children. Weiss took over SDC and is working to undo the damage done by her father while Jaune teaches combat at a local academy. Nichole Schnee-19 Maple Schnee- 13- Named in honor of Pyrrha. She inherited her mother’s singing voice and has a huge love of music. In fact she wants to enter the music industry rather than become a Huntress. To her relief her parents told her they’d support whatever decision she made. William Schnee- 10- A curious young boy with an interest in science. He loves touring the various SDC research labs with his mother. Ren and Nora are married with three children. Ren is the mayor of a rebuilt Kuroyuri while Nora runs a weapon repair and modification store with Ruby. Lie Balder-17 Lie Nezha-16 Lie Sif-15 The headmasters remain a part of Oscar’s inner circle however with the fall of Salem their mission is now to continue to guide all of Remnant into everlasting peace and preventing future disasters. Beacon- Glynda Goodwitch Haven- Ghira Belladonna, took over informally after the battle of Haven and made official around a year later. Shade- Otto Dune, A dog faunus, friend and ally of Professor Theodore, he took over after Theodore retired. Atlas- Robyn Hill, after the fall of Ironwood Robyn was placed in charge of Atlas Academy allowing her to lead a new generation away from the military and teach them how to act like proper Huntsmen. The current Maidens Spring- Raven Branwen- After the battle of Haven Raven lost everything, her tribe lost all respect for her, Taiyang rejected her, she had nowhere to go. Eventually she decided she needed to redeem herself and began spying on Salem’s forces delivering vital intel to the heroes. Summer- July Storms- When the heroes arrived in Vacuo they befriended sisters June and July Storms. They soon discovered that June was the Summer Maiden. During a battle with Cinder June stayed behind to buy the others time to escape. Once they were safe she called down a bolt of lightning to kill her before the powers could be stolen. Her sister was the last one in her thoughts so July gained the powers and has been the Summer Maiden ever since. Autumn- Emerald Sustrai- In a fit of rage Cinder revealed that she never truly cared for Emerald as anything more than a pawn. Broken Emerald fled Salem’s fortress with Mercury. They joined the heroes to save their own lives from Salem and Cinder’s wrath. During a battle Emerald used her semblance to distract Cinder long enough for Ruby and Jaune to kill her. Her last thoughts were of Emerald so the power of Autumn went to her. Winter- Penny Polendina- After the fall of Ironwood many Atlesian soldiers who were loyal to him and the ideal that “Atlas Will Prevail” deserted and formed an underground cell known as the Frozen Soldiers. Lead by Harriet now known as Snow Hare (the only Ace-Op who refused to surrender) they will stop at nothing to bring down the other Kingdoms. Penny has devoted much time and effort into stopping their plans. Beacon Staff Headmistress- Glynda Goodwitch- The first headmistress of Beacon. Once Beacon was rebuilt the decision to name her headmistress was unanimous. History- Dr Bartholomew Oobleck- Still his energetic self always eager to share knowledge with anyone willing to learn. Grimm Studies- Peter Port- Still bombastic and passing on his wisdom and experience. Head of Security- Gordon Ryder- Gordon’s semblance allows him to create orbs of aura that act as his eyes and ears. He is capable of creating multiple orbs and has them placed around the boundaries of the campus. However while keeping track of them he often loses track of what’s happening around his own body. Origin- The Headless Horseman Combat Instructor- Paulina “Babe” Bunyan- A bull faunus, her semblance allows her to spot the weak point in things or people which allowed her to help her lumberjack father when she was a child. Origin- Paul Bunyan Airship Piloting- Skye Gale- When he was younger his hubris caused an airship crash that nearly killed him. After recovering he set forward to teach others to learn from his mistake. Origin- Icarus. Wilderness Survival - Forest Mann- The son of explorers who perished during a jungle expedition his semblance and basic wilderness training allowed him to survive. His semblance allows him to copy the traits of nearby animals. After making it back to civilization years later he began teaching others how to survive the wilderness. Origin- Mowgli/Tarzan Beacon Teams Fourth Year Team MNTY Maria Pine- Growing up Maria couldn’t help but feel like she was in the shadow of heroes and legends and as a result she grew insecure. Her desire to prove herself “worthy” eventually results in her being injured on a training mission. After that she admits her insecurity to her parents and her team who help her grow past it and see her own self worth. Like her father Maria can use magic. Appearance: 18 years old. 5ft 8in- Brown hair to shoulders Hazel eyes Outfit: Light red top with maroon corset. maroon shorts. Light red tights with green vine design, roses on knees. Maroon fingerless gloves up to elbows. Green vine design on gloves. Maroon boots. Half length version of Ruby’s cloak in maroon. Emblem: Three roses on a single stem, one white, one red and one maroon Emblem Location: Back of cloak Aura Color: Maroon Semblance: Stat Boost- Allows Maria to boost a single stat (speed, strength, stamina, etc) Weapon: Rose’s Thorn- Kusarigama with extending chain. Gun built into the end. Partner: Nautica Waves Origin: Rose Red Nautica Waves- The daughter of fishermen she grew up on the water most of her life. Resourceful and daring, she won’t give up until all options have been exhausted. Appearance: 19 years old. 5ft 6in. Short dark blue hair. Blue eyes. Shark Faunus- Shark gills allowing her to breathe under water. Outfit: Teal wetsuit with wave pattern, armor plating on shoulders, elbows, knees, torso. Optional flippers. Emblem: A series of waves descending in size Emblem Location: Shoulder armor Aura Color: Teal Semblance: Hydrokinesis- Can control water as long as it’s in liquid form. Can even shape weapons out of it. The more water she controls the more aura it takes. Weapon: Ebb and Flow- Twin pistols modified to shoot water. Using her semblance she can boost the power of the water to the point it can cut through metal. Carries a dagger called Shark’s tooth as a back up. After a few missions begins using a harpoon as her main weapon to conserve on water. Partner: Maria Pine Origin: The Little Mermaid Theo Schwartz- Due to a less than stellar home situation he attempts to defuse tense situations with humor. He believes in being prepared and carries many tools and items in his hat including a set of throwing knives, tents, medical kits, food and water. Not to mention his team’s ammo. Appearance: 18 years old. 5ft 9in. Short black hair. Green eyes. Cat Faunus- Cat whiskers. Outfit: Black pants. White shirt with black dress coat. Red bow tie. Tall hat with red and white stripes. Emblem: A hand reaching into a hat Emblem Location: Back of coat Aura Color: Ebony Semblance: Hat Trick- A pocket dimension inside his hat where he can store and retrieve any inorganic item he wants. Weapon: Cat’s Cane- A hook style cane with a built in grappling hook and gun. Partner: York Letterson Origin: The Cat in the Hat York Letterson- A firm believer in the phrase “Knowledge is power” York is almost always reading. He is eager to learn and teach as much as he can and often volunteers to tutor other students. When he has free time he can often be found in the library. Appearance: 18 years old. 5ft 5in. Long green hair reaching down his back. Often in twin ponytails. Green eyes. Outfit: Dark green pants. Light green button up top with a pocket on the upper left breast. Dark green armor over the shirt with light green pads on arms and legs. Pair of reading glasses. Emblem: A head of lettuce Emblem Location: Shirt pocket Aura Color: Green Semblance: Prehensile Hair- Can control and use his hair as weapons or extra arms. In a pinch can even shoot strands like darts. If the hair is cut it will regrow to normal length within days due to all the aura inside it. Weapon: Close Shave- A pair of blades with gun barrels in the tips. Blades can be combined into a scissors form. In scissors mode it can be thrown like a boomerang. Partner: Theo Schwartz Origin: Rapunzel Team NGHT Nichole Schnee- From a young age her parents made sure she knew that her name made her no more important and no better than anyone else. She is kind and generous and always looking for ways to help others with the Schnee fortune. She’s very aware there’s still plenty of damage to undo from her grandfather. In battle she will often target powerful or unique Grimm to add to her semblance. Appearance: 19 years old. 5ft 10in. Long light blue hair in double ponytails. Light blue eyes. Outfit: Light blue dress with white fur pattern trim. Dress ends little above knees. Blue and white stripped stockings. Light blue boots. White gloves. Armored breastplate, armor on lower arms and shins. All armor is ice themed. Emblem: Schnee snowflake with a sword resembling the sword part of Crocea Mors Emblem Location: Knee and elbow armor Aura Color: Light blue Semblance: Grimm Aspects- She summons pieces of Grimm to use herself. She can call on the wings of a Teryx or a Nevermore, the claws of a Sabyr, the armor of an Arms Gigas, punching power of a Beringel. Like normal summons if they receive enough damage they’ll dissipate. Weapon: Cyros- Icicle themed javelin that doubles as a rifle. The shield part of Crocea Mors. Partner: Guile Widows Origin: Christmas Elf Guile Widows- A cunning strategist who excels at using his enemies own actions against them. He prefers to lure targets into his webs and let them tire themselves out trying to escape. Appearance: 19 years old. 6ft. Black hair with eight dreadlocks, four on each side. Brown eyes. Outfit: Black cargo pants with a mild webbing pattern. Gray shirt with black straps from backpack forming an “X”. Fingerless gloves. Emblem: Eight eyes, top pair are farthest apart and bottom pair are closest together. Emblem Location: Bandana Aura Color: Black Semblance: Aura Webs- Webs that can catch, contain, or even act as nets. Weapon: Spider’s Bite- Twin curved swords with guns in the hilts. Partner: Nichole Schnee Origin: Anansi Hunter Python- Strict and serious he considers being a huntsman too serious to joke about. To his dismay his partner Tawny has made it his mission to get him to laugh at least once a day. Hunter is very reluctant to use his semblance due to its nature. However if lives are at stake he will do so with frightening effect. Appearance: 18 years old. 5ft 11in. Brown hair. Snake Faunus- Snake eyes, yellow with green pupils. Outfit: Green boots with a snake skin pattern. Yellow-green cargo pants. Yellow shirt under a green hoodie. Yellow-Green armor with scale pattern over hoodie. Emblem: Stylized snake head Emblem Location: Pockets of pants Aura Color: Yellow-Green Semblance: Hypnoeyes- Can command people to do things. Stronger commands require more aura and concentration and a command too far removed from what the subject would normally do will not be followed. When activated his eyes glow green. Requires full eye contact Weapon: Serpent Staff- Staff that can separate into chain linked segments. Can also shoot from the mouth of the serpent. Partner: Tawny Belladonna-Xiao Long Origin: Kaa Tawny Belladonna-Xiao Long- Adopted when he was 6 years old. Hyperactive, full of energy, eager to make new friends. Inherited Yang’s love of puns. Appearance: 18 years old. 6ft 2in Scruffy orange hair, brown eyes. Tiger Faunus- Tiger tail. Outfit: Orange sweatpants and orange top with baggy sleeves. Black patches stripe all along outfit. Armor on knees and elbows. Emblem: A tiger pouncing Emblem Location: Back of shirt Aura Color: Orange Semblance: Rebounce- Allows him to jump, leap, and bounce incredible heights and land from any height without injury. Weapon: Tora Tearors- Clawed gloves with guns built into the hand guards. Partner: Hunter Python Origin: Tigger Third Year Team VLET Vivi Belladonna Xiao-Long- Adopted when she was 5 years old. Very self conscious about her appearance after bullies at the orphanage convinced her that her birth parents abandoned her because she was ugly. Her mothers and brother spent years trying to get her to understand that she is beautiful on the inside and the outside. After being named a team leader she gradually gains self confidence. Appearance: 17 years old. 5ft 11in. Long dark black hair. Purple eyes. Outfit: Long purple robe with a hood she uses to cover herself up. After she gains self confidence she switches to a more streamlined version without a hood. Emblem: A pair of wings overlapping each other. Emblem Location: Back of robe Aura Color: Purple Semblance: Energy Ripple- Sends a burst of energy in a direction. Weapon: Tempura- Staff with fire dust on one end and ice dust on the other. When used with her semblance she can create waves of flame or frost. Partner: Terry Braun Origin: The ugly duckling Lie Balder- Though serious around most people when he’s with family and friends he opens up and loosens up. As a child his parents would call him their little Sunshine. Appearance: 17 years old. 5ft 9in Dark orange hair with a pink ribbon tied in it. Blue eyes. Outfit: Sleeveless green robe with golden sash. Magenta pants. Both have a sun pattern. Emblem: A stylized sun Emblem Location: Back of robe Aura Color: Golden Semblance: Light Burst- Absorbs natural light and discharges it. Depending on the amount of light stored it can stun or temporarily blind. Weaker grimm may even be destroyed by a strong enough burst. As he evolves his semblance he can direct the burst instead of releasing it in all directions. Even storing it in the form of light armor. Weapon: Stormbringer and Stormbreaker- Twin hook swords with guns built in. Partner: Alison Eirian Origin: Balder Alison Eirian- An optimist often lost in a daydream, her mind wanders easily. She enjoys seeing the bright side of even the darkest situation. However she does take her duties as a Huntress seriously. Tries to get Terry to smile more. Appearance: 18 years old. 5ft 10in Blonde hair in a ponytail, blue eyes. Outfit: Long cobalt dress with silver armor plating on the front. White stockings with blue shoes. Silver gloves. Emblem: A mirror Emblem Location: Back of gloves Aura Color: Cobalt Semblance: Reflection- Allows her to enter any reflective surface. Inside the reflection is totally silent. She can travel to other reflections as long as there’s no obstacles in the way. Weapon: Full Deck- sword that appears to be made of a deck of cards, shifts into gun mode. Also carries reflective cards to use as emergency reflections. Partner: Lie Balder Origin: Alice in Wonderland Terry Braun- Growing up on the streets led him to adopt a tough cynical persona. His new friends convince him that there’s more than one kind of strength. Very protective of those younger than him. Tries to get Alison to be more realistic. Appearance: 17 years old. 5ft 11 in.Scruffy brown hair. Brown eyes. Outfit: Brown boots, brown shorts. Brown t-shirt with torn vest. Emblem: A howling wolf Emblem Location: Back of vest Aura Color: Brown Semblance: Howling Wind- Can create powerful wind with his breath. Weapon: Howling Hatchets- Twin axes with guns built into the handles. Can combine to form a shotgun. Partner: Vivi Belladonna-Xiao Long Origin: The Big Bad Wolf Second Year Team JNGL Jim Peaches- Analytical and strategic he is highly skilled at coming up with plans that utilize the strengths of his teams. He has a fondness for insects and is known to talk to them when he thinks he’s alone. Appearance: 16 years old 5ft 5in. Short brown hair, pink eyes. Outfit: Tan pants with peach shirt. Tan shoes. Peach longcoat. Pink tie with insect designs (grasshopper, centipede, ladybug, spider, earthworm, glowworm) Emblem: A peach with a bite taken out of it Emblem Location: Belt buckle Aura Color: Peach Semblance: Peach Protection- Creates forcefields over himself. Can extend to include other people. With practice he learns to create smaller ones to throw as projectiles. Weapon: Peach Pit- Mace with detachable head. Gravity dust built in allows him to launch and recall the head. Partner: Lie Nezha Origin: James and the Giant Peach Lie Nezha- Eager and impatient he’s often the first to race into a battle. He enjoys moving fast and hitting hard. As a child his parents would call him their Moonbeam. Appearance: 16 years old. 5ft 6in. Short black hair. Pink eyes. Outfit: Amber sleeveless vest and dark orange cargo shorts. Armor plated elbow and knee pads. Orange goggles Emblem: A burning wheel Emblem Location: Knee pads Aura Color: Amber Semblance: Speed Rails- He creates rails of aura in the air to run on boosting his speed as he pleases. Only Nezha can interact with the rails, all others will simply pass through them. Weapon: Stormlillies- Twin chakram that turn into shurikens. Partner: Jim Peaches Origin: Nezha J.J Grayson- He is used to people mocking or underestimating him due to his weight and bulk. However he isn’t bothered by it because he knows it’s mostly muscle instead of fat. His teammates all find him awesome. He’s the powerhouse of his team and will put himself between them and danger if it keeps them safe. Likes to call Lyme “Sprout” Appearance: 16 years old. 6ft. Bulky build. Mostly muscle instead of fat. Short gray hair. Elephant Faunus- Elephant Ears. Outfit: Necklace with a black feather on it. Gray boots. Gray baggy shorts. Gray sweatshirt. Emblem: Elephant head Emblem Location: Front of sweatshirt Aura Color: Gray Semblance: Flight- Can fly as high or as fast as he wishes. Weapon: Stampede- Spear that turns into rifle, spear tip splits to reveal barrel. Partner: Lyme Pine Origin: Dumbo Lyme Pine- Calm and caring he enjoys nature in all its forms. A love of plants lead him to study botany, he can even use plants and herbs to create medicine in a pinch. He acts as his team’s medic. Likes to call J.J “Big Guy” Appearance: 16 years old - 5ft 3in. Short blackish hair, silver eyes. Slight tan from extended time outdoors. Outfit: Green overalls over a light green top. Brown gloves with floral pattern. Dark green boots. Emblem: A pinecone wrapped in vines Emblem Location: Front of overalls Aura Color: Lime Green Semblance: Aura Vines- Can create vines made out of his aura. These can be used for extending his reach or in combat. As his semblance grows he can add thorns to the vines. Weapon: Harvester- Pitchfork with guns built into the points. After running out of ammo during a training mission he has Harvester upgraded to a rail gun with two settings, small beam (the two middle prongs charge it) and large beam (all four prongs charge it) Partner: J.J Grayson Origin: Jack and the beanstalk First Year Team SNST Shiro Shishi- When Shiro was a child his uncle a crime boss named Kuro Shishi decided to cut loose ends. After personally stabbing Shiro’s father Kin Shishi in the back he sent a trio of assassins after Shiro, leaving the boy for dead. Fortunately a pair of drifters rescued the boy and helped him recover. The pair were retired huntsmen and they trained him until he was accepted to Beacon. Patterning himself after ancient warriors he read about as a boy Shiro is honorable, courageous, and a great leader in battle. He does however have a bad habit of starting inspirational speeches when they aren’t required. Appearance: 15 years old. 5ft 2in. White hair and golden eyes. Lion Faunus. Lion’s mane. Outfit: White samurai armor with golden accents. Armor has a lion theme. Emblem: A roaring lion head Emblem Location: Center of chest armor Aura Color: White Semblance: Power Roar- Creates an omnidirectional shockwave. Weapon: Lion’s Pride- A katana with a lion’s head on the hilt. Can shoot from the lion’s head. Partner: Lie Sif Origin: Kimba The White Lion/The Lion King Noah Rhythm- Growing up in a family of traveling musicians taught him two things, one was the importance of music, the second was how to ward off the creatures of Grimm. After arriving in a village for a show only to discover the villagers slaughtered by the Grimm he swore on the spot to become a huntsman. Appearance: 15 years old. 5ft 3in. Light purple hair and eyes. Outfit: Dark purple shoes. Light purple tunic. Purple cape. Light purple alpine hat with dark purple feather. Emblem: Flute surrounded by music notes Emblem Location: Back of cape. Aura Color: Light purple Semblance: Animal Melody- Can use music to communicate and command animals. No effect on faunus. His flute isn’t required to use his semblance but it amplifies it. Uses it to ask animals for intel when arriving in new places or to get a bird or squirrel to give Tomi a ride. Weapon: Pay the Piper- His flute shoots blasts of sound like Flynt’s trumpet Partner: Tomi Tumbleweed Origin: The Pied Piper Lie Sif- Curious and always eager to learn new things once she gains an interest in a subject she won’t stop until she knows everything about it. As a child her parents would call her their Shining Star. Appearance: 15 years old 5ft. Long light orange hair in ponytail to her left side. Blue eyes. Outfit: Dark pink dress with dark green accents. Armor on legs and along left arm and shoulder. Green quiver on back. Emblem: A green lily within a pink circle Emblem Location: Shoulder armor Aura Color: Magenta Semblance: Alliance- the more friends and allies fighting by her side the stronger her aura. She channels the extra aura into her arrows Weapon: Stormpiercer- A bow and arrow. The bow splits into twin daggers based on her grandfathers and her arrowheads are infused with dust. Partner: Shiro Shishi Origin: Sif Tomi Tumbleweed- The child of tailors they grew up helping their parents with the sewing. They love to keep up with latest fashions even if they know they could never afford any of them. Despite some initial confusion their team fully accepted the fact they’re non-binary. Appearance: 15 years old. 4ft 11in. Short blonde hair. Yellow eyes. Outfit: Tan shoes with yellow socks. Yellow shorts. Tan shirt with yellow suspenders. Emblem: A needle and thread Emblem Location: Buttons of suspenders Aura Color: Tan Semblance: Shrinking- They can shrink to a minimum of one inch high. Their strength remains the same as when they are full sized. Weapon: Needle point. A rapier that can shoot from the point. Partner: Noah Rhythm Origin: Tom Thumb/Thumbelina

#rwby #rwby ocs #rosegarden #white knight #bumbleby #renora

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rogueonme · 5 years

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Be mindful of the ones who´ve made you

Perhaps family dynamics are the most difficult dynamics you ever have to deal with during your life, also, in general we need to deal with family dynamics at a time where we are young and mostly dependent on the ones who have made us and/or are raising us. My first question to me was: Have you generally felt safe in your earliest years? Before I get to this, let’s take a little detour; Whenever a conversation between me and other people stirred into the direction of ‘Do you want children?’ I mostly got the following answers; ‘Yes, I’d like to know what it’s like to be a parent.’ ‘I don’t want to be old and alone and regret not having kids.’ ‘They can take care of me when I’m old so I don’t need to go to a foster home.’ ‘I just want something that really is mine.’ And the occasional: ‘My parents really want to be grandparents and I can’t take that away from them.’

One answer I never got was ‘Well, I am biologically programmed to reproduce, so yeah, sure.’ Which I personally think is the general reason why people have kids, because it is this instinct some of us have, this calling we don’t always understand yet somehow think we need to answer to. That instinct I actually understand, and have felt it myself during a period of time in my life where I thought having children was my highest achievable goal in life. I had always dreamed about having a big family, with a loving husband and plus 4 kids running around in our big mansion, decorating the Christmas tree. Mostly because my family was never a warm nest that kept me safe and they were my only reference to what a family was, and it sucked, so I wanted to erase that and start my own, showing myself how it should be. But having kids is literally bringing a new life into this world on whom you are forcing to experiencing what it is like to have YOU as their parent. You do not have them FOR YOU, they are not YOURS, your part is to dedicate YOU to THEM, and what they choose to do with that as they grow older is not up to you. Also - apart from physically being able to birth or start new life - are you willing to dedicate the biggest part of your life - to someone you have yet to meet, who is their own person and is allowed to make their own decisions one day and will fly out when the time has come? What responsibilities and inheritance have you bestowed upon your unborn child by making the decision of starting new life? One of my cousins had a baby boy and as I stood next to her in the hospital, I saw her lying there with her new born baby in her arms, she looked at him and said; ‘Finally a man who WILL love me.’ Now, I knew that her relationship was shit at that time, and it had been for the past 10 years, and now, years later, that same cousin told me that she wished they never had kids, as it didn't turn out the way she hoped. The husband is still an asshole, the kids are annoying and take up too much of her time and are ‘really hard to handle according to her. They have aggressive outbursts, no respect and push her away when she tried to hold them. I feel bad for all participants in this family dynamic, mostly because while observing them, I see my own family, I can see my own youth flashing before my eyes. During my first 10 years I wasn't kept safe, my parents did not free time to care for us or raise us and I was mostly raised by my grandparents. Resulting that the most guidance I got from my parents was a lot of yelling, screaming, being very angry with us, hitting us, telling us to behave and not act crazy and shut the fuck up or we’ll get another beating. That was most of my youth. My grandparents were there and loved us, yet their dynamics with my parents were so fucked up, that they used (mostly me, because I was the most receptive to their manipulation) us as a pawn in all the fights THEY still had within their family dynamics. I am 34 years old today and last Sunday my mom and grandmother had another huge fight and the first thing they did was trying to get me to form a front with them against the other. I told them, once again, to not drag me into this and have some respect - start communicating properly with each other instead of doing the ‘cold war’ thing through me. I am an adult now and can see what they are doing, but as a child I did not know any better and felt torn between picking sides, that’s what they did to me and they are still not aware of how wrong this is. My mom and my grandmother are the best manipulators on the planet, my dad is mostly absent and when he isn't, he feels the need to bring me down. He can’t beat me up anymore physically, so now he’ll always try with words. So coming back to my first question; I haven't felt safe at all, while growing up, and even today they still don’t know how to keep me safe, because they mostly care about themselves and have all these ulterior motives to why I am existing. It was never for me, it was always for them. Second question to me; Do I love my parents enough to be the bigger person and keep them in my life? This is very important, I believe that if the child needs to generally be the bigger person, something is terribly wrong with the parents. It makes for tired individuals, not able to trust their caretakers and make for very young adults who will raise themselves mostly. Now, at 34, I am still trying to balance how I feel about my parents, because they want me to love them and communicate with them as if we are the closest family that has ever lived. They want to show others how good we are together, when none of us are and I am being dragged into yet another scheme of them to keeping up appearances. I do love them, I don’t know if I can help that, what I did change is needing anything from them, like love and assurance, as I have learned they won’t give it to me and I was tired of always standing there empty handed, feeling unwanted yet again and ignored. The weird part is that if you’d ask my parents if they were good parents, my dad will probably say yes and how he gave me and my sister everything we needed. My mom is a bit more aware of what she did and is mostly sorry, yet not changing her behavior and I had to come to the conclusion that they simply can’t do better and that this was always the most they could give me within their limits, and so yes, they did their best raising me. I understand how their pasts have formed them and although this is an explanation, it is never an excuse and my pain is still my pain. I am here for me, I need to solve this for me, like they should've done before they started to reproduce without asking themselves why. I decided to keep them in my life, I have put up all these boundaries to protect myself against their toxic energy and I am teaching them how to treat me and as I did last Sunday, they didn't take it that well, but fuck it, that is their problem and not mine. Final question to me; Can I evolve passed my past and start seeing myself as an adult? The past is significant, to gain some answers, but there comes a time where we have to keep it in the past, where it belongs. This we can only do once we have expressed how we have experienced it, once we accept for ourselves that what happened was wrong and painful, once we have assured ourselves of it and start to nurture ourselves into healing. But there comes a time in our lives where we can’t use the past any longer to justify why we are who we are today. It is an explanation, still no excuse, and that stage where my parents and grandparents stopped and couldn't evolve any more, that stage I will work through now and have been working through for quite some time. I will communicate my feelings to them and will protect me against them and sure as hell will never make the same mistakes as they made, ever again. I don’t have to stop any forms of contact with them, I know they will be gone one day and until that day I will show them who I am and thank them for giving me life and all these lessons. I am not afraid of how they might affect me any longer, because I am an adult and their tricks don’t work on me anymore. I will mirror them exactly back who I am instead of who they are. This I can state, because I know better now, I have dealt with that situation. and I feel free now and happier. Finally. It is an ongoing thing, on some days handled better than others, but that’s life; Make every day a bit better than yesterday, and we will see about tomorrow.

#family dynamics #family #pain #depression #ptsd #abusive father #abusive family #story #writers creed #writerscreed #writers of tumblr #spilled ink #spilled thoughts #spilled words

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ocean-in-my-rebel-soul · 5 years

Text

Vignettes: Cullen and Josephine

for @elliecee and @dadrunkwriting. I hope you enjoy this rambling thing, dear!

They’ve been at odds since they met. Josephine is nearly positive that he regards her as too... young, perhaps, though he’s not got many years on her. Soft, maybe. Naive isn't the right word--she has a wealth of experience, which he seems to respect--and neither is innocent, but there is a certain... something about her that seems to irk him. Perhaps the instinct not to cleave his way through every obstacle like a Maker-damned battering ram; surely he’s never been accused of being diplomatic, or even of having a sense for handling people. No, Cullen Rutherford is a career soldier, through and through, good at command and combat and woefully lacking in key interpersonal relations skills.

She thinks him painfully obtuse and, honestly, a major source in the migraines she’s developed since joining the Inquisition. Of course, everything looks like a nail, he’s only ever known how to wield a hammer! A big, sharp, dangerous hammer. At first, Josie was glad that Leliana knew him from Before and thought that, with a common friend, she and Cullen could reach some level of friendliness in these fraught times. But oh, was she ever wrong. She has to work two jobs, now: Ambassador on behalf of the Inquisition to the rest of the world, and keeping her fellow advisors from killing each other.

(Josephine has money on Leliana; she knows which way the wind blows on this one.)

Common threads are tenuous in the beginning. They bond over a fondness for tea, particularly a smokey Nevarran blend that she first tried in Val Royeaux in an exclusive tea house, and he in Kirkwall in a rare moment of peace.

Of course, they clash over the proper sweetener. He prefers honey (”Ferelden has the finest apiaries and that’s the truth,” he insists) and she sugar (”I don’t have the time or materials right now to explain to you how wrong you are, but if you take a number I’ll get you a proper presentation.”).

They find themselves in agreement once more when it is discovered that Solas loathes tea, and they immediately become suspicious. Who could hate tea? What did it ever do to you, Solas?

”Probably keeps him awake from all his ‘fade napping’,” Cullen mutters snidely one morning at the breakfast table. “That’d explain why he can get so... sharp.”

“I think that’s the most observant thing you’ve said all week,” Leliana remarks. She snags a scone from the central basket and ‘accidentally’ knocks Cullen’s arm into his trencher. She outright ignores the glare he sends her.

Josephine tuts at the display and rearranges the dining table before reaching for the sugar bowl and finding it empty. She blinks balefully at it and also ignores Cullen, who eyes her from across the table as she contemplates the prospects of an unbalanced cup of tea.

She sighs. “Would you please pass the honey?”

Cullen smirks, just a little, his upper lip pulled askew by the scar that so neatly splits it, and slides the small pot of honey. Josephine drips a trail over her own scone first before letting herself sully her tea, but she does.

She stirs and takes a resigned sip. Cullen watches her.

Maker, she hates him. He might just be right, Fereldan honey is much better than Orlesian. Less cloying, less floral, more… robust, somehow. How, when it’s just... bee mess? What could possibly produce such a vast difference?

“And how is your tea, Lady Montilyet?” Cullen asks, all smarmy and cocksure.

She glances at him over the rim of her mug. “It’s fine,” she replies curtly, “perfectly adequate, though, like many things here, lacking in refinement.” She drains her cup and pours herself another as Leliana and Cullen snipe at each other again. Cassandra and the Inquisitor both roll their eyes and ignore the squabbling children that are their colleagues.

It’s going to be one of those days--Josephine can tell by the tension brewing behind her eyes.

She has an eye for strategy, he has to admit, though it’s a far cry from his idea of being strategic. Cullen has walked in on Josie and Cassandra or Leliana discussing options over the war table, before their scheduled meetings, and sometimes he lingers by the door, listening.

“Going through is fine and well if we want to declare ourselves brutish warlords, but if we divert our forces around,” Josephine says, and he can hear the faint scrape of a marker sliding across the map, “we can funnel our soldiers through the valley here undetected. Offer to host a ball in their hall to provide a distraction, thus establishing our relations with the ruling house, and move our troops through the edge of their territory at the same time with no one the wiser. We could even disguise some as security, with the suspected Venatori goings-on happening in that region. Honestly, it doesn’t have to be an either-or situation.”

Cullen scowls at the exasperation in Josephine’s voice.

“Hmm.” Leliana, he imagines, lurks over the table with the flinty-eyed stare she’s perfected. “I think you might be right. This is a better option.” She cackles. “I can’t wait for you to show Cullen, he’ll--”

He strides into the room, interrupting what is, without a doubt, an insult at his expense. Cassandra and Josephine jump. Leliana only crosses her arms over her chest with a smug look he’d love to wipe off her face. “Good morning, ladies.”

“Good morning, Commander,” Josephine says. “We’re still waiting for the Inquisitor, I expect they’ll join us in a moment. Have you given further consideration of our options in the east?”

He makes a show of studying the war table map and, as Leliana so happily crowed, Josephine’s changes are... are quite workable, actually. “I have, and I see you have, as well.” Cullen frowns and compares the map with the details he knows. No, this will work quite well. “This is a good solution,” he says, “more smoke and mirrors than I personally prefer--”

“We know,” Leliana interrupts.

He glares at her for a moment before turning his attention back to Josephine. “But it is a good workaround, nonetheless. I would be happy to support your plan before the Inquisitor, Lady Josephine.”

She beams and relaxes, all at once far younger than she had a moment ago. It’s a good look on her.

Dorian begs out of a game with the Commander and goads Josephine into playing instead. She’s not entirely sure how she let herself be talked into it, but here they are. The garden is coming along under the Inquisitor’s loving hand and the spare time they manage, though the day to day activities are overseen by other staff.

“I didn’t know you play chess, Lady Josephine,” Cullen says, arranging the board. “When could you possibly have time for a game?”

“I haven’t since before I left Val Royeaux, unfortunately. It was a favored pastime during my tenure at court.” She smiles. Oh, how she adored Val Royeaux, with all its secrets and gossip! Of course, that fondness is a touch spoiled now, with the renunciation of the Inquisition and the reluctance for the major players to back their efforts. She’s the first to admit--sometimes the Game is a tedious, odious affair.

“My mother taught me to play when I was a child,” Josie continues, shaking her head of her errant thoughts. “She believed wholeheartedly in her children having sharp minds.”

They trade moves back and forth, feeling each other out, reluctant to capture pawns unless necessary. She slides her Revered Mother ahead and traps his king with a neat pin.

“I...” Cullen squints at the board. His hand comes up to rub nervously at his jaw. “I don’t think I... no, I believe that’s checkmate. Brava, Lady Josephine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that move.”

Josephine grins. “A trick Mamá taught me. I could show it to you again if you’d care to lose once more.”

Cullen blinks, surprised, then bursts into laughter. His smile is wide and easy, and he is the most relaxed Josie has seen him in their long months as colleagues. “You’re on,” he says and resets the board.

A tray of cookies is sent to his office every time the chef makes their all-but-famous Ferelden shortbread, courtesy of the kitchen staff on behalf of an unnamed benefactor. At first, Cullen had tried to ferret out the information, intent on thanking them himself. (And perhaps gently letting down whomever it was, if the person was some secret admirer, especially if they were among his own troops. He has no time for... things, and such a gap in authority and power dynamics would surely be immoral, among other considerations.) Unfortunately for his nerves, whoever organized such gifts has made themselves as elusive as cats in a storm. Cullen resigns himself to sharing his bounty; even if it only assuages his own sense of propriety, it still is a good deed.

He brings today’s tray to the war room, forgets something in his office, and leaves it upon the table that sits in the hallway outside Josephine’s office. He comes back and walks in to hear Josephine’s thoughtful musing as she takes a cookie.

“Hm, I thought I had asked for a single tray, not two...”

“One what? Oh, my apologies, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

She chokes on a bite and frantically waves off his rush to aid her. Josephine turns and coughs, shakes her shoulders, and sets herself back to rights when she catches her breath. “Excuse all... that,” Josephine mutters. “I must have misspoken to the kitchen staff, I’ll have to remember to send another token of thanks.”

Cullen cocks his head. “About the cookies...?”

She nods. “Yes. I don’t recall asking for a second tray for myself, but I must have, seeing as they were left by my office. Hm.”

“I, oh. I had received a gift this afternoon. Well, one of a handful, as of late.” He frowns slightly as she makes a note among her papers. “Do you mean to say that you’ve been my secret cookie benefactor all this time?”

Josephine pauses in her notes and looks for all the world like a startled doe. “Oh,” she says, a soft little noise, glancing up at him. “Well. Yes.” Her dress moves in a hush against the table as she shifts. “I had thought to thank you, after something or another, and I heard they were your favorite.” Josephine scowls. “Though I’m sure that Varric was telling another of his tall tales when he said why they’re your favorite, or how he knows that fact.”

Cullen scrubs his hands down his face with a groan. “Do I want to know?” he asks, plaintive. “I’m torn. I’m honestly torn.”

“He said you took them as a bribe during your tenure in Kirkwall--”

“I did no such thing!”

“--so that Hawke and his cohort could avoid being taken to the Gallows.”

He falters. Hawke was a good man, despite being a mage, despite his being an insufferable ass--and that’s before everything happened there, in the end, with Anders and Meredith and everything else Cullen tries so hard to push away and not to let haunt him. He hadn’t officially known Hawke was an apostate for years, and by then Hawke was sure to avoid him. Cullen had been unaware that Hawke had stayed in Kirkwall until the business with the Qunari and the Arishok had come to a head, and soon after that, Meredith declared Hawke Champion of Kirkwall, rendering him nigh untouchable without risking a full-blown riot.

Had he ever received such gifts? He was in Kirkwall a good many years and was quickly promoted up the ranks to be Meredith’s rabid dog (Knight Captain, Cullen corrects himself venomously, though didn’t it amount to the same thing, all told?)...

Cullen wracks his brain, staring with growing horror at the cookies. Can he recall, truthfully, whether he would have done such a thing?

Hawke had a nasty habit of getting what he wanted, mage or not.

“I... On second thought, I cannot say whether or not that is true,” Cullen mutters. His blood runs like ice in his veins. “I... I can’t. If you’ll excuse me, I need a moment.”

He leaves Josephine in the war room, her own stunned expression a mirror of his own.

The cookies cease, and he’s never been so grateful to miss out.

A later conversation with Varric clears his name (”I said that Hawke had sent you cookies after a job with one of your boys went squirrelly and you didn’t have him thrown in prison. He was trying to thank you for saving his life, Curly!”) but the idea still haunts Cullen. It does look suspicious, didn’t it? Shouldn’t it have, if it doesn’t? He was Knight-Captain of the Gallows, by all rights he should have had Hawke taken to the Circle. But he didn’t.

He broke his oath, at any rate; whether the now-remembered gifts of cookies were a bribe or payment is a separate, but related, charge against him.

He brings the admission to the war council in a special convening. The Inquisitor pardons him with soft eyes and a quiet voice (can they do that, Cullen wonders, can they just undo years of damage he had wrought, absolve him with a single word based on his only excuse?), and he feels ashamed, the guilt a heavy yoke he will never unclasp. He begs that they give it further thought and render their decision.

“I can be ready to leave the keep in an hour, if it pleases you, Your Worship,” he offers.

Josephine follows when he bows and excuses himself from the room for their further deliberation.

“Cullen,” she calls, and he pauses, startled. It is time enough for her to catch up to him in the breezeway.

“How could you trust me, knowing that?” he asks. It comes out rough, wet, and he blinks back a sudden sheen of tears. “I was charged with a sacred duty and let myself fail in it, Josephine. What if things had gone badly and Garrett Hawke became a--a blood mage or a murderer, what then? If I had taken him in, would Kirkwall have become the mess it did? Would lives have been saved if I did my duty?”

“You were young.”

“That’s no excuse.”

Josephine’s hand reaches for his arm and he turns towards her, a little wild around the edges. She slows but continues, ultimately landing upon the cold steel of his vambrace. Her fingers trace the Templar sword that lays etched deep into the metal.

“You tried,” she says. “You... you tried, and made a decision that ultimately saved a young man’s life. Who knows what would have happened if you didn’t? We can’t know that,” she stresses when Cullen makes to protest. “What we do now is important. What you do now is important.”

Cullen forces himself to take a breath. “Did you... Did you come to a conclusion? With the Inquisitor?” Josephine nods, slowly, and he’s not sure what fate he’d prefer.

“Cassandra noted that it was a mark of compassion if it was a deliberate choice, or an unfortunate oversight if it was not, though she did so through clenched teeth. I feel she has a, hm, internal conflict in this affair.”

He snorts weakly. Cassandra and the Inquisitor have been making cow eyes at each other from across every table since she released them from their shackles at Haven; she puts herself and her shield between them and danger, and they raise barriers over her and throw fireballs at all who would dare to bear arms against Cassandra. They hadn’t spoken of it, to his knowledge, or at least hadn’t gone public with any relationship if they had, but it was none of his business in the first place.

“They really are something.” Cullen wipes away a frustrated tear. “My apologies,” he mutters, turning away to dry his face. “And Leliana?”

“She was, perhaps, the most surprised. Leliana will never be your best friend or staunchest supporter, but she does not demand your head on a pike, so take that as you will.”

They quiet. A breeze whistles through the open wall, ruffling the fabric of her skirt. He bites his lip.

“And you?” Cullen finally asks. “What is your opinion, Lady Montilyet?”

She hesitates and his stomach plummets.

“I think,” she starts, “I think you were in a position to make a choice, and you did. And it ultimately saved Serah Hawke’s life and spared him from the Gallows, and he went on to defeat the Arishok and stemmed the tide of the Qunari invasion.”

“You think the ends justify the means?”

“I think you beat yourself up about this to an unreasonable extent. It was years ago. Yes,” she concedes, “it might look askew if it got out, but even if it did, we can handle it. Hawke is a personal friend of Varric, who sits in the Inquisitor’s confidence. Even Cassandra thinks highly of the Champion and his heroic deeds, and she’s a Seeker.”

Josephine pauses and shuffles on her feet. “I think you made a decision that likely was the best at the time, given what I now know. And that Hawke, despite all accounts saying he was a horrible baker, had made cookies for you that were delivered to your office. And that you likely enjoyed them in private, since any answer as to where they came from would be suspect. Who could begrudge a man a touch of home while he is away? I don’t think you were wrong, Cullen,” Josephine says. “What is right and what is lawful are not always the same things.”

Cullen purses his lips, biting them to assuage his worry. “I forgot,” he admits, “that there was a time when I knew who Hawke was before his magehood was a common fact. Kirkwall was a mess, even before the—” he trails off and pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Before everything. There was always so much to be done, and the Gallows… I didn’t see it then. I didn’t want to see it then, but it was a… it was a prison, truly, even more so than Circles must be. It didn’t care that any man or woman or child could have been good and lawful. They all could have been exemplary people, but for the circumstance of their birth, and it wouldn’t have mattered. It didn’t matter. It just broke everyone down, and I had a hand in it. Both hands, even.”

Josephine doesn’t interrupt, only makes soft noises that punch like any tavern brawler. Cullen walks the short distance to the wall on wobbly legs and leans against the stone’s strength. The words tumble from him unbidden, like a font built up, pressure spilling from every crack in his foundation.

“I can’t remember if they were a bribe or a gift, those cookies. They had come for months, and I can’t recall if they’d had a note or anything, and I can’t--I can’t say it wasn’t. I can’t say that I had simply overlooked the use of magic, that I was distracted, that I failed to do my due diligence. He had helped me and my men--had even rescued a recruit from the thrall of blood magic, and later advocated for his job security when I was fully prepared to not give the lad a chance, just in case. Did I deliberately put Kirkwall at risk? I don’t know. I don’t know, Josephine, and I am afraid.”

“It is in the past,” she says. “You have to decide what you will learn from this, and how you will move forward.”

He can’t look at her. He can’t look at her, he, the Commander of the Inquisition, offered this power and authority built on the lawful crimes he had witnessed and committed against the people he was supposed to protect. Templars were supposed to help, and he wanted to--Maker, how he wanted to, and Andraste save him, he thought he was.

That, perhaps, is the worst about it, how mindless he was to his own rage and pain. He sees now how Knight-Commander Meredith had manipulated his fears, but that he went along with her madness for years will never be absolved.

“Thank you,” he mutters. “It doesn’t sound like the Inquisitor has changed their mind, then.”

“No, they haven’t. You are still welcome to reside as the Commander of the Inquisition’s forces. And I hope you do.”

“Do you, then?”

Josephine steps closer, not touching but deliberately halving the meager distance between them, and he feels compelled to look up at the gentle smile that graces her face. “I would hate to have to find a new chess partner,” she offers shyly.

He snorts at that and rakes his palm over his face. “I would, too.” Josephine’s smile grows and Cullen can’t help but answer it in kind.

===

Originally posted to my Patreon. Like this piece? Get early access to fics and special prompt fills for as little as $1!

Reblogs and comments/likes are welcome and wholly appreciated!

#Dragon Age: Inquisition #Cullen Rutherford #Josephine Montilyet #DA:I #DAI #Cullen x Josephine #Cullen & Josephine #Soulrebel writes #not necessarily shippy but easily could be the beginning of something #vignettes #ish #reblogs welcome and appreciated!#prompt fills #da drunk writing circle

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mobius-prime · 4 years

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99. Sonic the Hedgehog #60

Arsenal of the Iron King

Writer/Pencils: Frank Strom Colors: Barry Grossman

This is another one of those issues that introduces someone who would appear to be a one-off character, but ends up later becoming a major player. I won't spoil it for those who don't already know, but just go ahead and pay attention to some of the people introduced here and see if you can guess.

Sonic and Tails are continuing their adventure, this time flying not by plane but by Tails' namesakes, when they encounter a mountain that is completely engulfed in flame, yet somehow isn't burning the forest around it. They quickly become exhausted by the heat and land in a nearby village, hoping to get some water and answers.

Seeing the dire state of things in this land, Sonic suggests the residents of the village simply pack up and leave, but an old Mobian lion nearby shoots that idea down. He introduces himself as Li Yuen, and the girl as Li Moon (the whole area is given a very Chinese flavor, and indeed was revealed to be in not-Asia later in the comic), and explains why the mountain is burning like this.

Truer words have never spoken of thyself, Sonic. They begin heading towards the Iron King and Queen's fortress to retrieve the fan, but the two see them coming - the Iron King appears to be a massive Mobian bull, while the Iron Queen is a normal human (er, Overlander) woman, making this comic years ahead of Sonic '06 as far as portraying interspecies relationships. The king and queen send out a pawn of theirs to intercept Sonic and Tails, and the pawn turns out to be none other than Monkey Khan himself, brainwashed to do their bidding!

I really like Sonic's line about Monkey Khan being a "harmless psycho," honestly. I don't know, something about it strikes me as hilarious, especially because it does basically describe Monkey Khan in these earlier issues. Anyway, the Iron Queen makes the mistake of showing up in person to egg Monkey Khan on and taunt Sonic, and while Khan is distracted cornering Sonic at the edge of a cliff while the queen heeheehees maliciously, Tails dives for her staff, knocking the magic crystal off of it and robbing her of her control over Khan. She flies away on her cool-ass floating tech platform in anger as Khan comes to, and Tails points out that it appears she was using the power of some magic rings to exert control.

Now with Monkey Khan along to help their mission, they head into the imposing-looking fortress to search for the king's arsenal. They find it fairly easily, but of course, the king arrives to try to beat them down. Tails goes searching while Sonic and Monkey Khan fight back against the king, and soon, sure enough, Tails finds the thing they're looking for.

Wow, it's that easy? You'd think this guy would have had it better locked up if it's this powerful, man. With the Iron King blown away, Khan gives Sonic a ride above the mountain on his magic cloud, and despite the queen reappearing to try to stop them with more magic, Sonic blows the fan onto the mountain, putting out the entire fire at once without issue. The queen flies away promising future revenge, and the three heroes return to the village to let Li Yuen and Moon know about their success. And apparently, Monkey Khan's a pretty special guy!

You don't say, Sonic! Seriously, everyone in the comic at this point has some kind of mystical prophecy surrounding them except Sonic. But then again, you could say that's what makes him so special and interesting as a main character - that in a world of prophecies and chosen ones, he's just an ordinary guy with extraordinary powers, who's determined to keep saving the world even though he doesn't necessarily have to. Just another reason why I love Sonic as a character, man.

The Ultimatum

Writer/Colors: Ken Penders Pencils: Manny Galan

All right, ready to see Sally's night ruined, everyone? Her father calls her into his room, and he mentions how she's been avoiding him lately, admonishing her for "questioning his judgment" ever since the "let's dismantle all the Robians" incident. Despite her protestations, which are totally, 100% reasonable considering that she had witnessed her father calling for the Robians' mass murder not once but twice not too long ago, he opens a closet and leads her into the secret passage hidden within, much to her amazement.

Sure enough, he leads her into the room containing the pool of the Source of All, mentioning that she should have undergone this ritual when she was ten years old, but due to the war he was unable to ensure such - but now that he's back, he intends to have her complete the ritual now. Also, apparently she'd be the first female Acorn to undergo the rite, a detail which seems a little unnecessary to include. I mean, there's been really no indication within the worldbuilding of this universe so far that sexism is really an issue, no one's ever questioned any female character's abilities just because of their gender (barring that one really bizarre issue that made Robotnik out to be a misogynist, also penned by Penders, shockingly enough), so what, did the Acorn line just have a general propensity towards having male babies or something until now? Penders wrote this into the Guardians' history as well, with Janelle-Li being the only female Guardian in the line's unbroken history, again with no real precedent in the worldbuilding. It just seems odd and I don't really have a good explanation for it other than Penders' own unacknowledged biases.

But I digress. Sally is immediately ready to fulfill her duties until the king interrupts her to say that once she undergoes the rite, she will need to think about marriage so she will have a suitable king to rule alongside her one day. She waffles a little, mentioning how she's not ready to get married yet and how "Sonic would run for the hills if I even mentioned the subject," and the king practically explodes, yelling at her about how Sonic is absolutely out of the question. Apparently, the Acorn line just loooooves arranged marriage, with the king's own wife having been chosen for him when he was eleven and their marriage commencing on his eighteenth birthday. Sally is still a bit confused and uncertain until her father mentions Antoine being a good fit for her husband, at which point she loses it and starts shouting at him in anger.

Okay, honestly? Good for her. I mentioned before how this whole thing seems incredibly cult-like, and I fully believe that the only reason this thing has been going on for so long without any issues is because all the future monarchs are essentially tricked into bonding with the Source of All when they're too young to understand what such a thing would entail. King Acorn even mentioned this to Dr. Quack in that earlier issue, that at the time he was just instructed to dunk himself under the surface of the liquid, but that he "didn't know at the time" that he'd bonded with the Source. Now the king is facing resistance from his daughter, and I'd wager the reason is because she's actually had it explained to her what such a thing would mean, not to mention that she's been an independent and strong leader from the very beginning without him, since he was lost at the beginning of the war. She's had almost her entire childhood to make her own decisions and grow into her own vision of a leader, and now that her father is back and trying to exert his more traditionalist control over her, she's fighting back. She's being put into a very hard situation, torn between her traditional duties and her belief in her own independence - ironically, in a way, life was easier for her when her father was still missing.

Furthermore, that last line of the king's is a little bizarre and ominous - his "other option"? Who or what could he be referring to? I wouldn't be surprised if some people thought that the other option was Geoffrey given the "Next: Geoffrey" text right next to him, but no, it's not him. He doesn't have the precious royal blood, after all. *sigh* *grumble* Stupid monarchy…

#nala reads archie sonic preboot #archie sonic #archie sonic preboot #sonic the hedgehog #sth 60 #writer: frank strom #writer: ken penders #pencils: frank strom #pencils: manny galan #colors: barry grossman #colors: ken penders

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csstorybook · 7 years

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4x13 Unforgiven The Best in You

A collaborative story written by @allofthismatters @flslp87 @ilovemesomekillianjones @ohmakemeahercules and artwork by @hopeandbeans

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An introspective look at both Emma and Killian’s thoughts from the time he leaves after not telling her anything about Ursula to the time her parents catch them. Rating - K

After leaving Pinocchio with Marco, Emma planned to make her way back to the station to continue looking through the ATM videos, but somehow her thoughts took her a different direction and she found herself at the docks. They had become a place that she gravitated toward whenever her thoughts were muddled and she needed to sort through something. Today, it seemed there were multiple situations that needed her attention, but none more so than her conversation. or lack thereof with one close-mouthed pirate. When he arrived at the station with her lunch, and she had immediately tested him about whether he was bringing her french fries or onion rings, she had wanted to kick her behind for continuing to put him through hoops; but when he had grinned and rubbed her shoulder, she had relaxed and silently promised herself to behave. Why then had she immediately put him on the spot about Ursula? Was she jealous? No, that didn’t feel right, but something about his reticence to talk about Ursula immediately brought all her insecurities to the surface.

As she watched the birds fly over the water she thought about how free they looked and wished she could be as free with the giving of her trust and of her feelings. Her past still had a hold on her and those walls, while she knew they were falling down a piece at a time, and much of it was due to Killian’s persistence, she also knew that there were some instances when it appeared to be one step down and two steps back up. Today’s conversation with him left her feeling very unsettled as it was so different than most of their conversations had been recently. He was usually the one trying to get her to open up and this time, he had shut her down with, “I don’t know what else to say.” Why had she crossed her arms over her chest, her body position exuding mistrust and not shown patience with him like he has always shown with her?

~♥~

It was times like this that Killian longed for the familiarity of his ship most. He needed refuge from the onslaught of shame over the most current disaster he'd brought upon Emma, in the form of a sea witch who was only a danger because of what he did to her.

He sat on the beach and dug his nails into his scalp. He should be used to past misdeeds seeping into his present by now, but somehow, he was not.

He’d never get used to the way she shrank back into herself when she knew he was hiding something, how she stopped looking at him like he was safe, like she was preparing to be hurt beyond measure again. It undid him and made him want to hold her face and beg her to understand that he loved her so much his bones ache with it, that he’d spend his life proving he could be counted on, if only she’d be patient while he processed all this himself first.

But how could he think he was deserving of anyone’s trust or patience, after what he did to Ursula?

He's committed horrors of all kinds, but his wrongdoings against the young mermaid made him feel especially unworthy of Emma's confidence. He'd made Ursula a promise, looked her in the eye and vowed that she could rely on him. And instead, he'd stolen her voice like it was nothing. He'd felt genuine respect and affection for her... her fire and ambition had reminded him of Milah a bit, and he’d turned her into nothing but a pawn in his own depraved agenda. Hardly better than the Dark One himself.

He needed to tell Emma, and he hated it. Hated that in his most recent conversation with her he'd been so evasive because she'd caught him off guard, and he simply had no excuse for what a monster he'd been in his long life. He was fairly certain she would forgive him, because she was so fiercely good, but whether he deserved it is another story. He wanted to be more for her than a constant parade of old sins needing absolution.

Sighing deeply, he stood and headed back to the station.

~♥~

A feeling of chagrin stole over her as she realized that she had treated him unfairly. He didn’t deserve the brunt of her insecurities, he already had to deal with townsfolk not giving him the benefit of the doubt. She knew there was nothing going on between him and Ursula now. She also knew that no matter what had happened between them it would have no bearing on the man she knows now. It wouldn’t change how she feels for him. In fact, of that she is positive, because no matter what, she’s certain there is a line he wouldn’t cross where a lady is concerned.

Thinking back on the conversation she’d just had with her parents it dawned on her that she needed to take a page out of their book. If they could choose to see the best in everyone, including villains, then it is the least she could do for Killian. Deep down she already saw the very best in him, she just needed him to know that. She’d let her self-doubt and emotions shake her faith in him.

Shit, she thought. She needed to fix this and fast, who knew when the next crisis was going to rear its ugly head. Emma took a deep breath of the fresh ocean air to center herself. Digging her phone out of her pocket she dialed Killian, then held her breath hoping he would answer. By the fourth ring she was losing hope that he’d accept her phone call.

“Hello.”

“Killian!” she exclaimed into the phone.

“Is everything okay, love?”

“Yes,” she said breathlessly. She’d held her breath a little longer than she’d intended to, and now she was feeling a little dizzy. It wasn’t just the lack of oxygen though. It hit her then that she’d been more worried than she thought. Worried that this would be the time that Killian had finally run out of patience. That he was finally going to decide that her walls weren’t worth scaling. She shook her head, refocusing and shooing away the negativity. “Would you be willing to meet me at the station?”

~♥~

Just as Killian resolved to set the record straight with Emma, his phone buzzed in his jeans pocket. “Bloody hell,” he growled. He'd never get used to the sudden interruptions phone calls caused. Especially when he was in deep thought or concentrating, like now. He survived hundreds of years without being instantaneously accessible and quite frankly could do a hundred more.

Once he'd recovered from the shock, he glanced at the caller i.d., Emma’s name appeared. He sighed. This was too coincidental. How did she know he was about to confess? Could this woman read minds, too? Don't answer it. Give her a taste of her own medicine. No, she deserves to know the truth at all costs. He drew a breath and answered, “Hello?”

“Killian!” she blurted out. She never said his name that way. Something was obviously bothering her.

He frowned. “Is everything okay, love?”

“Yes,” she replied.

No, it's not Swan. You're worried; the anxiety is prevalent in your tone.

She continued, “Would you be willing to meet me at the station?”

“Umm, sure. Any particular reason?”

“I've had a lot on my mind today, and need to talk about it with you.”

Uh oh, the dreaded ‘we need to talk’ line. In all his encounters with women over the years, he'd learned that phrase rarely meant good things, and the subject matter would be serious in nature. “Like what?”

“Certain expectations and being honest about them.”

Now she’s playing the evasive game, huh? “Okay.”

“Just come over here as soon as possible. I’d rather talk in person.”

“As you wish, Swan. I’ll be there shortly.”

“See you then.”

Killian groaned as they hung up. One step forward, five steps back with Emma. Maybe she’d decided he wasn’t worthy anymore. He was too broken, too far gone, too much of a monster to consider loving. Even if this was the end, he wanted to finish on the side of good. Damn, why did he have to be honorable now? Sometimes it was much easier to burn bridges and never think about the issue again. Alas, this was the path he’d chosen. Heroes always tell the truth.

He glanced up at the night sky. I hope you’re proud, Liam. I’m becoming the man you believed I was. Now was the perfect time to prove him right, and Killian didn’t intend to pass it up.

~♥~

After Killian had promised to come by the station, Emma hung up the phone and shoved it in her back pocket. Her palms were sweating and her pulse was racing and just sitting behind her desk made her feel she was going to jump out of her skin. Standing, she paced. Ten steps forward, ten steps back, over and over again until she heard the front door to the station open. Needing to look busy, she hurried to the filing cabinet, grabbed a file and pretended to look through it as she listened to his footsteps coming down the hall.

Taking a deep breath for courage, Killian rounded the corner into the station, “Well, Swan, why did you summon me?”

Here goes nothing, she thought as he posed the question. Making it her motto, she repeated, don’t screw this up several times in quick succession before turning to answer him. “Because I know there’s something about your past with Ursula you’re not telling me...” she began.

She’s right, he thought, and once I tell you what it is, you will no longer wish to have anything to do with me. A possibility that had been eating at his insides since their earlier conversation.

And finished, “And that’s ok.” She noted the hopeful expression on his face and continued, “What’s not ok, is you lying to me about it.” She watched his face, seeing no change in expression except to note that whatever had happened, was not something that he seemed to want to discuss. Which when she thought about it was odd, as he had never been one to shy away from any of his villainous deeds, owning them completely.

His first thought when she said that she didn’t care about this past had been that it was a trick, for that wasn’t what had happened with women in the past. But then again, he should have known that Emma Swan was no ordinary woman and when you are in a relationship with a woman such as her, all rules were new, often being made up as the relationship progresses. Hearing that she is ok with my past as long as I tell her about the past is a new and unique experience. What to say?

“Aye, love, you’re right.”

She wasn't sure if he'd continue, and it almost startled her when he did.

"I haven't been entirely forthright with you."

Her gut churned at the mere words, an automatic response. How many times had she heard words like that only to have her life promptly uprooted and left in tatters because of someone's dishonesty? Enough that it drowned out the part of her that felt safe and sure of his devotion to her.

She fought down the cold panic creeping up her neck and wrestled away the persistent, cruel mocking in the back of her mind. You thought this one was 'different', didn't you? What good have you ever been at picking out the ones that'll stay?

"The truth is, I remember my history with Ursula. It was early." She tried to focus on his voice, but the pounding in her head only grew as he approached her. She steeled her face and threw the question at him without thinking.

"Did you break her heart?"

The question was so quick and direct that it felt like whiplash. He heard her real question: Are you about to break my heart? He hated having her look at him like that; like she was still afraid, after all they'd been through, that he'd turn on her. It left him with a sudden flare of red-hot frustration--what in hell was it going to take to make her understand how much he loved her—that was quickly quelled by compassion. If she was so willing to forgive his unspeakable deeds, he could certainly be patient with her freezing up and shutting down. In a way, yes, he did break Ursula’s heart, but not in the way Emma meant right now, so he gave her the honest, plain truth.

"Worse."

He let the word linger in the air, and forced himself to meet her eyes and study her face. He looked for fear or disgust, but simply found resolve.

“Look, whatever you did, you’re not that person anymore. It’s not gonna change anything between us.”

The enormity of her words didn’t escape him. It was her heart and her blind trust, laid bare for him with a bravery that made his heart ache with pride in her. It was a gift which he both desperately wanted and wasn’t sure he could ever deserve. Killian opened his mouth to speak, then paused, trying to comprehend what he was hearing. “That’s quite a lot of faith you’re putting on me, Swan,” Killian pointed out. He shook his head as though doubting himself on Emma’s behalf. Did he even deserve to hope that she might actually mean it?

“I know,” she answered lightly, “and there’s a reason for it.” Emma took her baffled pirate’s hand and led him to the couch. She hated that she had put that look of self-doubt on his face, that she’d made him question his own worthiness. That’s why she was going to fix this.

“What’s that?” he asked, still quite certain that regardless of what she had to say, there was no way she was forgiving him this misdeed. His stomach churned with the memories of what he’ done to Ursula, all in pursuit of his damned vengeance.

“My parents. I had this moment today where I doubted them… said they were going for a hike, and I actually thought they were lying to me.” Emma thought back to her conversation with her parents. She chastised herself for doubting them, and doubting Killian. She had to stop this pattern.

Killian didn’t miss the look of disbelief in her own actions that passed over her features, and he yearned for her to have the same faith in him. Wished he’d earned the same faith. “Were they?” he asked, already knowing the answer. Their royal highnesses were above lying, they’d have to have something to hide. Now there’s a dubious concept, he thought.

“No, of course not, my parents would never lie to me,” she said, almost like it had been silly to think otherwise. “But the fact that I could think that they would it reminded me that I have this tendency… to expect the worst of people.” Emma couldn’t help but think of just how true this was when it came to Killian. He might be the person who’d bore the brunt of her doubt in others. She’d started their entire relationship on that path when she’d handcuffed him up on the beanstalk. Even though her lie detector had told her he was genuine, she’d still chosen to believe the worst. Shame flooded when she thought about the time she’d wasted since them. Time that they could’ve been together, really together.

Killian heard the dejected tone she took on when she mentioned how she tended to view the world, and the people in it. It broke his heart because he knew exactly where those feelings stemmed from. He knew what it was like to feel as though you couldn’t trust anyone but yourself, and that there was no one out there for you. He continued to listen as she explained herself, still in awe of her turnaround, and hopeful for what it could mean for them.

“My childhood, people were always letting me down, and I-“

“Hey,” he interrupted, needing to tell her that she couldn’t categorize him with those who’d broken her heart throughout her entire life. Anger coursed through him, directed at all who’d hurt this tough lass. He wasn’t that man, if he did nothing else right in his long life, he’d do right by Emma Swan. It only took looking into her eyes to calm the quelling emotions. “I don’t intend to let you down,” he vowed.

Warmth flowed through Emma’s veins. No one had told her that before; life had merely handed her one hardship after another. Killian had proved himself worthy several times over, even when she didn’t give him credit. "I know. And I know whatever happened with that sea witch, you can tell me on your own time. Because no matter what, I’m gonna do what my parents always do. I am going to choose to see the best in you."

I don’t deserve this amount of trust. But I’ll spend my life assuring your faith in me was correctly placed. He bowed his head and said, “And I with you.”

The couple smiled at each other and leaned in for a kiss-

CRASH! Moment lost, Emma turned toward the station front. Her bemused parents stood in the doorway. Of all times to interrupt…. we were having a relationship developing moment. Could you have arrived five minutes later?

What the…? Perplexed her lips weren't on his, Killian opened his eyes and glanced at the intruders. Snow and David. While he respected the queen and king, they were the last individuals he wanted to see at the moment. Blimey, what's a bloke have to sacrifice for some privacy around here? Their firstborn child?

Emma smiled apologetically and mouthed, “Later.”

Killian nodded. I'd like to have a word. No, this relationship is too new. I don't want to cast myself in a worse light than I already am or seem demanding. He bit his lips as Emma stood up and her parents walked in the room. David blatantly cleared his throat and Snow’s cheeks flushed fresh pink.

“Sorry… we didn't mean to… interrupt,” Snow stammered.

Emma’s eyes narrowed. “So, you stood there awkwardly and stared at us the whole time?”

David sighed. “Sorry, but we have bad news. Cruella and Ursula were up to something. They've resurrected Maleficent.”

“Wait. You mean that dragon I killed and took True Love potion from?”

The conversation shifted to Storybrooke’s latest villain filled emergency.

Twenty minutes later, the couple was alone again. Emma noticed Killian was filled with tension. He wasn't the only one with unresolved business. To Hell with being the Savior, I want to kiss my pirate. “You okay?”

“Sorry Swan, I'm still vexed from earlier.”

“I'm really sorry about that. I didn't know they were there.”

“Not your fault. You don't control other people’s actions. However, I worry it'll set a precedent.”

Emma stepped forward, inches from his face. “What do you mean?”

“Say things continue to go well between us, it could escalate into more intimate activities. If caught, your father would give me a fate worse than death.”

Emma nodded. She pictured her and Killian naked in her bed at the loft when David opened the door with a horrified expression. “Don't worry, I’ll talk to them about boundaries. I'm sure magic has spells that soundproof rooms. Now, kiss me pirate.”

“If the lady insists,” he replied with a devilish grin. The kiss sealed the vows previously exchanged.

Afterwards, they pushed their foreheads together. “May I come back to your room with you?” she asked.

That can’t be right. She’s asking me. I should be asking her. “Are you sure, lass?”

Emma smiled. “I’ve never wanted anything else more.”

#cssb vol 2 #ouat 4x13

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etc-greys · 6 years

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Season 14 Episode 8: Out of Nowhere

Songs of the Episode:

You’re Dreaming by Wolf Parade

Synopsis:

It’s the big one, it’s the Season 14 Mid-Season Finale! I don’t know if I can wait until the Jan 18th! Anywho, let’s dive in...

The episode opens with a shirtless Ben prepping for the fire academy. Meanwhile Mer is getting interviewed after winning the Harper Avery, to which she’s unimpressed and feels a bit tortured with their questions. JO GOT CHIEF RESIDENT!! As she practices the speech she plans to give her interns with Alex, she is trying to embody her inner Bailey (aka trying to be scary), but he comically admits that unfortunately she’s not scary. They’re interrupted by the sound of Deluca and Sam in the on call room, something that has been happening a lot recently (bow-chicka-wow-wow).

Carina, Owen, and Arizona are all crammed in the elevator together, and April, who is quiet in the back, represents all of us watching when she points out how awkward it is. Bailey wants to pawn off the surgical contest bestowed to her by Jackson to Webber because she wants to stay in the game, but he rejects her for the same reason. He then only agrees to do it if he can know who the donor is, to which she rebuts that he owes her (for allowing Ben to use his time as a firefighter to be the equivalent of a fellowship, since he will be working in the medic program) and he finally agrees to (but it’s only temporary).

The intern working with Maggie makes an inappropriate comment to the patient about waiting too long to come in, to which Jackson shuts down instantly. Their patient has an extremely awkward interaction with his visitor, making their relationship really hard to read.

Mer’s working with Glasses and their patient makes a joke that he takes literally. Jolex is working a case together! Their patient is a young boy who had a stroke recently. He’s super smart and is up to date on his case, he then comically informs Jolex that his mom has a crush on Karev, and almost as if on cue she walks in. As they leave Jo teases Alex, and he teases back that that’s why he got into pediatrics, for the moms lol. Jackson and Maggie try to figure out their patient and his visitor's relationship, when the woman comes to get them since her father’s not breathing (so now we know he’s the dad). As they are trying to intubate him, the monitor begins to wig out.

In the pit, every patient begins to code, but on closer examination, it’s revealed that they are all fine. Unfortunately one guy found out a little too late, as one of the interns shocked him out of his nice nap (girl ABC’s, or even CAB you check the airway breathing circulation or circulation airway breathing, either way you check that first before you shock someone)!

Owen tells his intern to calm the patients down, because clearly there is a technical difficulty, and what starts off as a comforting message turns south as she begins to get nervous herself.

Mer’s patient is quite nervous for her first ever hospital procedure, but Grey reassures her that she will be fine. Jolex’s patient is experiencing another headache, which could be an indication of another stroke. They go to look at his chart, but the screen is locked. Bailey and Arizona are trying to get into her medical records, when the IT tech comes to help. Then a message pops up on the screen, they’ve been hacked and their medical records and systems are being held for ransom. If they don’t pay, the records will be destroyed endangering hundreds of lives. Bailey speaks with some of the attendings trying to figure out how they are going to handle the situation. At first she yells at IT about the ineffective cyber security seminar, but he informs her that it wasn’t until this coming week (pointing out the irony of the situation). As she tells all the attendings to remain calm and to try not to worry the patients, the FBI walks in, stealing her thunder.

Webber switches everyone to paper charts, and orders everyone to take manual vitals. Maggie and Jackson’s patient is in critical condition and we find out that the daughter is estranged (hence the awkwardness). Mer is in the middle of her surgery when she finds out about the hacking, but they are still able to continue because the monitors in the OR have not been fully compromised yet. Glasses reminds us all of how wonderful technology is because of it allows innovation, but how it is also a dependency that can be crippling at times like this. But Mer is worried that the power could leave her patient in a compromising position, so she contemplates switching to a more invasive procedure to reduce complications if the technology crashes or if she should just continue and try to be as efficient as possible (she chooses the latter).

Carina is awarded OB privileges so that she can help given the hospital is currently understaffed and under cyber attack. Arizona and Carina arrive to the pit for a patient who decided that delivering her baby at home was no longer a satisfying option. She’d prefer to have an epidural and be attached to all machines available (which could be problematic). Carina expresses her excitement over her first patient at Grey Sloan, to which the mother becomes panicked.

Everyone is in line for the only working CT machine, and Owen tries to convey his authority so that he can be pumped up to the front. Karev defends his patient and Owen backs down! Bailey and Webber talk to the FBI and try to figure out a solution. They recall how another hospital handled a similar situation, where they said they defeated them, but off the record the other hospital had paid the ransom. When Webber offers to pay the ransom, seeing how it was only around 5,000 bitcoin, it turns out the conversion is equivalent to 20 million dollars. A fee that he, nor most people can afford. Then Bailey realizes that the surgical contest drew so much attention to Grey Sloan, that hackers figured that the hospital could afford a hefty ransom. Bailey recruits Avery to help since he has the funds to pay the ransom, while still maintaining her promise of keeping the donor of the competition anonymous. He gives her the go ahead, but the FBI official stops her in her tracks. He warns her of the global consequences involved if the hospital pays that amount of money. If they hackers get the money, then they would be motivated to go after every hospital endangering millions of lives. Jackson backs Bailey 100 percent and tells her to give him a call whenever she needs him. Bailey offers to give the FBI a little more time.

Jackson and Maggie decide to transfer their patient. Carina enlists Arizona for her motherly touch and expertise with the expectant mother. Webber informs Kepner, who needs a CT for her patient, that the line is backed up and it will be at least an hour wait. Pressed for time, she stresses for options when Webber suggests an old school trick. On request of a newspaper, the millennial teenagers offer up the newspaper app, but Kepner comes to the rescue as she grabs a real newspaper. He shows them that if you can read the newspaper through the pink tinted IV bag, then the bleeding in the abdomen has not reached critical levels and that the patient should be okay for now.

Jolex’s patient is stable and his CT was clear, so they reassure his mom. Amelia reveals to Alex that in fact he’s likely to have another stroke in the next 24 hours. Jo comes running with their patients night nurse that she’s tracked down, who should know if he received vitamin K the previous night. Unfortunately, he’s not the right nurse, but Jo quickly finds out that whoever the one that night/early morning, was there when Doc McStuffins was on. They figure out who the nurse was, but now are tasked with finding her, even though they have no means of contacting her. They need to know if the patient was given vitamin K or not because that will determine what medication he gets, and if they don’t give him the right medication he could have a severe stroke.

Webber is in his glory, schooling everyone on how it was done back when there was limited technology. He helps Deluca place a patient in trendelenburg position to help slow down his breathing and heart rate. As Owen finally gets to CT, the hospital loses power. Mer is forced to switch to the more invasive procedure and sends a very nervous Glasses to get more blood.

Jackson and Maggie are set to transfer their patient. Jackson opens up to Maggie while they ride the elevator and they find out that they used to go to the same pool growing up in Boston.

Jo interrogates the nurse in an attempt to help her patient, but is being slightly brushed off. Glasses cannot access the blood bank, since the codes/basically-anything-automated is still under attack. Jo finally gets the information she needs and sprints to find the nurse. Jolex’s patient is getting sicker, he literally feels like he’s gonna die. Arizona and Carina’s patient is on the (slow) waddle. But it turns out she’s crowning. Now her patient is extremely scared, but Arizona gives her the best/realest pep talk. Then with her newfound strength, she literally delivers her baby standing up in the hallway leaning on a gurney. Carina feels she’s screwed up with her first patient at Grey Sloan, but Arizona comforts her. Carina then admits that she misses her and Arizona feels the same way! Turns out Carina is super casual with Owen, which opens up the doors for her and Arizona. Speeding past them during their nice moment, Jo sprints to find her patients nurse.

Amelia and Karev are faced with the tough decision, whether or not to give him a blood thinner, even if they don’t know for certain if he had his vitamin K. Mer is furious with Glasses for not receiving the blood. Mer comes up with a solution to her blood shortage, she hooks up Glasses to an IV and does a direct donation to her patient. On the helicopter, Jackson and Maggie subtly show how they feel about each other until they hit terrible turbulence. He grabs her hand to show his support and they start to scratch the surface of their feeling when: their patients LVAD flies loose and BLOOD BEGINS TO SPURT OUT EVERYWHERE. Jackson was the brave soul to fix it. Owen tells Bailey that they need to start evacuating patients, when Bailey puts her medical career and license on the line defending her hospital and patients to the FBI officer. She contacts Jackson to pay the ransom, but his phone is stuck in the blood on the plane and he’s distracted in his efforts to comfort Maggie. Jo finally finds the right nurse, who warns them not to give her patient heparin. She sprints to tell Alex, but he’s already beginning to inject him (with what is presumed to be heparin)!! The screen then jumps back to Jo in the elevator trying to call Alex, but the call won’t go through. (Let the record show that it’s at this point that I started to scream at my tv. Why you might ask, well because she has her back turned to the elevator doors, there’s less than a minute left and I know that something terrible always happens in elevators. Not to mention cliffhangers thrive in the the last minute of a mid-season finale. I knew the devil would emerge, and boy was I mad to be right!) As she turns around after texting Alex “NO HEPARIN,” she looks up to the sound of Paul saying, “Hey Brooke, oh wait it, it’s Jo now right?” We then see Jo in a haze as she’s met face to face with her abusive sickly smiling husband, followed by the black and write Grey’s Anatomy end title.

A Few Additional Thoughts:

I’M SHAKEN! I cannot believe it! I’m in shock, even though I knew he would reappear and that it makes total sense for him to return just as we must break. I can’t even imagine what she must feel like. While I’m looking forward to the way in which they tell this story and it’s importance, I’m just so heartbroken that she must relive her past. I hope everything works out well for her. I truly believe that the mid-season premiere is going to be a Jo centric episode. I think they are going to dive into her past and shed some light on the PTSD that can be accompanied with domestic abuse. I also think it's going to reflect on her time with Alex and the life she’s built for herself. I’m excited to learn more about her character and interested to see how Alex is there for her.

This episode was bananas! I mean are they going to pay the ransom? Will the hackers back down? Will Bailey be able to wire the money? Will Alex get Jo’s text in time? Will they be able to reverse the medication if they end up giving it? Will their patient die? What will Jo say? What will Paul say? Is Jo in immediate danger? What’s in store for her? What will Alex do when he finds out? How will he find out? Will Mer’s patient live? Will Glasses’ blood be enough to sustain the women through her surgery? Will Jackson and Maggie’s patient live given the sufficient blood loss? Why didn’t Maggie stop screaming as all the blood was spurting (I know she was terrified, but don’t scream when all that blood is spurting girl!)? What’s in store for their relationship? SO MANY QUESTIONS AND SO MUCH TIME UNTIL JAN 18!

But we Grey’s Anatomy fans are built for this!

#grey's anatomy #mid season finale #jolex #jaggie

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