#//She will NOT hesitate to nor will ever refuse if her partner initiates

[dutybcrne]

Cloud Retainer will act so formal and put together, but. In a romantic relationship, there will be. A Notable increase in how affectionate she is to her person.

[milfs-milk]

NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE [18+]

CHAPTER ONE - ADORATION [MINORS DNI]

[PAIRING] Female!Trafalgar Law x Reader [SUMMARY] Turned into a woman only temporarily, Law still needs a proper wardrobe. You take your now girlfriend out on a shopping date, and despite her initial reluctance, you hope to help her enjoy the experience and her new body. [CONTENT + WARNINGS] Female Law, Genderbend, Reader is femme, Established Relationship, Fluff. This chapter isn't NSFW but the next will be, so minors DNI! [WORD COUNT] 5k

“This is ridiculous.” 

Not for the first time, Law hesitates. Your partner, or more accurately, girlfriend for the time being, comes to a halt just before the entrance of the lingerie store. You can see her reconsidering the necessity of buying clothes for this new figure of hers, her sharp jaw tight and full lips slightly pursed—a scowl to most, yet a pout to you. Despite being in an entirely different body, her mannerisms stay familiar. 

The change is temporary. It was neither expected nor asked for, a complete accident that doused her with feminization fruit. The Heart Pirates, responsive as ever, were quick to erupt into a chaotic blend of amusement and fawning, all while their irritated Captain demanded quiet as she rummaged through her medical books in search of a remedy. But the pages offered no immediate cure, only assuring that the effects will last a few weeks before naturally subsiding.

Which is short lived in your opinion, and entirely too long in Law’s.

She doesn’t seem to harbor the same appreciation you do for her new figure, seeing this change as an inconvenience more than anything. So you hoped to make it less so, however you could. In need of a new wardrobe, you tried swapping her now oversized shirts and jeans for some of your own clothing. The two of you didn’t have much luck. She seemed frustrated with it all, annoyed, sitting on the edge of the bed surrounded by all the clothes that might’ve fit. You sat with her.

“We can always go shopping,” you gently suggested, rubbing her back as she gave you a stubborn look of reluctance, but not entirely refusal. “It could be fun. Just think of it as a date, and we’ll get you something comfortable.”

And she agreed, as much as she didn’t want to. 

You couldn’t blame her. Having spent her entire life in the body of a man, the abrupt transformation into something feminine left her with a certain sense of discomfort, and perhaps what could be considered mild embarrassment. There was no reason to feel shame; not in your opinion, at least, but given the circumstances, Law’s hesitance is only natural. 

Still, as the two of you stand in front of the lingerie store, you try to make light of the situation. 

“Cmon, hun. Have some fun with it.” You grab her wrist, encouraging her inside with playfulness to your voice.  “Doesn’t every man wonder what it’s like to have boobs?” 

“I’m not a pervert,” she firmly insists. Even so, she lets you guide her, her long legs begrudgingly following along.

You huff in amusement. Maybe it isn’t entirely apparent on the surface, but if your time with Law has taught you anything, it’s that she tends to feel more than she lets on. Her reserve comes with all emotions, vulnerable or not. Laughter is stifled into subtle smiles, distress leads to emotional withdrawal, care translates into gentle gestures and quiet support. 

The same pattern can be seen with all things intimate. Attraction, affection, arousal… You had to admit, she did a good job suppressing what she could for as long as she could. The sheer lust she felt wasn’t exactly controlled, but rather hidden—until she finally got a taste of you.

Only then did it become apparent. The subtle hints in her behavior that you couldn’t quite place were suddenly given a reason. You found a name for those lingering eyes, that intense gaze, her tense body language—yearning, to the point of perversion. It was a deep desire, depraved from being deprived for so long, devolving into desperation. 

Not a pervert? Debatable. 

“Well…” you say, tone skeptical. She shoots you a look you expected, simultaneously daring you to keep talking and advising you to shut your mouth. You always thought she was fun to tease, and she always thought you were fun to discipline. You pretend to give in, a smile on your face with your hands raised in feigned apology. 

“Alright, alright. Don’t…” You let out a chuckle before you can finish, and then another as you try again. “Don’t get your panties in a twist.” 

“I already told you,” she’s quick to retort, but slows and hesitates to consider her wording. She never liked saying the P word. “I won’t be wearing… those.” 

“I know, hun.” You let her have this one. Despite any teasing, above all, you want her to be comfortable. She knows that. Still, you place a hand on her shoulder and give it a gentle pat in a gesture of support. “We’ll find you the closest thing to boxers we can. Boyshorts are more comfortable, anyway.” 

Technically, they’re still considered panties, but you don’t say that. You had to get her to wear them somehow. 

The two of you stand inside the store, greeted with dim lighting and a pallet of pink and black decor, the air carrying a strong floral scent from the perfume shop next door. You’re already familiar, but Law takes a moment to scan the wide array of options—different colors, certain styles, sections of specific types of lingerie that she probably doesn't know the names of. You can tell what she’s thinking.

“Yeah, it’s a lot,” you empathize. “But we’ll be quick, okay?” 

She grunts in affirmation, following where you lead. 

And really, you meant it. Initially, at least. It wasn’t your intention to spend longer than necessary browsing the selection of bras, but the more you thought about it, the more it became necessary. Law already insisted she wanted something simple, but this matter needs careful consideration. There’s push ups to sports bras, full coverage to strings and lace, pretty pinks and bold blues and gentle greens… She’d pull them all off, this much you know, but which would suit her best? 

You glance at her chest, obscured by the oversized shirt she’s wearing. Still, your memory serves you well. You’re able to make a decent guess of her cup size after taking the opportunity to thoroughly examine her figure when she first tried on clothes. You called it studying, she called it ogling, and maybe she was right. In your defense, it was hard to resist. You sat on the bed behind her, a clear view of her front and backside as she stood before a mirror. Occasionally, she’d glance at you through the reflection between slipping on shirts and bras, but you often didn’t meet her eyes.

Your attention was fixated elsewhere, memorizing her new yet temporary features for safekeeping. Her chest wasn’t exactly flat, but wouldn’t be considered big either. She was endowed with slight handfuls that fit her slender figure, complemented with the framing of an inked heart. Long legs led to the gentle curve of her hips and pert swell of her ass, faint dimples resting right above on either side of her lower back, indents that were perfect for thumbs. Her defined back line trailed towards another familiar tattoo, up to sharp shoulder blades and shaggy, short black hair. 

She didn’t stand at her usual 6’3 and a half, but she was still above average height. It was a combination of lankiness and toned athleticism. Muscle definition was apparent in the sculpted contours of her biceps, sinewy strength of her back and tightness of her stomach. Her proportions were long and lean, assets small and perky, movements fluid and poised. She always had an irresistible allure, captivating and mesmerizing, but in the form of something more feminine, you could only define her physicality as pure elegance. 

“You said we’d be quick,” Law mumbles under her breath. You’re only momentarily interrupted from your thoughts of her figure, eyes meeting hers before falling back down.

“I know,” you hum leisurely. This matter can’t be rushed. You look at the two bras in your hands, and up to her chest again. “But I can’t decide if you’d look better in black or red.”

“Does it really matter?” she asks, voice a mixture of exasperation and amusement. She seems to find something entertaining in how much consideration you’re putting into this. 

It takes just another thoughtful second before you come to a decision. “Well, if you insist,” you say, putting them in your hand held shopping basket, “we’ll just have to get both.” 

“I said no lace.” She looks down at the lingerie in mild disapproval. Still, she doesn’t make an effort to stop you. They’re good choices, if you do say so yourself. 

“Yeah, but you’d look really nice in—“

“Are you ladies finding everything okay?” An employee interjects with a friendly smile, all while Law promptly tugs at the brim of her hat, lowering it just enough to shroud her eyes. It’s a habitual gesture you’re familiar with, one she uses to shield herself when she feels too exposed, too vulnerable. You’ve seen it most when she smiles, but right now, it’s driven by embarrassment. She tries to deflect as much attention away from her as possible. You handle it.

“Just fine, thanks,” you respond. “Where are your dressing rooms?” 

The woman guides you both, and Law follows in silence just behind you. The moment the employee is out of hearing range, Law’s quick to mumble a question, looking around to make sure every other person in the store is out of hearing range too. “You’re coming in with me?” 

“Mmhm.” You don’t look up at her, taking a moment to organize the lingerie you’ve decided on. “Gotta make sure they fit, don’t I?”

“I think I’ll be able to tell.” She sees through your excuse, a thin veil poorly masking a desire to see her naked again.

“Well,” you say, not bothering to deny it. “It’s not every day I get to help you pick out lingerie. Better enjoy it while I can, hmm?” 

You give her a cheeky smile, and still, she’s unimpressed. Holding all of her new lingerie, you open the dressing room’s curtain with your free hand and gesture her inside with exaggerated politeness. 

“After you.” 

Law doesn’t like to put on bras correctly. You watched her try to reach back and connect the hooks when the two of you first tried on clothes, but she quickly found another way. She said it was easier, just raising it above her head and slipping it on like a shirt, and didn’t seem to care when you said that’ll stretch it out. She does the same this time, looking unsatisfied with the result. 

“It doesn’t fit.”

“Not when you put it on like that,” you say, looking up from her chest to meet her eyes through the mirror. “Remember what I told you?” 

Law sighs, but listens. She seems to find something embarrassing in cupping her breasts and adjusting them into place, insisting it wasn’t necessary when you first told her it’s the only way to fit into a bra comfortably. Despite her stubbornness, it didn’t take long for her to learn you were right. With a slight forward lean, she scoops her breasts in better accordance with the bra cups, just the way you taught her. 

“There you go.” You smile at the snug fit, giving full coverage and support. Even she seems a bit impressed with the cleavage it creates. “You fill it out nicely.” 

She huffs at the compliment like it didn’t just make her blush, the color of her cheeks a growing tinge of red as she quickly averts her gaze from the mirror. With deft fingers, she starts pulling the bra off. Up and over her head, of course, not bothering with the hooks.

“Are we done here?” Law asks, masking bashfulness with impatience. 

You nod towards the remaining lingerie hanging on the wall. “Try on the rest, hun.”

“Why? They’re all the same size.”

“Yeah, sizing is a scam. Every bra fits differently,” you tell her, taking your seat on a bench in the cramped dressing room. Eyes on her, you lean back. 

“Go ahead.”

And she does. Law looks at the assortment of lingerie, hesitating for a moment before making a skeptical choice. She begins with the less intricate, going from boy shorts and sports bras before gradually making her way to the few matching sets of lace and pushups you convince her to at least try.

You evaluate each one, fully appreciating the array of colors and clothing you've never seen her in before. Each piece brings out something different in her—deep tones of scarlet and midnight blue intensifying the richness of her aura, simple yet bold black aligning with the harder side of her personality, delicate pastels tenderizing her usual toughness as the gentle hues bring out a subtle yet inherent softness. All harmonize with the ink of her tattoos, all compliment her figure, and all, in some sense, are distinctly and uniquely Law. 

It’s hard for you to say no to a lot of them. She makes the decision easier by saying no herself, most options not appealing to her the same way they do to you. Still, she takes some of your input into consideration and entertains a few pieces she doesn’t directly admit she likes. Her choices, coupled with two of your own, sit to the side waiting to be bought. 

“Don’t get used to this,” she makes sure to warn you when she slips on the last bra. “Once I’m back to normal, we’re burning these.” 

“You say that.” Coming to a stand, your arms loosely wrap around her from behind. Wandering fingers draw attention to the set of lingerie she wears, and the two of you watch through the mirror as your nails trace along the lace in a mixture of examination and admiration. “…but they look nice, don’t they?” 

She doesn’t deny it. Instead, she almost agrees, the low mumble unenthusiastic like she doesn’t want to admit you’re right.

“…They’re not terrible.”

“Nothing ever is.” Your touch moves downward, fingertips grazing her tight stomach in a way that makes her suppress a shiver. You settle with placing your hands on her hips, your thumbs slowly caressing the silk lining of her panties. “Not on you.” 

“You’re persistent.” The words may be muttered, exasperated, but as she leans back into your touch, you feel the appreciation and affection behind them. You give her a light squeeze before pulling away.

“I’m right,” you correct her. Picking up her clothes, you hand them to her and gather your things to leave. “I’ll show you. We’re not done.” 

More casual clothes are next on the list—shoes and shirts and jeans that Law isn’t too excited to shop for. Not that she was thrilled with the lingerie either, but you like to think she ended up finding some enjoyment, at least as much as she could. A familiar, soft smile became increasingly apparent with each genuine compliment and playful comment you gave. There’s a subtle yet gradual shift, her initial reluctance giving way to something more comfortable.

It’s progress, but more still needs to be made. 

Outside the privacy of the dressing room, Law’s demeanor tightens just as before. She grows quiet, walking alongside you throughout the shopping center with her gaze lingering on the displays of stores you pass by. It’s not the natural, easy silence that sometimes characterizes the space between you two, but rather something more reserved, more restrained. Through polished glass windows, she watches her feminine figure in the reflection. 

Something’s on her mind. Something has been on her mind. You noticed a shift since the transformation, and at first, attributed what seemed to be unease to the adjustment period. While that may play a part, it’s apparent there’s something deeper beneath the surface. And though you like to think you’re attuned with your partner, always recognizing changes in behavior and always familiar with subtle cues, you can’t quite grasp the full extent of Law’s thoughts right now. 

You don’t ask. You look towards her, her mind seemingly stuck somewhere else, and even as impulse urges you to, you don’t reach out to hold her hand. Knowing what does and doesn’t make her comfortable, you move at her pace, allowing room for Law to initiate if she feels to. 

Still, indirectly, you do what you can to guide her back to the present with you. 

Upon your suggestion, you both stop to eat after walking past a shop that’s closest to her favorite food you’re able to find. It’s a small gesture, but still helps—sitting together and sharing a meal, taking a break from the constant movement of shoppers in every direction, tuning out the chatter of voices atop voices… In environments and situations she doesn’t enjoy, Law adapts. She always does. Even so, you offer a moment of stillness. It’s simple enough to ease some tension in her shoulders.

A bit looser, the two of you continue throughout the shopping center. 

“Let’s make this quick,” Law tells you upon entering the next store, keeping her insistence on getting this over with. 

You pause almost immediately. Drawn to a display of mannequins, your eyes trail over their cardigans, down to skirts with matching tights and complimentary boots. Your gaze shifts onto Law, then back, and onto Law again, just to visualize her in the outfit. If she notices, she doesn’t seem to pay it much mind. Or, perhaps, she just doesn’t want to entertain it, walking past and expecting you to follow.

“I’ll try,” you say, and hope not to get too distracted. 

Though just as with the lingerie, you can’t help but muse, spending a bit more time than strictly needed looking at potential options. You have suggestions, but you don’t give them. You already know what she’ll say no to, noticing the way she seems avoidant of the more revealing and feminine options.

Instead, Law focuses on simplicity. The casual clothes are tentative choices, her demeanor even more so when it comes time to try them on. Despite any doubt or hesitation, each piece proves to be flattering. You knew they would. With a body like that, every outfit is practically made for her—a slender waist sculpted to flaunt in form fitting shirts, her defined collarbones and slight cleavage meant for low necklines, her long legs perfect for a good pair of jeans.

You approve, but Law has her own thoughts. 

“They’re too tight,” she grouses, looking in the dressing room’s full body mirror with skinny jeans practically painted onto her thighs.

“They’re supposed to be.” You watch her from behind, and step closer to lift her top just enough to adjust the low waistband. “As long as it’s not tight around the waist, it fits.” 

“Doesn’t feel like it.” She shifts, turning slightly to assess the fit. 

“Does it really matter when they look that good?” you ask. Law stays quiet, not seeming to have any complaints about their appearance. You take it as slight satisfaction. Only subtly, you test her. “I can go get you a different size.” 

“It’s fine,” Law tells you, suspiciously quick. When she meets your gaze, giving her a knowing smile that’s well aware of her fondness for the outfit, she defends herself. “I don’t want to wear it,” she clarifies, “but I’m not staying here longer than we have to.”

“Whatever you say, hun,” you tease lightly. Still, her words are half the truth—hours into the shopping trip with just a few more clothes to try on, Law seems eager to leave. There’s no need to draw it out by experimenting with different sizes. You sense her impatience, prompting you to hand her the next set of jeans to continue. 

The checkout process doesn’t take long. As the two of you purchase a week’s worth of clothes, a persistent thought tugs at your mind. Though you know you shouldn’t, and though you know it’s unfair to her, you feel a slight bit of disappointment as the stubborn desire to see her in different styles shifts into longing. 

It’s not that the choices she made were unsatisfying; far from it. Everything looks good on her. That’s exactly why there’s such an allure to more tempting options, skirts and fishnets and crop tops that are certain to enhance her features even more, but are a territory she’s not quite comfortable with. You try not to push it, letting your eyes linger on the earlier display of mannequins before looking away. 

Only when you’re about to leave do you let some selfishness show. 

“Law.”

You call for her attention, her name wrapped up in a wistful breath. You’re sure she’s already able to tell you’re not up to any good. From the corner of your eye, you see her turn towards you, watching with what must be a frown as you look at yet another piece of clothing. She speaks firmly.

“I’m not trying on more—“

She stops mid-sentence when you hold it out for her to see. It’s a dress, certainly nothing you can expect her to wear, but it still catches her attention. While Law may not be big on fashion, she has a sense of style. From the subtle intricacies of her earrings to the bold statements etched onto her skin as tattoos, it’s her way of expression. Even a tailored wardrobe captures her story, each piece a deliberate choice reflecting her crew, her past, and everything she values.

The dress isn’t custom made, no, but it might as well be. Slender, black and sleek, Law’s gaze lingers on the heart-shaped cutout adorning the front. It’s positioned on the center of the chest, aligned almost perfectly with her jolly roger tattooed in the same area. 

There's a pause. The silent question of if she’ll entertain it lingers in the air, and for only a moment, she lets herself consider. As you watch her expectantly, you can see the contemplation in her eyes, a slight flicker of possibility. Her comfort zone has her quick to push it down. Tearing her focus away from the dress, Law forces an answer. 

“No.”

But you know her better than that. That subtle softening in her gaze, you recognize it as openness. The dress may seem too feminine for her usual preference, but there’s something to it that appeals to her, embedded in both personal significance and aesthetic allure. It’s not that she dislikes it. Law’s receptive, but reluctant. All she needs is a bit of encouragement. 

“Hun, this shit is practically made for you.” She already knows it, but you want her to hear it. You want her to see it, too. Lifting the dress just enough to outline her figure, you invite her to visualize it on herself. “It’s your size too. Should be long enough…” 

As Law looks down at herself and the dress, another moment of uncertain consideration passes. Surely, she can see the appeal, but hesitance lingers. “We don’t have to buy it,” you reassure. “Just try it on, see how it looks.” 

She’s wavering. There’s a slight shift in her expression, lines of reluctance turning inward. The furrow of her brows shows a tinge of irritation, but only because she knows she’s caving. When her eyes meet yours again, you give a gentle push that you know will tip the scales. 

“For me?”

Law’s quick to snatch the dress from your hands. In a mixture of both frustration and determination, fueled by the stubborn desire to please you, she struts past and into the direction of the changing area. She doesn’t need to turn to know you’re following. 

“We’re leaving after this,” Law tells you, disappearing into the confines of the fitting room before she can change her mind.

You wait. There’s a rustling of fabric behind the curtain, and the passing minutes make you wonder if you should’ve gone in with her to help zip up the back. She seems to manage, but not without apparent difficulty. Once her complicated movements settle, Law stands quiet for a few moments. You decide to speak up.

“You done in there?”

Another beat of silence passes before she responds. “…Yeah.”

“Come on out, then,” you encourage. 

She’s slow to open the curtain. Law looks off to the side as she reveals herself, exposing curves she still seems to be adjusting to. They’re accentuated, the sleek dress hugging every dip and contour of her body, from slender hips to a pinched waist and up to the soft swell of her chest. You can see the sculpt of her muscles through the thin material, faintly outlining her tight stomach with wrist-long sleeves snug around her lean arms. 

Only subtly, skin shows. There’s a slit opening extending from the bottom of the dress up to her lower right hip. It’s cheeky, alluring, offering a hint of her toned, shapely thighs, all while the heart-shaped cutout on the chest perfectly frames her jolly roger tattoo—just as you expected. 

Law moves in the silence. Her fingers instinctively reach up to fidget with the short strands of her hair, an absentminded motion of subtle nervousness. She's quick to stop once she looks down and realizes what she’s doing, tucking the strands behind her ear in self-composure before lowering her hand. Lost in your own thoughts, you watch her, not noticing how quiet you are until she speaks.

“Well?” she huffs. In a frustrated search of your response, her gaze finally shifts towards you. You make an effort to snap yourself out of your enamored daze. 

“Well,” you repeat. The right words are hard to find, but you suppose Law’s never been one for dramatics. You settle for a simple way to express her indescribable beauty. “You’re stunning.” 

It’s straightforward, blunt, honest. Just the way she likes it. She’s flattered, you can tell, but she shouldn’t just take it from you. Walking towards her, you place your hands on her shoulders and turn her towards a nearby mirror to see for herself.

“What did I tell you?” you hum, a glint of pride in your eyes as Law’s gaze trails up and down her body. “You make everything look good.” 

She knows. She has to—her demeanor may still be a bit tentative, but there’s a growing approval, rooted in satisfaction upon seeing how objectively flattering the dress is. For the first time since the change, she sees herself through your eyes, a vision of beauty and strength staring back at her. You hadn’t expected her to embrace the dress, or to fully grow accustomed to her new figure, and she doesn’t. But she’s beginning to tolerate it. 

That’s good enough for you. 

The moment is somewhat short lived. You’d admire her for hours if you could, but people around you seem to think similarly. Enthralled glances from onlookers become apparent, unwanted attention that Law promptly avoids. She tugs her hat down accordingly and turns away from prying eyes, redirecting her focus to the dressing room. 

“We’re leaving now.” 

That was the deal, after all. You don’t prolong it any more. Law changes back into her regular clothes, and the two of you soon find yourselves walking throughout the shopping center, straight into the direction of the island’s rocky ports. Home isn’t too far, the Polar Tang docked nearby. Despite Law’s eagerness to return, something catches her eye along the way. 

An antique shop lies just ahead. Law’s gaze lingers, surely trying to peek through the glass windows for a glimpse of what the shop could offer. Her collection of commemorative coins is something you’re fond of, something endearing, a hobby she could spend hours rambling about if she let herself. Whenever the topic comes up, you always indulge her, but you feel encouraging her interests isn’t enough. She needs to be spoiled. 

“I’ll buy you something,” you offer, already knowing she’ll want to see if there'd be anything to add to her collection. 

“You’ve bought me everything.” Law glances at the bags of clothes you insisted on holding for her. 

“I’ll buy you more.” Your assurance carries a subtle playfulness as you head towards the entrance, coaxing her to follow with the soft chime of the door’s bell. 

Above all else, you want Law to enjoy herself. It’s only natural as her partner, prioritizing her happiness and comfort like it’s second nature. Still, you know she never wanted to spend her day clothes shopping. You feel as if this could help, inviting her to shop for something she wants to buy rather than has to.

Yet despite your continuous efforts to help her enjoy herself, and to perhaps ease her into the unfamiliarity of her changed body, there’s still an apparent weight lingering on her mind.

Even as Law becomes engrossed in an intricately crafted coin display, her focus soon shifts back to you. You can feel it. Pausing from across the shop, you meet her eyes with a questioning look. She simply blinks, breaking the momentary connection to redirect her attention back to the coins as if nothing is wrong. 

You’d believe it and chalk her silent stare down to her usual introspective awkwardness, if not for the touch of vulnerability in the depth of her eyes. It was like an unsaid question, a stubborn thought part of her wants to voice, but can’t quite find the words to do so.

You hope to give her the opportunity. When the two of you continue back to the submarine, distancing yourselves from the island’s townscape and the eyes of its people, your affection turns more physical. The way your hand lingers on the small of her back offers a subtle sense of security. It expresses openness, reassures support, softly reminding her that you’re here.

She stays quiet throughout the walk, and you don’t mind. She doesn’t need to force it. Aware of how difficult it can be for her to express complicated emotions, you’re patient, staying by her side to listen when she’s ready. It’s unconditional, nonjudgmental, tender and genuine and devoted. All you want is for her to know that. 

Maybe tonight, you can remind her exactly how much you love her.

[shihalyfie]

A meta on Mimi and her character

Today’s spotlight character is Mimi! While the Adventure characters are all written to subvert character stereotypes (no, really), I feel this is particularly enhanced for Mimi, whose surface demeanor and the first impression you get from her suggest an almost opposite character to whom she actually is.

Disclaimer before we continue: While not to the same extent as Daisuke, Mimi’s disposition and personality have some significant differences in the American English dub compared to the original Japanese. As usual, this is not meant to be any particular comment about the dub’s changes, but simply that if you’ve only seen that dub, are reading this post, and are thinking “that doesn’t seem right?” that would probably be why.

Mimi’s family background and attitude prior to Adventure

Like with any of the other Adventure characters, understanding Mimi’s personality and why she acts the way she does is most easily done by starting with her family background.

We first meet Mimi’s family in Adventure episode 35.

There is a lot to unpack with only this scene alone, so let’s get started!

Mimi’s family is quite well-to-do. They’re not filthy rich or anything, but they’re well-to-do enough for Mimi’s father to work freelancer (he works in music). This means that Mimi grew up with a fairly “comfortable” life, probably getting pretty much anything she asked for -- in other words, she’s spoiled. It also explains why she’s actually pretty impeccably polite to everyone -- she adheres very firmly to honorifics when speaking to both elders and younger people, and never, ever speaks roughly or aggressively, because her parents have basically been raising her like a “lady of the house” (ojousama) or princess. (She does use casual-form Japanese, but she never lets up on the honorifics.)

They’re very open-minded. We learn in this episode that Mimi’s bizarre food tastes in liking natto on her eggs with sugar (from Adventure episode 6) most likely come from her mother, Satoe, cooking things like kimchi fried rice with whipped cream and strawberries. In other words, the family is very into the idea of “unconventional and strange” and has no qualms about it.

While Mimi in 02 is portrayed as liking practically any kind of fashion aesthetic imaginable, both her room and the overall decor of the apartment suggest that “in-your-face cute” is the generally favored one.

Mimi’s family is also extremely affectionate. They smother each other in lovey-dovey words, her father actively likes Satoe’s weird cooking ideas, and it’s a household where everyone seems to dote on and mutually love and support each other (Mimi’s parents are almost embarrassingly lovey-dovey) without restraint.

The result is that Mimi ends up “spoiled sweet” -- she’s pampered and used to a comfortable life where everyone dotes on her, but because of the family dynamic being so built on “affection” and “open-mindedness”, she also never develops a streak towards condescension or malice.

What does that mean, you might ask?

Mimi in Adventure

A lot of people remember Mimi by the fact that she was “whining a lot” in the early stages of Adventure, and the fact that she’s a “girly-girl” with some of the associated stereotypes. As a result, one may be surprised to hear that her behavior is actually supposed to be mostly representative of an average child in her situation, and she’s often described in press materials as “someone who can befriend anyone” or “someone who can get along with anyone”. Even her official website profile talks about how pretty much everyone considers her likeable.

This may seem difficult to believe at first, but you might actually notice a pattern when it comes to her “complaining” -- it pretty much always boils down to one of the following, or something along these lines:

I’m scared

I’m tired

I don’t like this/I don’t want that

I want a bath/bed/food/(some other home comfort)

I want to go home

In other words, Mimi is basically reacting like an average child would when thrown into another world out of nowhere! All of her complaints are out of low tolerance and high sensitivity -- all of these scary and uncomfortable things around her are making her feel bad, and she’s not hesitating to make that clear with her words.

However -- and this is very important -- these are all things she’s saying specifically because she’s now in a dangerous, unfamiliar situation in another world. All of these things are things she says defensively, because she’s sensitive to being uncomfortable or hurt, but she is also never aggressive towards others. In completely normal situations -- ones where all she’s doing is socializing at school -- it’s not hard to believe that she would actually be one of the nicest and most considerate people on the planet and that she would be instantly likeable to anyone she meets. Why? Because she lacks condescension or malice. She’s a very nice person who, if not for being under heavy stress, would never step on anyone’s toes. Even during those early episodes of Adventure, whenever there’s “down time” and they’re not in an uncomfortable situation or being chased by something, she goes back to being polite and respectful of others (remember: she’s one of the most adherent to honorifics among the cast), and is perfectly kind and agreeable with them.

As much as she may sometimes get demanding during the early episodes of Adventure, she also doesn’t expect her peers to cater to her nor does she look down on them. One of the biggest examples comes from the Adventure novel:

Mi–chan was pointing at the front of the bus, where a boy wearing a long–sleeved orange shirt was about to get off. Even Mimi knew who he was. They hardly ever talked together, but he was her classmate, Koushiro Izumi. Mi–chan wanted them to look at what Koushiro was carrying on his back – a wireless laptop. “Isn’t he so weird for bringing that all the way to camp?” Mi–chan sneered with mocking laughter, but Mimi didn’t laugh. She simply didn’t find any reason to.

In a situation where people are mocking this weirdo kid for bringing his laptop to camp, Mimi “sees no reason” to look down on him. To her, what’s the point? It’s not fun to be malicious towards others, and she sees no benefit in dunking on him. Hence, because she’s actually very polite and open-minded towards others, and doesn’t see any reason to be mean, she’s not mean, and so you can see why everyone would like her -- after all, she’s not only bright and cheerful, she’s also polite and kind! Who wouldn’t like such a nice person?

Mimi’s first “focus episode” is Adventure episode 6, and we already see a lot of these traits in action. Mimi gets to see the other kids making absolute fools of themselves under Monzaemon’s brainwashing, but the most she has to say is just observing that they seem to not be having fun, and being worried about their well-being. Once she finds out the truth behind what he did to them, she gets extremely angry on her friends’ behalf -- she actually calls them her “friends”, despite them barely knowing each other at this point!

And then when the Numemon step in to fight for her, despite her initially having been turned off by them (mainly because they make her uncomfortable, both by indulging in literal poop around her presence and by invading her personal space by flirting with her), she actually almost breaks down in tears over them!

What this all means is that Mimi’s “high sensitivity” also translates to something else: Mimi has extremely high empathy for others. In terms of being “sensitive”, she’s also sensitive to how other people feel. She worries about others’ welfare constantly, even when they’re poop-throwing slime monsters who had just flirted with her, or near-stranger classmates who just happen to have been thrown onto this adventure with her whom she barely knows. That’s why she’s so nice to other people -- she feels for them, and she constantly empathizes with others’ emotions, so that’s why she’s never rude to others nor does she step on their toes.

It’s also why, even after Koushirou rubs her the wrong way and momentarily causes her to lash out at him for being insensitive about her feelings in Adventure episode 10, she also never seems to hold a grudge against him thereafter (especially since, for as much as he was acting pretty frustrating, she understands he was doing it out of good intentions). In fact, Mimi is pretty much incapable of holding a grudge at all. (More on this later!)

Mimi’s most famous incident of “succumbing to her vices” is Adventure episode 25, when she ends up letting the Geckomon and Otamamon pamper her while stringing along and refusing to do the job they’d needed her for in the first place (singing to wake TonosamaGeckomon). Let’s go over what led to Mimi getting in this situation:

Mimi was basically at her limit. She had been in the Digital World for what had been implied to be months. Going that long without her bath or soft bed or comfort, it’s understandable that she finally let stress overcome her and succumbed to her vices in full. This is basically Mimi at one of her worst possible breaking points, not her most of the time.

Taichi, Jou, and their partners never gave her a very good reason why they should leave (Taichi never explained the problems going on in the real world, nor that he’d even taken a pit stop there) and now, for all she knows, they’re trapped in the Digital World forever, so when she sees an offer to make it all stop hurting, she naturally takes it -- especially when the people telling her to leave aren’t giving her any reason why except that she should.

Even despite all that, Mimi has a complete mental breakdown after her tantrum ends up throwing everyone in jail, dreaming about how everyone must hate her now and how even the Geckomon and Otamamon are tiring of her (the fact this pops up in her dream implies that she’d had a feeling this was coming for a while now). Sora comes to give her a little encouragement, but even she says that Mimi already really knows what she should be doing now. Mimi ends up bringing everyone out to apologize to them and fulfill her duty before the night is even over.

So let’s recap: Mimi is so empathetic and worried about other people’s feelings and what they think of her that, even in arguably one of the worst mental health crashes we’ve ever seen her have on screen, she still breaks down at the prospect of disappointing everyone and making them hate her to the point she immediately recognizes how far she’s fallen and takes it back before the night’s even over. That is how much other people, ranging from Taichi to a crowd of Digimon she’s only vaguely acquainted with, matter to her.

The full “payoff” for this episode in terms of the light of the Crest of Purity glowing and achieving Lilimon evolution does not happen until Adventure episode 35.

It is interesting for a lot of reasons, mainly because it involves all of the events happening in response to things that don’t sound very virtuous on their face (early in the episode, Mimi insensitively comments on Palmon being “bad taste”, and later in the episode she starts considering the Digimon tormenting others unforgivable).

The “Crest of Purity” (sometimes “Innocence”) is something that’s often been difficult to translate, mainly because the easiest words that come to mind often have other unwanted implications, but the real point of it is that, again, Mimi is lacking in malice. The way she talks to Palmon at the beginning of the episode indicates she really didn’t think Palmon would take it seriously (she even urges her to “not think too much into it”), only to find out at the end of the episode that she sort of kind of did. (Trust me, she’s very sorry about it.) The other thing is that, when she starts protesting at the Digimon at the end of the episode, she’s doing this specifically because she’s weeping on behalf of all of the tormented civilians (including her family) that are being caught in the crossfire. She’s so constantly empathetic towards other people that seeing other people hurt, regardless of how well she knows them, just eats her inside. So for her, those who cause that kind of suffering are unforgivable, because they’re inflicting that pain on others.

This is also what leads to her breakdown near the three-quarters mark of the series. Like with how she eventually came to empathize with the Numemon who fought on her behalf, Mimi holds no grudge against Scumon and Chuumon despite them having flirted with her earlier, and Chuumon taking a hit for her hurts her the deepest among all of the other kids. Because Mimi is so empathetic towards others, every death starts tearing away further until she finally can’t take it anymore. 

Mimi is fundamentally the kind of person who hates fighting, and even from day one she’d never liked it -- her way of “encouraging” fighting was more like hoping that Palmon (or her evolved forms) could survive. If she wanted to win, it was in the sense of wanting everyone to Not Die; she was never belligerent. But now that the actual body count of people she considers friends is rising, she associates fighting so deeply with that body count that the pain gets to her, and the last straw breaks in Adventure episode 45 in the form of two people she considers friends, Taichi and Yamato, getting in a fight. Everyone around her is hurt. Everyone around her is pain. The naturally empathetic Mimi feels all of this, and she thus decides to pull back from the fighting.

Mimi being such a firm pacifist does have its benefits -- not only does it mean that she holds no grudge against Ogremon in Adventure episode 46 and bid for treating his wounds even though Jou (understandably!) is initially more skeptical because of how he’d initially tried to kill them, she also creates a major dent in Ogremon’s “fated rival” philosophy towards Leomon by forcing him to question: so what if you do defeat your rival? Then what? What’s the point of fighting? Does it actually make you feel better to try and prove your strength this way? (Even Leomon, for all he’s portrayed as noble, is still shown to have a petty investment in his conflict with Ogremon in the following episode.) Ogremon tries not to think too hard about it, but Mimi questioning “what he would do if Leomon were gone” becomes a question he really does have to confront when Leomon dies in the next episode...

...which is also an important learning lesson for Mimi herself as well: fighting may cause collateral damage, but not fighting doesn’t help things either, because when less-than-virtuous forces are at work, casualties will happen either way. In fact, it’s even worse to be a sitting duck, because now you’re just doing nothing when people die right in front of you. Which is a lesson that Jou had wanted to tell her earlier, but didn’t know how to describe to her in words because of his own complicated feelings:

What he wanted to tell her was this: that he didn’t see any likelihood of co-existing with the Dark Masters, and that they had no other choice but to fight them. Even a neutral country like Switzerland had a military. They would be invaded by enemy countries without one. It would be nice and ideal if they used the nonviolent resistance approach as Ghandi did. But that didn’t mean it was okay to just be killed without lifting a finger… But not even he could find a good answer.

However, Mimi is still a pacifist. Even if she finally understands that fighting is necessary, that should not mean that she should now force herself to become someone gung-ho and enthusiastic about it. This is why, in Adventure episode 50, Jou contemplates different ways they can productively contribute to the fight -- because Mimi should not be obligated to personally fight herself when it’s not in her fundamental nature, and Jou personally does not feel that he’s very good at it. But Jou, having put some thought into “one’s own path”, realizes that literal physical violence fighting isn’t the only way to be “part of the fight” -- and so while Jou starts to realize that his unique role is becoming someone who can be a capable healer and doctor for those who are wounded, Mimi has her own talents that she can use to bring Digimon and other allies together. Because Mimi is a kind and charismatic person whom everyone finds likeable and would be willing to come along with, and since she holds no grudges against anyone, nobody would hold any grudges against her, so she’s perfect for the role of “bringing people together for the sake of what they want to protect”.

And she does. Adventure being a series that respects the contributions of those who don’t necessarily participate by direct fighting, Mimi’s rallying together of the Digimon becomes key to saving everyone in Adventure episode 52, and the fact that everyone’s together in the end makes for a great group photo.

Speaking of the final episode, in case the point hadn’t been driven home enough that Mimi’s the most empathetic and emotionally sensitive of the entire cast, the series famously ends on her very emotionally compromised farewell with Palmon. Of course, Palmon’s the one who kind of initiated it (she’s the one who initially refuses to see Mimi because she’s too emotionally compromised), but, after all, the series ends on Mimi being so frazzled about it that she loses her hat.

Mimi in 02 and beyond

As with the other Adventure kids, Mimi’s character arc continues in 02, and we learn a lot about her before she even makes her first personal appearance!

Firstly, we learn that Mimi’s moved to America. The in-universe reason is that it’s for her father’s work...or, at least, ostensibly so, because 02 episode 40 implies that the actual reason was that her parents wanted them to be away from Digimon incidents. (Which, of course, didn’t last very long.) The meta reason for Mimi moving, however, very likely has to do with the fact that 02 involves a subplot of Chosen Children appearing all over the world, and Mimi’s character involves an innate talent for bringing people together.

We learn in Two-and-a-Half Year Break that Mimi moved in 2001, only one year before 02′s events, and eventually got caught in the 9/11 incident -- where she met a number of other American Chosen Children in New York and, now much stronger of heart since the events of Adventure, was able to help them in the recovery efforts, despite there being a language barrier. With this, and the fact she’s shown at a huge party in 02 episode 14: they’re not kidding when they say Mimi can become friends with pretty much anyone. Even going to an entirely different country and dealing with a language and cultural barrier, Mimi is such a naturally kind and compassionate person that she immediately doesn’t have any problem fitting in. (Because, really, someone that level of kind and friendly is hard to dislike.) And in a world where international solidarity between Chosen Children is getting more and more important, that is a very valuable role to have.

The other thing we find out early about Mimi in 02 episode 2 is that Sora catches on that Miyako is a lot like Mimi, based on the fact that Miyako also is empathetic and has an aversion to fighting. And Sora’s completely right, because when Mimi does come into the picture, the similarities -- and differences -- between her and Miyako say a lot about both characters.

When Mimi arrives in Japan in 02 episode 6 (for her cousin’s wedding), she and Miyako immediately get along with each other, and Miyako instantly role-models her, to the point of claiming her as an honorary older sister (despite already having older sisters herself!). It’s not surprising; Mimi and Miyako are both very bright and cheerful people, and Miyako even shares the background of being slightly pampered by her family (although presumably more due to her being the youngest of several siblings). Mimi, for her part, continues her trend of being likeable and fond of pretty much everything (including even her beloved tuna-mayo onigiri that she hadn’t had for so long), and is perfectly happy to be tight with Miyako.

The Digitamamon incident in 02 episode 14, however, adds an extra layer into why Miyako idolizes Mimi so much besides Mimi just being cool in general: Mimi is kind, forgiving, mature, and incapable of holding a grudge -- to the point her pacifistic tendencies kick in even when Digitamamon gets hit by a Evil Spiral and she refuses to fight him, despite him literally starting to beat her up. Again, Mimi came to understand the inevitability of having to fight back in Adventure, but Digitamamon is, to her, a friend who was trying his hardest to turn over a new leaf -- so, naturally, she tries to see if she can appeal to his heart instead. Miyako, on the other hand, is on the opposite extreme -- she’s so judgmental about her poor first impression with Digitamamon that, despite fully knowing well that Evil Spirals cause their victims to lose their ability to have reason, keeps trying to use it as evidence that Digitamamon was a traitor from the get-go.

Considering that the “secondary Digimentals” arc is largely about Daisuke, Miyako, and Iori coming to terms with their deficiencies in their respective traits and aspiring to do better, Miyako unfavorably compares herself to Mimi because Mimi is everything she wants to be and currently isn’t. Unlike Mimi, Miyako is aggressive, in-your-face, occasionally judgmental, belligerent, sometimes insensitive (not by choice), and often shallow, which she fully admits to in this episode. Of course, the reason Miyako gets the Digimental of Purity (Mimi’s trait) is because she hates this about herself -- even in 02 episode 31, she gives herself no shortage of grief for her foot-in-mouth syndrome and the fact she’s not as “kind” of a person she wants to be, and she herself is also fundamentally devoid of malice, just quick to jump to conclusions and a bit sidetracked by first impressions. (After all, Mimi was guilty of being accidentally insensitive when she called Palmon lacking in taste back in Adventure; the point is that when both of them do it, they really don’t mean badly, and end up sorry for it later.)

But that’s a story for another post about Miyako; more importantly, the reason Miyako is harsh on herself about this in this episode is that, in many ways, she’s everything Mimi is not, because Mimi is empathetic and mature and polite and never steps on anyone’s toes.

02 episode 25 gives us more to work with; first of all, she’s depicted in yet another completely different hair and fashion style (which she brings up another of during the winter season), and her drastic shifts in style indicate more of her “open-mindedness”; she’s open to trying out tons of new things and is willing to like just about anything. More importantly, however, she turns out to be completely open-minded about recruiting Ken to help out, even though she’s well aware of what he’d done as the Kaiser (and, again, Miyako sees her ability to be forgiving as something to look up to). Because, again, Mimi doesn’t hold a grudge; she doesn’t send anything accusatory or forceful to Ken, but simply believes that he should be given the chance to know what’s going on and help out if he so chooses, which becomes key to Miyako herself also choosing to accept Ken at the end of the episode.

Given that Mimi is portrayed as so open-minded towards trying all sorts of things, it’s probably no surprise that her “career” in Kizuna is so different from what we eventually know she’ll be doing in the epilogue -- instead of her cooking show, we see her running an online shopping business. After all, with her being so open-minded about wanting to do potentially anything, it’s very like her to "dabble” in a few different experimental things before (or perhaps “without”!) settling for something. What we know about this business is also quite on brand for her; her business specializes in “cute” (her preferred aesthetic, which she also shamelessly dresses in), and she’s established as setting up business all over the world to the point she has to constantly travel. Presumably, her natural charisma made it easy for her to set up connections.

Interestingly, her website profile also omits any discussion of any kind of university or other post-secondary education, implying that, unlike the others, she chose to dive directly into her career after high school. Again, it’s quite like her to find something she wanted to do and pursue it the moment it was in front of her -- no matter what it is, as long as it’s interesting.

Mimi’s largest amount of focus in regards to the movie is in To Sora, where she’s seen checking in on Sora after noticing she hasn’t been in the group chat in a while -- again, as someone constantly empathetic to how her friends are doing, it’s natural that she’s the one who catches on and decides she needs to check in. As someone who loves uplifting and supporting her friends first and foremost, she happens to be fully aware of what everyone’s currently up to (compare how Taichi had to be actively updated on Sora and Takeru’s status from Yamato in the movie proper), and also provides nothing but positive supportiveness to Sora’s troubles during their conversation -- as usual, always respectful and polite, and never condescending.

And, of course, she naturally empathizes with Sora having hesitation about fighting -- both because she’s been busy herself, but also because she, of course, understands exactly how it feels for fighting to be emotionally taxing -- and declares that she’ll support Sora with whatever she does, just like how she found her own path back in Adventure by choosing to contribute by bringing people together instead of fighting. She makes do on this promise as well, considering that she keeps up with supporting Sora during her exhibition.

By the time of the 02 epilogue, Mimi has decided to change tracks entirely and go for cooking, which, while being very different, is also very on-brand. This time, the part about “cooking” is something that comes from her family, since, after all, experimental cooking (...of some kind) was something Satoe got the whole family to embrace. The exact nature of her job is literally “culinary researcher”, which is a Japanese catch-all to refer to the sort of “food critic” who experiments with food and writes extensively (or, in this case, runs a TV show) about different ways you can enjoy and put together food, which also goes in mind with her streak of “open-mindedness”. The common point is, really, that everything Mimi does comes out of positivity, supportiveness, and love.

[shuuenmei]

partner

TWST OC Week Day 7: AU

BEFORE WE BEGIN:

For the last day of TWST OC Week, I picked AU and after some brainstorming, I decided to pick a Pokémon AU.

Or rather, a Pokémon crossover AU where Yuu (Rei) comes from the Pokémon universe instead.

This was a personal AU I had in mind for some while but placed on a backburner since I wanted to focus on the main fic first.

But with TWST OC Week, I thought it’s a good chance to revisit the AU again.

Without further ado, here we go!

I’m glad to be doing this event and it’s been fun!

Yuu doesn’t know what to expect when a seemingly mutated, talking, Shiny Zorua threatened to burn her if she didn’t hand over her clothes.

She only realized that she wore a whole robe and new attire, but internally panicked when her bag wasn't around, nor the fact that she has no Pokéball at hand.

So she had to trap the unknown monster back in the coffin she initially awoke to before escaping.

By luck, she met a petite, but older than he seemed student who healed her burns but the monster chased after her before being stopped by a man who claimed to be the Headmaster of this strange academy she was brought to.

“Ah, I found this bag and belt with peculiar looking metallic balls attached to it earlier, they must be yours, yes?”

The Headmaster waved his hand to show her belt with six Pokéballs intact and sling bag.

She hastily took the items and thanked the man. “Thank you sir... it seems my things were separated from me when that monster attacked me.”

“Attacked?”

He turned to the monster and frowned. “So it comes down to the fault of your Familiar.”

What, he’s not-

The headmaster didn’t listen, but the boy...student, with her, Lilia, listened and they talked along the way.

Checking the things inside her bag and her Party on hand as they did so.

________________________________________________________________

The mutated talking Zorua burned the whole room just shortly after the talking magical mirror declared that she had no magic.

The experiences and senses she honed as a trainer being the saving grace that lets her avoid the flames.

As the whole room set into a panic, she took a Pokéball that held her longtime friend, family, and partner.

Gazing at the ball for a moment, she murmured.

“Let’s go, partner. You ready?”

The Pokémon inside it nodded at her with a resolute gaze.

With a nod, she threw the Pokéball to the air.

“Gabriel! Sparkling Aria!”

Her long trusted Primarina landed gracefully on the ground and sang, large water bubbles formed all around them, appearing out from the air and the bubbles burst.

Water spreads all over and extinguishes the flames that appeared.

“Fnah!? My flames!” The mutated Zorua exclaimed but she paid no heed to what was going on behind or around her.

She’s only focused on seeing the flames gone and snuffed out.

In spite of the chaotic situation she found herself into, she’s glad that she’s not alone.

________________________________________________________________

Gabriel made quick work on the flames and the flames are gone by seconds.

The mutated Zorua was caught and she observed a red-haired student chant. “Off With Your Head!”

A large lock shaped collar was magically put in place at the monster.

After some words were exchanged, the boy turned to her. “This is your familiar, is it not?”

The Headmaster chimed in. “Yes! Do something about him! This is your familiar is it-”

Water was blasted on his face before the man could finish.

Turning to her furious partner, she chided. “Hey! I know you’re offended that he assumed that the mutated Zorua who threatened me to go naked is part of the team but you can’t just shoot a Water Gun at anybody!”

“Eh...? He isn’t yours?” The man repeated.

“Gabriel wouldn’t have been offended enough to blast water on your face otherwise.”

“I, I see...” The man looked at her Primarina, who only gave him an angry look in return, readying another blast of water.

“Come on Gab, calm down.” She held and stroked her partner’s hair.

“Pardon me,” The red haired boy called for her, “... you said he threatened you to what?” The red haired boy questioned.

“I woke up from the coffin because that monster,” She pointed to it, “burned the coffin, and then told me to strip naked from these clothes or he’ll burn me to death.”

Silence followed.

“...If that’s the case,” A lavender haired student with the red haired boy spoke. “it’s no wonder your partner is upset enough to attack the headmaster for his wrong assumption.”

She nodded at him. “Gabriel’s my longtime partner, I’d never replace Gabriel over some mutated talking Zorua.”

“Mutated what?”

“A Zorua.” She spoke. She had some suspicion about what kind of world she got brought into but she had to ask. “Do you not have Pokémon here?”

“...What’s a Pokémon?”

Oh boy.

________________________________________________________________

With the monster who called himself as Grim sent away, her status as coming from another world where, in their words, people tame magical monsters on a daily basis, being open news to the students present, but unable to return back to where she once came from, the Headmaster lets her stay around as he finds a way to bring her back to her original world, added onto his own surprise that she is a girl, and that the academy is actually an all-boys school.

She isn’t too worried about being trapped here for the while.

If anything, once the news of her going missing goes around, the Ultra Recon Squad and those from Aether Foundation would likely go and find her via the Ultra Wormhole.

They would have gotten in touch with Selene too by then.

Meanwhile, she was brought to an unused dorm that was planned to be repurposed on a later date.

She is now looking at her PC Box via the Portable PC, a new technology from Galar that lets you open your PC anywhere and anytime that is just recently applied in Sinnoh PC’s.

Speaking of Sinnoh... she was last walking around Route 214 back home, wasn’t she?

How did she get here-

Gabriel’s nudging brought her out of her thoughts.

��...Yeah, we should make the best of things for the time being.” She nodded.

At least the Pokémon in her PC Box are safe and the PC can still be used, even in another world.

Though she had to think of how she can manage to bring some of her Pokémon out and not get them stuck in the PC Box for too long.

She got enough berries, over a hundred, she last counted, obtained from renovating her Poké Pelago for years, so food for her Pokémon and her own person wouldn’t be a problem.

She knows the basic housework and the like at least, and can cook things decently.

She also got enough clothes, be it undergarments and others.

But first…

“We got a lot to clean up, don’t we?”

Gabriel nodded at her.

Time to get started.

________________________________________________________________

She would have gotten started if not for the monster she mistook as a mutated Shiny Zorua sneaking back in, only behaving once she threatened to have Gabriel shoot water at him if he didn’t, and dealing with the resident ghosts who were bothering her, thinking she’d be easy to play around with if it weren’t for Gabriel being way powerful for the ghosts to handle.

She had to convince the Headmaster to let the monster, Grim, stay if not for the fact that he’d do more harm if he is kicked out again.

“Ah, speaking of, would you like to register Grim-kun together with you as a student?”

“...What?”

The Headmaster explained. “We have some cases where students register as a 2-in-1 student due to circumstances. Considering that of yours and Grim-kun’s desire to enter the school, wouldn’t it have worked out?”

“...No, I’d rather register with Gabriel and my Pokémon than to register together with Grim.”

“Fnah!? Why!?”

She shook her head and reasoned, staring at the Headmaster. “You’re implying as if you want to replace my longtime friend, partner and family over a stranger. I refuse to have my partners be replaced by anybody.”

She looked down at Grim next. “And honestly, you still need a lot of work to do and understand what’s appropriate and inappropriate for people. Telling people to strip naked and burn them if things don’t go your way is not it.”

“...That’s true.” The Headmaster agreed.

“...I shall register you and… who would be your main partner?”

“Gabriel.” She spoke without hesitation.

“Alright, Gabriel-kun and Yuu-san. You two will be students from tomorrow on, while Grim-kun will be on probation until he is deemed ready to be a student.”

She nodded.

Sounds good to her.

________________________________________________________________

“So you’re choosing Popplio, young Yuu?”

Yuu nodded at Hala.

She is only twelve this year.

Her parents advised her to move with her cousins to Hau’Oli city, Alola, from Sinnoh last year and she still needs some time to get used to Alola weather.

It’s too hot, and she personally missed the cold, chilly air of Sinnoh.

Then her uncle suggested she try and take the island challenge and see if she can dethrone the first ever champion of Alola, Selene, who took charge three years ago.

With little to do beyond hanging around Iki Town and wandering around Hau’Oli, with her cousins off to their own adventures, she decided she might as well take it.

The Popplio clapped in glee and hopped towards her.

She held her first… rather, second, Pokémon, smiling. “Nice to meet you, Gabriel.”

Popplio welcomed the nickname with a cheerful bark. Followed by another cry of triumph.

Gabriel stared at the newcomer.

She noticed it’s gaze and introduced Gabriel to her technically first Pokémon she befriended.

“Oh, this stardust looking little guy? The name’s Aster. Aster’s not really someone I want to use in battles since Aster doesn’t seem like the kind to like fights right now, but Aster’s a friend.”

Aster the Cosmog smiled at Gabriel, excited at the thought of having a new friend.

[charliesradiodemon]

Corruption

Hello! This is a LATE birthday present for my dear friend @sesukytes ^.^

Happy late bday my dood <3

ENJOY 

With Vaggie and Angel out of her life and the hotel still empty, Charlie’s fears became realized. She failed again. Even with a successful redemption program, nobody was interested.

At that point she didn’t know what to do anymore. She didn’t know what she could do anymore.

________________________________

Alastor resided to biding his time after witnessing Angel ascend to Heaven. It was a great shock that the naive little princess seemed to have finally made a breakthrough, but it seemed that it didn’t matter. He waited around to see if the rabble would bite and come running for a “better life”, but not a single desperate soul came even after two months.

Having been bored sick of his empty investment, Alastor decided to make his own move. A month had passed after he heard that Vaggie had ascended and Charlie refused to even leave the hotel. She’d been silent and wasn’t answering his calls nor calling him back.

“A shame, really...” he muttered while stiffly rapping his fingers on his pristine mahogany desk, not caring whether his sharp claws broke through the polish or not. He knew things couldn’t continue as they were. He was generous enough to give her time to recoup and continue on but his patience had finally reached its expiration date.

________________________________

When he walked up to her bedroom door, he already knew exactly what he needed to do. And in her state, leaving her would push her further down the spiral of despair. If he played it right, her broken expression could make up for the waste of time that he spent waiting on the hotel; not that he had many high hopes for it in the first place.

‘To see the broken look on her face...’

Alastor knocked before entering, a bit too eager see the final dregs of hope leave his partner.

What he found was truly pitiful.

She hadn’t been crying, but seemed as if she’d cried herself dry. Instead, she just stared at him blankly, looking broken and lifeless; not at all like her peppy self. Her eye sockets seemed to hollow in, her hair disheveled and somehow she seemed impossibly thinner than ever. When he looked into her eyes he found that the spark was nonexistent, leaving a blank gaze as if all that was left was an empty husk of a being.

Any fun he could have breaking her now was completely drained.

She was pitiful and it took him much effort to find a reason to stick around any longer. Without her life or her smile, Charlie was just a broken doll he couldn’t play with let alone break any further.

As she still said nothing to him, Alastor looked to her nightstand. There, an assortment of litter and tissues laid. In the center of it all: a small framed photo of her and her family sat. She looked to be younger than the portrait in the lobby, but still old enough to be considered a teen.

It was an unremarkable photo in all regards. He’d seen far too many of these family portraits around the hotel and the palace when he visited Lucifer. It seemed odd how family oriented the Magnes were considering how broken the relationship between Charlie and her parents were.

But unlike the ones Alastor had seen before, Charlie looked different. His eyes lingered on the visible horns protruding from her skull, standing tall and proud and unabashedly her’s. In the few family portraits Alastor had seen, Charlie seemed to purposefully hide her horns away even while her mother’s were displayed proudly.

He’d seen her horns and teases of her form in photos, paintings and on live television before, but Charlie had never looked so proud to show off her demonic features than in the photo on her nightstand. She was never ashamed of her demonic form, but rarely had she ever used her features. From what Alastor could remember from his time with her, he realized that she never utilized her demonic form or any powers.

He wasn’t even sure she even had any powers. He reckoned that she had to considering that she was a product of Lucifer, the most powerful being in Hell.

Alastor’s eyes fell back to the skeletal being before him and mulled over a thought that popped into his mind.

He could fix her- improve her even. She was practically a blank slate now, could he really pass up the opportunity? They could discover what exactly she was capable of together. Imagining the possibilities with the princess of Hell was just too enticing to let go.

Granted it wasn’t what he originally intended nor was he one to pick up fixer uppers, but he couldn’t just let the daughter of Lucifer waste away. It wasn’t like he had another venture lined up anyway.

________________________________

He continued to visit her daily, bringing her homemade food, clean clothes, linens and anything else she could need to cheer her up. He would talk to her, try to liven her up and keep her up-to-date on the latest news. Though she initially answered with single worded answers, it was clear his efforts were working as their conversations got longer as her state improved

Little by little, she opened up to him more and more. And in a short amount of time, she seemed to be back to a semblance of normal. And although she physically looked better and spoke more, Charlie was still missing the soul and spark that she’d lost.

Though Alastor didn’t mind. It was just all a part of the process.

Now, after a few weeks of nurturing her, it was time to get the ball rolling.

“All I’m trying to tell you sweetheart, is that you have been holding yourself back. You have so much potential for so much more! Aren’t you the slightest bit curious about what you can do?” Alastor sat on the edge of her bed, facing Charlie who had her legs drawn up to her chest.

Charlie held her knees tighter to her chest and frowned. “Not really...”

“What a shame! It could prove useful for your endeavors. Now that you know redemption is possible, you’ll need to attract more souls to your hotel!”

“I don’t know Al...”

He sat on the edge of her bed and reached over to place a hand on her cheek, drawing her attention to his softened gaze. “Trust me, my dear. I haven’t led you astray before haven’t I? You’ve already done all you could. Allow me to help this time.”

As much as she didn’t like the idea, she knew he was right. Now that she knew redemption was possible, she could help people get to Heaven. But did she have the energy or power to do that when everyone still doubted her? Nobody took her seriously and she doubted anybody would believe what she did at that point. Hesitant, but without many other options, Charlie nodded. “Okay, but I’m not making a deal with you.”

Alastor chuckled, smiling a bit brighter in response to the bit of spunk returning to her. “Not a problem sweetheart. I wouldn’t have expected it any other way.”

Another week passing meant another week gaining Charlie’s wholehearted trust. 

Alastor had to admit, it was enjoyable watching her grow back into the person she was before. She even smiled on the rare occasion. But as pleasant he’d found that her company was, he needed to get her going.

Having known her father, Alastor knew that Lucifer had the ability to subjugate and pacify any demon at will. Any demon under his will would fall into a trance-like state and obey all orders, even if it meant permanent death for that demon. All he needed to do now was see if Charlie had inherited this ability from her father.

He brought it up to her, presented as an idea to bring in patients.

As expected, she seemed hesitant. “That doesn’t seem right Al.”

“Don’t you want to help your people? How else are they going to find salvation if they aren’t convinced?”

She paused, seemingly convinced yet careful. “They won’t...”

Alastor nodded, standing from her bed. “Exactly! And the longer you wait for them to come crawling to you, the more that will perish by the next cleanse! I know that you want to help your people, don’t you sweetheart?” He turned to her and extended a hand. “Now why don’t we try? It’s about time you’ve left your cave and let the world see your dazzling smile, so let’s kill two birds with one stone?”

Charlie looked between him and his hand several times while she deliberated her decision. If she did nothing, would things get any better? Alastor was so willing to help her in her time of need- even more so than Vaggie ever had.

What was wrong with trying?

She took his hand, earning her a wide grin and a strong tug from the man. With a yelp, she flew off her bed and into his waiting arms. In an unexpected turn of events, Alastor wrapped his arms around her.

Warmth filled her. When was the last time she’d gotten a hug from anyone? Months ago from Vaggie probably.

“A solid choice my dear! Might I say that I’m impressed with your resolve!” He bent away to find tears rolling down her cheeks. Bothered by their existence, he wiped them away with his index finger. “Why the tears, Charlie?”

“I... I just want to thank you for being here Alastor. I-I don’t want to th-think about where I’d be without you here...”

Alastor chuckled and gently placed his hand on top of her head. She was his now, there was no doubt about that anymore.

“Think nothing about it. I didn’t think I would ever find myself caring about another’s well being.” He said partially truthful.

Once she composed herself, Charlie left the hotel for the first time in nearly three months while holding Alastor’s hand for support. She’d almost forgotten what her home had looked like. The blood-red hue of the sky, the faint smell of rotting flesh; it was something she didn’t know she missed.

Still holding his hand tightly, Alastor led her out to the streets to get down to business. He’d waited far too long for this moment and he was all too eager to get started. “I believe your ability is innate, meaning if you just wanted it enough, anyone could be bent to your will,” he looked about the busy streets but quickly perked up. “Why not try it on that one there?” He said, pointing ahead of them.

When Charlie looked, there was a scraggly three-armed man sitting on the sidewalk holding a cardboard sign that simply read: “help” in crude lettering. He was a hulking purple giant of a man, taking up most of the walkway on the street. Had he not been so massive, the passerbys would have probably scowled at him for being so invasive. The purple demon also appeared to have a permanent frown on his face that made him even less approachable.

“I believe the man needs help, he’s practically asking for it dear,”

Charlie grimaced, suddenly feeling an awful twist of wrongness in her gut.

Alastor quickly sensed her hesitation by her tighter grip on his hand. “Charlie darling, I know you can do it. You can help that man. If you can do it, he’ll never have to beg in the streets again! You wouldn’t deprive him of that chance now would you? You know he certainly wouldn’t survive the next cleanse being so exposed like this,”

Again, he was right. Alastor was always right, and Charlie knew that well.

But still, it just didn’t sit right.

Alastor bent toward her, getting close so that she could only focus on him. Charlie stared into his ruby-red eyes, confusion in her eyes. “I will be here with you all the way.”

She hesitated a bit longer, biting down on her lips and looking down to the ground.

‘Alastor’s always right.’ She reminded herself in her head.

“Okay.”

They approached and Alastor let go of Charlie’s hand to watch her with anticipation from behind her.

Charlie forced a friendly smile on her face and waved up to the seated man. “Uh hi!”

The beggar man didn’t seem amused. “You got money?”

“I have something even better!”

“Meth?”

“Nope! I-I uh, I have a hotel! That redeems souls so that they can go to Heaven!”

The purple demon huffed a laugh. “Oh I know this scam! You want me to go with you to this hotel of yours and you’ll take my organs and use me for meat,” he crossed his two arms and let his third hand give Charlie the bird. “Yeah no thanks, bitch. Get lost.”

Before she could walk away dejectedly, Alastor held her shoulders to keep her in place and whispered in her ear. “Demand it. It will only work if you demand him with confidence. Try it again.”

She took a deep breath. ‘He’s always right.’ She subconsciously reminded herself once more.

“Hey didn’t I say get lost? The fuck you still-“

“You will come with me and stay at the hotel. You will work toward redemption to Heaven and stay there.” She stated firmly and devoid of emotion.

The man closed his mouth, removing the scowl on his face. Not even a moment later, he stood and looked to Charlie expectantly. “Sure thing.” He said with barely any emotion behind his own answer.

Charlie’s eyes widened and she gasped, feeling her heart race. Quickly she turned to Alastor and shot him an unsure look. “Al... I... I think I did it...”

Alastor chuckled and approached, studying the man for a moment. When Alastor leaned in close to the dirtier demon’s face, the other man did not react with any hostility, just with an innocently confused look on his face. Satisfied with the results, he turned back to Charlie and nodded “Yes you did, dear. Now, let’s check him in, hm?”

________________________________

Everything ran smoothly from the first patient in the hotel. Charlie began subjugating the homeless population quickly to beat the cleanse deadline. Every day she got into a normal routine that made bounds in her development. She quickly became much more confident, and most importantly: more reliant on Alastor and his opinions.

Alastor stood beside her wherever she went like he was a part of her being. Though he could be described as her shadow, Charlie seemed to be slowly melting into his.

She began doing everything he suggested. From subjugating whoever he pointed out, to smiling almost all the time, she was improving to his standards rapidly and eagerly.

He was her new constant in life, her lifeline and her only friend.

________________________________

With only days remaining until the next cleanse, the streets of Pentagram City were cleared of a large portion of its homeless population. She’d redeemed such a large amount of people that could have been lost to the cleanse and she was proud of it.

“Darling, the angels are coming this way.”

Charlie gasped, sprinting up to the window next to Alastor. What she found was a team of four angels making their way toward the hotel with deadly purpose. “What? Why?”

“They probably know where a large mass of demons are.” Alastor said calmly with a shrug. 

It was time to awaken another power within her. He didn’t have a hand in this arrangement, but he wasn’t complaining. This was the perfect motivation to get Charlie going and he was giddy to figure out what was next. 

Watching the figures get closer and closer, Charlie’s heart began to race with frustration and panic. “They can’t do that! I’m helping people!”

“They don’t seen to care.”

She laced her fingers in her hair, quickly losing her cool. “What do we do? We can’t relocate everyone! There’s too many of them!”

“I suppose we’ll have to fight.” 

Charlie whipped her head around and stared her companion down in disbelief. “Al, that goes against what I’m trying to do here!”

“Then everyone perishes.”

‘He’s right, Alastor is always right.’

“...Okay. Let’s go then.”

________________________________

“Kill it.”

“W-what?”

“Kill it, or else it will keep coming.”

“B-but...”

Alastor bent, still looming over her and the writhing angel she’d caught in her grasp. He took her chin to look him in the eye. “You must, or else everyone will be in danger.”

Charlie’s head began to spin, her heart racing and the adrenaline rushed through her. ‘Everyone will die. All my hard work...’ She needed to do it. She needed to for her people’s sake.

Alastor let her go, allowing her to decide. If she truly put her full trust in him, he knew she’d do it. It was only a matter of time.

But he didn’t have to wait too long.

Charlie’s grip on the angel’s throat tightened, earning a gurgle from the struggling being. It couldn’t muster the strength to thrash nor could it dig its fingers in to try to pry the hand around its throat off.

She watched it struggle- watched the life slowly leave it. It was suffering. It was fighting so hard to live. It was a sad sight, yet Charlie’s pity for it quickly left as Alastor whispered in her ear. “That’s it, darling. Remember, they hold no remorse slaughtering your people. They even smile as they do so. So why don’t you smile as you return the favor?” He paused before chuckling.

He craned his head around to look at her face to find a smile forming on her face. “There you are. And what a lovely smile, Charlie. Truly a vision.”

Smile? Was she really smiling? How could she smile as she was killing something? Why did it feel so good? 

The sudden squelch as well as the splattering of warm blood on Charlie’s face instantly removed her grin. The angel stopped squirming, but slid downward from her bloodied hand. Without a head atop its shoulders, there was nothing left for Charlie to grip. With two audible thuds, she watched as the body of the angel slumped over with the head rolling a bit away from its body. 

‘Incredible strength, but I’m not surprised.’ Alastor thought, impressed by her feat. It took a great amount of strength to decapitate a being by just squeezing its neck.    

He placed his hands on either side of her shoulders from behind to assure her. “No matter how many you kill, it’s not your patient’s sin. You cannot go to Heaven anyway dear so you’d might as well take the burden and protect them, right?”

She looked down at the angel’s headless body on the ground. “To protect them?”

He turned her slightly and stood in front of her. He gently placed a hand on her head, keeping her grounded. “Yes. I’m proud of you, Charlie.” It wasn’t a lie, he felt immense pride in the progress she’d made.

‘Proud of me?’ She questioned mentally. She pried her eyes off of the sin she’d just committed to whip her gaze to Alastor. “Alastor...” She whispered, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.

“Yes dear?”

She didn’t say anything and instead jumped to wrap her arms around him, catching him off-guard.

He felt her trembling followed by an unmistakable moistness touching his bare chest. “My dear, don’t cry.”

His eyes narrowed as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. “I’m here. I won’t leave you.”

‘And all you need is me.’

[maybankiara]

PHONE SWAP (DREW STARKEY)

12: THE MORE THE MERRIER

summary: Addie Mallory is just your average economics student when she meets Drew Starkey at her local Target in Atlanta. This is where the story is supposed to end – a short meeting and a picture to go – except Drew accidentally leaves with the wrong phone, and the story begins, instead.

w/c: 3k

a/n: all questions and complaints to be sent to my po box, thanks

read on wattpad

previous part | series masterlist

Me | 6:12pm Hey! Do you know where most people are meeting up?

Winnie O’Connell | 6:12pm I’ve got no clue but Holden Wes and Marea are coming to mine at 6:30 and we’re leaving a little after 7, Wes isn’t drinking. You can come with us!! The more the merrier 🥰

Me | 6:13pm That sounds great!! Thank youuu

Winnie O’Connell | 6:13pm No problem girl ❤ Winnie O’Connell | 6:13pm You remember where I live right?

Me | 6:14pm Yep! I should be there a in 25-30

Winnie O’Connell | 6:14pm Can’t wait to see you!! 😘

Me | 6:15pm You too 😊

◇

Addie leaves the flat looking—hopefully—decent enough for a night out with colleagues. She’s aware of the fact that all these people have been on a fair share on nights out together by now, and she’s not entirely sure about the dress code, but she went with what seemed the most appropriate – a deep, dark green tube top and a matching high-waisted skirt, with a stylish leather jacket Marianne let her steal for the night. She managed to stuff all her belongings into the jacket’s pockets, even the strawberry-scented tinted chapstick that Marianne forced to take, even if her lips are too dark for the chapstick’s light pink to make the slightest difference.

  The Uber picks her up and leaves her at Winnie’s address shortly after forty past six, just like she planned. Addie stands in front of the tall, expensive-looking building feeling insufferably small, despite her height and the platform shoes that are currently making her stand even taller. She smooths out the nonexistent creases on her skirt and tells herself she’s freaking out over nothing, then rings the bell.

  Winnie lets her in within a moment and a minute later, the elevator has taken her to the top floor.

  Addie stands in front of the entrance door, and hesitates.

  The first and only time she’s ever been to Winnie O’Connell’s apartment was on the very first week of the internship. Their bosses were still trying to see whom Addie would work the best with, and Winnie was the first who had a case that involved economic matters that Winnie, as a recent lawyer, couldn’t do on her own. They spent the evening at hers, working through the case until they cracked it with enough Indian takeout to keep them going. 

  Winnie might’ve been the first person to offer her friendship, yet Addie refused it in favour of a strictly professional relationship she’d deemed necessary to work on that case, and any other. She’s lucky that Winnie doesn’t hold grudges and didn’t even act as if it was out of the ordinary when Addie asked to join one of their nights out.

  Finally, with a deep breath, Addie knocks.

  Winnie opens the door with a bright smile on her face. She’s taller than usual, sporting a pair of high heels that are a few inches taller than her usual attie, combined with a little black dress that accentuates her curves in all the good ways; Addie’s first thought is that Marianne would like this dress. Her second thought is that she nailed the dress code.

  ‘Addison, hi!’ Winnie pulls her into a tight hug, smelling of a warm floral perfume. ‘I’m glad you’re here, we’re just about to start a little drinking game.’

  Addie smiles. ‘That sounds great.’

  The girl moves to the side and lets her in. The door shuts with a click and Winnie’s heels make nearly the same sound across the wooden floor as she leads Addie into the apartment. She stops at the end of the hallway, right where it expands into what Addie recalls to be a massive living room.

  ‘I’ll just go and grab you a drink,’ says Winnie. She steps through the door on the side, closer than the living room, and Addie catches a glimpse of a silver, minimalistic kitchen. ‘The others are in the living room.’

  With that, Winnie enters the kitchen, and Addie makes her way into the living room.

  ‘ADDISON!’

  Her lips stretch into a large, toothy grin at Wes Tucker’s voice, enlarging as her eyes fall upon the boy. Wes is someone a person can’t help but notice – cheerful and always making a point to be the loudest in a room, with a talent for accomplishing the most by doing the least. He’s also yet another person whose friendship Addie refused, yet it doesn’t seem to matter to him, either.

  He’s giving her one of the biggest smiles she’s ever seen on him, and he looks casually elegant in a simple black t-shirt and jeans. ‘We’re all very happy you finally decided to join us.’

  ‘Well, it was about time, right?’

  ‘Fuck yeah. Now get here, we’re about to play Charades and Holden needs a partner since Marea’s sitting this one out.’

  Addie’s gaze drops to the girl sitting at the furthest end of the table, a phone pressed to her cheek and lips stretched into a slight smile. She waves at her, and Marea’s smile increases just a little, as she speaks to whoever’s on the phone. Addie doesn’t think it’s Italian (which Addie is pretty sure is her native language). With her dark locks and matching eyes, slightly tan skin, and a sharp jaw, she looks on edge and filled with kindness at once.

  A chair screeches. Addie turns her head, and her eyes meet Holden’s. 

  ‘Hey,’ he greets, flashing her a set of impeccably white teeth. ‘You ready to get this started?’

  She nods, letting her face relax and shoulders drop. ‘Let’s get it on.’

  ‘Great!’

  Addie takes a seat where Holden’s pulled the chair out for her, right next to him. Winnie comes a few seconds later and gives everyone a new round of drinks, which Addie suspects isn’t their first nor second, either. They clink them together (‘To the internship!’) and get started with Charades.

  The sweetness masks the taste of alcohol, and Addie goes through her drink quickly. Marea leaves the room the moment they begin playing because Winnie is the one acting out in the first round, and the petite brunette holds a lot more vocal power in her than Addie would’ve guessed. When they finish, Wes high-fives her as they count the cards, and threatens Addie and Holden with fire in his eyes. 

  Addie laughs, and for the first time in three months, feels like she’s finally experiencing the full offer of the internship. 

  It’s her and Holden’s turn, and he offers her to pick, so she panic-chooses guessing. He groans and she learns soon enough that Holden isn’t the best at miming. The sand is out of the hourglass, and both of them are out of breath. 

  They’re still faster than the other two, winning the round. 

  Holden wipes his forehead with the back of his hand, shaking his head as he gives her a smile. ‘That was a lot.’

  ‘Mhm,’ says Addie. ‘The only reason why we won is because they’re worse, not because we’re good.’

  ‘Ouch. Let’s see if you’re any better.’

  She ends up being better, after all, or it’s just the initial awkwardness of being partners outside of their workplace finally going away. Addie guessed they would make a good team, given how well they get along at work, but it’s still nice to get a confirmation. Also, Holden offers to buy her a drink when they get to the bar as an apology for doubting her, and she can’t really say no to that.

  At the end of the day, Addie is just a girl who likes boys, and Holden just so happens to have swapped his usual three-piece with a navy blue t-shirt and a pair of fitted black jeans, losing some of the office stiffness, too. He’s more at ease than she’s ever seen him, with eyes that tell the intimacy of an inside joke, and there’s something oddly charming about him. 

  Her hands move a stray curl out of her face and she focuses back on Wes and Winnie, who are shuffling the cards, and she feels her breath flutter as she exhales.

  i’ve been single for way too fucking long.

  For the rest of the game, half of Addie’s focus remains on the boy sitting next to her. They get through a few more rounds, getting better each time. She’s aware of how close their knees are, of the bittersweet scent of his cologne, of the way he seems to pick up on her mannerisms quickly and easily enough to turn the game into child’s play. 

  Marea comes back a little before they’re supposed to leave. Wes leads them to his car, a silver Subaru, ordering Marea in the front and the other three in the back. The car’s big enough for them to fit comfortably with Addie in the middle, but not enough for them to not be touching.

  Addie doesn’t budge for the entirety of the ride, but neither does Holden.

  The bar where they end up meeting the rest of the people from the internship is located in the northern part of the city. It’s full of people roughly their age, drinking beer straight out of the bottle while playing pool or watching others sing karaoke at the back – basically, as Marianne would say it, it’s the “American bootleg version of an honest-to-god English pub”.

  Their table is in-between the lousy bunch sitting at the bar and the loud bunch playing pool. Addie slides into the booth with Nadia to her left, and Mark and Diego a little further. The ones sitting beside them are the ones she doesn’t really know, as they’re from a different department, and neither they nor are among those few who travel from one to another given the occasion. Addie checks the time on her phone, seeing she’s got a text from Marianne, but chooses to ignore it for the time being.

  Holden slides into the booth next to her, thigh against thigh. Addie feels her skin shiver where his knee brushes hers, and she takes an ice-cold beer out of his hand and nearly downs it in one go.

  ‘Damn, Addison.’

  The bottle thunks on the wooden table and Addie taps the runaway drops out of the corners of her lips. It doesn’t miss her notice how his eyes follow the movement. ‘It’s Addie. For friends.’

  ‘Okay then, Addie,’ says Holden, grinning. His finger points at the phone that’s still showing her lockscreen – that undisputably dumb-looking photo of Drew one of the cast members took back when he had her phone. ‘That your boyfriend?’

  Addie slides the phone back into her pocket. ‘Nope. Just a friend. Haven’t got a boyfriend.’

  Holden nods as if he’s mulling the information over. His eyes light up and the corners of his lips tug into a playful smile. ‘Are you as good at playing pool as you are at Charades?’

  ‘Only when I’ve had more than two drinks.’

  ‘Well in that case, I can go get you the—’

  ‘IT’S CHUGGING TIME!’

  Both of them are startled by Raiden’s announcement and about two dozen beers being slammed on the table. Next to her, Nadia laughs and makes a comment about how the next morning is going to be difficult, and Diego retorts by calling a pussy, to which Nadine informs him that technically, he isn’t wrong.

  Addie nearly bursts into laughter. Nadine hears and then asks for her opinion on the matter, and Winnie ends up being included, too, until the entire group is discussing the weight of “dick” and “pussy” as insults.

  Raiden tells them to pick partners. Addie goes with Nadia, Holden with Winnie, Wes with Marea, Mark with Diego. Raiden instructs them to intertwine their arms at the elbows, which Addie and Nadia do with ease.

  Nadia bobs her head. ‘You ready?’

  ‘I was born for this.’

  In the end, they end up being nearly the last for all three turns, because as it turns out, they’re not that good at this. But it’s a good laugh, and Addie feels like Nadia is someone she might get used to.

  The realisation that the only thing they all have in common is the firm they intern for irks her mind a little. She knows that there’s people who get along with everybody, but the idea that there’s a dozen people bonding solely over the fact that they have a love-hate relationship with their job and bosses and actually making long-lasting connections is baffling.

  Just... humans. Humans are baffling.

  And Addie is starting to feel her five drinks.

  She ends up leaving Nadia to go to the bar with Holden, who gets the two of them a drink each. He’s got a mouth made of honey and he talks Addie into playing pool with ease, except she gets Winnie and Wes to tag along, too.

  Addie slams two sticks on the table. She’s not usually this confident, or this cocky, but one look at the curve of Holden’s lips is enough to get her to raise her chin high, bump shoulders with Winnie, and say, ‘Y’all are about to get smoked.’

  The boys laugh. When it turns out that Winnie is indeed a master at pool (‘It’s a family sport, really’), they don’t laugh anymore.

  Addie bends over the pool table, the stick between her index and middle finger. The alcohol is making everything fuzzy and smooth so it’s taking double the concentration – but Winnie says she’s got it, so she’s got it.

  The stick glides between her fingers. The last coloured ball shoots into the side, then another side, until it shadows into the hole in the middle.

  ‘SMOKE THIS, BITCHES!’ shouts Winnie, raising a fair few eyebrows around them, and whispers a “sorry” hushed with a giggle.

  Wes sighs. He puts one end of his stick on the ground and the other underneath his chin, eyeing Holden with disappointment. ‘We could’ve played better, dude.’

  ‘What can I say.’ Holden shrugs, taking the balls out from under the table. He throws a glance at Addie, wearing the same face he usually does when they figure out how to go on about a case. ‘I’m used to having a different partner.’

  Winnie chuckles. Wes groans. Addie rolls her eyes. 

  ‘Cheer up, big boy,’ says Addie. She comes from behind him and takes over what he was doing, aligning the balls into a perfect triangle. His stare is burning into her back, but she doesn’t budge. ‘Ready to lose another one?’

  ‘No, actually.’ he says. ‘Team switch up?’

  ‘Ugh, really? Wes?’

  Despite Addie calling his name, the tall boy edges to Winnie, making a grimace. ‘Nah, I’m with Bradfield on this one. I’ve got a better chance at winning with Winnie. Ya know.’ 

  The pun—intended or not, doesn’t really matter—earns him a light smack on the chest from Winnie, who ends up agreeing to the new teams. 

  Addie sighs. ‘Fine, then. Holden?’

  ‘Yes, Addie?’

  She comes closer to him, leaning close enough that she’s sure he feels her breath on his cheek, and stage whispers, ‘We’ll get ‘em just like we got ‘em in the Charades.’

  Both Wes and Winnie begin to protest so Holden slings an arm around her shoulder, as if protecting her from it all. Where his gentle fingers touch her briefly, Addie’s skin chills – she can only hope he doesn’t notice her shiver. 

  ‘Hell yeah,’ he says. ‘Just you wait.’

  His arm disappears from her shoulder and he’s over the table, pushing the stick, and the game has begun. 

  Addie’s head is beginning to spin a little, and she’s aware that she’s not aware of everything that’s happening. 

  Some time and two rounds of pool later (that they both still lose, because they’re the worst pool players she’s ever witnessed), they decide to try out clubbing. Mark drives Diego and Mareahome, Nadia leaves with Raiden (whom she has apparently been hooking up with for as long as they’ve both been a part of the internship). That leaves Addie, Holden, Wes, and Winnie with people whose names Addie didn’t catch – she blames it on her fuzzy mind being unable to hold onto any coherent thought.

  The club’s lights are dim, and they’re all kind of dancing together. She’s mostly with Winnie, until Winnie leaves to chat with someone who’s just bought her a drink, and Wes is making out in the back of the room with a boy he met back at the bar, and it’s just her and Holden.

  Addie and Holden.

  He smiles, as if reading her mind, and takes her hand just to twirl her around, watching her gleefully as she throws her head back and laughs, freely. His hands travel to her sides, and soon they’re all she can focus on – their slight tug pulling her close, her hips swaying to the rhythm. 

  Addie knows it’s going to happen before it happens. Even under the dim neon light of the club’s dance floor, she sees Holden’s eyes flicker to her lips, before looking back at her eyes with a question. They look nice – deep and blue and full of something, and the lights reflected in the m are bright and blue and red and yellow, and that’s all a part of the reason why Addie tilts her head to the slide, her eyes flickering to his lips, now. 

  Holden leans in. Addie does the same.

  His lips taste like beer, not honey. Surprisingly, he doesn’t taste like a mistake, either.

◇

Virgin Mary | 8:21pm so how’s it going?? Virgin Mary | 9:47pm I’ll just assume you’re having a great time 😂 Virgin Mary | 9:49pm anyway just remember to be responsible and don’t do anything super drastic from what you'd do when sober!! love youuu

Me | 00:22am i kissed holden Me | 0:22am or he ksised ke Me | 0:22am were gonna gi to his

Virgin Mary | 0:23am OK HOLD UP THAT CONSTITUTES AS DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL Virgin Mary | 0:23am how drunk are you

Me | 00:23am very

Virgin Mary | 00:23am where is he

Me | 00:24am talking to wes

Virgin Mary | 00:24am do you want to shag him

Me | 00:24am yes

Virgin Mary | 00:24am drunk?

Me | 00:24am yes Me | 00:24am no Me | 00:24am fuck Me | 00:25am shit

Virgin Mary | 00:25am do you want it to be a one night stand

Me | 00:26am wtf n0 Me | 00:26am ok ill just call an uber

Virgin Mary | 00:26am let me know how it goes!!!

Me | 00:31am wes is dringing me home Me | 00:31am be there in twenty or twentybfive

Virgin Mary | 00:32am I’ll wait up on you

Me | 00:37am thanks marinanen Me | 00:38am youre my best friend and i loge you dko kych

Virgin Mary | 00:40am lmao I love you too gal ❤

Me | 00:49am ❤❤🤡❤❤❤

Virgin Mary | 00:50am you know what... I don’t want to ask 😂😂

Me | 00:53am were here

Virgin Mary | 00:53am omw!!

◇

13: EVERYTHING GOES WELL

tagging. @jjmaybanksbaby​​​​​​ @taiter-tots​​​​​​ @sacredto​​​​​​ @snkkat​​​​​​ @drewswannabegirl​​​​​​ @yeslifeofateen​​​​​​ @rudypnkw​​​​​​ @stfukie​​​​​​ @x-lulu​​​​​​ ​​​​​ @drewstarkey​​​​​​ @butgilinsky​​​​​​ @solllaris​​​​​​ @hyperactive2411​​​​​​ @chasefreakinstokes​​​​​​ @surferkie​​​​​​ @jroseron​​​​​​ @k-k0129​​​​​​ @starlightstories​

[detective-with-one-arm]

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

Vanilla!Rachel

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

Not on purpose. While she doesn’t really get jealous, there is the smallest sharp prick in her chest. But she keeps that shit to herself and supports her friends and loved ones no matter what. She would honestly rather die than let her jealousy leak out and affect her relationships.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

Most of the time, no. She’s generally a very affectionate, patient, and kind person and is typically the one who initiates it. But if something has happened and she’s been hurt by someone, she’ll need some time away on her own before she’ll accept anything from them and if it comes across as hollow and selfish, then she will reject it.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

I was hoping someone would ask this.

Because the thing is...she would. She wouldn’t want to. She would do absolutely everything in her power not to. It is the last thing in the world she would ever want to live with doing. But if there is no other choice and no other way out and if either they or someone holding them captive was so dangerous and was causing so much harm to people that the only way to stop them was to either kill or allow them to kill someone close to her...she would do it.

And it would haunt her for the rest of her life.

It would destroy her.

Siren!Rachel

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

She more just gets really clingy and sad. Like, she would never hurt someone out of jealousy, but she might make them feel kinda guilty. Not on purpose, but she’s been alone for pretty much her whole life and once she has friends, she tends to get really attached to them really quickly. Even more so if she finds a mate. So she’ll more do the whole ‘you don’t want me anymore...?’ sorta thing. But this is nothing some soft reassurance can’t cure. She’s just lonely and insecure and doesn’t really know better.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

Never. She cherishes her friendships that she gains and would never take their affections or kindnesses for granted. This does make her a bit naïve and too trusting and forgiving for her own good, but she doesn’t really know better. All she knows is that she wants her friends to stay.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

She would literally rather die.

Sea Naga!Rachel

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

Oh, definitely. She doesn’t really attach herself much to someone emotionally. But when she does, she can definitely have a selfish streak. If that person seems to prefer someone else’s company to hers, she’ll be rather irritable towards her chosen partner and will do just about everything to keep them to herself. And if they somehow separate from her, she’ll probably end up hurting the person getting more of her partner’s attention.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

She wouldn’t...refuse it, exactly. She would more just be confused by it. Not that she’s particularly soft or anything, she would just be baffled as to why anyone would show her kindness. It’s neither a negative or positive feeling, it’s just confusing as shit.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

She doesn’t really...care about a greater good. She just exists in a state of self-indulgence. That being said, if someone did manage to get close to her, she would never want them dead. She might hurt them if they do something that genuinely angers or pisses her off, but she would never kill them.

Ichthyocentaur!Rachel

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

No. She would never hurt someone out of jealousy, but she doesn’t get as clingy as Siren!Rachel probably would. Maybe a little dejected, but she would let her partner or friend do whatever they’d like. She would just sort of sit on the sidelines and wait for them to come back and give her attention. She’s already shy and tends to keep her distance, but once she actually makes a connection with someone, she’ll be around them more, but she won’t really hold onto them if they’d rather maintain their distance. She’d feel too shy to say anything.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

She’s already hesitant to approach people as is, so she would be hesitant to accept anything from anyone. But if someone she knows and it decently familiar shows her kindness and affection, she would accept it reluctantly.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

She would probably run away rather than have to make the choice. She doesn’t really have a concept of ‘greater good’ and more just is concerned about immediate self-preservation. She’s not really a fighter or a hunter, so she would probably run away first. If someone close to her died because of this, it would probably upset and devastate her for a good while.

Pirate!Rachel

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

She definitely has a bit more of a jealous streak, but she wouldn’t do anything to someone else out of jealousy. After all, she earned her position as captain not by being a spiteful bitch but genuinely gaining the camaraderie of the crew and then culling down the former captain that inspired mutiny and skullduggery within the crew. She’s become quite the diplomat growing up with the scurvy crew, so she’d know how to communicate with her partner how she feels and if she trusts them, so long as they’re honest and she knows they aren’t afraid of being honest, her jealousy isn’t something to worry about. In fact, she finds something kind of attractive about a partner who likes making her pay attention to them. It’s kinda hot to her. At least, so long as her partner knows that’s what they’re doing.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

While she’s figuring or sussing someone out, yeah, probably. Despite how tightly knit she is with her own crew, even she has a healthy amount of skepticism towards them and takes things offered to her with the utmost caution. With someone she doesn’t know too well, that increases by tenfold. But once she’s absolutely sure about someone, she actually enjoys it, not that she’ll let it show in front of her crew. She may be about fun and adventure and revelry and camaraderie, but she doesn’t let them think she’s soft.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

The most ‘greater good’ she really cares about is her crew and her ship. Maybe even some of the towns she’s stopped at that she really likes and is on good terms with. With her history and her having to usurp the previous captain, she would not hesitate to take someone out if someone she’s invested her resources and trust in became a threat. She would put them down in an instant and make an example of what happens when you abuse her trust and her generosity.

Putting the rest of these under a cut because this post is already long and it’s gonna be even longer.

Vanilla!Howard/Collector!Howard

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

Most definitely. And he would do it in a really sneaky and underhanded way. This man is really good at manipulation and getting right to the emotional wound that will sting the most to ward someone away from his object of obsession affection, including gaslighting.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

I wouldn’t say he would refuse someone’s kindness. Affection, definitely. He’s not really an affectionate or intimate person, but he won’t refuse kindnesses shown to him. But accepting them means absolutely nothing to him.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

He does not care about a ‘greater good’ nor does he really consider anyone ‘close’ to him, but there are no lengths he won’t sink to to further his own goals.

Siren!Howard

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

Oh, yes. He most certainly would. If his catch somehow has someone else that would either be looking for them or they somehow manage to escape to, Howard will not hesitate to make sure his catch knows that they’re his and that that’s not changing. Though, he might not just hurt or kill the other. He might just be tempted on capturing them, too, and depositing his brood in them, too, and force his initial catch to watch. Just to make a point.

You and everything you have is his.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

He doesn’t really care about either of these things. That being said, if his catch was doing kindnesses and being affectionate towards him, even if it was against their will or out of fear, he won’t refuse it. He takes great pleasure from it and it boosts his ego.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

Once again, he does not give a shit about a ‘greater good’ or even has a ‘greater good’ to care about. He operates entirely out of self-interest. However, if someone were to harm (at least from his perspective) his catch, he wouldn’t hesitate to put them down.

Ichthyocentaur!Howard

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

He will stomp them to death with his hooves. Nobody touches or even goes near his catch.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

When he puts on the whole ‘charming steed’ act, he definitely won’t. But once he’s caught his victim, anybody else who tries will promptly be met with violence.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

More or less the same answer as Siren!Howard, but it’s less ‘I won’t let you harm my mate’ and more ‘don’t fucking touch them or I will reduce your bodies to piles of flattened gore.”

Vanilla!Serena

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

Under ordinary circumstances, she won’t get close enough to someone to feel jealousy. But if she does, she will probably punish them in some way. She doesn’t know how to handle her emotions very well, especially in a relationship and she doesn’t know how to express them in a healthy or productive way.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

Oh, all the fucking time. She might pretend to for the sake of keeping her act up long enough for her to trap her victim, but she does not give a shit or want it. Well, okay, secretly she does but she’s not gonna make that known. That being said, if she does end up getting close to someone, she will do so. Very very very reluctantly and hesitantly and with a decent amount of convincing, but she will do it.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

Technically speaking, she’s convinced herself that all her killings are ‘for the greater good.’ Even though she’s operating entirely on selfish interests, she does believe all in all that what she’s doing is ‘for the greater good.’ She doesn’t want to let anyone get close to her, but if she does, she would really only do it if she was convinced they were somehow different. If they prove her wrong, she won’t hesitate to sentence them to the same fate as her other victims.

Siren!Serena/Ichthyocentaur!Serena

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

She can’t be jealous over something she has no interest in having. She only cares about one thing and that’s killing and devouring people.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

No, but only because she’s trying to lure them into their watery doom.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

There’s no such thing as ‘close to’ or ‘greater good.’ She just kills and eats people.

Vanilla!Nathan/Marine Biologist!Nathan

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

Nathan doesn’t get jealous. At all. So, no chance of harm coming to someone if he did. And even if he did, he would never want to hurt anyone regardless.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

Not on purpose. A lot of the time, he gets so enraptured in something that he forgets to acknowledge some things, but he does really appreciate the kindnesses and gifts people show him. Y’know, once he makes close connections outside of his scientific pursuits.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

No. Not under any circumstances.

Mer!Nathan

♛ Hurt someone out of jealousy

Nathan is absolutely fascinated by humans. So if he discovered one was equally fascinated with him, he would be ecstatic! So if they were to spend more time away from him with someone else, he might get a little possessive and jealous, but he would never want to hurt anybody.

✿ Refuse someone’s kindness or affection

He might be a little averse to affection, at least until he gets close with someone, but any positive and kind attention given to him from humans is accepted. It allows him to be closer and understand them better.

☢ Kill someone close to them for the greater good

The closest thing to ‘greater good’ to him would be a threat to someone he cared about. If he saw that they were in immediate danger, he would absolutely kill someone to protect them.

[rjnorth-writes]

Carrying On - Regency!AU  Part 5: To Be Seen

A Poe Dameron/OC story. 

Description: In which Captain Poe Dameron is introduced to Princess Ami Skywalker. 

Duty, while deeply ingrained and important to the woman, was not without its downfalls. While she would do anything for her family, it did not mean she had to enjoy it. She needs to simply appear to enjoy it. Princess Ami could do this very well, for she’d been doing so for eighteen years. That’s not to say there wasn’t joy in her life, of course. The joyous moments just so happened to occur behind closed doors with her family where she wasn’t required to play her role. 

After a few peaceful moments longer lounging with Rey, Ami rejoined the festivities. There were conversations revolving around the weather, Lord Mace’s prized horses, and compliments on the music. There were far more dances with even duller conversation revolving around them men themselves, and nothing to do with her, or anything remotely intriguing. It seemed that their tactic in winning Ami’s heart was by flaunting their own achievements and wealth instead of trying to get to know Ami herself. 

Title and position was all anybody ever saw of her. 

The evening, however, did finally take a turn it would seem, as Ben made his way to Ami, who had just finished another dance with a fellow she cared not to dance with again for the sheer number of times he stomped on her toes. A moment off to the side for an introduction, no matter how mundane it may or may not be, was a welcome reprieve. 

Ami smiles softly to her cousin as he moves to stand to create a triangle with himself, Ami, and the distinguished looking Poe Dameron. Gesturing with his hand, Ben calmly and warmly said, “It is my pleasure to introduce Princess Ami Skywalker, and Captain Poe Dameron. Two most dear individuals to myself. I do hope you get on.” The words were polite, and hopeful, but with a stiffness that Ami knew far too well from growing with the man. It was his polite warning tone, and it was very evident it was not directed towards his kin. It was for Poe as to not embarrass himself, or Ben, and disrespect Ami. 

“It is my honor, Captain Dameron, to make your acquaintance and thank you for your service,” Ami greeted, curtsying. 

“The honor is truly mine, Princess,” Poe insisted, bowing without breaking eye contact with Ami. Upon righting himself, he extended his hand expectantly. 

The movement was unusual, she found. It was so very familiar when the two had only just met, but refusing such an action would’ve looked poorly upon her rather than the good Captain. So, blinding her shock away and returning the smile to her lips, Ami extended her gloved hand and placed it gently atop his own. Without hesitation, Poe brought her fingers to his lips, and tenderly kissed the material again, without breaking eye contact. Ami’s cheeks flushed from the sheer intensity of his attention. 

Ben, not forgotten on the side, straightened his back further at the bold action the man had dared to perform with his cousin, but it was not addressed. Instead, Poe went on to give Ami his full attention. “Prior engagements permitting, I was quite hoping to have your next dance, if you’d be so willing,” Poe suggested. 

“As of this moment, I have no prior engagements,” Ami stated. If she were wise, she would have managed to make an excuse to retreat or to allow Ben to pull Poe away, but there was something in the way he was looking at her that gave her the impression that there was far more going on behind his eyes than what she’d initially suspected.

While the previous dance had been one in which involved moving around the other couples on the dance floor, the one that was currently occupying their entertainment was one in which the partners required only to mingle with their partner. While this was pleasant when one knew and enjoyed the partner, it could be quite the contrary with what one did not know. This dance could go extremely well, or disastrous. Which was yet to be seen. 

The music started, and so did the participants. Moving around one another with barley touching hands as the walked around one another, Ami found herself looking into Captain Dameron’s warm eyes again as he looked into her’s, accompanied by that sly smirk of his. It was a curious thing. Ami had been lusted after, leered at, and everything in between, but the way Poe was looking upon her was with something she could not yet identify. It was infuriating, she deduced. For Ami prided herself in being able to read people rather well. 

“It was brought to my attention, your Royal Highness, that there is a name to which you are referred among the nobility of Ahch-To. Are you aware of such a title?” Poe asked casually, the glint in his eye returning. 

The shock could not be masked on her expression for once, but it was blinked away and replaced rather quickly as she regained her composure. It was such an odd thing for someone to bring up when they did not know one another. Though, she supposed, nobody had ever been so bold to bring it up to her period, unless it was a discussion among her immediate family, of course. Either Poe Dameron was incredibly rude, or there was a distinct purpose he possessed for bringing up such a thing. 

“I shall admit it, Captain Dameron, that I am aware of it,” Ami admitted, her tone even and sweet. 

“And what is your take on it, might I ask?” 

If Ami hadn’t been so acquainted with the steps of the dance or familiar with the particular dress she’d doned that evening, she was certain she would’ve stumbled over her own feet. Captain Poe Dameron had asked her opinion. Now, it was expected of lady’s to be versed in quite an array of topics and talents, but they were never to express nor form opinions on anything in particular, really. Gentlemen knew this, and cared not to bring it up. They knew better for it could possibly incriminate both the gentleman or the gentlewoman. But Poe Dameron had intentionally gone out of his way to ask her what her thoughts were.

It could’ve very well been a trap, she knew, but upon further thoughts on the matter, what did a Captain in the navy have to gain from humiliating the young woman that would one day sit on the throne and rule his country? There was no real reasoning she could possibly conjure in her mind except that he genuinely wanted to hear her thoughts. 

“You would wish to hear what I have to say on the matter?” Ami asked once to be sure this was really happening. 

“Well, yes,” Poe stated. “It was why I asked in the first place, Princess.” 

“I apologize for my hesitance,” Ami said, bowing her head slightly. “Your inquiry stunned me, is all.”

“Because no one in their right mind has the guts to bring it up to you?” Poe asked, his brow knitting together. “Or that I should inquire your thoughts on it?” 

“They both may play equal roles,” Ami said. 

“And your stance?” 

“I do suppose it is a rather unfortunate title to be graced with,” Ami clarified. “People tend to simply see what they wish to, especially when in a position such as myself.”

“I must say,” Poe began, “that you are very becoming of your title. Such grace and poise in one so young.”

“Which is why the Porcelain Princess was dubbed as such,” she said. “Something nice to observe on a shelf for all to admire.”

Poe’s grin softened, though not in a calming way. With the intensity of his darkening gaze, the smaller smile seemed to give a completely different meaning. His voice low and deep, his words pointed and precise so not to be taken in any other way than what he meant. “Never to be taken down to be played with or touched.” 

The man was incorrigible! Had he no filter? Did he not remember whom he was speaking so casually and informal to? “I do believe you may be forgetting yourself, Captain Dameron.” The warmth running through her veins made her flush. She assumed this was deep anger and embarrassment, but she’d never felt as such before. But it could have been, perhaps, due to his hand on her waist pulling her ever so closer to his body.

“No, your highness. I never forget. I simply do not feel the need to filter myself with flowery words,” Poe insisted. “What is the point in disguising the meaning of your words only to be misconstrued? Nobody gets anywhere, and the point never comes across.”

“While I may agree with you on this,” Ami began, her pitch slightly higher in tone than previously, “there is a time and place for such insinuation and this is no such place.”

Poe smirked, the glint returning. “Tell me, Princess, has anybody ever said anything like this to you before?”

“No.” “Yet, while many would slap me across the face and sent me on my way, you remain,” Poe pointed out. “Either you’re far more like the Porcelain Princess than I first believed, or you may have actually liked my informality. Because the most interesting thing about you, Princess, if you do not mind my saying, is not how beautiful you are - and you are that - nor how well mannered. It is how intelligent you are. I can see if in your eyes. You crave stimulation from your conversations, something you have yet to acquire here tonight.” Poe leaned in to whisper softly as the end of the song neared. “A woman with a mind all her own is far more attractive than her title.”

The song ended, and Poe stepped back away from the young woman. He did not release her hand, however, and brought it to his lips once more as he bowed. Ami was supposed to curtsy with the end of the song, but the words and action of Poe Dameron had left her dazed, and contemplative. She stood on the dance floor several long moments as the young man walked away, ever so pleased with himself. 

Rey appeared beside her, linking her arm with her own and escorted her off the dance floor. “Pray tell, is Captain Dameron the rake he’s been made out to be?” 

Ami sighed and sat with Rey once more. “To be honest, I’m not sure what just happened. He’s very bold, I will admit, but I feel as though there’s so much more in his head.”

“Much like a certain Porcelain Princess, yes?”

“Perhaps,” Ami admitted. “It is yet to be seen.” 

And so the two finally meet!  You can read Part 4: More then Rumors here. 

[thewritingdungeon]

A Matching Set of His & Hers Regrets: He Wants

PROMPT: Illecebrous (adj) - alluring, attractive, enticing

SUMMARY: Hawkeye has a long and varied past. He’s been a carnie, a spy, a superhero, even a brainwashed soldier. He also was, no matter how much he hates to admit it, an ex-criminal. But no matter how hard he tries, he can't forget about one person in particular from his past, nor can he stop the flood of memories being around her again brings up.

CHARACTERS/PAIRING: Clint Barton/OFC

WORD COUNT: 1,076

WARNINGS: drinking, drunken flirting/kissing

A/N: A standalone scene from Clint's past written for @avengerscompound 1000 Words Challenge (and the HUGE thank you for the header!!). It involves my OC from my fic Discordancy, but this can be read completely separately from it. I just wanted to write a moment from Clint's life pre-Avengers.

The lounge, for once, is more nightclub than classy establishment. The mafioso bellowing at The Bartender from atop a table for another round had apparently thrown quite a bit of cash The Concierge's way to permit such antics, and from how smooth those last three shots Clint took were, he suspects that it's only the top-shelf spirits being brought out tonight.

By now, the alcohol has settled in his blood, blanketing him in a fuzzy warmth that relaxes in him that ever-present need for vigilance. He sinks back into the comfort of the leather booth, content to watch fragments of merriment as they catch his interest. Then, the sound of lively cachinnation hits him, bringing a broad grin to his face.

He knows that laugh anywhere.

With a roll of his shoulders, Clint stands up and slinks over to the wall; he wouldn't want her to see him too soon, after all. Eris is always teasing him, always initiating that little game of hers. And usually, he only likes being played with so much. But tonight is something different: Tonight is raucous and reckless. Tonight is a night without inhibitions or hesitations. Tonight, Clint is eager to play.

It's only too easy to lean against the cased entryway leading to an empty hall nearby and wait unseen. Despite how easily Eris always finds him, Clint prides himself on being able to blend in, to remain unassuming until the moment he decides otherwise. He drinks in another bright laugh of hers as it prickles against his nerves, bringing with it a heated itch to have her skin against his own, and waits one moment, then two—observes her as she plays her games with someone else for once.

It's different. With him, Eris is always bold and unabashed. Her desire sits encased in sugar glass between them: on full display and ready to be broken open and let loose at the slightest provocation. But watching her now is like watching another person all together; she coquets and deflects, demurely playing to the man's ego in a way that makes her seem lesser than herself. It rubs at Clint in all the wrong ways, bringing a furrow to his brow.

It also makes the decision to steal Eris away for himself all that much easier. While the goon is distracted getting her a new drink, he moves in to loop an arm around her waist and swings them both around the door frame into the dim mantle of the corridor.

"Hey, sweetheart. Fancy meeting you here." He brushes the whispers against the shell of her ear, voice low and smoky, and feels her fingers clench in the muscle of his forearm where it rests against the teasing border of shirt hem and bare skin. Eris twists in his embrace so that she stands facing him, able to see the wolfish grin he can't help but sport. "Looked like you were in need of a more, uh, let's say stimulating conversation partner."

"Oh, I'm sure stimulation was exactly what was on your mind," Eris teases back. Clint doesn't bother to hold in his chuckle at her forthright comment, instead choosing to skim both hands over the curve of her waist and stroke calloused thumbs across the smooth ridges of hip bone peaking out from low-cut shorts.

Instead of another line or retort, Clint simply leans down to flick at the cold metal encircling her lower lip with his tongue. It's all the encouragement Eris needs to grab him by the jacket and capture his lips with her own.

The kiss is sticky from both lipstick and the remnants of Tanqueray still on her tongue, but Clint just returns the affection with fervor. Both hands move to cup her face as he revels in the feeling of her against him, that urging itch further soothed with every eager kiss they share. Why he ever thought of refusing to play her game escapes him now; all that's left in his thoughts is sin as she breathes a quiet moan into his lips and threads her fingers into the short strands of his hair. He's never been more grateful for last week's job as he is now, where she had accidentally learned of his hair pulling kink.

'Accidentally.' Right.

A hard tug at his scalp drags him back into the present on a needy whine. He wants her closer, wants to cast away the many barriers of reticence and uncertainty and clothes between them until all that's left is sentiment and sweat-slicked skin. Desire drips from every profanity-laced movement between them, until they're both gasping to catch their breath.

"Have I ever told you how fucking beautiful you are?" he lets the words rush out of him unbidden. "Jesus Christ, the things you do to me."

The comment seems to shake something awake in Eris, and when he tries to capture her lips again, the hand knotted in his hair stops him short, earning Eris a growl of frustration.

"You've been drinking, Francis."

It's neither question nor accusation, but the use of the fake name he had assumed for their last job makes it feel like both.

"Yeah, and?"

"And it makes me wonder if this is something you really want to be doing."

That makes Clint snort as he leans back down for another kiss, this time getting a light brush in before Eris chastises him with a sharp nip, "Really? Of all the times to worry about whether I really want you, you choose now?"

The shrug she gives in response is one of practiced nonchalance, and Clint is just coherent enough to see her close off from him with that simple movement. "I just don't want the booze to be what's choosing me here. If I'm going to get you to return my feelings, then it's gonna be with you sober and realizing it."

She flashes him a small smile before pressing in for one more heated kiss. Then Eris slips out of his arms, the distance she puts between them more painful than Clint expected it to be. "Oh yeah, and good luck getting all that black lipstick off without a mirror."

She leaves him there with a wink and that wild laughter echoing in his ears, and though her words leave him feeling more off-balance than ever, he finds he can't bring himself to regret the stolen moment.

He only hopes that he'll remember it in the morning.

[sethrine-writes]

Daughter of a Devil - Ch. 10

Main Characters: Father!Dante & Daughter!Reader

Words: 1713

Warnings: Very Minor Angst, Fluff, Pregnancy Stuff

Summary: Being a parent wasn’t easy, nor was there such thing as being perfect at it. Good news for Dante, seeing as how he doesn’t have the slightest idea in hell what to do with a child. Sometimes, he was certain that fighting off a horde of demons was a far better match than keeping up with his own daughter. Well, at least he wasn’t going down without a fight.

A/N:  We get a little peek at the brave woman who gave Dante a daughter. :’D

------

Chapter 10 - Just Like You (Newborn)

If someone were to ask Dante if he had ever been scared shitless before, the half-devil would have turned on that person with a bit of a scoff, a cocky smile on his face and arms crossed before him.

“Nah, I’d like to think I’ve seen enough hell on earth. Can’t be too scared if you already know the worst things out there.”

His answer would be just vague enough to get anyone off his back without them delving too much into what exactly he meant. It was hard to really express how he was actually the son of a demon who, in a twist no one would have seen coming, actually fought off hell spawn from time to time.

He was cocky, perhaps a little too sure of himself more often than not, and he was constantly way in over his head just to have some sort of a good time. Being scared sort of wasn’t on his agenda, nor did it have any place in his young, reckless life.

He couldn’t lie, however, about the pang of uncertainty he had when Serenity, his recent girlfriend of only a month and lover for nearly four before that, suddenly became pregnant with his child. He’d been so caught off-guard with the information that he had immediately questioned if the child was actually his, a question Serenity had taken in stride.

Of course, it was his. She had been invested in him since their first two weeks of messing around, and she wasn’t the type to sleep around, not when they had both basically been in an unofficial relationship nearly the entire time they had been meeting up.

After the initial shock wore off, Dante couldn’t help but entertain the thought of family life. A part of him was actually okay with the notion, even if he was barely considered an adult, at the time. Granted, he didn’t have the slightest clue as to how much of a good parent he could reasonably be, but he knew that Serenity had her own doubts about becoming a mother, and it eased him somewhat.

It would be a new experience they could share together, and though he was sure he would dread the first few years of a messy, crying, whining baby, Dante knew when it was time to man up and be responsible for his actions.

So, he stayed with Serenity through the whole thing, battling her mood swings, her odd cravings, and her on-again, off-again insatiable need for intimacy. At the end of the day, he was always rewarded with the sweetest smile and the brightest of glowing faces that would have any man dropping to his knees in wonder.

There were days he watched Serenity eat her weird foods as he munched down on pizza, and there were also days he watched her do nothing but talk to her stomach in such a lovely, low voice that he more often than not found himself drawn into the one-sided conversation between mother and child. He also had days where he would find her in the bathroom, flushed and horribly sick before the day began, and days where it was hard for her to get out of bed, she was becoming so sore from the extra weight.

No, he wasn’t afraid, not when he had the support of his partner. Even the bad days always had a silver lining, one that Serenity would always point out to him – they would soon get to meet their child.

It was then that Dante realized just how brave Serenity truly was.

When she had first told him about the pregnancy, she was unbelievably anxious and close to tears, afraid at first that Dante would not accept her or the baby. After that initial anxiety, however, she had embraced the concept of motherhood wholeheartedly and with a force that a true parent would be proud of.

She handled each step of the pregnancy so well, too. From her morning sickness to her odd eating habits; from the ultrasound that showed she was having a girl to the baby’s first kick, to finally finishing the nursery in their dinky little apartment, she took everything in perfect stride and welcomed it with open arms.

Even when she went into labor, she had paced herself and took to upcoming motherhood with pride. Dante, however, could mark that moment as one of the most terrifying evenings in his life.

It had happened so fast; they had both been walking back to her place, their home, when Serenity had stopped suddenly with her hands pressed against her bulging stomach. He remembered her soft gasp, the twist of pain that marred her face as she looked up at him with wide eyes. She had barely uttered his name before he had her in his arms, rushing them to the nearest hospital.

(Later, when she had been fully admitted into the hospital, Serenity had confessed that she was aware of her contractions since earlier that afternoon. She had read somewhere that she would have quite a bit of time before the baby’s arrival once they started, so an evening out wouldn’t have hurt anything, so long as she continued to keep track of the time between contractions. That moment walking home was the first time they had truly hurt, and while they still would have had time to get to a hospital had they gone home to grab her prepped baby bag, she was grateful for Dante’s swift action.)

When it came time for the baby to arrive, Dante couldn’t bring himself to be in the room with Serenity. There were already too many people in the room, counting the doctor and three other nurses, and he felt he would possibly turn on any one of them if she had so much as made the notion that they were causing her pain.

Her following screams an hour later were a testament to his hypothetical actions, and he was very nearly escorted out of the hospital to ensure the safety of the staff. If he remembered correctly, she had decided to refuse any medicinal help; he really wished she had, if not for the safety of those around him than for his own sanity.

As soon as her screams had started, they had also stopped, and for a fleeting moment, Dante felt something stir within him that wanted out, a feeling of absolute blinding fear and rage he had been able to feel coursing through his veins.

Tiny little cries and the elated tone of the doctor’s voice on the success of the birth had eased that feeling, and a new one began to take its place.

Serenity looked absolutely stunning despite her exhausted state when he was finally able to enter the room. The glow she carried when she was pregnant was nothing compared to the radiance she emitted at that moment with the little bundle of life cuddled in her arms.

She had looked up right away at Dante and gave him a tired, beaming smile, holding out one of her hands to him. He moved closer and took hold of her hand gingerly while sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, his eyes instantly falling to the swaddled form she held.

You were still a bit red and swollen, just as any newborn would be, with a shock of silver-white hair topping your little head. One hand peaked over the blanket and had a constant motion of slowly clenching and unclenching around the powdery purple fabric. He was completely taken by surprise at how much you resembled Serenity.

“She looks just like you,” he murmured, leaning forward and giving a light kiss to Serenity’s forehead. She smiled and shifted a little, sitting up more as she carefully began to hold out your fragile form to Dante.

“She has your nose when you get a closer look at her.  Go on, take her.”

Dante was surprisingly hesitant on holding you, afraid that he would hurt you somehow. He hadn’t expected to be a father; he didn’t even know how to be one, after all.

Serenity urged him gently, however, and within a matter of moments, he was holding you, his baby girl…his daughter.

At the shift in position, your eyes popped open, a wide look crossing your chubby features as you stared up at Dante with a not-so-easy-to-define expression. Your eyes were blue, as most any baby’s eyes were when first born, but they would change, over time. Dante hoped they would be just as stunning as your mother’s own.

“Well, the squirt’s got my hair, at least. Not banking as much on my rugged good looks, though.”

Serenity laughed lightly as she leaned back and relaxed, her exhaustion kicking in full-force now that she knew Dante was here to help with you. She could already tell that Dante was already quite attached to you, and it eased her mind knowing that he was committed to being a father, just as she to a mother. With a small smile of adoration, Serenity allowed her eyes to drift closed, falling asleep to both father and daughter interacting.

Dante glanced over at his girlfriend, giving the slightest of smiles at the peaceful look on her face. He then looked back down at your bundled little body, a single arm reaching out from the purple blanket and now thrashing to-and-fro from lack of motor skills. He was fully content with just watching you go at it, your feet kicking lightly in their confined space as your other arm soon found its way out of the soft fabric keeping you warm and comfortable. His face suddenly became serious, though he still held that soft charm he had shown since holding you.

“You listen here, Squirt – I’m your father, and I swear on my own Pops’ grave that I will protect you until you hate me for it. Probably even after that.”

You responded by giving a small kick and a rather extended yawn, bawled up hands rubbing clumsily at suddenly sleepy eyes with jerky, uncoordinated movements. Dante couldn’t help the smile that reached his eyes.

For a moment, any fear he felt had left him to enjoy the peace of his tiny family.

“Glad we can agree.”

[daughter-of-the-prophet]

Aveline Vallen (TV Tropes)

Action Girl: Hell yes!

Amazonian Beauty: So far, she's the most muscular woman in the Dragon Age franchise (or any other BioWare franchise) to date, but that's not to say she doesn't have a feminine figure. It's really only seen in the prologue, however.

Babies Ever After: Hints that she regrets never having children with Wesley. After she marries Donnic, separate conversations with Isabela and Fenris reveal that they are considering starting a family in the near future.

Aveline and Donnic eventually have a daughter whom they named after Areida Hawke, Aveline's dear friend who brought her and Donnic.

Badass Normal: Deserves special mention; see Establishing Character Moment below.

Battle Couple: With Wesley and later, Donnic. She definitely prefers someone with whom she can be Back-to-Back Badasses.

Beauty, Brains and Brawn: In a trio with Areida and Bethany, Aveline is the Brawn. She's tall and muscular, skilled with sword and shield, and works as a city guard. The others sometimes make jokes about her being able to lift a cow.

Berserk Button: As mentioned below, do NOT question her loyalty or accuse her of coddling her guards.

Big Good: To Kirkwall in Inquisition, after Areida is forced to leave town. Varric notes that "Kirkwall would probably fall into the sea if she ever quit her job."

Big Sister Mentor: Has some shades of this for Areida and Bethany especially. Some cut-dialogues refer to her cornering most of the party and getting them to practice swordsmanship with her (including the mages) and criticizing their techniques.

Breast Plate: Initially played straight during the prologue sequence, in which she sports form-fitting leather armor. Averted for the rest of the story - the metal plate the guards wear is the same general shape for both men and women, giving Aveline no more chances to show off her assets.

Cannot Spit It Out: Towards Donnic. She tries courting him in more subtle ways, but her methods seem to make sense only to her. One of Aveline's ways of trying to court Donnic causes him to mistakenly conclude that Areida is the one awkwardly hitting on him.

Insane Troll Logic: Eventually, Aveline's efforts to woo Donnic get so bad that even when she does explain the reasoning behind her actions, Areida can't argue directly with them because they make no sense.

The Captain: Served as an officer in the Fereldan Army at Ostagar, and later becomes Captain of the Kirkwall City Guard.

The Champion: To the Hawke family during their first year in Kirkwall. She claims it's just to keep Areida out of trouble.

City Guards: Joins the Kirkwall guard after fleeing Ferelden and is promoted to Captain of the Guard after a mission where she investigates her superior's corruption.

Clear My Name: In Act 3, Cullen alerts Areida that Aveline is accused of coddling her men, and urges her to speak with Aveline and clear up the issue. Aveline takes the accusation extremely personally and goes on a bit of a rampage to settle the matter. See Cowboy Cop, below.

Comically Serious: Especially when paired with Varric and Isabela.

Cowboy Cop: Even as Da Chief, she has no problem telling authority where to shove it and will bend the rules for the sake of her friends.

However, do not ever question whether she is going soft on the men under her command and coddling certain individuals (Donnic). When the Templars force Areida to investigate her on this in Act 3, they set out to prove that Donnic is doing the same routes as the other men, if not more dangerous, and most of her men are fighting for their lives twice a week to keep Kirkwall safe.

Da Chief: Eventually reaches this position on the Guard.

Defector from Decadence: Aveline's mysterious father. "Orlais has a game. He wouldn't play it. I never cared to ask further."

Depending on the Artist: Her official art is... considerably more mannish when compared to her in-story model.

Did We Just Have Tea with Cthulhu?: During the Prologue and on Sundermount in Act 1, Aveline appears to be the only person in the group who actually recognises that talking to the Witch of the Wilds is not something any sane person would want to do.

Drill Sergeant Nasty: Borderline; she trains with each guard individually and makes certain that they know what they are doing. They certainly think that it's Training from Hell. She bonds with each of the guards as well, which takes the edge off of it.

She also asks Areida to allow her to have her dog, Maximus, help her train, to see if her people can handle a "good old-fashioned Mabari charge." Brings about a Pet the Dog moment (almost literally) later, as she rewards Maximus with some contraband mutton that was seized

Establishing Character Moment: One of the first things she does is tackle a darkspawn that severely wounded Wesley and punch it into submission before lever-cutting its head off with its own sword. She proceeds to fight the rest of the horde with the intention of saving her husband or dying with him.

Expose the Villain, Get His Job: Her personal quest in Act 1.

Failure Knight: Her sometimes obsessive need to protect everyone seems to be the reason she latches onto looking after the Hawke family. It is implied to have largely stemmed from her guilt at being unable to save Wesley. 

Fantastic Racism: A much more subtle and realistic (and likely unintentional) example than most, but she doesn't see any issue with elves being segregated into impoverished ghettos, nor elves being forced to sleep in stables and out-buildings (just like farm animals) in towns too small to fit an alienage, and seems mildly surprised when Merrill (an elven companion) gets upset to hear it.

She also takes her time looking to the "rumors" of one of her guards raping an elven woman, but immediately cracks down on the brothers of the alleged rape victim (also the ones who accused him) when they got tired of waiting for her to do anything about it and killed him.  

Femininity Failure: She gets teased about being "mannish" by hard-drinking, hard-fucking, foul-mouthed Isabela. That's how badly she fails at femininity. That said, it doesn't usually bother or cause any trouble for her, but it does prompt her personal quest in the second act where she needs help getting the guy she's interested in to even realise that she's a woman.

Fire-Forged Friends: At the start of the story, she bonds with the Hawke family when they fight their way out of Lothering together.

Good People Have Good Sex: After Aveline marries Donnic, Isabela offers some tips on how they can spice up their sex life. Aveline lets her know Donnic needs no help in that department.

Hair-Trigger Temper: At least where card games are concerned, according to Fenris and Donnic.

Happily Married: With Wesley before the beginning of the story. Later with Donnic.

Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Areida.

Hollywood Atheist: Averted; Aveline has no issue with the Chantry or those who believe in the Maker (she even married a Templar), but she doesn't seem to believe herself. She says that she thinks the Chant is lovely, but perhaps that is all it needs to be.

Honorary Aunt: Like Isabela, Aveline becomes an Aunt like figure towards Anders and Areida's children. They call her "Aunt Aveline".

Hypocrite: The reason she gives for pursuing the elven vigilantes is "they took the law into their own hands," yet she tolerates Areida taking the law into her own hands every day, and potentially does it herself when she joins Areida on missions.

I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Wesley's death remains a sore spot for her for a good half of the story, partially because she feels she should have been able to prevent it. Her fear of losing anything else drives many of her actions throughout the story.

Idiot Ball: Played for Laughs. She's a bright, talented, and quick-thinking guardswoman... but her intelligence plummets when it comes to dealing with Donnic. Case in point? While trying to be romantic with him, she turns it into a conversation about the sharpness of swords.

Played for Drama when she refuses to look into the cases of kidnapped Hightown women, which contributes to Leandra being kidnapping and murdered by the same serial killer, something she denies any responsibility for afterward.

Jerk with a Heart of Gold: As strict as she can be and as cold as she can be to the other companions, she's fiercely loyal to those she cares about and always attempts to do what she considers to be right.

Lantern Jaw of Justice: Rare female example.

Married to the Job: Apparently the reason she's having such difficulty with romancing Donnic. Even though she was once married, she's thrown herself into her work so much, she's forgotten how not to be a guard for a while.

Matchmaker Quest: Her personal quest in Act 2 involves her attempting to court Guardsman Donnic. They eventually get married.

A Mother To Her Men: Particularly seen in Act 3. The men and women of the city guard revere her, to the point that they unanimously refuse to join ex-Captain Jeven in his smear campaign to have her removed. Donnic says that there's not a single member of the guard who would hesitate to follow her across the Void itself if she asked.

My Beloved Smother: She's not their mother but she definitely acts this way towards the others during party banters, especially Areida and Bethany.

Foreshadowed slightly in Act 1 party banter with Bethany, who asks her why she and Wesley never had children; Aveline explains that their respective careers forced them to put the prospect on hold. When Bethany asks if she regrets it now that Wesley is gone, Aveline replies, not unkindly, that the question is too personal. It's possible that she sees her companions as surrogates for the children she never had. She does however, have a daughter with Donnic.

Named After Somebody Famous: An In-Universe example; Aveline was the name of the first female Chevalier.

She actually doesn't seem fond of the symbolism, (though it fits her perfectly), calling the name "a wish [her] father made," and expressing relief that Fenris doesn't know the story of Ser Aveline. By the end of the story, though, she seems much more sure of herself and has come to terms with it.

Never My Fault: When it comes to being a City Guard, Aveline is always convinced she's right.

She straight-up denies any responsibility for Leandra being kidnapped and murdered, even after Areida asked her to look into the disappearances of Hightown women, which Avline had refused to do despite it being her job as Captain of the City Guard.

No Guy Wants an Amazon: Ser Wesley and Guardsman Donnic are the exceptions that prove the rule; almost everyone else finds her intimidating and off-putting, as other party members point out. According to Isabela, she's a "woman-shaped battering ram."

Non-Answer: When Aveline and Areida go to confront the Arishok, the elven converts claim that one of her guards raped their sister and they tried to report him many times, but got turned away each time. When Areida asks Aveline if this is true, she responds, "There are rumors. I'll look into them."

No Social Skills: Most noticeable during her bizarre efforts to romance Guardsman Donnic.

Not So Above It All: In Act 3, she has evolved an Odd Friendship with Isabela. Any time Aveline deadpan snarks at her, Isabela warmly says, "That's my girl!" At one point, Aveline has apparently invited Isabela to a family dinner, but she didn't show up because she didn't think she'd fit in; Aveline disagrees.

                Isabela: "How's marriage been treating you, big girl?"

               Aveline: "It's been good. No, great. I'd forgotten what it was like to..."

                Isabela: "Be flipped ass over tits and hammered like a bent nail?"

                Aveline: "To. Be. Loved."

                Isabela: "Oh. Right, of course."

               Aveline: (coyly) "Not that I'm complaining about the other thing."

Odd Friendship: With Fenris and Isabela.

The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Aveline invokes this when Arishok says he must take Isabela back along with the book she stole: "Oh, no. If anyone's going to kick her ass, it's me."

Reasonable Authority Figure: As Captain of the Guard. Under her command, the guard is the most efficient and respected it's been in generations, though once Meredith takes over, some of the Templars seem to be making it a point to limit her influence and try to oust her from her position.

Despite her late husband having been a Templar, she refuses to turn Bethany in to the Templars, since she at least tries to do good. She also makes no efforts to turn in Merrill or Anders, and does her best to keep the patrolling guards from taking notice of Fenris squatting in the Hightown mansion.

Replacement Goldfish: Though never outright stated, Aveline maintains her strong bond with Areida likely because she's the closest thing Aveline has to family. Bethany will even question why Aveline continues to follow Areida, and Aveline skirts the answer.

Secular Hero: Aveline is the closest to agnosticism on team Hawke. She married a Templar and sometimes refers to the Maker, but doesn't generally worry about religion and is skeptical of the Chantry's stance that "the less [he] does, the more he's proven".

                    Aveline: "Wesley's at the Maker's side, or he's not."

Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: The first companion Areida meets, as well as one of the most important ones after becoming captain of the guard.

Slut-Shaming: Does this to Isabela on an extremely regular basis. Isabela takes it in stride.

Skewed Priorities: When a group of elven brothers formally reported that one of her guards raped their sister, she dismisses it as "rumors" that she'll look into eventually. When those same elven brothers killed the guard they reported, Aveline dropped what she was doing to arrest them first thing.

When tentions between the Qunari and Kirkwall are reaching their breaking point, Aveline decides to antagonize the Arishok even further by demanding he hand over the elven converts whose sister she put off seeking justice for, becoming the last straw that breaks his patience and plunging the city into open warfare.

Socially Awkward Hero:

"Yes, and it's a real nice night for an evening."

One of her gifts to Donnic is a copper engraving of marigolds. Odd enough to get a man (and specifically a watchman, who'd you think would be a practical type) a picture of flowers, but in traditional floriography, marigolds represent grief and cruelty. Whoops. Her reasoning behind the gift borders on Insane Troll Logic: "Metal is strong, flowers are soft, copper ages well. I thought it was clear."

Stone Wall: Her specialization focuses on defense and protecting party members. Thanks to her Indomitable ability, she's the only party member with a built-in immunity to the final boss's "stun you all so I can monologue" move. Should she be knocked out, the others' reactions are equal parts concern and astonishment that it actually happened.

                    Varric: "Sweet mother of green cheeses, how'd they take that woman down?!"

                    Merrill: "By the Creators, Aveline has fallen!"

                    Fenris: "Aveline has fallen?"

Straight Man and Wise Guy: The Straight Man to Varric and Isabela's Wise Guy.

Take Up My Sword: Upon first encounter, she wields a two-handed greatsword. After Wesley loses the use of his sword arm, and later dies, she takes up a Sword & Shield style like him. Her starting shield in Act 1 is Wesley's.

Taking Up the Mantle: By the time of Inquisition, Aveline is still leading the guard, and Bran's letter all but calls her Areida's successor as Kirkwall's protector.

Team Dad: Gender-flipped, alongside Varric's Team Mom. Most of her conversations with the party involve her providing some form of advice or critiquing their lifestyle choices. It's also said that she has people spying on most of the others and bends the rules a bit if necessary in hopes of keeping them out of trouble.

She's particularly protective of Areida, and the only person besides Anders who really takes time to console a devastated Areida after her mother's murder. Notably, she's the only companion to whom Areida seems to feel comfortable admitting that "My heart's broken" about the whole thing - even Varric, who is Areida's best friend, doesn't have this conversation.

Made especially clear by a line she says when she drinks a health potion:

                            Aveline: “I hope no one else needs this!”

To Be Lawful or Good: Establishes herself as being on the "Good" side of things at all times early in Act 1, despite having only just taken the job. She remains lawful only so long as it is useful in her quest to do good. When the two conflict, there is never a moment's hesitation in her mind.

Tragic Keepsake: Wesley's shield. She later clarifies it's less about Wesley and more just holding onto the last pieces of her old life.

Tsundere: A Type A, especially towards Isabela. Wesley and Donnic both seem to be the only people who constantly get her softer side.

Vitriolic Best Buds: With Isabela towards the end of the story. She eventually starts barking "Shut up, whore" with an obvious twinge of affection.

Widow Woman: Ser Wesley, her Templar husband, dies shortly after meeting the Hawke family due to darkspawn taint. Aveline Mercy Kill him. She eventually remarries, though.

Workaholic: The Codex notes that her life revolves around guarding others; when she's not on-duty as a city guard, she's guarding Areida and her friends. After her personal quests are completed, she starts to relax a little bit. Discussed by Varric in some dialogue in Act 1, when he asks what she does.

                 Aveline: "You know I'm a guard, why are you asking?"

                 Varric: "I mean in your off-duty hours? For fun? You've heard of it, I hope?"

                 Aveline: "These are my off-duty hours."

                 Varric: "And the trend of you scaring the piss out of me continues..."

You Can't Go Home Again: Discussed. "That's supposed to be about maturity. It's not the same if you don't have the option."

[ganymedesclock]

Thats a LOT of assuming about Krolias motives situation& so her options to act differently& in gen about the past.We cant even be 100% sure about Keiths pov.Auto assuming that its all just a misunderstanding or claiming that the problem is only his dad dying& not her abandoning him(even tho he points his issues to HER)"Krolia never intended for any of this to happen" with no facts is brushing off Keiths issues we see over 5s & have negative effects on him and others.We only know she regrets it

Anon I’m hung up on the part where you don’t consider the fact that Krolia was more willing to let Trugg get mauled by a horror monster than risk anything bad happening to Keith and literally in the moment justified her rhetoric because she implicitly can’t forgive herself for leaving Keith as evidence she didn’t want to leave him as evidence she didn’t want anything bad to happen to Keith.

People who don’t care about their kids (Haggar for example) will stand there and let their kid fight off dangerous enemies alone (like Haggar did in s5e4). Keith wasn’t putting any pressure on Krolia to give up the weapon codes to save him- if anything, he criticized her for not sacrificing him. A point is made that Krolia’s acting counter to the Blade’s established rhetoric, one that she’d know better than he does since she’s an older officer.

This is a big neon narrative sign that Krolia’s very emotionally invested in her son’s welfare, and I think it’s fair to assume from there that she also felt this way initially leaving Keith.

If Krolia definitely intended for Keith to grow up with no knowledge of who he was why would she give him the blade?

Also, how would Krolia know what happened to her partner, because s2e8′s dream sequence was built on Keith’s memories- and explicitly called to mind people that Keith desperately wanted to see again. That Keith’s father appeared but not Krolia, and Keith’s surprise at the idea that he’s not fully human would suggest that:

Keith had a stronger relationship with his father

Keith did not clearly remember his mother’s appearance- at least, not that she was a visibly nonhuman being.

However, Keith remembers his father clearly, which is noteworthy because Keith is bad with faces (see: Keith failing to recognize Lance in s1e1)

All of this would add up to the implication that Keith lost his father after Krolia left him. That is to say, at a point where she would have no knowledge of what is happening to Keith.

Yes, it’s an assumption that Krolia trusted her partner. But an assumption I think is essential for the fact that Krolia, a career spy, hit it off and started a family with this man. And Keith remembers his father as soothing, gentle, compassionate, worried about him.

This is the hologram trial version- which we know from the trial version of Shiro, is inevitably a bigger jerk than the genuine article. If he seems shady and manipulative and pushing an agenda, it’s because so does hologram Shiro- and we have the real Shiro right there who is completely not like that, so we can effectively say that if there’s anything about the hologram we should be suspicious of, it’s how manipulative it acts.

And even the jerk edition of Keith’s dad? Is a kinder presence than hologram Shiro. He’s encouraging, softspoken, his reasoning for not wanting Keith to go out there is because out there is dangerous.

With that framing, the worst kind of parent Keith’s Dad could be is Marlin from Finding Nemo- terrified something awful is going to happen to his son, and probably for the same kind of reasons considering Keith also remembers his dad grieving Krolia:

Now, is any of this evidence ironclad, destroys any counter-argument? Not necessarily. But you have to understand this is animation. Everything they put into this is a deliberate investment. 

So my question is: why would they make the climax of s5e5 be Krolia compromising their number one mission objective, without any hesitation, to protect Keith, if we’re supposed to have the takeaway that Krolia doesn’t care about Keith, and is a negligent parent who made bad decisions to hurt him? 

Why would they have Krolia be the one to say “what I did was unacceptable, it’s my fault and I need to work hard to make it up to you” before Keith actually even realizes what she’s talking about?

That’s not a decision that makes narrative sense.

We don’t know Krolia’s reasons for leaving. We don’t know what her situation was. But we know that her partner missed her, it sure seems like something both he and Keith really wanted was for Krolia to come back and them to be a family again. 

Keith drags his heels a very uncharacteristically long time and is very hesitant to say ‘no, I’m not going to wait for mom’ in the dream. The idea of refusing a reunion with his parents is nearly as painful to Keith as the idea of Shiro rejecting and leaving him. They’ve been gone for years. Keith’s still not over it.

What frustrates me about a lot of this is there feels like an attitude that either Keith can’t have been hurt by anything Krolia did, Krolia and her partner were perfect parents guilty of nothing and therefore Keith can’t possibly have any problems caused by the loss of his parents...

...or his parents are irredeemable pieces of shit that he’s better off without. When neither is true. We wouldn’t see evidence that Keith and Krolia missed each other terribly. We wouldn’t see the way Krolia talks to him right when she makes the trade for safe passage.

Did Krolia hurt Keith? Yes. What she did had consequences. She knew that. In s5e5 she makes it clear she thinks leaving Keith was bad and she’s right.

But everything we have on the situation tells us that Krolia and her partner were separated from Keith at different times, and this would suggest to us Krolia has no way of knowing about the second part. She wasn’t exactly keeping a galactic baby cam taped to Keith.

Being alone for a long time without his parents and the essential understanding of where he came from did hurt Keith. It’s bad. I’m not saying it’s good.

What I’m saying is that Keith’s isolation was not masterminded by Krolia. She didn’t leave and then hire an assassin to put a hit on her husband. Acting like Krolia is personally and willfully responsible for every bad thing that ever happened to Keith is as wrong as suggesting Krolia never hurt Keith at all.

People act like everything that happened to hurt Keith was Krolia’s fault and that she did it on purpose, or that you can’t have sympathy for Keith growing up in a bad situation without having someone to specifically blame for it.

Things Krolia is responsible for: Keith grew up without a mom

Things Krolia is partially responsible for: He lost his parents.

Things Krolia has no reasonable way of knowing would be consequences of her actions: Keith lost his entire biological family and had no idea he was a galra and got beaten up by the Blade trying to find out.

Did those things still happen to Keith? Yes. Is that bad? Yes. Does that need to be addressed? Yes.

But Krolia is not a selectively omniscient force who had complete control over Keith’s face and every bad thing in his life is actually her fault because she’s the final boss in a JRPG. She’s one person, who was fighting a war, and remember what Shiro said about the empire in s1e1?

If not directly challenged, the empire was going to get to Earth. If nobody stopped them Earth would become a colony. Krolia was directly working to undermine the empire- she didn’t leave Keith behind to become a yoga instructor. A lot of that situation was not under Krolia’s control nor was it ideal. 

[southposting]

‘Doubling Down’ Rant.

I feel like one of the most prominent aspects of this episode was the portrayal of the characters’ psychology, the writing and the dialogue did a great job portraying how people spiral into toxic relationships on the first place, and why it is difficult for them to get away once they've fallen in.

Kyle for one, is portrayed as a caring and moral-ridden individual that although reasonable, lets his emotions get in the way of his course of action. Kyle wanted to intervene because he considered it to be the right thing to do, never once entertaining the idea of an ulterior motive with Heidi until the other girls proposed it to him. While all the other boys aknowledged Cartman’s poor treatment of Heidi, none of them were willing to get themselves involved.

This takes us to Kyle's initiative and how his and Cartman's dynamic plays out throghout the episode. Kyle has consistently been responsible for challenging Cartman’s attitude, positioning himself as ‘good’ and Cartman as 'evil’, this relationship that has ultimately served to feed both Cartman’s enthusiasm to torture him, and Kyle’s sense of selfrighteousness and tendency to see himself as a martyr, victimization is something Kyle has in common with Cartman, but to quote, 'We all wrongly see ourselves as the victim sometimes, but Cartman sees himself as the victim ALL the time’. Kyle differentiates himself in being able to aknowledge his mistakes and learn from them.

To get some insight into Kyle’s remark: 'In a way, I feel like we’re all going out with Cartman right now’ reflecting on how all of them are, at some degree, and specially Kyle, always been involved in a toxic relationship with Cartman’s mind games. Kyle has been, for a long time now, Cartman’s main sympathizer, he can’t help but look out for his personal improvement, often attempting to get him to do the right thing and aknowledge the fault in his ways, a cause that Cartman hasn't hesitated to take advantage of, tricking Kyle into commiting to a mean if he can profit from his support.

In this episode, Kyle appears to have come to the conclussion that Cartman is beyond help, and that neither he nor Heidi can do anything to change that, for the best thing they can do for him is not to feed his sociopathic needs, furthermore demonstrated by their encounter on the hallway, with Kyle continuously trying to reason with him and assure him it was all for his own good, Cartman making deaf ears to his claims, finally leaving Kyle no choice but to knock him out in self defense, who apologizes regretful.

Cartman, on the other side, is miserable with Heidi, but also without her. As I stated on my last post concerning their relationship:

'He can’t bring himself to end the relationship and thus giving Heidi freedom of choice, she’s his property and so Cartman can’t stand the idea of his belongings moving onto other people. Cartman thinks of Heidi as a tool that exists with the only purpose of being at his disposition to give him attention and validation on command, no more and no less.

Simultaneously, Cartman can’t stand Heidi, because she doesn’t Cartman’s idealized image of her. Naturally, Heidi isn’t the tool Cartman expects her to be, she is an human being with her own individual needs. Whereas Cartman seeks a relationship where he is prioritized over all, never giving anything in return, and a partner willing to follow him blindly against all the odds, without him having to worry about losing their support; Heidi looks for a functional, healthy romantic relationship, were all the parties involved contribute their part. Cartman is unwilling to fulfill this role, because doing so would position him as an equal of Heidi’s, which means, to him, degrade him from his high-entity status.’

Nearing the end we realize Cartman has found a way of manipulating Heidi into believing she’s in the relationship she's craved for, and thus avoiding any sign of resistance on her behalf. He has learned that if he wants to manipulate Heidi successfully, he needs to put a little effort on the relationship every now and then, offering her occasional reassurance when things seem grim. This way, Cartman can act selfishly while at the same time 'rewarding’ Heidi for her subservience, throwing away any doubt she might've had in him. He fools her into believing his toxic behaviour is a necessary mean that needs to exist in order to keep improving himself.

Heidi is someone who wishes to aid the needy, she cannot bring herself to refuse someone’s cries for help, which is, besides the ironic effects of peer pressure, the main reason she continues to be stuck with Cartman and allows herself to be manipulated by him. He sees in Cartman someone who takes bad decisions, but is fundamentally kindhearted. Someone who is in need for her guidance. Even when ditching Kyle after being gaslighted by Cartman, her kind nature is a definitive trait of her character. Cartman was persuasive enough to make Heidi compromise with his beliefs, he made sure his words appeared to be reasonable. He told her what she wanted to hear when she was feeling the most guilty, deflecting the blame for the failure of their relationship unto Kyle instead, but reassuring her by telling her he hadn’t been counscious of his actions. He convinced her of attributing her own supposed flaws ('being moody’) to her ethnic background, and this way implying she has no control over ever improving herself, comforting her but making her feel helpess over her situation at the same time, this serves to Cartman as a mechanism to increase her emotional dependence to him, by making her feel he’s the only one who will ever love her despite her imperfections.

Regarding Cartman’s idea of Kyle, I feel like Cartman projects all of his own corruption unto Kyle. He subcounsciously thinks of Kyle as his equal, although he cannot recognize the corruption from within. Kyle’s intentions are never pure in Cartman’s mind, he must always be plotting something against him the same way he himself does to him. To him, Kyle’s purpose in life is to get in Cartman’s way. As the series progressed, we’ve seen Cartman gradually watering down his hostility towards Kyle in latter seasons the more time they spent together, and instead replacing it with an odd sense of familiarity and trust, until this point, Cartman’s friendly demeanor towards Kyle that even manifested itself at one point earlier in the episode, takes a sudden turn the moment Cartman finds out he might have been responsible for his breakup with Heidi. Following this event, we see Cartman’s hatred towards Kyle reach its peak when he goes batshit after his trippy jewish dream sequence, spewing all his resentments against Kyle in spite of the latter’s attempts to excuse himself, Cartman feeling betrayed after letting himself 'fall into Kyle’s claws’ by allowing him the benefit of the doubt previously.

Having stated all this, I think Cartman has taken care of the problems he had with Heidi, and now that the challenge is over, the last scene leads me to believe he has shifted his interest from the pleasure he obtains from having domain over her, to the impact his behaviour towards her has on Kyle instead. He’s using his influence on the people around Kyle to make them into proxys as a mean to inflict pain onto him. Heidi is no longer the tool, his entire relationship with her is now a tool on itself.

It was also interesting to see the conection between B plot and A plot relying on the parallel of the toxic relationship between Cartman, Kyle and Heidi, and that of politicians with their supporters, instead of having each storyline intersecting with the other, though I don’t have a strong stand on the matter, since I’m for the most part ignorant concerning the USA political status.

The weakest point of the episode in my opinion was the introduction of elements that seemingly served no purpose in the narrative, and ultimately aimed for a specific purpose in order to lead the plot in a certain direction. For example, Cartman’s dialogue when making fun of Heidi for gaining weight after tricking her into introducing meat into her vegan diet, indicated he had a goal in mind by doing this, though we never get any insight on what this particular goal may be other than to reassure his dominance over her. Besides this being a dangerous move for Cartman to make just after getting Heidi’s trust back, it seemed like it didn’t serve any purpose other than to incite Kyle into intervening in the relationship. Another example would be Cartman visiting Token’s house, there wasn’t really a point for Cartman to do this besides giving him the chance to make racial remarks some more. Finding out about Kyle being responsible for his breakup with Heidi through Token’s dad seemed too coincidental, though I don’t really mind, even less after being presented with Cartman’s fantastic Kyle delirium sequence.

I really enjoyed the execution of the humor, there were some great jokes, the animation team did an amazing job and overall I think this was a fantastic episode with a rather dark thematic.

[ofregiums]

all the world’s a stage, and CALLISTA KUANG is merely one of its players. the twenty-eight year old socialite is called the sovereign by most that know her. loyal to the senate, she’s certainly a force to be reckoned with, considering that she’s astute and enchanting. however, if you want to bring her down, i’ll have you know she’s haughty and sheltered. – played by ana de armas.

— RUNDOWN.

full name: callista samara kuang nee perez 
date of birth: may 11th, 1991 place of birth: verona 
age: twenty-eight 
star sign: taurus reimagined: calpurnia from julius caesar 
profession: socialite & humanitarian alma mater: columbia university faction loyalty: the senate alignment: chaotic good mbti: esfp spoken languages: english ( native speaker ), italian ( advanced ), spanish ( fluent ), french ( proficient ), mandarin ( proficient ), russian ( intermediate )  talents: event planning, philanthropy, fashion, politics, strategy mother’s name: mariposa perez father’s name: kosmo perez, deceased siblings, if any: luciano perez ( older brother, deceased ) spouse: julius kuang ( est. february 2016 ) height: 5′6″ hair colour: dirty blonde eye colour: hazel green

— BACKSTORY.

born the second child of a hotel magnate and his socialie wife, callista never wanted for anything. she and her brother were raised in an incredibly luxiourious lifestyle filled with a lot of love and warmth.

learned from an early age that her father’s hotel empire was actually a cover for his true business -- brokering and money laundering. the perez patriarch made a deal of sorts to cover illegitimate assets by funneling them through his hotels. and when anyone needed a specific type of good or asset, he was the person to turn to. in return, he was promised his family’s safety from the brewing civil war and offered a seat at the table when it came to power.

while cali’s brother was bred from an early age to eventually take over the family business, her parents were very firm on not allowing her, the jewel of the family, to get her hands dirty. cali never minded nor did she fight that rule. she enjoyed the freedom of being a princess in her own way, charging up daddy’s credit card and enjoying the finest things in life.

though it wasn’t mandatory for her to attend university, cali chose to do so to explore the world outside of verona as well as hone in her natural fondness for academia. she attended columbia university with a major in political science. lived for the high of being in new york and excelled socially and academically. considered staying in the states long-term.

received a heartbreaking call during the first summer after graduation -- luciano was dead. killed in the midst of the war that raged in her hometown. without hesitating, cali returned to verona for the funeral and decided to stay to support her grieving parents.

made a name for herself in verona by way of hosting charity galas and other philanthropic events. is well-known and beloved for her benevolence, and made sure she was a woman worth dying for -- which is exactly the way she likes it.

married julius kuang at the arrangement of their fathers. saw no point in stomping her feet and rejecting the process, so cali made the best out of a situation that was out of her control. initial indifference morphed in a reluctant friendship and now, the two stand strongly as partners if nothing else.

even though the two aren’t in love, cali’s very good at convincing the public of verona that they are to solidify their image. for those who do not know them well, they’re the utter envy of the town.

has grown into her own during recent years as she realizes her own strength and confidence. still, cali refuses to get her hands dirty on any terms and leaves the corruption and sinister politics to her husband and her father.

her father soon joined her brother in the graves. a mysterious hit but one that a grieving cali refused to let lie. once she found her father’s killer, she demanded that julius take care of the man. he did.

overall, she portrays herself as incredibly vain and flighty but to believe that is all she is would be the mistake of the other party. she’s intelligent, calculating, and her undying loyalty actually makes her quite a dangerous woman. 

spoiled as hell, very vivacious to the point of casual flirtation, and willing to bat her eyes to get whatever she wants. a total princess and proud of it.

her fatal flaw is her rose-colored glasses when it comes to the darker aspects of verona. she has a rather untainted point of view, due to the protection of those around her. yes, she is not naive to think that this isn’t a dangerous world but has never had to fully face how horrific it actually can be. if ever confronted with the true chaos of the war, it’s rather unlikely that cali would stand a chance.

[fallout4holmes]

Far Harbor 8

We couldn't put off Dima’s plan any longer. Along the way we checked on the status of the Last Plank bartender's uncle, still living out on the island in the Fog thanks to some condensers, and we promised an enterprising young girl called Bertha to clear the old lumber mill of ferals for future settlers. A sole remaining trapper had claimed the mill as his own, but Bertha’s friends should have no trouble chasing him off.

We found Confessor Martin’s private… hermitage, I suppose. According to the tapes we found, Martin truly did have an amicable relationship with the strange synth that had welcomed them to their new home. He blamed himself for not realizing how bad Far Harbor’s hostility had become, and then blamed Dima when his own people turned against him because of Dima’s refusal to help drive the Harbormen off the island. Martin demanded Dima leave the Nucleus, and then when Tektus took over with his calls for blood, Martin retreated into seclusion. A few written notes revealed he was visited by Sister Gwyneth, early in her doubts. He started to believe she was right, and never regained his faith, quietly disappearing.

We returned to Acadia, our prize in hand. Dima was alone in his observatory. It was a… tense, moment. Neither brother was exactly certain how to interact with the other.

“You’ve returned,” Dima said, with some small surprise.

“We said we would. Will these suffice?” I handed him the tapes.

“Yes, these look like they’ll serve. Let me listen…” he smiled softly to himself, “It’s good to hear his voice aga- ah. Some… grim material to work with.” After a few moments, he had copied excerpts onto a new tape. “I take no pleasure from twisting the words of an old friend, but I believe Martin would understand. This tape should pique the interest of the High Confessor, but Tektus is nothing if not wary.”

“It’s not the first time I’ve set a trap,” I took the new tape. “How are preparations coming along for a replacement?”

“The initial stages have gone well. He should be ready in time.” Dima hesitated, but asked, “You said something when we last spoke, when you agreed to this plan. My mind keeps coming back to it… ‘In some corner of Hell, he’s laughing at me.’ May I ask…”

“The Director of the Institute.”

Dima was stunned, “I don’t understand.”

“The Institute used whatever means to their end, no matter the cost, the collateral damage caused. There were no questions of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ only ‘necessary.’ Unfortunately, the wrong of destroying a person often leads to the right of saving many.”

“… and the wrong of letting a person live who shouldn’t?”

“We’re going to find out, aren’t we?” 

He winced. “So the Director is dead. And the Institute?”

“Destroyed.”

“Then it’s over?” Relief and hope filled him, “No more Courser hunts? No more slavery? Oh, but…” as suddenly as it seemed to come, the hope faded to something sadder. “But that also means the technology to make the synths is lost. Our origins have been buried. Not to mention, the loss of human life…” He glanced at us both with some chagrin, “I know that must sound disingenuous given my actions, but -”

“I sounded an evacuation before it was destroyed,” I said. “Everyone had a chance to get out. Not all of them did. It’s a truth I have to live with, that I don’t think I’ll ever forget.”

Dima glanced at Valentine, “Nor should anyone.” He sighed, “I’m sorry if I sounded as though I was judging you. You’ve wiped out a great evil in the world, and knowing the Institute is gone will bring peace of mind to many of my people. I’m grateful.”

We were invited to stay the night before going to the Nucleus in the morning. I think he hoped to have a chance to speak to Valentine, and so I resolved to be close by and listen in, just in case. My partner wasn't going to make it easy on him. And yet, for all his doubts, Valentine still wants to know his brother, this piece of family he never knew he might have had.

So it was with some false flippancy later that he answered a simple, “How have you been, Nick?” with “Haven't woken up discovering any new missing parts in a while, so I call that a win.”

Dima smiled. “I stopped counting the number of repairs I had decades ago. I have bad actuators, frayed wires…”

Whether innate sibling rivalry, or simple relief at a safe topic, Valentine continued the list, “Rusty joints, patched power couplings, and don't even get my secretary started whenever I tell her I literally have a screw loose.”

Dima chuckled, “You know, it's actually pretty nice being able to complain about this with someone who understands.”

Valentine nodded, “Yeah. Yeah, it is.” Silence settled a moment before Valentine asked, “Dima, why do you even call me Nick? Didn’t you know me from before the personality imprint?”

“We didn't have names inside the Institute. And after the personality experiments started, the only name you ever called yourself was Nick Valentine. If there's another name you'd prefer, I'd be happy to -”

“No. No, I... I like the name. When you wear something for a long time, it kind of seeps into ya, you know?”

“Of course. And yet your… friend, only calls you Valentine.”

“Habit. Calls me Nick when it’s important. So, what happened after the Institute? To you, I mean.”

“After our escape, after the… fight… I eventually made my way here, simply wandering North, hiding on a ship, anything to get as far away from the Institute as I could. Once my escape felt secured, I was left with nothing. No programmed task, no false memories. I spent a year just sitting in a cave. Just sitting. One day, it finally occurred that maybe I could decide for myself what to do, who I was. It was decades before I met another of my kind. At first, I didn't believe it. I thought the person I was talking to was deluded. And then I realized the truth. That we were the same. I didn't know it then, but that's when Acadia really started. And you, Nick? What happened after?”

“Woke up one day in a garbage heap, a body in tatters and a head full of memories belonging to a man who'd been dead for 200 years. Suffice to say it was a confusing couple of weeks.”

“I am sorry -”

“I know. I was still confused, you didn’t want to hurt me, but… anyway. My first human contact in the world was actually a kid. I think his name was Jim. Grilled me for an hour. Once they'd seen I wasn't going to hurt anyone, the other folks in the neighborhood came out to ogle the mechanical man. It eventually turned into a pretty swell soiree. Local mechanic even gave me a once over, free of charge. Those people, they treated me like a human being. I've been trying to return the favor ever since.”

“That sounds wonderful. It's… not what I expected.”

“Don’t get me wrong, took me a long damn time to get a feel for the Commonwealth. Eventually made my way to Diamond City. Plenty of people assumed I was just a saboteur, moving in to melt down the reactor or poison the drinking water. But they couldn't exactly turn me away.”

“Why?”

“Because I'd rescued the mayor's daughter.”

I softly laughed. “I'll never tire of hearing this story,” I said to Faraday behind me. “As you've been standing there a few minutes, I imagine you'd like to hear the rest?”

He sounded a bit embarrassed. “I was going to ask if you were spying again. I suppose you were, but not quite like I thought. I have to say, I hoped Nick would come back. Dima really is glad to see him again. But I don't quite understand why you want to help.”

“I am a man of my word, and I am not in the habit of abandoning those in need.”

We listened for a time. “Did he really pretend to be a bomb?” Faraday asked.

“So he says.”

“No one could be stupid enough to fall for that.”

“Clearly you haven't met many raiders.”

“Um. Well, no, I guess I haven't.”

We were joined by Chase. “What in the world are you two doing?”

We moved away before we could be discovered. “We didn't want to interrupt!” Faraday protested.

Chase rolled her eyes and turned to me, “You're a detective, right? You've had experience finding missing people.”

I must admit, there is a certain comfort that comes with the anticipation of a case. “What's happened?”

“A synth was supposed to arrive from the Commonwealth, but he's gone missing. Brooks in Far Harbor has all the details, he's the one who was supposed to watch for his arrival. Tell him I sent you.”

She gave me Brooks’ unit designation from the Institute, just in case he didn't want to cooperate. Valentine and Dima were still talking. The sun would be setting by the time I reached Far Harbor; hardly an ideal time to track down a missing person, but given the dangers of the island, there was no time to waste. I resolved to head into town at least, and see what Brooks could tell me. I left Valentine to catch up with his brother. I didn’t know if it would help or not, but I think it’s important he get some sense of the old synth on the mountain… and, more importantly, that Dima gets a sense of the sort of man his brother is.

I hurried into Far Harbor and found Brooks cleaning up. The missing synth, a young man called Derrick, had arrived ahead of schedule in a panic. Brooks tried to calm him down but Derrick, convinced he was being pursued, ran off. Brooks was unable to stop him, or find him when he disappeared. He feels terrible about it. The only information he could give me was that Derrick had white hair and had run off down the south road.

“Then I suppose I’ll head south,” I sighed.

“Sure you want to be out an' about in the dark, cap'n?”

I turned and saw Longfellow approaching from the Last Plank, a bottle of whiskey in hand. “The sun hasn't set just yet, and if there's the slightest chance that he is still alive we must move quickly.”

“We?”

“If I had my dog with me, tracking Derrick down would be simple, sunshine or no,” I grinned, “but I’d gladly take a septuagenarian hunter instead.”

“Hmph,” he seemed amused, I think, though honestly it’s hard to tell. “And where’s your friend?”

“Acadia. He’s catching up with his brother, I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Brother, huh?” Longfellow was supremely skeptical, but shrugged and said, “Brooks, watch this for me.” He put his whiskey on the counter, “I’ll be back as soon as this young pup makes a fool of himself tracking at night.”

I did not, in fact, make a fool of myself. To the contrary, Longfellow was impressed with my ability to observe details, and only corrected me once when I confused the blood trail of a wounded radstag with the trail of blood we’d been following. Given the nature of the trail, I knew the young man was likely dead… but nothing prepared me for the grisly nature of his fate. We tracked him to a house where trappers had set up camp. They’d eaten him, and left his head among the remains. 

The Institute was gone, what had he been running from? A lone Courser? The Brotherhood? An imagined foe born from paranoia? Whatever the reason for his fear, Brooks had been in no position to stop his flight, through no fault of his own. How many people have died trying to reach a place of refuge?

Longfellow was grim, “Damn shame. Suppose you’ll let Acadia know?”

“Yes. Will you tell Brooks?”

“I’ll tell him. He’ll probably blame himself, even though it’s not his fault. I'll see to him, don't worry.”

I thanked him, and hurried back to Acadia. Chase was distressed to hear the news. This does, in fact, happen often. I don't mean the cannibalism, specifically, but synths being killed en route to Acadia. The island is a death trap for those ill prepared. This place doesn’t need ideals of peace and isolation, it needs practical help for the physical challenges of survival.

Valentine just found me. I'd managed to find an empty spot to sleep for the night, and was writing the above as he sat down next to me.

“You snuck out on me,” he said, perhaps a touch put out.

“I didn't want to interrupt. I found Longfellow in town.”

“Just want to make sure you get home in one piece,” he held my hand. “Chase mentioned something about finding a missing synth?”

I told him what I'd found. He shook his head with a heavy sigh. “This place…”

“Acadia is a worthy idea severely lacking in execution.”

“Considering what they've got to work with, it's amazing they've got this much.” It was true, the resources are limited, the neighbors unfriendly… “If only there were some sort of organization that could lend a helping hand,” he finished sardonically.

I chuckled, “The thought had crossed my mind, but would Dima accept help?”

“It’ll be a surprise, that’s for sure. He’s not fond of the Railroad, doesn’t understand why they’d remove synth identities instead of embracing them, but no one here knows what the Minutemen under their current management are about.”

“It is a bit out of our jurisdiction,” I said with a grin, “but perhaps some trade could be set up at the very least. Did you enjoy talking to him?”

“It was… nice. Strange. He was alone on this rock for a long time before he met another person. He’s… removed from a lot of life. Most of what he knows about the Commonwealth is second-hand knowledge, what he’s heard and stored in his memory banks. I think he got more out of the conversation than I did, listening to stories about the world. I still can't quite crack what makes him tick.”

“Beyond protecting his people?”

“Protecting is fine and good, but every time he mentions ideals and synths having their own culture and way of life… well, that would be nice, but it'll take a long time for that to happen. Not sure the people here are as in it for the long haul as Dima is… or as willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.”

There certainly seems to be a disconnect. We'll find out soon enough if it's all worth it.

[uno-duo-triotale]

who would like to read a really long backstory Post on Serif?

cause i wrote it out for,,, some reason. it’s kind of written in a loose biography fashion so its not very good. its also probably... horribly spelled and full of typos

Serif is the oldest recognized son of the famous and well recognized, highly esteemed scientist, WD Gaster. Most of his life was spent growing up on the military bases where his father worked and lived, was homeschooled, and often looked after by other military personnel- most particularly a high-ranking Mage Soldier, Grillby, incredibly well known for his Fire Magic. Grillby was who initially taught Serif how to use Human soul-based magic, an art highly valued by humans as it can only be taught by a highly skilled mage, or a monster, who were on incredibly unfriendly, tense terms with humans. Grillby was assigned to Gaster as a test subject, as Gaster's focus was on creating super soldiers based on magic, and so Grillby was frequently around, and much closer of a father figure than Gaster (incredibly neglectful, emotionally manipulative and at the worst of times physically abusive) would ever be, and a very uncooperative test subject for gaster, with no desire to allow magic to be gifted freely to human soldiers and increase killing. Another dear friend of Serif is another army brat- Undyne. she’s a year younger than him and they meet when they’re around 10 and 9. She’s the adoptive daughter of a very high official- Asgore- who’s militarily charged with Mt Ebott and the monsters inside it, and works closely with his father.

after several years of dead ends where grillby refused to cooperate with the magic tests, gaster turned to his own son's quickly growing capabilities. in the secret of their own home the experiments would take place and eventually Serif was condemned to the basement as a test subject and experiment. at around the age of 12, after being isolated for over a year, grillby finally gets through via threats of turning gaster in, and serif finally gets to leave the basement again. he comes out of the basement to the discovery that he now has a pair of twin brothers- sans and papyrus. his father doesnt even remember their mother's names and hints that he only had the children for the purpose of more test subjects at one point, ordering his son to begin teaching them magic (an insane thought, considering both of his brothers were only 5 months old at the time). the experiments are far from over, and continue for the next 4 years. over the course of these years, serif frequently takes his brothers to see Grillby, who- despite being discharged from the military (assumedly by gasters influence after the threats), continues to follow them around and set up near whatever military base. both his brothers show incredible talent for magic, just as Serif did when he was younger, and just like his father. Grillby agrees to help teach them at serif's request. during timespans where Gaster forbids them to leave the military bases and not see Grillby, they go instead to see Undyne. by 11 years old she’s vigerously training with her dad and other people to join the military herself when she’s older. Serif trains with her- papyrus joins in, too. both Papyrus and serif look up to her- she looks up to serif, too; she wants to learn magic. he tells her its a very bad idea. dont bother.

At age 4, two weeks after serif's 16th birthday, the youngest of the 4 year old twins, papyrus, makes a panicked and frantic call to the 911 operator that his Father is dead in the basement study and something is very wrong with his brothers. Police arrive on the scene to find Grillby already there, called by papyrus immediately before he had called 911. Serif is hysterical and radiating a dangerous level of magic, aglow with fiery lights, in the corner of the room, and Gaster's body lays dead at the foot of the far wall. Sans, unconscious, remains motionless in his arms and clutched to his chest. the mystery itself lies that they could find no reason Gaster is dead- his body is intact and completely undamaged with no cause of death- and despite that fact, Serif and his unconscious brother are horrifically spattered in blood, as is the rest of the room, and papyrus, too. police come to the conclusion there was an intruder. a monster, who was capable of killing a human. tensions had been so high- the assumption of it being a monster was just that- a cruel assumption, and the only guess they could have to what killed Gaster without a trace. Serif has no memory of this night. according to records taken on the younger brothers- Sans had been asked by his father to come to the lab- but as soon as they'd passed the doorway to the stairs, his memory is gone, as well; Papyrus had been woken from bed by horrible screaming and had run down to the basement- by the time he got there the screams had stopped and he'd stumbled on the scene almost exactly how the police had.

It takes Grillby 15 hours to calm the panicked serif to the point anyone can approach him. Sans is mortally wounded- several broken bones, dangerous Magic reactions, and several sudden deteriorating diseases he'd not had before including degenerating bone, flesh rotting, and other issues. serif would be tested to be showing these symptoms, progressing much slower, but over the course of many years. when Serif holds him, sans' deterioration ceases. its a mystery for weeks what is happening until its discovered in the lab some of gasters' notes. a compound known as RaGe has been released into both brothers bodies. Serif's was capable of adapting to it. Sans was not.

another up-and-coming doctor known as Alphys, also studying magic (for robotic applications, not human applications) is given his case. after about 4 months of study where all 3 brothers remain in custody question at the hospital, frequently visited and cared for by Grillby, in which Alphys works closely with the brothers, she finally concludes a possible way to treat them. the need a monster, though- and she... isnt 100% sure they will survive. Asgore, in charge of the mountain, is desperate to help the sons of his close, late partner and top scientist. confronted by grillby, alphys, and serif- he admits he has... ways to get a monster out of the underground secretly. he’s done it a few times now- orphaned children. he’s done it a fewtimes, and as he sets it up he admits it is the the 8th time, now. 

a monster child is retrieved from the Mountain by the name, Frisk. they are given to Alphys- who’s horrified. as is Serif and Grillby. Papyrus and Sans- unaware that Alphys’ original plan will involve possibly killing this monster child- a little goat monster- are quickly curious and already making friends. Frisk seems delighted. Alphys goes back to the drawing board. 

they’ve been sick for about a year, and finally custody was settled around 7 months. despite grillby’s best efforts, they have a will from gaster that his sons are to never be left with him. temporarily they are to stay with Asgore, their godfather in the will, and his divorcing wife Toriel.at about the year-long mark, Alphys has a new solution after studying frisk. this solution will only work with Sans- using frisk’s system to filter out rage. Sans body is not dependant on it nor does it produce RaGe- after filtering, he will be safe. Serif is not so luck- over the years Gaster has altered his body to rely and rapidly produce it. filtering it would make him very sick- and eventually he’d just recreate it. The amount Serif creates, too- it could and most likely would be toxic for Frisk, especially with the added amount in sans decaying his system. over time, Frisk would work it out of their body- monster’s Magic systems are more... porous, and things get worked out of them as they create magic. they’d be okay as long as their system isnt overloaded with RG at one time.

Serif asks frisk if they will save his brother’s life. Frisk -they agree immediately, determined, and without hesitation. the procedure commences within the hour and takes 42- and goes successful. He’s weaker and iller than he should be after so much time with it in his system- he’s got fragile bones and bruises easily, and has a very poor immune system. but he wont degrade any more. He’s going to be okay. Everyone is relieved. Alphys explains to Serif that- well, he was altered to handle this stuff. he’s not going to die from it- not for a long time, at least. but he needs to keep using his Mage Magic. using magic works some of it out of his system- its important to get most of it out. otherwise it will damage him. He doesnt mind- he likes using magic. he can use it for good. Grillby agrees to teach him more about magic- everything he knows. Frisk comes with Sans and Papyrus, now. they like to train. This continues even when Serif and his brothers move in with Asgore and Toriel. Serif spends most of his time now, taking care of his brothers, and training- be it with his siblings- including his newest little sibling Frisk, who stays with them at Asgores- or with Agore and Undyne, his friend. Without Gaster around, he finally agrees to help teach Undyne about magic, to see if she can use it. she’s not as adept as Serif’s family tree of mages. but she trains her hardest- and with her determination she can do just about anything. Their magics are very different, but, she figures out how to work hers out. theyre both delighted.

a week before Serif would turn 19, the tensions between Monsters and Humans have finally errupted and war has begun. undyne has drafted herself for war the day she turned 18- in an effort to come with her, help her, he drafts too. They both join the Army, specifically targeting Infantry and Footsoldier work. they train and train together even before their drafts are called. 

the war grows and gets worse and worse. they are only in training for a year before being deployed. 

Neither of them talk about that war, or very little of what happens. by the end, there are few to know monsters left alive. not much is known about what happened with them personally- from the very few letters exchanged after they were deployed, its known they got seperated from side-by-side fighting somewhere around the middle of the war. Undyne tore off to fight front-lines style, against bigger warriors. Serif was packed into a small squadron for other missions. he writes one letter to grillby thats perhaps the most gruesome- grillby doesnt end up reading the whole thing, only the first paragraph. the squadron had invaded an area known as snowdin in the cover of the undergrounds night cycle and while monsters slept, they dispatched them- full families in their beds. Grillby stopped readings when Serif admits he kills a goat child and doesnt notice how much they looked like frisk until they were dead. 

Undyne and Serif come home from the war at different times. Undyne comes home first, and everyone waits for weeks for Serif. weeks and then months. it takes 4 months for him to come home- he’s 21 and comes home in the back of a truck. Undyne came home exhausted and haunted but Serif- serif came back worse. he and Undyne dont talk to each other much, and he barely says anything to anyone- barely even responds when Asgore explains he had no choice but to send Frisk to a Holding Facility because they were a monster, or that the temporary custody settlments had finally been settled and his brothers had been moved to Fostercare- they have a good family, staying with the Mr and Ms Froggit, Toriel visits them all the time and takes them to see frisk. All these things Asgore tells him to try and comfort him but Serif never responds or seems to change. He sleeps for about 4 days after coming home. then he gets up, packs up, and goes with Toriel to see his brothers. They’re elated to see him. He cheers up incredibly in their presence. They go visit frisk with them- Frisk is so happy to see serif. he hugs them for a solid 15 minutes and they seem just fine in not being let go.

He goes back home with Toriel. Grillby comes over for dinner, he, Toriel, Asgore, and Undyne and her recently re-united girlfriend Alphys sit at the table. Alphys makes a joke about what he’s going to do now that hes home- he informs them he’s only going to be home for a week. he’s already enlisted to go oversees and continue his service. Grillby is outraged- and so is Asgore. Toriel is horrified. Undyne slams her fists on the table. Alphys looks shocked. Serif- looks just like he did the first 5 minutes he was home. Undyne accuses that they’re supposed to serve they times together and all 3 of his acting paternal figures demand he get more rest, Asgore says something like that cant be legal or allowed he return the quick. serif explains neutrally- he was approached by a man to join a special division. covert operations- survival skills- his magic- they need him there for training next week, he will be deployed as with a special team- but theyll part and he’ll work solo. he explains the foreign territory he’ll work- he talks calmly. 

Undyne slams her hands on the table and leaves immediately. she’s gone on her way to- do whatever she can to end up serving with him. she cant, even with her track record and feild work. in anger she enlists for the soonest deployment she’s allowed in the same area. Serif spends his week visiting his brothers and frisk every day- by night hes out of the house doing god knows what and comes home drunk as hell twice late the next morning someone else leaves his room and leaves the house, having come home with him. he leaves early in the morning before anyone in the house wakes up without a goodbye, everything he has gone. 

he comes home maybe once or twice a year- to see his brothers, see frisk ,see his family. maes quite a few jokes about ‘having fun’ with the locals with undyne- theyre amusing and she jokes along but mentions to gaster that she’s worried about him.

he’s 23 and still doing his mysterious work- ocassionaly he meets up with Undyne covertly- but there's a brewing war with the country he’s in. everyone at home is begging him to come home- undyne included, she keeps tracking him down when she can and asking they both go home, before theres deplyment in the area they can leave. 

That war never comes; his timeline makes a surprising horror-story twist and a few thousand miles from them is ground 0; the news erupts with a story most people dont believe. zombies. a media joke to most of the world, what, zombies? neither Serif and Undyne have heard about it- they’re in the middle of work, no time for the news. Serif has a devious little gnashing teeth encounter- assumes it was a man gone crazy. the second one is too much of a coincidence withing 12 hours of the first-- he aproaches the nearest village with a caution that saves his life. people run and scream and die. he cant honestly believe it himself but he tears off to the North, knowing exactly where Undyne and her team are stationed. The little outpose base is in a panic- they’re here too. with a good use of magic he rids the post of the infected. Undyne and half of her team, alive. She’s the captain and orders they march now to help the village- Serif outranks her, she’s shocked to find. he orders they leave- now. they’re retreating right now- taking the military vehicle and driving to the nearest airport and going home. immediately. no stops. If they dont get home before that don there gets out of hand, they-re screwed. there wont be ny airplanes to ross an ocean, he says. Undyne thinks he fucking crazy, she marches to leave- he knocks her out and throws her in the back seat. the team follows his lead and they pile in. He informs them as he takes the wheel and tears out down a road that they are all officially awol. none of them really seem to care. zombies are a shock. Serif’s a fun liar and with a lot of jokes about how tired his unconscious companion is, he explains to a woman using his military position that they need to board the plane. a bit impressive, in all honesty. 

He and the group board and fly and split up on-landing, instructed to go get their families and, if they want to join up, meet up at a specific location. Serif picks his alphys’ lab and orders them all meet there by 3 days. He takes off with Undyne, who after so many hours of unconsciousness comes to in the car he stole. he points out to her they’re already back home. she’s shocked. he states firmly that he’s kidnapping frisk when they pull into the complex to Undyne. double the shocked. she comes with him. smiles and all- the personell know Serif. he gets to frisk. they smile and hug and joke. Frisk calls him sweaty and dirty- he very much is, fresh from the field. He picks up frisk, still smiling and joking with a glance to the monitoring personel near by, and holds a hand out to Undyne. his still shocked companion takes it- and promptly the three of them are shortcutted out of the holding facility and into the parking lot. He buckles frisk into the back seat with a hum, the kid thoroughly confused. Undyne- who’s shortcutted with him before many times, just gets in the passenger door. Serif tears off in the stolen car before the surpised personel at the facility can even raise an alarm. theyre gone. Serif changes out his stolen car along the way. He pulls up to the school he knows his brothers attend and walk home from. they wait for a few moments there. despite frisk frantically asking confused questions, he only smiles and jokes. Undyne his quiet and squinting, and when the school lets out an hour into waiting, breaks him from his jokes at frisk to inform them that Sans and Papyrus are coming out. She yells out the window, and hearing her voice, the come running immedeatly, expecting and soon confirming that Serif is with her. They’re even happier when they climb in the car and discover Frisk. they’re so excited, asking if Frisk is finally allowed to come home again. Serif jokes around more. he changes out his stolen car again on the way home, to the confusion of his brothers who are a bit horrified theyre brother is stealing a car. He and undyne buckle them in. and move on.

They walk into the house that afternoon to Asgore on the phone. the high ranking official has already been informed that his adopted daughter has gone missing, as well as her whole platoon, and upon checking, Serif as well. toriel is pacing the living room with him, frantic. they’re beyond relieved and rush the two. Serif hangs the phone in asgore’s hand up during their hug, and when they pull apart, he asks to take it. Asgore, surprised, agrees. He calls grillby without pause. tells him to pick up everyone he can from the bar- which should be open and is- and head over to Alphys’ lab. dont hesitate. pick up everyone you can. bring as much food and water as you can. 

he hangs up a moment later. He looks at asgore. can you get your hands on weapons? a lot of them? he knows asgore can- they’re on a military base. 

Asgore doesnt hesitate. he already knows- he’s a high official. he sighs. there’s already been a potting in the country, he says, dreading. theyre mobilizing military forces... he wasnt optimistic about what this was going to mean.

a lot of people are very lucky. a lot of people make it to the store house that Serif knew is prepared in Alphys’ lab. the anxious scientist woman had been using her magic and robotics to design a safe house under the lab. a lot of people get there. a lot of people get safe. its almost completely sustainable. 

it’s safe for a whole year down there, too. it was safe a whole year until serif exploded with RaGe in there. until he killed some people- by accident- he cause so much panic. the people fled through the safe doors. there was only 1 zombie in the area and it was all it took. one bite and there were two. and then 4. and then 8. people fled the doors from him when he lost it and many of them died. at least when he had zombies he had something to turn his RG to. zombies and the people screaming withing them died. very few of the people in that safe hatch who survived the year lived. most of them people who knew Serif and new what was wrong- they just stayed away and stayed quite and didnt attract attention. they didnt scream and they didnt flee the complex and they didnt fight against him. 

after that, the few people who’d survived threw him out. understandably. 

his family followed after him and left the vault. he begged them to stay. Grillby, Asgore, Toriel, Alphys, Undyne- papyrus, sans, frisk. children, kids. the people he loved. go back inside.

they refused. 

for two years they lived nomadically. the scavenged and hunted and killed and protected one another. one day they even found theyre way back to the vault- the dors were open. there was no one left down there. 

at the end of that two year mark, the Alternates came. Sayrus informed them thet they were indeed the last people alive and not zombies on the planet, not withstanding a ver few amount of people- a couple groups of canabals who were slowly eating themselves to extinction, a few people running around pilfering and raping and such. there were only a few other people left in the world that they’d deemed acceptable to save- they’d contacted Sayrus’ friend, koyol, and he’d come with His People and saved anyone who was worth it. all that was left now were them. Serif was one of them. Sayrus was offering them a place to stay with him and his blooming Haven of siblings. everyone would be welcome from their group. Monsters and Humans alike. 

serif and his family took the offer.