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revolutionary4 · 4 months ago

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Now that you know my name, will you still love me the same? (Part 3 of my TOH series)

The sun was just rising over the Boiling Isles when King first stirred, the early morning rays hitting him straight in the eyes and eliciting a wince out of him.

He yawned aloud, stretching his little arms in front of him, only to bump into –

“Eda?”

The woman in question was still snoring away, her gold fang glinting in the morning light. Seeing Eda was…unexpected, but he had sensed Luz leaving their shared bunk at some point in the night. Maybe they’d had a chance to talk after yesterday’s fight.

Good.

Eda’s hand cradled his frame from the back, her nails buried in her fur from when she must have been scratching him into slumber. Over that lay Luz’s arm, the limb thrown haphazardly over him as her hand rested against his skull.

Warmth filled his little body. Having Eda with them, feeling her arms cradling them both from the rest of the world as she sheltered them in this little bubble of safety and calm…it felt like a logical conclusion to the messy day they’d all had.

Then again, early morning cuddle piles were always his favorite way to wake up, especially when Eda joined in them. She hadn’t always enjoyed these kinds of…sleepovers, but they were becoming more and more frequent as the days went on. He suspected the lingering danger in the air had something to do with her growing clinginess.

He didn’t entirely mind that either.

But how long will that last?

He cast another glance at the witch who’d raised him for years. Things had been so chaotic yesterday between her and Luz that he hadn’t had much of a chance to talk about what he’d learned on Titan Trapper Island.

In retrospect, though, he was glad for the time to think, because he didn’t really know what to make of all of the information… or lack of it, really. Because although his little road trip with Steve had been a nice break from their daily dose of trauma, King’s real problems, his real fears…they were still there.

And the biggest one?

That little knot in his stomach returned with full force, making him itch all over like he hadn’t been checked for fleas in a week – in hindsight, that was also probably true – but the cuddle pile felt stuffy all of a sudden, the embrace of his family weighing him down to something he couldn’t express, something he hadn’t found the words to just yet…

King removed Eda’s and Luz’s limbs from over him and plopped onto the ground, nearly toppling over Francois, who’d probably jumped ship sometime in the middle of the night.

He studied the worn toy with a sigh.

It’s just you and me, buddy.

He picked up the stuffed bunny in his paw and padded out to the balcony.

The sun was steadily climbing high into the sky when Eda’s body finally gave out on her. She snapped awake with a groan, reaching back with a free hand to rub the sizeable knot at the base of her neck when she realized –

“My hand is free.”

A quick glance at the assorted blankets and the lone human teenager snoring away was enough to spike her curiosity.

King had woken up early…

But where was he?

Eda scanned the hideout. One benefit of the small bottom bunk was their clear vantage point into the rest of the house. She didn’t need to do much other than straighten up to see clear into the next room.

Katya and Derwin seemed to be dividing up the rations while they chatted between themselves, but there was no one else in sight, and definitely no sign of her kid.

Eda let out a little sigh of disappointment. She had had every intention of discussing King’s findings about his past, but then yesterday had unfolded in the most unexpected and anguishing of ways and now here they were, with Eda trying to piece together her broken children before the world shattered beneath their feet.

She looked out the window, glaring at the bones of the Titan that rose tall and proud into the bright morning sky.

Hey, you, Titan! Is it too much to ask for one day of peace for these kids? Heck, one of them’s yours apparently!

The Titan didn’t respond. She wondered what she would have said if they had.

Instead, she took a moment to check on her other kid, the one still nestled in her embrace. The sight of tear tracks on her cheeks and the deep circles under her eyes sent a pang of heartache through her, but at least Luz seemed to be in deep sleep.

It was the tiniest of blessings.

I’ll take it. Goodness knows we could use some, no matter how small.

She carefully lifted Luz from on top of her, propping up a few pillows in her place so that the girl didn’t miss her absence. She didn’t move a muscle.

It was cause for both concern and relief, but Eda decided to let her conflicting feelings about Luz’ sleep habits be for the moment. She rose, cracking her back loud enough to hear a pop, before stepping out into the larger room.

“Morning, kids!”

“Morning Mama Eda!” Katya rounded the corner with a bloodmuffin and a juice box of apple blood that looked so tempting Eda swore to adopt the girl for real when this was all over.

She inhaled the muffin in seconds before breaking into the apple blood. God, caffeinated liver poison had never tasted so good!

“Hate to eat and run, but have either of you seen a little scruffy boy? About yeh-high, probably has fleas that I should get around to checking sooner or later…”

“Oh, you mean King?” Derwin jutted his chin towards the balcony, “Little dude’s been out there for a while now. I took him some bonemeal and scramberries, but he said he wasn’t hungry.”

Eda’s brief burst of humor fizzled as quickly as her appetite. King, not hungry? Boy, so it was that serious.

She turned to Katya, “I’m going to need you both to keep an eye on Luz. Call me if she wakes up.”

“You can count on us, Mama Eda –”

She was halfway to the door when it hit her. “Oh, and I’m gonna need all the scramberries we have.”

Derwin pointed to the table, where a lone pint of screaming fruit sat amidst a sea of gross – and what should have been illegal – nutrition bars. “That IS all the scramberries we have.”

Eda rolled her eyes but snatched up the carton anyway. She’d done miracles with far less.

King sat on the steps on the hideout, one paw fiddling absently with Francois’ ear as he wondered what to say.

From the commotion he’d heard inside, he knew it wasn’t a matter of if, but when, Eda showed up to talk to him. But the words he wanted to ask, the questions he wanted to know the answer to…he didn’t know how to phrase them yet.

All he knew was that he wanted things to go back to normal, to the way they had been before he’d ever dragged Lilith and Hooty and Luz to his castle to prove his dominance. Because that was where his entire life had begun to unravel, where he’d realized he wasn’t who he thought he was, that there was a chance he could learn where he came from.

It was that foolish hope that had led him to chase the sender of that letter, to pull Luz and Hooty into this crazy world of warriors who’d dedicated their entire life to destroying his kind, his people.

After weeks of wanting to learn who he really was, he had… but it left him feeling more lost than ever before.

He heard telltale footsteps draw closer before Eda plopped herself down beside him, “Hey early bird.”

“Hi Eda…” He didn’t look up to meet her sad smile.

Eda sighed, placing the carton aside and pulled him into her arms. “I’m sorry, little guy. I meant to talk to you about everything yesterday, but…”

“It’s okay.” He offered up a small smile, “You and Luz had some things to work through, I understand.”

“But so do you.” The question hidden between her words was unspoken, but clear. His lack of a response, and the way his eyes fell to Francois were even more so.

“King…y-you’re not second to anyone, you know that, right?”

The little Titan nodded, wiping at his nose with a free paw, “Yeah, I know…it’s just…Luz needs you right now and -”

“You do too.” Eda cut in with a hint of indignation. Her tone softened as she scratched his back, “You’re allowed to ask for my attention too, King. Just because I’m helping Luz with her problems doesn’t mean I can’t help you with yours, and I want to. Heck, Titan knows I’m used to having everything but the kitchen sink thrown at me…I think I can take care of two kids and their emotional baggage.”

King nodded slowly, but he had yet to meet her eyes, his claws digging deeper into Francois’ belly. “…Do you still want to?”

Eda’s hand stilled against his back, “Still want to what, buddy?”

“Y-you still want to take care of me?”

The words were like a blast to the heart, shattering her clean into a million tiny pieces. Eda hissed under her breath, her eyes squeezing shut as she took in a shaky breath. She hadn’t had any time to imagine how this conversation would go, but never, not even in her darkest nightmares had she anticipated hearing those words from his mouth.

“K-King –”

“Because…because things were easier before, they were simple!” His claws began tearing into Francois, drawing stuffing from his fragile body, “I was just King and that’s it! And it didn’t matter if I was a demon or whatever, because I didn’t even care enough to ask myself that question…but then, I did… and now…” He wiped at his eyes, spilling big, fat tears over his stuffed bunny, “I’m a Titan, Eda…and I don’t even know what that means. I don’t know what I’ll look like when I get older, or what kind of powers I’ll have or how to use them…I don’t even know how Titans are supposed to behave! Were they even good, am I even good?! Or am I –”

He clammed up suddenly, the hitch in his breath bringing a lump to her throat.

She didn’t want to ask. She couldn’t stomach this conversation already, couldn’t even imagine how this could get any worse, but she knew she needed to get over herself. She had to, for his sake.

“…Or what, King?”

“O-or am I a monster...?”

It took but the span of one blink for Eda’s confusion to become rage, “W-What?!”

“That’s what they said…” He whispered, his head bowing down, “They said Titans were bad, but we don’t even know if they were lying or telling the truth because no one knows ANYTHING about Titans and …w-what if they’re right?”

He was hugging himself tightly, because Eda was too stunned to do it herself, “What if I am a bad person? W-what if I’m a monster, Eda…? W-what if my dad was a monster too, and him dying ended up being good for everyone? W-what if I need to-”

“No.” Eda snapped out of her haze, pulling King into a fierce hug as she buried her face in his fur to hide the tears that had finally sprung free, “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, King Clawthorne! Do you hear me?!” She knew her voice had jumped up an octave, but she couldn’t help it, “You will not finish or even think about the end of that sentence, because none of that is true, absolutely none of it!”

She felt him stiffen in her arms before she heard the quiet, “…you don’t know that.”

Her slowly reassembling heart shattered all over again.

Titan give me strength.

“No. You’re right. I don’t know that. I don’t know anything about Titans, no one does…. but I do know that all of this life on the Boiling Isles, you, me, everyone….we only exist thanks to a Titan. We only have magic thanks to a Titan…and not just any Titan, King….it’s your dad.” She smiled, “Surely someone who supports countless lives on their body for thousands of years has some good in them, right?”

King twisted Francois’ ear in his hands, but he didn’t look convinced. “Yeah…I guess so.”

“Besides, anyone who’s met you and still thinks Titans are a menace to society…there’s not a lick of integrity or compassion or truth to their words, because I have never known a sweeter, more loyal, more intelligent or more cuddly being on the Boiling Isles, and if they see you and still feel that way, then they’re lying assholes, all of them. And they don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt, King, especially not from you, okay?”

King lifted his gaze, eyes just peeking past the skull to meet hers, “So…even though we have no idea what’s going to happen to me, or what I’m going to end up becoming…y-you still want me?”

Titan almighty…

“King…sweetheart, look at me.”

Woeful big eyes obeyed her request.

“You remember the day you gave me those adoption papers?”

He nodded.

“I need you to understand that that was one of the – No, that was the best day of my life. Because after years and years of caring for you and watching you grow and getting to be a part of your life…I could finally, finally call myself your mother. And I could mean it too.”

Eda ran her bony fingers against his furry cheek, “And I need you to know that using that word…” She shook her head to clear the lump in her throat, “I never thought I would be a mom, King. I don’t exactly lead the ideal lifestyle for it, after all… So when I first met you, it never occurred to me that that was what I was signing up for… but then I got to take care of you and even then, I considered you a friend, a roommate, a business partner, because even though our relationship was far from any of those…it was easier to call it that, because it wasn’t complicated.”

“But from day one, whether I knew it or not, I think I’ve always wanted to call myself your mother, and-” She let out a wild chuckle, “The crazy thing is I can now! I can…and you’re the reason why, King.”

The little Titan wiped his nose against his shoulder, “But…but what about Luz?”

She smiled fondly, “Luz changed me, I won’t deny it… But you were first, King. You broke down those walls long before Luz showed up. You’re the first good thing to come into my miserable existence and the first kid I have the actual pleasure of calling my own…” She let out a throaty laugh, “I can’t tell you how much that means to me, King…heck, I don’t know if any words exist to do that, but I can hope to show you. And I want to, each and every day of our lives. Because no matter what happens, no matter how tall you grow, or how old you get, or whatever you eventually become, you will still be my son first and foremost, and I will always love you, King Clawthorne…always.”

“Really?”

Eda just smiled a watery grin and held out her arms.

King folded into them like a pyramid of Hexes Hold-Em cards, sobbing quietly to himself as the impact of her words hit home. She picked him up, pulling her flush with her heart and letting her baby boy weep as long as he needed to.

She’d save her own tears for later. For when her kids finally found some peace of mind… if they ever would.

Titan please help them…they’re just children. They shouldn’t be dealing with all of this. King should be running around the playground with kids his own age, not wondering if a crazy cult was justified in wiping out his entire race…

Eda nuzzled her cheek against his fur in an attempt to drive the painful thoughts away. She heard a loud sniffle against her chest.

“Eda?”

“…yes King?”

“Can you sing me that lullaby you used to when I was a baby?”

It was an old folk song, passed down from her great-grandmother, to her grandfather, to her mother. On her worst nights with the curse, the ones when she’d been unable to distinguish between friend or foe, good or bad, the lullaby had been her sole tie to a safe haven, her only reprieve in the blazing storm of intersectionality between witch and beast.

To know that King needed it now…

Eda sighed, her bones feeling heavier with every passing second.

At least she remembered it.

The admittedly unpretty notes came unbidden from her hoarse throat– Eda losing herself for a moment in what was assuredly not a simpler time, but a less painless one, for her kid anyway. She whispered them, as though every word were a prayer. And perhaps it was.

She knew she had plenty to pray for.

So she did. She prayed for an end to the nightmares that plagued her kids, for an end to the dark clouds that hovered over her whole world, for a chance to protect the family that she had finally let into her lives…and for peace.

She really didn’t think that was too much to ask for.

It wasn’t until the song drew to a close that she felt him quieten in her arms. He pulled back with a weak smile, “Thanks Eda…”

“Anytime, little guy,” She planted a kiss on his snout before giving him a few obligatory belly scratches. Seeing the small smile on his face gave her a flicker of hope, for now. She refused to focus on anything else.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to, because a small rumble sounded from his little belly, “Sorry…” He blushed, patting his tummy, “It’s been a long morning.”

Eda gestured to the scramberries, “Figured as much. Need a pick-me-up?”

He gave her a toothy smile, “Are those all for ME?”

She tickled his tummy, her grin widening as he giggled, “Sure are. All the scramberries in the world for my favorite Titan!”

“Hey!” His tinkling laughter sounded through the wind, “I’m the only Titan you have!”

She chuckled, “And I wouldn’t want it any other way…”

“Mama Eda?” Katya poked her head into the balcony, “Luz is awake. She’s asking for both of you.”

Eda nodded, getting to her feet as King scooped the carton into his paws. “We’ll be right there, Katya. Thanks.”

The girl nodded and disappeared back inside as Eda hoisted King into her arms, “Come on, buddy. Let’s go see how your sister’s doing.”

King eyed the carton for a moment, “Luz didn’t eat much last night, did she?” He looked up at her, “Do you think she’ll like scramberries? We could share!”

How anyone could ever look at a kid like that and see a monster, Eda would never know. “I’m sure she’ll love them, King.” She planted another kiss on his skull before carrying him inside to unite the whole family.

Now that she had them both, she was never letting go. Not now, not ever.

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revolutionary4 · 5 months ago

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what would happen if pim and charlie from smiling friends were hired to make ren smile again

pim and charlie would only be needed in the days leading up to chapter 17 because after that ren is living his best life.. even at the cost of the rest of the world 💀

The Haneda Airport’s terminal buzzed with the serene sound of announcements and the clatter of luggage wheels every now and again. The cherry blossom air fresheners did little to hide the dead scent of jet fuel and stress.

The lilac, energetic, bright-eyed creature bounced on his heels while waving around a tourist pamphlet covered in cartoon Mount Fujis. “Charlie, Charlie, did you know you can rent a café where you just cry with strangers? Japan’s amazing! They even have toilets that sig to you!” Pim exclaimed, however, Charlie was nowhere nearly as impressed. “Yeah, yeah, great. Don’t forget this country also bayoneted pregnant women in Nanking. Try not to fall in love with the scenery too fast..” Charlie grumbled, “Oof, Charlie, you’re really good at killing in the mood. That was almost one hundred years ago.” Pim muttered, “Yeah, well, trauma’s hereditary. So, buckle up, bud.” Charlie deadpanned as a sleek, black car waited on the curbside. High-rise towers glinted in the sun, though none as cold and isolated as the one they were approaching.

A woman— Mira Yamane stood chic and composed, but clearly desperate outside with a tablet, her hair was pinned back in a way that implied she hadn’t slept in days. “You’re the Smiling Friends, right?” Mira affirmed with a raised brow, “That’s us! You want us to help your husband smile? That’s what we do best!” Pim confirmed with a beam, “We also clean up crime scenes, once.. But yeah, smiling.” Charlie cut in, Mira’s eyebrows straightened up while her lips pursed into a thin line, gaze narrowing if anything. “Just.. Do what you can, Ren hasn’t smiled since he tore a Skullcrawler in two.” Mira urged, Pim and Charlie followed her inside the building where their client, Ren Serizawa sat at a table in the dead center of a brutalist room. Everything was made up of cold steel, concrete, and black curtains. Unusually enough, a flatscreen of Monster Zero tearing through Antarctica.

One odd thing to note about Ren was he wore sunglasses indoors, though the pair quickly learned it was not out of an odd fashion choice, but necessity. A dull, hopeless hum followed him like a storm cloud hanging over his head, he was clad in a designer trench coat, whatever was left of his right eye hidden beneath a matte black eyepatch, cigarette burns staining the table. “You’re the clowns she hired?” Ren alleged, turning to meet their gazes. “We’re more like emotional hitmen, she wants us to shoot you full of serotonin or whatever.” Charlie corrected, Ren stared blankly for a moment. “I’ve been electrocuted, shrapnel drilled into my right eyeball, and sued by the Chinese government.” Ren trailed off, listing it off with his fingers. “Not now.” Ren suddenly added, talking to seemingly himself. “Uh, you good?” Charlie dared to ask, exchanging a glance with Pim. “Peachy. Let’s go, I have a meeting with Shindo.” Ren grumbled, he didn’t seem keen on bringing them along but probably figured he could get a refund since he was in no position to lose money with the pending terrorist charges.

Shindo’s law firm was a shrine dedicated solely to ego, wealth, and influence. The walls were adorned with polished mahogany bookshelves, each shelf meticulously arranged with legal tomes and decorative artifacts meant to impress, a framed photo of Shindo shaking hands with a panicking Prime Minister during the Mass Awakening hung like a self-congratulatory obituary. “I personally oversaw the evacuation of the previous Prime Minister’s twin daughters while Yamata No Orochi chased a cruise ship, people call me a national treasure.” Shindo boosted, “Wow! That’s so heroic!” Pim raved, however, Charlie noticed something over Ren’s shoulder and looked nothing short of disturbed. “You know there’s three dragon heads behind Ren, right? Like, whispering stuff? Does nobody else see that?” Charlie pondered, Shindo froze, a rare moment of silence radiating from the egoist. “What..?” Shindo muttered, Pim looked over Ren’s shoulder, making eye contact with the leftmost head. “They’re like.. Kind of shadowy and floaty. They kind of sound like the drag queen from Powerpuff Girls.” Pim noted, “Yeah, and one of ‘em told me I smell like fear. Kinda rude.” Charlie flatly cut in, Shindo squinted at them, then directed his gaze toward Ren, who managed to look just as clueless as Shindo despite knowing good and well.

Rain streaked across the windshield like falling veins, Pim sat shotgun, pressing his face to the window like a kid in a candy store, Charlie lounged in the back beside Ren. “Charlie, did you know the Tokyo Tower was inspired by the Eiffel Tower?” Pim asked, “Your friend is very educated.” Ren deadpanned, the phrase: ‘They are insects, let us feast.’ slipping out of his tongue in a voice that wasn’t his own, Charlie’s eyes widened— almost comically if it weren’t for the situation. “Okay, what the hell was that? Did.. Did your mouth just talk but like, not you?” Charlie pondered, desperately glancing at Pim for help. “That’s.. Normal for me now.” Ren assured.

Once they arrived at Ren’s residence— a modern Japanese home only nepo-babies like himself could afford, surprisingly— Ren had invited them to crowd around a tablet, Dr. Vivienne Graham was onscreen, running for her life, screaming as Ghidorah chomped her into a blur of viscera and broken bones. “She deserved it, you know? Always clinging to my father just because her father died before she was born. She got the pats on the back, the phone calls, I got a ‘she would understand’ after my own mother died.” Ren ranted, the shadows behind him twitching with glee as if they were capitalizing on his anger. “To this day, I don’t know what she had that I didn’t, whatever my father saw in her— he didn’t see in me. I’m sure you all don’t want to hear about the cliche story of the father who forgot about his son,” Ren trailed off, eyes glued to the video like an elderly woman with AI-generated Facebook memes. “Hey, Charlie, He’s doing that anime villain monologue thing!” Pim pointed out, “Yeah, about any second now he’s gonna yell about ‘a world purified by chaos’ or something like that.” Charlie grumbled, Ren cut them off with an actual bark of a laugh. “Oh god.. You’re.. You’re both morons.” Ren muttered, following shared silence between Pim and Charlie. “Wait.. Did he just?” Pim alleged, glancing at Charlie to ensure whatever was floating over Ren didn’t latch onto them as well. “Mission accomplished, I guess?” Charlie mumbled, “I haven’t in.. I don’t even know how long, not since I tore into Skullcrawler number ten, before Mira started buying sage to exorcise me with.” Ren trailed off, and in that moment, he leaned back, head against the wall with the shadows of three dragon heads accelerated against the wall, eye closed beneath his sunglasses.. A smile— crooked and bitter, but genuine spread across his lips.

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