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blaster-aichi · 4 years

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Cardfight!! Vanguard Extra Story IF 15 things

belated edition because brain went on a marathon

The opening scene with Aichi appears to insinuate one of two things: either the Sanctuary Knights need Kai-kun to help stabilize his condition or, as part of a theory below, maintaining the IF World is putting a strain on Aichi that’s becoming more than he can handle with time. The latter would solve why the team suddenly intended to have him visit Sanctuary considering the lengths Aichi’s gone to to keep them apart, but just how he could fulfil the role, haven’t been able to think up anything.

Ibuki switching to Aichi’s first name being a permanent thing now. Yes. (It’s a nice idea if they’re going to play on the both switching places from high school arc)

Had theorized Kai-kun was in an otherworldly/pocket dimension location with the colouring of the scenes in the preview but Takuto summoning him begs the question of how much he has as Prisoner; why not summon Emi and the others into the castle? Or Rekka and Ren, as a means of reintroducing them to the story now that their objective overlaps with that of Suiko’s group? Also Takuto being soft mint Takuto, you little shit, don’t just dangle a life like that over a kid’s head when you know it’s more “real” than the dream he’s living in.

Someone actually drag Aichi home, he’s way too dangerous. He’s pointing swords at anyone and everyone. It speaks for how deep the distortion in him is seeping, with the pacifist we’ve seen him be over the years, to raise a sword at even Kai-kun, to attack Ibuki(’s cards, but somehow not his fingers) with it — and tossing Ibuki into the void — one can only imagine how badly he’s going to react to how far off the rails he went if he has a PsyAichi-esque realization.

Kai-kun confirmed to never hold a girl’s hand before.

How dare Bushi make the Kai Parents the softest, chillest parents when we’ve been privy to what their real selves are like. (Papa Kai mixing up Shuka and Emi slays. Sir, do you mix up your employees too?)

SHIZUKA — seeing her anything other than bubbly is painful, particularly when it’s used to contrast the happiness of the Kai family; it serves to hammer home how only one of Kai and AichiEmi is allowed to have a family remain in tact and their happiness preserved, driving home how the other serves to be a sacrifice.

“I’m not the kind of guy who still plays Vanguard in high school!” a) did he just roast his real self (and 90% of the cast)? b) side-eyes the preview, ahaha.wav

IF then: presents itself as the most light-hearted season to date IF now: threatens murder at every turn and has the two boys who’ve been protagonists in the past both run away from home in a single season

The episode all but said in as many words that the price of Aichi’s creating/altering IF World to ensure Kai-kun’s happiness was his own presence so as not to trigger any awakening to Kai-kun’s Outside World memories, sacrificing his own happiness to be around his friends in order to allow his best friend a content, fulfilling life. But in recognizing that, and willingly giving up the illusion for the sake of someone else demonstrates just how good a kid Kai-kun is, no matter the world, no matter how cold and distant he’d portray himself in the card-centric seasons. — Season 1 (of 2011, so different continuity but go with it) initially painted Kai-kun as a more selfish individual in order to mask the complexities of his predicament, his goal appeared to be about power in order to topple a rival, but it was demonstrable that his motivations weren’t so cut and dry: it was about getting Ren back from a state that warped him, the fear that the same was happening to Aichi before his eyes and he was scared due to his inability to prevent it. And Link Joker followed the same line of thinking: his giving into Reverse was never about power, but his fear of falling behind and not being able to keep up — bearing in mind, he had done so thus far without the involvement of any power like Ren and Aichi had experienced — his motivations had always been driven by helplessness, fear and any inability to face them head-on, finding it easier to handle if he ran away — which was a big part of why it bothered me that people would nail him as being completely selfish and stupid when giving into temptation and accepting Reverse’s power. IF’s iteration of him gets to demonstrate what would happen if he was able to communicate himself properly and follow through with what he believes, in similar vein to Legion Mate, but without the shackles of guilt and atonement; he’s experienced a happy life, and wishes not to deprive someone else of the same, but without the pride of his usual self, he doesn’t run himself into the ground overthinking, but takes action based on the emotions he freely allows himself to feel and express.

Eager to see the extent of Kai-kun’s power; Kourin stated he’s in an incomplete form, but he’s able to perform the same as Emi without the need for Shuka’s involvement and even Ride units the same way had hoped Emi was going to prior to the season’s airing. Which poses the question of how is he able to and why Aichi would allow it within a world that he tampered with to erase the relationship, unless it’s a facet beyond his reality warping ability.

Kamui’s appearance in the preview brought a thought to mind: although they’re in different branches of the school ordinarily, there’s been no evidence that Kai-kun attends Hitsue within IF, and that, in fact, with his family’s wealth, it’s possible he could even attend Miyaji instead. The line of thinking is wholly dependent on how Kai-kun reacts to Kamui and/or his uniform come epi 16, but it would be a nice nod to the dividing up of the Kai/Miwa/Ibuki trio to have them each in different schools in a similar manner to their initial divided stances in the season’s plot.

Also IF 16? Did someone order extra-cute?

A couple of theories to add to the pile (partially yanked from discord logs)

Aichi:

Something corrupted him and started fucking with his head to implant the insinuation that Kai-kun's life would have been better had he never pursued Vanguard as a hobby and the two of them never met. It could be that Ibuki Deleting Kai-kun and the subsequent struggle he had was the means for this line of thinking to worm its way in. — In the same vein as VoidAichi, said corruption gave him the ability to warp reality, allowing for a completely happy and harmless life for Kai-kun, though it distorted things around him as a result, hence binding his page in the Akashic Records; that's a defence tactic Aichi took to prevent the change from being recognized by the Tatsunagis and an effort to correct what was clearly altered from their understanding For the sake of not risking himself being a trigger that would bring to the surface any memories of his real life, Aichi ran away from home and holed up in Sanctuary, removing any chance of Kai-kun being enlightened to the truth and allowing his perfectly happy life to continue without a hitch, and by having him get bored of Vanguard, there is no tie between them But the corruption is poisoning him and/or the strain of upholding such a world is taking its toll on Aichi, hence the beginning of the episode, and they already spelled out he himself isn't happy, it kills him to not see the person he wants to most, but sacrifices his happiness for Kai-kun's. Why he wanted Kai-kun brought to Sanctuary, idk, maybe as a brief respite, to serve as a reminder of why he's doing this, and keep his eroding spirit strong — The corruption is what's turned him into a violent monster who's fine with hurting or pointing a sword at whoever gets in his way. VoidAichi was passive and sealed because he was a threat to his friends' peace, trapped in a position where he was a ticking timebomb, but IF Aichi is proactive and cut himself off because he's a threat to Kai-kun's happiness and can do something about it.

Also it's made pretty obvious that Aichi's tampered with Kourin, Naoki and Shingo's (and probably Miwa's) memories, which is why they're so fixated on his will and their dedication which feels kind of cult-ish, because of Naoki's glimpse of the real history after he lost the fight In his own, even more twisted way than Legion Mate, Aichi thinks he's doing the right thing, and the interference with that dreamworld isn't something he has the patience for due to the corruption, which is why he freaks out whenever Vanguard is brought up or someone opposes him

Ibuki:

The theory is Ibuki's been cast into an illusion where he relives his childhood, or maybe an ideal childhood is given to him in the same vein as IF Kai-kun to lessen his will to fight, whether to enforce just what he's up against and the hurt he could face again or to give him a glimpse of what he could be blessed with if he stops interfering with Aichi's world Shuka seeking out Emi gets a little more strength to it as well, as the only person in the world who would recognize that anything is wrong with the atmosphere at home the way it is after Aichi ran away, and no-one else knowing him because of his isolated childhood, so she's the only anchor to drag him back down.

Courtney also came up with the suggestion that Ibuki might instead be forced to loop through his torment at the Deletors’ hands, living through cycles of his attempt to erase Vanguard, to twist the knife but also try to remind him of why Vanguard is a terrible thing.

Kai family:

“I’ll see you again someday”.

The use of this line as Kai-kun’s parting words to his parents is striking: as given Shuka’s warning, the likelihood of him actually achieving this is minimal, unless for a few scenarios: — he returns home to be with them as IF World is erased and the timeline corrected, allowing them one last time together — post-IF, the real Kai-kun seeks out his parents. In doing so, he’s able to demonstrate to them what he was able to grow up into despite their abandonment, even if for that purpose and then to part ways with them. For the real Kai-kun, such a meeting would serve as closure and for the IF version within him, it would be one last show of love and gratitude for the life they gave him. (the latter part could apply to the real Kai-kun, appreciating the childhood he was given until they left.) — Also the irony that they absconded for selfish purposes, shirking all responsibiliy of their child, left to fend for himself against the ire of his relatives, but when he runs away from home, it's to protect them. What a good boy.

#Cardfight!! Vanguard #Cardfight!! Vanguard IF #cfv spoilers

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martykirkby · 4 years

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Any holby or casualty episodes you’d recommend rewatching? Idm how old, thanks :)

(i’m gonna put this under a read more bc it got way longer than i intended it too and you didn’t even ask for descriptions i’m just incapable of being concise ever sorry! i bolded the titles so you don’t have to read it all)

okay so it depends what characters you care about, bc my answers would be different based on who your faves are, so these are my faves to rewatch (but will probs be super biased towards my fave characters)! obvs i’m not saying watch all of them (unless you want to) but i’ve included reasons why i like them so you can decide based on what you enjoy.

holby (i’ve only watched from s16 with a little of s15 and s6 so it’s gonna start there):

intuition (16x11)- dom’s first episode back after his guest stint, and adele’s first ep! this is the first episode i watched when i started watching holby properly bc i was impatient and wanted to get to the dom scenes so i haven’t watched most of the s16 episodes before it but i would probably say watch 16x10 as well bc that’s when jac gives birth and this ep has a lot of scenes about her and emma.

prince among men (16x16)- raf’s first ep in which he’s v v iconic and also i love dom, zosia and arthur and frustrated mentor sacha and there’s that woman who’s like in love with a mummy until she finds out it was a female mummy. also jac and emma!!

one small step (16x42)- again i LOVE the keller trio, this is the first ep where they really bond even if it’s over a super traumatic experience w zosia. and connie crosses over for the first time since she joined casualty, which i rlly liked.

star of wonder (17x10)- a really important episode for zosia’s character and her bipolar sl! also i like christmas episodes

the ides of march (17x32)- another big ep for zosia and the one where she decides to move to darwin

beautiful (17x45)- dom taking a level students on a tour of the hospital and bonding w one of them and quoting that christina aguilera song... i love him

at first i was afraid (17x50)- dom and arthur roadtrip! the karaoke scene! frieda as a patient! elliot’s exit ft some really nice scenes w him and jac!

left behind (18x05)- i just really like all three storylines, i’ve rewatched the mo and wiliam sl a few times just bc i like mo and this ep is the last one of that sl and it’s my fave of them, and you can watch it as a standalone if you already know what’s happened in the eps beforehand.

blue christmas (18x11)- the only one i’ve seen where jac’s past is rlly talked about bc it’s the one where fran reveals they know each other. apart from that it is just a nice christmas ep and i really like all the other storylines going on.

young hearts, run free (18x13)- the ep where dom arthur and morven have to do some scavenger hunt thing in the woods!! and dom has a chicken called henriketta!! that’s reason enough to watch it 500 times tbh

one under (18x21)- for some reason arthur’s patient sl haunts me, but i think it is a rlly good (but sad) ep for arthur as he comes to terms with his cancer test

it tolls for thee (18x31)- arthur and morven’s wedding and i love them

i’ll walk you home (18x35)- arthur’s last ep (as not a figment of someone’s imagination) and it’s devastating but the episode is so so well done and i watch it whenever i need to cry

another day in paradise, parts one and two (18x38 and 18x39)- i just really like all the different storylines in these eps, the patient sl is like. wild and there’s focus on jac being a mother and dom’s grief and sacha and essie i just rlly like them

protect and serve (18x47)- this is the one after the helicopter crash in casualty so i always watch it after watching that one. it’s a good episode that focuses more on the characters than the storylines and i love the crossovers too.

i do, i do, i do (19x13)- an episode in which a main character’s daughter dies has absolutely no right being as funny as this, but the derwood/inga wedding is so so funny and also rlly sweet at the end and the contrast with the elinor storyline is wild (and also something i wish holby would do more often bc recently they’ve done like three depressing storylines in one ep)

the hard way home (19x35)- tbh the main reason i��ve rewatched this ep so much is for dofty which obvs i don’t care about anymore, but it’s also a really good ep just for dom w his steroid addiction and the anniversary of arthur’s death. and it’s damon’s first ep and i miss him

group animal, parts one and two (19x61 and 19x62)- the shooting eps which i also watch when i wanna feel sad, but also they are just really good episodes in general

also the last two eps of s19 after the shooting bc i’m incapable of not watching the aftermath

i haven’t rewatched any s20 or s21 eps except when giffing so i can’t rlly recommend any there

casualty (for some of these just pretend that lofty never existed on holby and his character was never destroyed):

next of kin, parts one and two (26x15 and 26x16)- the second ep is more exciting but you need the first one for context, it’s just classic high stakes drama, the entire ed was on fire bc they stopped filming in bristol so they were like yeah let’s completely destroy the set! and it’s ruth and jay’s last episodes.

duty of care (26x17)- also high stakes drama, tom’s first episode and the first ep filmed in cardiff. there’s a poisonous gas leak AND an explosion.

love is (26x23)- danny dyer did more acting in this one (1) episode than he has his entire career on eastenders i swear. i didn’t expect to get so emo about it.

the ‘ricochet’ eps (26x25, 26x26, 26x27)- casualty didn’t hold back with these eps. they’re v good eps (s26 has some of casualty’s best episodes imo) but a LOT about gang violence and a trigger warning for rape in the second one.

zero sum game (26x39)- fletch’s first episode! i mainly like it bc of that but it’s also fun to see how much lloyd hates him at first.

the #holbyriot eps (26x41 and 26x42)- definitely some of the most tense episodes casualty’s ever done, back when they cared about social issues like police brutality.

rabbits in headlights (27x17)- the first episode for robyn, jamie and aoife (and ally but she leaves the next ep). i love seeing how far robyn in particular has come, and i loved jamie and aoife as well and seeing them as tiny dumbass students is fun.

unsilenced (27x31)- the fgm storyline, again when casualty used to care about social issues. it’s really well-written, i think.

once there was a way home, parts one and two (28x01 and 28x02)- this is ramin’s first appearance and i love him and jamie and the way jamie basically risked his entire job to help him. the first one is also rita’s first ep!

carrot not stick (28x35)- this one has a patient from 28x33 in, but you don’t need to have rewatched that one to get the gist. lofty and dixie take said patient to visit his dying mother and they go to the beach. they sing dolly parton. lofty steals a puppy. it’s just a really nice episode imo

born lucky (29x05)- this is a sad one, but i really like the relationships between the staff in this one, and i think it was a good final episode for jeff.

entrenched (29x09)- casualty said football fans don’t deserve rights and also lofty makes some points about the futility of war. michael spence is in this episode!

deadfall (29x10), the road not taken (29x26), holby sin city (29x39)- i’m grouping these together bc they’re all the ‘holby noir’ standalone episodes and if you wanna watch one ep and not have to worry about the long running storylines, they work. they’re also completely insane and v fun imo. the road not taken is my fave.

a child’s heart, parts one and two (30x01 and 30x02)- i’m not a fan of it focusing so much on charlie’s life story, but i love episodes just after a crisis and especially when one of the team is in danger bc you really see how much the staff all care about each other. these eps also have the start of louise’s storyline where she switches from a receptionist to a nurse.

high tide (30x27)- lofty’s last episode, jez’s first, and it’s also a really good episode for cal and ethan. and although i don’t really care about any of them except jez anymore, i still think this is a good episode to rewatch just to see like. them as characters.

too old for this shift (31x01)- this is the feature length episode so like. it might not be ideal to rewatch but again it’s the helicopter crash episode, so you really see the staff pull together which i love, and there are appearances from jac and fletch, and video calls from people who have left the show. like i said, it goes with protect and serve on holby so i usually rewatch those together.

mobile (31x27)- i literally just rewatched this episode last night which is why i’m thinking about it, but it’s a really good ep and it’s the one where robyn gives birth and her scenes with david are so well acted. they also link all three stories in some way to mobile phones which i thought was cool.

5 days (31x28)- i love robyn so i really love this episode. there’s a lot of character development imo, from being in denial and optimistic to realising how bad charlotte’s situation is and struggling to cope, to accepting how it is and being there for her as a mother.

one (31x44)- the plot is okay, it’s not something i’d be particularly interested to rewatch apart from the fact it’s filmed in one shot which makes it fun to rewatch.

32x19- max’s last episode and we find out a lot about him! and ofc there’s the zoe and max reunion and i just really like max in this episode.

32x21- bea’s first ep and i love her, also really shows how much a real ed has to cope with and has alicia start the anonymous blog which is v iconic of her.

i haven’t really rewatched any eps that aired after this specifically for one ep (i’ve rewatched every episode jade and marty and archie have been in but i don’t always care about the eps themselves)

#bbc casualty #holby city #sorry to ppl in the tag but i actually wanna save this so i know what i wanna rewatch so #me about casualty: i think these eps are well-written and i like the dynamics between the characters in it #me about holby: lmao my faves are being dumbasses in it #Anonymous

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lilith-lovett · 5 years

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Found Families - Home is Where the Hart is - Chapter Three

Third chapter. Here it is, this chapter has definitely been my favourite to write so far because I love family dynamics so if anyone has any fic recommendations I would greatly appreciate them to help me through my upcoming exams.

Masterlist

Summary: A look inside the Hart household.

Word Count: 5483 (I’m so sorry this is so long I got a little bit carried away)

Warnings: Child abuse mention, self-deprecation, homophobic parents mentioned, anxiety, ADHD, depression, PTSD, OCD, therapy mention, minor panic attack, blood mentioned, sympathetic Deceit. If anything needs to be added please let me know.

Patton Hart. His name suited him, thinking more with his heart rather than with his head. He had always been a empathetic person feeling much more deeply than most. Back then, he had been a sensitive and fragile boy constantly seeking out his parents approval but now since they revealed to him how they truly felt about him he changed. He was no longer that delicate, helpless boy but a man who now had a family of his own to care for. No partner, as his parents would have expected of him but three extraordinary kids who he loved whole-heartedly despite them not being of blood but yet their connection was undeniable. Patton loved his famILY.

Patton upon opening his front door after his visit to the Orphanage was met immediately with his two year old Declan sprinting - as fast as a two year old could - full force towards him. His mismatched heterochromic blue and hazel eyes sparkling with joy as he threw his tiny body into Patton’s stomach knocking him onto his behind burrowing face sticky with jam - Crofters most likely - into Patton’s chest clearly pleased to see him.

“Hiya Dee, did you miss me?” Patton said ruffling Dee’s inky black curls as the toddler purred beneath his touch but not failing to notice that he was still dressed in his green and yellow coloured snake printed pyjamas despite it nearing three o’clock in the afternoon.

“Dee missed daddy,” Dee mumbled stumbling slightly over his words still not fully confident with his slowly developing speech “Up up,”. Finally meeting Patton’s gaze making grabby gestures with his mitten-clad hands which prevented him from scratching and irritating the large, painful burn scars stretching down his entire right side including a portion his face.

“Okay, up you go,” Patton said lifting Dee with minimal effort balancing the toddler on his hip “Did you have fun with Uncle Emile?”. He received mischievous giggles in response and felt instant sympathy for his best friend. Dee was certainly a handful and chasing an energetic two year old around the house for any length of time definitely required a lot stamina and endurance something which Emile did not have.

Patton with Dee balanced on his hip he trudged his way into the messy living room with toys strewn across the floor, the furniture out of place and his best friend Emile sprawled across the sofa fast asleep snores and grunts escaping every so often and in his hand what appeared to one of many cup of coffee evident from the several used mugs sat on the coffee table. Looking visibly dishevelled from his unexpected play-filled day with Dee his shirt crinkled, tie undone hanging limply from his neck, trousers stained red presumably with Dee’s favourite jelly and his pink highlighted locks an unruly mess unused to the demanding nature of young children, taking the lukewarm coffee from his hands Patton jostled his friend who woke with a jolt rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“Oh hey Patton,” Emile mumbled his voice still heavy with sleep stretching his arms over his head Patton audibly winced at the sound of the pops and clicks of his spine, Emile pushed himself off of the sofa drawing up to his full height a few inches above Patton exhaling a sigh of relief at the sight of him.

Patton and Emile had been the best of friends ever since their school days, spending more time with Emile’s family than his own and after he was kicked him out because he came out as pan-sexual to his less than supportive parents Emile was the one he ran to for help. He gave him a place to stay supporting him until he finally found his footing and even now was still figuring out ways to repay Emile and Emile’s parents for their kindness during the most difficult time in his life. Patton didn’t think he ever could.

“Have fun today Emile?” Patton chuckled gesturing to his scruffy appearance and considerable number of cups of coffee sat on the table in front of him. Patton couldn’t comprehend how Emile could drink such large quantities of the bitter tasting liquid, he after a mere sip was vibrating with energy and it left a rotten taste in his mouth.

“Yes, me and Declan had lots of fun today, didn’t we Dee?” Emile said forcing a smile at Dee while attempting to neaten his appearance brushing both crumbs and stains from his clothes, scowling at the jam smears shaped like a tiny pair of hands on his trousers.

“Ucle Emmy fell asleep,” Dee chirped giggling at Emile’s mock look of hurt as he poked Dee’s stomach playfully careful not to aggravate his burns inducing further giggling. Patton couldn’t help grinning at playful encounter between his son and best friend, praying that he would continue experiencing moments like these with his family for many years to come.

“Demon child,” Emile muttered underneath his breath contrasting the minuscule smile that crept involuntarily upon his face. “So Patton how was the adoption day, which poor soul was unfortunate enough to catch your eye?”. He had only told a single person his plans regarding adopting again, that person being Emile, unintentionally but ultimately he was glad he did. It had always been a dream of his to become a father and now that dream was a reality though not in the way he anticipated it but he wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Oh Emile, he is incredible his name is Logan and he is so smart and mature and the way his face lit up when he was talking about his books. My god Emile I love him so much already,” Patton rambled on and on about Logan. It was obvious the moment he met him he was the one simply by the look in his eyes, his straightforward attitude and the subtle glimmer in his eye made Patton believe he was worth it but he had walls. Walls built to protect himself from strangers preventing anyone from getting to close which made Patton all the more determined to care for him. “But…he reminds me of Virgil,”.

“He has a past,” Emile said lowering his voice to a whisper not to disturb Dee who had buried himself beneath a mountain of blankets undoubtedly exhausted from his busy day. His former light-hearted jokey nature faded away replaced by professionalism and an earnestness, Emile’s therapist mode as Patton liked to refer to it but yet a faint smile could be seen on his face acting as a solace to Patton.

“I think so, he made himself bleed in an attempt to stop himself from talking which triggered a sensory overload, like the ones Virgil had but I barely had to do anything to calm him down It looked like he had dealt with them before,” Patton explained struggling to prevent the audible tremble in his voice. He knew the moment he approached the apathetic looking boy sat reading, isolated from the rest of the children that starting a conversation wouldn’t be easy but once he eventually opened up upon the mention of his book all of the previous awkwardness was worth it to witness Logan’s eyes light up but that light died as quickly as it appeared, when Logan silenced himself Patton’s heart cried out for the boy. He dug his nails into his cheeks so ferociously Patton feared he may draw blood but once he clamped his hands over his ears and his breathing rapidly accelerated he knew immediately he was going into sensory overload. Patton was no stranger to the condition through Virgil’s own experiences though nowadays they were infrequent but however still happened on rare occasions so he was familiar with the steps to helping someone going through it though his assistance rarely required, he simply added extra weight in the books on Logan’s lap and Patton’s cardigan around his shoulders acting as grounding methods but Logan recovered primarily on his own puzzling Patton as for Virgil it often took up to half an hour to settle him after an overload however for Logan he returned to his cool composed state in a matter of minutes, mask washing over his face once again almost appearing embarrassed by the episode as if handling attacks like these alone were common.

Patton’s breath hitched and this time it did not go unnoticed by Emile who immediately swung into action enveloping him in a warm embrace knowing Patton responded much better to physical touch and reassurance to verbal, stroking his back with one hand, gently caressing his curls with the other until his breathing returned to normal but he made no move to push away remaining firmly engulfed in Emile’s arms.

“I just want to protect him Emile, he deserves a family,” He murmured into Emile’s chest, his eyes stung with tears but he refused to allow them to fall so to not alarm Dee. Patton had a weakness for children in difficult situations and circumstances and had an overwhelming urge to protect the people in his life and now it was Logan’s turn for someone to care for him no matter how rocky the path was.

“I know you do and you will,” Emile replied resting his chin atop Patton’s head “but please don’t forget to take care of yourself, after Virgil and Dee…I never want to see you that way again,”. Emile hands which had settled on Patton’s shoulders gripped him tightly as if he feared he may disappear like he almost did back then.

“You don’t need to worry about little old me,” Patton said plastering a smile across his face in attempt to comfort Emile, raising his hands to rest on Emile cheek brushing his thumb across the patch of freckles dusted on his cheekbones. He didn’t need anyone else worrying about him, it was his duty as a father to care for his family which included Emile.

“I’ll always worry about you little brother,” Emile reminded Patton. Patton and Emile considered each other family neither of them had any siblings of their own so now called themselves brothers.

“We are the same age kiddo,” Patton said though they certainly didn’t look it. Patton had consistently had a baby face never quite growing out of it while Emile flourished into adulthood much sooner.

“And yet you still call me kiddo,” Emile quipped.

“I call everyone kiddo, okay compromise I’ll let you call me your little brother if you let me call you kiddo. Deal?” He proposed stretching out a hand towards Emile.

“Fine deal,” Emile sighed taking Patton’s hand begrudgingly “Little brother,” A mischievous smirk playing on his lips. Patton rolled his eyes knowing he would soon regret that decision. “So, will you be telling Roman and Virgil they may be receiving a new brother?”. Patton initially wanted to keep his intentions to adopt again secret especially from his children until he was absolutely certain on whichever child he chose being the correct fit for his family which now didn’t seem so distant any more.

“Not yet, I’m sure if I told them Roman would instantly try and talk me out of it,” Patton said glancing to the collection of pictures frames decorating the once empty mantel place specifically to the smallest hidden partially behind the others of the first night with Virgil and Dee, nobody was looking at the camera Roman and Virgil who hadn’t ceased in their bickering since they arrived home and once Patton believed they had finally reached a compromise he brought out the camera hoping capture their first night together as a family but however he wasn’t quick enough before Virgil caught him immediately turning away from the camera concealing his face with his hoodie sleeve, Roman arms folded across his chest pouting and Dee attached to his half-brother’s leg refusing to part from him. It wasn’t the first family portrait he’d expected but it was perfect though Roman still hadn’t forgiven him for showing the picture to his Roman’s friend Elliott Sanders on his first ever sleepover. Roman had been an only child for so long and then he all of a sudden had two younger brothers which he took time adjusting to and it required him witnessing one of Virgil’s more severe panic attacks for him to at long last recognise him as his little brother but yet telling Roman he may perhaps be receiving a another brother he would surely oppose.

“Well don’t keep them in the dark for to long,” Emile said stepping over toys towards the window “And speak of the devil,”. Emile pointed towards the school bus steadily approaching the bus stop located outside the Hart house where Roman and Virgil would soon be getting off.

“Hey Dee, Virge and Ro are home,” Patton spoke softly shaking the sleeping toddler awake, well aware if he allowed him to sleep any longer he wouldn’t sleep tonight but he shot up instantly at the mention of his brother’s names making beeline for the door to greet them.

A short while later Patton’s eldest Roman aged twelve and his middle child Virgil aged ten arrived home squabbling as usual.

“You just have to seize your moment my chemically imbalanced romance,” Roman proclaimed dramatically as he often did, practically vibrating with energy his ADHD medication presumably having worn off. Gesturing wildly with his arms resulting in Virgil having to duck out of the danger zone to avoid getting struck in the face by a flailing arm, grimacing at the nickname.

Roman was the first to be adopted by Patton soon after he got back onto his feet with a well-paying job and his own home,adopting a child was simply the final piece of the puzzle of his dreams. Roman had been a rambunctious six year old given up by his biological mother at birth and had been floating within the foster system ever since. They had an instant connection with their shared love of all things Disney and silly puns that no one other than this six year old child seemed to appreciate but his seemingly never-ending supply of energy and inability to sit still regularly got him into a lot of trouble however to Patton he was perfect and simply a child who required an outlet for his creative energy, which he found in theatre kick-starting his passion for performing. Roman now apart of a local children’s theatre, had starred in numerous plays from well-known musicals to Shakespeare remakes and had obtained a small fan-following as a result and of course Patton attended every performance. With only a few short months until Roman blossomed into an angsty teenager, Patton had noticed some recent changes in him particularly in his appearance. His former auburn waves were now slick with styling gel and his clothing choices progressing from costumes - he assured Patton he was much to old for now - to whatever the latest trends were, most recently an all white ensemble beneath his red bomber jacket embellished with gold stitching and crown he’d asked Patton to add for him not completely abandoning his princely persona. Though Patton always thought Roman looked stylish his son didn’t seen to think the same of him, often embarrassed by his attempts to be ‘fashionable’ and had taken the challenge upon himself to dress Patton whenever they were to be seen in public together which Patton didn’t mind finding he quite liked Roman’s style suggestions but would always find a way to put his own Patton twist on it.

“What like you? I don’t think so sir-sing-a-lot,” Virgil quipped in his usual fashion, sinking further into his oversized back hoodie, cramming his gloved hands concealing his own burn scars into his pockets, music blaring out of his headphones which hung loosely around his neck playing some obscure band Virgil idolized immediately making his way to the kitchen shoulders hunched, his clenched jaw and closed off attitude was evidence that his anxiety levels were clearly on a high.

Virgil and Declan, Patton had been adopted from the same Orphanage as the two were half-brothers from the same abusive household and refused to be separated. Virgil, seven years old had been taking care of his eight month old brother Dee virtually since he was born but because of their complex situation they were relocated every few months, never remaining in one home for two long before both were sent away once again. Their first meeting didn’t go as effortlessly as Roman’s had, originally Patton had intended to adopt one child. A plan which had been thrown out of the window the minute he met Virgil who had been involuntarily forced into meeting Patton and undoubtedly irritated by the whole situation and once the two were left alone together Virgil made his frustrations known shouting and swearing before fleeing, saying that Patton was shocked would be an understatement and nearly walked out there and then but had a change of heart upon learning about Virgil’s troublesome past and his tenderness towards his younger brother. Virgil and his brother deserved a family and Patton would be the one to give one to them. So Patton came back the following day requesting a session with both brothers which went about as well as anticipated but once Patton put his mind to a task he wouldn’t be discouraged so easily, it took time and patience but they were worth it. Dee adapted to the new environment without any trouble presumably due to his young age and minimal memories of his past family but Virgil who had a severe mistrust of adults and to Patton’s knowledge at the time received the brute of his parents abuse took much longer to adjust but as time passed he gradually opened up but this wasn’t the beginning of Virgil’s problems, as a result of his trauma he had developed several mental disorders affecting his daily life he only had officially diagnosed and treated - a few different anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, insomnia and PTSD - a few months ago after suggesting he go to see a therapist for his worsening anxiety and panic attacks and though progress is slow there has been a steady improvement and he is now much more open especially with his feelings. Virgil had retained his sarcastic attitude and stubbornness and had a rather unique sense of humour which Roman often became the victim of but beneath his tough outer exterior exemplified by his dark aesthetic and choice in clothing distressed jeans, band t-shirts and his patchwork hoodie all in his two favourite colour black and purple is a thoughtful and kind-hearted individual who managed to find his voice finally in music and poetry.

“Hiya kiddos, how was school?” Patton asked as he did everyday when the boys arrived home from school though not failing to recognise Virgil’s heightened anxiety, positive Emile who was also Virgil’s therapist acknowledged his anxious energy too from their shared look of concern.

“It was splendid, in art today we finally got to make a start to our final paintings and of course I chose acrylic paint that was just a given,” Roman gushed rambling on and on about his day without pausing to take a single breath, enthusiastically motioning with his hands as he spoke. Excessive talking, one of Roman more prevalent symptoms. He’d made great improvement with his volume control and impulsiveness but he was excitable and passionate by nature and talking gave him an outlet to share his ideas though occasionally went a little overboard.

“Roman, remember to breath,” Patton spoke softly placing a gentle hand on Roman’s shoulder and the excited tension deflated as he released a breath he seemingly hadn’t realise he was holding but immediately averted his gaze to the floor shrinking in on himself, ashamed of his outburst.

“Sorry dad,” He mumbled fidgeting with the zipper on his jacket. A nervous habit of his.

“It’s alright Ro, I know your working on it. How about you tell me all about your painting at dinner tonight?” Patton proposed resulting in a complete turnabout a beaming smile stretching across his lips practically bursting at the seams with elation.

“Really, thanks padre,” Roman exclaimed a little too loudly as he bounded upstairs to where his room was, the skip returning to his step and Patton only smiled as he watched him go. Roman was Hispanic by descendant but living in an orphanage for the six years of his life, he had been brought up around English speakers and never had the opportunity to learn his native tongue but entering school had implanted the desire to learn the language and he threw himself into memorising as many words as he could. Patton had to admit he teared up a little at hearing Roman call him father in Spanish for the first time and it stuck.

“Virgil what about you?” Patton called out to an empty living room. Virgil, Dee and Emile all having disappeared relocating to the kitchen. Virgil sat cross-legged in his usual position on the kitchen counter for some reason having an aversion to chairs though Patton never questioned it and allowed him to perch on the counter if he joined them at the table for mealtimes, which he did begrudgingly. Dee settled himself in Virgil’s lap, plucking contentedly at the threads on his jeans while Virgil rested his chin on Dee’s head running his fingers through his curls breathing deeply matching each breath with the piano ballad now streaming through his headphones. While Emile sat at the dining room table with yet another cup of coffee flicking through some loose files peering at Virgil every so often his expression laced with concern. “Hey Virgil, how are you doing?”.

“Fine,” Virgil muttered into Dee’s hair. A common response whenever asked about his feelings in an effort to divert attention away from himself but from two years of learning to identify Virgil’s avoidance habits had given Patton the ability to navigate Virgil’s ever changing moods and mannerisms. Patton knew he was not ‘fine’ far from it.

“Virgil you know you can tell me anything right? Maybe talking about it might help,” Patton suggested gradually moving closer towards Virgil but making no move to touch him without his permission but decreasing the proximity between them allowing him to make the next move. Emile’s advice repeating in his head as he frequently resorted to physical reassurances which often only panicked Virgil further unless he actively seeks it out himself so he restrained himself from pulling his dark strange son into his chest to console him, waiting patiently for Virgil’s response.

“Um…well…I…I postponed my presentation again,” Virgil stuttered disappearing further into his hoodie as if to hide away allowing his inky black bangs to fall over his grey eyes. This ominous presentation had been looming over Virgil’s head for weeks causing nothing but stress and anxiety for him but the presentation was compulsory and despite the support and resources offered by the school it did little to quell his panic. “I…I was going to do it b-but the moment I stood up and everyone eyes were on me…I…I,” Virgil gripped his own hair curling further in on himself his breathing growing more rapid and erratic as he stuttered the words out as he recounted the event, his increased distress had not surpassed Dee’s notice. The youngest manoeuvred himself now facing Virgil placing his mitten-clad hands against Virgil’s chest as he had presumably seen Patton do before in order to regulate his breathing, his large eyes staring up at his brother with a combination of concern and confusion but it warranted a weak laugh from Virgil as he inhaled a shaky breath exhaling once before repeating the action until his breathing slowed enough for him to continue. During the time Emile had appeared next to Patton placing a comforting hand on his shoulder now much closer to Virgil allowing him to step in if need be, Patton simply watched the two brothers interacting able to read each other feelings without words a lump forming in his throat. It never got easier witnessing Virgil’s panic attacks, powerless to prevent them and only able to guide him through each one as they occurred but was increasingly grateful for Emile’s presence unsure of his ability to restrain himself from attempting to console Virgil himself. “I ran…I didn’t know what else to do…I just had to get out, I ran to the restroom…I tried to do that counting thing but nothing worked but then Princey showed up out of nowhere and helped me out of it,”. Virgil glanced over to where Patton and Emile were standing but peered over Patton’s shoulder at something behind them, Patton turned and was surprised to see Roman standing completely silent in the archway having replaced his red bomber jacket for his favourite red sash draped across his torso his sketch pad and an assortment of art supplies held to his chest.

“Of course Vir…eh J.D-lightful, it is my sworn duty as a Prince to rescue damsels in distress,” Roman proclaimed striking one of his many signature poses but Patton didn’t fail to miss his initial bashfulness and in that moment his heart swelled with pride. Roman and Virgil were polar opposites and determined to forever despise each other but yet slowly but surely they were learning to tolerate each other accepting their faults and figuring out that they aren’t so different after all.

“Whatever you say Princey but thanks,” Virgil said a small yet sincere smile creeping onto his face unfurling himself wrapping his arms gently around Dee now happily babbling away. “Thank you too Dee,”.

“Do you feel better Virgil?” Patton asked his heart warming at the sight of Virgil’s rare smile.

“Yeah I do, thanks dad,” He said hoping down from his perch lowering Dee to the floor and shuffled apprehensively towards Patton but he knew exactly what Virgil was asking for, he opened his arms allowing Virgil to close the space then wrapping his arms around Virgil’s narrow frame not too tight to feel as if he were suffocating him but enough for him to feel secure. Though Virgil made no move to hug him back Patton sensed his tension dissipating as he revelled in Patton’s touch and warmth before returning to perching on the kitchen counter.

“I’m proud of you Virgil. You were able to recognise you were panicking and calm yourself down,” Emile praised placing a gentle hand on Virgil shoulder. “And perhaps he could talk about this presentation in our next session and have a system set in place for if something like this occurs again. What do you think?”.

“Uh yeah sounds good, thanks Uncle Emile,” Virgil said his face flushing from the praise a stark contrast to his pale complexion winding the cord attached to his headphones around his hands.

“Patton duty calls, I have emergency meeting soon. So I will make myself scarce and Virgil I will see you next week for our session,” Emile said Virgil only nodded in response still self-conscious in regards to his weekly therapy sessions. As Emile was leaving he wrapped Patton in a quick hug before ruffling Dee’s hair who hummed gleefully in response and he left, the grumbling of his car could be heard outside as it exited his driveway.

Patton gathered Dee into his arms, his youngest immediately making a grab for his glasses resulting in Patton having to dodge his fast approaching hands reminding him that his glasses were not a toy receiving a dissatisfied whine. Virgil remained on his perch scrolling through his phone presumably on Tumblr the tween’s favourite social media sight though he didn’t give any indication of what he was he was smiling at on his phone but Patton didn’t pry trusting his son completely and Roman had assembled his art supplies at the dining room table fixated on the potential masterpiece he was working on in his sketchbook. Patton had an idea.

“It has certainly been a day. And the only suitable way to complete this day would be with a movie night,” Patton announced promptly gaining the attention of his children. Movie nights were cherished occasions within the Hart household as Patton held the belief that a night spent watching movies with your family could solve any problem and if not it certainly made everything a little easier. The entire family gathering on the couch beneath a pile of soft and fluffy blankets, various movie snacks - typically home-made cookies - and a heart-warming feel-good movie playing on the TV Patton couldn’t think of anything superior. Occurring typically twice weekly in a normal week but often unscheduled movie nights were arranged for a variety of reasons; if Virgil had a bad day, if Roman was stuck in a creative slump or if Patton was simply feeling worn down. A movie night was always the perfect solution.

Roman and Virgil expressions of elation were enough for Patton’s heart to summer-salute within his chest and they all immediately swung into action cleaning the chaotic living before they all settled down at the dining table -including Virgil - to a family-favourite of Patton’s extra special secret recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese, so extra special even the exceptionally picky eater Dee would tuck into with no complaints. Following their dinner Patton began the preparations for movie night preparing the traditional snacks while Roman and Virgil disputed over the movie choice and Dee snuggled up in the considerable number of blankets struggling to stay conscious but once the movie began - they ultimately chose a Frozen a favourite of all three Hart siblings - and barely half-way through the film when Anna began her journey to find her sister Elsa all three were fast asleep. Roman’s increasingly lanky limbs sprawled across Patton’s lap emitting occasional soft snores every so often, Virgil curled in on himself his hoodie drawn tight around his slight frame his music still flowing through his headphones allowing him to sleep easy and Dee nestled into his older brother chest Virgil’s arms gently drawing him in closer. Patton smiled immensely thankful that fate had granted him these three wonderful, beautiful, talented children there weren’t enough words in the English language to describe the warmth he felt within his heart and his one last wish was to add one more beautiful soul to complete the puzzle that is his dream and that missing piece was Logan.

But while Patton drifted off to sleep with a smile upon his face surrounded by the overwhelming love and affection of his children. Logan did not. He returned to his room beaten and broken, collapsing into his bed with an empty stomach, begging for an escape from the hell he was living.

Tag list:

@i-do-not-dislike-fudge @poems-art-darkness-n-more @alex-cain

If you would like to be added please do not hesitate to ask.

#sander sides au #sanders sides #logan sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #virgil sanders #deciet sanders #Emile Picani #sympathetic deceit #Adoption AU #Logic sanders #Morality sanders #creativity sanders #anxiety sanders #tw child abuse #tw anxiety

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infinitalia · 6 years

Text

Ash Song

Chapter Four | Mysterious Ways

First chapter / previous chapter

Summary: On the 5th of November, 2010, England went missing. The other nations searched everywhere for him but their efforts were in vain. On the 5th of November, 2015, England reappears, unaware of what has happened to him over the last five years. But he has changed- and as the memories start to resurface, he begins to recall just why he was running in the first place. USUK.

Warnings/info: Novel length fic, still in progress, not romance centric, incredibly slow burn, deranged 2Ps, occasional mild violence, psychological horror, mentions of PTSD. Any potential triggering chapters will be tagged appropriately. More info here.

This fic can alternatively be found on AO3 and FF.net

Neither England nor Scotland mention the episode the night before.

As the two of them sit down to eat the breakfast the hotel room service has provided, Scotland looks as if he's itching to ask about the nightmare England woke up screaming from. It really has been a while since something like that happened. A long time.

'It's strange,' England says suddenly.

'What is?' Scotland asks.

'No one else seems to wonder about it. The snow.'

Scotland frowns. 'What snow?'

'It was snowing when I left,' England elaborates. 'On the fifth of November, 2010.'

'Freak weather,' Scotland mutters, remembering the news.

'But it was snowing when I came back, too. On the fifth of November, 2015.'

Scotland's eyes widen. England's right, after all. That is strange. Not just the fact that it never snows in November, but the fact that it snowed on the same night on two separate occasions, with exactly five years in between. The night England disappeared and the night he came back.

'Did this honestly not occur to you?' England asks.

'Sure, it was on the news and everything. People were marvelling at how it could happen exactly five years apart. But I was too overwhelmed on both occasions, funnily enough. The first time I thought yeh'd vanished forever. The second time I was in shock over the fact that yeh'd come back.'

'But also,' England continues. 'Fifth of November.'

'Yeah...?'

'It could have been any night. Any night of the year. And it was Bonfire Night. A national celebration. Doesn't that strike you as odd?'

He can see that Scotland's mind is at work here. It's obvious now. There's no way that any of this is down to coincidence. Something peculiar is at work.

'You don't think it's...' England pauses for a second, thinking through what he's going to say. 'You don't think it's... magic?'

Scotland scoffs. 'Yeah. Right.'

'How else would you explain it? Snow, at the beginning of November, happening twice on the same night, five years in between. And the fact that I went missing?'

'Yeh think yer disappearance has something to do with magic?' Scotland sounds extremely sceptical.

'Why not?' England says defensively.

'Because,' Scotland replies, rolling his eyes. 'It's not possible.'

England looks furious. 'Oh. Are you pretending magic doesn't exist now, Scotland? Sod it, you have magic! How can you forget that?'

'I'm not saying I've forgotten or I don't believe,' Scotland mutters. 'Far from it. I'm saying, there ain't enough magic in this world to pull something like that off. There are barely any nations who actually have magic-'

'Norway,' England says. 'Romania.'

'And do yeh think they had something to do with this?'

'No. But you're ruling this out too quickly. You have magic. So do Wales and Ireland. And, of course, me. Magic hasn't died out.'

'And none of us had anything to do with what happened to yeh,' Scotland says. 'None of us have enough power, anyway. I don't know how strong Norway and Romania are, but Ireland and Wales have barely got any left, and I can't do much more than them. Yeh were always the best at magic. Yeh were always the strongest.'

'You think I did whatever it was to myself?' England asks.

'No. I just don't think this is to do with magic. Like I said, there ain't enough magic in this world.'

And what if it wasn't from this world? England thinks to himself, then frowns internally. Why the hell would he think that? What does that even mean?

There's definitely something watching him.

Scotland senses nothing. He's too busy getting all flustered about collecting all his documents together for the G8. And about getting there on time. And about England in general.

'Yeh need to do what I tell yeh,' he says. 'I'll sort this all out.'

England only packs one thing for the G8. He slides his dagger into the pocket of his coat and hopes Scotland or anyone else won't notice. Something's watching him. Something is following him. England is ready to run at any given notice. He just needs one reason to do it and he will escape. But he can't. He's beginning to acknowledge the emotional consequences of his actions.

Despite his previous beliefs, his brothers obviously do care about him. Even if it's just a little bit. Otherwise, they wouldn't be trying to help him. And although they don't verbally reveal much, they imply pretty heavily that they were upset when England disappeared.

Who knows how they would react if he would to run away and ultimately disappear again?

They finally arrive at the building where the G8 meeting is taking place. England is nervous. Not because of his impending return into the other nations' lives. More to do with whatever's following him. He knows he's not just being paranoid. There's definitely something here. Something bad. Something just out of sight.

'Yeh should wait in here until I've spoken to the other nations about yeh,' Scotland suggests as he and England arrive on the second floor and Scotland motions over to what appears to be a library. 'Yeh could probably amuse yerself in there until I've had a chance to explain everything. They obviously won't believe a word I say but at least I'll have time to focus the conversation on yeh.'

England doesn't argue. He doesn't mind being alone in the library, and at least now he might be able to figure out exactly what it is that's following him around.

They're about half an hour earlier than they need to be and none of the other nations have shown up yet. Not even the host, America, although that's probably to be expected- he's usually the last one to show up. That probably hasn't changed in the five years England has been away...

'I could give you hell and it won't make a difference, will it?'

England frowns and places one hand over his scarred chest and the other over the pocket he's stored his knife in. The words have been echoing inside his head since the first bad dream, back when he first realised he'd been tortured at some point. He sighs and walks around the library for a while, and is dismayed to find that most of the room's contents are just files on previous meetings in this building and there aren't actually that many books.

There is, however, a mirror. It's not as fancy as the golden framed one on the fourth floor of the hotel, but this one is bigger, with a dark wooden frame. England tenses up when he sees his reflection glaring back warily. He steps closer, looking directly into his own eyes. Green, like they're meant to be. The frown's there too. Good.

Maybe I'm just going crazy. Crazier than I already was. I mean, they've always called me insane. Maybe they're right. Perhaps I truly am.

It would explain why he's hearing voices inside his head and why he's hallucinating. But something terrible did happen to him. The scars, the knife, the dreams... they're all proof.

'Miss us?' says his reflection casually.

England stares at the warped image of himself. Those eyes of his, now electric blue again, seem to sparkle.

'No,' he says, figuring that this is probably the best answer to give.

The reflection giggles. 'Oh well.'

In an instant, the glass of the mirror is shrouded in darkness. It's like looking into a rectangle of a pitch black void. England takes a step back in shock, no longer able to see a reflection of himself or anything else in the room. Black smoke begins to billow from the edges of the mirror, seeping out of the glass and into the air. England immediately reaches into his pocket for his knife but it's already too late. A cloud of black smoke erupts from the mirror and crashes into England. It's definitely as solid substance, despite appearances.

England topples over and crashes to the ground, quickly slashing with his knife in an effort to protect himself. The smoke swirls above his head, emitting a screeching noise that sounds almost like a demonic cackle. From the waves of darkness, the creature, whatever the hell it is, seems to look back with two ruby orbs, practically glowing in contrast to the black smoke. With one last hissing chuckle, the creature throws itself forwards with furious pace, heading towards the door to the library and leaving England behind, still lying on the ground with his knife out.

A loud crashing noise tells England that the creature has smashed its way through the doors and has been released from the room. He quickly pushes himself to his feet and then doubles over in pain. He feels winded- there is a massive bruise forming all over his chest from where that creature slammed into him. Whatever it is, its powerful. As he looks down, he can see the suit and the shirt he's wearing have slices as if tiny blades have been raked across them. There are even spots of blood here and there. Somehow the smoke has a sharp edge to it, making the creature all the more dangerous.

The door has been completely blasted off its hinges and the creature is nowhere to be seen. But England's certain of one thing- just like all the other instinctive things he's been certain of since he came back.

It's heading for the other countries.

Scotland wasn't joking when he told England that he understood why the latter always hated world meetings so much.

He's only being doing this for five years but he's already so sick of the conferences, the business trips and all the other duties he had to start fulfilling when his younger brother went missing. It's not so much because of how tiring everything is (that's a whole different matter). It's more to do with how frustrating it is to have to engage in debates with a load of people who never listen.

Only seven people to deal with today, though. Seven people and a paranoid, delusional, bordering on dangerous younger brother.

Fun.

He is correct in thinking that he and England were the first to arrive here. Germany and Italy show up a mere ten minutes afterwards and the rest file in over the next few minutes. Even America shows up relatively on time. They all greet each other with varying levels of enthusiasm, ranging from Italy's bubbly nature to Canada's attempts to get anyone to even notice him.

'At least I might not have to bother with these bloody meetings anymore,' Scotland mutters.

'You going somewhere, dude?' America asks, taking as seat next to the redhead. The blonde is comfortably munching away on a burger and seems oblivious (surprise, surprise) to the reluctance to be here that most of the nations are rather prominently displaying.

'I've, er, got good news. Sort of...' Scotland replies. Yeah, England's return definitely counts as good news. On the other hand, they still have no suitable explanation for what even happened. And of course, the scars and the paranoia. Should Scotland mention those parts to the other nations?

He waits a short while until Germany has managed to get everyone to shut up.

'If we could all settle down, that would be appreciated.' Germany already looks irritated. It's no wonder by this point. 'Is there anything anyone wishes to say before we begin?'

'Yeah, I got something,' Scotland says, getting to his feet. Everyone stares at him in confusion. Normally, Scotland stays sulking in his chair throughout these affairs and only ever offers narcissistic comments. Like an even more pessimistic, slightly less active version of England.

'Will it take long?' Germany asks.

'Probably, yeah. It's, uh... well, it's a bit unexpected.'

Hardly any of them are paying attention. America is still munching on his burger and is chatting away to Japan. Italy is happily telling a story to France and Russia just smiles innocently.

Scotland clears his throat. 'Listen, yeh idiots, I didn't fly all the way over here with a living, walking, improbable hazard to discuss the bloody weather.'

'Still raining where you live, I would imagine,' France says with a chuckle.

Scotland rolls his eyes. He does this even more than usual during meetings with other nations. 'It's important and yeh all better start listening because I ain't repeating myself. I thought it would be better if I warned yeh all first.'

'Warn us about what?' Canada says in a whisper. Nobody hears him.

Scotland scratches the back of his head. Most of the others have at least acknowledged that he is talking now, which is something. 'So, a situation arose just over a week ago that we didn't see comin'. And, well, it's pretty surprising.'

They're listening now. All of them. Good.

'We're not sure how or why it even happened in the first place, but-'

A loud crash resonates from somewhere downstairs, on the second floor by the sound of it.

'Bloody hell,' Scotland curses. What the hell is England doing down there? He considers venturing downstairs to see what his little brother has gotten up to but the crash is accompanied by a shrieking noise which seems to grow louder and louder as the source gets closer to the meeting room.

'What the hell is that?' Germany exclaims, getting to his feet in shock.

America springs to his feet too, staring wide-eyed at the door. 'Dude, it sounds like a frickin' ghost!'

The piercing noise reaches the door and a new explosion rips through the air as the nations quickly dive under the table to escape the debris shooting in every direction. Peering out from behind a chair, Scotland's eyes widen as he catches sight of a black smoky mass with glowing red slits for eyes hovering in the massive whole in the wall where the door once stood.

Italy screams and many of the others cry out in shock too. 'What is that thing?' France yells.

Japan's eyes are wide in horror. 'I- I do not know-'

The creature gives a sort of hissing cackle and advances into the room.

The nations crawl out from their hiding spots and back away against the far wall, too shocked to do anything else. The creature's movements radiate a menacing intention as it progresses into the room, still hissing in anticipation. It still resembles nothing more than a black cloud, yet it is obviously powerful- after all, it completely blew the door apart.

As much as Scotland doesn't want to admit it, this is definitely some sort of dark magic.

And England...?

The only person with magic powerful enough to conjure something like this is England. Did he do this? If so, why? And if that isn't the case (which Scotland sincerely hopes so), then who did conjure it? And that explosion they heard before, the one downstairs, came from where England is right now. Which means this creature must have confronted him. This creature might have done something to him.

'What a strange creature,' Russia says calmly, but even he isn't smiling.

'Guys! Someone call 911!' America squeaks in a high pitched voice.

'Whatever the hell this thing is, the humans won't be able to help,' Scotland mutters, eyeing the creature's every move. The entity is approaching slowly, almost as if it's analysing the nations before whatever it has planned next.

'Germany- Germany, what do we do?' Italy squeals fearfully.

'We- we-' Germany is at a loss for words.

'Is it planning an attack of some kind?' Japan asks.

'It would appear so,' Russia says.

'We- we outnumber it, though,' France says in a shaky voice. 'That's something...'

'Dude, it just blew a frickin' whole in the wall!'

'We still don't even know what it is,' Canada whispers, too anxious about the situation to even care about whether anyone heard him.

'We just need to remain calm and formulate a strategy to... remove it,' Germany says.

Scotland bites his lip. He has magic, of course. More than Ireland and Wales. Nowhere near as much as England. There's no way he would be able to expel this creature with his own abilities. If England were to help him, perhaps...

But how to get to his brother? There's a large, menacing, unknown entity blocking his only route.

'Germany-san is right,' Japan says. 'There is no use in us panicking.'

The creature reaches the centre of the room, hovering over the table. It surveys the nations, all pressed against the wall opposite it, and seems to contemplate its next move.

'It's gonna attack us,' Scotland warns the others. 'We're gonna have to try and run or something.'

'Heroes don't-'

'Really not a good time to be spouting yer hero shite, America,' Scotland says. 'This thing is obviously dangerous. 'If yeh go up against this thing, yeh're probably not gonna be standin' by the end.'

America is trembling but seems to cling onto what he was trying to say. 'But we gotta do something about it...'

The creature's form shifts slightly and its ruby orbs seem to fix on America. The nation gulps and takes a step to the side, heading towards the corner of the room and away from the other nations. The creature follows him slowly.

'Don't,' Scotland calls out. 'Don't let it single you off.'

'It's following me,' America panics.

'America!' Canada cries out in as loud a voice as he can muster.

The entity lunges forwards and America quickly dives out the way. With an almighty crash, the creature breaks through the wall and fills the room with dust and even more debris. Instead of falling down to the ground below, the creature dives back into the room and this time targets the rest of the nations, who stand huddled in a group, staring is shock. They quickly scatter in panic and the entity gives chase, marking different targets as new victims every few seconds.

Each nation tries heading for the door but the creature gets there first. The countries stand, frozen in shock and fear as the entity lets out another hissing laugh before it suddenly tenses and quietens. Then it lets out a piercing shriek and dissolves into the air, the darkness of its mass lightening into nothing and revealing a figure standing behind it, wielding a knife and in a fighting stance, the blade pointing into the spot where the creature once existed.

Scotland lets himself breathe a sigh of relief for two reasons. One, England's alright (though his shirt's torn and there appears to be spots of blood on his clothing) and two, the creature is dead. On the other hand, it looks like England managed to sneak his knife with him after all.

Also, this really isn't how Scotland was planning to reintroduce England to the other nations. These last few minutes have been shocking enough without them all embracing the fact that someone has seemingly returned from the dead (well, America was sort of right after all about a ghost being here)...

There aren't any shocked screams or anything. The other nations simply stare with wide eyes at the spot where an other worldly creature just dissipated, the same spot that is now being occupied by a long lost country.

But England isn't looking back at them. He holds out his knife and glares at Scotland. 'Told you I'd need this.'

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