#Silas Cryptic

[adventurepaper2]

GUYS

GUYS GUYSU CI FOUND A REALLY COOL MYTH CALLED THE CRYPTIC FAMILY AND ITS LIKE ?? ?

SO COOL ??

THEY HAVE LIKE A TIKTOK

HERE IT IS GO SHOW THEM SOME LOVE RAHHHHH

[ikaliligaya]

The Trust Fund Guy

⌗ characters -> lee jeno x reader

⌗ au -> non-idol!au, taguan ng anak!au, marriage of convenience!au

⌗ genre -> angst, smut

⌗ word count -> 5047 words

⌗ language -> tagalog-english

⌗ contents -> unwanted pregnancy, cryptic pregnancy, breeding, fingering, raw sex, nipple sucking

⌗ ligaya's chika -> OK here na yung taguan ng anak!au ni jeno whahahah edited version na ito. let me know kung may na-miss out ako sa content warning, i-edit ko agad. this is a rewritten version from 0710studios. happy first story, ikaliligaya <3

Hindi kayo arranged marriage ni Jeno dahil sa mga magulang niyo. Arranged marriage kayo dahil kailangan ni Jeno ma-secure ang trust fund niyang galing sa lolo niya. It all happened so quickly – lasing kayo pareho, the stranger proposed to you, you accepted, and isang pirma lang galing sa kaibigan niyang lawyer, you woke up as Y/N Lee and in bed with your new husband. In a hotel somewhere in a city far away from where you live. Kinailangan mo pa ng explanation noon mula kay Jeno, kung bakit pareho kayong may suot na wedding ring at kung bakit may best wishes banner sa loob ng kwarto niyo.

The contract he handed you a few hours after you woke up mentioned that this marriage will only last for a year. Kailangan mong lumipat sa apartment niya, kailangan present ka sa mga events na kailangan siya at andun ang pamilya niya (lalong lalo na ang lolo niya). After nun, he will get his hundred million dollars worth of trust fund and he’ll give you a reasonable amount of money once the contract ends. Sa hirap ng buhay, between 9 to 5 and part time jobs na pinapasukan mo para lang mabigyan ng extra money ang parents mo, wala kang choice kundi tanggapin na lang to. Isang taon lang naman eh, what do you have to lose after that?

Pero sa isang taon na yun, madalas umiiwas si Jeno sayo. Sa isang araw, bihira na yung isang beses mo siyang masulyapan dahil madalas siyang nasa opisina at iniiwan ka sa bahay niyo. Nagtatrabaho ka pa rin naman. Bumibisita ka sa parents mo tuwing may extra money, pero hindi mo masabi na kasal ka na. Hindi rin naman sila maniniwala dahil buong buhay mo, wala ka namang pinakilalang lalaki sa kanila. 

Biglang nagbago lahat nung umuwi kayo ni Jeno galing sa birthday ng lolo niya. Malapit nang matapos ang kontrata niyo, isang buwan na lang at tapos na lahat nang to. Umuwi kayong lasing pareho at… well, init ng damdamin–libog. Halos isang taon kayong walang dilig dahil iniingatan ni Jeno ang sarili niya nang huwag madawit sa mga eskandalo na baka maging rason pa kung bakit mauudlot (o mawala) ang trust fund niyang matagal na niyang inaasam.

Jeno unzipped your dress effortlessly, letting it pool on your feet as he guided you on your bed. Humiwalay lang ang labi ni Jeno sayo para maghubad ng damit. Sa mga naging bakasyon niyo ni Jeno kasama ang pamilya niya, alam mong maganda ang katawan nito dahil madalas rin siyang pumupunta sa gym. Toned abs, big biceps, talaga namang pinaghirapan niya ang katawan na to. He pushed you onto the bed, asking you to lift your hips para matanggal niya ang suot mong panty. At nung matanggal niya ito, tinapon niya ito somewhere sa loob ng kwarto kasunod ng bra mo. Hindi ka naman virgin. In fact, active ang sex life mo bago pa dumating si Jeno sa buhay mo. Pero dahil nga kinasal ka sa kanya, isang taon kang walang dilig at tigang.

Pumatong si Jeno sayo at naramdaman mo ang tigas ng ari niya sa exposed mong puke. Ramdam na ramdam mo to kahit na may boxers na namamagitan sa gitna. “You want this, baby?” bulong niya sa labi mo, “sabi mo kanina, one year kang walang dilig.” Napapikit ka dahil nararamdaman mo ang init ng hininga niya sa mukha mo, hindi ka makasagot dahil parang nawawalan ka ng boses kaya naman tumango ka nalang. “Use your words, misis.”

“Y-yes, Jeno.” mahina mong sabi na nagpangisi sa asawa mo. “Please, fuck me.”

“Whatever you want, misis.”

Humiwalay si Jeno sa mukha mo at binaba ang sarili hanggang sa dibdib mo. His one hand is playing with your nipples, and the one’s on his mouth. Nilipat ni Jeno ang kamay niya sa gitna mo para paghiwalayin ang labi ng puke mo. Napakagat labi ka dahil nagpasok ng hindi isa, pero dalawang daliri si Jeno sa loob. He was curling his fingers inside, trying to find the sweet spot. It only took him seconds until you were writhing under him kaya naman napahawak ka sa buhok niya. “Jeno… o-oh my gosh, dyan lang…” ungol mo, in response, kinagat ni Jeno ang utong mo bago ilayo ang sarili niya sayo at halikan muli ang mga labi mo. “Fuck, Jeno… I’m close, bilisan mo…”

Unfortunately for you, Jeno pulled his fingers out. Napailing ka dahil ayun na eh. Andun na tapos inalis pa niya. Inalis ni Jeno ang sarili niya sa pagkakapatong sayo at lumabas ng kwarto. A part of you was disappointed, inayos mo ang sarili mo at nagtaklob ng kumot. Ayun na sana eh, kaso mukhang ayaw talaga ni Jeno. Okay lang yan. Isang buwan nalang, Y/N. Malaya ka na ulit pagkatapos nito. Sabi mo sa sarili mo at pumikit, pero bumukas ang pintuan.

“You thought I was done?” Malamig na sabi niya, napalingon ka sa pinto at nakitang may bitbit siyang tuwalya at isang baso ng tubig. “Tanggalin mo yang kumot mo. Bukaka. Bilis.” Utos niya, agad mong inalis ang kumot na nakataklob sa katawan mo at bumukaka. Nagtanggal ng boxers si Jeno bago sumampa sa kama. Hawak-hawak ang mga hita mo, pumwesto siya sa gitna. Ang laki niya, tangina. Naglalaway ka sa lalaking nasa harap mo, taas-babang kinukuskos ang ulo ng ari niya sa basa mong puke, nang-aasar pa na pinapasok ang ulo at biglang ilalabas.

You moaned his name quietly and hearing you moan like that pushed his buttons. Ang mga kamay niyang kanina ay nakahawak sa hita mo, nasa balakang mo na at mahigpit ang pagkakakapit niya dito, bumabaon pa ang mga kuko niya sa balat mo. Diniin mo ang ulo mo sa unan, nakahawak ang mga kamay mo sa comforter na nasa ilalim mo. “Jeno, fuck… Bilisan mo lang.” ungol mo’t binilisan naman ni Jeno ang pagbayo niya. Kada pasok ng ari niya sayo, nararamdaman niya ang kasikipan mo kaya napapadaing siya. “Jeno, lalabasan na ko…”

Jeno’s hand moved from your hips to your clit, rubbing it to add more pleasure. The sensation you were feeling was on another level, you’ve never experienced pleasure like this before dahil hindi naman ganun kagaling ang mga nakasex mo na noon. Jeno is like a beast – sa business at sa kama. Hindi ka na nagtataka kung bakit maraming babae ang humahabol sa kanya dahil magaling talaga siya sa kama.

“Jeno—!” you finally reached your orgasm, but Jeno still hasn’t. Hindi rin niya tinigilan ang tinggil mo, kaya naman nanginginig na ang buong katawan mo. Para kang kiti-kiti sa ilalim ni Jeno. “Jeno, please…”

“Onti nalang, Y/N. I’m close,” sagot niya at muling binaba ang sarili niya sa dibdib mo at nagumpisang dumede. Habang tumatagal, bumabagal ang pagbayo ni Jeno, mukhang malapit na rin siyang labasan dahil nararamdaman mo ang pagkislot ng tite niya sa loob mo. “Fuck, that’s a lot.” sabi ni Jeno, mabagal ang pagbayo at naglalabas ng tamod ang tite niya sa loob mo.

Ilang minute kayong nakapwesto ng ganun ni Jeno, walang kumikibod at nakapatong lang ang ulo niya sa dibdib mo. Hindi niya inalis ang sarili niya sa loob mo at nakatulog kayo na ganun ang pwesto. Kinabukasan, nagising ka nalang dahil sa sikat ng araw. Pag gising mo, may suot ka ng damit at nakabalot sa kumot. Gumulong ka sa kabilang side ng kama mo at kinuha ang cellphone mo na nakapatong sa side table para tignan kung anong oras na.

Anong oras na rin nang mabasa mo ang text niya, parang bigla kang nanghina at nandiri sa sarili mo. Ano bang inexpect mo sa asawa mong pinili ka lang para sa trust fund niya? Mai-inlove sayo pagkatapos niyong magtalik kagabi? Hindi naman siguro ganun yun. Nagready ka nalang para pumasok sa trabaho dahil nagtext na rin naman ang boss mo na pinapapunta ka sa opisina. Kahit nasakyan ka sa nabasa mo, binalewala mo nalang ito.

“Congrats, Y/N! Na-promote ka na!” nakangiting sabi ng boss mo, “See, all of your hard work led you to this moment. Team leader ka na, pero may konting problema lang.” dagdag niya, hinintay mo siyang magpatuloy, “You see, nagustuhan ka kasi ng ibang branch. Naalala mo nung nag-duty ka sa ibang town? Gusto sana nilang kuhain ka muna pansamantala. Okay lang ba yun sayo? Kung hindi naman, pwede naman natin tanggihan. Na sayo naman ang desisyon.”

“Saan pong branch?”

“Sa Busan, okay lang ba? May kalayuan pero okay naman na. Hindi naman mababawasan ang sweldo mo, tataasan pa nga.” Tawa niya, “so, alam kong hindi mo kayang magdecide ngayon, pero sana pag-isipan mo agad. May 1 week ka para mag-isip at kausapin ang asawa mo tungkol dito ha, balikan mo ako kung kailan nakagawa ka na ng desisyon. Nasa office lang ako lagi. Tsaka the yung promotion mo, effective siya as soon as naka-decide ka na.”

Tumango ka sa boss mo at nagpasalamat. Inabot na rin niya sayo ang mga papeles na dapat mong pirmahan by the end of the week. Binasa mo ito pagbalik mo sa cubicle mo, sa taas ng bago mong sweldo, pwede ka na talagang umalis sa siyudad na to at bumalik sa lugar kung nasaan ang pamilya mo. Nagdadalawang isip ka rin kung sasabihin mo pa ba ito kay Jeno o hindi na. After all, parang wala namang saysay kung sasabihin mo di ba? Hindi rin naman kayo masyadong nagpapansinan sa bahay. Bahala na nga. Isip mo at pinirmahan ang mga dokumento.

Dalawang linggo na ang nakalipas. Pagbalik ni Jeno galing ng Amerika, inaasahan niyang madadatnan ka niya sa bahay niyo. Tanghali kasi nung dumating siya, hindi rin siya sigurado sa oras ng pasok mo dahil minsan ay shifting ka. Minsan 10 am, minsan 2 pm, minsan gabi pa nga. Pag pasok niya, ganun pa rin ang bahay. Tahimik at malinis. Sobrang pagod ni Jeno sa haba ng byahe mula Amerika pauwi ng Korea, kaya naman dumiretso na siya agad sa kwarto niya para magpahinga. Hoping that once he wakes up, you’ll be back home and talk about your situation regarding the trust fund.

Pero nagising siya sa madilim na bahay, mag-isa at tahimik. Sa pagkakaalala niya, 12 pm nung makarating siya sa bahay. Alas otso na ng gabi at wala pa rin ang presensya mo sa bahay. Nagtataka si Jeno, kaya naman kinuha niya ang cellphone niya at idinial ang number mo kahit antok na antok pa siya. The number or code you have dialed is incorrect, please try again later. Napakunot ang noo niya, anong meron? Bakit ayaw? Isip niya, at muling pinindot ang tawag pero ganun pa rin ang sagot.

Jeno sighed and left the comfort of his bed. Across his room is yours, he knocked three times but none were answered. Binuksan niya ang pinto at nakita na halos lahat ng gamit mo ay wala na. Tanging kama at ilang gamit na pinamili mo dati ang naiwan. Agad niyang binuksan ang mga cabinet mo, walang mga damit, pati na rin ang mga maleta mo. Wala na.

“Putangina, nasaan ka ba, Y/N?” mura ni Jeno, nagdial ulit siya ng number mo pero wala talaga. Nagtry siyang magtext pero lahat ito hindi nagsesend. Hindi madalas gumamit si Jeno ng kahit anong social media apps, pero para sayo, binuksan niya ang mga ito para hanapin ang accounts mo. Walang lumabas ni-isa. Para kang bula, biglang naglaho at nawala.

Tangina.

—-

“How are you loving Busan so far?” tanong ng boss mo, “Sabi ng boss mo sakin sa Seoul nung bumisita ako, taga-rito ka raw. It’s nice to be back home, ano?”

Nginitian mo siya at tumango ka, “Opo, sobrang tagal ko pong hindi nakauwi. Na-miss ko dito sobra,” sagot mo, “Thank you po pala kasi sinamahan niyo ko sa doktor… Nakakahiya, boss ko pa naman po kayo.”

“Nako, Y/N, wag kang mahiya sakin.” tawa niya, “Tsaka kailangan mo ring alagaan yang batang dinadala mo. Hindi nga ko makapaniwala na 5 months na tapos hindi mo alam.”

“Oo nga po eh, hindi ko alam na cryptic pregnancy na pala yung meron ako ngayon.” napakamot ka sa batok, sobrang hindi obvious na buntis ka dahil most of the time akala mo bloated ka lang. Yun pala may bata na sa loob ng tyan mo. Naguguilty ka na hindi mo malaman, alam mo kasing dapat mong sabihin to kay Jeno pero hindi mo magawang sabihin dahil iniwan mo naman siya sa ere nung nasa Amerika siya. Ni hindi mo nga alam kung anong ginagagwa niya ngayon sa buhay niya. Wala kang balita o kahit anong alam tungkol sa kanya ngayon. “Sir Jungwoo, pasensya na po talaga sa abala ah. Sobrang thank you rin po sa pag-asikaso sakin.”

“Wala yun, ano ka ba.” ngiti niya, “Gusto mo bang kumain ng lunch? May alam akong healthy restaurant malapit dito tsaka pwede kitang samahan sa pagbili ng gamit ng baby mo.”

“Hala, baka nakakaabala ako sayo, sir.” sagot mo, “Kaya ko naman na po dito, magtataxi na lang po ako.”

“Wag na, sasamahan nalang kita. Pareho naman tayong off eh.” sabi ni Jungwoo, “Tsaka wag na ‘boss’, Jungwoo na lang. Wala naman tayo sa trabaho eh. Sasamahan na kita kumain ng lunch tsaka sa pagshopping mo ng gamit ng bata.”

Dahil nag-offer na rin naman si Jungwoo, pumayag ka at sumabay ng labas ng ospital sa kanya. Ang totoo nyan, na-awkwardan ka kanina dahil ang akala ng doktor ay asawa mo si Jungwoo. Ang totoo nyan, nakasalubong mo lang naman siya sa lobby ng ospital dahil bumisita siya sa kaibigan niya. Dahil andun na rin naman siya, nag-insist na siyang samahan ka talaga. Ngumiti na lang si Jungwoo nung sinabi sainyo ng doktor na healthy ang baby at five months na. Nahihiya ka kasi boss mo si Jungwoo at napagkamalan pang tatay ng anak mo. Ang anak mo na hindi mo alam na nage-exist until today. 

“So, forgive me for asking. Anong history niyo ng tatay ni baby?” tanong niya at humigop ng sabaw sa inorder niyong pagkain. “Pwede mo namang hindi sagutin kung hindi ka komportable.”

“Magulo, sir—I mean Jungwoo.” sagot mo, “Sobrang gulo talaga.”

“Paanong magulo? May third party o ano?”

Hindi mo alam kung anong meron kay Jungwoo pero mabilis kang nakapag-open up sa kanya kung ikukumpara mo sa pamilya mo. Ni hindi nga alam ng pamilya mo na kasal ka dahil sa kagustuhan mong itago ito. Ipinaliwanag mo kay Jungwoo na kaya ka kasal dahil sa gustong makuha ni Jeno ang trust fund niya sa lolo niya, and the only way he could get this is to be married. Matagal na kasing gusto ng lolo ni Jeno na ikasal siya dahil sa kanilang magkakapatid at magpipinsan, siya na lang ang hindi pa kasal. Halos lahat ng mga kapatid at pinsan niya ay nakuha na ang kanilang mga trust fund–except for him dahil nga wala pa siyang asawa. To make it more believable, Jeno created a contract to stay married with you for a year. Hanggang sa maproseso niya ang trust fund niya. Pero ngayong iniisip mo ito, mukhang hindi ata nakuha ni Jeno ang trust fund niya dahil bigla kang nawala.

“Wait, so kinasal ka dahil gusto ng asawa mo na makuha yung pera sa lolo niya?” tanong ni Jungwoo, tumango ka at sumubo ng pagkain. “Tapos bago ka mapromote, may nangyari sa inyo… tama?” tumango ka ulit, “Tapos nasaktan ka sa sinabi niya dahil pakiramdam mo, ginamit ka lang niya tapos pinirmahan mo yung contract agad-agad?”

“Tumpak.” ngiti mo, “Anyway, ilang buwan na ang nakalipas simula nun. Wala na kong contact sa kanya, wala na lahat.”

“Eh paano kung bumalik?”

Napatigil ka sa pag nguya, hindi naman na babalik yun dahil wala ka naman sa kanya eh. Hindi ka importante sa buhay niya in the first place. “Hindi na yun babalik, Jungwoo.” sabi mo, may bahid na lungkot ang boses mo kaya tumango si Jungwoo. “Ano ba yan, ang lungkot naman ng usapan natin. Pwede bang change topic?”

Naging magkaibigan kayo ni Jungwoo simula nung araw na yun. Siya lang rin ang nakakaalam ng history mo kay Jeno. Medyo nahirapan kang sabihin ito sa mga magulang mo, unang-una, hindi naman kasi nila alam na kasal ka na dahil hindi mo nga sinabi. Ang alam mo lang kasi, matatapos na ang kontrata niyo ni Jeno at pagtapos nun, pwede ka na magpatuloy sa buhay mo nang hindi nila nalalaman yun. You even considered it to be your deepest, darkest secret.

Pero nag-iwan ng souvenir si Jeno.

—

“Babalik ka na sa Seoul, sigurado na ba yan? Hindi ka na tatakas?” tanong ni Jungwoo sayo sa tawag. Kasalukuyan kang nagmamaneho pabalik ng Seoul, traffic pa nga at maling idea talaga na umalis kayo ng anak mo ng late na. “Si Isabella? Okay lang ba siya?”

“Okay lang siya, tulog sa likod.” sagot mo, “Woo, thank you ah. I can’t stress enough how thankful I am to you for the past 4 years.” sabi mo sa kanya, “Thank you for acting like a father figure kay Isabella, sayang na-cut short. Ready na pa naman akong pakasalan ka.” asar mo, madalas kasing isipin ng mga ka-trabaho mo na ang anak mo ay anak rin ni Jungwoo kaya naging inside joke niyo na itong magkaibigan.

“Tarantado ka, sumbong kita sa asasa mo eh.” asar nito pabalik, “Pupunta rin ako ng Seoul bukas, tulungan ko kayo mag-ayos sa apartment niyo.”

“Sige, sige. Matutuwa nyan si Isabella.” sagot mo, “For now, sa iisang kwarto muna kami matutulog. Wala pa raw kasi yung inorder kong kama niya sabi ng landlord. Bukas pa ata dadating, keri mo bang tulungan ako i-set up yun?”

“Ako pa ba, Y/N?”

“Hay nako, Woo. Una na ako, umaandar na yung traffic, bye na! Ingat ka bukas ha!”

Bukod sa gasolina at pagpapahangin ng gulong ng kotse niyo, nagdecide kang dumaan sa rest stop dahil nagising si Isabella sa likod at nagsabing nagugutom na siya. Dalawang oras pa ang byahe niyo kaya maganda na rin sigurong magpahinga muna kayo kahit isang oras sa rest stop para kumain at magliwaliw mag-ina.

“Mommy, look oh! Samoyed!” excited na sabi ng anak mo at tinuro ang puting aso na naglalakad kasama ang amo niya. “Hello, can I pet your dog po?” the dog was owned by a young couple, natuwa sila dahil napaka-polite ng anak mo at tumango para payagan na hawakan ang aso. “You’re so cute!”

Simula nung nag-aral si Isabella sa isang kindergarten sa Busan, madalas na sinasabi ng mga teacher niya na mahilig sa aso at pusa ang bata. Halos saulo na nga niya ang iba’t ibang klaseng breed ng mga aso at pusa, at sa tuwing nakakakita siya nito, gustong gusto niyang hawakan. “Bye-bye, cutie! Alis na kami ng mommy ko,” paalam niya sa aso, “thank you po for letting me play with your dog.” ngumiti ang dalawa sa kanya at naglakad na palayo. 

Humawak na si Isabella sa kamay mo at pumasok kayo sa isang maliit na restaurant, mahilig kasi siya sa fried chicken. Halos ito na lang ata ang gusto niyang kainin araw-araw. “Mommy, di ba po may new school na ako?” tanong niya sayo habang naghihintay kayo ng pagkain.

Nilapag mo sa lamesa ang cellphone mo at tinignan ang anak mo. May hawig ni Jeno ang bata. Kung saan nakapwesto ang nunal ni Jeno, na nasa ilalim ng mata, ganun rin ang sa bata. Pati ang hulma ng mga mata niya kapag nakangiti ay parang si Jeno. “Yes, baby. Malapit sa office ni mommy para mabilis kita masundo.” sagot mo at hinawi ang buhok niyang nakatakip sa mukha niya, “Are you nervous kasi new place?”

“Nope!” sagot niya, “Magkakaroon naman po ako ng bagong friends dun sabi ni Dada Woo! Marami raw pong dogs sa Seoul kaya excited rin po ako!”

Ngumiti ka sa anak mo at pinisil ang pisngi niya, ang cute cute kasi niya. Pinanood mo siyang kumain habang nagrereply sa mga chat ni Jungwoo sayo, kanina ka pa kinukulit na gusto raw niyang makita ang inaanak niya kaya kada galaw ng bata sa loob ng restaurant at rest stop, kailangan mong i-send kay Jungwoo.

“Mommy, I don’t want to go to the restroom. Dito na lang po ako sa labas.” sabi ni Isabella sayo, “Promise po, here lang ako.”

“Pero anak, delikado eh… Baka kung saan ka mapunta or may kumuha sayo.”

“Mommy, big girl na po ako. Lagi ko po natatandaan yung rule mo: don’t talk to strangers? Stranger danger?”

“Hmm, okay. Mommy trusts you, wait mo lang ako dito ha? Don’t go anywhere. Mabilis lang ako.”

Tumango ang bata at talagang hindi nga siya umalis sa labas ng banyo. Pero dahil bata, madalas gumagana ang imagination niya at naglaro. Isabella was skipping steps, singing random songs na natatandaan niyang pinapatugtog ng teacher niya before pero natigil nito nang bigla siyang mabangga ng isang lalaki at bumagsak siya sa sahig.

“Oh my, are you okay?” tanong ng lalaki sa kanya at tinulunga siyang lumuhod para pagpagin ang dumi sa pantalon ng bata. He lowered himself to meet Isabella’s eyes.

“Yes po!” ngiti ni Isabella, “Sorry po, hindi po dapat ako dyan nagp-play…”

“No, it’s okay. Nagmamadali rin kasi ako kaya hindi kita napansin.” sabi nito, “Asan kasama mo? Mommy? Daddy? Why are you alone?”

“Hmm… Yung dada ko po nasa Busan, narinig ko si Mommy na susunod daw si Dada Woo ko bukas sa Seoul kasi lilipat kami ng bahay. Yung mommy ko po nasa CR.” sagot ni Isabella, “HALA! I broke my mommy’s rule na don’t talk to strangers!”

Natawa ang lalaki sa bata, inayos niya ang sarili niya at inabot ang kamay. “Okay, I’m Jeno Lee. Hindi na ako stranger sayo. Ikaw, anong name mo?”

“Isabella!”

“Nice to meet you, Isabella.” ngiti ni Jeno, “Gusto mo bang samahan muna kita dito hanggang sa makalabas si mommy mo sa restroom?”

“Sure po, Tito Jeno!”

Maraming kwento si Isabella kay Jeno. Dalawang tao na walang kamuwang-muwang na mag-ama sila. Ilang minuto pa ang lumipas bago ka makalabas ng banyo at nahulog ang puso mo nang makita mo si Isabella na hawak-hawak ang kamay ni Jeno. Putangina, totoo ba tong nakikita ko? Isip mo, bumitaw sa pagkakahawak ng kamay si Isabella kay Jeno at tumakbo papunta sayo. “Mommy!” tawag niya at yumakap sa binti mo. Tumingin siya sayo at nakangiti, “He stayed with me po! Kanina while you were inside the restroom. He’s not a bad guy, mommy!”

“Y/N?” “Jeno?”

Sabay kayong nagsalita kaya nagtaka si Isabella. “Mommy, you know him po?” Oo anak, siya ang daddy mo. “Mommy?” sasagot ka na sana, pero biglang nagring ang cellphone mo. Agad itong kinuha ni Isabella sa bag mo. “Mommy, it’s Dada! Pwede ko po ba sagutin? Miss ko na siya eh”

“A-ah, sige…” sabi mo, agad namang sinagot ni Isabella ang tawag. Muling nagtama ang mga mata niyo ni Jeno, “Hi”

“Hi,” sagot niya, “Kumusta? You’re a mom na pala.”

Tangina naman, Jeno. Kamukha mo yung bata, hindi pa ba obvious? “Oo, pasensya na kung madaldal ah… Madaldal kasi yung… ano…” nauutal ka, parang hindi mo mahanap yung tamang salita na gusto mong sabihin. “Una na kami, Jeno ah. Salamat sa pagbabantay sa kanya kahit saglit lang.”

Paalis ka na sana, pero biglang hinawakan ni Jeno ang kamay mo. Nagulat ka naman. “Y/N, you do know we have things to talk about di ba?” tanong niya, “It’s long overdue. Pwede ba kitang ayain magkape? Your daughter said na sa Seoul na raw kayo titira—-”

“Jeno, kung okay lang sayo, pwede bang wag muna ngayon?” sagot mo naman, “marami pa kasi akong aasikasuhin, yung bahay, yung trabaho ko, yung school ng anak ko…”

“Hindi ko naman sinabing ngayon na agad, we can schedule it.”

“Okay.”

“The last time I tried to contact you, incorrect daw yung number. Pwede ko bang makuha yung bago mong number?”

Tumango ka at inabot ang isang business card mo sa kanya. Dali-dali kang nagpaalam sa kanya at hinawakan ang kamay ni Isabella para bumalik sa kotse niyo. Habang nilalagay mo ang seatbelt ni Isabella, hindi mo maiwasang hindi maluha. Apat na taon ang nakalipas, pero ganun pa rin si Jeno. Sa apat na taon mong tinago ang anak mo–niyo, may mga araw na hindi mo maiwasang hindi maisip si Jeno. Paano kaya kung walang nangyari sa inyo nung gabi ng birthday ng lolo niya? Walang Isabella ngayon. Paano kaya kung hinintay mo nga talaga makauwi si Jeno sa bahay niyong dalawa imbis na maglaho sa buhay niya? Andami mong tanong sa sarili mo mo, mga tanong na walang sagot sa ngayon.

“Woo,” tawag mo sa kaibigan mong kasalukuyang nag-aayos ng kama ni Isabella, “Nakita na sila.”

“Sinong sila?” tanong nito, ang atensyon niya ay hindi nawawala sa ginagawa niya, “Kailangan ko ng context, Y/N.”

“Si Isabella at tatay niya.”

Napatigil si Jungwoo sa pagkilos at tinitigan ka, “Anong nangyari? Paano?”

“Sa rest stop kahapon, nagtetext na nga sakin kung kailan daw ba ako pwedeng kitain…” sagot mo, “Hindi ko kaya, Woo. Parang ayoko siyang harapin.”

Naiintindihan naman ni Jungwoo kung saan ka nanggaling. Naiintindihan niya kung ayaw mong harapin ang asawa mo. After all, your marriage is only a marriage of convenience. Plus Isabella was an accident, either way, she’s your beautiful accident. Hindi mo alam kung napansin ba ni Jeno ang similarities nila ng anak niyo, pero sana hindi. Dahil ayaw mo pang sabihin ang totoo kahit alam mong deserve niyang malaman ang totoo.

“Kitain mo na, Y/N.” sabi ni Jungwoo at hinarap ka, “Malay mo naman hindi tungkol kay Isabella ang pag-uusapan niyo. Malay mo tungkol sa nangyari years ago.” humawak si Jungwoo sa parehong balikat mo, “Di ba ikaw ang umalis ng walang paalam? Malay mo ang bitbit ni Jeno pag nagkita kayo eh divorce papers. Y/N, hindi naman kayo nag-hiwalay talaga ni Jeno eh. Technically, kasal ka pa rin. Kasal pa rin kayo.”

“Alam mo, nakakainis ka talaga.” tawa mo at yumakap ka kay Jungwoo, “Ano na lang gagawin ko kung wala ka?”

“Tsk, ano ba. Ako lang to, Y/N.” Ngiti ni Jungwoo at niyakap ka pabalik, “O bitaw na. Tatapusin ko na yung kama ng anak mo.”

Hindi ka na nagreply kay Jeno at lumabas na sa building. Bago ka pa bumaba kanina, nakailang practice ka ng tamang paghinga dahil kinakabahan ka sa mangyayari. Pag labas mo, nakita mo si Jeno na nakatayo sa labas ng sasakyan niya, suot suot ang itim na tuxedo. Ngumiti sayo si Jeno at pinagbuksan ka ng pintuan bago sumunod sayo sa loob. Nakikilala mo ang driver niyang si Michael na minsan mo nang nakasama sa mga event na pinupuntahan niyo noon.

“Saan tayo pupunta?” tanong mo, “kasi hanggang 9 lang ang napaki-usapan kong oras sa babysitter ni Isabella.”

“Dinner. I’m sure hindi ka pa kumakain.”

Tumango ka na lang at inilipat ang atensyon mo sa bintana, pinapanood na bumukas ang mga ilaw ng malalaking building. Walang nagsasalita, kahit ang driver ay tahimik na nagmamaneho. Tanging radyo lang ang tumutunog hanggang sa makarating kayo sa isang kilalang restaurant.

“So, about us.” Simula ni Jeno pagkatapos niyong umorder, “Bakit ka umalis?”

Wow, straight to the point. Isip mo, napalunok ka ng laway at kinuha ang sinerve na wine at uminom. “I felt like I needed to leave. Pasensya na kung umalis akong walang paalam.” sagot mo, pero hindi siya satisfied at gusto pa ng sagot. “Ewan ko, Jeno. Nung araw na umalis ka papuntang US, nagtext ka sakin. Sabi mo kalimutan natin kung ano man ang nangyari satin nung gabing yun. Nasaktan ako, parang dun lang nag-sink in sakin na, ginagamit mo lang ako.” sabi mo, biglang kumalma at bumagsak ang balikat niya. Umiling at umiwas ka ng tingin bago ituloy ang sasabihin mo, “Tapos nalaman kong napromote ako sa trabaho, pabalik sa Busan. Sabi ng boss ko, isang linggo lang yung time na dapat akong magdecide at kausapin ka, pero hindi ko ginawa yun kasi atat na atat akong iwan tong lugar na to.”

“Pero–”

“Alam ko naman kasi na ginagamit mo lang ako bilang asawa mo dahil sa trust fund na gusto mong makuha. Pero hindi ako sigurado kung kaya ko bang ituloy yun. Alam kong nagawa ko siya ng matagal, natiis ko, pero ang baba ng tingin ko sa sarili ko.”

“And nung umalis ka, nakahanap ka ng iba at nagka-anak kayo? We’re still married by paper, you know?”

“Ha?” pagtataka mo, “Ah, si Jungwoo.” Ito na yun, Y/N. Umamin ka na. “Hindi naman siya yung tatay ng anak ko.”

“I’m confused.”

“Isabella is yours, Jeno.” sagot mo, “Isabella is—was an accident. Alam mo bang 5 months na siya sa sinapupunan ko nung nalaman kong buntis ako sa kanya? Wala akong idea na buntis na pala ako.”

“Paanong–ha? Paano? Eh sino yung tinatawag na Dada ni Isabella kung sakin siya?”

“Cryptic pregnancy yung nangyari sakin. Basically, unaware akong buntis ako hanggang nung nagpa-check up ako. Sabi ng doktor, hindi raw madalas mangyari yung ganung klase ng pagbubuntis. Nagkakaroon pa rin ako nun kaya nagulat rin ako kung bakit ako buntis,” paliwanag ko, “Jungwoo… Boss ko siya actually, siya ang unang nakaalam kung anong sitwasyon ko sayo at naging magkaibigan kami after niya kong samahan sa ospital. Isabella calls him ‘Dada’ kasi siya na ang naging father figure ng bata.”

Nadistract si Jeno dahil biglang nagserve ng pagkain ang waiter. Hindi niya alam kung paano ia-absorb ang impormasyong nalaman niya. Ang batang sinamahan niya sa rest stop pansamantala, ay sa kanya. Hinintay niyang umalis ang waiter bago siya magsalita, “And you thought it was best to hide our daughter from me?” tanong niya, napabuntong hininga ka at umiling. “Y/N, you could’ve called me. Pwede kong sustentuhan ang bata—”

“Hindi kaya ng pride ko yun, Jeno.” you cut off, “I mean, thank you for taking interest in giving support to our daughter. Pero ikaw na mismo ang nagsabi dati na ayaw mong magka-anak and our marriage will remain as—”

“Y/N, anak ko rin si Isabella.” sumbat niya, “Kahit sinabi ko dati na ayaw kong magka-anak, handa naman akong panindigan siya.”

Kinuha mo ang gamit mo sa kabilang upuan at tumayo, “...I’m sorry, Jeno.” bulong mo at umalis. Dali-daling naglabas ng pera si Jeno at nilagay ito sa lamesa para sundan ka.

Pero huli na si Jeno, and for the second time around, umalis ka na naman.

[serpentandlily]

Beneath the Ashes - Azriel x Reader

Beneath the Ashes - Azriel x Illyrian!Reader

Sneak Peek

Summary: Azriel finally finds the girl he’s been looking for all these years—his mate. But unfortunately for him, his mate happens to be an Illyrian who, upset over the fact that he’s turned his back on his own people, wants nothing to do with him. (Enemies to lovers vibes, angst)

A/n: I feel bad that I haven’t had anything ready for you guys in a while so here’s a little sneak peek at a request I’m working atm

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Azriel was not happy, to say the least. Not as he landed on the cold, hard ground of one of the Illyrian war camps in the northern region of the mountains. He internally cursed at Cassian for still being on his mating honeymoon with Nesta because now he was being forced to do things Cass would normally be in charge of—primarily dealing with the Illyrians.

It wasn't a secret that Azriel hated Illyria and all its people. Hated that he came from such a barbaric, backwards culture. He knew Cass was trying to do all he could to break the traditions Illyrians held, but Azriel had always told him they were a lost cause. If he could never see these damn mountains again, he'd consider it a blessing.

But, evidently, that was not a blessing he'd be allowed—at least, not until Cassian returned. For now, he was the one who was being sent out on these missions by his High Lord.

Rhys had gotten word that some commotion was happening in the camp that had its people up in arms about something. He had asked Azriel to go check it out and who was he to turn down a request from his brother? So here he was. He was just hoping to get this over with soon.

He had tried sending his shadows ahead of time to collect intel, but they had been acting weird ever since they returned to him. They had swarmed him with their cryptic messages.

Beautiful.

Our master must see.

Permission to kill, master?

Needless to say, Azriel had no fucking idea what any of that meant. He had given them no such permission to kill, at least, not until he could see for himself what was transpiring here.

He was passing by the training rings, ignoring the stares of the brutes who were working out and sparring within them, when he heard several sets of loud voices. He quickened his pace, following the voices into the residential section of the camp until he finally beheld what was causing the commotion.

Three males were on the porch of one of the cabins, restraining a female Illyrian, who was thrashing around like a wildcat, screaming, "Let me go, you assholes!"

Another male Azriel recognized as the War Lord of the camp was standing on the steps leading up to the small cabin, arms crossed and a sneer on his face. A male next to him was holding a blubbering Illyrian toddler, whose arms were outstretched towards the female with tears pouring down her chubby cheeks.

None of them had noticed him yet which Azriel used to his advantage. His shadows were already wailing when he let them loose. They spiral towards the group, swirling around the males holding the female and yanking them away from her. All of their heads snapped in Azriel's direction except for the female. She tumbled to the ground but quickly scrambled to get up and rushed towards the male next to the War Lord, not even sparing a glance at what had caused the males to unleash her.

She went to grab the little girl from the male holding her but was quickly held back by the War Lord with a growl. The War Lord twisted her arms behind her back, holding her in place, but his glare was firmly set on Azriel.

Azriel's face displayed no emotions as he stalked forward, his hand ghosting over Truth-Teller.

"Shadowsinger," the War Lord bit out in greeting. The other males quickly got to their feet and stood at attention.

"Silas," Azriel said, not bothering to address him properly which made the male bristle, "Care to explain what is happening here?"

"None of your business, Shadowsinger," Silas hissed. "I have it under control."

"Doesn't seem like it," Azriel replied, coolly.

The female was still trying to break out of Silas's grip, cursing under her breath. He tightened his hold on her, causing her to hiss in pain as he twisted her wrists in his hands. Azriel's shadows seemed to hiss in response, poised to attack as soon as Azriel gave them permission.

Azriel's gaze fell on the female, noting the frustrated tears in her eyes. It seemed like there had been a scuffle. Her hair was half falling out of her braid, she had scrape marks on one of her cheeks, and a bruise was beginning to form on her jaw. One of her wings was flared out proudly while the other drooped to the floor at a weird angle. His fists clenched at the sight and when she finally looked up at him, her eyes meeting his, the breath was completely knocked out of his lungs.

Despite her tattered appearance, she was single-handedly the most beautiful female he had ever laid eyes on. He stood frozen for a moment, taken aback before he shook himself out of the spell she seemed to cast on him, realizing how inappropriate of a time it was to be ogling her.

"Let her go, Silas," Azriel commanded in a dark voice.

"I don't take orders from you," Silas spat out. "Besides, this female has been breaking the law for months now. We're taking her into custody."

"Fuck you," the female barked out, stomping on Silas's foot. The male cursed and went to strike her on the back of her head but Azriel's shadow caught his wrist in their grasp before he could.

"I said," Azriel growled, lowly, causing the males to shift in place, "Let her go."

"Fine," Silas sneered, though a tiny bit of fear flashed in his dark eyes. He pushed her to the ground in front of him. She was quick to spring back to her feet and rush towards the toddler who was still screeching. The male could hardly keep hold of the little girl.

"Let the babe go, too," Azriel snapped. The male scoffed but set the little girl down. She immediately ran to the female who bent down with her arms wide open, catching the little girl and standing with her firmly on her hip. The little girl's cries quieted down and she buried her small face in the female's neck.

"Would anyone like to tell me what the hell is going on here?" Azriel snarled, taking another step closer. Half the males mirrored his step back and he fought the urge to chuckle.

"Like I said," Silas snapped, "This female has been breaking the law—”

“What law?” Azriel asked, firmly.

“Females are not permitted to live alone nor own houses,” Silas barked out. “She has ignored our warnings—”

“My father left the cabin to me in his will!” The female shouted, causing the small toddler in her arms to whimper. She stroked the girl's hair, shushing her. “It belongs to me.”

“I don’t care what your father promised you,” Silas growled. “It is against the law for you to be living here alone. You must surrender the cabin and go live in the barracks with the other unwed females of marrying age. Your sister will be placed under the care of the matron.”

“Like hell I’m leaving her under the care of that female! You’re just going to have her wings clipped and force her to do grueling chores all day! She stays with me!”

“You are out of line! I knew your father wasn’t raising the two of you right. Ever since your mother passed away—”

“Don’t you dare say another word about my parents!”

The War Lord lunged towards the female with a growl but Azriel shadowed between them, unsheathing Truth-Teller and pressing it against the male’s throat.

“Lay a hand on her and I’ll gut you right here in front of all of your brutes,” Azriel snarled.

Silas stepped back with a scoff. “You want to stick your nose in our business? Fine, then she’s your problem. I expect her out of this house by the end of today, Shadowsinger, or there will be worse consequences.”

He stormed away, his entourage trailing behind him while sending glares to the female. Azriel waited until they were out of view before he turned to look at the female but she was gone from next to him, already walking up the steps to the cabin with the babe—her sister—on her hip.

Azriel went to follow her but she stormed into the cabin and slammed the door in his face before he could so much as utter a single word. He let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose before he knocked on the door. When Rhys had mentioned a problem happening in this camp, he hadn't expected to deal with something like this. It would’ve been much easier if it had been a problem he could solve with his fists.

When she didn't answer, he knocked harder—nearly causing the door to shutter.

It flung open a second later, a seething female behind it. "I already told those assholes I'm not leaving. If you're here to tell me to pack up and move, you can kiss my ass."

Azriel had to stop his lips from twitching into an amused smirk at her words. He wasn't used to dealing with female Illyrians that had attitudes. Most of them kept their heads down and stayed quiet. His mother had been like that....

"I'm not here to tell you that," Azriel answered. "May I come inside?"

She leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms and staring him down. He found himself even more amused at how she was trying to intimidate him. Most fae avoided him and his gaze. But a female, whose head barely reached his shoulders, seemed to be completely unfazed by him.

"No, you may not," she snapped. "Anything you need to say to me can be said perfectly fine from where you're standing."

“Can I at least bring a healer to come check out your injuries?” He eyed the scrapes on her face, the bruise and her drooping wing. Azriel’s chest ached at the sight and anger pulsed under his skin. He wanted to turn around and go rip those males apart limb by limb for laying a hand on her.

“I don’t need your help, shadowsinger,” she spat out.

"Fine," Azriel sighed. "I was sent by the High Lord because there's been reports of someone here causing disarray. I'm going to assume that someone is you."

She shrugged, nonchalantly, her eyes flickering between his own and the shadows swirling around him that wouldn't shut up about how beautiful she was, how brave....They were singing her praise. It confused him. His shadows had never acted like this before.

When she failed to answer, Azriel cleared his throat, uncomfortably. “Will you answer my question?”

“Aren’t you the spymaster?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Shouldn’t you be able to gather intel yourself and not rely on a lowly Illyrian female?”

“A lowly Illyrian female?” Azriel raised an eyebrow at her crass words towards herself.

“Isn’t that how you and all the High Lord’s dogs view us?” Her tone was biting, her eyes filled with hate.

Azriel shifted, at a loss for words. He was used to being met with hostility by the Illyrians, but never usually from the females themselves. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”

It was a lousy response, but he truly had no idea what to say. She scoffed, rolling her eyes at him and moved from the doorway, grasping the door.

“Even if I could help you, I wouldn’t care enough to do so,” she snapped. “Now, if that is all, you can kindly escort yourself off my property, shadowsinger. Thank you.”

The door slammed in his face a second later

[darkbluekies]

mfw my tattoo drawing req causes the hiatus of silas :(

im very sorry :(

:(

nooo it's not you i promise, it's my own head!! I have been feeling it for a few days but hadn't written something yet that involved him in a scene, so unfortunately it became that.

He's just on vacation he'll be back soon I promise. He's sipping mojitos on a beach in Greece, havin the time of his life. It's just ... best way to describe it would be an identity crisis but it wasn't about me? If I tell the actual reason it'll sound so stupid so just bare with me lol

But long story short: I just need to sort him out. What is him and what is ... not. If that makes sense. With someone being so similar to him, I feel like I'm starting mix them up, which is why I have to pull Silas back now, before he doesn't feel like him anymore. It sounds so cryptic I'm sorry, my brain is just so damn worried lmao I don't understand it either it's fine

It was not your fault I promise, I truly enjoyed writing the drabble, he was pretty cute in that one (for once) and I'm still writing about him, to try to find him again. Currently trying out a new "darling is sick" scenario :)

[brokenxanas-ooc-zone]

/February28th wrapup post

alright! So the majority of that arc has been taken care of now

it's been a lot of fun having people nudge Silas fate around, and through the collective effort of everyone, the bad ending was avoided.

Major props to everyone involved, Lus, Beedrill, Mylah and Shilo maybe THE MVP's for getting Silas on this path.

SUMMARY OF ARC

Silas learns of a parade on February 28, 2025 and uses the evidence he collected 7 years ago to construct a video to ruin chief of police, Victoria Heralds, entire career.

He is caught, and murdered the same day, Victoria later impersonates him to locate his allies before she herself is put under house arrest. A funeral is held leaving to Silas to be buried.

During all of these events, Azelf (who goes by A) has been sending cryptic messages, trying to guide people to make Silas want to live, so that he might finally be a suitable Chosen.

Once Silas is buried, Azelf joins Silas other alters and together they all escape the tomb.

CONCEPT ART

way back last February(2024) and stuff is when I first started designing the different guys, whimsy vengeance, willpower and Deduction. WHIMSY was the hardest one for me to design.

and this one, relates to one of the scrapped ideas that I had while brainstorming this arc (as well as a "flower" design I mentioned on discord) as well as some images of Ozzy

SCRAPPED IDEAS

so one of the ideas was that after Silas passed away, Ozzy would be the one to get his blog for a little bit until Silas was revived. The main reason this was scrapped was that I am NOT good at playing kids and much less a grieving one

another idea that got scrapped was really digging into the idea that Silas would have been stuck reliving the moment of his death, that would have been a punishment he once would have thought suitable but after all the talk of fighting to survive it didn't make sense anymore.

At one point, I was going to make sprites for Silas (Similar to ghost trick) but that animation took up every single minute of every day.

Also there is a version of the story where Silas went out of his way to kill Victoria, but I couldn't think of a way he could do it very easily, especially since he had the goal of escaping.

another one was Azelf claiming Silas body for it's own use, since its own body was deteriorating. the idea didn't vibe with me so I decided to go to referencing the biggest piece of inspiration to Silas as a whole

INSPIRATIONS

Disco Elysium plays a massive part in Silas story, from the artstyle I used to depict his alters to the entirety of the reason Silas is a cop in general to the overall theme of like, redemption and regret. in my (still) incomplete play-through back in 2023 I came to love like the melancholy feeling of the game and that's when I first got glimpses of this arc.

Metal Gear Solid. If it made any sense at all, Victoria and Silas would have had a fist fight to the death to finally rid each other of themselves. Metal Gear is a highly influential series to me, with my favorite in the series being both 2 and Peace Walker. The way I depict Azelf is entirely based off of the ending sequence of Metal Gear Solid 2 with Azelf even directly quoting some of the lines in this video, as well as a quote from (EPILEPSY WARNING)Ben 10 Alien Force.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I appreciate everyone in this community, I would not have been inspired to have worked as hard as I have on this arc without the people I have met making it very very worth it. Silas next big character thing will be in July and although it will have lasting impressions on how he is as a individual, it will not nearly be as dramatic at this arc you can NOT make me make another animation again.

Here are the playlists associated with this arc.

Escape from the parade!

March 3rd (funeral playlist)

Silas Playlist.

I look forward to what the future has in store, have a good night y'all!

alsSO THE SLASH IS ON PURPOSE IT'S A URL

[silasoctakiseron]

top 5 things from 2025 that you would show to The Master Templar to change him irrevocably

HELP. This is a great question but it's difficult because The Master Templar™ has made himself very difficult to change on purpose. But I'm giving it the old college try.

1. Obviously a zoo or aquarium or some shit. The natural wonders of the First House alone are clearly not enough to fix his bitch ass personality but seeing a fucked-up animal like a giraffe or some shit after living his entire life on a shell world around the corpse of Uranus might at least shake him up a little bit.

2. Shirt purported to have belonged to the Saint of Joy or one of her close early disciples, given that 2025 is in his far distant past. Cryptic blackletter message which must have apocryphal significance.

3. I know this is very "give a Victorian child cocaine 😝"-core, but I'm taking him to hot pot in my area and ordering the spiciest shit they have. I think the Eighth are wealthy enough to have more culinary diversity than the Ninth but Silas subsists on like porridge and multivitamins by choice. He doesn't know that food can make your mouth numb and he's about to find out.

4. In a similar vein, the produce section of an independent grocery store near me during Sunday rush hour. Bunch of huge Earth vegetables he's never seen before, full-size national flags for countries he's never heard of hanging from the ceiling, inching his way step by step through a wall-to-wall throng of people shoving past each other in a freezing warehouse. Have fun.

5. "Girl Pants" - Princess Nauwisa

[thehollowwriter]

Summary: Azul meets Finn's father, and he is very afraid.

Word count: 3872

(Pls reblog and leave a comment ❤️)

Mister Clearcove

"Papa wants to meet you." Said Finn, and Azul nearly choked on his tea.

"Pardon?"

"Papa wants to meet you." Finn repeated, munching on a biscuit. "He thinks you should come over during the holidays."

He was so casual about it, as if he were telling Azul it was going to be sunny tomorrow, and not that the possibly most terrifying man Azul had ever seen wanted to meet him.

Azul gazed at Finn wordlessly for a moment. Was this a joke? Was Finn trying to prank him?

"I...I see." Azul said slowly.

Finn did not say "just kidding" as he had hoped. Instead, he licked the crumbs from his lips and carried on sketching the possible menu designs he and Azul had brainstormed.

"You're sure he wants to meet me?" Azul blurted.

Finn put his pencil down and raised an eyebrow at him. "Of course. Papa doesn't ask to meet just anyone. Don't tell me you're scared now."

"Of course not!" Azul exclaimed, frowning. "I'm just... surprised. I didn't think he would be interested in meeting me at all."

Finn sent him a small smile. "You underestimate how interesting you are."

Azul flushed. "I suppose so. Shall we set up a date, then?"

Finn nodded. "Yeah. I'll ask Papa when he's available."

The two of them went back to what they were doing, and silence reigned once more.

Azul was awake long after curfew that night, staring at the incomplete nautilus shell earings he had spent days painstakingly crafting by hand.

He planned to give them to Finn sometime, but... should he? He didn't know.

If he were to end up in Silas Clearcove's bad books, it would make any attempts at a relationship or gaining a potential seafood supplier for the lounge quite difficult.

If they were to meet, Azul wanted to make the best impression he could. Naturally, making a good impression meant knowing the person you wanted to impress, and in order to know the person you wanted to impress, one needed to do research.

Unfortunately for Azul, Finn's father was an utter mystery. Most Atlantica residents did not like Silas and preferred to avoid him, fearful of him and his origins.

"The... the abyssal mer? I can't believe some people buy food from him, if you ask me."

"Silas? I had to move my daughter to a different elementary school because that monster's son was attending hers."

"Tainted blood, that's what he is."

Rumours, often wretched and gut-churning, did their rounds often.

Azul wasn't stupid enough to believe them, of course. Call him a sceptic, but he was quite sure Silas did not murder Finn and cause Finn to become a ghost.

Most of what Azul himself knew about Silas was through osmosis and from Finn. The basic facts were: he was a cookie cutter shark from the Abyss, he was a butcher, a single father, and was married to a powerful mage named Morrigan who died before Finn was born.

"He was a mage, too." Finn would say if asked about Morrigan. "He went to Night Raven. He was a Savanaclaw student, and then he became a teacher. He was quite talented."

The cause of Morrigan's death was something not even Finn knew, and most of the city pretended it didn't happen.

"Oh, you know, Morrigan was like, fifty when he died." Some would say. "Who knows what health complications he could've had."

Azul also attempted to ask his mother about it, but she became unusually cryptic.

"It was awful." She had said sadly, dabbing her eyes. "Simply awful. Oh, poor Silas, he was heartbroken..."

Azul made a mental note to steer clear of the topic of Morrigan in case it was a touchy subject.

Azul's own memories of Silas were few and far between. They were fuzzy, blurred by time, and unreliable. Finn swam to and from school by himself most of the time, so Azul didn't see Silas every day.

All Azul could really remember was vague parts of his appearance and a presence that made crowds part and parents whisper.

There was only one clear memory that stood out, but even that one had been tainted by age.

Azul remembered cowering behind his mother, taking a peek every now and then at the large, looming shark speaking to his mother in a low, gruff voice.

He was scarred and a bit odd looking, but what truly drew Azul's attention was the ribs of... something that decorated Silas' tail, and the twin sets of orca teeth necklaces around his neck. It was terrifying to see back then. Now, though, he was concerned his seashells would be an inadequate courting gift, considering Silas was apparently very traditional.

The lack of reliable memories left Azul to rely on individuals close to him for information, although it didn't turn up much. Silas was like his son. He kept to himself and wasn't prone to chatting .

"Old man Silas?" Floyd's expression turned thoughtful when Azul asked him about him. "Don't see him a lot. When he comes to Ma and Pa's parties, he just hangs out in the corner and stares at his glass till it's over. Then we never see him until the next one."

"He'll engage in conversation if we initiate it." Jade added. "But he doesn't say much. He's not a very talkative fellow."

Azul sighed. "Do you know anything else?"

"Well," Jade tapped his chin. "He's from the Abyss. But everybody knows that."

"He's got a legendary resting bitch face." Floyd chimed in, grinning. "It puts Finn's to shame. He looks like he'll snap your neck if you look at him wrong."

"I see."

He asked his mother about Silas next, during one of their biweekly phonecalls. She had more to say than the twins, and definitely more pleasant things too, but none of it was particularly helpful.

"Oh, Silas is a dear!" Azul's mother sounded delighted. "So helpful and hardworking, and so very polite. I keep saying he should come for dinner sometime, but he's always so busy."

"Do you know anything about his preferences?"

"Hmm. No. Sorry, dear."

"No no, it's alright. Thank you, Mama."

It seemed the only one who knew anything at all about Silas Clearcove was Finn, and Azul most certainly did not want to ask him and risk his intentions coming to light early.

Azul was frustrated that his research was inconclusive, and far more nervous than he was originally. When he finally returned home for the holidays, and the reality truly hit him, the nervousness became utter stress.

It seemed he wasn't doing as a good a job at hiding it as he hoped, since when Finn arrived to fetch him one early morning, he tilted his head to the side with a bemused smile.

"You don't need to be so nervous." Finn said as he began to lead Azul to their destination. "Papa won't bite."

***

The Clearcove property was far away from the city, starting at a sand bank and stretching on to the edge of a cliff. Only the faintest tendrils of sunlight reached down there, but it was promptly snuffed out by the towering kelp forest that stretched on for miles. The kelp swayed eerily in the ghostly quiet, lit up by only a few lanterns strung about.

It was a stark contrast to the sunlit streets and bustling noise of the city.

It gave Azul the creeps, and he suddenly understood why the rumours that spread were always so supernatural in nature. It was like they were swimming through a haunted patch of sea.

They followed a stone path through the maze of kelp and rocks and fish, keeping to the light of the lanterns. It was a long swim, and Azul wished he had better endurance.

Then, the faint scent of blood made Azul stop swimming, concerned.

Finn tugged him forward. "That's just the abattoir, don't worry."

The scent got stronger the further they went, and Azul had to clench his teeth to stop himself from darting away in terror until they got to it.

The abattoir did not look quite how Azul expected it to. Rather than a dark, dilapidated building, it was a large cave with an entrance marked by the gaping maw of a whale skull. Lanterns lit the area up brightly, making it look just a little less daunting.

Mers darted about the place, lugging in fresh kills, nets of crustaceans and molluscs, and large containers.

A few of them waved at Finn as he passed by and gave Azul a curious look, but other than that, they didn't pay their presence much mind.

Finn and Azul carried on for another half hour or so until finally, they came to a circular clearing, and the small stone path led towards a garden of coral, seagrass, and seasponge.

Nestled amongst the garden was what one could supposedly call a "house." Really, it was a large rock that had been carved into, its walls etched with little patterns that Azul was sure Finn was responsible for.

Finn swam forwards to unlock the purple coral door, then let Azul inside.

"Papa, we're here!" Finn called as they swam in. Well, Finn swam in. Azul squeezed himself in through the door, coiling his tentacles close so he didn't knock anything over. He was skinny, but the Clearcove home was undoubtedly cookie cutter shark sized.

The first thing he noticed was the smell of food. It didn't have quite as strong an aroma as food on land, but he could definitely smell it. The next thing he noticed was the cosy little lounge slash dining room he found himself in.

Pictures and paintings that were probably made by Finn when he was a child were hung up on the walls, and large clumps of sea sponge, coral, and bone formed couches and chairs.

Azul didn't have much time to take it in, as Silas then swam into the room and dusted his hands, crossing his arms, and Azul went still.

"Hello, Finn." He said. His voice was as soft as Finn's, but deeper and more gravelly. He nodded at Azul. "Ashengrotto."

"H...Hello, sir." Azul greeted, his voice coming out far more wobbly than he wanted it to.

Silas... didn't look quite how Azul remembered. From his child perspective, Silas was large, larger than life, even. Now, though, as a teenager, Azul could see Silas was not much larger than Finn. Azul himself was several times bigger than both of them.

When Azul was trying to research Silas, his mind filled in the blanks and created an image of an older looking Finn. Now, though, he could see how different they were.

Finn was chubby. Soft, pudgy, and round. His skin was absent of any marks aside from the scars on his shoulder, the freckles on his face, and the stretch marks on his stomach. His hair and body were a lively forest green that blended perfectly with his surroundings.

Silas, on the other hand, was very thin. His skin stretched just a little too taught in some places. His body was littered with scars of various degrees of severity. On his face, his abdomen, his tail, his arms, his neck... even his gills. The long, jagged scar that sliced across the gills on his neck made Azul's own gills itch.

His fins were riddled with holes and tears that hadn't healed properly. It looked painful, and it made Azul wince when he looked at them.

He was purple in hue, and his face, aged and weathered, housed the only thing he had in common with Finn appearance-wise. A pair of bright amthyst eyes that shone like gems in the light of the lanterns.

It was then that Azul knew he was looking at someone who had seen and done things he could not even begin to comprehend. Someone very dangerous and very powerful.

Azul's gaze eventually drifted to the necklaces that hung around Silas' neck. The teeth that were strung up on them were quite obviously orca teeth. Each necklace had a volute shell and a skeletal murex shell, respectively.

Courting gifts. One belonged to Silas, the other, his late husband.

Silas' necklaces were difficult to make. There was a risk involved, a certain amount of power and skill required to get the materials. Orca teeth were not small trophies.

Azul felt like Silas' gaze had frozen him in place with magic. Those eyes, so deep and knowing, made goosebumps ripple across his skin, and his heart jump into his throat.

His unique magic had a benefit that few knew about. It allowed him to sense others' magic and said magic's essence or power, and dear Seven could he sense Silas'.

It was dark and twisted, rolling off of Silas in waves of power that made something primal in Azul's mind begin to panic.

It was ancient. Pulsing. It bubbled just below the surface and promised a taste of the horrors found leagues down below.

Abyssal magic.

Silas' magic was far stronger than Azul's, far stronger than Finn's, far stronger than some of the professors at Night Raven, and it filled Azul's heart with a mix of awe and terror.

The familiar urge to take it for himself was strong, tugging at the back of his head. But he knew better. By the Sea Witch, did he know better.

Finn once told Azul that Silas never had any proper magical training of any kind. In fact, Finn was the first person on Silas' side of the family to attend school at all.

The fact that Silas still held this much power despite that... it was incredible and terrifying all at once.

The fear that filled Azul turned his veins to ice. The overwhelming knowledge that he did not have the advantage, that he did not have the most powerful magic, and that he was neither the smartest nor the strongest in the room made him feel like a guppy in the jaws of a great white.

"Azul, you look pale." Said Finn, though he was clearly more amused than worried, the bastard. "Are you alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine." Azul said quickly. "Just tired from the trip here."

Silas hadn't said a word at all. He simply stared at Azul, and Azul stared back.

Then Silas hummed, a deep rumbling sound, and swam back into the kitchen. Azul let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and shot a glance at Finn.

Finn smiled. "Don't mind Papa." He said. "He's not big on conversations. It might not be obvious, but he's happy to have you over. He's even letting you eat with us today."

Azul looked towards the kitchen, then back at Finn questioningly.

"That's not something he usually does." Finn clarified. "Sharing food that he hasn't sold, that is. He always says it's safest to be selfish when it comes to meals."

Azul nodded slowly. "I... I see." He murmured, overcome with the dreadful realisation that he could not skip out on whatever would be served without looking like an ungrateful brat with no manners.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Silas returned with a number of plates and platters in tow, piled high with all kinds of food.

Finn perked up, finns fluttering. "Oh, he used the vents. We're lucky today."

The... vents?

The platters were gently placed down with magic, as well as three empty plates. Azul stared at the vast amount of food, trying to see if there was anything small with few calories he could eat.

Seaweed wraps, crab rolls, whole crabs, shrimp, lobsters, mussels, clams, scallops, abalone, tuna, hake, even sushi, and so much more was available to choose from.

Azul's mouth opened and closed in surpise, and for the first time since greeting them, Silas spoke.

"I was not too sure what food you preferred. Finn told me you're quite strict with what you eat. I hope this is suitable."

Azul looked at Silas and once again felt frozen in place by that stare. Floyd wasn't kidding about him looking like he would snap your neck at any moment...

"I-" Azul had to swallow so he could try to speak clearly. "It is. Thank you, sir. You're very kind."

"Alright, then. Sit down. Choose what you want."

Azul obeyed, wondering how on earth the twins managed to make Silas sound like a stone faced introvert when he seemed more like a retired soldier or something.

Silas and Finn seated themselves opposite him. Finn, ever the food lover, happily began piling up his plate. Silas simply watched Azul, silent once again.

Azul avoided his gaze and selected some Sushi (where did Silas get rice from?) and a few oysters.

He paused when he got to the lobster, which he was not going to eat due to the hugh cholesterol by the way, and stared at it. It... it wasn't raw. It was cooked..?

"Hypothermic vents." Said Silas, noticing Azul's confused expression. "They work like an oven or a place to boil food if you use them correctly."

Azul's eyes widened in surpise. "Really? That's... That's incredible. I would never have thought to use thermal vents to cook food. How do you not burn anything?"

"I use magic to alter the heat." Silas explained quietly, his lips quirking up a bit. "It's something my grandfathers taught me."

"So I assume you alter the heat to different temperatures to allow for different methods and cook times?" Azul asked curiously.

Silas nodded.

"Incredible. Have you not thought of selling this? You would intrigue a lot of people with something as rare as cooked food. I-" Azul hesitated, realising Finn was raising his eyebrows at him. "I-If you want to, of course."

Silas gazed at Azul for a moment, and Azul began to panic internally, cursing at himself and his inability to shut up about business.

"You are your mother's son," Silas finally rumbled, sounding more amused than angry. "I'll tell you what I've told your mother. I have no interest in monetizing this."

Blood rushed to Azul's cheeks, and his fear and panic turned into embarrassment.

"Idiot." He snapped at himself. "You ruined a nice conversation."

Silas didn't say anything further, so Azul went back to picking at his sushi, taking little bites every now and then.

The urge to say something, anything, to fill the awful silence was overwhelming, but neither Silas nor Finn were particularly talkative, and Azul didn't want to be the irritating chatterbox of the group.

Finn was currently tearing through his meal, absolutely delighted at the special use of the vents. He cracked open a scallop and popped the meat into his mouth with a happy sigh.

Silas hadn't eaten a single thing. Apart from the occasional glance at Finn, his eyes were completely trained on Azul.

His gaze was intense. Terrifying. It was as if he were mentally taking Azul apart, looking for flaws, for weakness. Azul wondered if this was how his fellow classmates felt when he made deals with them.

"Finn's told me a lot about you." Silas said suddenly, and Azul gulped.

"He... He has?"

"Yes. He quite likes you-"

"Papa!" Finn squeaked, flustered. "You didn't need to say that part."

"-and I hear you're starting a restaurant of your own at school?"

"Ah- yes." Azul nearly choked out, relieved. Now, this was something to talk about. "Mostro Lounge. An establishment for gentlemen, neutral ground between the dorms of Night Raven College where you can wind down after a long day."

Silas hummed. "What a clever idea. My husband attended Night Raven when he was your age. I remember he once told me he wished he didn't have to go all the way to town to eat something that wasn't served at the cafeteria."

Azul puffed up at the compliment, glad to finally feel like he had some semblance of control. "Why yes, it is a pain, especially if you don't have time for such trips. The comfort and satisfaction of my fellow students is my primary goal, and I hope to achieve that with Mostro Lounge."

Silas' lips quirked upwards again. "How kind of you," He said, and Azul was pretty sure he didn't entirely mean it. He sounded too... knowing. "I hope you're successful."

Azul couldn't hold back the smirk that crossed onto his face. "Believe me, sir, I will be."

Silas nodded but didn't answer, and Azul went back to eating.

"Finn," Silas said after a while, turning his head to his son, who had been quietly listening to the conversation while digging into a small lobster. "Could you please tell Timo to move his hunt to the fourth quadrant for me?"

Finn looked a little confused, but he nodded anyway. "Sure." He said, then sent a small smile Azul's way. "I'll be back in a bit."

He disappeared out the door, and Azul was suddenly very aware that he was alone with Silas Clearcove watching him like he wanted to take a bite out of him.

Azul put his hands on his lap to hide the fact that they were shaking and stared back at Silas like a deer in headlights.

"You've built quite a reputation for yourself around here over the years, Azul." Silas said. "With those little deals of yours. Your magic is quite impressive, I must say."

There was a long pause, and Silas tapped his long black claws against the table.

"I was concerned at first when Finn started telling me about you." He said. "You're quite a greedy young man. But... I trust Finn's judgement. I'm not going to sit here and threaten you or tell you not to hurt Finn. I know you won't. However,"

Silas' eyes narrowed. "I'm well aware that you like... collecting magic, shall we say. Abyssal magic seems to have piqued your interest recently. Listen to me carefully. Finn is not to make contracts with you, and you are not to try to convince him to do so. You're a smart boy, Azul. I'm sure you understand."

The unspoken implication hung in the air, and Azul understood it all too well. He's heard the rumours, and while he wasn't sure how true they were, he'd rather not risk having his magic sucked dry.

'He's like a magic parasite.'

'He'll suck you dry until you're nothing but a husk'

'If he can't take your magic, then he'll take your soul.'

The voices of Azul's old classmates echoed in his mind.

"I understand, sir." He said, feeling a little sick.

Finn returned shortly after, informing Silas that Timo had moved his hunt.

"I hope you didn't scare you too much." He whispered as he swam past Azul.

Azul just laughed.

***

After Silas gave Azul that little warning, the old mer was much more relaxed, though most of the conversation was still carried by Azul and Finn.

The day seemed to fly by now that the fear that had swallowed Azul whole began to ebb, and soon it was late afternoon and time for Azul to leave. He needed to be home before sundown.

"I'll come visit you." Finn said softly before Azul could exit through the door."

Azul smiled a bit. "Thank you, I suppose." He murmured, feeling his cheeks burn once again.

"Thank you for having me over, Mister Clearcove." He said to Silas, bowing his head. "I greatly appreciate your hospitality."

Silas hummed in acknowledgement. "I'm always happy to Finn's friends over. Get home safe, now, Azul, and..." His voice suddenly dropped to a whisper. "Be careful with those contracts of yours, alright?"

Azul blinked, confused.

"Of course, sir."

-End

...........................................

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the fear of god being put in Azul! I had a lot fun writing this.

Tagging: @distant-velleity @br3adtoasty @rainesol @theleechyskrunkly

@jovieinramshackle @galaxies-and-gore @cyanide-latte @cynthinesia @officialdaydreamer00

@krenenbaker @kitwasnothere @elenauaurs @boopshoops @am0nline

@1dont-really-know @kazumify @minteasketches @ramshacklerumble @elysia-nsimp

@skrimpyskimpy @casp1an-sea @offorestsongs @the-banana-0verlord @skriblee-ksk

@poisoned-pearls @the-trinket-witch @tixdixl @ghostiidasponk

[noirapocalypto]

✧ ─── ᴄᴏᴠᴇɴ ⋆┊ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀʟᴇꜱ

Random lore bits on the various members of the Hale family 🖤

✦ Noah, the youngest of the Hale cousins, is a crystal witch and favors the use of rocks, minerals and various stones in his craft. His favorite outdoor activity is rockhunting--with the young warlock spending most of his time outdoors walking alongside rivers and the lake searching for stones. A true loner, even within his coven, Noah often wanders off to explore the family’s estate—returning with pockets full of pretty rocks and other interesting items for collecting.

✦ The matriarch of the coven, Grandma Hale, is still alive and still very spry. While she no longer participates in coven matters (choosing to pass on the role of leadership to her adult children), she appears every now and then when her presence and wisdom is needed. She is at least 200 year old, and has a feline familiar named Ichabod--whom is as old as she is. Grandma Hale and Ichabod spend most of their time tending to the gardens of the Hale estate and enjoying the outdoors together. Grandma is very cherished, loved and respected among her children and grandchildren.

✦ Darcy Hale is the scholar of the family, being a highly educated witch that works as a professor at the Academy of Magics. He enjoys constructing and deconstructing spells and rituals, even creating magic special only to him. While he doesn’t have a preference, Darcy is skilled enough to dabble in various forms of magic and picks up to new spells easily. Darcy is a patient and gentle teacher, and is considered one of the kinder Hales, though his intelligence sometimes makes him come off as arrogant and a know it all.

✦ The elders of the coven are the Moira Hale (mother of Silas, Avis and Noah), Anica Hale (mother of Beckett and Maeve), Casey Hale (father of Salem) and Colene Hale (mother of Darcy). All over 100 years old, each are very skilled and seasoned witches specializing in their own chosen school of magic. Moira is an expert on baneful magic, Anica is clairvoyant and pyromancer, Casey excels in herbalism and alchemy, and Colene is an energy worker and healer. The siblings are still very close to this day, maintaining their playful sibling dynamic well into their adulthood.

✦ Salem and Noah are the only two members of the coven who don't have a formal education in magic. Salem never attended the Academy by his own choosing, while Noah seemingly has dropped out taken a break from his studies to 'find himself'.

✦ The youngest member of the coven is five year old Leora Hale, daughter of Silas. She is the first of her generation, and is showing signs of being a prodigy. Taking to her magical abilities with ease, Leo is a quick learner and enjoys learning via play time. She is her father's pride and joy--with the hardened warlock turning into a total girl-dad when he's home.

✦ Like her mother, Maeve is also clairvoyant and an empath. She is sensitive to the emotions and auras of others, being able to feel them even when standing at a distance (depending how strong the aura is). At times, she can even sense spirits, like her brother Beck. Although, she can only sense them, not see them.

✦ Avis is as eccentric as the rest of her coven--she perceives things that none of the other members of her family can. A natural-born seer, Avis has prophetical abilities that come to her both in her dreams and in her waking life--with the latter resulting in Avis speaking in cryptic riddles, or at times, even becoming catatonic. At times, her visions can cause her distress or sleepless nights, but having her husband, Elliott, near often brings her soothing comfort. Both families joke that Elliott has become Avis' emotional support wolf-husband.

✦ Beckett, like his mother and sister, is also clairvoyant—his gift in particular is mediumship. He’s the only member of his family that can fully see spirits and the dead, even being able to be touched and grabbed by them. His connection to the other side is strong, making him a conduit for the dead—something that he initially struggled with during childhood. Whenever Beck senses a spirit nearby, he describes is as a physical feeling at first—a sinking in his stomach: “like you’re falling really fast but you’re still standing up”. He is the only Hale cousin that has met his late-grandfather, the patriarch of the coven—many, many years after his death.

[chekhovs-tantrum]

Found a nugget. Why is this nagging me?

"I wonder where you come from," he remarked. "Your mother had the same hair phenotype. Unusual...perhaps she was Third."

Gideon swallowed.

"Don't," she said. "Don't make cryptic comments about my - my mother. You don't know the first thing about her, or me, and it's just going to piss me off. When I'm pissed off, I walk out. Are we clear?"

"As crystal," said the necromancer of the Eighth. "But you misunderstand. This isn't an interrogation. I was more interested in the story of your mother than I was in you, when we questioned Glaurica. You were an accidental inclusion. Glaurica confused the erroneous with the useful. But ghosts always do."

"Ghosts?"

"Revenants, to be explicit," said Silas. "Those rare and determined spirits who search out the living before the pass, unbidden, by clinging to scraps of their former lives. I was surprised that a woman like Glaurica made the transition. She did not last long."

Uhh did we ever get an answer for why Silas is nosing around about Commander Wake? He knows enough about her to know she's interesting, but he doesn't know where she's from. Is it just him trying to get dirt on the Ninth, or is there something else here?

[justplainhappy-jph]

Trying two different versions of the same style for fanart.

I know most people are excited to see Imode and Harry interact but personally I'm more interested in their interactions with Tavvy (As Tavvy is a character Imode already has a strong preconception of, and who based on his characterisation in the epilogues might actually be smart enough to decode the more cryptic rebus puzzles they use when angry), Avril (As a character with similar life experiences but a different personality) and Silas (Who I'm really bad at drawing fanart of for some reason?)

[zeninsama-moved-again]

hi cupid silas ❤️ i’m throwing my hat in the ring for your vday event :3 i’ve decided to go with my least romantic self-ship for brain worm reasons, so without further ado i present to you medusa x otoya’s situationship valentine’s day:

truthfully i’m not expecting much despite him asking me to be his valentine in a flirtations half-joking sort of way that i fully did not take seriously, but he surprises me with a cryptic text telling me he’s picking me up in the evening and to wear something cute (hate him). we go to a barcade and hog street fighter and the shooter games all night 🙂‍↕️ and get sufficiently tipsy before walking to a nearby late night spot to sit and eat. on the way we come across somebody selling single roses on the street and he stops and buys me one despite my teasing that it’s corny as hell (i love it secretly). it’s so cute and so gross !!!!!!!

anyways yeah, very casual and totally not lowkey in love with each other in our own weird way.

thank you so much for putting on such a cute event !! no worries if your list is full and you can’t get around to me, if anything i am just happy to get some of these brain worms out. 🥰🫶🫶🫶 happy valentine’s day to you!!!

dusaaa i was hoping you would pick otoya ( • ᴗ - ) ✧ you're not sure if you're imagining the tension. eita is close enough to fluster you, fingertips barely brushing yours. close enough that you can imagine tasting the melon-flavored cocktail still on his lips. in that moment, you really want to. after all, it would be easy to close the gap – push up onto your toes just a little and kiss him. is it wrong that your chest flutters at the thought? eita's face stays the same, narrow eyes always so difficult to read. before you can make a decision, he steps back. let's go, i'm hungry.

valentine's event is closed!

[cakeawake]

Characters for Veins of Twilight

The Twins (Ceil and Cyris):

Opposites in every way, one is shy and kind(Ceil), the other loud and arrogant(Cyris). They share an uncanny bond that seems almost telepathic.

You only catch fleeting glimpses of them—a shadow slipping around a corner, the faint outline of two figures standing in a window high above the street. There’s something ethereal about them, something that makes them feel both otherworldly and uncomfortably real.

Curiosity gnaws at you, and you can’t resist asking around. But the townsfolk grow tight-lipped the moment the twins are mentioned. Their worried glances and hurried whispers make it clear: You’re better off not knowing. Yet, amid the half-answers and evasions, you manage to glean a few scraps of information.

The twins live in the grand mansion perched on the hill overlooking the town, a crumbling but imposing estate surrounded by iron gates and overgrown gardens. It’s a place the townspeople avoid, murmuring warnings about strange noises and unnatural lights that flicker in the windows late at night.

You’ve also heard they’re as different as night and day. One of the twins is painfully shy, a soft-spoken soul with a gentle kindness that almost makes you forget the unease surrounding their name. The other? Brazen and arrogant, with a voice that can silence a room and eyes that seem to see straight through you.

But there’s one thing they share in common, and that’s you.

At first, it’s subtle—an odd coincidence. You find yourself walking the same streets as the twins, their elusive presence never far from your periphery. You feel the weight of their gazes when you pass the mansion gates, though you never see them watching. Letters, unsigned and written in elegant but unsettling handwriting, begin appearing at your door. Each one tells you something new about yourself—things no one else could possibly know.

Soon, the town starts to feel smaller, the walls closing in around you as the twins’ influence grows more pronounced. People you once trusted now treat you differently, as if you’ve been marked. Whispers follow you wherever you go, and you begin to wonder if this connection to the twins is fate—or a curse.

The mansion on the hill beckons, and the twins await. Whatever they want from you, it’s clear they won’t stop until you find out.

The Librarian (Silas):

The librarian is an enigma wrapped in quiet authority. He always sits at the massive wooden desk in the center of the library, surrounded by an endless sea of books that seem to stretch into the shadows. Despite your frequent visits, you’ve never seen his eyes open. They remain shut, as though he doesn’t need them to see. Instead, there’s always that mischievous smile curling at the corners of his lips—a smile that makes you feel like he knows more about you than you do yourself.

The library is a haven of sorts, the only place in town where you feel you might find answers about the strange happenings you’ve encountered. But it’s also a trap, one you walk into willingly despite the librarian’s constant warnings.

“You’re digging too deep,” he tells you each time, his voice a melodic lilt that’s equal parts teasing and foreboding. “There are things better left buried, my dear.”

But he never stops you. If anything, he seems amused by your persistence. When you ask for specific books, he retrieves them with unnerving precision, always producing exactly what you need—or what he wants you to find.

You’ve tried asking him outright about the town’s secrets, but his answers are always cryptic, wrapped in riddles that leave you more frustrated than enlightened.

“What’s the point of a mystery if you’re given the solution?” he says with a chuckle, turning a page in a book he seems to read without looking at.

Yet, there’s a flicker of something beneath his playful demeanor—something calculating. You’ve come to realize that the librarian doesn’t share knowledge without a price. Sometimes, it’s a trivial request—a promise to organize a row of books or recite an old poem from memory. Other times, the cost feels far more personal.

“Tell me about the dreams you’ve been having lately,” he asked once, unprompted, his smile widening as though he already knew the answer.

When you hesitated, he simply shook his head and withdrew the book you needed, sliding it just out of reach.

“Knowledge is a trade, not a gift,” he reminded you, his tone lilting with mock disappointment.

Still, you can’t stay away. The library holds too many clues, too many pieces of the puzzle you’re trying to assemble. And the librarian? He’s the gatekeeper to it all, a shadowy figure whose true intentions remain as much a mystery as the town itself.

One thing is clear: he knows more than he lets on, and you can’t help but wonder what it would take to uncover the truth hidden behind that perpetual, knowing smile.

The Breakfast shop boy (Espen):

The breakfast shop boy is a beacon of normalcy in a town that seems anything but. He’s the kind of person whose cheerful demeanor instantly makes you feel like everything might actually be okay. With his ever-present smile and warm, easy-going attitude, he manages to turn even the most mundane interactions into moments of genuine comfort.

The small breakfast shop where he works is a cozy haven, filled with the smell of freshly baked pastries and brewing coffee. It’s one of the few places in town that feels untouched by the strange, oppressive air lingering elsewhere. The boy greets you by name every time you walk in, his voice bright and familiar, as if he’s known you forever.

You quickly grow fond of him, drawn to the way he listens so attentively, asking questions that make you feel seen and understood. But as the days go by, you begin to notice something strange. Every conversation you have with him somehow shifts the focus onto you. You find yourself sharing your thoughts, your past, your fears, and your hopes, all while realizing you know almost nothing about him.

When you try to ask about his life—where he’s from, why he’s in this odd town—he always deflects with a laugh or a vague comment. “Oh, my story’s not all that interesting,” he’ll say, brushing it off as if it doesn’t matter. And maybe it doesn’t. After all, his presence alone is enough to make you feel safe, like someone in this unsettling place has your back.

But sometimes, in the quiet moments, you can’t shake the feeling that his constant smile is just a little too perfect, that the way he steers conversations isn’t as innocent as it seems. After every encounter, you’re left with the uneasy realization that, for all the warmth he exudes, you still don’t know who he really is.

Still, he’s the one person in town you feel like you can trust—or, at least, you want to. Because in a place where everyone seems to have secrets, a kind smile might be the only thing keeping you from succumbing to the darkness.

The Clockmaker (Tiago):

They are always found in their dimly lit shop, surrounded by ticking clocks of every size and design. Their voice is soft, barely more than a whisper, and when they speak, it often seems as though their mind is somewhere far away, lost in a labyrinth of thoughts only they can navigate. Their words are poetic yet disjointed, as if they’re recounting fragments of dreams rather than engaging in conversation.

Their hands move with eerie precision as they work, adjusting delicate gears and winding springs. Despite their reserved demeanor, you can’t help but feel that the clockmaker knows more about you than they let on. Occasionally, they’ll murmur something cryptic—an odd comment about time running out, or the past being closer than it seems—that leaves you unsettled long after you leave the shop.

The clocks themselves are mesmerizing, each one seemingly unique, ticking in rhythms that sometimes align with your own heartbeat. There’s an uncanny sense that they aren’t just measuring time but manipulating it, bending it to the clockmaker’s will.

When you ask questions about the town or the strange occurrences you’ve experienced, the clockmaker rarely answers directly. Instead, they’ll say something vague, like, “Time has its way of revealing all truths,” or, “Some moments aren’t meant to be revisited, no matter how much they call to you.”

Despite their distant nature, there’s a profound sadness that lingers in their eyes—when they bother to look at you. It makes you wonder what moments in time they’re trying to hold on to, or what they’re desperately trying to forget.

You can’t help but feel that stepping into their shop is like entering a liminal space, caught somewhere between past, present, and future. And the longer you stay, the harder it is to tell if time is moving forward—or standing still.

The Alchemist (Koa):

The alchemist is by far one of your favorite people to talk to, though “talk” might be too generous a word for the games of wit and manipulation he prefers. His workshop, tucked away in a shadowy corner of the town, exudes an aura of mystery and chaos. Bottles of glowing liquids bubble on shelves, peculiar herbs dangle from the ceiling, and the faint smell of something metallic always lingers in the air.

With sharp, calculating eyes and a smirk that seems permanently etched on his face, the alchemist never answers your questions outright. Instead, he dangles answers like bait, always just out of reach. “I could tell you,” he says, leaning over a table strewn with bizarre instruments, “but what would be the fun in that?”

If you want his help, you’ll have to pay the price—and it’s rarely money he wants. Perhaps he’ll demand you drink one of his experimental potions, promising it will “only slightly” alter your perception of reality. Other times, he’ll turn the tables, treating you like one of his experiments, asking pointed, invasive questions that feel like he’s peeling back the layers of your mind. He pokes and prods at your fears, your motives, and your secrets, dissecting you with unnerving precision.

Yet, despite his games and the thinly veiled danger he carries, you find yourself drawn to him. There’s an air of confidence about the alchemist, a sense that he’s untouchable. He moves through the town with an almost arrogant ease, unbothered by its dangers. While others whisper warnings or flinch at the town’s shadows, he seems to revel in them, as if he’s stronger than the forces at play—or perhaps part of them.

Every so often, he drops cryptic hints about the town’s mysteries, as if he knows far more than he’s letting on. “The truth isn’t what you think,” he might say, swirling a glowing flask in his hand. “But then, it rarely is.”

And while his intentions remain unclear, one thing is certain: the alchemist is far more than he seems, and his help, while tantalizing, always comes with strings attached. The question is, how far are you willing to go to unravel the town’s secrets—and how much of yourself are you willing to let him see?

[harrowharks-iliac-crest]

26

Eighth skull, in two - this is a flashback chapter, so will we see the demise of the Eighth in this chapter?

...

“I don’t give a damn about White Glass mysteries or cryptics,” she said. “I care that you just pushed one of the Tridentarii to her death.” “Death?” said Silas.

He pushed Coronabeth over the side. It's a very long drop down. Coronabeth isn't much of a necromancer.

This is probably not a real memory, but I don't blame Harrow for jumping to this conclusion here.

“For God’s sake, raise your hands, Octakiseron,” she said. “Or make me strike down an unarmed man.” And Silas said, “Is this how it happens, then?”

As ever: No, it's not.

Silas Octakiseron had launched himself fearlessly into space after the tumbling body of Coronabeth Tridentarius. He fluttered in the wind and rain briefly, like a dirty white bird, and disappeared. [...] Harrow thought she perceived a tatter of something penetrate the cloud. Her heart pounded rhythmically in her ears, and she thought she saw, absurdly, a sudden gush of watery blood, as though the fog itself had been knifed; but it was gone almost as soon as she had seen it.

I mean, I know we can't really trust anything from these memories, but this is still ominous as fuck. Gideon's version, and the way people died, was already pretty scary.

This? Is worse.

[professionallydeadinside]

ON MY KNEES SOBBING SCREAMING POUNDING MY FISTS BLOODY ON THE GROUND PLEASE EMOJI ANON PLEASE LOOK MY WAY LET ME KNOW I AM HEARD PLEASE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I ADORE YOU LET ME TRY TO BREAK YOUR SOELL LET ME LEARN YOUR LANGUAGE

SILAS DONT SCARE OFF THE EMOJI ANON YOU SIMPLY MUST TAKE IN THEIR CRYPTIC MESSAGES AND INTERPRET THEM AS YOU SEE FIT WKSKXMCKCMCM

[superbdragoncollection-stuff]

I didn't get anything as cool as this, or as influential. However, I was writing a paper on the infamous Sand Creek Massacre of 1864, and I did find something fascinating; a missing piece of information.

In 1864, 400 Arapaho and Cheyenne non-combatants, who were registered as friendly by the military, were massacred by US Army cavalry in Colorado. The guy in charge, Colonel Chivington, lied on his reports claiming a ton of bullshit, and particularly calling out one Captain Silas Soule as a coward. The massacre wasn't just killing, it was pillaging of the highest and offensive order, they butchered these people and mutilated their bodies, murdering them and taking trophies.

However, the story does not end as one might expect.

Coaptain Soule was singled out because he REFUSED to participate in the massacre, objected repeatedly to it, to the point Chivington threatened his life and career. He called the others "cowardly sons of bitches", then REFUSED to let his men participate as well. He and another officer, Lieutenant Joseph Cramer, blew the whistle on the massacre and sent letters to senior officers. Reading their letters, their descriptions are horrifying. They're begging their officers to deal with Chivington. Soule in particular also wrote letters to his mother. This man was 25, he'd seen death before, but you can easily guess he was writing these letters with tears in his eyes. "I don't want to be an Indian fighter anymore," a paragraph ends cryptically before he changes the subject.

What reaction would you expect, knowing the "Indian Wars" of the 1800s? Well, whatever you were expecting, it probably wasn't the massive public outcry they got from the union and the rebellion(cuz this was during the war)! People were SICKENED by what happened, they were HORRIFIED. A group in New York that literally endorsed extermination of native peoples said this was over the line. I AM NOT KIDDING.

This event was so horrific CONGRESS got involved. They condemned Chivington for being a stain on the US military, they called his soldiers demons in the shape of men, and recommended he be hung. They APOLOGIZED in a treaty and even offered reparations! Which for that time period is like pulling teeth.

Despite threats to his life, Soule testified against his old CO and emphasized just how sickened he was. He was the Hugh Thompson of his day, and every anniversary of the massacre, the Arapaho and Cheyenne honor him and Cramer for their dedication to humanity.

Unfortunately, through a loophole, Chivington was not killed. He lived to an old age. Soule was murdered by men who once worked for Chivington in a western style shootout six months after the massacre. And a week after Lincoln was assassinated.

So, what does this have to do with OP?

Lincoln is why. When the cavalry came to attack the Sand Creek encampment, the Cheyenne people had flags to signal, you know, they were FRIENDLIES. Including a US flag. They waved them desperately and were cut down. Even native soldiers who had fought with the US cavalry, who they RECOGNIZED, were murdered.

The American flag, according to my notes, was a gift from Abraham Lincoln to the leader of this encampment, who's name I unfortunately can't recall.

I found a collection of Lincoln's notes and writings. There is ZERO mention of Sand Creek in any of them. Lincoln had notes on the infamous Fort Pillow Massacre, but not on this? Not a single solitary word?

Chivington shows up a surprising amount of times for a war record, despite being a colonel, mostly in "all unit" dispatches. Yet Lincoln doesn't have any comment on this at all, despite that flag? I searched as many newspapers as I could.

Despite the flag he gifted, either proxy or personally, there is no record of Lincoln's comments on Sand Creek.

Do you ever start bullshitting a paper, and then look over it halfway through and think, ’…Wait a minute, I could be onto something here.’

[thehollowwriter]

I'll probably write Azul meeting Silas sometime even if it loses, just bc of how much I love the idea. Especially because he's in the dark about Silas, u like the twins.

Okay lemme rant here

Like, the tweels already know Silas. Silas has (albeit very begrudgingly) come to their parents' various parties and (much less begrudgingly) given them presents for their birthdays. He's a key part of their parents' business, and you could almost describe him and their parents as odd friends.

With Azul, though, he's only seen the infamous Silas a couple of times. Once, as a small child, when Silas had to personally deliver his mother's meat shipment due to a staffing issue, and another few times when Silas was fetching Finn from school or appearing on those parents days.

Other than that, he only knows Silas through other people, his mother (who has much kinder words to say than other people), the twins (who just say cryptic creepy things to mess with him) and later on Finn, but that's much later on.

He's heard hundreds of different rumours, none of them pleasant, and while he's not so stupid as to believe them all, well, some rumours don't appear out of thin air. Not to mention, Silas is originally from the abyss, and the Coral Sea does not have many kind depictions of Abyss dwellers.

The vague memories he has of Silas are from a small child perspective hiding behind his mom while she talks to this looming, scarred, and terrifying shark.

And now Finn, his bf, just gives him a deadpan, expressionless stare and says. "My father wants to meet you."

Dear god how is he meant to react??? He's tried to hard to build this suave, confident persona and while he won't cry, he sure as hell is gonna be terrified.

Is he several times the size of Silas and can barely fit through their doorways in his merform? Yes. Is he still wracked with terror? Also yes

Tagging: @distant-velleity @theleechyskrunkly @jovieinramshackle @cyanide-latte @the-banana-0verlord for scrambled Azul thoughts