#BUT ALSO HOLY DAMN. I NEVER THOUGHT OF THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE PRINCESSES IN EITHER GAME UNTIL NOW

[fan-fantasies]

Princess (Michael Langdon smut)

A/N: well... this is the longest thing I've ever written on this blog like damn. This is also the first smut I've written in months so please don’t hate me. I just love Michael Langdon more than I should. I hope you all enjoy this cause I need to go drink some holy water. ~Breezy

Warnings?: so much smut... (I feel dirty as hell), chocking, unsafe sex, some dirty talk, blood, use of knives, swearing, slight spoilers? (follows the first two episode )

Word count: 5.8k (I uh... I'm not sorry)

The world ended and you were stuck in this stupid outpost with a bunch of stuck up snobs who seemed to think they were the most important person in the world. All of them either bragging how they were able to buy their way in here, or talking about how they were taken from their family. You were more sympathetic with the ones who were taken because you were in a similar situation. All you were was an artist, a painter who was just barely starting your career when you had gotten the notification of the worlds destruction. Two men came barging into your apartment requesting you go with them, you managed to grab a small book for drawing and a small thing of water colors, you’d be damned if you’re bored. They seemed hesitant to let you have the small bag but they didn’t say anything to you almost as if they were afraid to tell you no. They rushed you to a plane, which took off quickly leaving with just you and the two men that picked you up. You had no chance to ask questions or even speak a word before noticing the mushroom cloud had formed over the US. Tears welled in your eyes as you knew that no one would have survived something like that. 

You sat in the jet for what seemed like hours before one of the men came from the cockpit, he handed you a hazmat suite, 

“Put this on, we are about to land.” He bluntly states and without a word you took it. You weren’t sure what was going on but you didn’t dare ask questions. You slipped the suite on easily, zipping it up and waiting for the jet to land wherever it was you were going. Something inside of you said something was wrong. 

Then here you were, in this strange underground outpost wishing you had honestly died in the blast. Each person who blurted out their displeasure just angered you a little more and eventually you just became numb to the feeling. You aren’t sure how long it had been since you had gotten here, seeing as though you weren’t aloud outside or to see the light of day. 

According to Ms. Venable, your meals had been apparently cut to one meal a day due to a lack of food and all the snobs weren’t having it. Complaining that they wouldn’t live off of one small cube of food a day, you were honestly just happy to have something to eat even if the food was tasteless and just disgusting all around. The room was tense as everyone just stared at each other, or it seemed that way because you had blocked out all the bickering and constant anger. This happened every night, but something was different much different. Two men were taken away from the table, being accused of having left the outpost to go outside and be covered in radiation. The group wouldn’t stop talking about the situation, you honestly couldn’t care less about it, you didn’t know the two of them and you didn’t care to know them. You retired to your room to rest in hopes to get away from all the madness. 

That night you had a dream, nothing you weren’t used to seeing as though you always had dreams but this one. This was stranger than usual. 

A young boy stood in front of you, you couldn’t help but think he was handsome. Short curly blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, he stands tall and proudly. He stood across the room from you, shivers ran down your spin as he locked eyes with you. Was he staring into your soul? The room grew colder as he took three large strides towards you, he towered over you seeming to try to intimidate you but you didn’t snap. You kept your eyes locked with his, they were cold yet calm, who was he? His hand gently caressed your cheek, rubbing his thumb gently over your cheekbone. 

“So beautiful,” he whispers softly, “I’m so glad I found you,” he leans closer bringing his face inches from yours, his breath fanning over your face. 

“We will be together,” his deep voice spoke as he leaned forward brushing his lips against you for a brief second before pulling away. 

“They thought they could hide you from me but I will always find, your are my princess,” he spoke, “And the prince, always saves his princess,” he leaned in one more time, this kiss was passionate, it made your heart stop for a moment. He pulled away, then everything seemed to fade away. Leaving you in darkness, confused and slightly aroused by this.

Waking up with a start you gasp for air, you caught your breath unsure why it seemed like you had fully stopped breathing. Something about that dream felt off, though all you could think about was the boy, you wanted him to find you. You wanted him to save you. Whatever that honestly meant to you. You stood from your bed, grabbing your bag, you had to put his face down on paper though using watercolors wasn’t on option you just sketched his face. The beautiful face that you just couldn’t get out of your head, his sharp eyes had the most detail they were so captivating… 

A loud knock on your door snapped you back to reality from your dream like state, it must have  time to wake up. Though they weren’t serving breakfast, most people went to the common area to sit, drink and complain about their problems. You sighed heavily, hiding your bag under your bed though bringing the small sketchbook with you in order to continue to work you had started. No one ever really bothered you anyways seeing as though you never spoke to anyone who was around you. You made sure you were dressed in your clothes, most of the people here wore purple or grey but you, you wore red. No one seemed to notice up until you went downstairs and found a place to sit that wasn’t between two people. The bitch, Coco, was on her usually daily rant of the morning until her eyes landed on you. 

“And you!” She cried out, “Why is it, that all of us either have to wear purple or grey but you get to wear red?” She scoffed, “ I bet you slept with someone in order to get here, you’re somebody’s slut,” she spat in your direction. You glanced up from your book, no emotion on your face or any fucks to give. 

“Look, lady,” you begin keeping a straight face, “I don’t know why I’m wearing red, or why I was able to be here, so just leave me out of your rant.” You look back down to your book, continuing the detail of the young boys face. The details seemed never-ending on his face and you refused to stop until you had gotten them all. You hadn’t realized how quiet the room had gotten, all that was heard was the radio playing the same song over and over again. Before you knew it, it was time for dinner where they were serving steamed snake. It didn’t exactly look appetizing but you were hungry and would eat just about anything. The young girl at the table brought up the fact that there was a breach last night, something you must have missed cause you really didn’t remember that happening. Though the question was dismissed and we were told to eat, but the second we went to eat, the cooked snakes were now alive. Hissing and slithering over the table causing everyone to jump back in fear and panic, even you were startled by this even though you had never feared snakes before. Everyone rushed from the dinning room, back to the main area where you all gathered. 

The room was deathly silent, as we sat around and waited for our new guest to show up and introduce himself. Anxiously you all waited for him, Ms. Venable stood near the fire place, she didn’t move at all, was she just as anxious as everyone else? 

His footsteps echoed off the walls as he approached the main area, you took a deep breath as he entered the room. His eyes were the first thing that caught your attention, they were icy and so captivating, you knew it was him. He was a bit taller, and his hair much longer as well. He was even more handsome than he was in your dream. He glanced around the room, taking in everyone appearance before his eyes locked with yours, flashes of your dream flashed before your eyes before you broke the eye contact. He began to walk around the room, almost as if he was stalking his pray until he stood in front of the fireplace. Even Venable didn’t want to stay in his gaze. 

He spoke, “My name is Langdon and I represent the Cooperative, I won’t sugarcoat the situation,” he begins, “Humanity is on the brink of failure, my arrival was crucial to the survival of life on earth.” He continued to speak about how other compounds had fallen, having been overrun and the people inside having been massacred. 

“Which will happen to most of you,” everyone looked at him in confusion, one of the girls questioning his choice of words. 

“Incase of something like this we build another outpost, Sanctuary. The sanctuary is unique, has certain security measures so it won’t be overrun.” A few people asked questioned and they were answered simply with classified. 

“Though I was sent here, to see if any of you are worthy to go to this outpost. We call it, cooperating.” You rolled your eyes at that. He explained how anyone who didn’t want to be questioned wouldn’t be eligible and would stay in the outpost and be left to die.

“I’ll go first!” Gallent says causing jealousy to bubble up in your chest, you weren’t sure why but you felt angry. 

“And so you shall,” Langdon states, “It should only take me a few days, so you won’t be kept in suspense forever.” He continues to speak, pulling out a vile saying how if they were the one to be left behind to take it. Especially instead of being eaten alive, you would fall asleep and never wake up. 

“I look forward to meeting each and every one of you,” Langdon says, locking eyes with you before leaving the room. You heart nearly exploded, so much so that you tuned out the arguing that was going on about who was going to go and who wasn’t. You felt anxious to see him, but you knew you had to wait. You stood from your chair, walking back towards your room where you didn’t have to listen to anyone yell anymore. You walked up the stairs towards your bedroom door though you felt eyes on you as you stood in front of it. You turn to see who it was and there he stood, across the way. This time your eyes stayed locked, staring at each other for what felt like an eternity before he gave you a charming smile and entered his room. You let out a breath before entering your room, instantly rushing to your sketchbook to draw the new image of him you have. His long flowing hair, his beautiful eyes and just smooth features. You refused to rest until you finished what you had started, and you did exactly that. 

The darkness of your slumber, another dream appeared. You still weren’t surprised and stayed that way even when Langdon appeared, now with long hair. 

He didn’t wait a moment, he came right over to you gently taking your face in his hands,

“I told you I would find you, my princess,” he says lowly, not in a menacing way but in a loving way. He looked at you as if he knew you for many years but you just couldn’t seem to recognize him as he did with you. 

“It’s alright my dear, they have taken your memories.” He explains as he gently rubs your cheek, “You will remember soon,” he reassures, you nuzzle against his hand. Feeling safe with him being around, even though you could feel the shroud of darkness around him. 

“Please, help me remember,” you whispered a you gaze in his eyes, he chuckled his smile so beautiful. 

“In due time my dear,” he gently kisses your forehead, “until then, just continue on until we finally speak to one another.” He explains. You nod at his instructions, he gently let go of you face. 

“W-Wait,” you stammer not breaking eye contact, “Kiss me, please,” you whisper feeling a blush creep up on your cheeks. 

He smiled again coming close to you once again, slowly learning towards you connecting your lips in a gentle kiss to start. His lips soft against yours as they moved together in sync, gently you touch his cheek, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. Never in your entire life had you felt so compelled to kiss someone. His tongue slipped into your mouth, forcefully yet he was still cautious. Only for a few moments were your tongues intertwined before he pulled away, your heart racing, your head spinning and your lips tingling from the sensation. You didn’t want him to pull away, you wanted to stay like that forever, tears welled in your eyes. You needed him. 

“Don’t cry my sweet, we will be together soon.” He kisses your forehead once more before your dream fades to black. The rest of the night you slept peacefully. 

The next morning, someone was pounding on your door causing you to nearly fall out of bed. 

“Yeah yeah!” You called towards the door as you slowly dragged yourself from your bed. Brushing your hair and dressing yourself in the proper clothing before there was another knock, 

“Yeah?” You called allowing them to enter, 

A grey walked into the room, “Mr. Langdon is asking for you,” he says, clearly he’s nervous. You nod at his statement, “Alright, thank you,” you tell him giving him a warm smile, he rushed off leaving you. You straighten yourself up before leaving your room and heading towards his. Butterflies fill your stomach as you get closer to his room, you were finally going to be alone with him. You knock gently on his door, hearing his voice asking to enter you slowly walk in. He sat at the desk across the room, you were awestruck at his beauty once more. 

“Come in,” he says as he motions to the chair in front of him, you nod before walking over towards the chair and sitting in front of him. 

“You look very beautiful in red,” he says lowly as he looks you up, 

“Thank you, Langdon…” you trail off, 

“Micheal, call me Micheal,” you acknowledge him by nodding, you both sit there in silence for a few moment. 

“So tell me, why do you think I should pick you, hm?” He questions leaning forward to look at you, you sit there kinda dumb struck. 

“Well, to be honest, I’m not even sure why I’m here.” You mumble lowly, “I’m not rich or anything really,” you sat there unsure of what to say to him, you felt his eyes on you as you stare at your hands. 

He chuckled lowly, he sat back in his seat. “Come here,” he says, you gulp before standing up and walking over to him. His hands gently touched your waist, slowly pulling you onto his lap. You gasp as you straddle his waist, not exactly expecting him to do this. 

“I am so glad you’re finally here beautiful.” He whispers as he gently strokes your cheek. “I hope you enjoyed your dreams,” he laughs as you bite your lip in memory of the kiss you had shared in your dream, but mainly because you wanted that even more. 

“Please,” you whisper softly looking at him, 

Mischief fills his eyes, “Please what princess?” He teases looking you directly in the eyes, your breath caught in your throat for a moment. 

“Please… Help me remember,” you whisper, “help me remember everything,” He smiles at your words, begging is music to his ears. 

He pulls your face close to his, his forehead pressed to yours, “We are going to take this one step at a time.” He finally pulls your lips to his in a smothering kiss. Just like the dream, things started out slow, taking his sweet time memorizing your lips and the curves of your body. He pulls you closer by your waist, deepening the kiss more, your hands tangling in his long hair. Slowly things began to heat up, his tongue meetings yours causing a soft moan to escape your lips. It all felt so familiar but you just couldn’t place the feeling. 

He gripped your waist a little tighter causing you to roll your hips against his, he pulled away a groan escaping his lips. His soft lips trailed towards your neck, leaving tender kisses up and down, you let out a shaky breath when he reached the base of your neck. He left soft kisses around that area, before then leaving gentle nips there as well. 

You let another shaky breath escape past your lips at the feeling, allow your head to tilt back to give him better access. He trailed kisses back up your neck, up your jaw and to your ear. 

“Now tell me princess, what do you remember?” He whispers, images flash in your vision for a moment. The two of you, covered in blood together in a bed. You were on top of him, seemly riding him as his hands traveled up your naked sides.

“A ritual,” you whisper, “the two of us, becoming one covered in the blood of a sacrifice.” Micheal lightly nips at your earlobe, you whine softly. 

“What else?” He whispered in your ear leaving a gentle kiss on your jawline. You whine, trying your hardest to think of what else happened. More images flashed through your mind, 

a coven of witches though you left them without a word. Finding Michael, taking his hand as he led you away to a place where no one would find you. 

“You took me to your home, you told me I was chosen for this,” you whimper, “That we were destined together,” the brightest smile form on his face, 

“Please Michael, I need more,” you breathed out, “I can’t remember anymore,” He chucked again, his lips pressing roughly against your neck. His mouth trailing hot kisses down your neck, nipping occasionally at the the skin. Your wines only grew in volume the more he continued, you had lost all control of yourself. More images continue to play in your vision like a movie, moments of intimacy, lust, passion and a plan of ruling a world. 

“Tell me what I would do to you, I know you’re remembering,” he growled lowly against your neck.  

“You used to be so good to me,” you whined, “You’d treat me like a princess, you’d make me feel so good,” his lips trailed higher continuing to leave nips at your flesh. His lips now hovering over yours,  

“I want to feel that again, I wanna be with you like that again,” you practically beg, he lets out a breath. 

“Not now my beauty, we have so much time.” He speaks teasingly touching your lips together and pulling them away just as quickly. “Our time is nearly up princess, we will have to continue this another day,” you whine as his words, your fingers tangling in his hair. He pulls you into another searing kiss, your tongues meeting again this time for a longer period of time. You couldn’t stop yourself from grinding down on him again, the heat between your legs was almost unbearable. His hand held you waist and stopped your moments before pulling away, 

“Patience princess, we will get there in due time.” He whispers, “I know it has been some time since we were together but we must wait for the right now.” He gently kisses your forehead, you nod, “Yes my prince,” you say softly, “I’ve missed you so much,” you gently touch his face, looking into his perfect eyes. 

Slowly you move to get off his lap, you knew if you stayed you would never leave him. You just wanted to stay by his side, be his princess like the old days. 

“Don’t worry princess, we will be together soon.” He slowly stands, “We just need to execute the plan first, just know you will always be by my side.” He leans down and kisses your cheek, 

“I will see you in my dreams, my prince,” you whisper before leaving his room in order for him to continue his interviews, 

“You will my love, you will,” you smile at his words as you left the room, you grabbed your sketchbook from your room and walked back down to the library where you decided to sit.

The second you got comfortable, an argument broke out between Gallant and his Nana over something stupid. Part of you knew that Michael had done something in order to turn everyone against each other, did your stomach turn and bubble with anger knowing that he had touched someone that wasn’t you? Yes it did but you knew there was a greater plan to all of it.  The things you begun to draw became slightly explicit, memories of the night where the two of you began you journey together. Moving together so intimately in the blood of the poor sacrifice, it was the most amazing day of your life. A day you wished would come back. 

You weren’t sure how long it had been since you last saw Michael, it could have been days or honestly hours but he had found his way to your room one evening. He didn’t say much to you other than asking if you trusted him and of course you did. You followed him through the halls towards a small white room which had been arranged with candles. You knew he wanted to ask his father for guidance but why did he want you to be there with him? Slowly he began to take off his jacket, motioning you over to him which you happily waltzed over. 

“The time is nearly there my princess.” He says gently brushing his fingers through your hair, then letting his fingertips dance down the column of your neck. 

You didn’t speak, you gazed into his eyes as his hands tugged at the dress you were wearing. Licking your lips, you allow him to pull it over your head leaving you bare to him.

“Together, we will call to my father and become one…” you couldn’t stop the whine the escapes your lips, excitement bubbling up inside of you. Michael began to undress himself before doing anything, 

“We must prepare the circle,” he begins as he pulls out a small dagger from the coat he had thrown on the floor. “Sit in the middle of the circle and I will begin,” he orders you in which you happily comply, kneeling in the middle of the circle you waited for him. You felt him kneel behind you, his freehand running up your sides gently towards your breast. 

“May I?” He whispers in your ear as the cold blade touched your arm, you nodded, 

“Use your words princess,” he whispers, “I need your words beautiful,” you nod again, taking a breath, 

“Yes you can,” you say as confidently as you could. He dug the knife gently in your arm, drawing blood and causing it to run down your arm and to the ground. He left a few kisses on your neck and shoulder as he dug into the other arm gently. 

He moved away for a moment, cutting his own arms in order to start drawing a pentagram on the ground in both of your blood. As he did he began chanting in tongues, words you didn’t understand but you were more curious then you should be. He knelt in front of you, his bloody hands coming to touch your face gently. He pulled your lips to his in a hot kiss, his hands running down your body, one of them holding your waist the other gently caressing your bare breast. You moaned against his lips, craving more of his touch, you wanted him to bring you pleasure. His hands continued to smear blood all over your body as he left no place untouched. You did the same, hands traveling up and down his firm chest. 

Michael pushed you back onto the cold bloody marble floor, hovering over you in an instant. His lips connect with you neck, kissing down towards your collarbone where be began to leave small love bites. Your legs wrapped around his waist pulling him closer to you, his cock already hardening with every second that passed. 

“Michael,” you moan out as you grind up against him, you didn’t want to wait any longer. 

“Patience my dear,” he kissed down to your chest, peppering kisses all around your right breast before finally taking your nipple in his mouth. His warm tongue circled around it, occasionally he would lightly bite down shooting pleasure straight towards your core. Your desperate moans grew louder the longer he toyed with your nipples. His hand trailed down towards your stomach, finally coming in contact with your sensitive clit. 

You cried out in pleasure just from the soft touch, you couldn’t remember the last time someone had touched you in such a way.

“You’re already so wet for me,” he whispers as he brings his lips back up to yours, his fingers toying with you for a few moments before he slowly dipped a finger inside of you. 

You moan his name loudly, throwing your head back in pleasure. After a few moment, he added a second finger and slowly began to pump them in an out of you. You heard him chuckle over your loud moans, his fingers moved faster bringing you closer to you high. 

“Michael please, I’m so close,” you beg wanting so desperately to cum for him. His fingers slowed down and eventually he pulled them out completely. 

“In time, but we will together,” he lines himself at your entrance before slowly pushing himself in. You would have thought he would have roughly entered you but he took his time, his face twisting in pleasure. 

“Michael please, move,” you whimper practically clawing at his back, he slowly pulled himself out before slamming back into you. You didn’t hold back your cries as he relentlessly thrusted into you. You hadn’t felt this way for some time but he was finally reminding you what it felt like to feel loved and pleased. Your climax was coming much faster than you expected it to, the closer you got the blood around you began to boil, the ground seemingly shifting. You could hear faint hissing of snakes from all around you but you didn’t care. 

Michael continued to pound into you, his pace unforgiving and he showed no sign of stopping. You gently took one of his hands, he gave you a look of question before you slowly raised his hand to your neck. His eyes showed realization as he gently began to apply pressure to your neck cutting off some of your airflow. This only bringing you closer to your climax, 

“Look at you,” he says, “So beautiful below me, who makes you feel this good, princess?” He growls in your ear, 

“Y-You do,” you whine loudly, “You make me feel like this my prince,” you cry out, the pleasure was too much tears pricking at your eyes. 

“Please my prince, can I cum?” You beg breathlessly, the grip on your neck growing tighter cutting off your air completely, 

“Yes princess, cum for your prince,” he growls causing you to silently cry out staring deeply into his beautiful eyes. Your high seemed to tip him over the edge, you could tell he was getting close to his release,

“Cum for me, my prince, please,” you beg of him, he groans into your ear as he released inside of you. The both of you trying to catch your breath, he leans down kissing you roughly his tongue instantly meeting yours in rough yet passionate kiss. When he pulled away and his eyes opened, they were completely black as he whispered, 

“Hail satan,” 

You looked back up at him with tired eyes, your hand gently caressing his cheek, 

“Hail satan,” you whisper before you fell asleep beneath him. 

Ever since your night with him, you spent every second with him either sitting on his lap or attached to him at the hip. Most of the people noticed how close you had grown towards the man but they didn’t dare say anything to you. The night came when the Halloween party was to take place, you weren’t particularly fond of parties so you had already planned to spend your evening with Michael. You knew he would be looking through the files of everyone though you were sure he just wouldn’t pick anyone. 

“Will you be spending the night with me, my dear?” He questioned from his desk, you looked up from your sketchbook, 

“If that’s alright, my prince. I didn’t feel the party would be my type of event.” You say closing your book and standing up from his bed. You walked over to him, hugging him from behind leaving a gentle kiss on his temple. He was looking through the files as you stood with him, 

“I promise I’ll stay out of your way if you let me stay,” you pout with a small smile, he chuckled lowly as he glanced at you. 

“You, my dear, can distract me all you like” he says leaving a gentle kiss on your lips. You held you book in your hand as he pulled you to sit on his lap. “Why don’t you show me what you’re working on princess,” he says looking away from his papers, so you open your sketchbook in order to show him. He took it from your hands, looking through the pages of things you sketched seeing mainly memories of you and him. 

“Ever since the first dream I had about you, I couldn’t stop drawing you. I was determined to get every detail right, I had to draw everything I remembered.” You tell him honestly, 

“Well you’ve done wonderfully,” he states setting the book down on his desk before he gently helps you straddle him. 

“You have work to do,” you say with a giggle as you kiss his nose, 

“Yes, but my princess needs attention,” he says pulling you into a breath taking kiss, anytime he kissed you it was always so passionate and it made you feel alive. You stayed together for what felt likes hours, there was so much love come from him, and you guys honestly would have gone farther if there wasn’t a knock on the door. 

“Why don’t you go sit down on the bed?” You whined but got off his lap and went to sit on his bed. 

The door opened slowly to reveal, Venable and Mirium, both of them radiating a sinister energy. You knew something was wrong, 

“What is it? I’m just finalizing my decisions,” Michael said not glancing up from his papers. 

“This will only take a second,” Venable states, they two of them talking for a moment before Miruim pulls out a gun pointing it towards Michael. You froze in place, what in the world was happening? 

Michael only laughed, “I wouldn’t do that,” he states just before Mirium slowly points the gun towards Venable. Things seemed to move too quickly for you to comprehend, a shot rang through the air and Venable fell to the floor. You would say you were shocked but you honestly weren’t, she kinda deserved it due to all her rules she had made and disobeyed. You let Michael talk with Mead without disruption. 

He glanced at you once they were done talking, “Ms. Mead, would you mind giving us some time alone, please.” The robot nods before leaving the room. 

“It’s time my love,” you looked at him, you had a feeling something wasn’t going to go as he planed but you would stay by him till the very end. You moved to the end of the bed, kneeling in front of him, your hands running up his chest.

“Would you make love to me?” You question softly looking into his blue eyes. “Please,” you whisper. 

“There isn’t much time princess,” he says, you sat back onto the bed letting him hover over you, 

“Then let’s not waste any more time,” you say leaning up and kissing him, he hiked up your dress and undid his pants pulling them down just enough for him to take out his cock. Your mouth watering at the sight, as he pumped it in his hand a few time before lining up with your entrance. He entered you slowly, you sat up slowly wanting him to sit back, straddling his waist, 

“Let me do all the work, you’ve already worked so hard,” you whisper softly as you kiss his lips, slowly you begin to move. His lips trailed down your neck, leaving love bites in his wake. You didn’t care if anyone heard but your moans were loud, feeling his cock hitting the right spot inside of you. 

“So beautiful, you’re my princess, soon you’ll be my queen,” Michael groans, “You’re mine, mine alone,” his hand came down over your ass causing you to yelp, 

“Yes! I’m yours Michael, only yours,” you cry out, his hands gripping your waist helping you bounce on his dick. Michael couldn’t handle the pace anymore, he pushed you back onto the bed and began to pound into you relentlessly his hand instantly coming up to your neck. Your climax came without warning, your body shook with pleasure before you came all over his cock. He growls into you neck, before his hips stuttered and he came inside of you. He worked you through your highs, 

“I love you, my prince,” you say softly, 

“I love you too, princess,” he kissed your head gently before pulling out of you and standing up. You knew what had to come next,

“Are you still going to stand by me?” He questioned as he helped you stand, you nodded, 

“Yes, I will always stand by you,” he smiles, he pecks your cheek gently before you knew it you were both out the door, ready to face whoever was there…

[charliesradiodemon]

Pwease pwease pwease do 15 passionately 💗💗charlastor , fat nuggets need it

(I was inspired by a couple of comics that are similar to this fic. For the sake of the fic making sense, Charlie never dated Vaggie and is single here.

Also don’t worry! I’m still working on Arranged Marriage! I’m just also working on many other things! You’ll be seeing an update soon! For now I’m bum rushing for Charlastor week!

Happy Valentine’s Day my friends ❤️❤️)

15. Passionate Kiss

It was Valentine’s Day, a holiday that humans came up with and celebrate once a year on Earth. It was a day of love and cherishing your significant others. Some even used the day to confess their love to another. Charlie remembered when she first heard of Valentine’s Day and only sighed at how sweet and romantic it sounded. But she never had anyone to celebrate it with. In her last relationship, Harold never wanted to celebrate the holiday in any way. He’d always tease her for wanting to practice “lowly human customs”. And before that, the holiday hadn’t even existed yet.

Today Charlie had a slew of ideas to celebrate the holiday with everyone at the hotel. Today was about love, and what better way to turn around a sinner than with love? And chocolate!

Before Charlie could skip out her door, she paused mid-step. “Oh!” She exclaimed, jumping back in surprise. A large red heart, along with a vase of red roses stood in her way. Had she finished that step, she would have crushed the heart entirely.

Charlie knelt and carefully picked up the glass vase and heart before backing into her room. She set the vase by her bedside and felt a smile creep up once she got a good view of the bouquet. The vase was simply brimming with perfect red roses, but there was no card amongst the densely packed flowers. Who could afford such a thing, Charlie wasn’t quite sure. It could have been from her parents, but they weren’t the biggest fans of Valentine’s Day considering the origins of the holiday. Nevertheless she loved the roses and took a deep whiff of their subtly sweet scent before heading out to find and thank whoever left them.

On her way down, she took a quick glance at the heart. She knew what hearts were and how it was a common symbol used on Valentine’s Day and for love in general, but this thing was different. When she shook it, it rattled. There was something inside, but how was she supposed to open it? Could she even open it?

When she reached the lobby, the giddy princess started her hunt at the bar to ask Husk first. When she got there Angel was already leaning against the bar counter, flirting with Husk so early in the morning.

Charlie skipped up to the bar, greeting both Husk and Angel a happy Valentine’s Day. She set the heart on the bar and slid it toward Husk. “Hey Husk, do you happen to know where this came from?”

Angel’s face lit up when he focused on the heart in front of Charlie. “Ohhhh! Who gave ya Chocolates toots?”

“Chocolates?”

“Aren’t they chocolates? I mean it’s Valentine’s Day, it’s gotta be chocolate.”

Charlie knew that lovers would exchange gifts like chocolate and flowers on Valentine’s Day, but she had no clue that the heart contained chocolate. She didn’t even notice that she could open it!

She turned to Angel, leaving Husk to his morning drinking. She placed her hand over the box and looked up at Angel. “Someone left me this outside my door…”

“Did they leave ya a note?”

“Nope.”

Angel quirked a brow. “Alright… that’s a lil’ creepy… Do ya think it’s safe? Maybe there’s no chocolates in there.” He pointed to the heart-shaped box with a suspicious look in his eye.

Charlie shrugged and looked around the heart until she found a prominent line under what seemed to be the lid of the box. She lifted it by the lid and wiggled it, letting the box slowly separate from the heart-shaped lid.

When the trio looked into the box, sure enough it was full of chocolates. “Oh wow these look pretty expensive,” Angel took one and closely examined the morsel. “Bet they taste expensive too,” He predicted before tossing the whole square into his mouth. “Yep! Damn that’s good!” He exclaimed before reaching over and grabbing four more pieces.

Suddenly, the blonde got between Angel and her gift. “Hey!” Charlie pouted. Little did she know, Husk also picked up a piece and tossed it in his mouth. His face scrunched and he washed the sweetness from his mouth with the beer he’d already been working on.

Angel scoffed and rolled his eyes. “What, you’re gonna eat all that all by yourself?” He returned to lean against the bar and continued, “So expensive chocolates huh? Whoever gave ya that must really have it bad for ya Charlie.”

Charlie felt her face heat up at Angel’s comment.

“I wonder who the sucker is,” he looked around the lobby to find only a few of the patrons sitting around, waiting for breakfast. “Can’t be one of these bozos.” He huffed a laugh and popped another chocolate in his mouth.

Charlie took one of the squares and took a tentative bite. She perked up as the chocolate melted in her mouth, coating her tongue in it’s sweetness. It reminded her of the chocolates her parents would give her when she was younger. She tossed the rest of the delicious chocolate in her mouth and hummed in delight. “You’re right! It’s amazing!”

“I’m glad you think so dear.” A radio backed voice came from behind Charlie. She jumped and whipped around. Expectedly it was Alastor who stood fairly close to her with a satisfied grin on his face.

“Wait Al, this was you?” Charlie greeted the radio demon with a wide appreciative smile.

He nodded proudly. “Yes it was! I made it was only the best of the best!”

“The roses too?”

“Why of course! No-“

Angel gasped and yelled, “Woah woah woah! Roses?! Holy shit Romeo I didn’t know you were some kinda romantic!” The group eating breakfast turned their attention toward the commotion.

“Angel, it would be in your best interest if you would keep your mouth shut before I take it away.” He said in a crackling, eerie distorted voice. The air around the bar became increasingly thick with tension. Angel retracted back in fear while everyone at the breakfast table watched with interest, as if they were hoping the radio demon would make good on his promise.

Charlie slid the box between her and Alastor to grab his attention before the situation escalated. “Hey Al, why don’t you try one?” Immediately the heavy tension dissipated at the sound of her voice and Alastor returned his full attention to Charlie.

He chuckled and picked up a piece, casually examining it. “I’m not one for sweets my dear,” he bent forward slightly, holding the chocolate between two clawed fingers. He extended the chocolate right before Charlie’s lips. “I bought these for you, so why not have another and I’ll consider trying one.”

Charlie glanced up at him and then the chocolate. It was an odd deal but it seemed like it was harmless. She shrugged and opened her mouth to let Alastor place the chocolate on her tongue. She shut her mouth and let the chocolate melt over her tongue once more, savoring the flavor.

Alastor admired her face, which lit up with pure joy. Her smile never failed to set his heart on fire and inspire contentment at the same time. Today was the perfect day to show her exactly what she meant to him and when he continued to execute his flawless plan, she would be his by the end of the day.

But then his eyes drifted down to her closed mouth and watched it move with her swirling tongue. Though he didn’t enjoy sweets, his curiosity began taking over. Then his imagination. Then his hands and feet. Unknowingly, he moved closer and used his right hand to tip her chin up. He met her snapped open eyes before meeting her black lips.

He didn’t realize it either when his tongue forced its way into Charlie’s mouth. The dulled down sweetness of the chocolate on her tongue made the flavor bearable enough for him. It was good, even. Though he wasn’t sure if it was because of the high of the moment or the chocolate itself at this point. It was then he discovered that Charlie was kissing him back, her tongue moving with his and further amplifying the sweetness of the kiss.

Realizing what he’d done, Alastor pulled away. He never took his eyes off of her, not wanting to see the faces of the individuals around him. Usually he’d revel in the attention, but now he just exposed a soft side to him no one had ever seen before. He’d have to kill them all- no, that would upset Charlie.

Oh Charlie…

This wasn’t how the day was supposed to go. He’d inadvertently ruined all of his plans to whisk the princess off her feet and now he stood there like a fool. He needed to leave. He summoned his cane and tapped the floor, melting into a shadow that frantically slithered up the stairs.

The room was dead quiet. Charlie looked around to find all eyes on her. Even Angel Dusk was wide eyed and slack jawed in shock. Truly nobody expected that from Alastor, not even Charlie. She turned back around to hide her burning red face. He kissed her, and she kissed him back! Then another realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Today was Valentine’s Day and he gave her presents… and kissed her! Did he really feel that way toward her?

She needed to find him. She’d never find out if she didn’t ask. He went up the stairs so he must have retreated back to his room.

Without another word, Charlie slammed the lid on the chocolate box and sprint up the stairs with it in her arms.

‘He likes me! He really likes me!’ Charlie thought giddily, letting her emotional high carry her up the stairs.

Ever since she met him, she was drawn to his charm, his personality, his voice, his dancing- everything about him. Sure he wasn’t the kindest or most gentle mortal soul out there, but she’d always smile with him around. He was dangerous, Vaggie would always warn her, but Charlie didn’t care. No matter how bad the rumors about him were, she’d look past them and got to know him better. He could cook, he loved his mother and he’d always find ways to cheer her up in his own strange way. To her, he was human: flawed and full of his own unique personality. He was still a monster who committed atrocities, but Charlie still couldn’t help the aching in her heart. It was strange, but the heart wants what it wants.

When she realized her feelings, she immediately feared rejection. It was difficult to be around him at first, but over time it got much easier and she’d managed to push her feelings aside. After all, she didn’t want to scare her professional business partner away.

But now that was all coming to an end. She needed to talk to him and work this out.

Charlie knocked on his door and called out his name. When he didn’t answer, she tried the door knob. Surprisingly it was unlocked and when Charlie slipped into his room, she found Alastor sitting on the edge of his bed, staring blankly out the window with his signature smile.

When she approached, he snapped his gaze toward her. They stared each other down for a few moments. “Al, we need to talk.”

Alastor nodded and patted the bed beside him to which Charlie obliged. They now sat shoulder-to-shoulder in silence. It should have been awkward, but for some reason it felt comfortable. It almost felt natural. Charlie could feel him slowly relax beside her. He was calming down and Charlie smiled knowing that he was getting comfortable around her. Feeling brave, Charlie placed her hand to rest it on top of the hand that sat tensely on his knee. He flinched, but didn’t move away. Instead he shifted his hand to where he held her fingers in a gentle grasp. He even began to run his thumb over her knuckles.

When Charlie looked up at his reaction, he wasn’t looking at her. Instead, his gaze shifted down to their joined hands. His grey cheeks held a hint of red. His closed-lipped smile was soft and content. He greatly disliked being touched and yet here he was, being touched by her and looking completely at ease.

They didn’t need to speak after all. Their actions spoke a thousand words and they understood what the other wanted. This was new to them, but their interactions have never felt so natural and so sure. Charlie sighed and let her head fall to rest on Alastor’s shoulder. He jumped a bit, still not used to contact, but let his head fall to rest on top of Charlie’s head, relishing in the warmth that blossomed in his chest because of her.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Al.”

[justlookatthosesausages]

“In the eye of the storm” ◊◊◊◊ a post-Frozen 2 fanfic ◊◊◊◊ CHAPTER 8: Condensation

"Be careful. It's teeming with magic, I can feel it in my core. We should all take our distances." Advised Elsa.

"We don't risk anything, relax." Smiled Anna. "Besides, this can't possibly be Mjöllnir, right? I mean... Those are stories..." She added nervously.

The others didn't know what to respond and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Yeah, it can't be." Scoffed Kristoff. "Eydis, give the hammer to Papa."

The little girl hesitated, looking down at her new tool. She stretched her arm and put the shaft in his hand. But suddenly, it was like Kristoff was handed an anvil and that it had entirely dropped in his palm.

With a yelp, he fell to the floor in a fast and heavy move, his arm twirling with the uncanny weight of the hammer which made his shoulder slam the parquet, dragging him flat down with his head knocking it as well.

"Kristoff!"

"Holy f..."

"Wow, Papa, are you okay?"

The man groaned from his posture, taking his fingers off the shaft. The hammer calmly stayed on the floor where it was, its metal part down, almost sarcastically staring at them.

"M' fine." Muttered Kristoff.

He massaged his shoulder after the twist it endured. The two sisters looked at him speechlessly, not able to decide either to laugh out loud at his fail or find the situation scary.

"What the heck was that?"

They all slowly realized that if Kristoff, a tall muscular man who had enough force to lift blocks of ice, was unable to take a hammer that a little girl was making twirl in her hand just before, then it could only mean one thing: they indeed were in the presence of Mjöllnir.

Anna slowly turned from her husband to the hammer. "Okay... I remember reading in books that it's a magic hammer, and it's impossible to lift it. Except maybe by exceptional people..."

"Those who are worthy." Recited Elsa, as she naturally had read the same books.

The redhead helped Kristoff sit up, and they now were all seating on the hall's floor around the strange object.

Elsa brushed her fingers along the metal of the hammer and the wood shaft. A vibration seemed to come out of it, and she could feel that magic was emanating from the whole object, in a similar manner than the element crystals.

She gulped in apprehension, then dared to circle her fingers around the shaft. Her azure blue eyes fixed the hammer and she tried to lift it as well.

It was an odd sensation. It both weighed nothing, feeling like a simple piece of cork, and at the same time she could feel all the magic of the universe maintaining it down to the floor with a supernatural gravity. Her fascinated expression soon turned to a frown and a clenched jaw, and she had to use both hands to lift it, leaning on her knees. Elsa used all her force, her muscles tight, but nothing much happened; Mjöllnir slightly tilted up, but then down, slipping in her hands.

She exhaled loudly, her shoulders dropped. "Never mind. This is impossible."

Anna had been mesmerized by the scene, and she blinked, then smirked. "'Impossible' is not in my vocabulary. Let me try."

Kristoff and Elsa stopped her immediately when she approached both her hands, and they each grabbed one arm. The Queen looked at them with frustration.

"What?"

"The magic." Said Elsa.

"The floor." Said Kristoff at the same time.

They looked down because his observation was new compared to Elsa's. In fact, the floor around the hammer had been cracked. Fissures distorted the wood of the parquet, and it hadn't been only due to when the hammer dropped with Kristoff's hand, but also when Elsa had lifted it and applied a pressure on the edge of the metal.

"If we keep going like this, we're going to break the whole floor."

Elsa nodded, and looked at her younger. "It also emanates a phenomenal quantity of magic. I'd prefer it if you don't touch it."

Anna puffed. "I admire your care for the castle and my health."

Her eyes went down. "There truly is no way for us to move it away?"

Eydis didn't understand where the problem was.

"Why you don't lift it? It's easy. I'm gonna show you!" Smiled the girl.

"No, Eydis!"

Anna made a barrier with her arm in front of her daughter before she could reach the hammer.

"But I wanna—"

"I know, sweetie." Came in Kristoff. "However, it's better if you don't touch it anymore. We have to be safe. Let the adults deal with it."

Eydis pouted.

"But it's my hammer."

"You're right, yet—"

"Well, technically, it's not her hammer, it's—"

"Don't interrupt me!"

"Then explain to your daughter that—"

"Stop!" Grumbled the little girl. "Why can't I keep it?"

Anna bent to her daughter and put a hand on her shoulder. "We're not taking it from you, love. It's just that we need to be certain that it's not dangerous first. Do you understand?"

The girl continued to pout for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah..."

"Good." Smiled the Queen, and she kissed her head, which lifted the corner of Eydis' lips for a smile too.

A silence passed.

"Now what do we do?"

"Nothing much. It's stuck here for now." Sighed Kristoff.

Elsa bent to have a better look at it. "I wonder what those runes stand for. Maybe we can get answers from them."

Anna lifted a curious eyebrow. She usually had a good sense of observation, how did she miss the ancient letters on the hammer?

"Where are they?"

Elsa scoffed. "Right here. The big engravings, all along the metal part. It's kind of obvious."

A silence followed.

"Elsa, what are you talking about?" Asked Anna.

"What engravings?" Frowned Kristoff too.

They now where bending close to Mjöllnir, not daring to touch but attentively watching. Elsa looked at them like they were idiots.

"...You two are pranking me, right? This is not really the time for jokes."

Anna stared at her elder's eyes. "...You can see runes on it?"

The Snow Queen switched between the two. "What, you don't see it? Is it because of the dim light outside? They're enormous! Right here!"

She pointed at the runes with her fingers.

To Anna's and Kristoff's eyes, there was nothing but smooth grey metal.

"There's nothing there, Elsa." Murmured Anna.

"I can see them too." Intervened an innocent voice.

They all turned to the beaming child.

"Eydis...?"

The little princess dropped her elbows on her knees and put her face in her hands, admiring the hammer. "I like the decorations on it. It has pretty drawings. And those are letters, right? So I wanted to know what they are."

Elsa widened her eyes at her curiosity and cleverness. Anna widened her eyes for a different reason.

"Wait... This is why you had come to my study the other day... Is this why you asked for the runes glossary?"

"The what?"

"The book about runes." Explained Kristoff.

"Yeah! That one!"

Elsa was captivated. "Did you get to know what those inscriptions mean, then?"

Eydis pouted a bit. "No. Mama was about to bring me the book from the library, but then she talked loud with Auntie all the afternoon."

The sisters exchanged a gaze. It was indeed on the day they had argued against each other, before Anna left for Hitiheimr.

"Oh dear, I had completely forgotten... I'm so sorry."

Eydis smiled in the warm hug her mother gave her. "It's okay. I played parcheesi with Papa instead."

Anna smiled above the princess' head, her chin in her hair. She looked at her sister.

"So only you and Elsa can see them. I suppose that it's due to magic then."

"Wow, wow, wow... Wait... Is Eydis magic too? Does she have magical powers? Did I miss something?" Panicked Kristoff, his voice rising a bit.

Anna lifted her hands, parting from the hug. "No. She isn't. Right?" Her panic rose as well. "No, no no no. Can't be. Right, Elsa?"

The latter blinked. "What, I'm the judge in this? How would I know?"

Eydis had all eyes turned to her again, and she blinked with a confused expression.

Elsa frowned, then smiled and chuckled. "No, I'd have felt it."

She then realized that she couldn't really, because the magic emanating from Mjöllnir on the floor was covering the whole hall and even the whole castle with its power range, and it skewed her measurement. As she was thinking about that fact, she made a scrunching thinking face, and Anna stared at her.

"Elsa? What is it?"

The Snow Queen fidgeted with her fingers as she was lost in thoughts. "It's just... Speaking of magic... Mjöllnir's power is so big, I think I was able to feel it from the other end of the castle when Eydis had it stored in her toolkit in her room."

Kristoff snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "So that's why you had all those weird behaviors!"

He quickly cleared his throat. "No, wait, I didn't mean it that way..."

Elsa smirked. "No offense taken."

"I'm talking about your magic boosts. They kind of came from nowhere, no? And yet, they only happened when you were in the castle."

Anna and Elsa exchanged a stunned gaze. "He's right. I didn't happen when we were out of Arendelle."

The redhead put the pieces together. "It only was in presence of Mjöllnir."

"In the living room, in her bedroom..." "And when you were happy."

Elsa let out an amazed smile. She then couldn't help but stare at the hammer again, like she was attracted by it. Why was this charm so familiar?

"Its power... I've never felt an object exhaling this much magic since..."

"Since what?"

Elsa winced. "Well, it's not really an object, but... Since Ahtohallan."

Anna and Kristoff stared at her.

"The last time I had this sensation was on my last visit to Ahtohallan."

"Another magic source?" Murmured her sister.

The blonde nodded. Anna was so dumbfounded that she fell back on her ankles, her shoulders slumped.

"Damn, magic is wild."

It then led to another realization. "Hold on... So that's why you said you felt like it was regenerating you. Like you were resourcing, or refreshing your magic."

Elsa's mouth dropped. "It's true. Like I said, that's the same feeling than when I step out of Ahtohallan... Every time, it gives me that feeling."

She once more passed her fingers along Mjöllnir without touching it. Anna admired her fascination.

"And the boosts happened when you were sensing the source. It refilled your magic, and you had a burst of power. You suddenly had strong reactions. Just like when I drink a lot of coffee and the energy kicks in."

Elsa snorted at her comparison. "It's the equivalent, yes." She then held her chin as she thought. "Actually, I'd say it's more like when you have a sugar rush."

"Oh, does it taste like chocolate?" Understood Anna.

"What?"

"Magic."

Elsa frowned, and gave her a sarcastic eyebrow lift. "Are you saying that I taste magic when it's coming to me?"

Anna shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me. Doesn't it leave a sensation on your tongue? Or flicker in your body, like coffee or sugar?"

The Snow Queen snorted. "It's an emotion, Anna. Not something I actually have on my skin. It's like instinct, or an ancestral feeling, as old as the glacier up the Dark Sea. I just... Know it. It calls to a part of me that makes me whole."

Anna smiled fondly.

"And how did it feel when you had the first boost?"

Elsa looked down with a small smile.

"It's hard to put it in words... What did you feel when you entered my ice palace for the first time?"

"Other than amazement? I don't know, it was cold, but like cool cold, I mean, cool in the awesome sense of the term. Not like, cold cold."

Elsa grinned. Anna's slips when she was complimenting her magic were just precious.

"Well, the thrill, the excitement when I build it... I'd say that I experience a longer version of it when I get those magic boosts."

"So is it like, a sugar rush that you get after eating a treat you love, or after discovering a treat you never tried before?"

"Girls, can we please get back to it?" Laughed Kristoff as they rambled.

"Sorry." Echoed the two sisters.

He eyerolled, and bent to Mjöllnir. "I wouldn't be surprised that it's a magic source. It's a legendary hammer, after all."

Anna remembered the tales she used to read during Elsa's isolation. As far as she recalled, only one being was able to hold it...

"Then... Why does Eydis have it in her possession?"

Kristoff then realized that, too fascinated by the hammer, they had forgotten to ask again for a crucial question.

"Eydis... Did you find this hammer, or someone gave it to you?"

"It was offered to me!" Smiled the girl, happy to help.

Anna dove her teal blue eyes in hers. "Eydis, this is really important... Who gave it to you? And when?"

"A Giant! Last summer."

Elsa's brain cogs turned quickly. "You mean, the first time you met the Earth Spirit in the Forest?"

"Yes!" Chirped her niece.

The Snow Queen looked down as she mumbled. "I remember that they had felt pride to know her, because they saw great capacities in her. They said... I mean, they conveyed... That she would grow to deserve all the trust of the Spirits..."

Anna took that in, and murmured as well. "That Eydis would become... Worthy?"

Too impressed to actually confirm that out loud, Elsa nodded. Eydis looked at them with adorable blinking eyes, only wondering why they all turned to her again, and also when would dinner be served.

"So... The Giant handed it to you?" Asked the Queen.

The girl shrugged. "Yeah."

Anna was stunned. "And they were holding it? And then you held it as well? Just like that?"

Eydis frowned. "What? Like it's hard?"

The redhead scoffed a laughter, both nervous and proud. Eydis once more got confused by a new sudden hug from her.

"My baby girl... You'll never cease to amaze me."

She smiled in her embrace despite being lost about the situation.

"Which Giant was it?" Wondered Elsa.

"Maybe we should stop with the questions..." Gently advised Kristoff.

His daughter however was happy to answer. "A big one!"

That gave the Snow Queen an interesting clue. "Was it the biggest one you saw during your whole stay?"

"I dunno." Murmured Eydis.

Elsa couldn't blame her. With their hive mind, the Earth Spirit was composed of numerous Giants, and it was possible that she hadn't seen them all.

"What did they look like?"

"It was made or rocks."

Anna giggled above her daughter's head. Elsa had to restrain a giggle too.

"I meant physically. Did they have, for example, a big nose, or a long chin, or very large shoulders?"

"A square body!"

"A square?" Repeated Kristoff.

"Yes, perfect square!"

Eydis' recent passion for geometry and handiwork allowed them to make sure that she was saying the truth. Elsa grinned.

"That narrows it to three possible Giants."

She counted on her fingers. "Tetra, Ruckus, and Thwomp."

"Thwomp?" Repeated Kristoff, taken aback. "Wait, did you name the Giants?"

Anna grinned. "I'd love to have that conversation now, but we'll save it for later."

As Elsa eyerolled, her gaze passed by the window, and she saw an intriguing change in the weather outside. The wind had calmed down, yet it wasn't replaced by rain.

"What the..."

"Your Highnesses?" Echoed Kai's voice in the hall. "Why are the four of you kneeling on the floor like this?"

They all turned to the servant who had stepped back into the room after discarding the broken armors with the rest of the staff.

"We're talking about my hammer, Kai!" Exclaimed Eydis.

"Oh, really?" Smiled the man, happy to see her enthusiasm about her tools. "Which one?"

"This one!"

She grabbed the shaft of Mjöllnir and, not thinking about the consequences of her actions like any child, she naturally lifted the hammer in one quick move and high up so that Kai could see it from the other end of the room.

Anna, Elsa and Kristoff hadn't finished screaming and flipping around that an enormous lightning bolt erupted from Mjöllnir, jolting to the ceiling and exploding the roof vertically in a hole. It sent tiles flying in the air above the castle, and the lightning reached the sky in a direct line.

The bright light invaded the room, its flash reflecting on Eydis and Kai's surprised wide eyes, and underlining the others' terrified expressions. The strike disappeared as fast as it emerged, but all, in that short moment, had different reactions.

Kristoff jumped out of dread and fell to the floor on his elbows; Elsa stood still, transfixed by the sheer power of magic that had escaped from the hammer, similar to one of her outbursts; Anna screamed and ran with all her might to grab her daughter and hold her close as she rolled on the floor with the girl in her arms, to prevent her from getting hurt by the falling pieces of the ceiling.

Soon, Kristoff and Elsa shook out of their stupor and ran to Eydis to check her state, for it really had looked like she got electrocuted. The princess was alright, despite being stunned by the crazy situation.

Outside, thunder started to rumble. Other typical cracking noises snapped above their heads in the sky, reverberating in trembling sounds which were so strong that the windows of the halls vibrated.

Eydis whimpered in Anna's arms as Mjöllnir, still in her hands, started to shake. She gasped and released it, yet actually didn't have much choice as it suddenly slipped off her fingers and flew up to the sky as swiftly as an arrow, and the girl watched it dash away with wide eyes.

Anna held her closer, and everyone stared at the sky through the hole in the roof where the magic hammer suddenly had disappeared.

A flash of light appeared in the sky, and they winced. Something seemed to descend, and Elsa realized with horror that it was going down very, very fast.

"Everyone, step away!"

When they all looked at her instead of moving, she yelled with force.

"STEP AWAY, NOW!"

They all stumbled from where they were, the Queen urging to stand up and run as far as possible from under the hole, Eydis in her arms.

It was just in time, for one second later, something heavy smashed down and exploded the parquet, splitting it and sending bits around. They all yelped in terror at the deafening sound it made, and they protected their eyes from the splinters and pieces of beams and tiles that had fell along and shattered on the floor.

The entire hall was filled with dust, and wood squeaked still as the thunder continued to rumble outside.

Kristoff put his arm down after shielding himself from the floating dust, and squinted. Whatever had landed wasn't something, but someone.

A very tall, very muscular man, with long blond hair braided at parts, and a beard that reached the torso part of his shining armor, straightened up. He was covered from shoulders to toes with plaques of dark grey metal, and had a crimson red long cape which floated behind him after the move of his impact to the floor.

Elsa watched as well, stunned by the presence of the stranger. The storm had been replaced by flashing thunder, and it lit the man's armor in a bright way, which gave him a sort of magical aura. Unless he actually had one...

The man chuckled a bit, and dusted its armor and belt. He sheathed Mjöllnir there in a leather loop that seemed tailor-made for the shaft, and looked at the people present in the room.

"Hello everyone. Let's make the presentations. I guess that you know me already, but I prefer to make things polite. I'm Thor."

He waved, and everyone stared at him, paralyzed by his arrival. He smiled widely.

"Nice to meet you."

[ffamranxii]

Okay folks, I am all caught up with Tokyo Mew Mew Au Lait chapters 1-3 and Tokyo Mew Mew 2020 Re-Turn chapters 1 and 2 so I am Doing A Thing! Buckle up, bitches!

MASSIVE SPOILERS IF YOU’RE WAITING FOR THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH RELEASES (whenever the hell those will be). Thanks to @berrychanx​, @hikayagami​, and @ribbonstrawberrysurprise​ for the scans, English translation, and hard work putting the translation onto the manga so neatly.

LEADERS

MOMOMIYA ICHIGO AND SHIBUYA AOI

Honestly this is the biggest difference between the 2020 Re-Turn reboot/original series and the magical boy tribute. Aoi is in no way like Ichigo once you get past that they’ve both been injected with Iriomote cat DNA. Whereas Ichigo is cheery and bubbly and cute, Aoi is withdrawn, suffers from low self confidence, and sort of breaks the fourth wall during nearly every fight, freaking out at how catchphrases and such just seem to burst forth from him after he transforms. (It’s honestly a funny highlight.) Their respective crushes are also treated differently, with Aoi falling hard for Anzu (though of course saying nothing) almost immediately, almost a love at first sight sort of deal, and Ichigo already having this crush on this boy when we start vanilla TMM and already deeply committed to him in the reboot. In civilian form, (using vanilla Ichigo here, it’s not fair to compare Aoi to 2020 “been a magical girl for years” Ichigo), Aoi is a lot more unsure of himself, and seems almost to be in this Mew Mew thing for Anzu, whereas Ichigo immediately had a “I’ll do my best” acceptance mindset from the start. (Both freak out over their cat ears appearing at random moments, even Ichigo in the 2020 reboot, and I think I can finally give poor Aoi a point over Ichigo here. It makes him uncomfortable but he just wears a hoodie and hopes no one notices. It makes Ichigo freak out more lol.)

THE LOVE INTEREST / DUNGEON NAVI / SECONDARY PROTAGONIST

AOYAMA MASAYA, HINATA ANZU, SHIROGANE RYOU

Anzu is a precious peach and she occupies such a weird role here that I almost couldn’t make her a neat little graphic. She doesn’t fit neatly into a “oh, they’re a genderbent so and so” like nearly everyone else, and it’s fascinating. On the one hand, several panels in the first chapter of Au Lait make it clear that the writers are setting her up to be Aoi’s love interest. Every magical girl anime has a love interest, so why wouldn’t a magical boy manga? But that’s where she diverges. Unlike Masaya, who is a very clear tribute to Sailor Moon’s Tuxedo Mask (with the exception that he’s a cute bean as a civilian, he’s nearly the same person. No past, gets kidnapped, magical form to protect the magical girl, evil form to fight the magical girl [this happened in PGSM, and he’s been brainwashed several times]), who has always been a secondary character, Anzu actually starts the Au Lait manga. She wasn’t even featured on the promo images, so when I opened the first chapter in a zip file I thought I’d downloaded the wrong one. My rudimentary Japanese confirmed I hadn’t, but I was like “well who tf is this chick?” I waited for an English translation to be sure and yup - Anzu is being treated almost like a secondary protagonist. Well that’s new. It’s as if the Au Lait writers smashed together the characters of Ryou and Masaya and named their love child Hinata Anzu. She’s intelligent, she knows more about this project than she should, and, like Ryou in vanilla, she’s out and about and helping the boys, not just as a civilian, but in every battle. She doesn’t have powers (that we know of), but her smarts and knowledge of animals have served them well time and again. Au Lait seems more like, as one reader put it, Anzu And The Dork Squad than Aoi’s team. 

Masaya in 2020 Re-Turn is adorable. He is at odds with Quiche over Ichigo (or more like, he dislikes just how much Quiche likes Ichigo), and in a moment of panic he uses his leftover remnants of Deep Blue’s power to... change his clothes. I’m not sure what actually happened there. (Note: Thanks ribbonstrawberrysurprise: Deep Blue manifested to float the chimera anima/train and its passengers to safety.) But I love that he was so concerned for Ichigo, who at that moment desperately needed help, that the being who created his body and didn’t like Ichigo wanted to protect her. Ryou was his standoffish self, but even he seemed to have a hint of a lingering crush. He organized a party for the Mews and then took over in cafe duties so Ichigo could meet her man at the airport, unable to quiiiiite meet her eye while saying so. I always did like Ryou/Ichigo.

THE SASSY RICH BITCH

AIZAWA MINTO AND YOYOGI SHIZUKA

First of all: SAILOR JUPITER TAUGHT ME THAT PINK EQUALS FLOWER HURRICANES AND CAN I JUST SAY THAT I AM DISAPPOINTED AS FUCK THAT SHIZUKA ISN’T PLANT BASED AND CAN’T DO FLOWER HURRICANES THAT IS ALL.

Admit it. When we saw the promo image, we assumed certain things. One of those things turned out to be true: Aoi would be the Iriomote cat, because of course he would be Ichigo’s counterpart. Shizuka is wearing glasses, and his costume had the little tail, which meant he must have been a fish or a marine mammal and therefore Retasu’s counterpart, right? RIGHT. But also very, very wrong, my friends. Shizuka is indeed water based like Retasu - he’s an Amazon river dolphin (the pink ones!) - and that’s where all his similarities to our gentle green girl end. Instead of making everyone exactly the same but gender flipped, Au Lait is going in a slightly different direction, and I really like it. Shizuka is actually the most similar to our resident princess Minto! They both attend prestigious elite schools and generally act better than everyone else, but the real gem here is their interactions with their leaders. Shizuka has some truly snappy one-liners - such as discovering Ryuusei (”that’s the power of an idiot”) - and his reactions to Aoi are gold. He considers himself a genius, and indeed he’s very intelligent according to Natsume (and his school seems to be for smart people, it’s not prestigious for music or anything like that), and he makes little quips at Aoi all the time about how Aoi isn’t. I could totally see him spending an entire shift reading a book at Cafe Mew Mew while Aoi does all the work, only for him to stand up and someone to scream “HOLY CRAP, SHIZUKA’S UP, SHIT’S ABOUT TO GO DOWN.” 

Minto is also full of snappy quips at Ichigo in the reboot, mostly about how Ichigo should handle the biggest, strongest enemies since she’s the leader, and can’t Ichigo even keep them in place so Minto can shoot them down? (And yeah, someone totally said the above comment ^ when Minto stood up at Cafe Mew Mew.) Minto was always one of my favorite characters, and I love that we saw a lot of close ups of her in the reboot, and that she seemed to be second in command.

THE CHILD

FONG PURIN AND KANDA RYUUSEI

Oh my god these two. I refuse to believe they aren’t related. I know Purin is Chinese but you cannot take this headcanon from me. 

Purin is my favorite character in OG Mew Mew and Ryuusei claimed my heart the second I saw the Au Lait promo. NEITHER OF THEM DISAPPOINTED ME, I AM SO IN LOVE.

While I WILL say that I in no way care for Mew Pudding’s redesign (I hate literally everything about it. I miss her jumpsuit. I hate the little pigtails at the top of her head. I hate the ribbon. At least she still has her fingerless gloves), I love that she got an entire panel of just her being badass. She stood in the middle of some train tracks, facing a runaway speeding train chimera anima, with that ^ fucking look on her face, and was like “where you going, na no da?” Purin from like, ten years ago wouldn’t have done that. She has matured so much, but she’s still the young, goofy little acrobat monkey who provides for her tea-themed siblings (who criminally do not make an appearance) and I just love her so fucking much, you guys.

RYUUSEI. Guys. He’s an idiot. Oh my god. He’s a cute lovable idiot. “What’s a gomodo dragon? What’s a kodomo dragon? What’s a condo dragon and why does it need a house?” Anzu was in love with him for like five seconds until she learned he’s a dumbass, and Aoi was jealous as fuck, and no one ever told him what his damn animal was, and I laughed my ass off through his entire last couple pages. He also had his jacket hand embroidered with the kanji for dragon, BUT IT’S MISSPELLED. It’s missing a stroke! XD 

Ryuusei is the KOMODO dragon (which is Anzu’s favorite animal), and komodos are badass. He also either always had weird animal powers, or just never noticed that he suddenly got super smell. Komodo dragons, by the way, can track their prey for literally MILES by smell alone, for DAYS. It’s absolutely terrifying (thank you for the nightmares, Wild Thornberries), and Au Lait made it fucking comical. I can’t even. HE CAN SMELL THE RED DATA ANIMAL ON PEOPLE. I love it. He’s super strong and super cute, apparently lives with his grandparents, and is Purin’s counterpart in every single way, except I think SHE might be more mature than him. I love him. He is my baby. 

Yellow is my favorite color and yellow never disappoints. 

THE FAMOUS

FUJIWARA ZAKURO AND ROPPONGI AYATO

Zakuro had next to no presence in the reboot. She occasionally made some panels look pretty. She twice had a half page to herself, one per chapter. I am sad. I love my wolf lesbian. In semi-related news, I feel I have solved the mystery of Zakuro’s red data animal, something that has plagued the TMM community for years. The grey wolf is not endangered at all, yet Zakuro is injected with one, right? I read somewhere (either in a TMM blog or a conservation blog) that there is a subspecies of grey wolf that IS critically endangered. I believe it’s the Mexican grey wolf? I headcanon she was injected with DNA specifically from a Mexican grey wolf. 

Moving on. In Chapter 3 (which was a DELIGHT), we met Ayato. Chapter 3 was the most frustrating chapter because let me tell you, Au Lait marks the first time I have ever read a manga chapter by chapter as it was being released in Japan. So I’m waiting Nakayoshi to publish the chapter, then I’m waiting for someone to scan Nakayoshi, then I’m waiting for someone to translate it, over and over and over, and omg I can’t believe this is what people DO. I’ve waited for full volumes before, but CHAPTERS? This is torture. Ayato, I haven’t had enough TIME with you!

Ayato seems to be an actor (in a really... really weird stage play), and has very few lines in his first appearance. I’m not sure what I make of him. He says about six sentences, which is actually a lot for a character introduced on a cliffhanger, but... I can’t decide if he’s said them in a mysterious Sailors Neptune and Uranus way or a flamboyant Sohma Ayame way. I ALSO DON’T KNOW WHAT ANIMAL HE IS AND I AM VERY ANGRY. BB Ryuusei said he smells like yakitori (a type of grilled chicken), which confirms he’s a bird. But. WHICH BIRD, DAMNIT? 

CHAPTER FOUR WHERE ARE YOU?

THE FUNDING

AKASAKA KEIICHIRO, HINATA NATSUME, SHIROGANE RYOU

Hello again, Ryou! The boys here were wallpaper (though cute wallpaper) in the reboot. Natsume is 100% a troll. I love her. She admits in chapter 3 she literally just injected hot boys for her Mew Mew project. Even Ryou wasn’t that blunt. I mean, if you gotta save Earth and stare at people while you do it, they better be cute, right?

IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL THE FANDOM

MIDORIKAWA RETASU, SHIRAYUKI BERII, AKAI RINGO

Aside from her two half panels as a Mew Mew per chapter, this is the only good cap of Retasu as a civilian in the reboot. D: I believe Hiroo Taichi will be her counterpart in Au Lait.

I never liked Berii. There, I said it. She got TWO animals. She was some random newbie and she got to be leader just like that? And she was clueless and dumb and the writing in A La Mode wasn’t great. But I really like 2020 Berii. She’s cute, she seems more rabbit than cat, and she seems more intelligent and less of a blonde Ichigo clone. I don’t know if she’ll have an Au Lait counterpart.

WHERE IS RINGO? THE REBOOT WAS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO PUT HER IN THE STORY FOR REAL AND SHE JUST... WASN’T THERE?! THIS IS BLASPHEMY. RINGO IS THE BEST MEW MEW. BEST GIRL. JUSTICE FOR RINGO.

THE RELATIONSHIPS

MASAYA & ICHIGO VS AOI & ANZU

ZAKURO & MINTO VS AYATO & RYUUSEI

Nearly all of 2020 chapter 1 focused on Ichigo seeing Masaya again. I’m guessing this took place after he left for London. Ichigo left with him after A La Mode, and some time between then and Re-Turn came back to Japan, and now Masaya is back. They are still as lovey as ever, but not as sickeningly cute as Tsukino Usagi and Chiba Mamoru or anything. Phew! Their counterpart in Au Lait seems to Aoi and Anzu. (Look at that height difference! Poor Anzu, her poor neck.) Aoi already has a massive crush on her, but Anzu, bless her, is oblivious.

AND NOW FOR THE GAYS.

I think Zakuro and Minto is probably one of the most popular TMM ships and holy lesbians, Batman, they were well fed with this GORGEOUS panel at the end of chapter 2. Look at it. Zakuro had literally no panels, save for her two intros, to herself, and barely any panels at all in the reboot, and then BA-BAM, this beautiful ending shot. I swear Ikumi did it on purpose. Speaking of gays - is Ayato/Ryuusei the new Zakuro/Minto? Ayato seems to be at least bisexual (he also hit on Anzu), but this was literally his second panel. He is in a (terrible, TERRIBLE) play, and the actors are walking in the audience looking for the villain. Ayato walks into the audience and HITS ON RYUUSEI. His first goddamn words are “Do you want me to keep you, my cute little puppy?” to Ryuusei. He says fuck this acting shit, I see a SNACK. I think I ship it. I think I ship it hard.

THE STORY

*Au Lait is just getting started, so typical magical girl boy anime manga: Let’s find the others! Shenanigans! Some fillers! It’s cute, I love it, go read it.

*2020 Re-Turn is actually REALLY GOOD and chapter 2 reminds me of just how unique Tokyo Mew Mew was and still is among not just magical girl series, but animanga as a whole. Quick, what was the last environmental series you remember? Mine was Captain Planet - in the 90s. Preachy, in your face, after school special about things like pollution and endangered species and littering and honestly it was really cool, but very much a product of its time. Even now, magical girl animanga is still focused on bad guys, but bad guys are generic and represent something created for the series. Here, the bad guys are US, other human beings, who traffic animals, who endanger them, who wreck our planet enough that animals are barely clinging to life. There’s a very poignant scene featuring the adorable snow leopard up there (who’s the secondary protagonist of the reboot) ^, showing his mother being shot and himself being snatched by poachers, and he’s terrified, and has no idea what’s going on or where he is, and Ichigo is terrified for him. We need more series like this - not just of the magical girl genre, but of ALL genres. To make it accessible in this way, for people of all ages, something enjoyable, that people can fangirl over and love and its creators clearly put a lot of love and thought into. We need another Captain Planet, but less preachy, less after school special-y. We don’t want to be like the aliens (who remember, are descendants of humans who fucked up Earth so badly they had to leave it). 

Behind all the cute of this manga and its reboot, and its new spinoff, Tokyo Mew Mew has a powerful message that we should all be following. It’s not even subtle. Get yo shit together, peeps. 

[echodrops]

Why You Should Be Shipping Shigaraki/Ochako

No, no, hang on a second--I see that side-eye you are throwing hard enough to ruin your peripheral vision. I feel the shade you’re casting like a thundercloud rolling in. But you didn’t read wrong. I meant what I said.

I’ve never made a secret of my love for rare pairs, but for once in my damn lonely shipper’s hellscape of a life I would love it if my favorite crack ship in a fandom had more than two fics (I’m NOT JOKING) to its name.

What can I do to correct this egregious oversight before the entire summer passes with nary a whisper of the most romantic ship since Juliet wherefore art thou’d Romeo?

Well, what else? I was forged in the fires of early 2000s’ fandom, and I know that desperate times call for desperate measures meticulously researched and extremely rose-tinted

Shipping Manifestos.

Fam, I am about to blow your minds, align your chakras, open your third eyes--because Shigaraki and Ochako is the most slept on ship in the entire BNHA fandom, and if you give me ten minutes like an hour (holy shit, this is long), I can prove it.

Disclaimer: @mistystarshine is the enabler who convinced me to write this but we were both enabled by @ohmytheon’s Reconfigure (on AO3) so you know who’s really responsible.

Spoilers to Chapter 231, watch out.

First off, I know what you’re thinking. Maybe you’re still reading from pure shock. Maybe you’re doubt-reading to get your daily fix of internet skepticism. Maybe you’re waiting for me to say these two characters are meant to be because she wears pink and his hair is blue. Maybe you’re already freaking out about age gaps but like that is what future fics and AUs are actually for!!!

I’m not telling you to give up your IzuOcha or Kacchako. I’m not gonna pry ShigaDabi out of your eager little villain stan hands. But if you’ve never considered multi-shipping, now is the time my friends, because I’m totally serious heartfelt here! I’ve got VALID reasons for shipping Shigako--ten of them, in fact:

1) Midoriya is taken for granted as Uraraka’s love interest--but Shigaraki is incredibly similar to him.

There are reams of meta on the parallels between Midoriya and Shigaraki, with plenty people noting how Horikoshi specifically set the two up as foils to examine similar character development despite their drastically different circumstances. Yet for all the meta pointing out that Shigaraki and Midoriya are basically the same character through a mirror darkly, I’ve never seen anyone bear that thought out to its logical conclusion: there are traits Uraraka admires in Midoriya that are extremely apparent in Shigaraki too.

Multiple times in the manga, Uraraka expresses admiration for Deku’s resolve and refusal to give up. His determination in the face of impossible odds and his sense of dedication to his cause are powerful motivating factors in Ochako’s storyline, and Deku’s behavior--his willingness to charge straight into danger and his unflinching pursuit of his goal to be #1--have basically become the standard to which Uraraka holds herself.

Her crush is literally founded on an appreciation for Midoriya’s drive, earnestness, and constant growth as a person.

But these are all traits that Shigaraki also explicitly possesses. Shigaraki’s unwavering resolve is so strong that even though everyone around him says dream is unattainable... they follow him anyway.

Ujiko flat out tells Shigaraki he’s chasing a pipe dream, but he’s willing to come along for the ride strictly because of how committed Shigaraki is to making that dream a reality. The strength of Tomura’s conviction alone persuaded a collection of the most volatile and difficult personalities in the manga to band together and become found family the most well-known anti-establishment organization in all of Japan.

Shigaraki never, even in the face of overwhelming threat, backs down from a challenge, and he approaches each impossible task with absolutely as much effort, ferocity, and refusal to quit as Deku. He is just as dedicated, just as much of a shounen protagonist main character, and just as willing to push himself above and beyond as Deku.

The traits that motivated Uraraka to become the character she is today, many of the exact same traits that formed her crush on Midoriya, are all there in Shigaraki. In another world, the person who inspired Uraraka to go “Plus Ultra” could be Tomura himself, and if 1) no sense of self-preservation, 2) ZERO CHILL, and 3) dogged obsession are what Uraraka finds attractive, Shigaraki clearly has 'em covered. Oh no, he’s meeting all my standards.

2) Being serious though, Ochako’s role in the plot would be vastly improved by more meaningful interactions with the antagonists, even if just in battle.

I’ve written before about how badly the writing of BNHA treats Ochako, and why her constantly being out-of-focus is a hallmark of the genre’s crippling inability to handle dynamic female characters, but it bears repeating: in her current position in the story, Uraraka’s character has minimal agency. She exists to fill the role of Deku’s love interest (at worst) and an emotional crutch (at best). Again, absolutely no hate on the IzuOcha ship--it’s clearly canon endgame and “wholesome” I guess is what they’re calling it nowadays. But the way IzuOcha’s being written in canon is actually the worst possible thing that could happen to Uraraka’s individual character, because Ochako’s crush on Deku has been given virtually no bearing on the story’s main plot and allows Horikoshi to consistently reduce Uraraka’s personal accomplishments to “inspirations from Deku” (in order to, likely, fulfill young male readers’ fantasy of having a girl fixated on them).

Is Uraraka about to do something cool in the manga? Wait for her comment about being motivated by Deku.

Does Uraraka actually get to see some action and get involved in a fight? Wait for someone to bring up her feelings for Deku.

Is Deku about to have a dramatic clash with the story’s villains to advance the main plotline? Wait for Ochako to entirely vanish (at worst) or get sidelined into a three panel clip where she’ll use the same martial art move she’s been using since like chapter 10 (at best).

If I have to read “Gunhead Martial Arts” one more fucking time... Give Ochako her OWN supermoves goddammit!!

The story of the comic itself continually pushes Ochako out of any position of relevance. She’s not one of UA’s strongest fighters (despite having a quirk that, if applied like ANY of the male characters, has incredible potential), she’s not given half the emotional depth or attention even side characters like Kirishima get, and her backstory lacks the development many of the male characters’ get (I’m looking at you, Todoroki).

As a “good girl,” she isn’t allowed to get her hands dirty like Toga, she isn’t allowed to get as bloodied or ugly as any of the boys, and she can never be allowed to surpass the main male characters in coolness or plot relevance because girls can be “heroes” but they can’t be The Hero™. (I’m literally gagging, guys.)

Which is EXACTLY why a plot involving Shigaraki and Ochako--in ANY capacity, even just a flat out fight against each other!--would actually be a fan-fucking-tastic addition to BNHA.

Skip the token Toga vs. Ochako chick fight where they squabble over who loves Izuku more. Let Toga talk to Izuku as herself for once. Let Uraraka throw down with the League’s leader. At least once, Horikoshi? Just once?

Literally any form of plot that puts Shigaraki and Ochako into contact would mean moving Uraraka into a more central position within the manga’s plot, would boost her screen-time, increase the likelihood of her contributing to the story’s primary conflict, and would give her more to do and emotionally engage with than just repeating the same lines about Deku being amazing on an endless loop. There is untapped character development potential in spades here if Uraraka was given chance to genuinely interact with the other half of the story’s cast!

Give👏 Uraraka👏 something👏 meaningful👏 to do!👏

Putting the story’s foremost female character on out there on the frontlines with the manga’s actual main character antagonist would finally break her out of the mold she’s been forced into by genre stereotypes and set her on an even playing field with the male heroes at last.

A meaningful encounter with Shigaraki could be Ochako’s ticket to being treated respectfully by the story itself (and hell if giving underappreciated characters a real place in the world isn’t Tomura’s freakin’ calling card already).

3) Okay, I know the words “subverting expectations” leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth nowadays, but there is a huge difference between “throwing inexplicable plot twists at the audience just for shock factor” and “averting stale cliches in an emotionally rewarding manner.” Sure, cliches do exist for a reason, but there are still many instances where actively avoiding a cliche plotline is a great choice. A shounen manga’s token love interest ending up with someone other than the hero--namely with a (reformed) villain--would be an interesting flip on the trite “hero gets the girl” script.

Look, we all know how it goes: Hero clashes with Bad Guy. They duke it out all over Kingdom Come. RIP like fifty square city blocks. The Hero wins, heads home triumphant, sweeps his Princess off her feet, and sails off into the hero rankings sunset. End of the same story we’ve seen a million times. Sometimes it’s done well and the audience is left satisfied. Other times, the heroine involved is reduced to the hero’s reward, less person than wish fulfillment. In either case, tying up a romantic subplot with a hero is the go-to way of resolving female characters’ storylines and, at this point, pretty much a given in manga, even when the romantic subplot is never given the development it deserves, leaving audiences bewildered at how and why the hook-up actually happened.

I’m not saying every comic should “subvert expectations” and cancel its romantic subplot between the hero and heroine, of course not. But I am saying that it would be pretty refreshing to see something else for once.

By virtue of their role, villains don’t usually “get the girl.” Even redeemed villains rarely end up in happy, healthy, well-written relationships. It’s not impossible but it is unlikely that a series’ designated female lead ever wavers in her attentions from the main hero to a new romantic target.

So it would be pretty cool if one did, if the moral of the story’s romantic subplot wasn’t just "token love interest completes painfully shoehorned romantic gestures.” A good romance with a redeemed ex-villain instead of a hero would take a lot more explanation. It would demand, by its very nature, more work on the author’s part to suspend disbelief. The characters would have to develop an entirely different rapport from the normal interactions between designated love interests, and, to a certain extent, strong character growth would be required in order for such a romance to even get started. There’s more moral complexity and conflict to a subplot like this, and a greater sensation of choice--if the heroine doesn’t have to end with the hero by the end of the story, well hey... That means she could end up with just about anyone. Whoa.

Even more so, in the specific case of Shigaraki, who has lived a life of misery and manipulation, the idea that he could come out on the other side, grow as a person, redeem himself, and eventually enter a healthy relationship with someone who isn’t going to hurt him is an idea I find deeply appealing. I think there are a lot of villain stans, myself included, who see parts of themselves in Shigaraki. If a character who has been so severely impacted by abuse can still heal and ultimately end up happy, to me, that’s a far more hopeful and heart-warming conclusion than the alternatives. I did warn you this manifesto would be rose-tinted, didn’t I?

I want storylines that prove that none of us are beyond saving. That people who make bad choices can still change. That romance isn’t a reward for playing the “right” role. That heroines have options. That there are still pleasant surprises to be found in romance plots.

4) But why Shigaraki and Ochako, in particular? It’s not like they have any remotely shared life experiences--

Oops. Friendly reminder: Ochako is the only major character in the manga besides the villains who is overtly described as, I quote, “poorer than poor.” Todoroki, Yaomomo, and Iida can all make it rain; Kaminari, Mina, and Jirou can afford stylish clothes; Kirishima can drop a stupid amount on night vision googles... Even Midoriya, whose father “works overseas,“ can afford plenty of All Might merchandise. One of the popular fandom theories for a while was that Ochako could be U.A.’s traitor specifically because of her desire to help her parents financially, and I think that most readers at this point can discern a clear divide in BNHA’s society: heroes are the “haves” and villains are the “have nots.” To be a hero in this story is to attend a prestigious school, have access to expensive support items, gear, insurance, fame and glory, etc.

Meanwhile, with the exception of All For One, to be a villain in BNHA’s story is to be marginalized, live in unfit conditions, lack access to basic safety and nutritional resources, and struggle to make ends meet. When ability to thrive in a hero-centric society is synonymous with being a good and worthwhile person, anyone who doesn’t just naturally excel in the hero-driven economy is treated as flawed at best and suspect at worst. Poor characters in the story are ignored, and, as demonstrated with people like Twice, left essentially to fend for themselves.

Uraraka’s status as lower income is mostly played for laughs. She’s still a privileged character in that she can attend U.A., receive hero items for free, has a safe place to live, etc. But it is important that the story acknowledges her family’s situation, because her financial status does set her apart from her classmates.

She is less privileged than the others. Being “the poor character” situates Uraraka in the interesting divide between those who couldn’t cope and chose to rebel against hero society instead, versus those who conformed to the hero system in an attempt to improve their situations. In different circumstances, if Uraraka’s family was just even the tiniest bit worse off, we might be seeing a very different character here, one who had to make some much harder choices to keep her family afloat.

Having been in the position of "going without,” Uraraka also has a unique understanding of the “real world” that many of her heroics classmates might lack. She understands what it is like to go hungry, to not be able to afford to keep up with the newest trends, to be constantly anxious about the future--to feel unsuccessful, overlooked, and under constant pressure to perform. As someone who wasn’t raised in the lap of luxury or even really a middle-class home, Uraraka has more insight into--and would likely have more empathy for--the plight of the downtrodden daily criminals of the BNHA world. Just based on her own life experiences, Ochako is more likely than her classmates to recognize how harsh reality can be, and understand the temptations that lead people to make terrible decisions.

This makes Ochako an especially interesting character in terms of her pro hero future. Would she be able to sympathize and reach out to struggling "villains” more effectively than others from her class, who lack her humble background? Would she be able to better see the big picture of BNHA’s society, and the way it actively creates villains from its marginalized populations? Would she be able to look at the League not just as criminals, but also as people who never stood a chance within the confines of a rigged social structure?

Uraraka’s background shifts her closer to the story’s villains than many of the other hero characters, and puts her in a unique place to both empathize and become motivated to change the flawed system that produced people like Shigaraki and the League in the first place.

5) Likewise, Uraraka’s background actually makes her more palatable to Shigaraki than other heroes. At least at the beginning of the comic, Uraraka isn’t shy about admitting that one of her reasons for becoming a hero is to help her parents financially. Ochako’s original motivation for heroism isn’t portrayed as nobly as others’ like Deku--Deku has no ulterior motives for being a hero; he just wants to save people and wouldn’t care about personally benefiting.

Instead, Ochako is presented as someone who (initially) sees heroism as a means to an end. It’s not that she doesn’t want to save people, but that she’s not doing so only for the intrinsic worth... the hefty paycheck that comes from heroism is a big draw.

Over time the manga has shown her shifting away from this (which actually makes her character less unique, unfortunately), but I’m sure it’s still a thought for her, and she’s definitely going to send paychecks to her parents in the future. At the end of the day, heroism is still going to be Uraraka’s ticket to a better lifestyle, even if she’s committed herself to it honestly by the time she leaves U.A.

But it’s this exact form of personal motivation that Shigaraki is much more likely to understand than the “goody-two-shoes” motivations of people like Deku. Multiple times in the comic Shigaraki has expressed confusion with society’s habit of clinging mindlessly to symbols, of their blind faith in the virtues of heroism, and their ability to simply overlook suffering because “surely a hero will do something about it.” Stain’s ideals about “true heroes” go straight past Shigaraki, who seems to hate heroes who are earnest (All Might, I’m talking about All Might) far more than those who are simply faking their way through for fame. 

Shigaraki understands humans who are driven by personal gain. He respects the individual desires of people he cares about. Someone in the hero industry explicitly seeking tangible benefits would likely, to Shigaraki at least, come across as more genuine than someone who claims they have no ulterior motives, and a person who is blunt about their needs and grounded in the reality of BNHA’s world would likely be much more acceptable to Tomura than someone who spews trite lines about peace and justice.

Shigaraki’s feelings for heroes have been irreparably damaged by his conditioning from All For One, but there are certainly some heroes that he would find less loathsome than others. He will probably never understand Deku’s selflessness. All Might’s saccharine symbolism actively infuriates him. But a person who became a hero to put food on the table? To provide for her parents (maybe especially because it is her parents she’s trying to provide for)? That’s at least understandable. If the manga’s future does see Shigaraki redeemed, my thought is that the only type of heroes we’ll ever see him willingly interact with would still be heroes just like Ochako, with more “down to earth” personal motivations. Uraraka, your codename is “If I had to date a hero”...

6) While we’re talking about shared life experiences, there’s another very obvious similarity between Shigaraki and Ochako: neither one of them can touch things with all five fingers.

Cute/fridge horror observation: Shigaraki is even daintier about touching things than Uraraka is; Uraraka usually lifts just her pinkies, but Shigaraki frequently uses as few fingers as possible.

Yeah, yeah, they both have to be dainty and careful with everything they hold. It’d be cute to watch them eat together. They could mutually gripe about the annoyance of video game consoles not designed for four-finger use. More than that though, neither one of them can touch other human beings without the risk of causing death.

Uraraka, as a hero, has the more privileged quirk design (she can turn her quirk off, while Shigaraki can’t) and until recently, the comic was always very careful to portray Uraraka’s quirk in a way that no one was endangered by it. But dropping Zero Gravity into the hands of a villain for a single chapter reveals the truth: Uraraka’s quirk has just as much lethal potential as Shigaraki’s.

Like Shigaraki, Uraraka has to face the reality that her touch alone could jeopardize the safety of anyone she comes into contact with, in her daily life and in her hero work. Drop some debris without looking twice? Just crushed a civilian. Release your quirk without thinking? Now the villain you floated is paste on the sidewalk. Thought that it was safe to float away the building? Oops, you crushed someone still trapped inside. Yikes. In a one-on-one battle, Uraraka is actually at a disadvantage not because her quirk is weak, but the dead opposite--in an outdoor fight, she would have to actively work not to accidentally send people off into outer space.

Having an auto-activate touch quirk means that both Shigaraki and Ochako have to be conscious of every single thing they touch all the time. Both of their quirks require constant bodily awareness, and both come with the lurking knowledge that “My touch causes problems.” Even for Ochako, who would merely be a nuisance if she accidentally floated objects indoors, it’s easy to internalize frustration and negative associations with one’s own body. Every day, Ochako has to be careful with herself in a way that few of her peers do, another factor that sets her apart.

One of the story’s overarching themes is the idea of “self-acceptance” and what it even means to “accept yourself” in a world where (almost) every human being possesses a distinguishing feature, often built into their bodies at the expense of standard human functioning. For people with limited control over their quirks, who can’t choose when the effect activates, a quirk is a constant burden and facet of their identity that entirely re-shapes how they interact with the world. Both Shigaraki and Uraraka face the practicality of having burdensome, even lethal, auto-activate quirks that require constant self-awareness. This is a similarity that, of the major characters, only Shigaraki and Ochako possess so far. (Even other major characters with touch-based quirks like Overhaul appear to be able to choose when to activate their quirks).

The “funny” way Shigaraki and Ochako hold things seems like just a small similarity until you remember the amount of practice and frustration it must have taken to internalize a four-fingered touch. Until you remember that this similarity marks them both as very careful and self-conscious characters. Until you remember that Shigaraki’s got a one-touch instakill... but so does Uraraka Ochako.

7) Okay, similarities are cool and all, but you know what they say: opposites attract. And if we’re talking character motivation, there are no cleaner opposites in the entire series. Shigaraki and Ochako are actually even better emotional foils than Shigaraki and Deku, because Ochako’s central motivation is “Make as many people smile as possible” and Shigaraki’s is, literally, “Make it so no one can ever smile again.”

I know I ragged on it earlier, but now I’m going to use it to my full advantage: as the story evolved and characters grew, Ochako’s “true” motivation to become a hero revealed itself: she feels a deep, intrinsic happiness when witnessing the happiness of others. Her desire as a hero is to spread relief, the sense of security that allows people to go about their days smiling. She literally feels happiest when everyone around her is happy.

Even more so than Deku, this casts Uraraka as Shigaraki’s diametric opposite in the story, because Shigaraki’s entire pipe dream goal also hinges on the smiles of others--and how absolutely much he hates them. Shigaraki’s goal is total world destruction because he just resents the happiness of others that fucking much.

On the surface alone it’s more fascinating than the story will probably ever live up to: Ochako, the heroine who wants to spread smiles; Shigaraki, the villain who wants to destroy them. Even if we’re just talking canon, zero romance involved, that would still be an interesting conflict to explore. The story could cover a lot of deeper ground by drawing the comparison between these two characters more directly. It would definitely validate Uraraka being involved in more major plot events, at the very least.

BUT this was supposed to be about shipping, so of course I can’t leave it there, and leaving it there would only be half the story anyway, because nobody is born hating smiles. Everything we’ve seen of Shigaraki’s past so far indicates that he was a kid with a cute dog, a warm relationship with his sister, and an interest in heroes--i.e., a decent life that probably included his own fair share of smiles. Shigaraki’s hatred and resentment are direct products of the traumatic manipulation he suffered at AFO’s hands. He despises the idea that people around him can smile and act upbeat, even when they objectively know villains are lurking all around them. He is actually sick to his stomach at the idea of people blindly putting their faith in heroes, knowing what he does: that heroes often fail, that there are many people who desperately need to be rescued and are instead overlooked. The world failed Shimura Tenko and then had the nerve to keep on smiling without him.

Other people’s smiles represent nothing but the joy, security, love, and peace that Shigaraki Tomura hasn’t experienced since the day his quirk manifested. The sight of any living thing fills Shigaraki with rage because everything bright and beautiful, everything good and calm and kind and soft and warm, is everything that Shigaraki has lost and believes he will never, ever get to experience again.

Shigaraki doesn’t really hate the pure happy smiles of others; he hates the fact that the world has taken away every single thing he ever had to smile about.

It is my belief that Horikoshi is hinting at a redemption arc for Shigaraki, especially as we see the League become closer allies. But Shigaraki can’t be completely redeemed, can’t be persuaded to give up his world-destruction plan, until he can look at the smiles of others without scorn. Until the bright, upbeat attitudes of heroes other people no longer feel like a personal attack. Until he’s happy enough that the happiness of others no longer hurts. Until the weight is lifted.

And I can’t think of any character more obviously suited to helping lift an immense weight than Uraraka, the zero gravity hero who wants nothing more than to spread smiles.

8) Speaking of lifting weights... Kacchako is a popular ship stemming in large part from Bakugou’s refusal to treat Uraraka with kid gloves. He faces her head-on as a real opponent and views her like any other hero hopeful.

As I’ve said before, this is pretty much the most respectfully the series itself has ever treated Uraraka Ochako, and it caught a lot of attention because it was one of the rare occasions that a female pro hero-in-training was really treated as an equal to the male characters. Kacchako shippers had something awesome to work with.

But... You know who else treats women as equals? (Hell, you know who treats literally everyone as equals, from those with mutant quirks to trans people to those with severe mental health issues?) You can say what you want about Shigaraki’s habit of, you know, mass murder, but in terms of viewing others equally and respecting (okay, let’s be real, it’s probably closer to just ignoring) differences, Tomura is about as open-minded as BNHA characters come. The League is an equal opportunity employer.

Unlike actual hero characters, Shigaraki has never once suggested that Toga is incapable of keeping up with any of the male members of the League, and in fact has entrusted her with many of the League’s most dangerous and crucial missions. He explicitly has faith in her ability and skill.

Toga’s right there in the fight against Gigantomachia and the QLA, as much an equal member of the League as anyone else. In terms of gender equality, the villains seem to be light-years ahead of their hero counterparts, and Shigaraki in particular doesn’t discriminate, among his allies or his opponents either. He’s not a “spare the women and children” kind of guy; every hero and villain challenger is treated with equal violence (and equal snark), whether they’re male, female, a long-time pro or a student in training.

In whatever context--canon opponent, AU ally, or a future romantic interest--Shigaraki would take Ochako just as seriously as Bakugou did. If you like Kacchako because Bakugou doesn’t dismiss Uraraka, that same dynamic would be present in Shigako too.

9) And on the topic of Shigaraki and women... It doesn’t feel accidental that every single female character who ever had love for Shigaraki has been taken away from him. A distinct part of Shigaraki’s storyline is that all positive female role models have been systematically removed from his life. He lost his grandmother, a hero he could have looked up to; he lost his mother, who he now has no memory of; he lost the older sister he clearly held dear... All For One’s control over Tomura has always been total, but this particular detail feels especially insidious: was All For One’s spite for Nana so strong that he delighted in deliberately destroying every single relationship Tenko had with women connected to Nana’s legacy? (Or is AFO perhaps just a raging misogynist? Every single one of his known associates is male and he seemed to despise and mock Nana particularly hard...)

In any case, the point I’m trying to make here is that, even ruling love interests out, Shigaraki’s storyline would be enriched by forging a meaningful connection with a female character like Ochako. Acceptance--maybe even some grudging admiration--for a female hero? A fantastic opportunity to show just how different the “villains” are from the discriminatory society that produced them. Supporting friendship while he’s on the road to recovery? A+ way to diversify interactions between the male and female cast. Send a tough girl to Tartarus to question his motives? Nice chance for tense dialogue and some good old noire-esque foe yay. Hostage situation that takes a turn for the surprisingly cordial? Fun way to explore different dynamics and humanize the villains because hey, they treated the “damsel” to dinner shortbread cookies. My god, Shigaraki could even develop some positive sense of rivalry with a woman, for example! The possibilities are endless if you’re actually willing to give female characters a shot!

Being more serious, Tomura’s life has been dramatically marked by the loss of his female family members, and--at least from what we know so far--his entire youth was spent without the presence of reliable friendships, let alone any form of “love” that wasn’t disturbingly fake. Beyond his fragmented memories, he has no models for healthy relationships, romantic or otherwise.

Letting Shigaraki develop to the point that he could form a mutually positive relationship with a female hero character would be extremely cathartic for me as a reader. I don’t mean “rewarding redemption with a last-minute happy ending romance”--I mean actually getting the opportunity to watch Tomura rediscover what it means to be genuinely loved and realize he has the capacity to give love and be happy in return...

Reaching that level of mutual support and closeness--especially with a female pro hero--would be the biggest “FUCK YOU” that Shigaraki could give to All For One, short of, you know, actually killing him.

Shigaraki Tomura has a critical (and deliberate) lack of healthy connections to women. BNHA, coincidentally, has a criminally under-utilized female lead just twiddling her thumbs over here, waiting for a meaningful plotline to be thrown her way.

Sure, putting AFO in prison is cool and all, but have you considered... crushing his pride and legacy of evil by helping the boy he tortured for years learn to love again? I’m just sayin’!

Uraraka Ochako, snatching Shigaraki right the fuck out of AFO’s hands:

10) Basically what the whole thing boils down to is this: Shigaraki Tomura needs a hero.

Don’t mistake my meaning. A lot of “girl meets bad boy” plots end up amounting to “girl becomes emotionally responsible for fixing bad boy’s issues,” and that’s not what I’m gunning for--Shigaraki has to redeem himself because redemption is only meaningful when it stems from the character’s own inner desire to change; I’m not quite rose-tinted enough to buy into the Love Redeems trope myself. I’m definitely not advocating anyone dump Shigaraki Tomura as he is now into Uraraka Ochako’s lap and expect her to turn him from a beast to a beauty. It’s not an unrelated woman’s responsibility to fix a broken man.

But! From a reader’s perspective, I think we can agree: Shigaraki’s redemption cannot be complete until he learns to believe in real heroes. He doesn’t have to like them. He doesn’t have to support hero society. But he has to be able to look at real heroes like Izuku and Ochako and admit that they are doing what’s right--that society is a better place because they are here. Shigaraki’s path to recovery can’t even begin until he’s capable of at least acknowledging that the world has things worth saving in it.

If Horikoshi moves forward with a redemption arc for Shigaraki, it will probably be Deku who Detroit Smashes the message of truly noble heroes into Shigaraki’s head. That’s his job as the resident Warrior Therapist, I suppose. But you know... to me, it might be even more meaningful if Shigaraki’s hero--if the hand that reaches out to rescue him--isn’t The Hero’s™ but just a hero’s. We all know Deku is selfless and good to the core. As All Might’s perfect successor, he really has nothing to prove. It’s everyone else who is in question. It’s the whole rest of hero society that owes Shigaraki Tomura an explanation for the suffering of people like the League’s members. It’s everyone else who needs to prove they can do better--that in the future, there will be no bloody children left abandoned in back alleyways.

Uraraka Ochako’s conviction is to save people. As a female hero who hasn’t lived a privileged life, she’s uniquely situated to think about those who are most often overlooked. In a world where violence begets violence, where only those with strength and flash excel, what a powerful message it would send for the terrifying antagonist to effectively be rescued by someone the story itself has called “a frail girl.” At the end of the day, heroics isn’t supposed to be about mountain-destroying explosions and mach punches--heroics is supposed to be about heart, about reaching out a gentle helping hand, about spreading smiles to those who need them most.

Tomura’s faith in heroes has been brutally stripped from him, and every part of his conflict is tied up intimately with his misdirected hatred: it wasn’t actually heroes who isolated and hurt him--it was villains. In order to move forward, he will have to come to that horrible realization, deal with that means for himself and his place in the world, and recognize the truth: there are goodness and good people in the world. Selfless heroes, those who wouldn’t turn their backs on a crying child, do exist. There are people, even now, who would extend a kind hand to Shigaraki Tomura and do their best to bring a real smile to his face. Because that’s what’s really going on, after all.

Shimura Tenko is still waiting to be saved.

And I know just the person to do it.

[mrneighbourlove]

Into the Dark and Unknown: Ch 4. Forbidden Knowledge

"... and this concludes all the text on our culture." Uktena's words slowly rattled into Bonegrinder's brain. The Anagari had fetched several novels from the shelves for the human guests. "Anymore questions?"

Leere frowned, raising her hand. “What makes the Mortuus so dangerous?”

"They use living beings as hosts for demons." Uktena explained to Leere. "They sacrifice that poor person's soul to bring forth the demon to do their bidding."

“Is every single individual Mortuus evil?”

"From our experience, they even use their own children as sacrifices sometimes." Uktena turned to the shelves and pulled off a book on the Mortuus. He flipped open to a page about possession and placed it on the table for Leere to read. "These are the usual tattoos used to summon demons of various hierarchies. Yet, their ultimate goal is to summon an old and forgotten god, long locked away. We don't speak his true name, and instead refer to him as Chaos."

Bonegrinder shut the book so quickly, it echoed. "Tiny princess needs not hear of horrors."

“I... was that my Tattoo inscribed there?”

"... no." Bonegrinder tried to save face. "Just a similar look is all. Nothing to concern yourself over. Best to forget it." He started to put away the book.

Leere turned to the librarian. “There can’t be a whole species of an evil individuals.”

She turned her growing ire to Malik. “I read a report there was a group of Mortuus who attacked Hyrule castle, but some insisted they sought help.”

“True, but they tried to kill the Queen.”                  

"Our experience with the Mortuus begs otherwise, princess." Uktena was not going to argue with Leere, just state his point from history. "Why do you think Mother put up such a barrier? It is to keep them out of Omisha. After the last incident..." The librarian suddenly wore a sorrowful expression. "Mother was so heartbroken. We were heartbroken for her. We do not want a repeat of the past."

"Whether they truly sought help or not, it does not matter." Bonegrinder dismissed the thought. "What matters is keeping everyone safe, tiny princess. That includes you."

“Holy insufferable Din. What does it take for a woman to get answers?” Leere scowled, pointing to Bonegrinder. “Hand me the book.”

"No."

"I can just get you another copy---"

Bonegrinder glared at Uktena, his meaning of 'shut the fuck up right now' coming across very clearly.

“Get me another copy.”

"... I rather not lose my head to the shaman here." Uktena held his hands up in defense. "He's obviously trying to prevent you from finding out something of cruel and hurtful nature."

"Exactly and it's going to stay that way."

Malik decided this would be one contest of will he’d stay out of.

Leere glared at her friend, feeling hurt. “I came out here to learn. You are actively denying me knowledge.”

"Bonegrinder does not want you to have knowledge of..." He tried to think of the best way to say it. "Of what... of why you have that tattoo."

“Because my guardians wanted to kill me right? Summon a dread lord? Oh! Maybe a terrible demon? Or how about a god! Big shock! Give me the book.”

"... that's not it."

“Then I’ll find out myself.” With her patience wearing thin, she trotted out of the library.

"Wait, wait, you need an escort!" Uktena called after the princess. "Damn it, tell her and go get her before she stumbles upon---"

"She is finally happy and getting better, he does not want her sad again!" Bonegrinder bellowed at Uktena. "You do not presume to order this Anagari, bookworm."

"Okay, okay, fine!"

~

Leere and her company spent another day at Omisha. Her daytime was spent sulking after storming out of the library. It was only when she met with Solani again had Leere's mood brightened. The little bird-girl wanted to play hide and seek with the human. It was so cute, Leere couldn't resist. The princess learned Solani snuck a book so she and her friends could understand Leere's speech more. This connection melted Leere's heart, so much so that by the end of the session, she wondered if she should adopt her own children. When night came, however, Leere's mind returned to her desire of knowledge. She wanted to learn just what exactly Bonegrinder wanted to keep from her. When she felt confident Malik and Boney were asleep, she snuck out of her hut, dashing silently back to the library. Once there, she called out lightly, not wanting to be too loud in case anyone was asleep.

"Hello? Uktena?"

"Do humans always visit libraries at late hours of the night?" Uktena was never far from the precious books. He had the duty of protecting their history and recording it. Yawning, he hung down from the ceiling, looking at Leere. "What is it you seek?"

"I seek the knowledge Bonegrinder wished to keep from me about Malus." Leere kept her tone strong, straightening to show she wasn't going to back down.

"Third shelf from the bottom, in the middle row." Uktena gestured to the selection of novels on Malus. "You won't find their magic in there, just accounts of history."

“That’s all I need.”

Leere was quick to go to shelf. Unfortunately, Malik was waiting around the corner, grabbing the book and hold it close as he crossed his arms. “What do you think you’re trying to pull?”

The Mortuus couldn’t believe this. “You got to be kidding me here. What does it take for a woman to get what she needs?”

Malik shook the book in her face sternly. “I heard you sneaking out. You’re lucky that snake is a heavy sleeper. He told you to drop the subject on Malus. We have to respect his wishes while out here.”

“I thought you hated him?”

“I respect the Mother. I don’t want to upset her hospitality.”

Leere jumped for the book, and Malik lifted it out of her reach, easily towering over her. “Malik, we both wanted to learn more about prophecies, histories, and the threats and friends that could be found in both Omisha and Malus. You’re acting like a jerk!”

The Gerudo chuckled as she jumped a few more times in her little statement. Her words did have meaning though. “We should consider that Bonegrinder and the Mother have their reasons for keeping Malus so isolated. What if we learn something that you regret?”

“Excuse me?” Leere scowled, feeling like she was being coddled by just another Gerudo in her life. “You think you’re so immune to the effects of bad history?”

“I’ve seen enough horrors to-”

“You don’t think I haven’t seen horrors? You don’t think I know I have trauma sometimes from thinking about the things I have seen? Malik. I know there are many horrors in the world. I know them. God I wish I could forget them too. But if forgetting them, or never facing them again meant that innocent people died, or that another little girl couldn’t be saved from being traumatized, I’d never do it. I’d face those horrors a thousand times over and have my mind clouded by terror as result, just so I could save those people.”

Malik listened closely to Leere. His arms lowered, and the book fell to his side. He sometimes forgot how much this woman had been through. “I apologise. You were right. Bonegrinder shouldn’t keep this knowledge from you. And I shouldn’t see you as fragile little thing.” He walked over to a table, placing the book down. Waving his hand over, he shocked Leere. “Well, what are you waiting for? We have much to see. Librarian. Are there any other books of history?”

"Those on the third shelf are history; those are the ones you currently are reading. The wars that Omisha has had with Malus are on the fourth shelf. It's not exactly a fond read, many lives were lost during the war before Mother constructed the barrier." Uktena then gestured across the room. "If you wish to know of the prophecies, you can read what little material we have, or you should seek to ask Mother. She knows more than all of us."

“Maybe you should tell Mother we asked. Please leave us.” Malik waved his hand, not really thinking about what he asked.

Leere was nice enough to give Uktena a bow of gratitude. “Thank you.”

As Malik and Leere read the books, they read this history of Malus. At least what they could. The war that was mentioned was, to be honest, rather barbaric and did not shy from the details. Swarms of Mortuus mages, corrupting the flesh of the dead, puppeteering the living against their will, and summoning demons of awful ilk. The Mortuus themselves were described closely to Leere’s own appearance. Pale skin, darker hair, red eyes. Some, however, were described with red and black eyes instead of the usual white. They could be anywhere from 5.1 to 5.11 feet tall, only on the rarest of occasions being anything taller.

What was described of the land was either the murmurs of fairy tales, such as a cursed metropolis unlike anything else in the world, or accounts of monsters of Mortuus who meant no harm in their travels. The lands were hilly at the Omisha border. Great expanding grasslands that hid terrifying predators. In a desert that marked as a border between southern and central was a tale of massive colossi that wandered the land, indiscriminately killing anything that came before it. Within the southern lands were also accounts of underground villages that were made in order to hide away from the monsters and cultists that lived in the capital city. Massive crystalized towns that had little barriers of their own. Leere was disheartened to learn that these own barriers had to make sacrifices of their own.

Finally, the biggest myths to be heard. That the land was cursed by a God to have a blanket of death and destruction, despite so much of it being so beautiful. That none could experience the fay that lived in the western forests, or swim with sirens in the north. Two monsters that worried Leere and Malik was a tale of a mighty sea serpent that lived trapped in a lake. Simply named the Devourer. Another was a Dragon that flew with no sound, knew no pain, and had blood as black as coal.

All in all, Leere and Malik were beginning to form their own ideas of what the Mortuus was, until they found a hand written note. Reading it over, it was scribbled in a rushed job.

‘I cry for the world. I don’t expect to live long after writing this. My people, the Mortuus, are dying. Madness has split us down the middle. A darkness has infested our hearts. Many of us are being forced into exile, we’ve finished creating underground establishments, with shining crystals that channel light from the surface, but I don’t know if that will keep the madness away forever. I fear what will happen if we stay hidden the earth for a prolonged period of time while our dark brothers and sisters fester on the surface. I’m going to flee Malus. I will search out those who can save us, and unite our people once more. I can only hope there will be those who will listen. My oracle speaks of a tribe of newly formed witches who have made a monarchy. Perhaps I can go to them. There’s also the Golden Kingdom of Legend, or the even the Mother of all Omisha. I have to have hope. But I feel so, so cold writing this letter. I had a run in with a beast, and it scratched me. Feel so itchy. So cold. Please, help us.’

Leere looked to Malik, her face filled with regret. “He speaks of the Lorleidians, but he also speaks of their formation. How old is this letter?”

Malik shook his head. The Mortuus seemed to be both terrible fiends, yet also held victims among them. “Too old Leere.”

Uktena returned with more books. This time, it was not limited to Malus. There were more novels on the prophecies he managed to find, but it was like putting together a puzzle with all jagged ends. Very little of the prophecies made sense. Some of the riddles were confusing and other rhymes were almost impossible to solve.

"I recalled the blonde prince saying that old Bonegrinder was always singing a horrid lullaby about death and some kind of twisted fate revealed..." The Anagari placed the text on the table for the humans. "These are books pertaining to the Mother Goddess; the highest of high, in all her glory and might. Humans call her Balance. We call her Kaksa." He flipped open the novel to a picture depicting an outline of a form with seven wings unfurled, but one broken. On the next page, there were two more outlines, one with horns and the other with oddly, long fingers. "These two were her left and right hands, Maker and Destroyer. We call them Prama and Dhakk. Is this what you were referring to when you asked about a prophecy?"

“I-” Malik paused, not expecting this information. “Is this important about Malus at all, or Omisha? I fail to see how the tale of another pantheon can enlighten us.”

"Another pantheon is incorrect, this is the only pantheon." Uktena paused for a minute to gaze upon their confused expressions. "You do know that your golden goddesses are the children of Balance... right?"

“No?” Leere said.

Malik almost scoffed at the idea. “Please, the Golden Goddesses created the Earth. I doubt any God or Goddess before them would be so lazy or not have the pride to do it themselves. Where are these three gods then?”

Now it was Leere’s turn to worry if Malik was over stepping his bounds. “How about we go politely ask the Mother what she knows? You know, she she’s still awake.”

"The Golden Goddesses helped create parts of this world, but not all in this world." Uktena nearly rolled his eyes at the human ignorance. "I have so often wondered how humans just leave behind all account of religion if it benefits them. I, on the other hand, would not like to risk being... how do you put it? 'Smited'." He then chuckled at Leere's inquiry. "Mother never sleeps. Come, follow me. I will see if you will be willing to accept your audience."

Both did so, with Malik trying to remember that Uktena had a point. He had seen many spirits and gods in the last century alone. “I suppose the story of creation does only speak of how Hryule and its majesty was created, and not the rest...”

"You would do well to remember that while each culture has its respective religion, in some unique way, all the gods, goddesses, deities, spirits, whatever you call them, tie in together." Uktena reminded them. "Different names, same divinity." Once Uktena had escorted them to the grand throne room, there lounged Mother, reading the latest report from her scouts. "Mother, I beg forgiveness for interrupting you, though the humans seek your knowledge."

"This late?" Mother peeked out from behind her scrolls. "I thought humans had this thing called a 'bedtime'?"

Leere cleared her throat first. “I had thoughts on my mind. Questions that needed answering. Mother, we wish to ask what the story of Maker, Destroyer, and Balance has to do with Omisha and Malus?”

"Ah, so you wish for a lesson of how all that is came to be." Mother put away her scroll and rose from her throne. "Which question first, beloved tiny princess of Bonegrinder? Do you wish to hear the tale of the deities themselves? Or how they play into our home and Malus?"

“The deities themselves, if you may.” Klinge bowed his head, wishing to know for himself.

"The deities are the creators of this world, young lord." Mother told Malik as she used her magic to create an outline of Balance. "This is who the humans know as Balance. She is the Mother Goddess. No other god or goddess is above her. She is responsible for keeping harmony within the world." She gestured to the drooping eighth wing. "However, eons ago, there was a disruption in the heavens..."

“If that isn’t the tale of every god.” Malik muttered. In fact, it made him livid. Why did the gods infighting ruin humanity?

"Balance's two hands, Maker and Destroyer, had one job; help her keep harmony in the universe." Mother then depicted two other figures with the outline of the angelic deity. "Maker and Destroyer were happy with their jobs. But then Destroyer decided he wanted more. He did not like that Maker could have his creations and he was limited to pulling monstrosities out of shadows." Then she said, "And he certainly did not like it when Maker expressed his love for Balance."

“That sounds petty.”

"Destroyer was in love with Balance, and did not want to share her love with his brother." Mother showed the horned figure attacking the other with elongated arms and fingers. "He tried to be rid of his brother but Balance intervened, keeping Destroyer from hurting Maker further. He cursed his brother to be retained in flesh form, yet did not realize Balance's clever spell. Whatever was dealt upon Maker, was then reflected to Destroyer. Thus, the brothers were then trapped on earth in flesh."

Leere gulped, wondering the obvious. “Where are they now?”

"Balance is still in the heavens, waiting for the day of prophecy. Supposedly, to keep the brothers from causing further upsets in this world, she will come down and a host will serve as her flesh form," Mother held up another outline of a woman, merging the figure of Balance with the chosen one. "She will come here, keep her brothers from causing a war on the earth, and then transport them back to the heavens with her. From the way the story goes, when she kept Destroyer from hurting Maker, she was injured herself." She gestured to the drooping eighth wing. "The Mother Goddess would have been here a long time ago, but without her helpers to help her run the universe and having to recover from a grave injury, it has taken many lifetimes over."

“She’ll take over the body of some poor girl? That’s intolerable.” Malik spoke, unhappy with this legend. “The Gods play games with mortals no matter what their own status. It’s beyond ridiculous.”

Leere noticed the Mother avoid her question. Once more, she asked again. “If the God of Balance is in the heavens, what forms did Maker and Destroyer take?”

"... we have located one of the brothers. The other we speculate his form based upon a past meeting." Mother told Leere, seeing no reason to lie. "His memories have still not yet returned of his true identity. While the gods and goddesses do like playing their games with mortals, they also do much for us. Some of the deities are just a little crueler than others." She waved away the figures of magic, and then told the pair. "Yet, Maker and Destroyer are not who we need to worry about now. It is Chaos incarnate... you might know him as Teufel."

“What?!” That certainly got a rise out of Malik. She only needed to mention Teufel once by name to ablaze his fury. “What do you know of the Devil?”

"We call him Taunin. The god of chaos." Mother told Malik with a frown. "Balance's counterpart. Supposedly, the oldest tale in our history is Balance and Chaos were two parts of one whole. They loved each other. However, Chaos became greedy and when Balance 'rested', brought havoc across the world. So with a heavy heart, Balance banished Chaos to earth with the help of Maker and Destroyer to forever roam the world he tried to wipe from existence."

“...I’ve heard everything I needed to know.” Malik’s voice shook in a cold tremble, and he rose to leave.

"Did I say I was done?" Mother's voice cut sharply through the room. "There is more you need to know."

“More? What more do I have to know!” Malik’s anger finally broke. “You claim the Gods do good for mankind. But all I see, hear, and feel from them is tragedy! Demise placed a curse of darkness to plague Hyrule and surrounding lands for eons! The God of Fire for the Hasai drove their Emperor mad with goals of conquest! The Golden Goddesses knowingly broadcasted the ultimate source of power so mortals would fight over it for all time! And now you tell me that these Gods I’m just hearing about now are responsible for entrapping the purist of evil I know on Earth? Teufel led one the Gerudo genocides! He killed my mother and my people! Tell me! What do you know of my suffering that the Gods have committed against me with their petty squabbles? What do you know of the Devil of Hyrule bringing suffering down upon me!”

"... do you truly think that your people, the Hylians, and the Hasai are the only ones who have suffered?" Mother sounded cold. "While there are gods and goddesses who have been cruel to their creations, there are those who have looked after their children. Whether it be a game to them, a form of punishment, or a lesson in obedience, we are all subjective to their will.”

“I never said that they were the only ones. But the Gerudo were my family, Grand Mother. And the Gerudo have been nothing but victims in the face of the gods. Do you have anything you wish to add?” Malik’s voice dropped from his booming anger to simply being tired.

"Yes, you will have time to make use of that anger. A war is coming with Teufel." Mother then told Malik. "And you have a very important job to do."

“I know that more than anyone.” Malik gave a bow of his head. “My questions have been answered. I will return to sleep now.”

Leere stayed kneeling, waiting for the Mother to speak to her.

Mother then turned her gaze to the princess.

"Little one... I know you wish to visit Malus." Mother informed Leere, a touch of disappointment in her tone. "And I know you still plan to find a way to go there. Yet, Malus is a place of horrors, my beautiful girl. I would be lying if I said I wished for you to learn of your people. The Mortuus are a... despicable race who love to toy with their puppets and torment the living." She then told her. "You understand why I will not lower my barrier, and you understand why I wish to keep you from the land... yet, I have no power to stop you if you do wish at some point to go. For now, I will do my best to answer your questions."

“I read about a Mortuus in your library. He said he was looking for help for his land. What became of him?”

"He was found injured, over three hundreds years ago." Mother informed Leere. "We did not eat him, nor did we harm him. We tried to heal him, but it was too late. He managed to tell us of an underground city full of Mortuus who did not agree with the usual ways. We do not know the location of this city, but it is somewhere hidden and safe from prying eyes. However, I could not risk my own children going into the land to seek a needle in a haystack."

“And what do these gods have to do with Omisha and Malus?”

"... the Teufel that Malik is so familiar with, that is their god." Mother took a slow breath. "More than likely, they have been supplying him with body after body after body until they find the perfect host."

“That’s.... that’s despicable.”

"Teufel has had many bodies over the years," Mother elaborated with a look of pure hatred on her face. "Even used some of my children for his purposes." She then slithered around behind Leere and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "And at some point... even you were intended for that purpose."

Leere froze feeling the Mother touch her. She felt something colder at what she said to her. “Forgive me. But that’s hard to believe. Teufel was still sealed away thanks to my father even before I was born for, well, since Malik was in his first human life.” Leere looked up to Mother, focusing her gaze. She was a curious woman, and a clever one too. “One of the books I read also contained information on the Mortuus referring to a God of Destruction. Never anything about chaos. I’m sure this Teufel is certainly evil, but is he really the one behind Malus, and not another being, such as Dhakk?”

"What makes you think the Mortuus would not try to control a deity as great as Chaos? Think upon it, Leere, and you will understand why I am wary of you going back to your homeland." Mother then explained the purpose of Destroyer to the girl. "While Destroyer is given a bad reputation, his purpose is simply to ensure that when certain beings are no longer needed, they disappear. He makes sure the flow of energy of this world is reusable for Maker. Keeping Balance happy/"

“I thought he loathed his brother with a passion?” Leere crossed her arms like a kid, poking holes in Mother’s story. As a scholar, she couldn’t help but here clear bias in the Mother’s statements. “I doubt anyone can control a Diety. I can control people myself, but that takes incredibly powerful magic, and all the concentration I can muster.”

"He loathed that Maker loved Balance and Balanced loved Maker. So yes, he did hate his brother. But that happened eons after the three had lived in harmony for even since time began." Mother then asked Leere. "Your brothers and sisters make you mad, right? You're argued and been jealous, and sometimes, you've even hurt them and they've hurt you. I'm sure you've fought before. Think of this as a sibling spat." The Echidnan then said, "Imagine what would happen if the Mortuus came together to control a deity. Not just one soul doing the magic but many."

“I’ve never met this Teufel before, but aren’t you worried you might be... paranoid?” Leere smiled to try and cushion the blow of her wording. “You see Teufel and the other Mortuus as your enemies. I can see you might think it easier to lump them together.”

"What you call paranoia, I call safety. My barrier, my suspicion, it is for a reason. You have not seen your people stitched together to make a carcass puppet, hearing their spirits beg for the relief of death, and the look of horror on families' faces when they realize what has been done to their loved one."

“No. Not my own people. I’m very lucky for that.” She took hold of Mother’s hand, feeling a warmth. “It’s terrible when awful evils try to bring harm to the beauty in our world.”

"And humans call us evil, judging us for our looks instead of knowing us. There are many different forms of evil, beautiful one, but the worst is perhaps... ignorance." Mother gently led Leere up the stairs past her throne. It was pitch blackness. "And my ignorance cost me."

“You’re a beautiful good too you know.” Leere’s eyes tried to adjust to the darkness ahead. “Where are we going?”

"You will see why I do not wish for you to go to the Mortuus. For you to stay safe and not make the same mistakes as I did."

“Is that a good idea? I’ve seen much darkness in my life before...”

"Take it as a warning of what could happen." Mother then slowly started adjusting light to the room. With her magic, she lit several candles on fire. There in the middle of the room, was a body in cased in solid amber. "This is my husband Melekh... and my son, Aibgor." It was not a single person, but two combined into one. Stitches were holding the Echidnan together, and it was a monstrous thing done to a monstrous species. "Teufel used them against me when I did not bow to his wishes. He wanted me to invade neighboring countries, start a war in his name, and have the others bow to him. I refused."

Leere winced, her hand squeezing Mother’s tightly. She had never met Teufel, but the more and more she learned about him, she hoped she never would. “I’m so sorry for your loss. Are they... still alive?”

"No... Melekh and Aibgor were in torment." Mother looked sad, but most of all... defeated. "He had the Mortuus stitch them together like it was an experiment. Would a body be stronger if it was composed of more souls?" She sighed heavily, placing her hand on top of the amber. "Puppeteer against their will... he had them fight their own people. Slaughter them. Then he set his sights on me." She took a deep breath and admitted. "I had to kill my own mate and son or else they would have killed more of us. I keep them here to remind me of why the country of Malus cannot be trusted. Anyone in throws with Teufel will hurt more innocents... and I will not lose anyone else."

Leere winced, her hand squeezing Mothers tightly. She had never met Teufel, but the more and more she learned about him, she hoped she never would. “I’m so sorry for your loss. Are they... still alive?”

"No... Melekh and Aibgor were in torment." Mother looked sad, but most of all... defeated. "He had the Mortuus stitch them together like it was an experiment. Would a body be stronger if it was composed of more souls?" She sighed heavily, placing her hand on top of the amber. "Puppeted against their will... he had them fight their own people. Slaughter them. Then he set his sights on me." She took a deep breath and admitted. "I had to kill my own mate and son or else they would have killed more of us. I keep them here to remind me of why the country of Malus cannot be trusted. Anyone in throws with Teufel will hurt more innocents... and I will not lose anyone else."

Leere held Mother’s arm close, and she stared up at the matriarch. “I know this might sound childish to someone as ancient as you, but my psychologist tells me that when I think of awful memories, I should seek out a person I trust. Would you like to come dream with me for the night?”

"Bad memories can also be a good defense. A reminder of what happened, and what cannot happen again." Mother then chuckled. "It is not childish. We Echidnans usually seek comfort with a bed mate. Not only for pleasure purposes, but as you have probably experienced with Bonegrinder, some like to cuddle. Him, especially."

“I, uh, have done both once.” Leere couldn’t hide the flush on her face, even in the deep dark. “I’d be honoured to cuddle with you, as too keep us safe from the nightmares tonight.”

"Ah, so Bonegrinder told you the tale of Anagaris being good for chasing away nightmares," Mother told Leere with a slight smile. "Though each of us Echidnans have a good purpose for chasing away evil. Kokyangwutis spin webs to bring good dreams."

“Oh! I thought he was just being positive. That’s what I meant. I don’t have any special powers to keep nightmares away, I just wanted to sleep with you. I MEAN- I rest with you. I know it can be difficult to be with your own negative thoughts, and having someone to hold can be what you need. I’m not coming onto you. Not that you aren’t beautiful I mean. I just-I-uh-oh god I’m tired. I’m not some horny human I swear to you. I am sincere at just wanting to help you feel comfortable...” Leere petered off from her rambling, embarrassed she’d declare something else to make her appear like an even bigger fool.

"Hahahaha!!!" Mother actually laughed. "Oh, sweet girl, you worry too much. I do think that a proper rest will do you good. If you wish for a peaceful sleep, then you may share my nest."

“Thank you”, was all Leere could muster out of her.

"Though if sex is what you are looking for, then I'm sure you could always find a willing partner who is eager to experiment intercourse with a human being." Mother wanted to clarify. "If that's what you were referring to."

“Nope. Nuh-uh. No. Not going there.” God, kill her now. “Let’s just go to bed and forget the last minute.”

"Very well, this way." Mother started to ascend the ceiling and was part of the way upward before she returned to the ground. "I forgot that humans are not the best climbers."

“You could always carry me? I’m sure you’ve always wanted to sneak away with a princess in the night.”

"I suppose that is a dream that could be entertained." Mother extended her spider legs from her back, gently plucking the princess from the ground. "Just hold still." She then climbed to the ceiling once more to reveal a huge bedding. "Humans do like to sleep on soft things, right?"

“Very much so.”

"Then pick your place first." Mother set Leere down on the plush pillows and grasses.

Leere crawled onto the bed, sighing heavenly. Lots of information was on her mind. Gods, Devils, her origins, her people. So much to take in. Without speaking a word, she fell was asleep.

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