#I love her dearly for how unhinged she gets around her sons

[ministarfruit]

she's like that kind of dad that tries to relate to her son's interests but in all the wrong ways

[mrowtastic]

Ok I had a cool Idea about a dp x dc au that i want to throw out here.

The story takes place after the show. Everyone is in their early-mid twenties, (I'm thinking the Trio is around 22-23 and Jazz 26-27, depending), Everything that happened in the show happened here. It's been over five years now and Team Phantom is a well-oiled machine of ghost kick-assery.

The Drs Fenton are retired from the ghost hunting business. Inventing new gadgets and theories is their game and they enjoy it. They have gladly passed the torch to their two kids that they are so so proud of. (Maddie insists that they call at least once a week to chat).

Everyone has stuck together. Amity is healthier (ghost-wise) and is particularly peaceful. The gang goes to the same college (take your pick, i prefer Gotham thanks to ghosty biz), and realize just how much their ghostly know-how is needed outside of Amity. (Maybe Gotham calls in a favor and asks them to [spiritually] clean up her streets to help with the strain of everything?).

Team Phantom comes out of retirement to address the spiritual turmoil, hunt down naughty ghost, help the dearly departed to the other side, and steal mementos, haunted artifacts, and other dangerous occult items best left to the dead. The more morally-grey parts of the job force the Team into stealth mode. They work mostly at night but can work during the day depending on the mission. In order to stay anonymous they have motorcycles (with their assigned colors, the sporty kind) with helmets. (I'm imaging so many motorcycle chasing scenes. Maybe the Fentons invent a ghost whip that snags ghosts mid-chase? That sounds cool).

It's easy to get what they need between Sam's and Danny's wealth, Tucker's programming skill, Danny's engineering skills, Jazz's organizational skills, and Sam's ability to see the big picture. It's just like old times.

In a sense they make themselves a superhero group. To everyone else, however, they have come out of nowhere and are way to skilled to be newbies. It has the bats and other heroes scratching their heads. Shenanigans ensue. Constantine loves them and loathes them in the same breath. The Bats are running in circles because How do they keep getting away?

Everyone gets a superhero identity:

Danny: Sticks with Phantom. I know, boring, but no one outside of Amity really knows about him. (I'm thinking an info blockade from the government like in so many fics). He specializes in all the ghostly, magical parts of their exploits. Anything that needs to be done regarding ectoplasm and weird symbols is his business. Also is the only one able to make chemicals needed for their weapons and handle a hammer for repairs to equipment. I imagine him in either a black trench coat or motorcycle jacket with combat boots, black jeans, and regular black t-shirt. He wears goggles like Maddie's. (Like mother, like son). They make him look unhinged.

Sam: I'm leaning towards the name Thorn? She's the sharpshooter. The muscle. She can and will crack your head between her thighs and possesses 90% of the trio's impulse control (in most situations). I imagine her in knee-high, laced up, goth boots, leggings and killer skirt with a leather jacket and crop top. Her colors are still black, purple, and green. She is SWOLE. I love her.

Tucker: Now, I'm not sure what his name would be but he's basically the field tech. Having an on-site hacker is super useful. He's got twenty ways to get into every building. Security means nothing to him. He's great at stealth (not counting Danny cause ghost powers) and is great at thinking on his feet. His color are black and orange. Instead of wearing his red beret and yellow shirt duo he wears sneakers, tech glasses, a motorcycle jacket with a hoodie attached.

Jazz: Prophet is her codename. She's the lady in the chair. Tucker may make the programs that run the computer, but only Jazz can run them efficiently. She gets them where they need to go, gets them out of tough situations, gets info, assists Tucker, and so much more. Also, I want her to fly a ghost jet. I dont know why but she would be so cool doing it.

[i-never-even-wanted-to-be-here]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Thanks....

Hi and of course! This is a really difficult question to answer tho. There's so many characters I love. I won't bother ranking them because I doubt I could and technically I mentioned more than 10, I hope you forgive me...

Kyan Reki (SK8 the Infinity): He's super relatable to me and I'd love to be his friend. I think he could teach me how to have more fun and to skateboard without judging too hard when I make mistakes and in return I could be his unpaid therapist because the Lord knows he needs one. I adore ENFPs and he seems awesome to hang out with. I don't think I'd encourage his interest in S beefs because I'd be too worried about him or the others getting badly hurt. I wouldn't allow him to be around Adam either. I'd slap this bitch so hard istg

Aaron Minyard (AFTG): I think he's a very underrated character of the aftg trilogy. I of course love all of them and he isn't the most relatable character to me either (that would be Betsy, fortunately I can't necessarily relate to the Foxes) but I believe he's greatly misunderstood within the books. I don't approve of all his actions but he feels very real to me. Someone who is capable of development and change, even if at moments he's not exactly acting that great. He has so much potential and room for improvement

Wylan Hendriks (Six of Crows): He's my child, my son, whom I love dearly. I want to make him hot chocolate and sing him a lullaby. I basically slammed down the adoption papers as soon as he was introduced in the book. I didn't even know him, he could've turned out to be different than expected but I'm rarely wrong about characters (*pats myself on the back*) and I just fell in love with him immediately. I am incredibly proud of his development. Next to Matthias I believe he had the best one of the Crows. But obviously all of the characters are fucking amazing, it's so hard to choose favourites. But I have to mention Specht and Rotty being the MVPs of the duology. Without them nothing would've worked lol. I am beyond excited to see all of them on screen :)))

Khun Aguero Agnes (Tower of God): Ah yes, another smart, traumatised, morally grey, queer coded guy with a funky hair colour. What do you expect of me? In the same breath I could mention Killua (Hunter X Hunter). They're kinda similar, aren't they? They're very underappreciated in their respective verses, despite being fan favourites, and deserve a genuine Thank You from their protagonist bestie. But my favourite in ToG is actually Hockney (the painter aesthetic. There's just something about him that is extremely compelling to me, I think we'd get along)

Darcy (Heartstopper): Such a relatable character. So real and everything you'd wish to have as TV representation. Though I'm not a lesbian (I'm pan/demic) I really love her, and also Elle, so much. Heartstopper is just great in general, I doubt I have to explain exactly why and what I find so good about it

Vanessa (Black Clover): She's a witch with a big pointy hat who can change fate with a cute little cat. She's confident and despite her drinking habits still very responsible. Charmy is amazing too, can you imagine how much of your favourite food she could make you and you bet your fucking ass it'd be the most delicious thing you've ever eaten in your entire life. Luck is a cutie as well, despite being completely unhinged but why would that be important?

Morgiana (Magi): I mean, have you seen her? She's an absolute queen. Do I want her, be her friend or do I want to be her? The answer is yes. I know I didn't include a lot of female characters here. I blame that on the fact that they are often under developed, annoying or I relate to the male characters more for some weird reason. A character that reminds me of her is Emma (The Promised Neverland). They're strong female role models and act as big sisters sometimes. They're smart, athletic and powerful. You just gotta love them

John Murphy (The 100): There is something about this cockroach I am obsessed with. I hate cockroaches but a character who straight up refuses to die and is so cool about it? I'm gagging for it. The show itself, like many others, went downhills but I still enjoyed most of it. And Murphy was only amazing throughout all of it

Sukuna (Jujutsu Kaisen): A villain can't be missing from this list. The only thing I can say about him is that he's hot (I am, however, not attracted to Yuuji, I feel like that's important to say) and once in a while a villain doesn't have to be incredibly complex. He can just want to watch the world burn and kill everyone and that's okay. We don't always need reasons. Sure, I'd be terrified of him if I met him and he wouldn't even have to really move a finger to kill me but what an honour it'd be to get murdered by this man

Nanachi (Made in Abyss): Might be a weird one but this story got me really attached, it's quite tragic and Nanachi is such a sweet, yet sad character. She is a great help to the other two protagonists and what drives her is so dramatic, her story actually made me cry. All these kids are way too young to experience such terrible hardships. I'm so looking forward to more of them!

Everyone from Attack on Titan deserves an honourary place on this list. All the girls are awesome. Ymir, Historia, Annie, Sasha, Mikasa, and yes, you might hate me for it but even Gabi. I'm on nobody's side in this war so why would I hate a child for having been raised on propaganda? She killed one person, others killed many more. And the boys, oof, Connie has always been my favourite boy. He seems like fun but also really nice and respectful. Boyfriend material. Besides almost being willing to sacrifice a kid... But only almost, right? Of course there's Levi and Erwin but I think those are too obvious to even mention here.

(Fantasy) Animal companions: Idk if they count but Happy (Fairy Tail), Kirara (Inuyasha), Chopper (One Piece), Kuro (Blue Exorcist), Pina (Sword Art Online), Akamaru and Kurama (Naruto), fuckinuhhh Ryuk (Death Note)??, Appa and Momo (Avatar), Hayate (fmab), Yoyo and Doc Crock (Simsala Grimm), all monsters from How to Keep a Mummy, even fucking Pikachu. You name them. Always top tier characters.

Asking for only 10 was a horrible thing to do to me, do you know what this cost me? I need to do more honourable mentions so if you'll excuse me: Alluka, Meruem and Komugi (Hunter X Hunter), Yatora Yaguchi (Blue Period), Chika (World Trigger), Maki (Jujutsu Kaisen), Manbagi Rumiko (Komi can't communicate), Dabi and Hatsume Mei (bnha), Saiki (Saiki K), Crowley and Mika (Owari no Seraph), Scar and Roy Mustang (fmab), Alana Bloom (Hannibal)

Why would you even ask me this question? I'm only stopping here because I can't think of any more content and characters lmao

[locria-writes]

So between Tuk'oer, Vezian, and Valentin, who's the biggest asshole? I feel like these are top 3 amongst the trashmen but I don't know just who is the biggest asshole in the top 3 itself.

i got a wholeass essay on this topic

tl;dr --

valentin -- 7/10 asshole, but a pretty decent guy underneath it all. has his own moral code that he does mostly adhere to, is capable of recognizing his assholery, and is the only one on this list capable of genuine and unselfish love.

tuko'er -- 9/10 asshole, very little redeemable about him, except that he is capable of introspection and self-reflection. had the potential to actually be a great guy, but got too embittered by the world and can't let go of the past. capable of genuine love, but it'll never not be selfish.

vezian -- 10/10 asshole, he doesn't even have the cool tragic backstory the others have to back his shit up. he was never a good guy, not even when he was a protagonist, and not now as an antagonist-figure. i don't really know if he's capable of genuine love.

long essay

Valentin is objectively an asshole. He's a hypocrite when it comes to his treatment of MC, has no qualms about lying/cheating/murdering his way to power, and is just generally unnecessarily blunt, surly, and quarrelsome, but underneath all that, he doesn't just have the potential to be a great guy -- he's actually quite valiant, albeit with some moral liberties and questionable methods, but let's take what we can get, okay?

His whole arc revolves around his pursuit of revenge, at least that's how others see it. But to Valentin, it's a fight to amend his rightfully-perceived injustices. He isn't doing it wholly for himself, in fact, his primary motivation is to seek justice for his mother, and in a broader respect, for all the others who have the same story he does. He doesn't hurt those he perceives as weaker than himself, and he doesn't blame the faultless, most of the time. MC is is the only exception to this because through all the hurt and anger that's been pent-up, Valentin's able to justify to himself why she's an acceptable target, and bend his principles just this once.

Unlike the other two, Valentin's perfectly capable of genuine and unselfish love, and already demonstrates it before MC. If MC were anyone else, he'd absolutely treat her very well, and he wouldn't have any qualms about acknowledging any feelings toward her. MC's only flaw is that she's Burkhard's daughter, and at the very least, Valentin can acknowledge his hypocrisy and deep down, he knows it's unfair to hate and hurt her for reasons far beyond any control.

On a meta-level, is Valentin's character an asshole? Yes, but only in this specific scenario. If his father had been even just 10% less of an asshole, or if he had a strong and non-murderous paternal role model, he wouldn't be a victim of Asshole Syndrome. Would he still be a surly jerk? Absolutely, but he'd be pretty harmless to MC overall, so he's a 7/10 asshole in AAB, but a 5/10 asshole as a character concept, if that makes sense.

Tuko'er, oh this piece of shit, Tuko'er. Undoubtedly an asshole's asshole, he's petty, ruthless, vicious, and completely unhinged. He takes delight in hurting the one he loves, and even more out of just being toxic toward her, and to be totally honest, he just wants to drag her down to his level so he won't be so lonely down there hell. He's an irredeemable abuser who is perpetuating the cycle, but let's take a step back for a second to look at how we got here.

He grew up in a household where power was the only thing that mattered. His father scorned him and set out to purposefully to make him miserable because of his mother is, and his mother was emotionally-unavailable and resented him for being his father's son. His older siblings either ignored and tormented him, and the same went for the servants. Despite all this, he was still very much a noble and magnanimous wide-eyed idealist, though he was internalizing all of this shitty behaviour deep down. Tuko'er craved affection and validation, received neither from his household, and the only person he ever really connected with and felt 'seen' by was Utanzhu. Funny enough, his frustrations over how powerless and useless he was in helping her all culminated to him falling victim to Asshole Syndrome, and becoming everything he didn't want to be. Lo and behold, it worked in his favour, and validated his behaviour.

At one point, before he became an asshole, Tuko'er loved genuinely and unselfishly. He craved affection, but never thought he was entitled to it, but now, after embracing shitty behaviour so long, it's become completely twisted. He treats his consorts and Samazy indifferently -- polite, distant, and doing no more and no less than what's expected, while with Utanzhu, it's an all-consuming, irrational, and distorted love.

Like Valentin, Tuko'er is an asshole, but only under specific scenarios. If he had others he could trust, or if he had been sent away to a different court, he wouldn't have become a poster child for Asshole Syndrome. In fact, he would've probably completely embraced his noble ideals, and become more like Yumaju, to be honest. Or at the very least, closer to what Valentin is, misguided and hurt, and trying to retake control of his life by fighting against those who hurt him. In KoK, he's absolutely a 9/10 asshole with few -- if any -- redeeming qualities left, while he goes from about a 3-7/10 asshole as a character concept.

Now Vezian, my sweet and beloved Asshole Supreme. The OG Trashman, the Prototype Locria-Trashman, the guy who was just as deplorable when he was written to be a protagonist as he is now as an antagonist, an arrogant and pompous character who became a narcissistic psychopath the more I wrote him etc, etc, etc. I can't tell if he's more of a megalomaniac or a psychopath or a narcissist, but I can tell that he's a real piece of work, and desperately needs some therapy (to be honest, they all do though).

Unlike Valentin and Tuko'er, he actually had a very good childhood. Sure, there were some snide remarks about his status and his mother, but overall, his mother loved him dearly, his father was at the very least, not overtly-abusive, his siblings, the Empress, and the other consorts were all either civil, or just distant to him, and the servants charged with caring for him all treated him well. Sure, he was always an arrogant little brat, but in a way, it was justified since he was very intelligent and talented, it's just too bad he's completely embraced the Asshole Syndrome. Nobody who really matters puts him down, but Vezian's internalized those whispers he used to hear about himself as a child, and has now convinced himself that everyone sees him that way, and that Launcelin, is out to get him.

Can he love genuinely and unselfishly? At the moment, it's a tentative yes, since he does love his mother and Doradeira, but other than them, I don't know if he's capable of forming that kind of bond with anyone else, even if he does fall in love with MC. In 10+ years of writing him, I've always flip-flopped on this aspect because I'd like to believe in the best for Vezian, and that he can eventually learn to be less selfish, more open-minded, but the older I get, the less it seems likely because he doesn't think he needs help/change, and how can one grow and mature if they refuse to believe they need to in the first place?

So Vezian's absolutely an asshole in ABEA, 10/10 the others wish they could be as irredeemable as him, but on a meta level, I don't really know? I feel like he could become a regular harmless douchecanoe if he ever got the help he needed, but do I think he'd ever accept help, or even acknowledge that he needs it? He's still such a difficult character to grasp, even though I've been writing him the longest in this list.

[petri808]

N4+Inukag Ex’s Still in Love @liz8080 its angst 🙃

It had been a year since the break up, but Inuyasha was no closer to moving on and according to his best friend, neither was Kagome. He only knew what his ex was going through because their best friends were caught in the middle and providing updates. Poor Miroku and Sango, Inuyasha was sure they thought he and Kagome were idiots by this point.

Not that it was from a lack of trying, because they both were trying... maybe a little too hard to start dating again. Inuyasha had tried the typical avenues like bar hopping and even posting a profile on dating sites. But if irony wasn’t such a bitch, every single site he tried would match him to none other than Kagome Higurashi. It was fate, Miroku would coax the idea onto his friend. Yeah, well fate didn’t have to deal with reality and they were two stubborn fools unwilling to relent.

At the bars, Inuyasha’s handsome hanyo looks gained a lot of attention and the night would always start off right. Every single woman in the place took a chance to talk to him. If he liked what he saw, he’d give them a shot to butter him up, lulling them in with his molten amber eyes. Flirty conversations and flowing alcohol made for... women making excuses and leaving him to walk out single. Every. Damn. Time. Because something always sparked his ex’s introduction to the conversation. It turned out once Inuyasha was past the tipsy stage, all he wanted to do was talk about Kagome. Good or bad. It didn’t matter and according to Miroku during one very drunken evening, he’d even cried. If it wasn’t for the blackmail video, he wouldn’t have believed it.

Okay fine! So he still loved the woman! They’d been together for seven years, that’s not something you just get over quickly! She wanted kids and he was hesitant... it wasn’t a no, but it wasn’t a yes. That’s when Kagome broke up with him.

Inuyasha swirled the drink in his hand with a low growl. “You know our world isn’t always safe,” he admonished his co-worker, a fellow Yokai named Kouga. “And she’s human, the child could be born human, and what if I can’t protect them both?”

“Stupid,” the Wolf yokai sneered back. “You’d lose the woman you love over fear? The Taisho’s son showing weakness, that’s pathetic.”

“Bite your tongue wolf. It’s not just about fear and you know it.”

“Yes, it is.” Kouga countered. “Modern times or not, that woman has spiritual blood coursing through her veins, so an offspring will most likely be a full hanyo. I suspect Kagome senses this, so it is your own fears that’s overruling you.”

“Tch, I didn’t come here for a lecture!” Inuyasha stood up from his bar stool. But as he turned to leave, his phone rang.

It was Miroku. “Something happened Inuyasha. Kagome was attacked on her way home by a yokai. No one knows who. She’s been taken to Shinkon Medical and she’s... in a coma.”

“What?!”

“It’s really bad, you should get here as soon as possible.”

Inuyasha doesn’t respond and quickly rushed out of the bar with Kouga hot on his heels.

“What’s going on?!” Kouga questioned.

“Something attacked Kagome.”

“Oh, fuck.” Kouga could see Inuyasha’s demon side manifesting, purple stripes along his cheeks and red eyes replacing gold. It must be serious.

When they arrived at the hospital, Miroku took them up to the room Kagome was in. Not that Inuyasha needed his help to track the woman’s scent, but thanks to Kouga’s steadfast hand in his shoulder, he stayed cognizant enough to follow quietly so as to not scare the staff. Sango stood just outside of the door ready for their arrival.

“Brace yourself Inu,” the woman warned, “she’s... it’s a miracle she’s still alive.”

He simply nodded shakily and walked through, leaving his friends to wait. There really was no way to brace himself for what he saw. Kagome was almost unrecognizable. She had tubes and wires hooked up to beeping machines that flashed her life on a screen. It was an unnerving sound in an otherwise deadly silent room. Her arms were all bandaged up, one leg in a cast with pins and metal sticking out, but her head... his fists clenched tighter. Her forehead was wrapped in gauze, face bruised and swollen, her nose and mouth with tubes coming out of them to keep her alive. Even in the dim lighting, he could see the blood, smelled the dried blood stuck in her hair.

It was his nightmares turned reality.

That’s when he smelt it, the lingering stench of a familiar panther yokai left on Kagome’s body. Had this been a targeted attack? Anger surged to the forefront. Inuyasha leaned down and took her hand gently while placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Regardless of reason, this yokai would pay dearly!

Inuyasha growled and sped off faster then any of his stunned friends could stop him, out of the hospital. Kouga called from behind in pursuit, but his demon side had taken over and nothing could stop him. He leapt over buildings, speeding through alleyways before humans could even register what had passed them by. There was no way to know exactly where the rogue could be, but he had a territory to start in.

The panther yokai had always hated the inu’s reign over the central part of Japan. They fought and lost an epic battle during the edo period, forever retaining a grudge. But this was a brazen attack, the first since those long ago days, and on a human?! It was unforgivable. It was because of the inu’s control that the human world was safe from the yokai inhabiting it. Most of the other’s, like Kouga’s wolf clan fell in line without any problems, and peace remained. Oh, this panther will pay dearly for trying to kill the chosen mate of the Inu no Taisho’s son!! This wasn’t the first time the two men will clash, but it will be the last.

From a rooftop, Inuyasha perched as he quickly scanned the dock area. The yokai was alone. Perfect. With a deep roar, he dropped down on top of the male before it could take off. Claws and fangs unhinged as the two males battled. Despite being a hanyo, Inuyasha’s blood was no different than a full-blooded yokai, and worse, his adrenaline and anger was without remorse due to the bloodied images of his girl lying in a hospital bed to fuel his rage. If there were any humans in this desolate part of town at night, it must have sounded like the unholy blood bath it was.

Over and over, Inuyasha tore his claws and teeth into the panther yokai’s flesh. Though he sustained some injuries of his own, Inuyasha felt nothing but the pure hatred coursing through his veins. Kouga had finally arrived as well, his screams to his friend to stop, deaf in his ears. His blood lust had taken control.

“Stop!!” Kouga roared and jumped onto Inuyasha’s back. He hooked his arms around both of his friends shoulders, lifting, and wrapping his hands behind the man’s head to restrain them from moving freely. Inuyasha thrashed hard against the hold, but Kouga refused to let go, continuously growling at the man to stop resisting. “You’re gonna kill him!”

“He deserves it!” Inuyasha countered.

“Agreed! But that’s not for you to decide my friend, so stop! He’s done!”

“Let me go Kouga!”

“Only if you’ll stop resisting. Think about Kagome, idiot! I’ll take the panther to your father for punishment, you need to get back to her!”

At hearing Kagome’s name, the human side of Inuyasha began taking back control from his inner demon. Kouga was right. If they were caught like this by authorities, being thrown in jail for murder would do her no good. Inuyasha let out a long exhale as his body slowly transformed back to normal, and he slumped in his friends arms. “You’re right.”

“I know I am, idiot.” Kouga let him go. “Now get out of here, and make sure you clean up! You don’t wanna scare the hospital people to death!”

“Yeah, yeah,” the hanyo growled, though he appreciated his friends help. “Tell my dad what’s going on and I’ll contact him as soon as I can.”

“Will do.”

It didn’t take him long to get back to his own house to clean up, and it was only then did Inuyasha realize just how far he’d gone that night. What little of his clothes was left undamaged was soaked in the blood of the panther yokai. He threw it all away and showered the filth from his body, then bandaged his wounds as best he could. By morning they’ll probably be healed, but with the adrenaline gone, the pain had also kicked in. He’d still do it all again in a heartbeat.

When he shambled back to the hospital, of course Miroku and Sango were concerned with his appearance. He assuaged their worries before flopping painfully into a chair at Kagome’s bedside.

“The doctors say she has stabled,” Sango explained now that he had time to listen. “But the shock has left her in a coma, so now we can only wait for her to wake up...” the woman paused, “there’s a small chance, Kagome may never wake up.”

Inuyasha shook his head refusing to entertain such a suggestion. “She’s strong, I know she will,” he spoke even though inside he wasn’t so sure. He just needed to hear those words of reassurance.

“You’re right.” Sango agreed. “We think so too.”

“Hang in there.” Miroku patted the hanyo’s shoulder. “We’ll be back in the morning to check on you.”

“Thanks,” Inuyasha nodded weakly.

Now that he was there, the couple left him alone, safe in the knowledge that no one would bother Kagome anymore. So, at the sound of the door closing behind him, the full weight of emotions engulfed Inuyasha. The guilt tore away at what little sanity held him together. He blamed himself for her state. If he hadn’t been so stupid and stubborn to leave her alone, that panther would never have dared to strike at Kagome. She was strong, but couldn’t have fended off a surprise attack by herself.

“I’m so sorry,” the tears broke free as he held her hand tightly in his own. “Please don’t leave me, Kagome. I’ll do anything! You want kids? I’ll give you all the pups you desire, just please come back to me. I can’t— I can’t lose you. It shouldn’t have taken something like this to make me realize that I’m nothing without you.”

Inuyasha thought the pain of losing his mother at a young age was hard, but this was a thousand times worse. His soul was bonded to Kagome by choice and his heart felt shattered at the thought of never hearing her voice again. If she died, a piece of him would die along with her.

Night turned to day, and days passed by with little to no change in Kagome’s condition. Inuyasha rarely left her side, except to take care of bodily functions or shower at the behest of friends and staff. Her family, his family, and their friends visited, but at night it was just her and him alone between the stale white walls of the hospital room. For two weeks, Inuyasha didn’t get a full night sleep. Exhaustion forced him to pass out at times, only to be awaken by nightmares. To suffer along side Kagome was his penitence as far he believed.

He clung to the smallest of improvements. By week three, all the bruising and abrasions were healing well, and Kagome was taken off of the breathing tubes since she was doing it on her own. She was still fed intravenously with a high protein diet to give her body the fuel it needed to mend. To pass the time, Inuyasha would talk to her about everything and nothing, sometimes telling her stories of ancient tales, or just reading the newspaper aloud. The doctors had told him coma patients can sometimes hear them talking, so it was worth a shot.

“It’s crazy right?” Inuyasha chuckled if only to keep his sanity intact. “I’d give anything to hear you yell at me right now.” He sighed. “Just call me an idiot, because I deserve it.”

“You’re not... an idiot.”

Inuyasha sat up stunned at the beautiful sound of Kagome voice. It was soft and raspy, but music to his ears nonetheless. He squeezed her hand. “Yes, I am,” he smiled. “But it’s okay, as long as I still have you— if you’ll still have... me? I’ll give you what ever you want, Kagome. Kids, anything, just please stay with me. I love you too much to let you go again.”

This time it was Kagome who squeezed his hand weakly. “I love you too, you big idiot.”

Inuyasha leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Now there’s the woman I fell in love with.” Everything was gonna be just fine...

The banner is for my AO3

[searchingwardrobes]

Of Earth and Sea: 6/9

My fic for the 2019 @cssns will drop this Friday, so to celebrate, I’m re-posting my fic from last year (and also because I was a tumblr newbie back then and didn’t post the chapters here, just the link to Ao3)

Gorgeous art by @shipsxahoy!

Summary: Five years after their wedding, Emma and Killian are ready to start a family. But Emma discovers that raising a family isn't that simple when your husband is a Dunedin (half-elf) and your mother-in-law is neither dead nor alive.

Rated T

Tagging: (please let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list) @profdanglaisstuff @let-it-raines @optomisticgirl @welllpthisishappening @wellhellotragic @kday426 @jennjenn615 @mythologicalmango @xhookswenchx @thislassishooked @resident-of-storybrooke

Chapter Five:

Night fell on Neverland, the only discernible difference between it and day being the piercing cries of Lost Boys. The fact that over half of Hook’s crew could hear them was a testament to what turned an innocent lad into a cutthroat pirate. Smee, Starkey, and a handful of others were the only ones who could sleep peacefully on the island. And as a whole, Killian’s crew preferred to anchor far enough away from shore to escape the haunting sounds. Actually sleeping on the island was something few of them were willing to volunteer for.

But on this particular night, it wasn’t an option. Pan had some sort of job for them again, and it required two things: close to a dozen men and readiness before dawn. So here they were, trying to get comfortable despite the constant weeping.

Killian had volunteered for first watch and sat against a tree, nursing his flask. He rubbed his forehead wearily, wishing desperately for a respite from the agonizing wails. When he dropped his hand, he thought he saw something moving amidst the trees. Hand at the hilt of his cutlass, he eased forward hesitantly. He almost started at the blinking green eyes that caught the moonlight. Then he saw the pale, pointed ears against red hair.

“Oh, it’s just you,” he muttered, leaning back against the tree and taking another swig of rum.

His mother stepped forward on silent feet. “I know these cries torture you, my son.”

He shrugged. “Course they do. Orphans understand other orphans.”

She blinked, obviously hurt, but he had long ago stopped caring. “I hear them too,” she said softly, ignoring his jab.

Killian furrowed his brow curiously. “How is that?”

“Elves have soft hearts towards children. We understand them.”

Killian scoffed as he tilted back his flask. He had heard stories of elves fostering orphans. Ironic.

“I see you got Dionysus’s flask back,” Tauriel commented.

He shrugged and lifted it high, making a show of admiring it. “What can I say? Your old boyfriend knows me well.”

Tauriel scowled openly. “Since you’re in a foul mood, I’ll leave you. There are hurting children who could use an elvish lullaby.”

Killian ignored her, relishing the burn of the rum as it went down. Soon the lullaby his mother had mentioned floated on the breeze, and one by one, cries were stilled. Yet the more peaceful the night became, the more Captain Hook drank.

*****************************************************

Killian didn’t know if it was the vast amounts of rum he had consumed the night before, or if it was the tall tales of his crew, but his head was bloody pounding.

“It’s a ghost, I tell you!” Smee insisted. “I saw her myself, floating through the trees.”

“And then the crying stopped!” another mate added.

“What of it?” another scoffed. “How do ya know it had to do with the ghost?”

“Because she sang,” Smee told them, “in a foreign tongue.” He turned to his Captain, “Did you hear her, sir?”

Killian clenched his jaw in irritation. “I’m much more interested in this mysterious job of Pan’s, Smee, so I’d ask that you not distract the crew.”

“Y-yes, sir, of course, sir,” Smee muttered, twisting his red cap in his hands before sticking it back on his head.

But that didn’t stop the whispers among the men. Whispers that a ghost haunted Neverland. The ghost of a mother whose child had died, they reasoned. The mother searched the island for her dead child, soothing the cries of the lost ones. Of course, some of the pirates took the story in a more sinister direction, blaming the ghost for luring Lost Boys and pirates alike into Mermaid’s Lagoon, Dark Hollow, or the Echo Caves.

By the time they arrived at the rendezvous point, Killian was ready to send his entire crew over the bloody plank. Dawn had not yet broken when Pan appeared on a pile of boulders above the pirates, flanked by his most trusted Lost Boys. Felix eyed Killian coldly, beating his twisted club repeatedly into his palm. Killian met his gaze with a cocky smirk and a small salute of his hook. He still prided himself on giving the little bastard that nasty scar down the side of his face. He’d deserved it and then some.

Hook then addressed Pan with equal sarcasm. “So what is the purpose of this odd little parley?”

“Funny you should call it that,” Pan answered, “for I have given your request some thought.”

Hook raised his eyebrows. “My request?”

“To leave this island.”

Killian attempted to school his features. It couldn’t be that easy; this must be one of Pan’s games. Pan jumped down from the boulders and drew closer with cold, calculating calm. He got right in Killian’s face, but the pirate refused to retreat a single millimeter.

“Do you hear that?” Pan asked him.

Killian shook his head and gave a short, dismissive laugh, “There’s nothing to hear, imp.”

“That’s exactly it,” Pan said, turning away from Killian to pace around him. He said nothing for a long moment, and Killian found it difficult not to roll his eyes. The little demon did have a way of drawing out the dramatics. Finally, he stopped pacing and looked Killian straight in the eye. “And you and I both know you can hear them. The cries of the Lost Boys?”

Killian swallowed hard, his jaw clenching as his men whispered behind him. He had never told them he couldn’t hear the weeping; he had merely avoided that topic of conversation. Clearly, his men had assumed their fearless leader was immune to that type of psychological torture.

Pan drew close. He leaned forward and whispered in Killian’s ear. “You’ve never wanted those who sail with you to know what you really are, Dunedin.”

“Let’s speak privately,” Killian hissed back.

“Fine,” Pan spat, “let’s.”

Hook shouted for his crew to return to the ship and ready it for departure. Pan likewise dismissed his companions. When it was just the pirate and the imp in the small clearing, Pan smirked and took a seat upon the rocks.

“I tried to kill her,” Pan informed him, as casually as one would discuss the weather, “alas, I can’t kill someone who isn’t really alive.”

Killian tried to stop the muscle in his jaw from jumping, but he couldn’t. As much anger and hurt that he felt towards his mother, as much as he fought with her, he loved her dearly. More perhaps even than he had loved Milah or even Liam. At least, it was a different sort of love. One with a bond he couldn’t sever, no matter how much he sometimes wanted to.

Pan laughed sadistically. “That bothers you!”

Killian narrowed his eyes. “Okay, I see what you want. My crew and I leave, and my mother is forced to go too. That way, your Lost Boys stay desperate and miserable, just the way you like them.”

“I’m not the only one who leads with fear, Captain Hook,” Pan sneered, “and if you think leaving is as simple as all that, then you don’t know me as well as I thought you did.”

“Then what is your price?” Killian hissed through clenched teeth.

Pan lounged backwards against the rocks. “Oh . . . just Tiger Lily’s hiding place.”

His eyes widened. “What do you want with her?” The fairies on this island – Tiger Lily and Tinkerbell – were honestly the closest he had come to friends in a long, long while. Perhaps it was because they had both lost their wings. Tiger Lily in particular, seemed to understand the allure of darkness and its crushing weight more than most.

“Let’s just say my history with her goes way back,” Pan shouted, lurching up from his casual posture, face contorting. It was the most unhinged Killian had ever seen him. He quickly composed himself, a slight red tinge to his cheeks. “All I’m asking is where to find her.”

Killian’s eyes narrowed. “So you can kill her.”

Pan shrugged. “Maybe. It really isn’t your concern.”

Killian closed his eyes, weighing his options. He had longed to leave this island for so long. Milah’s memory deserved vengeance, and with knowledge of the Dark One’s dagger, he could finally achieve it. Tiger Lily may not have magic, but she was a fierce fighter. All Killian was doing was giving Pan a location. He could send a message of warning to Tiger Lily once the Jolly Roger was far enough from shore.

“Hangman’s Tree,” he finally told Pan.

This was exactly why Captain Hook didn’t have many friends.

******************************************************

Killian Jones had conflicting emotions right now. On the one hand, it was a gorgeous early September day with bright sunshine, a pleasant breeze, and the first hints of yellow and orange in the trees. His little girl skipped merrily between her parents down the sidewalk, her little navy jumper and knee socks making her the most adorable picture. Elien’s light red hair was pulled up into pigtails that curled at the ends and bounced as she skipped along.

On the other hand, it was his baby girl’s first day of preschool.

“What are you brooding about Killian?” Emma laughed as Elien darted ahead. “Don’t you dare jump in that puddle, Elien! You aren’t wearing your rain boots!”

Elien skidded to a halt just at the edge of a murky puddle and glanced up at her mother with a mischievous grin. “I was just looking!”

Emma elbowed him in the ribs. “Who does that sound like?” she teased. Then she threaded her arm through his as they walked along behind Elien. “Now, about this brooding . . . “

Killian sighed. “Doesn’t four seem awfully young to go off to school?”

“Well technically, she’s four years and five months old,” Emma quipped, then laughed at the tortured look on his face. “Relax, Papa Bear! It’s half day preschool. We’re taking turns picking her up at lunch every day. Aurora – gentle, soft-spoken Aurora – is her teacher. What could go wrong?”

Emma would kick herself later. Almost a decade of peaceful, small town life had obviously made her complacent. Because why else would she have tested fate with a statement like that?

One minute, Elien was poking at a worm in the rain puddle with a stick while Killian shouted a warning for her not to get her socks muddy. The next minute, there was a roar and a scream, and Elien was gone. Swallowed up in an instant by the swirling portal that opened up beneath her. Emma and Killian dove forward to catch her, but the portal closed just as swiftly as it opened. They both ended up rolling with groans onto the hard pavement. Heedless of their injuries, they scrambled to their knees, and pounded at the unrelenting pavement, screaming Elien’s name. Both of them were near hysteria, and their panic brought a crowd running to help.

People joined them in their pointless pounding, calling Elien’s name over and over again. Other’s asked questions that only made Emma and Killian snap in anger. Were they sure it was a portal? What color was it? Where did it lead to? Emma was grasping at her hair in frustration because there were simply no answers. An ambulance arrived on the scene, which made Killian practically lose it. His daughter didn’t need medical attention, she needed a bloody magic bean.

But Emma and Killian did need medical attention. Emma had broken her arm diving to the pavement while Killian had scraped his knuckles raw and sliced his knee with his own hook. But Emma shooed the paramedics away like pesky flies and merely waved her hand, using her magic to heal them both. Elien needed them, and she needed them strong.

The problem was, they had no idea where Elien had ended up. Anton arrived with a pouch full of beans, but where did they begin? There were hundreds of realms, each of them containing thousands of miles of terrain.

Emma sat on the curb, rolling a bean between her fingers. Killian paced along the sidewalk behind her. The crowd had long ago dispersed, and only Anton, David, and Snow remained.

“Do you think it was Elien’s own magic?” David asked hesitantly.

Anton shook his head. “Not even Rumplestiltskin could just open a portal. You need a bean, or a magic door, or a wand. Some magical object.” He turned to Emma. “Unless Elien had something like that?”

Emma rubbed her head wearily, “I don’t think so. But how can I know for sure? This town was created with magic, she could have picked up a freakin’ enchanted pebble for all I know.”

“Listen,” Snow said calmly, “instead of focusing on how the portal opened, let’s try and figure out where she might have gone when she went through. I mean, how do portals work?”

Killian stopped pacing, a grin lighting his face. “They take you to the place you’re thinking of.”

Emma scrambled to her feet. “And Elien visits the Elven Lands all the time in her dreams!”

“Which means she’s in Middle Earth.”

The group turned to see Tauriel standing near the pavement. She was more ethereal than usual, which happened when she ventured this far into town. She was frantic as she gazed first at Emma, then at her son. “They’ve taken her. My people. Hurry. I’ll be right behind you.”

Then she was gone.

Everyone exchanged glances, and Emma lifted the bean that she held in her hand. With her other hand, she reached out for Killian’s hook. “Well, I’m relying on you, elf. Never been to Middle Earth.”

Killian shook his head at her good-natured teasing. “Let’s not wait another minute, love, our little girl needs us.”

Emma stepped closer, but before she tossed the bean, she gave Killian an accusing look. “This wasn’t some grand scheme to keep your baby from starting school, was it?”

Killian arched a brow. “This entire situation is making school look better and better.”

Emma glanced back at her parents. “Hold down the fort while we’re gone?”

Her parents gave a nod of assurance in answer. Then Emma tossed the bean, and with a deep breath and a clear mind, she jumped, completely trusting her husband’s memories to take them to their daughter. 

[recentanimenews]

Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, Books 5-8 by Deborah Crombie

Dreaming of the Bones After making my way through the first four books in this series with reasonable alacrity, I really stalled out on Dreaming of the Bones at first. A large part of the problem for me was that it had to do with the death of a poet five years prior, and was thus strewn with quotations of both poetry and flowery letters.

Once I summoned the fortitude to continue, however, I ended up enjoying the book well enough. We are introduced to Victoria, Duncan’s ex-wife, and I appreciated that both of them are painted sympathetically. Their relationship falling apart was no one’s fault in particular, and both have the wisdom now to recognize that. Victoria is on the English faculty at Cambridge and is working on a book about poet Lydia Brooke, whose death was presumed to be suicide. Victoria suspects otherwise and Duncan (as usual) keeps an open mind about her instincts and agrees to look into things even though the local police are not exactly enthusiastic about him poking around.

Although I generally prefer stories where Duncan is assigned to the case of a stranger, Vic’s involvement did offer many emotional consequences for Duncan. Too bad there really weren’t any consequences for the rule-breaking and jurisdiction-trampling he engaged in throughout. Also, I really disliked that Gemma works out the big reveal through a spate of poetic interpretation. Ugh. At the same time, there’s a scene at the end that made me verklempt, so… not my favorite, but still definitely worth reading!

Kissed a Sad Goodbye Duncan and Gemma are assigned to the case of a body found lovingly laid out in a park on the Isle of Dogs. They soon learn her identity—Annabelle Hammond, the beautiful and determined director of Hammond’s Fine Teas who has several lovers on the go. But is what happened to her the result of romantic jealousy, or could it be tied to something else entirely?

Two months have passed since the events of Dreaming of the Bones, and Duncan is still struggling with (spoiler alert!) his newfound fatherhood. The perspective, however, is mostly on Gemma, who is having some trouble figuring out what she wants and who she wants to be. Initially this manifests in a decision to take piano lessons, but soon involves another man.

Honestly, I failed to be convinced by Gemma’s little side romance with Gordon the clarinet-playing busker, who showed up in some earlier book in a greatly diminished capacity. I recall in his earlier appearance that he was brusque and uninterested, but here we get a retcon about how he was secretly intrigued by Gemma all along. It’s played up to be this mutual attraction that she must decide whether to pursue, but he’s just not accessible enough as a character to really make this convincing.

That said, I liked the mystery itself. There were flashbacks throughout to the ’40s, when some of the characters were evacuated to the countryside as children, and they not only elucidate the present but reveal one particular character to be more sympathetic than one might ordinarily assume. On the whole, definitely worth reading, even if there were parts of it I didn’t especially like.

A Finer End A Finer End is somewhat tough to review, because I did genuinely like some of the characters that Duncan and Gemma encounter in Glastonbury, where they’ve traveled as a favor to Duncan’s cousin, Jack, whose vicar girlfriend has been injured in a hit-and-run accident. The problem is that Jack has supposedly been receiving messages from a long-dead monk in the form of automatic writing, a claim that Duncan and Gemma accept without question. On top of this, there’s a painter who receives visions not only of one particular little girl but also the whereabouts of the thing that the monk is trying to lead Jack to find. And because the narrative confirms the verity of these paranormal happenings, other elements of the story are thrown into question. Did the “old gods” and the tribute they’re due actually play a part in what happened, for example?

It’s not that I dislike stories about the supernatural; it’s that it’s really bizarre when the supernatural suddenly shows up in the seventh book of a series about Scotland Yard detectives. It also bothered me that the one character who’s a skeptic about all of this is a flagrant asshole who eventually comes unhinged. In addition, I dearly hope that the paternity of a particular child was supposed to be glaringly obvious to the reader, because it sure was. Too, the conclusion is muddled, and the final line was so incredibly cheesy that I actually said, “Barf!” out loud.

All in all, this was profoundly disappointing and I hope it doesn’t signify a new trend for the series.

And Justice There Is None It is with profound relief that I proclaim that I really, really liked this one! There are absolutely no supernatural elements whatsoever, thankfully, and the investigation itself is a change of pace, too. Instead of being dispatched to some bucolic locale on Scotland Yard business, a murder is committed in Notting Hill, where Gemma is now assigned as a Detective Inspector. Moreover, she and Duncan and their respective sons move into a house nearby, which puts her family in proximity to the crime and, ultimately, the culprit.

The case involves the wife of a well-off antiques dealer who recently discovered she was pregnant by her lover. Duncan recalls a similar killing that took place a month prior, so he and Gemma work together on the case. Interspersed throughout is the story of “Angel,” a young woman who is orphaned in the mid-sixties and finds herself swept up in the London drug scene. All of the pieces eventually come together, and even though there’s one clue that lets readers know who the murderer is before Gemma has figured it out, she doesn’t end up seeming slow on the uptake. Rather, it adds an extra layer of menace when the perpetrator just happens to be strolling past their new house and has a chat with Kit (Duncan’s son).

And oh, what a house. I love that Gemma and Duncan are establishing their own family, especially given the new addition on the way. I love, too, that the pets are 100% accounted for, and that Gemma adopts a sweet new dog. Best of all, though, is that it’s Christmas. Duncan’s present to Gemma makes both her and me verklempt. I also liked seeing Gemma and Duncan working with other people, and hope that some of the nice people she encountered in the neighborhood make appearances in future books.

By: Michelle Smith