#spirit probably wanted to boost himself in his daughter's eyes so when he saw a movie with his name and a cute animal it was too perfect

[probably-haven]

Hello!

So I’m the anon who asked for more Archon War Venti headcanons and I just loved it! I really like reading your headcanons cuz some of them are similar to mine but mostly are headcanons that I didn’t think of so it really is nice to read and see your thoughts about Venti!

I feel like as if I’m asking too much but could you keep doing these types of headcanons? Like it doesn’t have to be Archon War headcanons but like some headcanons about Venti’s relationship with the Ragnvindrs and Gunnhildrs. Because the first Gunnhildr was the first one who prayed to Barbatos and the first Ragnvindr was his friend who left but came back and I really wanna hear your thoughts on that!

And I’ve decided to get off anon cuz you just replied to my texts and I wasn’t expecting that so I’ve got a short confidence boost that I am completely taking advantage of! And thanks for the advice! or uhh comment? observation? I’m not entirely sure but thank you for that! I’ve heard that be said to me a few times and I have been trying to be more, uhh, assertive so thanks for that!

rfouierjkhfkecs i actually came across information on Gunnhildr and the "Red-haired warrior" yesterday when i was doing more research into the rebellion against Decarabian and I was like "wow this would be really fucking fun to research and theorize on, but its too specific/niche to include unprompted no matter how much i want to" but bestie you prompted, and im literally so happy right now because I didn't think I'd ever really get the chance to post about them!

also lmao yeah, i tend to try and reply to as much as I can, since it's a good feeling when someone does and all. but yeah, no problem! I’m glad you felt confident enough to reveal XD. 

This may be structured a bit more like analysis/theory/just citing canon things at first before it gets into a more headcanony format.

ehe i have so much free reign on this it's lovely

More Archon War Era Venti: one two three

spoilers for Venti's backstory and Diluc's(kinda, i think, just in case)

first things first, laying down some canon background because before yesterday i hadn't heard of either of them outside of that one cutscene.

the very reason Decarabian had his storm wall up in the first place was because at the time Andrius had declared war on him- and his tower, and the city of Mondstadt by extent, were basically constantly under attack by Andrius's blizzards, which since he was still alive back then, were a lot bigger and covered basically what seems to be the whole of Mondstadt outside the barrier.

This meant that people had two options. Live in the city under Decarabian's oppression, or live outside the barrier, and brave the blizzards of a warring god... which was not a good idea

but the Gunnhildr clan(not yet called that) tried- and they almost died because of it. In the midst of a blizzard, the clan chief's daughter, named Gunnhildr(which the clan would be named after later) sent out a prayer that was heard by a wandering wind spirit. And the faith of that prayer gave the spirit enough power to create a small shelter to protect them.

When her father past, she became the new leader and also a priestess. She would later lead the clan to fight Decarabian alongside four others. And basically the Gunnhildr Clan ended up as like sworn protectors of Mondstadt

-

as for the red-haired warrior, who is basically assumed to be the earliest known ancestor of the Ragnvindir clan(im gonna refer to as Ragnvindir for convenience sake, even though "Ragnvindir" is technically a different character from Vanessa's era)theres not much information on him, but heres what i have from the various wiki's

- he was a wanderer

- one of the first to use the sign of windblume to find other rebels(so he's intelligent)

- actively propped up the nameless bard so he could watch as the tower was destroyed

there's this little tidbit too from the Windblume Ode bow's description that im probably gonna talk about a considerable amount too: "Atop the ruins of the ancient tower, amidst the cheers, songs, and tears of those who had newly won their freedom. A red-haired warrior turned his back on the newborn god, hidden like a single raindrop in a tidal wave of humanity. He was first among those who passed the secret sign of Windblume, the one who wove threads of dawn throughout the long night. His name has since been lost to time, but his deeds are still remembered in song." followed later by "The fate of this clan will likely never change: they shall ever live in the darkness and bring forth the flame of dawn."

-

Now I'm going to start with the Ragnvindir(geez, why's it spelled like that tho)

My idea of his character is basically formed by a mix of Ragnvindir stereotypes and just generally analyzing text.

So what do we know about Ragnvindir's for sure? they are shady motherfuckers- or at least they rarely operate in the spotlight. also damn, these guys are more cursed than anemo vision wielders- like the only one who didn't canonically lose someone close to them was Crepus, but considering that Diluc doesn't exactly have a mom..... he probably did

so what do we know? - he was close with the nameless bard - he was intelligent - he likely operated primarily from the shadows "ever living in the darkness" - he was a wanderer - he abandoned Venti during the celebration - but his deeds were still remembered in song, so Venti and him were likely still close

now the question of the century: how will i choose to interpret "turned his back on the newborn god"? And honestly, I'm- not sure- at first i assumed he abandoned him completely- but Venti did still make sure to carry on his memory- which could just be Venti being Venti, but for the sake of sanity, this is how I'm interpreting it.

A lot of things happened to the Ragnvindir that day. He lost a friend, saw another become a god to replace the one they had conquered, and he saw his goal, his reason for being in Mondstadt, come to fruition. "see the world through my eyes" the bard had said, and the Ragnvindir had been a wanderer even before. Sure, the people had won freedom, and that was to be celebrated, but he's intelligent to recognize that people would likely see him as one of the key figures in leading the rebellion. And for him this was a solemn time, and ending to a chapter, and not being one to operate in the spotlight, the last thing he'd want is to be swept up in festivities and attention at a time like this.

It also likely didn't help that he's probably smart enough to understand the idea of "power corrupts," and seeing the wind sprite just readily accept the mantle of Archon was likely not the most comforting thing to happen in the given situation after all. But Decarabian was gone, and Andrius had ceased his blizzards, so without a word, he slipped into the crowd and left, a wanderer once more.

-

now back to Gunnhildr

she was the first to receive an anemo vision from Barbatos, no I do not take criticism on this "the power bestowed on her by Barbatos" like please, they basically said it.

It also mentions that she crowned Venti with laurels(symbol of vistory) after the battle- the book Biography of Gunnhildr additionally says "the Gunnhildr Clan will continue honoring the legacy of its ancestors and its duty to the Anemo Archon: to protect Mondstadt, the land and all who inhabit it, forever."

I really like this because it conveniently ties into my past headcanon about Venti granting visions to the people of Mondstadt and having them be the ones to erect wind barriers and defend the city in his absence.

So in the Archon War I like to imagine that the Gunnhildr clan had a lot of people who were actually granted visions and were basically in charge of protecting it from those who would attempt to ambush them.

Mondstadt essentially became known for this- the fact that the mortals within it were strong enough to fend off the force of a god without support from their own.

but regardless, Gunnhildr, as she had before, served as a priestess to Barbatos, the closest thing that Mondstadt had to a ruler, and yet she only took charge of prayer and protection.... i hate to just- equate them to their descendants- but to an extent- her role was kind of like a merge between Jean and Barbara- Except with a whole lot less structure.... i really dont want their characters to just be carbon copies of the descendants but- c'mon, the comparison was right there.

anyways besties- back to Venti so i can tie them in

The Archon War was one of the worst times for Venti in his entire life thus far. And the time immediately after Decarbian's fall, while Gunnhildr and the Ragnvindir were still alive, was the key period of time in which things could have gone very differently.

Venti is the god of freedom. That's a reoccurring theme and I think I've made that abundantly clear. But during this time, Venti was anything but free.

I've mentioned before how he would stay far from the city of Mondstadt so the shockwave of his death wouldn't reach him, should he fall.... well- Venti is new to a lot of things- godhood- humanity- war- freedom- and at this point he was trying hard to figure out how to be Mondstadt's god without becoming Decarabian, and while still being able to survive, and make sure they survived, and see the world for his friend, and carry on his friends legacy.

And this is a lot of stuff for what was once a carefree elemental being, and there were certain things that had to be done for this to happen. He couldn't just stay in Mondstadt, or he would grow weak and his people would be vulnerable to attack, but he couldn't abandon it, because despite being able to fend for themselves, there's always hat just in case. He couldn't stay in any one place outside of Mondstadt for very long or he'd be found and killed. He knew in order for Mondstadt to survive he would have to take an active role in the war, strengthen himself so he could defend Mondstadt, and thats exactly what he did.

He started by going after the less powerful gods, ones he had a chance at beating with the power he got from the Gunnhildr clan and the rest of Mond, and by wiping them out, he would grow stronger, so he kept it up- working his way up the metaphorical ladder.

but he couldn't let anyone near him either, because he knew just what would happen if he was attacked then. Were it not for Gunnhildr's prayer, the early years of the Archon War would have been without contest the loneliest time of his life, and there would be nothing he could do about it, bound by survival and his attachment to the legacy of his friend, constantly fearing for his life and going against his very nature as the god of freedom. Frankly thrust into that circumstance that early on, and having to face it alone, it's likely that Venti would have caved under the pressure and dropped his attachment to either his survival, or to his friends legacy... or just something entirely worse(isolation messes with brains) so I'm attributing the fact that he didn't do that to Gunnhildr's companionship, speaking to him and guiding him through it as he had guided her through the blizzard some time ago.

I also like to think that she's responsible for founding at least a number of the different celebrations that still happen in Mondstadt even now.

Ugh supportive warrior priestess- we stan

anyway meanwhile! we got the Ragnvindir

He hears about Venti taking part in the Archon war during his wanderings and returns to Mondstadt to check in, wary of what he might find.

Venti, who hadn't seen him since the rebellion, is elated to say the least and they do a bit of catching up because they need it

and then the conversation turns more serious, and the Ragnvindir brings up a third thing that Venti needs to hold onto- his humanity.

See, in the early years, just desperate to get a foothold on the world, Venti's first number of targets were just indiscriminately going after those he knew to be weaker than him, and the Ragnvindir points this out, saying that while it's not necessarily bad, if he keeps doing it, it won't be long until he causes his and, by extent, Mondstadt's legacy to be tainted by a reputation for slaughter, no better than any of the other bloodthirsty gods that frequented the war's fields. "Think of what the bard would do, we were both close enough to do that much"

And Venti becomes yet more caged, but recognizes that he's right, and this is another turning point, that in the coming years would keep Venti from losing himself.

also- Gunnhildr, Venti having told her about the Ragnvindir's concerns that he now shared, probably organized some kind of event (not unlike the right of part, but also, yes unlike it) that was deliberately intended and designs to serve as an excuse that Venti could chose to take to visit Mondstadt, something she know he desperately wanted to do, but wouldn't allow himself for fear of putting them in danger. But if she made it an official celebration, then it would give Venti the opportunity to visit his people again, under the guise of it being a responsibility, not having to deal with the moral implications of doing so at a time when he was already dealing with enough of those already.

Also on his travels, the Ragnvindir probably started and spread a number of rumors that could end up working in Venti's favor, not that anyone ever knew it was him of course.

basically Gunnhildr protected the people of Mondstadt and did all she could to keep everyone in as high spirits as possible, Venti included.

And as for the Ragnvindir, he took a more realistic approach, traveling and getting venti followers in far places, spreading false information about him, and just overall making sure that Venti didn't do things he'd regret.

And when they died, Venti would carry their legacy with him as well, not losing his humanity to the tide of war as he very nearly had(though he still often came close), and trying to spreading high spirits where ever he could without fail.

#genshin impact #genshin venti #genshin impact headcanons #genshin theory #genshin headcanons #archon war era venti #genshin barbatos #genshin decarabian #nameless bard #genshin ragnvindir #genshin gunnhildr #genshin lore #genshin spoilers #spoilers #angst #venti angst #archon war #old mondstadt

[justanotherpersonsuniverse]

Demon Alya AU: Lila the Possessor

Marinette could feel the blood draining from her face. She'd expected to see almost anything when she'd decided to follow Lila, from her weaving her next lie to a clandestine meeting with Hawkmoth himself. The girl casually talking to a burning portal in midair was so far outside expectations that Marinette was having trouble reorienting herself. "You would not believe the level of goody-goody nonsense I have to put up with over here. It frankly makes me want to puke. Fortunately most of them are as gullible as they come, so I'll eventually be able to collect their souls no problem. It'll make a nice power boost for myself while I'm tracking down Hawkmoth to claim both his soul and his Miraculous. Make sure to keep up the ritual sacrifices and everything going strong, because some of my bosses are coming later this week and we want to impress them. I'll stop by later after I've checked in with 'mommy dearest'. Ta-ta." Marinette realized she needed to hide just a second too late. "Well, well," Lila grinned just a little too wide for Marinette's comfort level. "Look who just saw more than they were supposed to." "You-you..." "Yes, me, me. What of it?" "I-You-Ladybug and Chat Noir will stop you!" Marinette finally got out. To her astonishment, Lila actually laughed at that. "Those two imbeciles don't even know I exist, and it wouldn't matter if they did." She stepped up and leaned so far into Marinette's personal space that the girl had to take a step back. "I'm inviolate. The daughter of an Italian diplomat. Those two nitwits would never start an international incident. They're too noble for that." "I... I doubt you're really the diplomat's daughter," Marinette said with a confidence she didn't feel. She should have hidden. Or transformed. Being transformed right now would be really nice, but she didn't dare do it in front of Lila unless there was no other option. "Aren't you clever?" Lila simpered. "I'm not Ambassador Rossi's daughter... but I am wearing her." "Um... what...?" Marinette squeaked. "You see, there was this little Italian girl crying in the park one day a few months ago, moaning about how hard it was to make friends. How her mother kept moving and she kept having to start over from scratch and boo-hoo all the kids at her school wouldn't be her friends. And then you know what happened?" "W-what?" "She foolishly said she'd sell her soul if she could only make friends easier. I mean, what was I supposed to do with an opening like that? So I told her I could help her get friends if she wanted. She was so stupidly happy that she said she'd do anything right then and there." "W-what did you do?" "What did I do? I plunged my hand into her chest and ripped her soul out right then and there! The look on her face was priceless! 'Oh, don't worry,' I told her. 'I'll be sure you have plenty of "friends" to fawn all over you or at least me.' and then I possessed her body!" "What d-did you do with h-her then?" "Oh, I keep her around. Let her watch how well I'm fulfilling my end of our bargain. She's so ungrateful, though, always moaning about how I should stop lying and manipulating people because that's 'not what friends do'. It's so pathetic it's hilarious!" "Ladybug and Chat Noir will stop you," Marinette tried to rally herself. "I'll help them." Lila laughed like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. "Oh, I hope you try! Wouldn't that be a sight! Poor Marinette has a psychotic break from stress and accuses a classmate of being a demon! No one would believe you! They'll throw you in the nuthouse and I'll just take all your classmates souls anyway. Maybe I'll have them be human sacrifices too..." "Don't you dare!" Marinette snarled. She didn't care if Lila was really a demon from Hell, no one threatened her friends! "Temper, temper..." Lila sneered. "But you know, maybe you could get someone to believe you. Which would mean that 'Lila' has outlived her usefulness. I'd have to abandon her, maybe get my cult to carve her up to throw off suspicion, and find a new gullible sap to

inhabit." Lila's expression turned extremely dark and taunting. "As a matter of fact, I've had my eye on dear sweet Adrien for a while." "No..." "Yes...! Such a perfect host. Rich... famous... connected... An overprotective father who neglects him constantly, leaving a son starved for affection and attention. I could probably get him to sell his soul just by promising to get his father to pay attention to him. And you know... If you helped me, I could be persuaded to ensure 'Adrien' would be your boyfriend afterwards..." "Never!" Lila actually seemed a bit surprised by how firm her denial was. "Well, suit yourself. It's not like you can do anything to me anyway. Even if you killed this body, I'd just find a new one and then you'd never see me coming. See you around, Marinette." Marinette managed to wait three minutes after Lila turned the corner before allowing her legs to give out from under her. "Tikki..." "She's gone," Tikki said, looking uncharacteristically solemn. "Now that I know what she is, I can sense her presence easily." "How... how do we deal with something like that?" "Oh, Marinette," Tikki said gently, "what forces do you think the Miraculous were created to combat in the first place? The day we can't handle one little upstart demon is the day we retire." "Oh god, that poor girl... Lila..." "There are ways to get her soul back to her body, even if it's been taken to Hell," Tikki said. "They're some of the few rituals the Order of Guardians allowed us kwami to learn." "Okay... okay... we'll still need to get... er... 'Lila' out of... um... Lila's... body... geez that sounds weird to say..." "There are ways to do that too. Your cleansing powers could manage it, but for the best results..." "You'll need the cleansing powers of Destruction." Marinette and Tikki both looked to see Plagg, looking so thunderously irate that Marinette had to double-check that he wasn't actively using Cataclysm. "To think," Plagg said with the care and deliberation of someone who knew if they exerted any less self control they would lose any semblance of control over their temper, "that there was a possessor demon so brazen as to be on the same continent - the same city - as my kitten. And I managed to miss it for this long... I'm losing my touch. Well, now that I know she exists, there's nowhere for her to hide. I'll be teaching my kitten the more advanced uses of his powers immediately. Clearly I've been lax in his training. Well, no more. It's time to remind those spirits who would steal and inhabit the bodies of others exactly why those who wear the Ring of the Black Cat are the most feared exorcists in history." -----

Chat Noir eventually learns the tricks and when he and Ladybug face off against 'Lila', he shocks 'Lila' when he proves intent on Cataclysming her directly, but she feels confident that would only dust her 'meat suit'. She has just enough time to scream in terror when it proves to do the opposite, dusting the possessing spirit and leaving the body intact.

Ladybug does the ritual to return the real Lila's soul to her body and the girl has to spend a month in therapy before she can go out in public from the trauma.

The class welcomes her with open arms, and a hug (and secret blessing) from Rose does more good for her than the month of therapy.

The demon 'Lila's' cult seems to have vanished off the face of the earth and when asked about them, Alya and Juleka just kind of whistle innocently.

The real Lila goes on to become friends with everyone in class and eventually this traumatic chapter in her life becomes almost like a bad dream.

----- Oh, hey, you can have your Lila hate sink and your Lila redemption!

----

----

Nice!

#submission #demon alya au

[pterodactylterrace]

Guys Like You Chapter 6

Title: Guys Like You

Chapter: 6

Chapter Summary: More of a filler chapter, not much Henry, I’m sorry.

Rating: 18+

Warnings: Mentions of abuse, pregnancy, poor self image, bad coping mechanisms, low self esteem.

{Prologue} {Chapter 1} {Chapter 2} {Chapter 3} {Chapter 4} {Chapter 5}

"I already told you, Faye! I don't want anything to do with this!"

"So because I want to keep my babies, you're leaving me? Is that what you're trying to tell me, David?"

"Yes! Shit, I knew you were dumb, but seriously!"

"Excuse me?"

"Are you deaf too, whore? How do you even know I'm the one that knocked you up? You've slept with just about every guy in town!"

"Get the fuck out."

"Don't come crying to me later! You're nothing without me! No one is ever going to want you. Especially once you have kids. Who the hell wants used goods? Have fun living a life of regret!"

Faye jerked awake, her head spinning as she tried to catch her bearings. Did David really leave her just like that? Sure he wasn't the greatest, but he had never lashed out like that before. At least not where anyone else could witness it.

No. David's gone. He has been gone for almost four years now. New life. Starting over. It's all in the past now.

Have to get the baby up before the sitter comes. Work is coming up soon. Life goes on.

"Briar, what are you doing on the floor?" Faye chuckled, crouching down next to her daughter, curled up on her pillow by her bed.

"I'm a puppy." Briar yawned in explanation, holding her arms up to be lifted, promptly licking her mother's cheek as soon as she was up.

"Briar, we talked about licking people."

"I'm not Briar, I'm puppy."

"Ok then, puppy, no licking people. Now what do you want for breakfast?"

"Puppy food."

"Cereal it is."

Feed the toddler, quick shower, get dressed, throw her hair up away from her face, wait for the baby sitter, hugs and kisses goodbye, then off to work. The usual routine she had settled herself into.

Feed the baby, because she's hungry and she comes first.

Shower, because she probably has some sort of mystery goo on her from the toddler.

Get dressed, avoid the mirror.  No one wants to be reminded of how much they've changed. The softness she wasn't used to around her lower stomach, hips and thighs. Her breasts no longer as perky as they used to be. The stretchmarks competing with her tattoo's for attention.

Then, the hardest part of the day. "Ok, Briar, Mrs. Anderson is here. Mommy has to go to work. I love you."

"I love you too, Mommy." Briar responded, hugging her mother tight and kissing her cheek before she was sat back down.

"Have a nice day, Miss Warren."

"I hope she's not too much to handle."

"Never is."

Some days, Faye likes to pretend she's ok. Like she has a handle on things. Like she knows what she's doing and not just blindly stumbling through her life while trying to do right by her daughter.

Other days, she would absently push her sleeves up and her eye would catch on the black lines decorating her forearm, just below her elbow. Some days she's reminded that life is a bitch, and you can't always get what you want. On those days she tried to stay out of her own head, though that rarely worked.

She could slap on a smile with the best of them, but she could never force it to reach her eyes. Her face always remained an open book, free for anyone to read. The past creeps up on you. There's nothing you can do to stop it some days. On a bad day, the ghosts of the past will haunt your mind, echoing the worst days of your life into the void of your shattered heart.

"No one is ever going to want you!"

"You're nothing without me!"

"Who wants used goods?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Warren. There was nothing we could do."

Over and over on a seemingly never ending loop, reminding her of the darkest times in her life.

Why would anyone want her? She's not the same hot twenty six year old she used to be. She was soft. She was saggy. She would never be as attractive as she used to be. Anyone in their right mind would turn around and run once they realized how much she had let herself go.

Days like today were best spent keeping people at a distance. Tell them some story about being tired. Avoid anyone that is going to call her out on her obvious lie. Therein lies the problem with dying your hair obnoxious colors. Among a sea of blonde and brunette, powder blue tends to stick out and make it almost impossible to vanish.

Lie your way out of it. Survive another day. Tomorrow might not be better, but at least it won't be the same.

"Mommy, you're back!" The sweetest sound she could hear all day.

"I always come back, my little love." Faye assured, kissing her daughter's head.

Need to care for the baby. She comes first. She deserves the world. Play time. Dinner time. Bath time. Story time. Bed time. The same after work routine she had established months ago when she decided to drop everything and run.

Her daughter thought the world of her. She would do anything to see her smile. She would wear the stupid costume. She would pretend to be a horsey. She would let her daughter use her as a jungle gym. She would make the same dinner again for the third night in a row for her.  So what if she soaked the bathroom floor during bath time? She was a mermaid, and she wanted to show off her tail. Story time, always an adventure with her imaginative little girl. What world would they find themselves in today? Dinosaurs? Princesses? Mythology? A rhyming book?

Ah, yes of course. Her current favorite, the book about the dinosaur cleaning his room. She was a girl obsessed with dinosaurs at the moment.

"Mommy, where's my Papa?" Briar asked, staring intently down at the page depicting a mother and father watching the dinosaur throw away paper scraps.

"Don't worry about him, sweetheart. He wasn't a nice man." Faye explained, resting her cheek on her daughter's head.

"Can I have a new Papa?"

"Maybe someday, sweetheart."

"Can Spider-man be my new Papa?"

"Why do you want Spider-man to be your new Papa?"

"He's my boyfriend!"

"That's not how it works, silly. If he's your boyfriend, he can't also be by boyfriend! Pick another hero!"

"Batman!"

"Well, he is rich." Faye mused, Briar giggling happily. "Now it's time for bed, my love."

"Ok, Mommy. I love you!"

"I love you too, Briar." Faye whispered, kissing her forehead. The nightlight was switched on and the door was left cracked open, just in case. Now for her seldom used free time.

Should she sketch some more? Finish that painting she started forever ago? Ever since she started a "real" job, her art had fallen by the wayside. She was too drained to do much after work and caring of her daughter.

Maybe some drawing will lift her spirits and keep the nightmares at bay tonight. But what to draw? Not in the mood for still life. Brain too fried for something straight from her imagination. Her usual model was sleeping, and her last few self portraits had been a serious blow to her ego. She just drew what she saw in the mirror. Then, when she was finished, she decided she should have worn more clothing before she drew herself. What was supposed to boost her confidence and empower her as a woman instead left her wondering when exactly she developed that roll when sitting in that position.

"Fuck it. I'm drawing a moose." Faye grumbled to herself, turning the page from her self portrait to a blank sheet. Half an hour later when she was trying to remember what a moose's antlers looked like, she finally picked up her phone. Seven unread messages? That seems like a lot. When was the last time she looked at her phone? Oh yeah, when she got home, five hours ago.

All from one person. So she wasn't ignoring everyone at least. Seven messages, all from Henry. Shit. That's not good.

Are you ok?

You seemed off on set today

You didn't even talk to me

Did you at least make it home alright?

Can you send me a sign of life?

I'm sorry if I upset you or something. Can you please talk to me? I'm genuinely worried.

Please?

Well, fuck. Here she was playing unicorn apocalypse with her daughter, and this poor guy was worrying himself to death.

Sorry, I was drawing a moose

Perfect way of saying "I wasn't ignoring you" while also avoiding his persistent questions about her wellbeing. The good old 'drawing a moose' excuse. Works every time.

I think your moose aged me by ten years. Are you ok?

Just had a bad day

Anything I can do to help?

Squeeze me until I stop struggling and my spine snaps

That's called 'murder' Miss Warren

I knew there was a name for it

Is there anything I can do for you that involves less prison?

Nah, if you're not going to take me out, then I'm not interested

I'm not going to take you out by murder. I will take you out on a date.

Faye froze, staring at her phone. He was just playing around, like he always did. No way he was serious. Henry liked to flirt, and she wasn't about to throw herself at him over a joke. She had more dignity than that. So how does she respond? She can't just ignore him, and taking forever to respond is going to give the impression that she was freaking out over what he said.

She was completely freaking out over what he had said, but he didn't need to know that. Was he just looking to get laid or something? Probably. He had gotten pretty close the last time he had been over. There's a difference between dating and screwing, though. He was probably just looking for someone to fuck while waiting for a woman worth his time to come along. Faye was broken out of her thoughts by her phone going off again, alerting her to a new message. Didn't he know she was busy having an existential crisis?

If you're free on Sunday you can come over and show me that moose your working on

*you're

Smart ass

Sunday?

I'll have to see if Mrs. Anderson can watch Briar

Bring her along. She keeps asking me about Kal

Pretty on brand for her

Sunday?

Sunday.

Sunday. What to wear on Sunday? He was probably looking for a little something something for his time, so something slutty? She got rid of all her slutty clothes after she had Briar in a fit of self hatred toward her new mom bod, so that was out. Besides, he wouldn't have invited Briar over too if he was looking to get laid.

So what does one wear on a casual 'date' these days? She had until Sunday to figure that out.

Tag List:  @Xxxkatxo @Weallhaveadestiny

#henry cavill #henry cavill x ofc #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill fanfiction #guys like you #guys like you fic #triggering themes

[lady-spieroles]

where we will we'll roam

Its atla au fluff I swear

Dedicated always and forever to @the-nerf-house  and @transvav (5166 words)

“And we’re sure Jordan can’t just waterbend us all over there?” 

“While I appreciate the confidence in my abilities Tom, no. I can’t. It's an entire ocean. We’ll have to find a ship.” 

They’d come to the unfortunate realization that unless they wanted to back track several weeks, they’d have to cross the Southern Ocean to reach their current destination in the Earth Kingdom and were now left with the dilemma of how to accomplish that task. 

“There’s a village about a day's walk east of here, it's on the water so hopefully they’ll have a ship we can charter.” Dec pointed out, tracing the route with his fingertip on their map. 

“Or steal” Tom muttered with a mischievous look. 

“We’re not stealing a ship Tom. We need someone to sail it anyway, unless you suddenly learned how?” Tucker scolded. They quickly fell into their familiar routine of teasing argument, gesturing wildly and voices rising despite the amusement in their eyes. 

From her perch on Jordan’s shoulder, Ianite flicked her tail, rolling her eyes at them. Gods this entire journey would be so much simpler if any of them would ever bother asking what skills her Champion had to offer. Then again, he wasn’t likely to tell them. He preferred his privacy, which she respected, but sometimes she felt that he stayed quiet just for the satisfaction of surprising them when he revealed a new talent. 

~

When they arrived at the village, it turned out to not only be a port town, but a bustling one at that. For once, their mixed group doesn’t stand out sorely, the people in the town as varied as they themselves are. They split into groups to restock supplies, get information and hopefully find someone they can charter a ship from. Jordan volunteered to go to the docks because he may not want to tell him of his years of experience sailing but he certainly wasn’t going to let one of the others get tricked or swindled by a greedy pirate. Tucker and Wag join him, Tucker because he likes to think he’s the leader of the group and Wag simply because he is interested in seeing the different ships.

Ianite stood on Jordan’s shoulders as they approached the docks. The air smelled of fish and salt, dozens of boats of all sizes bobbing in the waves. “Milady?” Jordan asked, glancing back at her curiously. “Everything okay?” There was a feeling shuddering down her spine, a familiar pull that she hasn’t felt in years, like the way Jordan felt to her but, different. She leapt from his shoulders and dashed into the crowd, ignoring her Champion's cry of worry. 

~

“So that was weird of her right?” Tucker commented to Wag as they chased Jordan through the crowd. “I mean that cat is always weird but that was extra weird.” For Mianite’s sake when did Jordan get so quick? There were a lot of people to dodge through, he should not be able to lose them this easily. Up ahead he saw Jordan turn sharply and sprint up the ramp of a random ship after his cat. What the actual fuck was going on?

When they finally caught up with him, Jordan had gone still and quiet. His cat was curled in the arms of an old sailor, purring up a storm. The sailor looked just as surprised as Tucker felt but didn’t seem to mind otherwise. 

“Nice cat ya got here lad.” The sailor commented pointedly, lips curled into a slight smile. 

“Skipper?” Jordan breathed. He sounded astonished, as though he was seeing a ghost. 

“Aye, but it be Captain now mate.” The sailor smirked, showing off a golden tooth. 

“And Capsize?” Jordan’s voice was hesitant, as though he was scared of the answer.

“Happily retired. Well not happily, had to force her after she took a bit of a fall. But she’s happy now. Married a fisherman's daughter a while back, two o’ them live in a port town in the Earth Kingdom, started adopting orphans left an’ right. Actually where I be headed.” 

Tucker could see the relief flow through Jordan like a wave, his entire posture changing and relaxing. Admittedly he didn’t know much about Jordan, none of them really did, but he could read a room  ship and figured this must be a guy Jordan knew. 

“These your friends? Or are these just scallywags trying to commandeer me ship?” The Captain asked, nodding towards Wag and him. 

“We’re with him. I’m Tucker, this is Wag.” he glanced at Jordan then decided eh, heck with it, if Jordan knew this guy and he was already headed to the Earth Kingdom he might be able to give them a lift. “We’re trying to find passage to the Earth Kingdom, think you could help us out?”

“Tucker!” Jordan reprimanded. “I’m not going to-”

“‘Course I can help you out mate, long as you're headed my way. Anything for an old friend, ‘specially you Cap.” he directed the last part at Jordan with a one fingered salute. 

“Please I’m not-” Jordan said, shaking his head but then trailing off with a glance towards him and Wag. “Not anymore.” Something changed on the Captain's face but he nodded nonetheless. 

“Either way mate, I'd be happy to take you ‘cross. I be warning ye tho, this ain’t no merchant ship.” He leaned in a bit and smirked “We be pirates.” 

“The only person on this crew that was ever really a pirate was Capsize.” Jordan argued, the gentle melancholy replaced by amusement. The Captain looked at him for a moment then laughed, a deep hearty belly laugh. 

“Aye that do certainly be true! Now then! Skipper! Prepare the cabins, we be having guests on this voyage!” From up above in the rigging a man with stark ginger hair leaned out. 

“Yar! Aye aye Captain!” He answered in a high pitched squeak of a voice, saluting as he began to climb down. 

“That be me First Mate, Skipper Tom.” He leaned in once more, putting a hand to the side of his mouth “He may be a few drops short of a bottle, defected from the Fire Nation Navy and all, but he’s got spirit and having him around certainly beats sailing by meself.” 

“Skipper, I mean, Captain. Are you sure you can take us? It’s not just us three, we have a bit of a crew of our own.” “Jordan Mate, any friends of yours be friends of mine. It be alright. I promise. ‘Sides, not like your Lady here takes up much space.” The cat looked up when she was mentioned and meowed once before snuggling back in his arm. “Aye Lass, I have just the place for ye. Hows about two of ye go find your friends and one of ye can stay behind and help me get the ship ready?” 

“I’ll-” Tucker started to volunteer to stay but Wag had already grabbed his hand.

“Tucker and I will go find the others. You stay here Jordan.” Wag said, nodding to Jordan. There was a spark of gratitude in Jordan’s eyes but he didn’t say thank you, not outright at least. 

“Any supplies we can get for you Captain? As payment for taking us?” Wag asked. 

“I’m sure whatever yer friends already be getting will be fine. Just be sure ye be back before sundown. It ain’t smart to set sail after dark.” 

~

Once Tucker and Wag had left, Jordan expected questions. Instead Skipper, no he had to remember, he was Captain Redbeard now, gently set Ianite down on a nearby barrel. “Ye still remember how to sail mate? Me thinks it’s probably been a while.” It was the only hint he made at acknowledging that something was strange. 

He fell into the rhythm of preparing a ship to sail easily enough. Sure he had to retie a few knots and needed Skipper Tom’s help to run some of the rigging but by the time the others arrived his hands and body had remembered what to do. From the looks they gave him as he slid down a rope from the mast, Tucker had told them at least whatever he thought he knew and they wanted to hear the rest from Jordan himself. Before any of them can open their mouths to ask, Redbeard is shouting for Skipper Tom to raise the anchor and for Jordan to help with the sails. He goes without hesitating, more than happy to put off the explanations as long as possible. 

They leave port as the sun is setting though the light of the nearly full moon is plenty to guide their way. Jordan managed to avoid explanations by sticking close to Redbeard. He knew the others wouldn’t let their questions go but they would at least relax their desire to know now if he ignored them long enough. They should be used to him doing it enough by now. 

“With a moon this full I’d ask ye or yer airbending friends to give us a little boost but ye’d rather stay out longer wouldn’t ye?” Redbeard commented knowingly, a hand loose on the wheel. They are standing at the helm together, most of the others below deck trying to get some sleep. Wag and Dec are up top still, chatting to each other over a game of sticks and pebbles but with the sound of the wind it's loud enough that they won’t hear what’s being said. “How long has it been lad?” 

“I’m not sure.” Jordan admitted quietly. “How old are you now?” 

“Old enough.” Redbeard chuckled. “Old enough.” he reached down to scratch at Ianite’s head. She’d draped herself just in front of the wheel on a wide banister that allowed her a view of the entire deck. She’d missed the feeling of sailing just as much it seemed, barely stumbling as it rocked back and forth. “Care to tell me what happened?” 

“Not really.” Jordan replied. 

“Fair be it mate. Then how abouts the story of how ye ended up travelling with the Avatar?” 

“They found me. I wasn’t going to help them at first but Milady insisted. If I had my way, I’d still be back home in my treehouse.” 

“But ye’d also be alone. No offense to ye of course lass.” He conceded when Ianite turned to look at him. “I know ye Captain, ye need friends in your life.” 

“I’m not a Captain anymore. I haven’t been in a very long time.” 

“Ye will always be a Captain, even if ye don’t think ye are. ‘Tis not about the title, ‘tis about the way ye carry yourself. Ye are at home out here mate, on the seas. If once ye all have won yer battle, ye be looking for somewhere to go, know ye will always have a place aboard me ship.” 

Jordan sighed but then gave him a gentle smile. “Thanks Skipper, I mean, Captain.”

“Of course mate. Now, reckon ye can manage to keep her steady while I get some sleep?”

Jordan grabbed the wheel from him and nodded “Aye Aye Captain.” 

~

Of everyone, Karl imagined he related to Jordan the least. They were opposite elements, opposite personalities and had, from what very little Karl knew about him, very different approaches to life. Karl had spent all his life trying to prove himself as a worthy Champion to Mianite, to create a name for himself the same as Tucker and Tom had. He was loud, outgoing and easy to read, an open book he liked to claim. Jordan on the other hand was quiet, reserved, and secretive. From what Karl had seen, Jordan could kick any of their asses in a fight without breaking a sweat. So why was he so timid? He should have confidence through the metaphorical roof. It was a mystery. 

He realized as he watched Jordan move around the ship, that the waterbender did have plenty of confidence. He walked without falter while the rest of them barely kept their feet. He climbed and swung through the riggings like he'd been born to do it. He was the most comfortable Karl had ever seen him. He clearly had some sort of history with sailing, the fact that the Captain of the ship treated him like an old friend only solidified the theory. But why then had he been hiding away in a deep forest? 

“Your owner is a mystery, you know that right?” Karl told Lady, feeding her a piece from the fish he was busy butchering. He wasn’t sure how but he knew the cat understood them when they spoke to her, there was something strange about her as well. The pair of them were just oddities. She chirped at him, tail flicking and eyes focused on the fish. “Was he a pirate before you both moved to the forest? That why he’s so comfortable on the ship?” She didn’t answer, abruptly licking at her paw. He chuckled to himself, cutting off another piece of fish for her “Fair enough. Guess we all get to keep our secrets.” 

~

It only took until the second day for boredom to begin to set in. On the first day, the novelty of being on a ship and exploring it had been enough but now that the novelty had worn off... 

“Jordan! Spar with me!” Tom shouted up at Jordan. The waterbender was lounging on the crossbeam of the foremast, apparently completely unconcerned by how high in the air he was. He sat up, looked down at Tom, then promptly ignored him.

“Jordannnn!” Tom whined. 

“Give it up Tom, you can’t even bend out here anyway. He’d kick your ass.” Tucker commented, he was also lounging back, hat pulled forward over his eyes and hands behind his head. 

“I’ll spar with you.” Karl offered. “Promised the Captain I wouldn’t bend anyway.” Tom grinned and was leaping at him in an instant. Soon enough the others were watching from their various positions around the ship. They may all claim to be uninterested but there was a reason all of them were some of the best at their respective talents. Karl wins, just barely, and then Sonja is on her feet calling out “Me next!” Unlike Karl and Tom’s duel, Sonja and Wag send gusts of wind across the ship and through the rigging, the sails rippling. Both step and twirl with their element, counterbalancing against the motion of the ship with each move. They declare a tie in the end, bowing to each other with wide smiles. Dec throws Tucker a staff and the two of them engage, the clacking of the wood ringing across the water. It’s a spar that is slightly less than fair, Tucker had far less training with physical weapons than Dec did, but that doesn’t stop him from giving it his all. Their battle leads them all over the ship, up on the railings and across the deck. From his position at the helm, the Captain simply ducks under the swing of a staff, grinning just as big as the rest of them. Tucker missteps, his foot getting caught in a rope and sending him backwards. Dec grabs his hand to slow his fall but still puts him on the deck, staff poised over him. The only one left who hasn’t fought is Jordan and as if of one mind, they all look up to where he’s sitting.

He’s got a grin on his face and his outer shirt shrugged off. Of them all, he’s got the biggest advantage and he knows it, both in bending and in familiarity with the current environment. They fall into their respective stances as he gets to his feet and then he suddenly sprints across the crossbeam. They watch as without pause he grabs a hold of a rope and leaps, swinging down and then out across the water. He let go, diving through the air and into the water with hardly a splash. 

It’s a playful massacre after that, all of them heaving with breath and laughter, absolutely drenched with seawater. Jordan is no exception, he’s standing between them all, breathing just as hard but with a grin a mile wide on his face. The entire game had done wonders for their boredom as well as dissipating the strange tension that had surrounded over them since they’d embarked. 

Jordan sat among them at dinnertime instead of alone like he had the nights prior. They did their best not to react when he quietly said “Redbeard and I learned to sail under the same Captain.” It’s not the first time they’ve gotten a hint to his past but it is the first time he’s brought something up of his own accord. 

“Aye.” The Captain agreed, raising his mug of grog with a smile. “Best Pirate Captain you ever did see.”

“Capsize was a friend of mine when I was young. She and her crew came to the port near my village and offered to teach me to sail. Redbeard was the Skipper aboard the ship at the time. I owe her a lot.”

“As do I lad. We certainly ain’t the only ones. ‘Tis why I make a point to go and visit her, even if it do be out of me way.” 

The others stayed silent as Jordan and Redbeard reminisced back and forth, both out of interest to hear what it had been like for Redbeard to grow up on this ship but also for the glimpses it offered into Jordan’s past. They all knew better at this point than to pry or attempt to get anything from him easily. Eventually Jordan seemed to notice none of them were speaking up and quickly apologized, almost visibly drawing in on himself. 

“You’re alright mate, nothing to be sorry for.” Dec assured him with a gentle smile. “You know, I once knew a pirate lord who called himself Hermod. Though admittedly he was also quite the notorious liar so not sure how much stake I put in him actually being a lord like he claimed..” And then Dec was off, telling his own story. He was perceptive in a way the others often weren’t, able to diffuse building tensions before they even fully formed. It was why he made a good priest to the Gods and a good friend.

~

It's barely dawn when the ship shudders beneath them. There’s shouting from above and when they stumble from their hammocks onto the deck, Captain Redbeard, Skipper Tom and Jordan are running around like mad. 

“What’s going on!?” Tucker speaks up for all of them. 

“Fire Nation ship on the horizon, heading towards us and fast.” Jordan explained quickly as he tied a rope down. “We’re going to try and outrun them but odds aren’t good. Their engine is faster than our sails could ever be.” 

“What can we do to help?” Tom asked. 

Jordan paused for just a moment, looking at the Captain. “I’ll take care of the steering lad! You keep us afloat!” The Pirate called, Jordan nodding in agreement. 

“Tom, Tucker, Dec, tie down everything loose. We don’t want any weight shifting around. Wag, Karl, you two work on defending against any projectiles that may come our way. Expect fireballs at the very least. Sonja, you’re with me. We’re going to try and keep them off of us as long as we can.” 

They scattered to their assigned tasks and for once no one even considers questioning. Not even Tom, who normally would question an order from anyone but his God, says a word. They are putting their faith in Jordan’s expertise even though they have no idea to what extent he knows what he’s doing. It’s not quite blind faith, he’d proven that he knew his way around a ship, but it’s faith in skills that they only know part of. It’s all they have right now though, so it was good enough.

“Coming about!” The Captain called, heaving the wheel hard to the side. The boom swings across the deck as the sails turn. “Give ‘er some help!” Together Wag and Sonja send a huge gust of air into the mainsail, steadying the turn and speeding it up. Their ship is smaller than the one they are facing and more maneuverable. It would be faster if not for the presence of an engine, the opposing ship belching a plume of steam into the air from it’s central column. 

The moment they are facing the Fire Nation head on, the barrage begins. Fireballs the size of small boulders come sailing towards them, one after another. Together Wag and Karl manage to deflect them into the sea, each one sending up a massive splash and burst of sizzling steam as it hits the water. 

“This would be easier if they’d come overnight. The moon was full.” Jordan said, more to himself than to Sonja. He fell into his bending stance and she stepped into a mirror copy beside him. “You understand the plan?” The Avatar nodded in agreement, taking a deep breath. This would be the largest attempt at waterbending she’d done thus far. Up until now she’d worked primarily in small amounts, starting small with her practice. This was throwing her straight into the deep end and hoping she’d swim. 

“You’ve got this. Trust what you’ve learned.” Jordan reassured her. “Block everything else out. Focus on the water.” 

“On my mark.” He muttered softly. Their ship faded from around and below her, she could only feel the water, the waves. She let the sounds around them disappear, stretching out to feel the flow of the sea beneath them. She could feel it’s potential, what it was capable of doing, the strength it held. 

“Now!” He said and they both moved into action, pulling and lifting the sea. It wrapped around the sides of the Fire Nation ship like an enormous sea monster from legend. The waves crashed on the deck and then all at once, both Jordan and Sonja tightened their grasp on the water, freezing it solid. 

“Fill the sails!” Redbeard cried, Wag turned on his heel and sent the strongest gust of wind he could muster into the canvas, the sail bloating from the force and propelling them forward. Sonja stumbled on her feet, Jordan reaching out to steady her. 

“I’m alright.” She said after a moment to catch her breath. “Next step. I’m good.” 

“You go help Wag. We’re almost out of this.” he assured her, running off towards the stern. 

Between the extra air filling the sails and the push of water behind them, they manage to outrun the ship once they have it frozen in place. After nearly an hour of the Fire Nation ship being out of view and several course alterations so they couldn't be followed, Redbeard collapsed against the wheel, flexing his hands after their white-knuckle grasp on the wheel. The rest of them collectively fall to the deck, heart beats slowly calming and adrenaline fading. 

It's Tom who speaks first, raising a victorious fist in the air from his position laying on the deck, crowing “Yo Ho Yo Ho a Pirate's life for me!” 

~

The little detour puts them an extra day off course but eventually they do see land on the horizon. 

“Land ho Captain!” Skipper Tom calls from the crows nest, waving his spyglass wildly. Captain Redbeard nods with a grin. 

They pull into the port town just after midday, all of them lending a helping hand to get the ship tied off and steady. 

“Thank you for your help Captain.” Dec said, reaching out to shake the pirates hand. “We appreciate you getting us over here.”

“Not a problem at all mate. Any friend o’ Jordan’s be a friend of mine. If ye ever need a ship. I be at yer service.” Redbeard saluted with a grin. “Speakin’ of, ye coming with me mate? I’m sure she’d like ta see ye.” 

Jordan blinked in surprise “I don’t know, I wouldn’t want to, Ow!” His hand went to his ear, rubbing at the spot Ianite had just nipped. He glared at her but sighed “Fine. I’ll go see her.” 

“We’ll wait for you just outside of town Jordan. Take as long as you need.” Dec assured him with a kind nod. 

He watched the rest of them disappear into the crowd, wobbly and laughing as they regained their land legs after days at sea. 

“It’ll be alright mate. Promise.” Redbeard said, laying a hand on Jordan’s shoulder. “‘Sides, I think Miss Lady here is excited to see ‘er anyway.” 

Jordan stayed quiet, wringing his hands as he followed Redbeard through the town. Skipper Tom had stayed behind to mind the ship, leaving just the two of them. He lead them just outside the town, to a home with its own dock, a small fishing boat bobbing gently in the waves. 

“Uncle Redbeard!” A child’s voice cried out. From the home, a trio of children came running. Triplets, Jordan realized after a double take. All three looked nearly identical aside from the manner of dress. 

“Ahoy mateys!” Redbeard greeted, crouching down and opening his arms wide so the children could tackle him to the ground. They swarmed him for a moment asking all sorts of questions, barely intelligible in their excitement. 

“Who’re you?” One of them asked, pulling away from Redbeard to look at Jordan. The boy had a sneer of suspicion on his lips, though it was less than threatening considering his age and size.  

“Calm yourself lad, He be a old friend of me and your mum.” 

“You don’t look very old.” Another child said, the girl’s voice high-pitched and accusatory. 

“It don’t be good manners to comment about someone's age Kala but I assure ye, Jordan do be a friend of ours.” She still looked suspicious, turning away with a ‘hmph’. 

“Are you a pirate?” The last child asked, far more politely than both his siblings. 

Jordan shrugged “Not really, but I have been before at one time or another.” 

“You’ll have time to ask all the questions ye want, right now we be needing to see your mum. She inside?” 

“Aye Captain!” all three chriped together in their best impression of pirates, grins on their cheeks. They saluted him with varying levels of propriety then dashed back towards the house on each other's heels. 

“Mom! Uncle Redbeard is here!” The voices preceded their entrance into the home, Redbeard removing his hat as he stepped through the door. 

“Aye? Skipper?” A woman called and Jordan nearly crumpled to his knees. He’d thought he was mentally ready to see Capsize again but suddenly he wanted to run as far as his legs could carry him. Seeing her would only further cement just how much time had passed. He’d had the same gut-twisting realization seeing Redbeard but Capsize was, well she was Capsize. They had been as close as two people could be once upon a time. 

Redbeard’s gentle hand on his shoulder and Ianite’s comforting familiar weight kept him in place, but it did not stop Capsize from dropping her tea tray in shock when she entered the room. 

“Jordan? Mate, be it you?” Her dark eyes were shimmering, wide with astonishment. She was older, of course she was. Her hair was silver now, braided back away from her face. Her skin was deeply wrinkled from years upon years spent in the sun on the sea and instead of her Captains coat she wore a simple pair of trousers and a loose fitting shirt. 

Jordan nodded, suddenly unable to find any words. She crossed the room slowly, as if he might disappear if she moved too fast, then opened her arms to embrace him. 

“Oh mate, I thought ye had died.” She sighed in relief, resting her head against his shoulder. “We all thought the worst when we came back to the village.” She must’ve felt the way he tensed or the way his heartbeat quickened because she fell silent for a long moment. “I just be glad ye are alright.” She pulled back just enough that she could look at Ianite. “And I assume I have ye to thank for that milady?” Ianite stood from his shoulder and crossed to Capsize’s, rubbing her cheek along the old pirates face as she went. “Aye, I be glad to see ye as well. I be glad to see ye both.” She repeated, letting go of Jordan to stroke Ianite. 

“I’ll get another pot o’ tea going, ye both go sit and catch up. I’ve already had me chance.” Redbeard suggested with a smile, nodding towards a small table in the corner. 

“I do be wondering how ye ended up here.” She admitted. 

“Well,” Jordan began, sitting down across from her. Suddenly he realized that these were people who would understand if he were to tell them. They wouldn’t judge him for his actions or the way he’d reacted. They had always cared for him and Ianite like family. Maybe now was the chance to finally get some of what he’d been holding on to for so many years off his chest. He cleared his throat, opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again, suddenly unsure. 

“Mate, I don't need the whole tale.” Capsize said, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand. “As much as I want to hear it, if ye ain’t ready to tell it then ye don’t have to.” Their eyes met, her stormy gray eyes so familiar a comfort. “Start with how ye found Redbeard.” She suggested and a weight lifted from his chest. 

“We, me, milady and the ones we are traveling with, needed passage to the Earth Kingdom. It was actually Ianite that found him…” 

Later that night, long after the sun had set, Jordan rejoined the others. They’d set up camp on the outskirts of town, a fire already roaring between them and their chatter greeting Jordan long before he actually saw them. He’d not told Capsize and Redbeard everything, but more of the story had flowed from him than he’d told anyone but Ianite. It had felt good, letting some of the weight go, even if it hadn’t been all of it. 

“Good visit?” Wag asked as Jordan sat down next to him. 

He nodded, shifting Ianite from his shoulders to his lap. She hardly stirred, tail curling around herself as her purring got louder. 

“It’s always good to catch up with old friends.” Wag commented, turning back towards the fire.

Jordan let himself get lost in the banter, listening and just existing among them. He’d been alive long enough for more than one lifetime. Half of one had been spent in Darkness, another with the Pirates and his village and now he had this. It may have been a long road to get here and an even longer road ahead but maybe this time he could actually do some good. 

#mianite #Mianite fanfiction #atla au #Captain Sparklez #Tucker #tom syndicate #Karl #ianite #captain capsize #skipper redbeard #guard tom #for transvav #Nerf House #avatar au #my writing #words words words

[fuwafuwamedb]

A Cursed G Pt 31 (Hakuno, Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Siduri)

Previous Part: 1 - HakuPOV / GilPOV, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

___

“How long have they been gone now?”

Gilgamesh leaned back, staring towards the windows of the ziggurat. The morning meal had been long, but compared to the lunch hour, it may as well have been the blink of an eye. He hadn’t expected to spend hours without Hakuno around for him and Enkidu to entertain themselves with. The servants had pushed them away several times while preparing her to go visit his mother. He’d seen Siduri looking through some of her tablets, no doubt debating on whether or not to allow Hakuno to do much work at all.

She’d never manage to keep them away from Hakuno, but it had been amusing for a moment to watch.

Then the day had progressed. The audience chamber was as long-winded as he remembered. The lions curled up around his throne, beginning naps as a few nobles offered their daughters to him.

He didn’t want them. Never had.

What he had wanted was someone much like Enkidu: a challenge. He wanted wit and humor. He wanted steel nerves and unrelenting backbone. Someone who would bend at the mere breath he gave was useless in comparison.

The advisors today had not met Hakuno yet, but they knew that he had brought a woman into the palace. Their hands were wringing, their eyes were darting to him and the clay being nearby.

He had ordered his wedding to be arranged.

However, they did not know the woman or her lineage for this affair.

The result was simple: They doubted him.

“My king,” the latest presenter announced. “This is my daughter, from the clutches of Ishtar’s temple, I’ve retrieved her for becoming a wife to you. She’s wise, wise enough to know how to please a man and keep your bed warm. The wedding could be right before the one you are holding soon for that outsider.”

“How boring.”

Gilgamesh glanced over to Enkidu, earning a small nod.

“Take the woman back to her temple before the gods get angered. This is a waste of my time. I have no desire to waste my time on a woman that can barely show any sign of allure let alone-“

The doors were opening.

“Ah, Hakuno’s finally back,” Enkidu murmured somewhere near his seat.

The woman had quite the entrance.

The robes that she’d been adorned in were of the same colors as his own. Her necklaces shifted here and there, falling into the valley of her chest as she strolled forward. The kohl to protect her eyes seemed to do nothing more than make her features more obviously foreign.

Siduri walked at her side, holding a few tablets in hand and grinning whilst she talked to the woman quietly. Whatever distaste she had held for Hakuno was gone, replaced with a slight flush to the woman’s face and a glowing expression that would have had him questioning her had Hakuno not already become his in body.

Yet, neither Siduri nor Hakuno’s appearance were what drew a hundred eyes to stare at her in shock.

It was Hakuno’s audacity.

Hakuno marched right passed those speaking, mounting the steps before his throne and up to where he stood. She leaned up, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and pulling him in.

Lips pressed to his own.

He wasn’t sure what had brought this about, but…

She’s nothing if not entertaining.

Gilgamesh pulled her flush against himself, feeling the warmth of her person against him. She made a small sound, probably missed by most, before clinging to him further.

“Leave us,” Gilgamesh managed to get out.

The chamber was emptying. Siduri was ushering those out who had no business here now. The suitor was going, alongside her father. He could sense the advisors hesitating, their robes in his peripheral vision.

“Gentlemen,” Siduri greeted. “May I present Hakuno to you all? She is the woman that our king has chosen for his queen consort and the woman whom Ninsun herself has claimed as her daughter.”

He had to pull back, finding his mother’s talisman amongst the jewelry around Hakuno’s neck.

So she had liked her huh…

“Ninsun told me to call her mom,” Hakuno murmured to him.

That… was surprising.

His mother was not one to take to people. He’d expected complaints. He’d half expected to find Hakuno mounting the steps in outrage and declaring that she would win Ninsun over somehow. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. If anything, his mother would have solidified weeks of entertaining attempts to win her over.

Instead, the woman had placed a protection necklace around her and had told her to call her mom.

Perhaps his mother was aging.

Doubtful, but he could think of no other reason his mother would be so desperate to protect Hakuno that she would place such an amulet around Hakuno’s neck.

He’d need to speak to his mother later.

“She has been claimed by Ninsun?!”

The group of elders stared at her in astonishment, earning a look from Hakuno.

Once again, she was being unpredictable.

“My mother-in-law was kind enough to give me her blessing and tell me to remain close to the palace. Is there something wrong with that?”

Upfront.

It was a good way to show backbone and a good way to make those against her fall silent. However, he noted a couple holding their hands carefully. Devoted to Ishtar, they had no doubt been told to find him someone close to her.

“If she has accepted you, then that is that,” one told them simply.

The others nodded, chiming in their agreements.

“Excellent,” Hakuno smiled at them. “Then-“

At her pause, Gil glanced to her.

“Sorry, I felt a little off again.” She shook her head, her confident mask back up in full force. “Since that’s done, I’ll be working with Siduri in the offices. I’ll look forward to working with you all.”

He found himself kissed again, the woman holding his necklaces before she walked herself straight back to the doors.

…How boring.

Enkidu was hurrying after her, leaving him with Siduri now. The advisors were dispersing, no doubt to speak of what had occurred. The great king had found a woman with enough spine to temper him. It was news that no corner of Uruk would be lacking the knowledge of by nightfall.

“She heard, didn’t she?”

“She was a bit upset at hearing them call her an outsider and offer their daughter as a better choice,” Siduri confirmed. “She took one look at the guards averting their gaze from her and decided to act.”

“And what did she mean by off again?”

Siduri shook her head. “I’m not sure, but Ninsun’s priests told me that under no circumstances is she to leave the palace again. I was told to inform you to boost the defenses.”

That had been in process already, but why would his mother wish for such a thing?

She was not one for protecting loved ones. She knew better than to worry herself about others’ health. When he had been risking his life, she simply threatened Enkidu to do better. When his father had gone to war, she had waved him off with a hand and told him to come back to give her more children.

Giving Hakuno an amulet that showed her favor of her was strange.

The whole situation was strange. She wasn’t gaining anything from helping Hakuno. Why would she be…

The lions were migrating towards the doors now, their low murmurs of hunger and wishing to play in the gardens ringing in his ears.

Kitten needs to hurry up.

“Siduri,” Gilgamesh rubbed at his head. “Which one of the damn lionesses is pregnant?”

“Hmm?”

“They’re grumbling,” he complained.

“The apsu that looked at them the other week said none of them were.” Siduri glanced over to them. “I suppose I could call one again, but I don’t think they’re being any louder than usual, my king.”

Wait.

“Siduri, take Hakuno to my chambers to work.”

“What?”

He was already heading for the door, moving towards the front of the palace. “Do not, under any circumstances, allow Hakuno to leave the palace, do you understand?”

He headed down the stairs as fast as he could, his mind revolving around what this could mean. If true, then he had more beef with Ishtar. If true, he truly needed to stop the woman before she did anything further.

There was one thing his mother would defend to the death: heirs.

It was why she threatened Enkidu often. It was why she had stopped caring as much about his father’s life after he had been born. His kingdom was secure with a person to ascend to the throne. Had Ishtar not been the patron goddess, he had no doubt in his mind that his mother would have been the patron goddess.

“MOTHER!”

He threw the doors open to her temple, finding the priests falling back in surprise.

The woman adorned in blue looked up, her feet currently propped on a small pillow for a good rubbing.

“Gilgamesh, what brings you here?”

“She’s pregnant, isn’t she?”

The small smile on her face was barely hidden by her hand. Ninsun waved her priests away, pressing her feet lightly to the floor before she stood up.

“Mo-“

“She’s very different from the women that I have seen come here to pray to be yours,” his mother replied. “She has a mind, one that has much broader knowledge than I had expected.”

“Is she?”

His mother moved forth, stepping before him and lifting his face to look up at hers. The woman was unnaturally tall, unerringly attractive. It was little wonder his father had picked her, but all he could see was just another pretty face when he looked to her.

“Mother,” he tried again.

“I used a bit of power to see into her open mind,” she told him. “Morning sickness, a heavier chest, a more pronounced hunger; I saw her morning and understood the meaning. You’ve done well, far better than the gods had told me you would manage.”

He felt his knees give way, his eyes staring up into those so much like his own.

“You were such a pretty thing. Do you know how deep that love of hers goes?” His mother laughed, kneeling down to keep that close contact. “I felt it, like a golden chain around my heart. If anyone hurt you, she would go wild. If anyone took you, her heart would break into pieces. You’re so deep into her spirit now that forgetting you would mean forgetting all of herself. She would be no more than an empty vessel.”

Such nonsense. There was no such thing as an adoration that deep.

“Do you not believe me? How would she react if those advisors of yours brought another woman for you?”

They already had.

Gilgamesh stared at the woman, his mind blanking at the memory.

“You are so simple,” his mother cooed, brushing at his hair. “So very simple. This will be so entertaining. I want the barrier around the palace increased. Do not let her leave the palace. Marriage ceremonies can be on the palace steps. In fact, it may help to let all see her.”

What did he even do with heirs?

There would be noise and crying and-

What was he supposed to do with an heir?!

“You should make an offering for Ishtar,” his mother murmured.

“No…”

“Take it to her temple and give it to the priests.”

He couldn’t do that.

Ishtar had tried to put Hakuno in her deathbed. She had left the woman lying uselessly in a public toilet and had assumed that she herself could still claim him.

When he had rejected her, she’d turned him into a beast and thrown him into another world.

“She is still the patron goddess,” his mother reminded him. “Fortify your defenses and make an offering. If not for you, then for her.”

He wouldn’t.

The gods did not dictate who would do what and when. They held no control, considering that he had brought Hakuno back and he had helped to aid her healing with his own strength and that of Enkidu’s. He wasn’t going to let Ishtar know that his child was coming.

“Gilgamesh-“

“I need to return to Hakuno.”

His mother earned her hug, her kisses for being of his own blood. He laughed with her for a moment as she recommended names, but he pulled himself from her temple.

His feet felt numb.

He, himself, felt numb. The world around him was alive and bustling. His people were waving and he had to force himself to give waves here and there as he went, but he didn’t stop.

For once, he ascended back into the ziggurat and followed the path he had taken a good few hundred women back to his chambers. He opened the door to his room, finding Hakuno cuddled on the bed with a half dozen of his lions.

Kitten.

Kitten.

“Gil!” Enkidu grinned as they motioned over to Hakuno. “I think the lions have found a new favorite. They’ve been cuddling Hakuno.”

“Enkidu, leave us for a moment.”

Hakuno looked up, frowning.

“Enkidu-“

“I’m going,” the being pat his shoulder. “I need to take some of these tablets to Siduri anyway. Hakuno can’t read all of them yet and was needing my help to translate them to her language, but it may be faster to just let Siduri handle them for now.”

“She’ll learn in the next few months.”

Enkidu nodded, heading from the room.

“What’s wrong?” Hakuno asked.

He moved forward, watching that frown growing. The woman’s eyes were searching his face, her body sitting up a little more.

“Gil-“

“Did you know?”

“Know?”

“About this?” He motioned at her, earning a heavy sigh and a hand running through her hair.

“I didn’t know that the lions would like me at all, but I’ve never necessarily been bad with animals. I tend to just leave them be, but your lions are the cuddliest cats- other than you.”

“I’m not talking about the lions.”

“You just pointed at them.”

“I was not pointing at the lions.”

Hakuno glanced down before she shook her head. “Then I don’t know what you’re talking about, Gil. What’s going on-“

“The baby.”

“Baby?”

“Yes, the one you have growing in you.”

Hakuno stared at him. Those brown eyes were wide and that scowl was stronger than ever.

She hadn’t known.

The woman had no idea that she had been- which meant he was the first out of the two of them to figure it out.

“There’s no way I’m pregnant. There would be obvious signs. I’d be missing cycles…” She paused, shaking her head after a second. “plus the whole time jump would mess up my counting so I’m sure I’m not-“

“The lions cuddle you and say kitten.”

“The lions are overly friendly.”

“They ate a man the day before I disappeared.”

Hakuno glanced at the lions a moment before looking to him skeptically.

“Shall we go down to the city to see? I’m sure there’s a criminal deserving down there.”

“Gil, I’m not pregnant. I’d be gaining a stomach.”

“It’s early. These things take months to fully develop.”

“Who told you that I was?”

“My mother did.”

Hakuno groaned, pulling one of the lions closer. “She may just be wishful thinking-“

“She’s a goddess, Hakuno.”

“Gilgamesh, we slept together only a couple times. I haven’t-“

He yanked her to him, tired of this.

The woman would figure it out sooner or later. She would understand the meaning of her morning illness and she would realize what she had done. She had to take responsibility now. Claiming him so forthright, allowing herself to welcome so much of him into her life and then daring to spawn another generation.

“Gil-“

He pulled back to breathe a moment before he was climbing onto the bed, kissing her again.

She didn’t resist. No, she held him just as tight as ever, her legs seeming to part just for him. The lions were grumbling, moving from the bed, leaving him to have her for himself. He could hear the mutterings, but right now he wanted to entertain himself.

“You fool,” he growled, laughing softly. “You fell in love with me.”

“You know this already,” she complained.

He did, but he wanted to hear it again. The way his mother had described it had been all too great. Would she really lose all of herself at the loss of him? Was she truly that smitten?

“Gil, am I pregnant or are you just trying to make it so?”

His laugh grew louder, his forehead pressing to hers.

She was clinging to him, with him not holding her at all.

“I have only seen children in the kingdom. I don’t know about rearing them. I’ve helped my lions give birth, but my knowledge of people doing so…”

“What about Ishtar?”

“I’ll deal with her.”

“Gil-“

He stole her lips away, watching her wane. His mother had been right. It was foolish to argue when she always was. And that, combined with his good fortune, led him to this.

Hakuno was already looking at him with darkened eyes. Her arms were pulling him in further. The plain fool, claiming a king in this manner.

She was lucky she was so entertaining.

She was lucky that she could pull such interesting expressions when she looked to him.

She was lucky that she could manage to stir such strong responses from him when she touched and held him in her arms.

She was so incredibly lucky, he thought as he pulled those robes down her body and bore her naked person to his eyes. He all but purred as she shivered beneath him. His tongue ran right up from her navel, sending his name escaping her lips once again.

“The tablets,” Hakuno tried to remind him. “There’s work-“

“No one will expect them today.” Gilgamesh pulled his robes from his person, tossing them off the bed as he looked down at the woman beneath him. “I’ll make you loud enough that it will be obvious where the rest of my day will be spent.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Her shouts were louder than ever in his chambers. He held her hips and sent her over the edge so much that the flush to her cheeks would probably be permanent. Those lips rained down upon him, fighting desire with desire.

No one came for them.

It was very clear why.

#drabble #drabbles

[recentanimenews]

Shield Hero Fans Rejoice As Naofumi FINALLY Gets to Upgrade His Party!

  Come one, come all, for it's that time you've been waiting for every week: Shield Hero time! If you haven't watched this week's episode of The Rising of the Shield Hero, please shield your eyes from these spoilers!

  **SPOILERS AHEAD**

Naofumi, Raphtalia and Filo kick off this episode by arriving at the newly changed the Four Heroes Church; not only does it have a spiffy new crest that includes the mighty Shield, but now the BEST TEAM can finally upgrade their classes! It was about time, really! But... something's up. Raphtalia and Filo were unable to choose their preferred class. What's going on here?

    Yes, they were succesfully able to upgrade the classes, but they couldn't choose the one they wanted. That's kind of a buzzkill after FINALLY being able to upgrade! According to our fierce Queen, some special items can affect the whole class upgrade process, locking them into specific classes, even if it's not the class they wanted. For Filo, that probably means that cute cowlick she got from Fitoria.

    When the Queen heard the name "Fitoria", her eyes shone like stars! Could it be... she also loves Filolials like Melty? YUP! They both share an inmense love for our adorable feathered friends! Melty told her awestruck mom the details about Fitoria: her size, to her feathers, and even that she rode Fitoria in her majestic bird form. I hope Fitoria is ready for a visit from another member of the Royal Family!

    But enough of that, why did the Queen suddenly call them over to the castle? Remember that celebration they talked about, but Naofumi wouldn't go to it? It's happening on that very night. A disgruntled Naofumi complains, but the party is all but a front; there's something important that the Queen has to tell all four Heroes. What could it possibly be?

    Our team has no choice but to get ready for these... "festivities". But not before Naofumi plants a new seed of worry! He apologized for the whole class upgrade fiasco; he just wanted them to choose their upgrades freely so they'd be okay after he's gone. After he's..."gone"? That's definitely not what Raphtalia and Filo want! What's going to happen when that time comes? Hopefully this party will be actually be fun so they can ease their worries about what he said. And hopefully this "party" will be as painless as possible for Naofumi... one can only hope!

    Melty rejoins the BEST TEAM for the duration of the party, YAY! Naofumi's off with the other Heroes for their vital discussion with the Queen... but wait, who's that?! 

  Oh dear... It seems like the disgraced ex-princess is up to no good! No worries, though, Melty's on the case! 

    As if that twist wasn't enough, a drunkard has made his way to the table and has chosen to be a total pig towards Raphtalia. Seriously, CAN YOU NOT?! He made himself known as one of Itsuki's cronies, and he declared that as long as they have him, they don't need any OTHER heroes. Is this guy for real? He's not making any friends at this party, that's for sure!

    To make matters worse, this guy made the terrible mistake of calling the Shield Hero a coward. Raphtalia has had ENOUGH, and now she's ready to throw down! I guess that's one way of spicing up the party.

    With all the commotion going on... oh look, it's the disgraced ex-princess skulking about in the food prep area. Of course she'd try to have her revenge by trying to poison the Shield Hero team. NOT TODAY! Unfortunately for her, she got caught red-handed by the great Melty! 

    MEANWHILE, the four Cardinal Heroes are once again reunited, and... yeah, it doesn't look like they're BFFs yet. Naofumi once again reflects on Fitoria's words, and decides that it's time to clear the air with them so the Waves will be easier to take care of. The Queen starts the conversation with wanting to make it up to the Heroes after that whole ugly situation with the Three Heroes Church. With the Cal Mira Archipelago activating soon, she wants them to reap the most benefits as they possibly can with the boosted XP they can all earn. Time for a leveling party!

  Naofumi had no idea this was a thing, and he gets mocked for it by the Idio-, I mean, the Spear Hero.

    Before they can get further into their discussion, word of Bitch's poisoning attempt reaches the Queen. Of course, the Spear Hero is quick to defend her, but what can ya do with someone who refuses to acknowledge what's going on and change for the better? 

  But enough about her, let's get to the heart of the discussion!

    The Queen finally lays out in the open that the constant infighting between Heroes has prevented them from leveling up as necessary to take care of the Waves. They wasted so much time bickering that they forgot what was truly important! The extra boost that they'll get in Cal Mira will fix that (what are the chances of THAT timing?), but they all need to play nice and exchange information to work and fight together as one.

  Of course, the three freakin' Stooges (Sword, Spear and Bow) object to that! What the heck...they haven't learned anything, have they? Looks like they need a wake-up call.

    If the three Hero Stooges don't cooperate, it could very well be the end for them; they'll pay with their lives! Y'all remember how easily they lost the battle at the last Wave while Naofumi had to carry their butts to survival? Well, there's the possibility they wouldn't live through the next one. They ALL need to rally up to take on the Waves, otherwise, not only will they likely die, but the world will pay for their negligence to team up properly.

  Alright, so they finally decide to talk, but their first questions is where Naofumi got the "cheat shield" from... Dear LORD, nevermind, just tape their mouths shut so they never speak again!! All of this has been a culmunation of Naofumi's hard work, but they still called it a "cheat" item. Can you believe these guys?!

    The other Heroes begin to relay what they know, like how to copy weapons, to easy crafting and even teleportation. This is something that Naofumi didn't even know; no one bothered to tell him about any of this! 

  "I'll tell you the secret to growing stronger," says the Bow Hero. Okay, let's hear it! It's all about weapon rarity? But the Sword Hero notes that's a lie, and it's more about proficiency. Yet, apparently that's not right either? The Spear Hero says that it's actually about refinement and stats. These... are all different answers. And their help screens differ in information too! So it's apparent that each hero is working on a different system the second they were transported to this world. Will this info actually help out Naofumi? What a mess...

    Bickering and fighting went on both in this meeting and in the party as well! Are folks able to come together to try and conquer the threats that the world is facing? From the looks of it, it's a lost cause! 

  Thinking on all the different ways the other Heroes detailed on how they got around in this world, Naofumi reflected that maybe they weren't lying about it after all. And as soon as he thought that, the option to copy a wepon was unlocked for him! What luck! Time to go raid some shields at the shop! But one thing to remember: it looks like Naofumi's system is dependant on hearing details about how one does a particular skill, like the weapon copy. 

    Aww yeaahh, now the BEST TEAM is ready to level up lots in Cal Mira! Before they get to that, Raphtalia requests an important pit stop.

    The remnants of Raphtalia's village lay bare for all to see, but the most touching act is that the remaining villagers buried the recovered bodies of their loved ones, including Rifana, to welcome them back home and ease their spirits to rest. It would be wonderful if this village could go back to how it used to be: happy and full of hopes and dreams.

  In the midst of wondering whether he could do more to help, Naofumi runs into a random traveler asking about a village. Could this be a potential new member to the BEST TEAM? 

    It's time to march on, but Raphtalia can't help but worry about how all of this will end. Will they conquer the Waves? Will Naofumi forever disappear when all of this is over? There's no way she'll let that happen! But Naofumi mentions that there's no way that he'll leave them behind, especially not with the other three Idiot Heroes around! But how much of that is the truth? Naofumi at some point has to go home to Japan, right? 

  Our team finally make it to the pier, where there's only one ship at the dock ready to depart. OF COURSE, all the other Heroes took all the available rooms, leaving none for Naofumi and his crew... They sure love to hold grudges! Now Naofumi has to share a room with...

    Hey, it's that guy Naofumi met at Raphtalia's village! What are the chances of that? Will this guy be a friend or foe? Will he side with the other Three Hero Stooges or will he be a valuable ally to the Shield Hero Team? And how many levels will they all gain in Cal Mira? You'll have to wait until next week's episode to find that out!

  But now's the best part of the week... YOUR reactions! Let's check out how y'all liked this week's Shield Hero episode:

  Just watched episode 22 of #ShieldHero. Good episode. Glad to see the four heroes beginning to share information, although they seem to have different mechanics. Kinda sad Melty will be staying at the capital, but it makes sense as to why. I want to know what class Filo is now...

— CascadeHope (@CascadeHope) June 5, 2019

    Naofumi is much better than the other Shield Hero pic.twitter.com/dBHg1wyevj

— Juan ???????? ❤ ???????? (@jc_the_pony) June 5, 2019

  From The Queens Childish side of her liking Filolials like her daughter was Adorable. And the long awaited reveal of the the Red haired character wielding a Scythe we saw in the anime's opening 2. Episode 22 was nice and light hearted ????????#shieldhero pic.twitter.com/OAxRK0NLNJ

— Sovik Pan???? (@sovikpan48) June 5, 2019

  Today is a good day, because both Senko San and Shield Hero come out today! Wednesdays are always amazing now <3 pic.twitter.com/7KYfh0eJFs

— Pat || PlayerTwo ???? (@owTreyalP) June 5, 2019

  The Rising Of The Shield Hero Episode 22 (Review) Did We Just Meet Two New Team Members!? XP Island!https://t.co/TdEQKOCqu3#TheRisingoftheShieldHero Was pretty fun and good at points this week, i kinda wish they tell us more about his skills, Etc pic.twitter.com/qCKNeAlpUF

— The Anime G (@TheAnimeG_) June 5, 2019

  People choose shield just because of rise of a shield hero https://t.co/dr75ZGfWhg

— Lamix (@Lamix_0) June 5, 2019

  When will these people learn to not bad mouth Naofumi in front of Raphtalia ???????????? #shieldhero pic.twitter.com/ukgmuOpWvk

— Chandler Ingram (@Chandler_Ingram) June 5, 2019

  One door closes as another opens. Great transition between arcs. Glad they kept Raphtalia paying respects to her village. Now it's time to get tropical with the Cal Mira Islands ???????? #shieldhero pic.twitter.com/Nh8Y8cZUig

— Chandler Ingram (@Chandler_Ingram) June 5, 2019

  L'Arc and Therese hype!! ???????? Anime nailed their designs so well #shieldhero pic.twitter.com/HMsAPQiTBc

— Chandler Ingram (@Chandler_Ingram) June 5, 2019

  Literally less than one minute appearance in Shield Hero and already in love with this redhead ???????????? pic.twitter.com/40bk7NFCRh

— ???? Έτσι είναι η ζωή ???? (@Hoejabixx) June 5, 2019

  rising of the shield hero :)) pic.twitter.com/oh48YbJTzn

— Ernest Rafael (@InfiniteBlnk) June 5, 2019

  @ShieldHeroEN Even though the Queen has to be serious at the most crucial times, even she can have her inner fangirl moments when it comes to the Filolial Queen. ???????????? #shieldhero pic.twitter.com/xnTLW0EOk7

— Urzu 38 - ????????FFVII: R TEASER TRAILER???????? (@SlvrIceDrgn1981) June 5, 2019

  I’m ready for the new episode of Shield Hero pic.twitter.com/xtiAJXrMiq

— Anime Anonymous (@AnimeAnonymous) June 5, 2019

  New key characters in today’s episode of The Rising Of The Shield Hero pic.twitter.com/3Q5Y8yTqDi

— Austin-Sensei (@LordOfOppai) June 5, 2019

  Give some love to the official Shield Hero Twitter and Facebook fan page where you can discuss the latest episode with fans every week! 

Watch The Rising of the Shield Hero on Crunchyroll

----

Nicole is a features writer and editor for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

[iwritetrashimagines]

Long Time No See [FP Jones]

Rating: Smut

Warnings: Sex. Drinking. Season 2 spoilers?

Request: None. I just decided I wanted to write this. I am FP trash. Please send me some Riverdale requests.

Fandom: Riverdale.

Word Count: 5,700+

It came as a bit of a surprise when I’d heard that FP Jones would be getting out of jail early. As someone who grew up on the Southside, I knew who he was. He was someone I ran around with when we were kids. He was a boy that got himself into trouble whenever the opportunity made itself known. I hadn’t spoken to him in years. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not only was FP Jones someone I ran around with when I was younger, he was my first love. He was the last remaining piece of the life I had moved on from. I fell madly in love with FP in the last year of high school, but things became too much once I’d been accepted to a college in another state. FP didn’t plan on moving on. He was a member of the Serpents, just like many of the other people we’d grown up with. I chose to stay out of the gang and try to find my way out of Riverdale.

That didn’t last long, however. After I’d finished college with a Bachelors in English I experimented working in other places but ended up moving back to Riverdale, except, this time, on the Northside. Life was going well. I reconnected with old friends like Alice Cooper and Fred Andrews and got a job as an English teacher at the high school. The only thing missing was what I hoped I could come home to find -- love. I never really got over FP, but I hoped that somehow he had moved on from the life we had once shared on the Southside. By the time I got back to town, I learned that FP had in fact moved on, just not how I had desired. He was still a member of the Serpents, but he now had a family. A wife and kids. After learning this, I gave up. I dropped the idea that FP and I could work out.

I chose to lose the memory of FP and all the happiness he’d brought me. I dated other men, I was even married for 8 years, but in the back of my mind I still sometimes thought of the man I fell in love with years ago. Fast forward a few years and suddenly this town had turned upside down. Now in my 40’s, I was divorced with no kids. Clifford Blossom killed his own son, and himself. FP had been arrested as an accomplice. Fred Andrews had been shot. Riverdale even got its very own serial killer out to kill sinners. But, only pieces of that mattered most to me.

I never truly thought I’d see FP again, and I learned to cope. I knew that once he got out of jail he’d still be living on the Southside, which would surely keep us on separate ends of the town. Yet, when I was given the chance to see the man I had loved so long ago, I took it.

“Ms. (Y/L/N), can I speak to you for a moment?” Betty spoke softly as she entered the classroom that had become the headquarters of the Blue & Gold. Like Alice, I had stepped in to help bring the school paper back.

“Yeah. What’s up Betty? You look a little stressed.” I looked up from the book in front of me. This was my conference hour, and I normally spend it in this room reading. It gave me a break and allowed me to de-stress after spending hours with students that sometimes made me want to pull my hair out. Don’t get me wrong, teaching is lovely. It’s everything I thought it would be. But, some students just don’t care.

“Actually, I’m planning something, and I was hoping you would be interested.” She gave me a smile as she sat in a chair close to where I was. “I was in Jughead’s trailer the other day and I noticed something. You see, we’ve been trying to come up with a way to welcome his dad back home. We decided on throwing him a party at the Whyte Wyrm.” Betty paused, as if trying to figure out how to say something.

“And how does this involve me?” I could feel goosebumps developing on my arms. After all this time, I’d buried my feelings for FP. I’d done my best to get over him. Questions were clouding my mind. Why would she mention FP to me?

“There was a picture in his trailer. It was old, but you could tell it was well taken care of.” Her voice quieted as she looked down for a moment. She looked up, meeting my questioning eyes. “It was a picture of you and Jughead’s dad, Ms. (Y/L/N). And, I’m not hinting at anything here, but you looked very friendly in said picture.” This time it was I who couldn’t make eye contact. I cleared my throat as the room became too quiet.

“And?” I knew where this was going, but I refused to assume anything.

“Jughead and I decided that it might be a good idea to invite you.”

“The Whyte Wyrm?” I asked. I hadn’t been there in years. She nodded her head. “I’ll be there.” I gave her a smile before the bell rang, signaling us both to go to class.

[outfit] 

The parking lot was full of motorcycles, just like I expected it to be. From the outside it looked as if nothing had changed, or as if no time had passed. I could hear the noise coming from the bar as soon as I stepped out of my car. Was I ready to face FP? Would I even see him? I mean, he’s getting out of jail. Everyone is gonna want to see him. If I see him, he’ll probably have so many people around him that he won’t even notice me. I straighten my jacket out and started towards the door. Whether I spoke to FP or not, I wanted to be there to support him. If I have no expectations for tonight, then I can’t be disappointed.

Walking in I am hit by the strong smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke. All I can hear is laughter and yelling. Before I make it very far into the crowd I hear a familiar voice welcoming me.

“(Y/N)?”

I looked up at the long-haired man in front of me. The slight smile on his face was enough to boost my spirits.

“Hey Tall Boy.” I walked into his open arms. The familiar face was all I needed to regain my confidence.

“I knew you were back in Riverdale, but I never thought I’d see you back on the Southside. I heard you became a teacher. What are you doing back over here?” I knew he didn’t mean it in a harsh way, but it stung my heart a little that he understood that I wanted to get out of the South. “Let me guess. You came to see FP?”

“Betty Cooper asked me to come. FP and I haven’t spoken in years, but for some reason, I just couldn’t say no.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. But, do me a favor. Go get yourself a drink. You seem a little tense, and that’s never fun for a reunion between past lovers.” Tall Boy joked, but he wasn’t wrong. I was so nervous about being back in the Whyte Wyrm that I can’t imagine how out of place I looked. I nodded at the man before turning and walking towards the bar.

“What can I get you?” The bartender, a young, pink-haired girl, asked me. As soon as I gave her my order she was at work. I looked around, hoping for more familiar faces. I still hadn’t seen FP. The girl handed me my drink and I began to tentatively sip on it. If I wasn’t driving myself home, this might have been a different story. I could hear a couple of gasps as I leaned against the bar. When I looked up I could see a very provocatively-dressed Alice Cooper splitting the crowd like she was Moses. It was almost like a blast from the blast. This side of Alice was a sight-for-sore-eyes. If I hadn’t spent many hours with the woman after coming back to Riverdale, I would’ve assumed that nothing had changed. In a very Alice-Cooper fashion, she made a little bit of a show before heading to the bar, even going as far as asking her own daughter what she wanted to drink. If Tall Boy didn’t expect me here, I’d love to know what he thought when he saw this ex-Serpent make her way through the door.

“Well look what the cat dragged in. (Y/N), what are you doing here?” I laughed. Before I left Riverdale, Alice and I were the best of friends. When I came back, we went right back to normal, knowing that the both of us were new people with similar goals.

“Alice, I could say the same thing about you. Betty asked me to come. Now, what are you doing here?”

I knew, with Jughead joining the Serpents, Alice was worried that Betty would end up in one of those jackets too, but I hoped she, if anyone, would realize that that’s not the worst case scenario. At least the Serpents were loyal. I mean, I wouldn’t want my kids joining a gang either, but she knows better than I do that the Serpents would have her back if she became one of them. So, when Alice mentioned her fear as her reason for coming, I believed her.

Alice got her drink and was standing with me as we both slowly sipped at the alcohol in our hands. Neither of us really wanted to be drunk right now. When Archie and Veronica ran off stage and Betty took their place, all conversation between to two of us halted in anticipation of what she might do. Betty had her hair down, which shocked me enough to begin with. I hadn’t realized how much she truly looked like her mother until now. As Betty carried on with the song, Alice and I walked closer to the stage to watch her. Then, I could feel Alice’s fear coming to life. As Betty began the dance, even I was worrying. I’d seen the dance a million times. I can remember almost doing the dance myself a few times. After all this time, I thought they would’ve found a better way for women to be initiated into the gang, but some things never change.

“Oh my God.” I heard Alice mutter. At this point, I knew there was no more fun Alice. All that could come out of this was the raging inferno of a woman that Alice Cooper was when someone angered her. Betty carried on, finishing the dance. It was so quiet in the bar that you could’ve heard a pin drop.

Then, with the sound of a single person clapping, I felt all the color drain from my face. There he was, wrapping up a near-nude Betty with the same leather jacket that he used to wrap me in when I got cold. Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Second.

“Let’s give her a round of applause.”

As the room burst with applause and cheer, I half-heartedly watched Alice begin to get onto Betty. The majority of my attention was dedicated to FP standing on the stage mere feet from me. Nothing had really changed. He was as handsome as ever, just with a few years added onto him. Anyone could tell that he’d been worn out, but he was still everything I’d expect him to be. As much as I hate to admit it, I really missed his face. His eyes looked tired, which is expected after just getting out of jail, but just as lively as the last time I looked into them. His smile was still enough to light the entire Southside of Riverdale. He was still everything I remember. I walked closer to where Alice and Betty stood side-stage just to be closer. FP was speaking, and at this point, he could be reading off newspaper advertisements to me and I would still hang on to every word as if each one was the key to living. He spoke with such passion that it reminded me of before I left -- how he spoke of joining the Army, of just looking for his place in this world. I knew he had found it with the Serpents, and this speech only enhanced my belief.

“I've been in and out of the Serpents since I was younger than my son, and it's been a wild ride. Good times. Bad times. But through it all, the Serpents stuck by my side while most other people turned their backs on me, my own family included.” I almost regretted standing with Alice and Betty as his gaze met us. I watched his eyes widen slightly, and I knew that he had acknowledged me.

“Now, the letter of the law says that I can't be here in the Serpent den, that I can't associate with my friends, my real family, my blood. But I've been thinking about that, and it'll be a cold day in hell before a snake lets a pig tell him what to do.” Alice was trying to pull Betty out of the bar, but Betty wouldn’t leave. Then, it was just Betty and me that FP was looking at. I could feel his gaze stand the hair on the back of my neck on end.

“The Northside wants me out of this gang, well they better bring a coffin 'cause FP Jones isn't retiring. I am not going gently into the night. I am here to stay. So, bring the fire.”

I watched FP get patted on the back before walking off the stage to Jughead and enveloping his son in a hug. Jughead seemed to be taken by surprise. The scene I was witnessing almost melted my heart. It would’ve if, it wasn’t followed by FP taking a shot. 

I knew how FP could be when he was drinking. I’d seen him at some pretty low times drinking just to forget everything. Maybe with the years passing he’s learned his lesson, but that wasn’t my place. I hadn’t even spoken to the man, but here I was standing in a bar, at a party celebrating him. With a final glance in his direction, I turned my focus to Betty.

“I’m not gonna tell you how that was a bad idea, Betty, because I can’t tell you how many times I’d wished I would’ve had the courage to get up there and do the very same thing you did. Your mother gets to do that. I don’t. She did do it once, Betty. She once thought that she wanted to be a Serpent. But, Betty, I will tell you to think about your next move because I guarantee you that it was a lot easier for me to get out of the Southside than it was for her, simply because one of us did that dance and one of us didn’t.” I gave her a pat on the back before leaving her to her thoughts. Watching Betty finish that dance sent me back to a time when I had seriously contemplated doing the same thing. Alice and I did everything together when we were younger, up until this dance came into play. Alice danced for the Serpents while I steered clear of the pole.

Without Alice there, I felt very uncomfortable. My familiar face left in a hurry trying to avoid believing that her daughter would make the same decision that she herself regretted. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my night alone in a bar if my other option was spending the rest of my night alone in the comfort of my home where I could drink and binge-watch The Office all I wanted. With my head tipped down slightly, I drew closer to the exit in an attempt to avoid any unnecessary eye contact. I would’ve made it to the door if it weren’t for a voice from the past stopping me dead in my tracks.

“(Y/N)?” FP spoke, causing me to look up. As I met his eyes I could see the same glimmer in them that I saw years ago. The closer I was to him, the more I could see just how handsome he’d become.

“Hello FP.” I gave him an awkward smile. It felt strange to be back in his presence.

“Long time no see.” I watched as he scanned my face in the same manner that I did to him. “You look great.” The smile on his face was contagious and, before I could stop myself, I was smiling back at him.

“You look pretty alright yourself. It doesn’t look like jail did you any harm.” I joked, hoping he wouldn’t take the comment to heart. When he laughed, I let out a breath that I held momentarily in anticipation of his response.

“I hope you weren’t trying to leave without catching up with me. You know, that would’ve been very rude of you.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Jones,” I replied. Of course, I was definitely trying to leave before speaking to him, but he didn’t need to know that. He offered his arm to me. When I entwined mine with his, it felt like old times. He led me to the bar before pulling out a stool for me to sit on. As I sat, he sat next to me.

“Can I get you a drink?”

“I really shouldn’t drink. I have to drive myself home tonight.”

“Then tell me what’s new. Last I heard you were a teacher and you’d just gotten married. How’s all that working out?”

“Well, I’m still a teacher, I’m just not married anymore.” I laughed after I answered him, hoping he wouldn’t feel bad for asking. “What about you? I heard you were married with two kids? I’ve met Jughead, but that’s all I knew.”

“Well, my wife left with our daughter, but Jughead stayed.” I felt my heart ache for FP momentarily.

“Oh man, I’m sorry FP.”

“I mean, I can’t blame her. It happened, it’s done with. This is my family here.” FP gestured towards the packed bar.

“I can remember you saying that years ago. Some things never change.” I offered him a smile.

As we caught up I found myself recognizing old traits in FP. I could still see everything I fell in love with embodied in this man that was now driving me crazy in the best way. Every time my name slipped from his lips, my world spun just a little more. He still had this slanted mischievous smirk that could turn me on instantly. He now had facial hair that he wouldn’t grow when we were younger, and all I could think about is how his face would feel between my legs. As he sat back against the bar his broad shoulders were spotlighted and I could just picture all the times my arms held onto them tightly. While the night carried on around us and the bar emptied out, I knew that this conversation was bringing back the sexual tension that lasted between us every time we got together. I mean, why wouldn’t it? The closer to last call we got, the closer we got to each other until, finally, we were as close as two people could get while sitting on uncomfortable bar stools.

As the pink-haired bartender came up to tell us that they wanted to close the Whyte Wyrm for the night my heart sunk. I really didn’t want to leave FP right now. Not after I had felt so at-home with him again. FP led me outside the bar with one hand pressed against my lower back, stopping near his bike. Now his hands were clamped around my waist gently while my hands were pressed against his chest. We were close enough that I could feel his breath on my face.

“Would it be wrong of me to kiss you right now?” There was a goofy smile on his face as he already knew my answer. I never could tell him no. Instead of replying, I pressed my lips against his. My hands made their way up from his chest to the base of his neck. As FP deepens the kiss, I could feel the euphoria building up in me. I missed him more than I knew. As we separated for air, my lips missed the pressure of his on top of them.

“I’ve missed you, (Y/N).” I felt him whisper, his hands sliding lower than appropriate in public.

“What would you do if I said that I don’t want this night to end right now?” I smirked, hoping he would get my hint. My body was pressed against his as close as I could get. I was more turned on now than I had been in a long time. I may have missed FP a lot emotionally, but it was nothing in comparison to how much my body missed him. The man standing with me in this dark parking lot was easily the best lover I’d ever had, and the possibility of at least one more chance had my entire body excited.

“I guess I’d tell you to hop on.” He returned the smirk before placing kisses on the bit of neck. He pulled away from me, taking a seat on his bike. “Let’s go for a ride on my bike.”

“That’s not the only thing of yours I’d like to ride.”

We pulled up to FP’s trailer, and I’d never been more glad to see it. The thought of holding tightly onto FP while on his bike was enough to make wetness pool in my panties. Actually being able to do it drove me crazy. We were off that motorcycle quicker than you’d believe. FP took my hand, dragging me behind him into the trailer. As soon as the door was closed behind me I was being pressed against it. FP’s lips crashed into mine with a ferocity that could make anyone weak in the knees. Our tongues met sloppily and teeth bumped into each other as we rushed to be as close as possible. We managed to kick our shoes and socks off messily without separating. As FP’s grip on my hips grew tighter, I slipped my hands under his shirt, taking my time feeling every defined muscle in his abdomen. I wanted to take in every piece of him in as much detail as possible. Once I am satisfied with my exploration, I push the shirt up his chest, separating us long enough to watch him pull it over his head. It didn’t take long before his hands went from my hips to the buckle of my jeans. He blindly unbuckled them, allowing me to push them down and then shimmy out of them before he pulled away from me. 

FP’s eyes roamed my body. I stood before him in nothing but my top and black lace underwear. As he took in my figure, I analyzed the man in front of me. He was tall and well built, and he had aged gracefully. If anything, I was more attracted to him now than I was when we were young.

“After all these years, you’re still as beautiful as you were when we were kids, if not more,” FP said before gently nipping at my soft spot. I felt his hands slowly begin to pull my top over my head, and when it was off he bent over my topless figure slightly, placing his hands on the back of my upper thighs. “Jump.”

I did as he said, wrapping my legs around his torso as he caught me. Re-attaching our lips, FP slowly directed us to his bedroom. FP placed me on top of his bed, and there I lay in nothing but my panties. I sat up, watching him as he pushed his jeans off himself. Before I could pull him towards me, he took a hold of my legs, pulling my core to the edge of his bed. My legs fell over the side of the bed as he bent down and spread them. I laid back, moaning as FP’s fingers slipped over the thin fabric covering me. His hands climbed up towards the waistband, just barely slipping his fingertips into them. FP pulled my panties off me before spreading my legs once again. 

“Now, what has you so turned on, Baby Girl?” He asked, running a single finger along my folds. I found myself lifting my hips up towards him when he pressed the tip on his finger teasingly into my entrance. This teasing would be the death of me.

“FP, please don’t tease me. I’ve been waiting for this for far too long.” I felt him lower his face towards my core. 

“Anything for you.” He said, sending chills up my back.

I felt FP pull his hand away from me, leaving me craving even just that little touch if only that. Quickly, I felt him press his tongue flat against me before focusing his mouth solely on my clit. I let out a moan, tangling one of my hands in his hair. As the noise left my mouth, FP slipped a finger into me, slowly thrusting it in and out. He curled his finger at just the right angle, brushing against my g spot. As my core tightened around his finger, I sucked in, not expecting the sudden intense pleasure brought on by his movement. Loving my reaction a little more than he probably should have, he repeats the action a few more times, even adding another finger and leaving me agonizingly close to my climax.

“FP, I’m going to cum.” I moaned loudly as he sped up, sending me over the edge for the first time tonight. As I recovered from my orgasm, FP stood up, stripping off his boxers. As his member bounced out of his underwear my eyes widened. I forgot just how attractive FP was naked. When I said FP was my greatest lover, I meant that no one could ever compare.

I was still panting as FP came to lay near me. As mind-blowing my first orgasm was, I knew that we were nowhere near over, and I really didn’t want to be over anyways. 

“So, are you ready to show me what you wanted to ride besides my bike?” I couldn’t help but laugh before straddling FP. Before I would let FP inside of me, I pressed my lips to his for one more kiss. 

As I pulled away from him, I adjusted his tip to be pressed as close to my entrance as it could be without slipping inside of me. He took my hands in his, intertwining our fingers as I sunk down on his dick. I’d truly forgotten how magical sex with FP was. It was one thing when we were having quickies in the bathroom at the Whyte Wyrm when we should’ve been at school, or sneaking out to Sweetwater River for riverside dates that always ended in sex on a blanket near the water, but the best kind of sex with FP was whenever we’d take the time to show how much we loved each other. That’s what this felt like. At first, it felt like pent up sexual frustration being cut loose by past lovers. Now, it felt as if FP still loved me. As if, in this moment, things were back to when we were teenagers falling in love for the first time.

“(Y/N), God, I’ve missed you so much.” The sound of FP Jones moaning my name as I sunk down on his member was enough to encourage me to speed up. I pulled my hands away from his and placed them on his thighs, allowing him to sit up as I rode him. After finding a pace, I could feel FP getting more excited. Teasingly, I bottomed out on his cock and slowed my pace until all I could do was roll my hips slowly against his.

“That’s just not fair,” he said. “If you want to play dirty, I can play dirty too.” He muttered, moving his hands up my back before flipping us over.

FP used one hand to capture mine, trapping both of them above my head so that I couldn’t touch him. He knew that taking away my control of the situation would have me begging for his mercy. As he began thrusting harshly into me, the pleasure became too much. Instead of moans, the only noise I could force out of my mouth was pleasured gasps. My mouth remained open and my eyes closed. The immense pleasure FP was giving me had my toes curling.

“God, FP I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you.” I moaned. I wanted to feel my nails scratching his back as he thrust into me, but his grip on my wrists kept me powerless. FP’s lips peppered my neck with wet kisses before they made their way to my ear. 

“Not nearly as much as I’ve missed you, Baby Girl. All those years without you by my side. There were times when all I could think about was you. And here you are, coming back to me.” 

FP’s word were right. Here I was, back in his bed like I was decades ago. He was telling me everything I’d dreamed of hearing. I could feel him getting closer and closer as his rhythm got messier. The once controlled, long, hard thrusts were now slower and less synchronized. 

“I’m close,” he breathed against my lips.

“FP, cum for me. Please, I need you.” I begged. His lips were reattached to mine as I felt him cum inside me. As he rode out his high, I could feel mine coming just as fast. He took his hand away from my wrists before pressing his calloused palms to my cheeks. This kiss was less angsty, and more ‘I miss you.’ It was enough to push me over the edge for the second time tonight. 

As I came crashing down from my second orgasm, FP pulled away, choosing to lay down before pulling me close. I caught my breath, recovering from the mind-blowing moment that I had just been a part of. The pleasure wore off and the shock of what happened hit me like a brick. I really was back in the arms of FP Jones. I felt his warm breath hit the skin of my neck. In this moment, FP and I were laying together, covered in a sheen of sweat, kind of like when you’ve held hands with someone for too long, but it was perfect. I still refused to make assumptions about what just went down. I went to the bar tonight telling myself not to be disappointed when things didn’t work out. Now, I had to hold my head up high when I take the walk of shame out of FP’s trailer half-heartedly dressed and covered in hickeys. Pulling away from FP, despite my heart telling me that I really didn’t want to, I picked up my panties and slipped them up my legs. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I heard FP say with a laugh as I headed towards his bedroom door in search of the rest of my clothes.

“I’m getting dressed?” I felt unsure of myself with his gaze on my bare back.

“Did I misread this situation?” He asked, confusing me even more. Luckily, he picked up on my confusion. “I didn’t want to just have sex with you, (Y/N). I really have missed you.” Now FP was stood up, pulling his boxers back on before standing in front of me.

“FP, I’ve missed you more than you could know. Leaving you all those years ago hurt. A lot. And, when I came back to Riverdale, I knew I couldn’t just return to that. You were married, and you had a baby. I assumed you just forgot about me.” For some reason, I couldn’t make eye contact with him.

“We both tried to move on. We became new people. But, I could never forget about you. And here we are. Back together. I’m not letting you slip away this time. I let you go because I knew you could be someone. I couldn’t. I would’ve held you back. So, when you made the decision to leave and get out of this damn town, I knew it was for the best. But, I don’t want to let you go again. Not now, after we’re all caught up and back on the same page. I know I’m just a gang member from the Southside, and you’ve got this whole new life over on the better half of Riverdale, but you’re still my girl. We’re still us.” 

“FP Jones, you are something. Always did know just what to say to me.” The smile on my face grew as I looked up at him, taking in every little detail of his face. 

“I’ve had some time to think about what I could say to you. I spent a lot of time asking myself what would’ve happened if we could’ve gotten back together. It really helps that your heart is still just as weak for me now as it was thirty years ago.” That confident smirk of his was back on his face, making me laugh. “Now, do me a favor and get back in my bed.”

“Anytime, Jones.” I replied with a smile. As I crawled into the bed FP laid down on the other side. He opened his arms up and I fell into comfortably. For a moment, it felt like I was put on this Earth simply for this moment. As the room filled with silence and darkness, I grew tired. I felt FP’s hand intertwine with mine in front of me as I laid my head against his other arm.

“I've missed you, Baby Girl,” he whispered before placing a soft kiss on the crook of my neck. “So much.”

#fp jones imagine #fp jones x reader #riverdale #riverdale imagines #fp jones fanfic #FP Jones #smut #fp jones smut #riverdale smut #i am trash #FP Jones is the love of my life #southside serpents

[wouldadepressedpersonmakethis]

tier i

When a sorcerer kidnapped and murdered the Queen of ____________, the King went full psycho and had all of the sorcerers in the kingdom put to death b/c he deemed them to be a danger to society ... even though they had lived in harmony up until that point. 

There’s basically three different groups ATP, seventeen years later. There are those who agree w/ the King and believe that sorcerers are too powerful and dangerous and should be killed. 

Those who believe that there are good and bad sorcerers, just as there are good and bad people and that they, as a whole, do not deserve to be persecuted for the sins of others

Those who believe that sorcerers should rule and that normal people are inferior to them. Some want them to suffer as they have. 

EMILY BLUNT (taken by kate aa) new Queen of a country divided, knows she needs to unite them, somehow!!!! murdered her father for the throne, over the years, he’d been driven insane w/ grief over his dead wife, michelle never believed, even as a child, that his extreme way of dealing with the problem was the answer, since then she saw him grow more and more unreasonable and the only way she could save her people was to kill her dad! was NOT an easy thing for her to do, despite this, and the guilt weighs heavily on her, always wanted to be queen but nOT like this, was born and bred to put her country before anYTHING ELSE, being a woman, she wasn’t the first in line (even though she was the eldest), recently discovered that she is a sorceress but has told no one, unsure of her abilities! her new discovery has only made her even more determined to resolve the persecution of her people but she knows that she is on thin ice! many people already suspect her of fowl play re: her father and brother and she needs all the support she can get to make any real change, her younger brother was next in line but she didn’t have faith in him, either: he had always been irresponsible and impulsive, didn’t have it in her to kill him but instead cast a spell upon him so that he does not remember who he is and exiled him to the furthest reaches of her kingdom, everyone believes that he is dead, michelle is the first queen to ever rule w/o a husband, means to abolish the law that she needs a man by her side but she knows that most of the country would see the throne pass to her uncle vs. see her sit the throne alone, that being said, she realizes that she may need to compromise to keep her position ... she is currently hosting LEONARDO DICAPRIO, a king from her neighboring nation, with the prospect of forming an alliance w/ him

CHARLES DANCE (reserved by kate aa) uncle to mdocks, suspects that she murdered his brother and/or nephew, pretends to harbor a great love for his older brother now that he’s dead (even though he considered killing him, himself, for the throne) means to prove that mdocks killed him (whether it is true or not) plans to prove that her sisters were in on it, too and seize the throne for himself (or at least, implicate keira knightley. he is confident that he could easily rule through alexis bledel). 

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY (taken by lizzy) - princess, witty, clever, flirtatious, impulsive, loves to have fun! can def be a little self-centered, upset over the death of her father and brother but pretends that she’s fine!!!!!!! (she isn’t) engaged to toby stephens, would have hATED that idea a few years ago but now she knows that her sister needs all the support she can get and an alliance with stephens would be a good thing!!!!!! also hopes that her marriage with stephens might be enough to spare alexis having ot marry at all!!!!!! alexis is the (1) person that she consistently thinks of before herself!!! once secretly had a thing with matthias but when he asked her to run away with him, she literally laughed in his face???!? and was like haha as if i’m a princess and ur nothing???? but tbh afterwards realized how much she loved him but now she’s lost him so that’s fun!!!! pretends she doesn’t care about that, too, but that’s not true at all!!!1 

ALEXIS BLEDEL (open) - princess, beth march vibes! super sweet and kind but quiet and shy!!! has severe social anxiety!!!!!!! would rather die than talk to you!!!! only feels comfortable around her sisters, knows that the alliance with xavier sameuls is her duty but tbh marrying him (or anyone) terrifies her!!!!!!!!!!!! wishes she was braver like her sisters, doesn’t realize the strength she does has!!!! thinks she’s worthless a lot of the time, super talented!!!! with the piano and drawing and singing (altho she doesn’t like to sing for anYONE) needs a self confidence boost!! likes animals more than people, her uncle scares her

DAVID OAKES (taken by lizzy)- son and heir of one of the wealthiest families, probably a noble, def a womanizer and terrible flirt, doesn’t have a filter and doesn’t care to get one anytime soon, the bane of his father’s existence, hates his parents and his sister but would DIE for julian morris in a heart beat, can be a real asshole!!!!! will say mean things to your face, says it is because he’s just That Honest but really its only because it is easier for him to be mean than kind, alicia vikander’s social climbing father keeps trying to push her on him and honestly he would marry her in an instant!!! loves her spirit and her snark and basically everYTHING about her!!! she doesn’t love him back though and he doesn’t blame her, know she can do better, doesn’t stop him from flirting with her???? doesn’t honestly think anything will ever come of it, for sure doesn’t wanna force her 

JESSICA CHASTAIN (open) sister to david oakes and julian morris, a PIECE OF WORK!!!! Extra™ secretly a sorceress (although how she keeps anything a secret is beyond me?!??!? about as subtle as avelina beaumont tbh) thinks her brothers are idiots, recently came into contact with mads mikkelson and is his #1 supporter, has become a spy for him (although again not sure how good she is b/c she isn’t subtle??!?!!) probably a little insane??? in love with michael fassbender dESPITE the fact that he is just a normal human, secretly trying to figure out to ~give~ him abilities so that they can be together in mad’s future world, wants to murder dominique mcelligott 

JULIAN MORRIS (taken by kate aa) sweetheart!!!!!!! super caring and affectionate, a little awkward sometimes but tries his best, has feelings for hayley bennet but doesn’t know how to act around her, his family wants him to marry amanda seyfried. has always been a man of duty! so he’s trying to court her but his heart isn’t in it, brother to jessica chastain and david oakes, loves both of his siblings a lot!! definitely closer with david ... gets a little ??!? @ jessica sometimes but definitely thinks she’s harmless #facepalm 

ALICIA VIKANDER (open) sister to tom hardy, middle class, father wants to marry her off to rich man??? possibly david oakes, hates the idea of marrying him!!! hates him tbh!!!!! best friends w/ joanna vanderholm/super protective of her! something of a lady during the day but a badass sorcerer hunter at night! in pursuit of mads mikkelson, super smart and capable!!! knows her father will disown her if she doesn’t marry but honestly doesn’t care???!? can take care of herself. 

TOM HARDY (open) brother to alicia vikander, cynical/grumpy, speaks in grunts, hates the world, thinks most people aren’t good, his sister is one of the few exceptions to this rule, grew up educated/in the middle class and his father kept trying to get him to marry well/pushed him towards the two older staffords but tom honestly disliked both of them and definitely had nO intention of ever being a royal, sick to death of his father tbh and one day just picked up and leFT, looks like he will kill you but actually a cynical cinnamon roll, loyal only to himself and his sister, gun for hire, has no idea that his sister is a sorcerer hunter on the DL, knows she’s super capable but wouldn’t want her putting herself into danger, saves his money and hopes to be able to help his sister secure her freedom, doesn’t want her to ever have to marry to support herself! heart eyes @ louisa  

RACHEL MCADAMS (open) - middle class, thief, con-artist, trying to catch leonardo’s attentions (but also his money), pretending to be a wealthy noblewoman from another country, in reality she is little the daughter of prostitute and a serial killer? 

NICOLE KIDMAN (open) -  upper class, was once an extremely sought after young lady, but she ran away with josh harnett against her father’s wishes, living with him in poverty was a huge culture shock but she was so happy!!!!!!! one day though, she came home to find her husband with blood on his hands ... he had killed his own brother in the line of duty. nicole knew that his brother would never harm a fly!!! and she couldn’t believe that josh was capable of doing such a thing. left him immediately and returned home!!!! since then, her father has been trying to marry her off properly ever since but no one wants her now that she’s been married and divorced. super sad. misses josh crowe every hour of every day. doesn’t know what she did to make him leave her

XAVIER SAMUELS (open) - upper class, brother to nicole kidman and amanda seyfried, enaged to alexis bledel, loves her a lot and always has tbh, honestly sees no downside to marrying her!!??? he knows that marrying a princess would bring honor and prestige to their family and he hopes that w/ that, would come more possibilities for nicole to remarry and be happy!!!

AMANDA SEYFRIED (open) - younger sister to nicole, a little spoiled but sweet, best friends with alexis bledel, they get along b/c amanda loves to talk and alexis loves to listen, talks up her brother a lot, hopes that alexis will marry him and they will be sisters!!!! knows her dad would like her to marry julian morris, has no interest in him at all!!!! finds him to be dull and boring. was initially irritated by james mcavoy flirting with her but has recently decided that she likes him, too. or at least, she is enjoying playing hard to get. acts like she loves julian morris to make him jealous. 

MADS MIKKELSON (open) -a sorcerer who is trying to find all the other sorcerers to protect and train them and then basically enslave all ~normal~ humans while he rules the world and lets them live in the same fear and isolation as he’s lived his entire life! 

LUPITA NYUNG’O (open) - direct poor, servant, secret sorceress, was discovered by mads mikkelson, basically adopted by him, he is training her!!! the first person in her life to treat her like a human!!! loves him so much!!!!!! was initially skeptical about his plans but has come around! he’s the best person she knows and she trusts him completely! 

LEONARDO DICAPRIO (taken by lizzy) insane!!!!! the WORST!!!! became king of his small country a few years ago and has already drained it of its resources!!!! has come to propose to michelle dockery! hoping that they will unite their two countries into one and she can help his country financially and he can help her but being a man at her side/allow her to rule. he honestly has no intention of letting her take the reigns but he will let her think whatever she likes until that point. infatuated with scarlett johannson and means to make her his mistress once he’s married. 

JAMES MCAVOY (open) prince/brother to leonardo dicaprio, super flirty, has a dark sense of humor, thinks his family is The Worst, has a thing for amanda seyfried, keeps trying to flirt with her but she won’t give him the time of day ... which only encourages him even more, thinks he’s the greatest but he’s actually the worst, reckless! kind of an idiot sometimes, will probably die doing something stupid 

CHARLIE HUNNAN (open) brother of dominique, in love with winona ryder!!!! has a will they/won’t they thing going on with her, tries not to give her the wrong idea but definitely does! loves her a lot but knows that what he does is dangerous and would never want to put her in harm’s way so he never means to ask her to marry him, lawyer, morally upright, believes in justice!!!!! will always do what he thinks is right, whatever the consequences, 

DOMINIQUE MCELLIGOTT (taken by lizzy) middle class, secretly harbors sorcerers in her house w/ her bro, doesn’t believe that they are all!!! bad!!! people!!!! was supposed to marry daniel craig a few years ago but he suddenly???? just broke up with her for no reason??? definitely bitter about that … thinks she’s better off w/o him but still has a lot of feels??? bffs w/ scarlett johannson 

JOSH HARTNETT (open) ruthless, cunning, full of hatred for those with magical abilities, was once married to nicole kidman but never thought he deserved her, hates everyone but her, hates himself more. eventually she left him after josh killed his own brother b/c he developed his powers, hates that her life has sucked since he left!!! hates what he did to her!!!!!!! has become even more reckless and brutal since the divorce. don’t cross him!!!!! tbh lowkey where he stands anymore re: sorcerers but also neEDS to believe that they are evil and dangerous otherwise he won’t be able to live with himself given what he did to his brother w/o a moment’s hesitation! 

#victorian fantasy

[parkerwhit]

He will flay me from head to heel this time, and no amount of begging will end the anguish.

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[lepidopterane]

long post, storytime

The Revenge of the Last

           Nobody knew why the most recent taxes were paid in coins with this tenuous, almost snakelike dragon on the back. But the Baron Grubberton was happy to see his serfs push the large mass of coins into the vault. That was enough to buy him a new plot of land, a fleet of carriages for his daughter Lydia, or even his own in-house theater! Maybe he would let the serfs have a role, but everyone knew their place in his kingdom and he did not want to give anyone such dangerous ideas. Besides, there were more important things to do, and he would rather keep such brainspace empty of the various dramatic logistics, for they would tire his simple mind.

           He had just finished a moonlight malt ale in his first dream when there was a disheartening THUD! The Baron shot upright, but the room was just as it had been at any time, for no treasure chest was upturned, no gilded easel collapsed, no jewel-encrusted bookcase fell. Sighing in relief, he gently and slowly lowered his body back into bed when the THUD! happened again. Again, the Baron squinted into the dark. Nothing was out of place or in pieces, but there could be the chance this was a burglar was attempting to ransack his vault and this was a distraction, right? In the still darkness, he waited. Third time’s the charm, he thought as he gingerly grasped the dagger under his pillow. So when the third THUD! reached his ears, he was ready. It had seemed to come from the floor below, the vault room. Slipping the dagger into the sleeve of his robe, he swiftly rushed to the night guards he hired and worriedly reprimanded them in a hushed tone, then returned to his room. To his surprise, he heard no more of the THUD! for the rest of the night.  

           The second night proved to be much harder to sleep through, however. Many times the THUD! came. Many times the Baron scampered down the stairs in a frenzy to whisper-shout at the guards. Many times the guards claimed they had never heard such noises. Many times the Baron questioned instincts he had trusted for decades.

           The third night, he found out that earmuffs only intensified the constant THUD! Restless, the Baron lurched out of bed, into the corridor, down the winding staircase, and through a hidden door into an empty vault room. He called out into the dimly lit space, but the air carried back only gloom, tense and silent. Tentatively, he solved the intricate puzzle on the front. As the last silver tile slid into place, the large door opened with a steady, automated rhythm.

           His eyes met the beast’s, whom he recognized as the dragon of the coin: impossibly tendrily, snaking around the pure gold relics snatched by the Baron in previous escapades, scales metallic in golds, silvers, coppers, and bronzes. And it was furious.

           “What d-do you w-want?” asked the Baron. “W-Who–or w-what are y-you?” The dragon rearranged himself, and grinned with teeth sharper and bigger than knives.

           “I am the Last,” roared the dragon. “When people have nothing more to give yet must pay a price, no matter how taxing, they go and find me. In their lockboxes, in their purses, in their socks, I am there. And I will restore the balance of pay, for that is why I have been summoned!”

           “B-b-but–that’s j-just the w-way th-things are. I h-have n-no n-need to ch-change th-that,” the Baron sputtered in response. Rapidly, the Last coiled himself around the mortal and gently pressed a talon to his throat. “Is that so? Then. I suppose you have no need for sleep,” he said, moving closer, “or your life.” His breath smelled coppery and moldy, like currency that had gone out of style centuries ago.

           “So w-what do y-you w-want m-me to d-do?” asked the cowering Baron. The Last uncoiled himself to the roost he made in the vault. “You have one moon to restore balance amongst your people. When the moon vanishes, so might everything else.” With that, the dragon collapsed into his coins with a puff of golden dust and a familiar resounding THUD!

             From there, the Baron learned to make peace with denial. It relieved him to hear his servants whispering of his “madness” or hear his friends appreciate what they considered “a fairy tale of a most occult encounter!” The story gave him more edge, gave him a chance to reinvent himself and his wardrobe to be darker in spirit. Even when he brought in a local mystic to verify his experience and boost his new persona, it was dismissed because it was claimed that the Last was “a myth that barely survived from an age that barely survived.” A good story, a dream was all the Baron needed to climb further on his social ladder.

           Time passed, and soon his daughter Lydia was to attend her first ball. Her father ordered her army of ladies-in-waiting to make her look very much (but not quite) like a goddess, and she was gleaming and beaming by the time it was time to step into the carriage.

           The Baron had already absorbed a few books and more than a few glasses of fine wine when he realized how late Lydia was staying out. Whatever, he thought. She is most likely having a jolly good time, and I do not blame her. I remember my own youth of charming clandestine capers under the waning crescent, and I want her to have that, even if the crescent is gone. He closed his eyes and relived his memories.

           The Baron was broken from reverie by the clip-clop of hooves in the distance. The Baron looked at the clock. It was one, or the witching hour, as he would say in his fitting persona. That must be Lydia! He clambered to his feet and went out to receive his daughter in the front of his manor. Yet something was not right about this arrival, and he felt it in the air…

           It was the carriage. There were serious scratches and dents in it, as if there was some trouble getting home. Nothing a new carriage could not fix, the Baron thought. Eventually, it rolled up to his house, empty in person but not in meaning. The driver pulled to a stop and descended from his stoop, tears streaming down his face. He could not meet his master’s gaze, but gestured to the cabin. “Sir–your daughter, I could not explain, but it–it just reached in, and took her. I could try to tell you how it happened, but I know you would not believe me. No one would. No one ever does…”

           However, the Baron did. As the driver was talking, he looked at the scratches. They were deep and long, denting and almost cutting through the wood of the car. That was not the thing that caught his attention, though. It was the dust around the scratches. In golds, in silvers, in coppers, and in bronzes, it awakened a fear inside him that had been waiting, well-rested, to course through his veins once again.

             Days later, the Baron’s men found Lydia dead in the Northern Forest. The only way the Baron knew how to recover from wounds that deep was by immersion into a fantastic new project, one that would blow everyone away with his sheer splendor. For days he sat at his desk, penning, planning, sketching away at his idea. The Baron’s servants feared for his health, but despite the many continuous days he scribbled indoors without breaks, he had never felt better.

           At Lydia’s funeral, he stepped up to the podium with a smile. Next he pulled over an easel with many different pictures of Lydia by notable artists and plastered the plans over the right half.

           He bubbled, “Ladies and gentlemen gathered here today, I wish to tell you of my wondrous plan! Over the next month we will take on a great feat. Behold, the Grubberton

Tower! The tallest thing a gentleman can erect in this fair nation of Grubbertonia, and perhaps the world! I doubt you’ve never seen anything so very extravagant, so very beautiful, believe me. Funding will come from my benevolent parents, and admission will cost 2000 Grubbucks.” A dainty hand graced the air above noble heads as a voice called out, “And what exactly does this have to do with the passing of your daughter, Lord Grubberton?”

           He replied, “Well, it’s quite obvious, don’t you see? We…uh…I…uh…a statue of Lydia, the apple of everyone’s eye, will grace the top of this ivory tower!” As he spoke, he moved a picture of his daughter to the top of the easel, right above the plans. “Uh, did I mention the tower will be made of the purest, most expensive, most unsoiled ivory? Because it is. I want to make a point that no sordid firestarter can touch the impressive elite of Grubbertonia, and a monument to my dear daughter will do just that, believe me.” The baron made one last flourish to the plans before skipping back to his seat.

           Weeks rolled by and the tower rose. Indeed, it was the tallest, whitest thing anyone had decided to erect in that part of the world, and once again, an unnatural passion had consumed the Baron. Since now he was most obsessed with height, Lydia’s tribute faded from his thick head. He hired contractors and fired them faster than a speeding bullet, because there was no other way to build this thing according to him. It was now rumored in some alleys that he had decided to put a throne of pure gold atop the tower in Lydia’s memory of how she supported him so.

           Because the men at the top of the tower only looked upward, they never saw the metallic curves, the snaky tendrils, the undullable claws of the beast that suddenly clawed the tower with noise more hideous than a THUD! or fingernails on marble. The Last was quick, he clawed and threw his weight against the tower, and down it went. As the dragon went away, the Baron heard a whisper: “I guess that is why you say your tower is so untouchable.” He was the only one who survived the crash, mainly because he put on a parachute pack once during safety training and decided to never take it off.

             The crash filled him with rage. Numerous times, he delivered addresses at many balls, vowing to crush whatever monster had violated his rules, upturned his carefully groomed class structure. Everyone assumed the monster was a metaphor, despite his desperate and weak attempts to clarify the evil’s origin. “They were probably working with peasants,” one lord suggested during one such tirade. Since then, the Baron made a point to his guards that they needed to arrest any peasant that looked vaguely suspicious. A few weeks and a few hundred prisoners later, a new comment arose, this time from a duke. “What are you doing about this? You would not be so angry, Grubbs, if the monster was gone.” The Baron fumed at the mention of a nasty nickname he had not heard in decades. “YOU? Claim that I, chief enemy of the beast, am doing nothing to stop it? Impossible! How do I know you are not working for them, you rat? If you think you are up to my level,” and here he spat at the ground, “come lead an army with me and kill the monster that did this to us!”

           Unfortunately, that duke was persistent. Together they stirred up a militia, but not without negativity. Collaborating with the duke was infuriating (he just seemed to do most of the work without breaking a lordly sweat!), but he had to keep his image together somehow. At last, they had figured out where that dragon had ran off to, and so they ventured to the cave, a most ancient hoard.

           However, the easiest way to distract the Baron was with money, and in the center, there were two impossibly large chests made of some hematite-ebony-lead alloy. Shiny, black, and carved with ancient runes, they called to his soul. He ordered his men to carry both of the chests out to the woods where they could open them. It took a great while and a great effort to carry the huge chests out into the forest, but the real challenge was opening the chest, which he had tasked the small force with, since he had men from the vault room attending this affair. While they worked at the lock, he went to take a nap…

           …but when he woke up, he saw his entire militia lying prone around the two chests, coughing deeply every now and then. His men’s skin had taken on a gray undertone, and they were unable to comprehend orders. Anyway, they did not seem threatening if not a little tired. “I’ve seen worse,” the Baron said to himself as he studied the lock on the nearest chest. He reached out and touched the lock to see if he could hack it when the runes lit up with a fiery red-gold and the chest opened, throwing its lid back as if the hinge was spring-loaded.

           Yet nothing was in that chest, just a dark void. He walked to the other chest, noting that the duke was among the fallen around that one. Touching that lock magically opened that chest to reveal nothingness once again. For a moment, he was truly frustrated, but that frustration turned to fear when a hand grabbed his leg. The duke was certainly feeling a little uncanny. “Walton, are you all right?” asked the Baron. “I know not if you jest, but please let go of my leg.” In response, the duke Walton, or what once was him, turned around with an angry, inhuman expression and attempted to bite the Baron’s shoulder. But it was in vain, for the Baron turned around and fled, but not before almost stumbling into another crowd of infested men. He and his horse were almost to the edge of Grubbertonia when an eerie whisper floating on the wind found his ear: “You cannot outrun your corruption. Its consequences may not be direct, but it has forced directions on many.”

             Again, the Last was right. The Baron’s failure to protect his own people from such a supposed threat was all the skeptics needed to write him off as a loser. Anyone who knew the Baron knew him as a man enamored only in his wealth, given to excessive outbursts of anger and pride, and a chaser of imaginary beasts. Society had every reason to reject him, and so they did, no matter what scheme he tried to use. He visited even the most grimy pubs in Grubbertonia if it meant cleaning up his reputation, but often he would be caught in his attempts and regarded as a hypocrite. This was the perfect time for a sign of hope.  

           Late one night after a pub crawl, there was a sparkle in the corner of the Baron’s eye, and then it was a closer gleam, and then it was a gleaming lady, one who he might consider hooking up with, and then he realized it was a girl, now a shining young woman, who he had not seen in months, not since that fateful night.

           “Lydia!” he called. “Is that really you?” The girl rushed over to him.

           “Father! Of course. Who else would it be?”

           “I thought you were dead for so long…”

           “Well, I am alive. But let us not worry about that! We should play a game,” Lydia said, opening the door to the next pub. It was poker night, so the overjoyed and reunited pair sat down at a table with two peasants starting a game. “With these fellows?” he whispered to his daughter. “Are you sure?” In return, Lydia gave her father the puppy dog eyes that would turn even the sharpest no into a resounding yes. The game began.

           “Are we betting everything?” asked one peasant.

           “I suppose we are, because I know between the two of us, we have nothing.” replied the second peasant, taller than the first. “What about you two aristocrats?”

           “We will bet 10 Grubbucks,” responded the Baron. Lydia looked at her father, disappointed. “Are we not the greatest family in the world? We should bet everything. Besides, there are two novices,” she said, gesturing to the peasants, “and two of us. So there is a fifty percent chance of us winning, and it all goes to our family name.” The Baron sighed. There were certain things he could not refuse, and his daughter was among them. “Fine. We too will bet everything.”

           The game was long and suspenseful. Even though there was danger at every turn of the game, usually Lydia was smart enough to think her way around it. She was winning with her father in close pursuit, and no one could stop her. However, while the peasants were unable to challenge Lydia, they did manage to shake the Baron’s standings at the last second. If it was not for Lydia’s brilliance, the Grubbertons would not have won.

           Once they got home, Lydia said, “I have a special surprise for you, because you did so well, and you inspired me to win. But you must close your eyes and take my hand.” That he did. When he opened his eyes, he was shocked.

           “Lydia, why are we in the vault?”

           “Hm, I am not quite sure why. It is a good place to tell you something secret, though. You will want to hear this important message! I can get us out, anyway.”

           “Well, if you insist…”

           “Thanks. Trust me, you really need to hear this, and I am the one of the only people you really listen to. That game back there was no mere game. Your lack of decency brought this upon you. A daughter’s murder, an ambition shattered, a life-threatening warning unheeded and survived; nothing could shake a cent from your purse. Which is why I had to win everything from your grubby hands in the way I did. You see, you owe me something. And I…” Lydia writhed, the shimmering metallic accents in her dress expanding and merging with her flesh as she grew into a more serpentine shape. To his horror, the Baron realized who had been behind this, glints of gold, silver, copper and bronze reflected in his terrified eyes.

             “I am everyone.”

           Everyone in every last village of Grubbertonia thought it was a joke at first when they awoke to find the stuffing of their pillows had turned to coins. The alchemists made many tests, skeptical of the coins’ reality; for the Baron was known to dupe any class lower than him multiple times. But no, they were real, and if science was not enough for some of the more ignorant serfs, there was yet another sign. Somehow, the dragon-backed coinage had made it into everyone’s share. People seemed a little lighter because their purse was a lot heavier and nobody was above or below anyone else anymore.

             Yet still, the Baron’s manor stands, but now as a residence for the homeless. The vault room is still there, locked shut. The groundskeepers did confirm that the vault was empty, and it just remains shut because now it has no purpose but to remind others of this cautionary tale, and whenever a leader in the community turns 14, they are told the story at the vault. But on certain nights, guests of the manor can hear ghostly screams from the other side, filling them with courage instead of fear.

#important #long post