#al willing to kill for his brother

[confessedlyfannish]

DPxDC Prompt

Danny has always been able to manage his obsession with the help of his human half & also because a variety of urges were running through him when he died - curiosity (the desire to explore), service (the desire to be of use, to fix), and his overall innate nature, protectiveness (to protect this new, loving family he's found, to protect his little brother, no matter the cost)

-and underneath it all, buried deep down and an admittance he will never speak is his desire for power, because with power comes the ability to accomplish all of the above.

Still, he has seen what power does to people, to his Grandfather, and then what power had done to him, in a future where no human half had tempered his urges and his desire for power was doubled when he combined with the ghost of his godfather, obsession meeting obsession.

So he keeps himself on a tight leash except for the day he embraces Power and Ends Pariah, which is fine because the power from the suit is temporary and he still has no idea the dark future that awaits him, believes that he can temper himself. But he is something wild and dark and feral when he goes after Pariah, calling upon lessons from a past life and not hesitating to go for the kill in a way that makes Vlad, the only true witness, hesitant around him forevermore, a sliver of fear in his eyes that he cannot mask.

If he had known defeating Pariah would mean inheriting the crown, he never would've done it. Because with the power of the Crown and the Ring comes again his inability to fight his urges - not for more power, he has plenty, but to protect.

For Clockwork, for the Ancients, a King that will Protect his Realm is the ideal. But the ramifications for Danny are clear to his family the moment he wrenches Ellie from the Earth and into a room in The Keep for a week until her cheeks are flush with ectoplasm but also tears and Jazz and Maddie have successfully talked him through how safety must also mean happiness. To this day they do not know if it was their words that eventually penetrated his mind or his power settling. But he still struggles to allow them their freedom, and it is apparent to all who love him.

And so they figure out ways to manage. Systems. None of his Beloved, his Fraid will ever willingly step into danger. They will give him consistent updates, they will provide tech that manages their vitals. They will visit and allow him trespass in turn. They will sleep in his bed (less necessary, but said with a wink and an errant hand that shows they are willing to make the sacrifice).

And deep within the Zone, on one of his routine checks with nary a soul in a sight, Danny allows himself to curl into a ball and cry. Wail. Because he knows he can never go in search of his brother, nor his father, the Batman. The one reunion he craved, because with power came the ability to protect, even from one as horrible as Ra's Al Ghul, is the same reason he must deny himself. Because Damian Wayne and Bruce Wayne will always put themselves in danger. And if he comes to them, he will never let them go.

[devildom-moss]

Headcanons with the 7 demons on NNN, in nut november :D, do they participate? What do they do for NNN?

Thanks for the request anon! I felt like I had to do this one since we're at the beginning of November. I hope this is to your liking. I did make it so that part of the temptation of NNN was MC, hopefully you don't mind. Woo. First request complete:

The demon brothers participating in No Nut November headcanons

(NSFW)

Word Count: +2,900

Lucifer

Failure: Likely (+65%)

Ranking: middle of the pack failure if he doesn’t commit to success

Lucifer would participate in it to stroke his own pride, but he’d rather not be asked about it or have to admit that he’s participating.

He’s conflicted over participating in a stupid trend and showcasing his ability to exert self-control.

Ultimately, he’ll quietly participate for an ego boost. If he hears about others – especially Diavolo or Solomon – participating, he’ll be more vocal about joining in. I could see The Fantastic Three group chat (Lucifer, Diavolo, and Barbatos) bringing it up and Diavolo roping the other two to join him because “It’s such an interesting human tradition.”

If Lucifer hears that Solomon plans to participate, he’s definitely going to do it because he can’t be bested by some human.

If MC tempts him, though, he’s screwed. Depending on how far MC wants to push him and if he’s announced his participation, he might wait it out and tease them back all month long – constantly denying MC any sex until December hits. This will require him to basically throw himself into his work. He’ll even abstain from drinking most of the month because he gets so needy when he’s drunk, and he’s not willing to risk it.

If MC isn’t around, as long as they aren’t constantly sending him flirty texts, nudes, videos, or audios, he’d probably be fine. (Although Diavolo might also tease him just a little – a bit of “Oh Lucifer, you look so tense. Can I help?” with his hand on Lucifer’s thigh under the table.)

Or, more likely in my opinion, Lucifer’s going to give in and let MC have their way with him. When MC is concerned, this man is horny on main. He’d probably end up calling MC a “naughty human” for tempting him.

He’ll act like he’s annoyed that MC made him give in, telling them “You have this coming” (which he would also tell them if he decided to tease them all month instead), but honestly, he’s just overjoyed that they couldn’t resist him for a whole month.

If he fails and he’s asked about it, he’ll either skip around the question or he’ll blame his loss on “a certain little human who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.” (If he has to lose, he’s at least going to make everyone jealous in the process.)

He would probably participate with some regularity. He thinks of it as an intriguing ritual.

Mammon

Failure: Imminent (100%)

Ranking: Beginning of the pack (anywhere from 1st to 3rd to fail)

Mammon likes to brag that “the Great Mammon could totally go a whole month. It’s not like it’s gamblin’ or nothin’.” In his mind, he’s got this in the bag.

In fact, he does not.

Mammon could easily get through about half the month if he tried – assuming MC leaves him alone and isn’t constantly flirting with him. If MC tries to tease him, though, he’s got anywhere between 1 hour to three days of restraint in him. That part depends on how easy it is for him to run away and hide from MC.

He’s the type to try the cold shower cliché. He will also hide out in Levi’s room and game with him a lot – few things kill a mood like being around his otaku little brother.

Unfortunately, his spending habits can get worse when he’s trying to distract himself, so he’ll probably end up strung from the ceiling at some point.

However, if MC keeps tempting him, he’ll convince himself that it’s fine to fool around a little. Then, the greed will take over. Once he has MC in his grasp, he won’t be able to hold back – not after all that teasing they put him through. He’ll crave more. More pleasure. More of their touch. “After all tha shit ya pulled? I’mma need a lot more outta ya.”

There is no regret for failing on his part, and if anyone asks, his comeback is, “At least I’m gettin’ laid.”

If MC teases him but they’re too far away (across the Devildom or in the human world), he can hold out a bit longer, but after a week of teasing, he’ll take matters into his own hands (literally). Since MC was nice enough to get him all riled up, he’ll send them a video of him touching himself. He’ll even add a cute little message: “ya made me tap out early. Take responsibility next time I see ya, yeah?”

He will lie about having done that if anyone asks, though.

Mammon would probably participate in it again, but maybe not every year.

Leviathan

Failure: Imminent (100%)

Ranking: Beginning of the pack (1st or 2nd)

He gets so flustered if anyone so much as asks him about it. He’ll be all ums and uhs and blushing cheeks. (I just imagine Asmo asking him: “Hey, Levi, you want to participate in No Nut November, too? You don’t get much action, so it’ll probably be easy for you, right?” “I-I uhm. Uh. Wh-why would I um. . .” “Great. You’ll join, then?”)

He doesn’t have anything to prove, but he’ll go along with participating – mostly because he doesn’t want anyone making fun of him for not even trying. (Unless it’s MC or Diavolo, who can ridicule him as much as they’d like.)

Levi will play action video games to distract from the urges. Honestly, if he so much as sees MC or a picture of them, he won’t even last a day without the urge to touch himself.

He can’t watch any anime with fanservice in it or play more risqué otome games. He’ll still log in and get his daily bonuses and do whatever else he really has to do, but that’s it. His imagination wanders too much, and he won’t be able to resist thinking perverted thoughts.

The more he tries to resist, the worse it gets for him. I imagine he’s usually quick to just masturbate when he gets urges, so he doesn’t have much experience holding back. Levi will try to curl up in his tub and just sleep it off.

Unfortunately, Levi will get so desperate that in a half-asleep state, he’ll slip into his demon form and start to rub himself with his own tail. Once he realizes he’s already started to touch himself, he figures that counts as an accidental loss, so he might as well keep going. Levi will end up fucking himself with his own tail in a needy, sleepy attempt to relieve himself. Even worse for Levi, only a few days of November had passed. (I could also see him losing as early as day 2)

If MC tries to touch him, he won’t resist – although he would be incredibly pleased to have MC tease and edge him for a while. In that case, he would probably last a bit longer (up to a week) because he wants to be the perfect babygirl for MC. But inevitably, he’d either touch himself while half-asleep (and lose), or MC would touch him a bit too much and he’d cum prematurely (and lose).

He’ll probably participate once and then never try again. He's just bad at holding back and edging, but any attempt to do so would turn him into such an adorable, submissive, moaning mess that I think it’s perfectly fine.

Satan

Failure: Unlikely (<20%)

Ranking: End of the pack (probably 2nd to last)

Satan thinks the idea of holding back and resisting is fun, but he also feels like he’s proving himself – especially if it becomes a thing that everyone sort of commits to trying. (I can imagine Satan and Solomon competing and whoever caves first pays for MC and the winner to go on a cat café date).

He’s come a long way with controlling his anger, so controlling lust isn’t that much of a big deal. It makes him feel sort of proud. However, it is annoying to lose one of his stress-relief outlets.

This man would probably test himself by pulling out the good (albeit a little deranged, unhinged) erotica and reading it all month. Satan would probably read some of it aloud for MC, too. He likes being able to tease them and get them riled up, but he pulls back before either he or MC are ready to get too hot.

He would kiss MC on the cheek more often throughout the month in place of kissing their lips. He can handle a few chaste kisses on the lips, but Satan spends a while testing the waters to see how much physical intimacy he can tolerate. In the first half of the month, Satan doesn’t trust himself to make out with MC without wanting more. By the end of the month, he can probably get into some heavy petting without worry.

He commits to finishing – or, well, not “finishing” – that month, so very little is going to get him to quit. Even if MC is desperate and can’t hold out or doesn’t participate themselves, Satan will just offer to give them head until they feel better. He’ll use toys on them or something, but he really wants to stick with it on his end.

If MC really wants him that badly (especially if they get so needy that they cry or threaten to ask someone else to take care of them), he’ll cave so quickly.

If he does succeed, he’ll plan a romantic date with MC sometime in early December (or plan a video/audio call). He’ll be slow and sweet about it, indulging in every touch before devolving into need and desperation. MC will have to clear their schedule for the following morning. After all, Satan has a lot of time to make up for.

Satan will participate every once in a while, especially if Solomon does it, too. It’s sort of like prolonged foreplay to him (and I feel like this man adores foreplay).

Asmodeus

Failure: Unlikely (<15%)

Ranking: End of the pack (probably 3rd to last)

Asmo participates in it – in a way. Honestly, he just uses it as an excuse to do a month-long edging session. He gets a kick out of seeing how close he can get without cumming. So, he’s not a “no nut” purist or anything – what can you expect from the avatar of lust?

Asmo will try dozens of different forms of stimulation throughout the month – on his own, with MC, and potentially with others if MC is open to it *coughcoughSolomonThirteen*. I won’t get too into all of it, but pillow humping, hidden vibrators in public, and nipple play are definitely involved multiple times.

He loves experimenting and enjoying the pleasure regardless of whether he cums. If MC is participating, Asmo will have even more fun. He’ll flirt and tease them all month. The number of nudes, videos, and audios he would send to MC is excessive. (He would send the most delicious audios. Mm.) If MC doesn’t participate, he’s still up to fool around.

Unfortunately, he is a bit more distracted throughout the month. At some points – sometimes days at a time – he’ll be walking around in a cloud of lust.

Like Satan, Asmo will offer head and use toys on MC, but he’ll go a few steps further. MC can use him however they please, so long as they stop before he’s pushed over the edge (but he does have a risk of failure here). If they want to just put him in a chastity belt or use a numbing cream on him, that works too.

Asmo will likely succeed in not cumming for the whole month. He’ll invite MC over for a little fun the night of November 30th, edging all the way up to midnight before he finally gets to cum after the clock strikes 12. I could see him having MC do a countdown for him like it’s New Year’s Eve (except instead of a ball dropping, two of them release. And instead of fireworks and confetti, there are moans and cum everywhere. Sorry.)

Side note: How adorable would it be to lie to Asmo that night and start the countdown early so he cums a few minutes or seconds before midnight? Then you could tease him and tell him he loses. He’d pout so much, maybe playfully slap his hand on your chest or shoulder, and then just kiss you and tell you to do it again. After all, you owed him his first orgasm in December. You better follow through.)

Asmo would probably participate almost every year – if not every year. He enjoys it.

Beelzebub

Failure: Unlikely (<25%)

Ranking: End of the pack (Probably last if he succeeds)

Beel does pretty well, even without edging. Honestly, edging probably won’t come to mind unless MC brings it up with him. If he does try it, he finds it quite pleasant, although not that useful for quenching his desires.

Although Beel doesn’t show signs of being particularly needy or desperate, he does exercise and eat more than usual to distract himself when he feels a bit hot and bothered. Beel will especially crave sweet or spicy foods to numb his desires.

As long as MC doesn’t try to tempt him too much (and by too much I mean as far as grinding on him for a half hour or dropping to their knees and begging to suck him off or rubbing him through his pants for longer than a few minutes), he’ll be perfectly fine.

If it’s clear that MC wants sex, he’ll do what Satan and Asmo would and just give them oral, use his hands, or use toys on them – but he would prefer oral. He’s happy to please MC for as long as they’d like (although MC is definitely at risk of being overstimulated because if Beel is trying to hold himself back, he’s at least going to indulge in pleasing MC). If MC is participating, and they just want Beel to edge them, they’re out of luck. He probably will not stop in time. And if he does, he’ll pout and look up at MC with such sad eyes, I don’t know how they would be able to deny him. Who could put no nut November over Beel? What kind of monster would do that?

The only way he’s failing is if MC does some kind of foodplay-esque teasing (the classical ice pop sucking, licking something sticky off of Beel’s fingers, etc.). Even then, he might be able to hold back and stick to just focusing on MC’s pleasure.

However, if MC doesn’t want him to hold back anymore, he’ll stop participating. Beel’s not that committed to succeeding (unless he makes a bet that involves food). It’s not a big deal as long as you’re both happy.

If he succeeds, he won’t have any plans to orgasm in December, so he might get through most or all of December without it, too. At that point, it’ll be a bit of a habit to not touch himself or MC, so he might just forget. Once he does finally get off, he’ll unravel a bit and crave more (hopefully it wasn’t intended to be a quicky, because he’ll turn it into an all-nighter).

Beel probably won’t participate often (unless one of his sports teams makes it a tradition or something). It doesn’t do much for him, although he does enjoy watching MC get needy and a bit desperate for him when he participates and denies them a bit. (He just wants MC to want him and use him whenever they please.)

Belphegor

Failure: Imminent (100%)

Ranking: Beginning of the pack (anywhere from 1st to 3rd to fail)

It doesn’t count if you cum in your sleep, right? If Belphie tries to participate, which he’d only do if someone else dared him to (peer pressure), the attempt to restrain himself would result in intense wet dreams. A few nights into November, Belphie would find himself grinding against his pillows or MC in his sleep. He’s a lucid dreamer, so he would lean into the most depraved thoughts.

Unfortunately, he hates dealing with the mess that comes (cums) from his little loophole.

Belphegor would probably try to nap whenever he gets the urge to touch himself or MC.

Honestly, he’s willing to give up at the drop of a hat. He doesn’t care. He’s put minimal effort into this. He’s a tired demon, and there’s no reason he should deprive himself of a waking pleasure for a dumb trend.

If MC starts purposely teasing him, Belphie will just quit and ask MC to take care of the tightness in his pants that they caused.

Even under normal circumstances, Belphie isn’t the biggest fan of being edged. He’ll be super whiny about it – especially if he held out for a week or so. (“I need it now. Touch me, please. . . Ah! You feel so good. I missed this so bad, MC.”) Once he gives up and finally gets to have sex with MC, he’s a squirming, desperate little mess.

“I held out for so long. You should praise me more. I’ve been so needy.” He’d whine, rocking his hips to meet MC’s and letting out soft, little whimpers. If they try to tell him that he failed to make it the whole month and doesn’t deserve praise for so little effort, he’ll just pout, still humping against them sleepily, and retort, “but I tried.” (He will say this even if he only made it three or four days.)

He did try. MC should be proud of him and just keep fucking him until he’s a sleepy, content puddle beneath them. He’ll make it up to them by being an adorable body pillow/cuddle buddy.

He’ll try it once and never again. He’s going to get his dopamine (and other happy chemicals) in whatever form they come (cum) in.

A/N: Don't forget that the poll for November's fic ends at the end of November 7th PST and requests end at the end of November 5th PST

[rayshippouuchiha]

Everyone thinking Ed has Scary Dog Privilege bc he’s the Arcobaleno Sky only to realize that the Arcobaleno have Scary Dog Privilege bc Ed is their Sky

The first time someone threatens any of the Arco in his presence, Ed loses his shit

What happened that day became mafia legend

Post the gang's move to Italy everyone outside of Tsuna/Ed/Al's group underestimates Ed when they first meet him because his Sky Flames don't really register properly to them.

Sure they assume he has to be strong, he's the Arcobaleno's chosen Sky after all.

But he's also young and pretty, and a former civilian who is the brother of the Vongola Decimo. So maybe that's really all the explanation needed.

So it's inevitable really that someone is going to fuck up one day.

Maybe it's the Triads, displeased with Fon finally cutting ties, no longer willing to be their "neutral enforcer" now that he has a Sky of his own to tend to.

Maybe, in their arrogance, they open their mouths and order Fon's return in front of Ed.

Later, in the smoking remnants of the meeting hall, the Triad representative are charred and burnt but alive only because Ed has never been one to kill unless there's no other choice.

"H-How?" one gasps when Fon comes to a strolling stop beside where they're splayed out on the destroyed ground. "His F-Flames barely ,,,"

"Tell me," Fon says softly, a Storm swirling in his eyes, "when you step outside your compounds, do you feel the sky above you? You cannot measure something so far beyond your grasp."

[nmakii]

Omg ! I didn't think you'd actually respond !! We're gonna fly away from here is easily one of the best ones in the series!! It's so Twisted and disturbing but almost domestic... (Also tysm for including my name idea in your story, Idk where it came from, I just liked it and I appreciate you!) I digress. I've returned with a concept. Al almost always has a plan when he does something. I don't know where you want to go with the second child but this won't be too focused on that one...for now. I really liked how you interpreted Alastor being a weasel and weaseling his way back into the families life and was thinking about how many I wonder about if he has a plan right now, like not a long term one, obviously, but a very specific one for a 'short term'. Women back then, especially in the south weren't allowed to have bank accounts so finicial trapping works well in this case. Also just kinda the ability to turn their kids against her would be enough to terify me. People talk about the 1950's housewife, but oh my god, 1920's housewives were a new kind of depressed. I, personally, don't think Alastor is the type of physically abuse women. No, he's far too classy for that. Instead, like I said, I think he'd either use his status in their house to trap his wife. We were able to run away while we were pregnant and alone, but we have a child now...and would we be willing to leave our child with him? No, I don't think I would, personally. This was just me rambling. K, love u, currently hyperfixated on this au. Byeee !!!! _ Cherry Anon!

DON’T REALLY WANT NO TRUST FUND BABY

[before reading this, read the rest of the story!]

— seems as if alastor found out your little secret

— UR TOO SWEET I SC THIS ON MY IG STORY AND YAPPED TO MY BOY BSF FOR AN HOUR AB IT IM BLUSHING SO HARDDDD!! ABUSE WAS LIT MY LAST SOCIAL STUDIES LESSON FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR MY TCH YAPPED AB FINANCE SO HARD 🤭🤭

being married to alastor, the radio show host is quite the sensation in your town. but, behind the closed curtains, alastor did things that would’ve made lucifer shake in his boots.

no, he didn’t hit you. his mother would kill him if he hit his wife. but, just because alastor never hit you, didn’t mean he didn’t abuse you.

he tormented you in the worst way possible, through noah. and now, emilia.

it’s been 3 years. your little emilia lives up to her name, a cute little girl who’s eager to win. and, little noah is now a big boy, double digits and all.

and, since you’ve returned back to his house, alastor has done nothing but twist your babies’ minds. ‘once upon a time, mama wanted to run away from daddy… so, she ran away and took big brother with her. daddy was sooo worried for mama and big brother though… daddy was able to track mama down, and took her home!’ he cooed to your daughter, bouncing her in his arms— with you right beside him!

you wanted to yell; scream. of course, emilia was too young to understand what alastor was saying. but, still— the fact that he was trying to tell your children that he was some sort of white knight who saved you from yourself. you wanted nothing less, but to snap that neck of his like a twig.

you really shouldn’t act so brashly though. to outsmart alastor, you have to think like him. think of what’s smarter in long run.

alastor was ‘kind’ enough to give you an allowance. $200 every week for groceries and whatever you may need. he’s even so kind as to let you have some ‘private bonding’ with noah and emilia as they accompany you to the farmer’s market.

thankfully, you had a father who wanted to make his little girl survived even without a husband. and so, you had to hear all of his ramblings about finance. saving about 45% each week for 3 years… was about $14,000!

if you saved just a little more, you’d be semi-financially independent until you can get a proper job to take care of your children. it was run-away money, so to speak.

you hid the money in noah’s room. after all, who would expect money there? especially $14,000? and, it worked, for a while. every monday, while you tucked him into bed, you brought the money with you and hid it behind his dresser.

until, what had seemed like a normal tuesday. you came home from the tailor’s, getting back a dress that noah accidentally tore. when you came home, it was only two hours after noon. and despite that, alastor was home.

“a-alastor..! what are you doing home so early? you have a broadcast in 2 hours…” you narrowed your eyes at alastor, on the floor with your children, many new toys surrounding them. “ah, darling! i decided to pick up our children early, and we may have splurged on our little shopping spree…” he smugly grinned. “oh..? where’d you get the money?” you raised your eyebrow, closing the door and laying your bearings on the dining table.

“funniest story ever, my love! there was a random stash of money in noah’s room! seems as if the tooth fairy came early!” he laughed. random stash of money in noah’s room..? “oh. i see.” your breath stopped for a minute, thinking of what kind of consequences could come from it.

“do you have any idea how that money landed there?” he side-eyed you, expecting a lie. “perhaps it was from the old owners? you know this house, there’s so many secrets in here.” you said. “i see… i suppose you are right, darling!” he giggled.

you were back on square one. financially dependent on your husband, if you could even call him ‘husband’. as you climbed up the stairs, you heard alastor whisper to your son. “you see that? momma lied. she got less talkative when papa asked her a question.”

this is what alastor’s been teaching your son. as much as you want to protest, you did lie.

oh, how much you wished for much more simpler times. playing with your baby boy in the kitchen as you make little treats together for his snack at school. and now, the boy alastor’s turning him into— a cunning sociopath, the lord only knows what he will teach your daughter.

this is just a minor setback, it has to be.

[matan4il]

Update post:

Today marks 123 days since Hamas launched the war in Gaza with its massacre of Israeli civilians.

There were two terrorist attacks today in Israel, both stopped before anyone was injured. The first entails Palestinians from the West Bank shooting at a home in kibbutz Meirav in the Gilboa mountains (where the Israelite king Shaul and his sons died 3,000 years ago), the house was damaged, but no person was hurt. This kibbutz was attacked several times along 2023. The second was in the city of Shchem (you might know it as Nablus, the Arab mispronunciation of the Greek word 'Neapolis,' because Arabic doesn't have the sound 'p'), I'm attaching the pic of the gun and knife which were found on the terrorist after he was neutralized. I found reports about them on two Israeli websites (Ha'aretz and Now14), but both are in Hebrew. The latter also mentions a rock throwing terror attack earlier today, against the car of a woman named Rachel Yaniv. Her brothers, Halel and Yagel Yaniv, were murdered by Palestinian terrorists almost a year ago.

We got the info today on an Iranian attempt on the lives of Jewish leaders in Stockholm, that was stopped in 2021. These terrorists, believed to be linked to the IRGC, infiltrated Sweden under the guise of Afghan refugees, and were deported (rather than put on trial) in 2022. This is a small reminder that the Islamist axis led by Iran, and which includes the terrorist organizations it funds (including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis), as well as countries that chose to align themselves with Iran against the west, such as Qatar, is not anti-Zionist, it IS antisemitic.

In an Israeli TV interview conducted in Arabic, an Israeli journalist asked the right hand man of Palestinian Authority's president Mahmoud Abbas, whether he's willing to denounce the Oct 7 massacre. He didn't. Instead, he insisted that the occupation is the source of all this violence (even though terrorist attacks against Jews in Israel by Arabs predate both the war in 1967, which used to be defined as the start of "the occupation," and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948), and that as long as the occupation continues, so will such acts [as the Oct 7 massacre].

As part of the campaign against the antisemitism and bias at the BBC, an employee who called the Jews Nazis, and denied the Holocaust, has finally been fired.

Israel's most popular sketch comedy show decided to tackle UNRWA with this funny short vid:

In the segment where the UNRWA teacher shows how he teaches biology, history and English using Hitler's Mein Kampf, on the left side of the wall behind the "teacher" you can see the lyrics of a song titled Fedayeen (a term used for Egypt-funded Palestinian terrorists who attacked Israelis in the 1950's), and the pics of two Hamas leaders who are heading the war in Gaza now, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif ('deif' is a nickname, his real name is Mohammed al-Masri, a last name that literally means "the Egyptian," so guess where his family is originally from).

Jewish singer Montana Tucker proved she's the bravest artist from among countless performers who attended the biggest American entertainment award shows recently, as she wore an enlarged version of the yellow ribbon to bring the Israeli hostages back home to the Grammys. She didn't just speak up for her people, she made sure everyone would hear her. She's been regularly speaking up for Israelis and Jews since Oct 7.

The ceremony also included a nice gesture to the over 400 people in Israel who were either murdered at or kidnapped from the Nova music festival on Oct 7. Taylor Swift broke yet another music industry record, so this is a good time to remind everyone that there are several Hamas leaders who are each individually richer than her. It pays more to kill Jews, than to be one of the most successful musicians ever (her net worth is estimated at about 1 billion dollars).

This is 19 years old Idan Alexander.

His mom Yael recounted how cool he was in every given situation, and how proud his family was of him, when he told them that he intends to leave New Jersey and make Alyiah. Moving to Israel of course meant he'd have to serve in the army, too. On Oct 7, Yael got to talk to him, and hear that he has seen some horrible things already. She knew something was off, because unlike his usual behavior, he sounded stressed. Idan was kidnapped by Hamas, and it took 6 days before the family even learned whether he's alive or dead. He's been in captivity for 4 months now.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[darkwitchoferie]

Rosary

As he watched, he noticed that the chain was moving through his fingers like he was praying the rosary. Maybe he was, prayer certainly wouldn’t hurt in this situation. He considered praying himself, but Steve had given up on God the day an otherworldly creature came through the walls of the Byers house.

----

Eddie’s in the hospital after his heroics in the Upside Down. Steve and Wayne sit together, waiting for him to wake up.

Read on AO3 here.

Steve slouched in the uncomfortable hospital chair, glaring at the back of the nurse’s head who was checking Eddie’s vitals. How could the woman check a patient’s vitals when she was practically vibrating out of her own skin with how scared she was? He knew this nurse wasn’t the only one afraid of Eddie, because of his reputation and the cuffs attaching him to the bed, but she was the only one this obvious about it. Why bother sending her in here at all? Steve knew the kids, Robin, and Nancy were working on some sort of alibi or plan to keep Eddie from going to jail when he woke up, but until then, he was keeping an eye on the other man to make sure no one made off with him in the middle of the night.

Nancy’d asked him once, after he explained why he never left the hospital, who exactly he thought was going to kidnap an unconscious man. He wasn’t totally sure – either the cops, maybe the feds, or someone from the defunct government lab that Eleven had been raised in. Nancy had looked skeptical about the first two, after all there were no feds in town and the town cops couldn’t exactly hide a full grown man, but she admitted that the lab was a possibility. So she started making sure she and Robin came in once a day to relieve him so he could go home, shower, change, and eat some real food.

Steve continued to glare at the nurse as she marked Eddie’s chart, then turned on her heel to leave.

“That the nurse I saw leaving?” Wayne asked, pushing open the door with his hip and handing Steve one of the two coffees he carried.

“Mm-hm. Took his vitals.”

“She the one that shakes the whole time?”

“Mm. Like she’s afraid he’s gonna suddenly pop up and rip her heart out of her chest.”

Wayne snorted a laugh. Steve had been pretty damn proud of himself the first time he’d heard that laugh from Wayne. The older man hadn’t handled it well, seeing his nephew torn up and handcuffed to a bed – who would – but after a few days, he’d relaxed around Steve enough that the two of them started having small conversations about nothing consequential. The first snorted laugh had been over some passing comment about the Cardinals during the preseason baseball game they’d had on in the background. Steve had relaxed enough to smile himself. After that, their conversations became more frequent and with more substance to them.

Now, a month later, Steve felt like he’d known Wayne and Eddie his whole life. He learned a bit about the big things in Eddie’s childhood, the things Wayne was willing to share about Allen and Betty, his brother and deceased sister-in-law. Things like what Al Munson had been arrested for after his wife’s accidental suicide. A little about Betty’s drug addiction and how it terrified Wayne when Eddie started dealing. But he also got to hear stories about Wayne teaching Eddie to play guitar in the week after Betty’s funeral, or what it was like for Wayne and then Eddie growing up in a tiny town in Perry county, Kentucky. Introducing Eddie to first Woodie Guthrie and how that had somehow led the boy to heavy metal. How Wayne had left Kentucky after his own wife was killed in a car accident shortly after Betty’s death and how he felt guilty for abandoning Eddie when he knew what kind of a father Al was. And how relieved he was when Eddie joined him in Hawkins after Al’s arrest when he could have ended up with one of Wayne and Al’s sisters.

He heard about other, less heavy, topics too. Like Eddie falling out of a tree when he was eight and breaking his arm; about Eddie’s love for animals and how that translated to not going hunting which was considered incredibly weird for that part of the country, but also how that meant that the raccoons and stray cats of the trailer park gathered around the old Munson trailer because Eddie fed them all; how Eddie had tried to learn to roller skate one time and ended up with a concussion, giving up on any and all sports after that; and about his creative outlets other than DnD, like the fantasy novel he pretended he wasn’t writing but which Wayne had seen the seven different notebooks full of information about.

He figured he learned just as much about Wayne from those conversations as he did about Eddie, but he liked listening to them anyway. He liked that someone wanted to share their life stories with him, even if he was pretty sure that Wayne only talked to remind himself that Eddie was stronger than people gave him credit for. So he shared some of the high school stories he remembered about Eddie, making himself the target so the other kids in Hellfire wouldn’t get picked on as much, or how Dustin, Lucas, and Mike said he went out of his way to help the three of them when he could. Before Lucas had joined basketball at least.

He now, after getting to know him, understood Eddie’s seemingly off-handed comment about his uncle worrying about him. He’d wondered, at the time, if Wayne really would be worried. After all, in his experience, very few adults really worried about their kids. His parents certainly didn’t. He was pretty positive that the Wheelers would only start worrying if they hadn’t seen one of their kids in more than a week. He figured the Sinclairs and Max’s mom were about the same, seeing as they had never noticed anything that was going on with the kids. Claudia Henderson was better, but even then, he figured it’d be an unplanned day or two of not seeing Dustin before she started to worry. None of that applied to Joyce Byers, obviously. She worried about all of them, not just her own kids.

Wayne took his usual seat beside Eddie’s bed and settled into the quiet. Steve watched him out of the corner of his eye, recognizing that this would be a quiet day for Wayne, one where he didn’t have the energy to talk about his nephew, too consumed with worry that he wouldn’t wake up. He noticed that he’d taken Eddie’s necklace off, the one with the red pick that he’d taken to wearing after he came out of surgery, and was fiddling with it. As he watched, he noticed that the chain was moving through his fingers like he was praying the rosary. Maybe he was, prayer certainly wouldn’t hurt in this situation. He considered praying himself, but Steve had given up on God the day an otherworldly creature came through the walls of the Byers house.

He turned his attention more completely to Days of our Lives to give Wayne the illusion of privacy. He knew the older man wouldn’t be there more than a couple of hours, it was long past the ‘family emergency’ time off that the plant had given him and he’d be headed in for his overnight shift. When a commotion arose outside, Steve barely paid attention, too engrossed in the fictional drama on the screen. But then Eddie’s door swung open. He jumped up, only to back away again when he noticed Hopper in front of everyone else.

“Chief! This is –”

“Shitty police work, is what it is, Powell,” Hopper cut him off loudly, too loudly for a hospital, which probably helped explain the doctor and nurses who were behind Powell and Officer Callahan. Steve and Wayne watched as Hopper pulled his keys off his belt, strode to Eddie’s bed, and uncuffed him. “We don’t arrest people with no evidence, you know better. I taught you better. And reputation,” he steam rolled right over the beginning of Officer Powell’s complaint or excuse, “is not evidence. Now, do you have any actual evidence connecting Mr. Munson here to any of the victims? That doesn’t come from a girl’s distraught, and frankly stupid, boyfriend? No, you don’t. Wayne,” Hopper turned to Wayne, voice coming down to a more reasonable volume. “I’m sorry about the trouble here. I know it’s been rough for you.”

“Thanks, Hop,” Wayne shook his hand, more than a bit confused but willing to go along with whatever Hopper said as long as it meant his boy wouldn’t wake up with cuffs on his wrist. Steve wasn’t sure how Wayne and Hopper knew each other, just that the pair of them had apparently become good friends some years ago.

With a glare from Hopper, most of the room cleared out. Powell, who had been Chief last Steve knew, was the last to leave. “You got re-instated?” He asked, as soon as the door closed.

“About an hour ago. Took the time to look over Eddie’s file and the only thing they had on him was that someone said they saw Chrissy leave with him after the basketball game. Obviously they found nothing in the trailer, before it was destroyed, and there’s nothing tying him to Fred or Patrick’s deaths other than Carver’s ‘delusions’,” he explained, putting air quotes around delusions. They all knew Carver had really seen how Patrick died, but the only way the shadowy government types could keep things hidden about the Upside Down was to pretend he’d had some kind of psychotic break. “Probably people will still be suspicious of him, but he’s not going to be arrested. There’s nothing to arrest him for. Except the drugs, so make sure he keeps his nose clean with that. For a while, at least.” The last part was addressed to Wayne only, who grunted his agreement.

“Well, I’m real glad you’re back, Hop.”

“Me too. These idiots forgot how to do their jobs. Not surprised there was a witch hunt for your nephew with these morons manning the station. Anyway, Joyce said she’ll bring you two dinner. She’s making lasagna. El said she’s recovered and is willing to take a look in Eddie’s mind, make sure it is just healing that’s keeping him in a coma for so long, not that something else was done. If you’re okay with that, Wayne.”

Wayne glanced over at Steve, raising an eyebrow as if questioning him on whether he thought it was a good idea or not.

“If Supergirl says she’s up to it, I say go for it.” El had been drained after fighting her brother in Max’s mind. It had taken her almost a week to get any semblance of her powers back and she’d been working since then to get them back to where they should be.

“Alright, Hop. Whenever you’re able to bring her up.” A few hours later, before Wayne went off to work, Joyce brought El when she brought them lasagna. They cleared out of her way, only going into the hallway to let her do her thing. After a fairly short time, she came back out and announced that he was fine, there was no sign of anything from One, so it really was just healing from his injuries that was keeping him unconscious.

Over the next several days, their routine continued. Wayne came straight from work for an hour or two before going back to his buddy’s place, who’d been letting him stay since the destruction of his trailer. Steve still stayed in the room, except when Nancy and Robin came by to more or less force him to head home for a bit. He made polite, but not very interesting, conversation with Eddie’s friends when they came by. They were still, reasonably, wary of ‘King Steve’, so he understood why they didn’t talk to him much. The kids came by after school to share any gossip they’d heard about Eddie, which was much more interesting. Robin brought updates on the repair work that was being done to Family Video and the rest of the town. One/Vecna hadn’t succeeded in fully opening his portals, but it was apparently a near miss, with a lot of places taking a lot of damage. Particularly places in the center of town. They were blaming the damage, and any ‘delusions’ like Jason’s, on a gas main leak and explosion.

Wayne came back a couple hours before work and shared a couple more stories about younger-Eddie. Steve had started to share some stories about himself, but he didn’t really have any interesting things happen in his life before the Upside Down and it’s not like those were fun stories to revisit. Still, Steve told him some of it, just so he had a clearer idea of exactly what kind of mess Eddie’d stumbled into. And maybe because Wayne had shared the painful things about his and Eddie’s pasts.

Doctors and nurses came and went, checking on him to make sure he was healing like he should be. Dr. Roberts assured them that he was healing normally and that the coma was actually helping him to heal faster since his body didn’t need to do much else. They also started him on a form a physical therapy. Obviously he wasn’t moving on his own so it wasn’t normal physical therapy, but since the wounds were more or less healed, a physical therapist came in to do some limb stretches and things with him.

Then, in the middle of the night a little over a week after Hopper’s reinstatement, Eddie started thrashing around on the bed. Steve jumped out of his chair and hurried to the bed, reaching him just as his movements slowed.

“What fresh hell is this?” he croaked, voice scratchy from disuse, eyes narrowed against the light from his bedside table that Steve had been using to read by.

“It’s called a hospital, usually. Suppose it could be hell too.” Steve looked down at him with a smile, relieved to see clear brown eyes looking back up at him.

“Harrington?”

“Morning, Munson. Well, very very early morning.”

“What is happening?”

“You’re in Hawkins Hospital. They had to stitch you up. You lost a lot of blood too, man. Like, they weren’t sure you were gonna make it when we brought you in. Lemme get the nurse or doctor for you, okay?”

“Wait. Dustin?”

“He’s good. Sleeping at home right now. I’ll tell you all about in a few minutes.” Steve ducked out of the room and rushed to the nurse’s station. He probably could’ve used the call button, but figured this was better so they’d know what to expect. “He’s awake,” he told the night charge nurse, Janet.

“Awake?” She jumped up.

“And completely aware.” Janet shouted a few things Steve didn’t understand, something about codes, and she, another nurse, and one of the emergency room doctor’s rushed into Eddie’s room. Steve took that time to reach over Janet’s desk and make a phone call. “Hello sir, this is Steve Harrington. Could I speak with Wayne Munson? Yes, I understand he’s manning a machine right now. No sir, I…. I know bu…. Could you just tell him his nephew’s awake? Yes that’s right. Thank you.” Steve waited for just a minute until Wayne was on the line and he repeated himself. “Eddie’s up. The medical people are in with him now. Okay, I’ll let him know.”

Steve slipped back into Eddie’s room, watching the medical staff fuss over him. Janet turned to him as the others filtered out, gesturing him to come closer. “We’ll have Dr. Roberts check him over in the morning of course, but he’s aware, like you said. Mr. Munson, your cognitive function seems to all be normal, your vitals are as good as always, there’s the stiffness we expected in your reflexes. That’ll just take some time and physical therapy to get back to normal. If you could step back out for a moment, Steve, I’m going to remove his tubes.”

Steve winced in sympathy, knowing exactly what tubes Eddie had in his body. A very short time later, she came back out. “I’ll call his uncle’s work now, let him know.”

“I already did. He should be here soon.”

“Good. I’ll keep an eye out for him.”

Steve turned back into Eddie’s room, to see him sitting propped up on the raised bed and shifting uncomfortably. Rather than address it, since he figured he’d be embarrassed to talk about catheter removal, Steve made his way to the end of the bed and said, “Like I said, Dustin’s doing fine. He’ll be thrilled you’re awake. They all will. Max is also good, broken arm, but it’s healing good. Lucas had some bruises and a broken hand from Carver, who found them and broke into the Creel house. He’s fine, so is Erica. Well, she’s still pissed she can’t, and I quote “give that fucker what he deserves”. One of Carver’s friends tied her to the playground jungle gym while Carver went after her brother. He’s been arrested for assaulting Lucas and Max. Let’s see, Nance and Robin are totally fine. They had some bruising and shit from the vines, but it’s healed up. The Byers and Mike all made it back to town. They apparently had their own things going on and if you want to hear about that, Mike’ll talk your ear off about it, I’m sure. El’s got her powers back, so that’s been interesting. Hopper’s not dead and is police chief again. He’s also the reason you’re not cuffed to the bed any more. Told Powell off for being a bad cop, arresting you with no evidence.

Your stitches were taken out a few weeks ago, same as mine, but they said you had more internal damage than I did, so it’s not surprising you were out. And, uh, I think that’s it. Oh! The town took some pretty heavy damage, they’re still doing a lot of repairs. But, we won. Vecna’s ash, saw it myself. And your uncle knows everything. The kids told him while you were in surgery and I was being stitched up.”

“For how long?”

“Five weeks. Roughly.”

“Five weeks?”

“Mm-hm. We let El double check that you weren’t like, being held hostage in your own head or something.”

Behind Steve, the door was flung open. “Christ Jesus, Eddie! You damn near scared the life outta me.”

“Hey Wayne,” Eddie offered a watery smile, holding his hand out to his uncle. Steve silently excused himself to give the pair of them room when he noticed the tears in Eddie’s eyes.

Silently, Wayne held Eddie as close as he could, both of the silently crying into each others’ shoulders. After a while, when the pain in Wayne’s lower back got to be too much, he leaned back, slowly releasing his nephew. He sat down in his usual spot and just stared at him for a minute, basking in the knowledge that he was awake.

“What’ve I missed?”

“Your aunts have called a couple times.”

“You mean you called them.”

“Well, I had to tell everyone you were in the hospital. ‘Course, I didn’t tell ‘em the details. Your Mamaw’s doin’ what she does. She’ll be thrilled to hear it helped.” Eddie chuckled a little, before coughing. Wayne’s mom, his Mamaw, was a superstitious old woman at the best of times and would probably lose her mind if she knew exactly what had happened to Eddie. She was also known to be a folk healer by their neighbors and had definitely done some sort of healing-from-a-distance for Eddie. He’d decided when he was a kid to never ask her the details about what she did, always a little afraid to find out that she was making him drink something nasty when he was sick. “Steve tell you all the kids, and your friends, have been to visit you pretty much whenever they can?”

“He didn’t get to that part, just updated me on injuries and stuff before you came in.”

“Mm.” Wayne was quiet again, staring at his nephew. “You know you can tell me anything, Ed.”

“I know. Why?” Eddie narrowed his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me about your boy? Or, I guess, why didn’t you tell me you’d finally made a move on the boy you been pinin’ after for years?”

“What?! What have you said to him?!” Eddie sat bolt upright and gripped his uncle’s wrist, panic all over his face.

“Calm down,” Wayne reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, gently rubbing his thumb back and forth to try to calm him down. “We’ve been gettin’ to know each other, is all.”

“Wayne, listen to me. We are not together. I have not made any moves. Steve is very, incredibly, straight. Still in love with his ex, even. He’s barely even my friend. And that’s only because of life-endangering circumstances. Oh, I need to lie back down.” Eddie slumped back against his pillows, releasing his hold on Wayne. “That was too much effort. That’s so dumb, all I did was sit up.”

“You’ve been out for over a month, kid. So, you’re not together?”

“Decidedly not.”

“Hm. I figured that’s why he spent every day all day in here with you. ‘Cept when the girls come in for a couple hours so he can go home and eat and stuff.”

“All day?” Eddie asked in disbelief.

“Mm. All day, every single day. He was here before me the first day they let you have visitors. Sits in that chair there and watches soaps all afternoon. Bet he could tell you all about ‘em.”

“God, of course he likes soap operas. Argh!” Eddie pressed his hands over his face, screaming into his palms.

“Well, that was weird. I feel like I’ve missed something,” Steve said, strolling back in with three cups. He passed Wayne’s coffee off to him and held out the third cup to Eddie, keeping ahold of his own. “Doc said you’re not allowed to have caffeine yet, so it’s apple juice. They tried to give you orange, but Wayne said you don’t like that. And they’re gonna bring up some food from the cafeteria soon, see how you tolerate solid food.”

“You talked about me?” Eddie turned an accusing stare on his uncle, not that Steve took much notice of it.

“Yep,” he said, popping the ‘p’ sound. “What were you screaming about when I walked in?”

“Nothing. What do you mean ‘yep’? As if it’s a totally normal thing?” He took a long drink of the apple juice. “God, that’s delicious.”

“Eddie, you were laying here unconscious, after doing something I distinctly remember telling you not to do,” he glared down at him for a second. “Who else were we gonna talk about?”

Eddie didn’t say anything for a minute. “Okay, so, how did I get here? Like, last I remember, I was looking up at Dustin and very much not gon – topside.” he cut himself off, changing what he was going to say when he saw the same upset look on Wayne and Steve’s faces.

“When Nance, Rob, and I got back to the trailer park, you were already unconscious and Dustin was….” Steve trailed off, eyes looking into some middle distance as if remembering exactly what Dustin looked like. “Anyway,” he shook himself out of it. “Nancy tore up some of our clothes and we got those around you as bandages, then I lifted you over my shoulder and hauled you into the trailer. Shit was starting to come apart then, but I was able to push you through the gate to the girls. Then we… borrowed Max’s mom’s car and got you here.”

“You carried me out?” Eddie would deny the blush and the spike in his heart monitor if anyone said anything, but neither of them mentioned it.

“Of course I did. You still had a pulse, Eddie. We were never gonna just leave you there. Even if…. Not gonna happen, we don’t leave people behind.”

“Well, heard the freak’s awake and I guess it’s true.” One of the night orderly’s pushed through the hospital door, pushing a cart with covered food on it in front of him.

“Out!” Steve demanded, jerking the cart away from him then crowding into the man’s space, forcing him back out the door.

This time when Eddie’s heart monitor showed the spike in his heart rate, Wayne turned to him with a knowing grin. Eddie glared and tried to make his heart beat slower.

“You okay, Ed?” Steve turned back toward him, pushing the cart himself. “I know you’re…. Your friends said you’re used to shit like that, but I mean, that doesn’t make it okay. Plus you just woke up.”

“Yeah, I’m good. Just… surprised me, I guess.” Wayne quickly turned his laugh into a fake cough. Steve turned a quizzical look to him, but otherwise said nothing.

“Well, at least we know he didn’t tamper with any of it, it’s all wrapped up.”

“Hospital food, yay.”

“Keep it down and I’ll see if Joyce can bring you some real food in the morning.”

“Joyce?”

“Byers. Will and Jon’s mom.”

“Huh. Dunno why I can never remember that’s her name. She’ll bring me food? Real food?”

“I’ll talk to her in the morning. Like the actual, post-dawn morning.”

“Fair.” With some trepidation, Eddie dug into the hospital-provided lunch meat sandwich, chips, and Jello. Then, a while later, he drifted off to sleep, complaining the whole time that he wasn’t tired and he’d been asleep for long enough.

A few minutes after he was out, Wayne said, “Thanks, Steve. I know I don’t say it ever, but thanks for being around and for looking after my nephew.”

“You never have to thank me for that, Wayne. I…,” he sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I like being useful and taking care of people.”

Steve went back to his borrowed copy of The Return of the King, while Wayne just sort of sat there, watching Eddie sleep and knowing that he was actually just asleep, not in a coma. The two of them eventually drifted off to sleep in their own, less than comfortable hospital chairs for a few hours after that. They were woken up when Dr. Roberts got in for his morning shift and came to see them first thing. Leaving Wayne with the doctor, Steve made his way back to the nurse’s station and asked to borrow the phone from the morning charge nurse, Sarah. He dialed the Byers/Hopper house first, even though it’d probably piss off Dustin if he knew.

“Hello?”

“Hey Jon. Is your mom awake?”

“She is. She’s making waffles. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing at all. Can you ask her if she can bring some of those waffles for Eddie?”

“He’s awake?!”

“He is,” Steve smiled, hearing the cacophony in the background that greeted Jonathon’s question.

“Shut up a minute!” He shouted to the people around him. “Sorry, we had all the boys over last night. I’ll call Nance and Robin, see if we can get in touch with his other friends. We’ll see you soon.”

“Thanks Jon, I appreciate it.”

With a smile on his face and feeling lighter than he had in the past month and a half, Steve strolled back into Eddie’s hospital room in time to hear Roberts say that the physical therapist would be down later in the morning to start Eddie’s full rehab.

“You’re in a good mood,” Eddie commented as Roberts left.

“Joyce is bringing waffles. And children.”

“Excellent,” he grinned.

“They’re also gonna tell your friends.”

Soon, the room was flooded with boisterous teenagers, all trying to catch Eddie up on the minute details and gossip of Hawkins that he’d missed. Steve was pretty sure he didn’t care much about the gossip, but was just glad to have everyone around. Though he could have, Steve didn’t leave the room, choosing instead to find a spot where he was out of the way and could just observe and relax. He ended up leaning against the wall, near the tv.

“Feeling better now that your crush is awake?”

“Sshh!!” Steve shushed Robin who had come over to lean on the wall beside him.

“Of course he is,” Nancy commented quietly from Robin’s other side.

“Will you two shut up?” he whisper-yelled at them. Nancy rolled her eyes, knowing no one could hear them over the children. “I shouldn’t have ever told you guys,” he groaned, dropping his head back against the tile.

“Told us?,” Robin chuckled. “Steve, you didn’t tell us anything. You had a full blown, hysteric crisis. The kind they lock women up in asylums for.”

“They don’t lock women up for hysteria anymore. Besides, you two would’ve been put away long before me.” Since the trip to Pennhurst, Robin had gotten very interested in psychology. She’d devoured the few books available at Hawkins’ library and was trying to learn more. Steve was fairly certain she knew now what she would go to college to study, even though she hadn’t said anything to him yet.

“The point still stands, you can’t be upset that you told us when you really came to us in a hysteric crisis.” Nancy said.

“Yes I can,” Steve insisted, crossing his arms over his chest. Robin laughed again, bumping her shoulder into his. “Besides, it’s not like it matters. You know –”

“Yeah, yeah, we know. Might not be into guys, especially jock guys.”

“On the other hand, he might be into guys who carried him out of hell,” Robin added.

“Fuck off, Rob.” Both girls laughed at him.

A few days later, with physical therapy progressing well and his wounds healed, Dr. Roberts released Eddie. They hadn’t gotten around to repairing the damage to the trailer park yet, and Wayne was still staying on his friend’s couch, who didn’t have room for Eddie too, so Steve did the logical thing and invited him to stay at his otherwise empty house. And if he mentally kicked himself for it, because now he was sure he’d make a fool of himself somehow, well, only he needed to know that.

Which is how he found himself strolling into his own home and hearing Eddie’s voice, with a thicker accent than usual, on what seemed to be the tail end of a phone call. “Yes, Mamaw, I’m healin’ good, thanks to you. Promise I’ll come home to see you, soon as I can. Love you too, Mamaw.”

Steve stepped in the hallway to see Eddie grinning at the phone as he hung up. “Does your accent always get thicker when you talk to your Mamaw?”

“Steve!” Eddie jumped a little. “Hi, didn’t hear you come in. What?”

Steve chuckled. “Your accent was thicker just then, when you were on the phone. Is that a Mamaw specific thing, or does it happen with your aunts and cousins too?”

“How do you…? Wayne.” Eddie’s accent had all but disappeared now.

“Yeah, Wayne. He told me about your family in Kentucky.”

“I’m afraid to ask what else he told you. But, no, it’s not a Mamaw specific thing. It happens with any of my family, even Wayne sometimes. It’s easier to hide with Wayne though, since there are other people with normal accents around.”

“Hide? You mean you do that on purpose, not just that you, I dunno, accidently started to sound like the people around you?”

Eddie snorted. “It’s definitely on purpose. I can handle the barbs about my music, DnD, even my hair. But I hate the looks of ‘oh he’s stupid’ or pity or whatever from the way I sound. It’s the way my Mamaw and my aunties sound. They ain’t stupid, Steve. They’re some of the smartest people I know. So’s Wayne, no matter what anyone says.” Steve listened, a small, fascinated smile on his face as Eddie’s accent got thicker again, the longer he ranted. “What is that look for?”

“Nothing, just, your accent’s back. Got thicker while you ranted. I’m kinda fascinated because that never happened with your table rants at school. I like it,” he shrugged, using the casual gesture to hide that he’d almost slipped and said ‘you’ instead of ‘it’.

“You… like it? Like, my accent?”

“Yeah. I mean, I like listening to you talk in general, but I definitely enjoy the accent. Anyway,” Steve continued on before he could respond to that. “Rob and Nance will be here soon. The brats want to have a movie night, so one of them is gonna stay to help set up, and me and the other one, probably Rob, are gonna head to the grocery store for supplies.”

“Wheeler, do something!” Eddie demanded a short while later, as soon as Steve’s car was down the drive and it was just the two of them.

“About what?”

“About Steve. Either take him back or let him down so he’s distracted.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Listen, I know he’s still got a thing for you. I saw the way he looked at you down there,” he tapped his toes once on the ground. “But I dunno if it’s just because he’s focused on me since I’m living with him for now, or what, but he’s getting weird, Wheeler.”

“Weird how? And stop calling me Wheeler, my name’s Nancy.”

“I was on the phone earlier with family back in Kentucky and Steve said he likes my voice. Likes listening to me and ‘enjoys my accent’.”

“You have an accent? Like your uncle’s?”

“Yes, but that’s not the point.”

“He’s not being weird. And he doesn’t still have a thing for me. We talked about that weeks ago, after Jon got back.”

“Ugh!” Eddie flopped down on the couch she was sitting on, head landing very near her lap. “So, what then?”

“Better question, why’re you making a big deal out of it? Why does it matter to you that he likes the sound of your voice?” Nancy reached out and gently ran her fingers through his curls.

“No reason, just seemed weird is all.”

“Uh huh. Try again.”

Eddie was silent for nearly five minutes. Nancy sat patiently waiting. “Okay, swear you won’t say anything to anyone? Except, you can talk to Wayne because he already knows.”

“I swear.”

“I may, possibly, have had a thing for Steve for… a while.”

“I feel like you could have been more vague with that answer if you tried,” she rolled her eyes, doing her best to hide her joy.

“Yeah, ‘cause it’s not awkward at all to talk about my crush on a guy to that guy’s ex-girlfriend,” Eddie rolled his eyes.

“So it’s a crush, huh?”

“Ugh!” He flopped over onto his stomach, burying his face in the couch.

Nancy chuckled at him, but otherwise said nothing, quietly planning in her head.

­­­---

“Now what’s all this about girls?” Wayne asked, a couple days later when Nancy and Robin met him outside of work when he got off at 5:00 am.

“We need your help with Eddie and Steve,” Robin said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“That right?” Nancy was pleased to note the little bit of mischief in his eyes when he asked.

“Mm-hm, and I think you know why.” The three of them sat in the bed of his pickup and made their plans.

---

“Please tell me I’m not the only one who finds this suspicious,” Eddie commented from the passenger seat.

“Why, our friends insisting on meeting us in the middle of nowhere with no explanation? No, not suspicious at all. Although, if they’d gotten Dustin in on it, I’d be more suspicious.”

“That’s fair. He’s obnoxious when he tries to be sneaky.” They both laughed. “Where are we going anyway?”

“The hill just outside town. The kids call it Weathertop, after the place in Lord of the Rings.” Eddie was silent long enough that Steve risked a quick glance over to see him staring in open-mouthed shock. “What?” he laughed.

“You know Lord of the Rings? Since when? I know you didn’t get my Mordor reference before.”

“I had a lot of time while you were in a coma,” Steve shrugged a shoulder. “Dustin let me borrow his copies, even The Hobbit,” he said proudly.

“You read The Hobbit and the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy while I was in a coma?”

“I mean, I only just finished Return of the King like two days ago. But yeah. I dunno, Wayne said it was one of your favorites. And plus, I know the kids like it. So, yeah.”

“No no, don’t add the brats to this. You read it because Wayne said it was one of my favorites?”

Steve sighed, gripping the steering wheel tighter, then relaxed again before answering. “Robin told me that a good way to get to know someone is by learning about their favorite things. Your music is apparently too much for my concussed head, it triggers a migraine. So, I went with books.”

“But you tried it? Listening to my music, I mean.”

“Yeah. I tried… oh hell, who was it? They’re on the front of your vest. Megadeth! Anyway, I was down for like a whole day with a migraine. But Wayne brought in a Woodie Guthrie cassette and that was way easier for me to listen to. I like him.”

“I need…. I need to take a minute and process that you tried to listen to my music, and read one of my favorite book series to try to get to know me while I was unconscious. This is blowing my mind. Seriously though, why would you… I mean, we didn’t even know each other before this whole thing started. Well, started for me anyway. I know you were involved way longer than I was. And I know Wayne was talkin’ to ya about me, so why the extra stuff, I guess is what I’m really wonderin’.” Steve listened with a small smile. Since he’d said something about like Eddie’s accent, he’d started to hear it more frequently. Yeah, Eddie still made an effort to sound ‘normal’, especially when other people were around. But when it was just them, or when he started off on a ramble like that, it got thicker again. “What are you so damn happy about?”

“It’s nothing,” Steve shook his head. “Are you still processing or did you actually want an answer?”

“I dunno. I kinda wanna make up my own thing. But anyway, do you know why they’re bringing us all the way out here?”

“No idea. I know Dustin had his Cerebro set up out here for a while.”

“Cerebro? You’re secretly a huge nerd, aren’t you Harrington?” Eddie chuckled.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” he grinned. “But I know some stuff. Hard to be friends with the kids and not know some of it.” He parked the car at the base of the hill as he spoke. “Alright, let’s see what these weirdos are up to now.”

As he got out of the car, Eddie looked around. “Do you find it as suspicious as I do that there’s no other cars – like Nancy’s or the Byers’ – and there’s no bikes?”

“I didn’t, until you just said something. I kind of assumed we were just here first.”

“Hm, yeah, I guess that’s possible.”

“Should I bring the bat?”

“The bat?” Eddie turned with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Steve walked around to the back of his car, popped the trunk, and pulled out what at first made Eddie think of a medieval Morningstar, but turned out to be a regular wooden bat with nails hammered through it. “The bat,” Steve repeated, swinging the bat in his hand then bringing it to rest on his shoulder.

“Where… why…? Explain.” Steve laughed a little, but explained the history of the weapon, how Jon had created it way back when all the Upside Down stuff first starting happening to them, but how it had become Steve’s weapon after that first encounter. “I… I kinda wanna see you use that, actually. But yeah, sure, bring it just in case.”

Steve raised an eyebrow at Eddie saying he wanted to see him using it, but otherwise didn’t comment. Together, the pair of them made their way up to the top of the hill, then stopped dead at what greeted them. Steve was the first to understand what exactly was happening, and dropped the bat off his shoulder.

“It’s a date,” he said softly. “They set us up on a date.”

“They did not!”

“They very much did. Well, Nance, Rob, and Wayne did.”

“How… what makes you say that?”

“The blanket is from my downstairs closet, one of the ones that is meant to be used outside, and is the one Robin thinks has the most cushion. So she says. The whole layout, setup, whatever, looks like every time I ever set up a dinner or picnic for Nancy. And I’d bet money Wayne made the food – unless I’m very wrong, that’s a ham and turkey sandwich with mustard and pickles. Which I still maintain is gross, but he says is one of your favorites.” Steve turned to Eddie with a wide grin and held out his hand. “C’mon.”

“But…. But you’re straight.”

“I’m really not though.”

Hidden in the trees not too far away, Robin and Nancy watched as Steve tugged Eddie over to the picnic they’d just finished setting up. Sharing a high five, the two girls turned and headed to Nancy’s car which was parked a short distance away, and drove out to let Wayne know their plan worked.

[midnightsapphire]

Later Never Comes

Pairing : Aemond Targaryen x Reader

Synopsis : Aemond Targaryen, first of his name, King of the Andals and the First Men, rider of the largest dragon in all of the world, the man who had everything he wanted in his grasp now lies on his death bed with the ghosts of the past, present, and future knocking at his door to remind him of all his greed and pride that inevitably cost him everything he needed. 

Gif Credits

A/N - An early christmas blurb for our sweet aemond

Warnings : aemond being a bitter old man, open-ending, bad writing

Masterlist 

---

“Your grace, the people wish you would visit once again. It had been a while since they had seen their king.” A maid spoke softly as she bowed gracefully towards the king, who sat idly on the Iron Throne, his slender fingers tracing the dulled blades of the uncomfortable chair. His hands balled into fists at the thought of the people and their endless demands. 

“Should they need me, they know where to find me.” Aemond’s rasping voice echoed across the empty throne room, brushing off the maid with a wave of his hand as she bowed fearfully, scurrying out of the room, no doubt to send word across the keep. The second youngest Targaryen son rubbed at his aged temples, the skin now withering and loose compared to the taut radiance he had in his youth. 

He glanced at his blackening fingertips, knowing the unspoken curse that came with the responsibility of the throne, much like how it sucked the life out of his own father and drove his usurping elder brother mad with power and grief. But he had willed for this, wished for it, killed for his seat on the throne. 

The young, naive boy was no longer. No longer clutching at his mother’s dresses, nor trailing after his older brother’s antics. He let the poor fool drown himself in cups of ale and allowed the waging war to take all those who threatened the throne as he watched from the shadows, greedily feeding Aegon lies that eventually drove the man drunk on not only the alcohol, but the rage that was sparked from his own lips. 

Aemond slowly rose from his spot on the throne, clutching his chest as he felt another wave of pain soar through his aching and ailing body. His hands gripped at the sapphire cane next to him as he held a hand to stop the guards from helping him down the steps. His pride ate at him as he hobbled his way to his chambers, the fire having died long ago as he was enveloped by the dark and suffocating cold of his room. 

His hands skimmed over the right side of the bed, the silken fabric causing another clench in his chest that even the milk of the poppy could not take away. In the comfort of his solitude, he ripped off his eyepatch, sighing as he all but threw his body down onto the bed, staring at the canopy above his bed. Heaving out his heavy breaths, he drank the tea left on his bedside that aided his sleep, something that was rare nowadays that he was alone. 

A dreamless sleep enveloped the elder Targaryen, a recurring darkness welcoming him as his labored breathing filled the stone walls of his chambers. 

“Aemond? Wake up, you pathetic old twat.” Aemond heard faintly, mistaking his surroundings for his dreams as he stirred, hand placed on the hilt of his dagger as his old and withering hands shook into the air, almost daring the intruder to strike knowing he was (at most) somewhat prepared to fight back. 

“You half-wit.” He heard as he felt his body restrain itself on the bed. Aemond felt his chest constrict as he scrambled on the bed, body thrashing left and right as chains crept from the foot of his bed, inevitably locking him in place as his eye fearfully looked around.

His blood ran cold as he met the hazy violet eyes of his brother, Aegon Targaryen, strewn lazily on the small chair he had placed next to the fireplace. Matching chains adorned both his wrists and ankles as they clattered with every move he made, body hunched over at the sheer weight of the metal as he gave a crooked smile to his younger brother. 

“It has been a while, has it not?” He joked lightly, wincing as he moved to stand. The chains weight him down further and further as he neared the edge of Aemond’s bedside, the man now outgrowing his older brother in not only height, but in age as the ghostly Aegon looked the age of his death, the messy platinum Targaryen locks flowing from his head as Aemond’s sprawled a sickly gray.

“This is impossible. You died years ago. You- You should not be here!” Aemond spoke, his voice quivering in fright at the only dream he had in years haunting him. Aegon scoffed at the panic in his brother’s voice, gripped the chains wrapped around Aemond as he tugged them upwards, snapping the older man’s body towards him as their foreheads almost met. 

“And who’s fault is that?! Who’s lies drove me to madness? Threw me into a war I did not wish for, simply to steal a crown I did not want!” Aegon screamed, the chains tightening at his own body, causing him to whimper as he released the chains around Aemond, the weight bringing him down to his knees as his body heaved with tears that could not be spilled.

“Release me from these chains, Aegon. This dream- no, this nightmare has gone on far too long. You simply wish to torment me in my dreams like you had in your own life.” Aemond hissed, practically pleaded as Aegon let out a tearful laugh, his head tilting towards his brother with a harsh glare on his face. 

“You still wish this a dream, don’t you? Because of you, I was punished by the Gods. Cursed to walk the afterlife with these-” He hissed, shaking the shackles on his wrist as they clattered heavily, taking a deep breath as his hazy eyes glanced at his younger brother. “I.. We were foolish, we were greedy with power. What good did it bring to us? We.. You are no longer happy even with the stupid crown upon your head.” 

“You know nothing!”

“I know what is waiting for you, shall you die in your sleep right now! This! This awaits you! The burden, the torture, the suffering. The punishment for all our greed and selfishness follows us into death, brother.” Aegon pleaded, his hands reaching to grasp onto Aemond’s, the ghostly chill sending shivers down his spine. 

Never had he seen Aegon so.. so frightened, even when thrown into the overwhelming responsibility that caused his timely death. It alone caused Aemond to stop his thrashing, glancing at the pitiful ghost of his brother as his eye softened. “This? This is what came of you when you passed?” 

“Worse. The chains were only the beginning, thus the screams, the.. the visions follow. You cannot escape them.” 

“Then what was your purpose for coming here?” 

“I have wronged you in my time of living. I was.. never the brother I should have been and I.. I apologize, dear brother.” Aegon whispered, his hands shaking as they cupped Aemond’s. It had been the most sincere he had seen his brother in all his years. “I do not wish for the same fate to come upon you. I.. I would not wish this on even my worst enemy.” Aegon pleaded, resting his forehead against his brother’s.

“You.. You shall have three visitors this night, heed their warnings, brother. Do not follow my foolishness.” 

“Visitors? What visitors? Aegon! Aegon!” Aemond pleaded as Aegon slowly pulled away from his brother, a solemn smile on his face as the chains slowly uncoiled from around Aemond’s limbs. The elder man scrambled out of bed, falling onto the ground harshly as he crawled to his brother’s ghostly feet. 

“I truly hope we do not meet in the afterlife, brother. Farewell.” Aegon said with a soft laugh, his body fading away just as Aemond reached a hand out, clutching the air as he let out a hoarse scream. 

His screams reverberated around the castle, his guards standing in alert as they burst into Aemond’s chambers, frantically looking for the king that knelt at the side of his bed. “Your grace, are you alright?” They had asked as Aemond continued his screaming, sapphire eye glinting in the moonlight as he held the dagger at his knight’s throat, his good eye opened in a frenzy as his teeth snarled. 

“Leave me!”

—

“Your grace, the people were wondering when the rations would be sent? The towns have been suffering more as of late.” 

“It is not my responsibility shall they fight to the death for their foolishness.” Aemond scoffed as he threw another helping of food onto his own plate. The kingsguard flinched at his harshness, his own fork and knife scraping against his plates as he angrily chewed at his food. 

“Your grace, the people are beginning to.. lose trust in the crown with this tyranny. The crown must have followers to be considered a reliable leader.” 

“Then those opposed to the crown shall be put to death, am I clear?” Aemond hissed, his fist thudding against his chest as he broke into a coughing fit. His hand waved off the guards, dismissing them from his presence as his grip on his utensils tightened in his hands. His reflection glared back at him from his silverware, the scar from his youth taunting him as the left side of his face grew decayed and spotted as his father’s had been. 

No longer was his face angular and taunt had it been, now stretched into a permanent sneer, his eyes heavy with bags from his sleepless nights, the crown weighing heavily on his head, his bones bridling and cracking with every move he made. No longer was he nimble, no longer was he the radiance of handsomeness that had women swooning, his appearance reflecting the ugliness that grew in his heart. 

The door creaking behind him caught his attention as he shook himself out of his thoughts. “I thought I had dismissed you fools. Or had the armor adorning your head also blocked the intelligence that lacks in your boorish skulls.” He hissed, head whipping around as his body faltered when he had seen no one there. 

“This is a foolish jest, come out at once.” Aemond hissed, his dinner knife gripped tightly in his hand as he rose from his seat, the chair clattering to the ground as Aemond swung around, waving the dulled utensil in his grasp as the fireplace roared behind him. 

Aemond gasped at the sudden burst of flames, swallowing the lump in his throat as he shakily approached the fireplace, weapon at the ready as his chest heaved with terrified breaths, Aegon’s words screaming at the back of his head. He knelt in front of the flames, his eye glaring at the orange hue as it illuminated the room around him, glancing at the tapestries that haunted his very being, all littered along the walls. 

“You have been foolish, Aemond Targaryen.” He heard the crackling whisper, stumbling back as his eyes met a face in the fire, hands clawing and outstretching as Aemond backed away fearfully, gasps leaving his lips as a body resembling the fire itself manifested in front of him. 

“Selfish, greedy, cold..” The spirit taunted, giving Aemond a small smile as it crossed it’s arms in front of itself, the flames around it’s body crackling as Aemond looked at the spirit with a clenched jaw. 

“Who are you?”

“I go by many names. But many consider me the spirit of the past.” It has spoken, it’s voice tender and soft that Aemond almost didn’t hear it’s ghostly whispers had his labored breathing picked up more than it already had. 

“You are who my brother warned me about, are you not?” 

“One of many.. Your grace.” It snickered, stretching a hand towards Aemond that he had slapped away, moving to stand on his own as the spirit looked at it’s rejected hand. “I see nothing has changed from your brother’s gracious visit.” 

“That was nothing but a dream. A simple figure of my imagination, much like this is.” Aemond hissed, brushing himself off as the spirit circled around him, almost judgmentally as it clutched the collar of Aemond’s clothing. 

“Release me! How dare you lay your hands on a king!” Aemond screeched as he felt his feet slowly leave the ground, eyes widening as the spirit impassively ignored his cries as it’s head seemingly floated off it’s flaming body. 

“A king, you say? Had you always been so.. willing to throw around such an important title such as that?” The spirit sighed, shaking it’s head in disappointment as it floated the both of them higher and higher. Aemond felt his heart sink into his stomach the higher he rose, afraid to thrash around should he be dropped. 

“What do you need from me?” He hissed pitifully, his body relaxing as the spirit smiled from over his shoulder. 

“Your understanding.” It spoke as Aemond turned his head to glance at it in confusion. The spirit simply nudged it’s head forward as Aemond followed it’s gaze, his eye widening as he no longer saw the layout of his decrepit room, but the grounds of the keep as he saw a glimpse of his younger self. 

“This.. This was The Keep.” Aemond whispered as his slippered feet crunched under the small pebbles and rubble that littered the grounds. The Spirit watched his reactions, noting the longing gaze Aemond held as he watched his younger self parading around, the willful smiles still on his face as he eagerly trained with the knights and his siblings. 

“You were so radiant in your youth, my grace.” The Spirit said softly as it ghosted through the crowd, Aemond hesitantly following as he saw his former self sneak away from the grounds, approaching a body hunched over in the Godswood with a book nestled in her lap. 

Aemond watched as his younger self rounded the trunk of the tree, picking a flower from the nearest bush as he brushed stray strands of hair out of the woman’s face, goosebumps pricking at his skin when he heard the familiar giggles that seemingly brought a smile on his younger self’s face. 

A smile he no longer knew.

“Do you remember this time?” The Spirit asked as Aemond’s eyes casted themselves downward. 

“(Y/N) Velaryon. I was courting her after the death of her family.” He whispered, eyeing how delicately he treated the woman despite the tragic events he had initially caused, knowing she was still unaware how he orchestrated it all himself. 

“You had killed her brother, sent the other to war, had your own kin burn her mother alive.” The Spirit listed, solemnly looking at Aemond as the elder version of himself clenched his fists. Time had seemed to stop as Aemond neared the younger woman, tracing the back of his fingers along her cheek as he knelt down next to her, glaring at his younger self.

How happy he looked, the glimmer in his eye still there as he looked at the woman as if she held the world in his hands. 

And to him, she had been his world. 

“Come, there is far more.” The Spirit spoke as it held a hand to Aemond, who reluctantly pulled away from the scene in front of him as he blinked momentarily, shocked to see another instant change in atmosphere. 

Aemond glanced around, walking into what looked like the ballroom of the castle. The lights illuminated the room as various lords and ladies spun around gleefully, laughter and cheer filling the room as Aemond spotted himself at the head table, his hand lovingly in (Y/N)’s as she wore the glistening sapphire ring he had slipped onto her finger. 

“Our wedding banquet.” Aemond mumbled aimlessly as he watched himself rise from his seat, hands outstretched to his betrothed as they danced along the hall. Lords watched with envy as he held his hands on her waist, hers resting on his shoulders as they shared soft giggles and kisses in the middle of the dancing crowd.

“I never took you for a dancer, your grace.” The Spirit smiled as Aemond felt the corner of his lips tilt upwards, scoffing softly. 

“I never was. But she-” He paused as he saw the pair sneak out, hands intertwined as he tugged her out to the gardens, the vines and vegetation of the Keep hid them away from prying eyes as they sat on the dirtied ground, not giving a care as they entangled themselves in each other’s arms. 

Aemond’s eyes followed them as (Y/N) braided small strands of his long hair, kissing the tips as she let them fall with the rest of his flowing hair. “I still cannot believe your mother agreed to wed us after all this time.” 

“A king needs a queen, does he not?” The younger Aemond teased, brushing his angled nose against her cheek, the woman giggling at the subtle affection as she cupped his own face in hers, bumping their noses together before kissing his lips softly. 

“A queen you shall have.” She whispered against his lips, resting their foreheads together as he held her closer. 

“We shall wed when I am officially king, I promise you this. I will give you the world, shall you ask for it.”

“All I need is you, Aemond.” 

Now, he found himself in his study, papers scattered around him. The crown nestled on his head as he sorted through countless treaties, peace offerings, words of encouragement at his newfound crowning. But Aemond now felt empty as he glanced at his younger self, how unaware he had been of the spiraling that was soon to come. 

“I was.. My coronation had just happened.” Aemond spoke before the Spirit, swallowing the heavy lump in his throat as he walked alongside himself, pushing away the papers as he scanned through them, still noting every single word as if he burned them into his mind. 

A knock on the door caught both his own and his younger self’s attention as (Y/N) warily crept into his study, her hands idly reaching for the wedding ring he had especially engraved for her when he begged for her hand in marriage. “Aemond? Can I speak to you?” He heard her soft voice ring out as she neared his desk, wrapping her arms around his tensed shoulders as he brushed her hands off harshly. 

“Later (Y/N), I’m busy.” He hissed, glaring at the paperwork as (Y/N) and himself visibly flinched at the detachment, the coldness in his voice. “I have far too much work to attend to, if it is attention you demand, then you shall have it when I see you in our chambers tonight.”

“If you bother to show up.” (Y/N) whispered under her breath as Aemond whipped his head to glare at her. 

“What did you say?” He asked, his voice raising as Aemond stepped back from his younger self. He had never known at the time how dismissive he had been, how he didn’t recognize his own self that used to look at the women with nothing but endless love, now shocked at how hateful his gaze had become. 

“You lock yourself away in your study days on end, I rarely see my husband anymore.” (Y/N) reasoned, her hands clutched to her chest as she shrank away from his heated glare, the sight alone was enough to cause Aemond to shrink away himself. 

“You keep on telling me later, but later never comes around, Aemond. Please, stop telling me later.” She whispered, her glassy eyes pleading as she held a hesitant hand towards him. “Come with me now and we shall fly free. Away from the responsibilities, away from the pressure of being king. This- This is exactly what Aegon feared.” 

Aemond slammed his fists against the wooden table, glancing at her hand and briefly reaching out. (Y/N)’s eyes glimmered with hope that instantly shattered as he slapped her hand away, his face grew red with anger, anger that he never knew he was capable of. “Are you insinuating that I am unfit for this crown? The crown I was destined to have?!” He spat. 

“You keep searching for something that cannot be found. You have the crown, the throne, the title, what else could you possibly need?” 

“I. Need. More!”

“No..” Aemond whispered, his hands covering his ears as the scene replayed in front of him. He dared to glance at (Y/N)’s trembling form, her bottom lip shaking as she looked to her feet, not even flinching when Aemond angrily swept his hands across the table. Papers scattered in the air as Aemond gripped at his hair, the scene pausing as the older Aemond watched in horror at his own actions. 

“You were all she needed, you fool.” Aemond whispered to himself as he crept closer to himself, glancing at the stress and resentment he had for himself, the resentment that he projected to the woman that loved him dutifully, loved him endlessly. “You kept on telling her later but.. That later never came around.” He said softly, cupping the woman’s face in his hands as he shakily sighed. 

“You kept looking for something, a measure of security. But she was really all you'd need.” He spoke scornfully to himself as the scene continued, his body recoiling as he watched her stare solemnly at his turned back before heading towards the door. Aemond watched as she paused, her hand hovering over the door knob. 

“Later, I expect to see my husband in our chambers.”

“No, no, no.” Aemond pleaded to himself, his head snapping to his younger self that seated himself at his desk, not even bothering to glance at the woman that looked at him from over her shoulder, her eyes dulled in disappointment. 

“No! Don’t let her leave, you idiot! There will be no later!” He pleaded as he fell to his knees, watching for a second time as the woman he loved walked out the door, walking out of his life entirely for he never showed at their chambers that night. 

“You never wed, did you?” The Spirit spoke for the first time since the scene had changed, Aemond tearfully looking at the ground as he punched at the stone flooring, the pain dulling as he screamed to himself. 

“I told her I would marry her when I was king in the ways of Old Valyria. But.. I seeked more and more.. I never- I never truly wed her.” He whispered regretfully as he stared at the shut door, willing it to open to her beautiful face once more. 

“I was selfish. I seeked everything else when she was there. She- She was what I needed.” He whimpered as the Spirit smiled to itself, nodding its head as Aemond looked up to see himself in his chambers of the present yet again, the cold enveloping him as he glanced at the tapestries adorning the walls of them both, reminding him time and time again of what he had lost. 

“What of (Y/N) now?” 

“That, your grace, is not mine to answer.” The Spirit bowed it’s head, it’s body dimming like the candlelight Aemond has accustomed himself to when reading into the dead of night. 

“What? Wait!” Aemond called as his hands outstretched, faintly brushing the warm hue of it’s body as he felt himself falling, falling far too long to hit the ground as he let out a frightened scream as the ground beneath him fell tile by tile. 

“No, no, no!” He yelled as he began to fall into the darkness, gasping as his eyes opened to see a large figure of a man seated on a throne almost identical to the iron throne itself. The man’s boisterous laughter ringing in his ears as he glared at the mountain of a man. 

“Aemond Targaryen, what a pleasure!” He guffawed, belly bouncing as he stared down the glaring man. “Oh! Why the long face, your grace? Was the trip not to your liking?” He taunted, far different from the Spirit as he clenched the torch tightly in his hand, pointing it at Aemond’s kneeling body. 

“What is this foolishness? I only demanded to know what became of (Y/N).” He scoffed, brushing himself off as he stood up from his spot, turning his glare to the floor as the Spirit of the Present guffawed once again.

“Ever so impatient, your grace.” The Spirit smirked as he slowly stepped down from his pedestal, towering several feet above Aemond as he placed a large hand on the king’s head. “I see your previous lesson has still not changed this nasty attitude of yours. But fear not! I refuse to give up on you.” 

“I have not learned what hadn’t been taught.” Aemond scoffed as he brushed the man’s hand off, crossing his arms defiantly as the spirit snickered, waving his torch in the air as the room began to spin around the both of them. 

Aemond felt himself stumble as he gripped the large man’s cloak, clenching his eye shut as he unintentionally held his breath, his mind growing hazy as he braced himself for what might have come. 

“You can open your eyes now, your grace.” The Spirit said in amusement as Aemond released his clothes, glancing around at the room around him. He was still at the Keep, but no longer in his own chambers. 

“What is this?” He asked with a scoff, half disappointed to only be transported into another part of the castle. He tried not to sneer at the filthy quarters, the scattered and tattered clothing, the stench of poverty wafting in his nose. 

“King Aemond, that one. A downright tyrant if I had ever seen one.” The knight he remembered having previously held a dagger to, scoffing as he rubbed the aching mark on his neck. The defiant words surprised Aemond as he stepped forward, hellbent on giving the knight a piece of his mind as the Spirit placed a large hand over his shoulder, shaking his head. 

“Watch.” 

Aemond, for once, listened as the others around him groaned in agreement. “I shall celebrate the day that decrepit old man meets The Stranger.” The knights scoffed as they slowly removed the heavy metal-clad armor, allowing them to thud against the ground as they laid in their withering and old cots that Aemond had replaced, claiming the luxury of the guest rooms were too precious to be tainted by “the help”. 

“King Aegon, the drunken fool would have been a better option than the kinslayer. At least we’d have a king that were whole.” 

“I should have their tongues for this slander.” Aemond hissed, glaring at the towering man that shook his head in disappointment. 

“The children, how are they?” Aemond paused, glancing at the knight as he sighed, running a stray hand through his tangled hair. 

“Managing as best with the pathetic rations the king graciously decides to give. But.. the medicine hadn’t been working. Gods forbid we try and steal another potion that the king hoards for himself.” The knight mumbled as he rubbed the scars on his hands from Aemond’s grueling punishment.

“Lashings. For the thief. He should have been blessed that I allowed him to keep his hands.” Aemond mumbled, diverting his eyes away from the Spirit as he pitifully looked at the knight. “Had I known it had been for an ill child, I would have been more lenient.” 

“There are many you do not know, your grace.” The Spirit mumbled as he squeezed Aemond’s shoulder, the room once again spinning as Aemond now found himself on the Streets of Silk. 

“Why are we here?” Aemond asked curiously as he followed the larger man, who ignored Aemond’s questions as he neared the group of people huddled around the square, the loud cheers and rambunctious plays filling his ears as he scoffed. “If I wanted to watch slanderous plays, I would have marched here myself.”

“Look behind them, your grace.” The Spirit hummed as Aemond followed his gaze, his heart dropping as he saw the familiar dark hair that Aemond had long wished to run his hand through again. He faintly saw greying streaks that highlighted the dark strands, his knees buckling against themselves as he saw her bright, yet tired smile. 

“(Y/N), I’m hungry.” He heard a child speak, his heart falling to his stomach as he saw a child tug at her dress. He watched as she knelt down, picking the child up as she brushed the grime and dirt off their chubbied face. 

“I know, sweetling. But we have to wait, remember? You can have my bread this supper, I’m not hungry myself.” She lied, brushing her hands through the child’s hair as Aemond scornfully watched them. 

“She had been here this entire time? Living in poverty? I could have given her more had I known.” 

“But it was not what she wanted.” The Spirit corrected him, crossing his large arms over his chest. “A simple life, a simple family, not the luxury of jewels or the crown, not the comfort of the castle. It was the love of those around that she seeked.”

“I loved her. I still do.”

“But you loved the crown more.” 

Aemond froze as he kept his eyes locked on her, how radiant she still looked even in her older age. The smile that glowed in the moonlight as she kissed the young child’s cheek before sending him off with a slice of bread in their tiny hands. 

“Is that..” He trailed off, feeling the bile rise into his throat as the Spirit laughed. 

“Fear not, your grace. The child is not hers. I cannot say she has been with another since your unfortunate departure.” He said with another boisterous laugh as it slowly faded when he had seen her own smile fade. 

“She aids the sick children as best she could, not having any of her own. Day and night she feeds them what she can with what little is given. Dare I say it pains her to lie to those children who everyone knows will never grow better.”

“What of their fate?” He asked hesitantly, his heart growing heavy as he picked at his nails. 

“That is for the next to decide.” He smiled softly, nodding his head to the king as flames enveloped them both, Aemond’s eyes widening as the large man let out a horrid scream as his body engulfed into flames, his laughter echoing as it hauntly echoed in Aemond’s ears. 

He stumbled back out of fright as he watched the man’s body fall into a pile of ashes, his darkened cloak falling to the ground as Aemond hesitantly reached a hang out to touch it. His blood ran cold as the cloak rose from the ashes, dark red eyes glowing from the darkness of the cloak’s hood. 

“Are-Are you here to show my future?” Aemond asked shakily as the hooded figure only pointed far from Aemond’s view, it’s eyes never breaking from his as the Targaryen followed the direction of the spirit. 

“To the King!” Aemond hears the crowd cheer as he neared the group of knights. His eyebrows furrowing as the head knight stood in the center, goblet raised as a wide smile outstretched his face. 

“An honorable man, a man truly of his word!” The knight boasted as Aemond felt a small smile grow on his face, which slowly faded as the knights burst into laughter. “May he rest the way he ruled! With an iron fist shoved far up his ass!” 

His heart clenched as they downed their drinks, tearing up as their laughter never ceased. “May the old fool never have a day of rest in the pits of hell.” They scoffed, lighting a torch as they set his portrait ablaze, the light illuminating his shocked face as they raided his chambers, grasping any ounce of gold they could get their hands on. 

“A pathetic old fool. May he rot wherever the gods deem him worthy enough.” They scoffed, spitting on his burning portrait as Aemond flinched. 

“Is this.. Is this what awaits me?” He asks sorrowfully, glancing at the hooded figure as it looked away from the king, his eyes following as he sees (Y/N) sobbing over a casket. His legs moved on their own, his hands outstretched as he glanced over the box she had been weeping over. 

“My love..” He whispered as his eyes widened for she had sobbed over a casket far smaller than if it had been his. “The child..” Aemond gasped in shock as he saw the child’s name etched into the wood. His heart raced at the scene surrounding him, tripping on his own feet as he fell backwards, his hands grazing the stone underneath him as he twisted his body. 

“Aemond Targaryen The Fool, Kinslayer, may he rest in pieces.” He mumbled to himself, hands shaking as he traced the carving of his gravestone, or rather, what was placed on the pile of dirt he called his grave. 

“I hope you found what you wished for.” Aemond heard, eyes tearing up as his eyes met (Y/N)’s dull hues. Part of him had been glad she even decided to visit the site he was buried at, but the glare on her face said otherwise as she turned her head away from his tomb. 

“My love. Please.” He called into the air as he reached out for her, his hand barely grazing her as his breaths heaved. 

“I was wrong. I was cruel, selfish.” He said as chains snapped on his wrists, bringing him to his knees as he panicked, thrashing against the metal as it pulled him lower and lower, his cries echoing as he resisted. 

“Please! I yield!” He screamed, pleading with the cloaked spirit as it seemingly glared down at him, it’s red eyes burning into him as tears streamed down his face. “I swear I shall change! If it means the child lives, that the people live on freely!” He yelled as he felt himself sinking into the darkness. 

—

Aemond’s eyes snapped open as his body jolted from his sleep, his hands patting himself down as he threw the blankets off. With shaky hands, he pushed himself off the bed, head darting towards the opening door as the knight bowed his head to Aemond. 

“Your grace, we heard a commotion and decided to-”

“To do your duty. For that, I am thankful.” Aemond interrupted as he gave the knight a soft smile, to which his head snapped upwards at the soft way the king had spoken.

“Your grace?” He asked in confusion as Aemond glanced at his crown, shutting his eyes away from it as he held a hand out to halt the knight from speaking. “The rations, medicine, all of it. Take it to the Streets of Silk to those who need it. Take as much as needed.” Aemond ordered, diverting his eyes away as he tucked the crown into his dresser, taking his cane as he hobbled out of the room, leaving the knight in shock. 

Aemond followed behind in the carriage as the needed ailments were dispersed to the crowd, each thanking the king earnestly as he raised his hand to stop their thanks. “I do not deserve such praise.” He spoke as he exited his carriage, his hands tightly clutched in front of him. 

“I had not been a king you deserved. I had not been a king at all and for that I give you all my apologies. I have neglected each and every one of you for my own greed and selfishness. I have not been a man worthy of bearing the crown but to this day, I swear to each and every one of you. I shall be the ruler the realm needs, a ruler worthy of bearing this crown. This sentiment- which was far needed and for that I apologize tenfold, is only the beginning, I can assure you.” He said as he held his head high, smiling softly as he bowed his head to the people, causing them to gasp as Aemond knelt on his knees, smiling at his people as they graciously cheered his name. 

His legs carried him on their own, trailing down the streets he had long been unfamiliar with as he paused at the building he could have sworn he had seen in his dreams. Aemond’s heart raced as he heard the door open, dark hair finding his gaze as he met her gaze once again, a gasp leaving her lips as she clutched a hand to her chest, a faint glimmer of blue catching his eye as it dangled on a chain around her neck. 

“Aemond- I mean, my king.” She whispered in disbelief. 

“(Y/N).” He said with an outstretched hand. 

“Take my hand. Come with me now and we'll fly free.”

[fuxuannie]

╭₊˚ ๑︰𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐟𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 . . . ♡

:★: characters : (all seperate) miles morales , al haitham , yoru , diluc

:★: warnings : none, bittersweet soft fluff

:★: a/n : i'm veryvery crazy normal over these characters,,, mostly 4 my own sake hehehe

:★: tags : bittersweet fluff, (some) one sided pining, mutual pining, reader is usually the one not reciprocating, i love gekko so bad, self indulgent

. . . . ♡

╰┈➤ HONESTLY I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT HOW WE DIDN'T SAY GOODBYE, JUST SEE YOU VERY SOON.

MILES looks at you softly, downcasted eyes as he knows you can't stay with him. "This is it, right?" You say, voice practically a whisper as you looked down at the colors of your dimension radiating from the machine.

"Yeah.. at least it was fun, wasn't it?"

"Very."

The silence kills both of you, knowing that this was the last time you'd see him.

"Goodb-"

"I'll see you around, Morales."

You put your hand out for a handshake, smiling sadly as you refused to view it as leaving forever, even if it was.

He firmly grabs your hand, but tugs on your arm to pull you in for a hug. Most likely the first and last one you'll ever have from him. "I really hope so."

╰┈➤ IT HURTS TO BE SOMETHING, IT'S WORSE TO BE NOTHING WITH YOU.

YORU hated relationships, he found them to be a waste of time. Why give yourself a weakness for your enemies to abuse? And so when he found himself falling inlove, he was so scared.

He was terrified of the fact he was willing to throw away that whole mindset just for you.

It didn't help that he was softening up to you. A smile not often seen by people was always evident in your presence, his gaze growing mellow when it staring at you. But he didn't want to ever lose you, he was so scared of being with you because of the day you'll leave his life forever.

He wants to be with you, he really does, but that kind of pain is one he's not sure he's ready to face.

╰┈➤ NO MATTER HOW LONG I RESIST TEMPTATION, I WILL ALWAYS LOSE.

AL HAITHAM believed it was important to prioritize his work above all else, not that he was a workaholic - but because he knows he has to.

So imagine the utter frustration hes under because he can't get any work done, his mind clouded with thoughts of his very small interactions with you within the day. How you said good morning, helped him carry his papers to his office and aswell as getting him a cup of coffee this morning.

He knows exactly why he's like this, but refuses to accept it as a fact. He refuses to acknowledge his feelings as something real, mostly because he's accepted that he'd be single until he may eventually pass.. but plans change, right?

╰┈➤ I'VE DONE THE MATH, THERES NO SOLUTION. WE'LL NEVER LAST.

DILUC was an intelligent man, smarter than most. So when he sees you seemingly spending more time than usual with a certain Cavalry Captain, it didn't take long to see the signs.

He didn't blame you, nor was he upset his brother, but more to himself. He knows that his Kaeya is much more popular and well-liked, many viewed Diluc as rather boring or too serious for his own good.

So he'll enjoy what time he has with you, after all.. it won't be long till you realize Kaeya feels the same. "Master Diluc?" Adeline calls for him, only to see him asleep on his desk. Hunched over with letters scattered everywhere and every single one signed with your familiar initials.

[dulcemaiden]

Lord Canopus, revealed

So, we have received confirmation in ch. 204 that Doll is Lord Canopus, as many in the fandom have theorized. I personally believed this too, not because Vega was most likely Layla/Al (and canopus was the only left), but because her personality fits with the japanese chart about blood type personalities. By now we know these canopus/Types B: Lizzie, Doll, Redmond, Lau, Bard, Wolfram, and all the corgi class students like Mabel and Ginny.

"Type B blood people are creative, cheerful, independent, laid-back, and adventurous. They are quick thinkers and spontaneous, as well as passionate and strong-willed. They do things at their own pace, and mostly end up going their own way because they are not good at follow orders, so they are known too as the "rule-breakers". They are honest and caring at heart, and make friends easily because they are loyal and non-pretentious. On the other hand, their negative traits include being “wild,” selfish, unforgiving, irresponsible and unpredictable. When type B blood people focus on something, they put their all into it, and they are unlikely to let go, even if the goal seems unachievable or impractical."

There are interesting things in the symbolism of canopus too:

Canopus was the helmsman of the Argo Navis, the ship of Jason and the Argonauts, who served King Menelaus. Canopus is described as a handsome young man who was loved by a egyptian prophetess, but never reciprocated her feelings. While visiting the Egyptian coast, Canopus was bitten by a serpent and died, and Menelaus then built a monument to his memory on the shore where this happened, around which the town of Canopus later grew up. In this town was worshipped the egiptian god Osiris, under a peculiar form: that of a vase with a human head. Osiris is a god who is in among other things, the Lord of the afterlife, the dead, resurrection and life in ancient Egyptian religion).

Osiris is the name of the group/company Undertaker was supposedly working with on his bizarre doll/resurrection project during the Campania arc. It is curious too the way Canopus died (it will implicate Doll's fate in the future?... although for now I see it unlikely).

About Doll's role in the plot, I don't think she will be killed (in this arc), because I think our Ciel will see her again, it would be a poor choice on Yana's part to reintroduce Doll just to kill her off so quickly, what would be the point then? And we still don't know why Undertaker revived her either. The "Stars" require a lot of work and huge amount of resources to function properly, and her blood type is rare (not as rare as Sirius but still rare), so why Undertaker gave her such preferential treatment is a mystery. I don't think he has revived her just to mortify OCiel, there must be another reason.

And some things start to make sense now, just at this part. I don't think the relationship between RCiel and Doll is good at all, since RCiel wouldn't tolerate someone who hold such a big grudge against his brother, and Doll wouldn't like the idea of dealing with the brother of the one who killed her and her family. So it makes sense not to mention Canopus as a candidate for his butler.

Besides, the butler of RCiel would need to be a fighter, and unlike Lizzie, strength in combat doesn't seem to be Doll's strong point, who also seems to be in a delicate state. Polaris fought AGNI and won, Layla(Al) almost beat Ronald if it wasn't for William's intervention, but Doll just walk and collapse? Like with RCiel, that could be because of a low blood supply.

What will happen now?

Regarding what will happen next, I was somehow expecting a confrontation between Doll and Finnian, but in her current state that seems impossible, since she probably can barely move, so the whole conflict will happen between Finny and Snake.

Doll is an important part of Snake's character. She is the first person who reached out for him, and in his memories she is the most prominent figure of his "circus family". The worst thing is that Snake has been serving loyally to the one who ordered her death, and him forgiving OCiel after finding out seems unlikely. There are inocent children involved too, so the situation is really complicated. It will all depends on what are Snake's priorities and loyalty, but I wonder if he will bear with the idea of killing Doll, I highly doubt it (I hope he and Finny save the kids though).

On the other hand, I expect Finnian not to die and return to OCiel and Sebastian, but he could learn from Doll the truth about Sebastian's nature. At first obviously not believing her words, but the seed of doubt would be planted, as he could remember Sebastian's strange behavior in the Emerald Witch arc. Finnian could confirm this later, causing a huge conflict between the servants and Sebastian, who would want to protect their master from him, and complicating things for our Ciel.

In addition, we must consider that Meyrin and Bard have already achieved 2 victories for OCiel, will this be the occasion where RCiel will win a game?

[your-regular-toast-enjoyer]

Headcanons: Yandere Damian Wayne x Reader : Reader escapes him.

Damian Wayne x reader. Yandere!Damian Wayne x reader/ Yandere Damian Wayne x Reader

Word count: 1460 words

TW: GN reader, Yandere, kidnapping, adult Damian Wayne (inspired and mostly based off of Damian in Batman beyond & Injustice 2: Gods among us), toxic family relations, obsession. Also, I have a friend that informed me that at the end of the Bruce and Grayson chapters the last sentence is cut off for phone users, I've tried to fix it by just rewriting the cut-off part below the original sentence.

First of all, it would have to be by some incredible stroke of luck that you managed to escape his grip. I imagine that if Damian turns yandere, he’ll indulge more in his “evil” side, so to speak. By that, I mean that he would probably return to his grandfather’s side and retake his place as the heir to the demon’s head, as the Al Ghuls’ less strict moral codes allow him to better keep you to himself. But let’s say that you somehow managed to sneak out without his knowledge, (likely with the help from Bruce and his brothers). Damian would stop at nothing to get you back.

 

Does anyone remember that glimpse we got of Damian as Batman in Batman #666? Yeah…That is how I imagine Damian would be if his beloved ever escaped. He would see you being away from him as an attempt on your life. He’s your protector…At least in his mind. To take you away from your protector is a not-so-hidden attempt to endanger you, right? Well no…But Damian certainly thinks so. So, if you got help from anyone… Good luck to them. Because Damian would blame them for your escape, and he has never been known for being superbly generous to his enemies. They’ll suffer. He’ll make sure of it.

But let’s say that the person helping you escape is one of his brothers or his father. How would he react? Well… It depends on who:

If Bruce is the one helping you, Damian realises that he has a relatively low chance of winning a hand-to-hand combat with his father. That doesn’t mean he’ll give up on you, though. Damian would at first try to negotiate with his father. Explain the reasoning behind his actions. He would attempt to invoke his father’s sympathy. As pathetic as Damian finds the entire thing, he is willing to put down his pride momentarily if it means he’ll get you back. 

If Bruce cooperates and Damian gets you back, you might gain more freedom. Damian would feel indebted to his father for giving him another chance, and he’d attempt to pay his father back by trying to treat you more like a normal lover would.

If his father refuses to give you back to Damian, despite his downright begging, Damian would go ballistic. I’m pretty sure he’d either ask his mother for help, (unsuccessfully since his mother is borderline yandere for his father and doesn’t want him to hate her for aiding in their son’s unhealthy attachment). When that doesn’t work. He’d simply kill his father using underhanded tricks, (probably use one of his brothers as bait to lure his father into a death trap). He won’t like it. No. He’ll despise himself for having done it for the rest of his near-eternal life, but it’ll be worth all the self-loathing as long as he can have you back in his arms. That’s not to mention Talia, who will forever blame you for Bruce’s death. She may or may not attempt to kill you... as retribution for her one true love's death ...

(death ... ) - (for phone users)

If it’s Grayson who helps you, which is probably the most likely as I can imagine Damian informing his oldest brother of where he, (and subsequently you), is, in case he wants to visit. So if Grayson takes you. Damian still rages, but he’ll be more inclined to listen to reason than he would have been otherwise. 

Damian has never hidden the fact that Grayson is his favourite brother, probably his favourite family member, (except you). He can’t bring himself to kill him. But…That doesn’t mean that he won’t extort him. Yeah… He’ll kidnap Barbara, (or Koriand’r, if you’re a Starfire fan), and propose a tradeoff with Richard. If his brother doesn’t bite, he’ll just up the gamble. He’ll kidnap Tim as well, maybe even the rest of Grayson’s old Teen Titan’s/Young Justice team. With all of his friends’ lives in danger, it’s unlikely that Richard will keep protecting you. Even if he does, Damian will fight him. Not to the point of lethality, but hard enough so his brother doesn’t become suspicious. While Grayson is distracted, Damian will have one of the assassins bring you back to the league.

(bring you back to the league.) (For phone users)

If Jason is the one who took you from Damian. Damian would downright cut his brother’s legs off. He really likes Todd, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. Damian doesn’t want him dead, even if Jason took you away from him. He won’t go to the same lengths as with Grayson to keep from killing, but he’ll sooner incapacitate Jason than end his life. I see the whole thing going a little like this:

Jason takes you from the league. (He knows Talia well, and I can see Jason convincing her to let him take you with him. She probably never thought you were quite good enough for her son. It’s nothing personal. She doesn’t dislike you more than anyone else. She just doesn’t think that anyone could ever be worthy of her son).

When you’re back in Gotham, Jason will hide you in one of his many safehouses while waiting for Damian in another. He couldn’t lead his younger brother straight to you by staying with you, so you’ll have to sit tight.

Damian finds Jason. He already knows that you won’t be with his brother. Damian knows Jason isn’t stupid despite having the same muscle mass as Batcow.

The two of them fight, but Damian doesn’t play fair. He probably brought a crowbar or enlisted the help of the Joker, (as stupid of a move as that might seem. Damian knows that the clown is only craving chaos. So chaos is what he’ll get. Joker has no interest in you. He wants to torment Batman, and what better way to do that than to work with Batman’s youngest son to kidnap someone). Jason takes one look at either the crowbar or the Joker, and he feels himself fall back into the memory of the warehouse. He’s horrified, and no matter how hard he tries to push it all away, it’s too much. 

Jason is weakened by Damian’s tricks, and the younger Wayne promptly breaks his brother’s legs beyond repair. Thus making sure that he won’t be a future problem. He’ll interrogate Jason about your whereabouts, but Jason doesn’t break.

In the end, one of Damian’s assassins finds you and brings you to him. Jason is devastated. He failed you, and all he can do is yell profanities at Damian as you’re carried away, out of his sight.

If it’s Tim who tried to save you… Oh, dear… Damian won’t care about what happens to the “replacement”. Damian will find Tim and if you’re with him, Damian will simply take you, kill Tim and go back to the League of Assassins’ base. If you’re not with Tim, Damian grows furious. Not only did his most “useless” brother take you away from him, but he also let you out of his sight. You could’ve hurt yourself! Damian’s ire only grows as Tim prepares to fight him. For Damian, this is not just a question of Tim taking you from him. It’s also a fight to prove whether Tim was really ever worthy of his position next to Bruce, his position as the former Robin and his current position as Red Robin. With Damian’s rage and his lack of morals, he easily wins the fight. Perhaps Tim let his brother win to show Damian that he actually follows Bruce’s rules and would never kill, as opposed to Damian, thus mocking the green-eyed warrior one last time. Damian draws Tim’s final moments out. An assassin has already found you. You were hiding nearby, having followed Tim’s instructions, which turned out to be faulty due to Damian arriving sooner than expected. A last “Demon spawn” leaves Tim’s bloodied lips as Damian slowly drags his katana out of Tim’s chest, cleaning it with an old handkerchief, which is left stained red.

No matter whether you escaped on your own or with the help of someone else. Damian will lock you in your shared bedroom whenever he isn’t available, putting twice as many guards near you at all times. He might even have you sit next to him or on his lap while he commands the League by his mother and grandfather’s side, (if he isn’t already the head of the league at this point). He won’t punish you too harshly, but he might smack you to the ground once when you get home. That’s only if you escaped on your own, though. If someone else helped you, he’d delusionally think that they simply kidnapped you against your will and that you honestly love being with him.

[fullmetalfears]

Hoenheim is one of my favorite characters in the OG FMA manga and Brotherhood. He made me love the sad immortal that hates themself trope, and in general I find the combination of failed father figure, gentle kind person, and the violence he accidently did to his people make for a dynamic character.

But I do 100% think FMA made the other characters far too quick to forgive Hoenheim for leaving the boys.

In the manga, it was directly said that Hoenheim wrote back home but in the anime you get NOTHING. Either way, the man left for a decade, during the most important period of his children's lives as children... because he felt like a monster. Not because he was actually doing things to his kids, but HE wanted to live like a human.

It's shitty. It's awful. One of the people that Ed and Al were supposed to rely on most left because he couldn't get over his own misery. Instead of waiting even a few years to make sure they could even take care of themselves better before leaving, he left before they could even really remember him at all.

I say this not because I don't think it was a good character decision. In fact I think it's tragic in a way that the series needs. The lack of clear lines between monsters and people, where one of Hoenheim's worst decisions is leaving his wife and kids, something that any person can do.

Hoenheim's real flaw when it comes to his family is not valuing that people want him to be there.

Which makes his final offer to Ed to sacrifice himself take on a different light.

In canon, the manga/anime make it clear that Ed calling Hoenheim a shitty father was meant to be as much Ed chastising Hoenheim for not understanding they won't use philosopher stones as it is an acknowledge that Ed accepts him as his father.

But to me, it shows that Hoenheim still hasn't learned why leaving was such an awful blow to the family. Yes, Trisha died because he wasn't there but even if he came back ten years later, did he still expect it to be from a loving family? Did Hoenheim expect the world to stand still while he left?

Hoenheim is still sacrificing himself after all this damn time. He still doesn't see that being there for his kids could invaluable. Maybe they grew up without him, and hell, maybe he doesn't deserve a second chance after so long, but for the boys, making sure you live to the next day is their entire philosophy. And Hoenheim, is willing to give that next day up.

In context, he's giving himself up for his boys after all this time of putting his own feelings first, but he would still be gone. What's worse, in Ed's perspective it's an impossible choice. If Ed couldn't have thought of another way to get Al back, Hoenheim basically offered Ed a chance to kill him in exchange for his brother.

You know. Killing. The one thing that Ed will not fucking do.

Hoenheim doesn't understand Ed. He also even after all this time doesn't get that living for them and to move forward would be the best thing he could do.

So yeah. I adore Hoenheim but the manga/anime kinda does a clumsy job with him. It does such a good job of setting Hoenheim up as looming negative premise in the beginning and then the story overcorrects in trying to make you like him that it forgets that, yeah, leaving your wife and kids for a decade is kinda bad actually!!!

It doesn't help that no one else is angry at Hoenheim. Izumi knew the boys as small children, presumably orphans and yet greets Hoenheim warmly. In the manga the people of Risembol are baffled on his arrival but otherwise move on. Pinako WHO BASICALLY HELPED RAISED THEM is just sorta neutral towards him. Even Al isn't angry. He just wants his dad back which is fine, but it leaves Ed's anger as an outlier, like it's childish of him not to understand.

By the time of his death, Hoenheim doesn't really learn anything. He's forgiven because he really was a good dude and he felt really bad about leaving for a decade so he can totally be forgiven by everyone right?

Right.

So yeah. Hoenheim? Great character, but awful dad which is part of why he's a good character but the story really pulls its punches about him.

~Luna

[ghostofvalorie]

That Essay

@forsaire tagged me and now I MUST provide! You opened Pandora's box on this one. To adhere to the rules I will first provide FOUR and ONLY FOUR of my fictional crushes! And to make it easier on us all I've narrowed it down to games only, so here we go!

I'm starting off from the very beginning of my journey into crushing on non-existent people, and people who have read my tags before might know this one already!

Malik Al Sayf from Assassins Creed 1 - 2007

A man whom you've wrong by being arrogant and then spends the next few hours of the game being yelled at by him, and rightfully so. Not only do you cost him his arm and place as an assassin in the brotherhood, but his younger brother as well. Eventually Altaïr stops begin a prick and apologizes and Malik, bless his heart forgives him. Still... not me rolling into Jerusalem hoping, wishing, to get yelled at because Malik's Voice Actor goes HARD <3 I love him and his 7 whole polygons! NEXT!!

Keeping it somewhat chronological:

The Arishok from Dragon Age 2 - 2011

He beeg. He got horns. He is technically an antagonist in the game but he has a moral code that makes sense to him that he is willing to kill and die for. Qunari famously live their lives incredibly black and white so to him he is in the right, even if we disagree. But he just got a wholeass vibe, and he'll say nice things such as

"I have a growing lack of disgust for you" and I mean, with that voice... say no more sir. *takes shirt off*

NR 3: Adam Jensen from Deus Ex - 2011-2016

My cyborg husband <3 Ex-swat turned security guy, then interpool agent (depends on which game you are playing) He's just an incredibly good guy, the sweetest person on the block. Ofc it depends on how you play and what choices you make, but MY Adam is a sweeheart that will go out of his way to help people. And my boi got sass, he'll be snarky to literally anyone, his boss, the cops, criminals you name it. He's also secretly a little funny. <3

Nr 4: Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2 - 2018

I mean first off, he do a little *mlem* when he drinks coffee... Do i even need to say more? Arthur is just such a perfect sad boy. Raised to believe his only worth lies in killing people when in reality he is incredibly competent, sharp and caring. Again depends on how you play the game, but my Arthur is the goodest boi in the west.

Now that was four, oh but look, somehow completely unrelated to all this, some other honorable mentions seems to have ended up after the cut, how silly of me!

And @xintothewoodswegox, show us what you got!

Beast from Beauty and the Beast - 2017

No further comment, your honor, if you've seen the movie you should know.

Kaidan Alenko from Mass Effect - 2012

How can we not love the powerful nerdass space magician! He's caring, he is cute, he is Canadian and schrodinger's person of color! He also glow blue, what else can you possible want? I for sure do NOT kick my feet and twirl my hair anytime he wants to talk to me.

Eris Goddess of Chaos from Sinbad - 2003

I MEAN LOOK AT HER?!?!?!? Again an antagonist, but she is sexy about it.

Helga Sinclair from Atlantis - 2001

I'm-I i mean, I don't even have words. Every time I SEE Helga my brain flat-lines I can't help it. THAT GIF THO???

Majima Goro from the Like a Dragon series of games

No comment, because if i start i will NEVER stop, he's story is too good.

Simon 'Ghost' Riley from Call of Duty MWII - 2022

I could literally put ALL the characters from that game in this list. ALL OF THEM, but to keep this somewhat short I've chosen ONE and i've chosen Ghost, the most tragic man alive.

Kar'niss from Baldur's Gate 3 - 2023

Another TRAGIC boi, missunderstood and abused </3 I could take care of him. LET ME TAKE CARE OF HIM LARIAN

Jonathan Reid from Vampyr - 2018

You didn't think I'd squeeze in a vampire this late, did you? I wasn't overly impressed by Jonathan from the start, BUT, he is FASCINATING if you play him as a bloodthirsty villain willing to murder everyone for power! I'm here for bad-boy Reid!

Lastly, for now: Corvo Attano from Dishonored - 2012

Also an incredibly tragic man, who's fate you hold in your hands with your actions! He's just hot, he's a dilf, he can succumb to grief and violence or rise above it to save not only his daughter but an entire empire from destruction.

I'm not sure i've y'all have noticed the pattern yet but let me spell it out for you:

PEOPLE THAT CAN ABSOLUTELY DESTROY ME! Look at them all! So STRONG! So POWERFUL! Fuck, mess me up fam! And the beauty lies in that they never would. Or I mean Eris might... but I'm in a firm belief that the others would never harm someone they care about and ain't that just the purest thing you've ever heard.

Now this was only the highlights of my fictional crushes, I've kept most of the absolute freaks out for now. Maybe I'll do an updated list later where werewolves and Cthulhu makes the cut, we'll see. Now I know HP Lovecraft wasn't a very cool dude to say the least, but you expect me to be normal about the big tentacle monster? REALLY? Lower your expectations.

[teecupangel]

Thinking about AltDes and Desmond showing up Gold in his vision - gold means important, not necessarily good. Targets show up in gold so if Desmond caught Al Mualim's attention and he sent Altair after him he'd be expecting him to be gold, so what if he shows up another colour? Like white for safety, or blue for ally, with gold lining? Desmond has killed, but never innocents, and most of the time if he kills someone it's cause they're trying to kill him, so what if he shows up as an innocent in Eagle Vision, so Altair has to figure out why Al Mualim would send him after an innocent man. Bonus if this involves either Richards bastard brother!Desmond or Scholar!Desmond. Also, I wanna see the drunk history episode talking about Richard's brother Desmond lol.

I always hc that Desmond’s gold is special in a sense that it’s brighter than any other gold Altaïr has ever seen (not like flashbang bright but like the lightbulb equivalent of white gold) but I also like to add in wisps of blue in his form to show that, even if they haven’t met, Desmond is already an ally.

So yeah, it’s that mix of blue that would always make Altaïr pause, regardless of what Desmond’s ‘occupation’ is. How this would work on either Scholar!Desmond or BastardPrince!Desmond:

Desmond as a Scholar and Erotica Novelist

The blue wisps of Desmond’s form would be strange and would make Altaïr cautious.

At this point, Altaïr isn’t doing the information gathering himself as that’s a novice’s job so his cautious approach would be more because he’s thinking maybe the novices made a mistake or something.

He would observe Desmond first by staying near him.

It would be curiosity that propels Altaïr to observe him. To know why he shows as both important and an ally to Altaïr’s eyes.

But it would be his growing feelings for Desmond that makes him stay. That will end with him screwing up the Templars’ plans and maybe even the whole plot of Altaïr’s Chronicles because he wishes to remain by Desmond’s side.

You know how Altaïr was willing to give up everything and run away with Adha for a chance to be happy? Well, in this scenario, Altaïr is pretty much willing to give up being an Assassin to be a simple scholar with Desmond.

The only thing that stopped him was Desmond who knows that Altaïr is needed by the Brotherhood so that it could evolve and be better.

In the end, Altaïr takes on the mantle of mentor because of Desmond’s words and Desmond ends up being the head scholar of the main library in Masyaf. The letters Shaun and the others recover are letters Altaïr and Desmond send to one another whenever Altaïr leaves Masyaf.

Desmond as the Illegitimate Brother of King Richard:

In this scenario, Altaïr would be ordered to kill Desmond after he already failed in Jerusalem (in this case, we’re going for old!Altaïr has been reborn as Robert to make this more complicated) and got Kadar and Malik captured.

Altaïr would know Desmond as the one who told ‘Robert’ to let Kadar and Malik go (old!Altaïr wanted to keep them so they would be safe while he plans on how to kill Al Mualim) and Kadar would insist that he’s a good man while Malik would say something like “He saved us but we must not let our guards down. For all we know, this could be simply a part of a more complicated plans to destroy us.”

Altaïr would stalk Desmond because the information he received from informants would all point that he’s a good person and they would all be befuddled by Al Mualim would wish for his death when it would be more beneficial for them if they were to assassinate King Richards and have Desmond take the throne instead.

At some point, Altaïr would start stalking Desmond even closer and… he’ll develop feelings for him from afar. He would see his kindness and the way he acts around people and he would understand why Desmond had wisps of blue in his golden form. He was important, yes, but those wisps of blue meant that he wasn’t an enemy. If anything, he could be the best ally the Brotherhood could ever gain.

Then he would see Desmond with ‘Robert’ and would see those private smiles only reserved for ‘Robert’ and he’d grow jealous of their growing relationship.

At some point, Altaïr would stop hiding and just… start visiting Desmond while he’s alone. Short conversations that would soon turn to Desmond asking him to stay for tea.

Altaïr would fall in love with him because Desmond treats him different. He doesn’t know it’s because he is special to Desmond, has been from the very beginning.

So when Desmond is shipped back to England to become the regent while King Richards stays, Altaïr doesn’t think. He joins them back.

At that point, Altaïr’s priorities have shifted to Desmond completely because of how Desmond makes him feel.

And this is a plot where Altaïr would throw away his future as an Assassin to be with Desmond, even if it is to simply be his shadow.

Then Maria tells Desmond to just announce that he’s in love with two men and everything snowballed from there and…

Well…

Altaïr and ‘Robert’ don’t necessary like one another but they’re willing to share Desmond if that makes him happy.

……… Desmond just wanted to retire from all of these political-royalty bullshit.

(I can make fake screenshots if you want? Which cohost would you like to get drunk for this one? XD)

[eldest-sibling-tournament]

I will literally scream if Edward Elric doesn't win. I feel so strongly about this.

Despite the fact that he held a lot of resentment towards Al when he was first born, once he got over it, there was nothing he wouldn't do for his little brother.

When they try and bring their mom back, Ed's primary concern isn't their mom. As soon as it starts going wrong, he's worried for Al.

Ed can't be more than ten, maybe eleven years old, and yet this kid, with a freshly amputated leg, chooses to sacrifice even more just to save his younger brother.

"Whether it be an arm or a leg... or even my heart! You can take it! Anything, you can have it! Just give me back my brother!"

He got automail (and healed in a year) and joined the literal military at twelve years old just so that they might have a better chance at getting their bodies back.

Ed spent four years trying to get Al's body back, barely worrying about his own missing limbs. Keep in mind, this kid isn't any older than sixteen throughout this whole thing. He was willing to let himself be killed by Scar on the off-chance that Scar would leave Al alone.

He gave up his ability to do alchemy for Al.

Ed has showed, time and time again, that he is the best eldest sibling. You can argue with the wall.

thank you

[lewmagoo]

before the devil comes for you | robert "bob" floyd

chapter three previous chapter

summary: the year is 1975. robert floyd is a young reverend haunted by demons from his past. fresh out of seminary, he is led to take up a backwoods church in a small mining town. there, he meets a woman who is in the midst of questioning the very foundation of her faith. as their worlds collide, robert soon finds himself tangled in a web of temptation and lies. with the past he’s spent so long trying to outrun quickly closing in, he is faced with a decision, in which he must either condemn the woman he loves, or turn his back on his faith.

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pairing: robert "bob" floyd x oc (fairlight mackall)

warnings: 18+ ONLY, heavy religious themes, mentions of death, mention of gunshot injury, misogynistic idealism, verbal abuse (fairlight's father berates her)

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Reverend Robert Floyd wasn’t quite sure what he’d been expecting when the Lord had led him to the village of Backforty Gap. 

No matter how he pictured it in his mind, nothing could have prepared him for the reality of life in this place. He’d barely been in the village for three days, and he was already laying hands upon an injured man, beseeching the Almighty not to take him from his family. 

Bob quickly learned that life in this place could be frightening and arduous. In fact, it almost seemed that the people just expected life to be that way. They believed that God was testing them, and that everything that happened to them had a heavenly purpose. 

They believed it so deeply that Bob wasn’t sure they’d be willing to listen to anything else. He had to choose his words carefully so as not to upset the apple cart. Especially when Jed Allen’s children were asking him all these questions as he looked after them the night after their father was injured. 

Doc McHone had insisted that he wanted to keep Jed at his place overnight to see that he made it through the night. Their mother, Livy, refused to leave her husband’s side. The prospect of leaving him even for a few hours almost sent her into hysterics. 

It seemed that the only one who could calm her was Bob, just as he’d done in the beginning when Jed had first been brought to the doctor. Bob prayed over her and her husband, and it seemed to settle her considerably. 

She had reason to be so distraught. The thought of losing her husband was more than she could bear. She had only just lost her second eldest child to the war. Samuel Allen was only eighteen years of age when he died. Killed within the first few weeks of combat. His body had been shipped home, leaving the Allens to bury their son and brother themselves. 

There was no fanfare. No gun salute or folding of the flag. He’d simply been lowered into the ground in the middle of the local Pratt Cemetery, a soldier forgotten. The story had been relayed to him by Fairlight, who’d told him in hushed tones, so he knew what he was dealing with. 

His heart went out to Livy Allen and her children. The sight of her bent over her husband, whispering repeated prayers, was gut-wrenching. And the children broke his heart, too. Especially young Will, who’d been the one to witness his father sustain his injury. 

It was clear that this family needed all the support they could get. The responsibility to provide that support weighed heavily on the young preacher’s shoulders. He hoped he could offer them the comfort they needed. 

This resulted in him spending the night in the Allen’s weatherbeaten old house, dutifully watching over each and every one of those children. Zinnia, being the oldest at twenty years old, was responsible for the children in her mother’s absence. And she was perfectly capable of taking care of her younger siblings. But Fairlight had known Zinnia her entire life. And she knew when her friend needed help. She could see that the girl felt incredibly lost and alone. Although their friendship was not what it once was, she still cared about Zinnia, and wanted to offer help during a difficult time. 

That was how Bob and Fairlight had found themselves here, laid out on an uncomfortable, worn wooden floor, surrounded by sleeping children. There were a few bedrooms in the house, but the siblings were so shaken that they didn’t want to be apart. So everyone had fallen asleep on the floor in the sitting room.

Bob hadn’t slept a wink all night. He was too busy contemplating the weight of it all. Was he truly cut out for this? His mind kept replaying the events of the day before. The way he’d barely been able to handle it. Seeing that bullet wound in Jed Allen had awakened memories he thought he’d pushed aside long ago. It reminded him of the wicked things he had done.

He knew that his sins were covered by the Blood, but that didn’t mean that he still didn’t struggle with guilt. It made him wonder if becoming a preacher was the best decision. But then he thought of his mother, and how proud she’d been when he informed her he was going to seminary. 

When he graduated, he would never forget the gleam in her eyes as he presented her with the certificate confirming that he, Robert Nathanael Floyd, was now an ordained minister. She’d taken his face in her hands and whispered, “thank you, Lord, for bringing my Bobby back to You.”

How could he disappoint her by giving up so easily? 

And then he thought of Fairlight. He could still hear her melodic voice carrying out into the warm air, soothing his nerves, and bringing him back down to earth as she sang to the children. 

Here was a woman who’d lived in these mountains her whole life. She had faced great adversity and still remained the epitome of grace and strength, even in the midst of her backwoods community. 

And Bob admired that about her. He found himself inspired by her, and it seemed that her resolve had been just the push he needed to make the decision to stay here for as long as the Almighty would have him do so. 

So, he decided that sleeping on a hardwood floor all night was worth it, if it meant he was fulfilling his purpose here. 

He rose with the sun that morning, careful not to step on any sleeping children as he crept outside onto the porch, pulling the heavy wooden door shut behind him. It was time to talk to the Lord. 

He spent a few minutes praying and taking in the mountain air. The morning was warm, but it was comfortable. Birds sang above, songbirds rehearsing their chorus. The way the house was situated, one could see the sunrise from the porch. And that’s what Bob did. He watched the rays of light filter in through the trees, smiling to himself at the thought. This place was one of great beauty and splendor. He marveled at it all. 

But his tranquility was soon interrupted by the sound of the door sliding open. He turned, only to find Fairlight stepping onto the porch, her feet bare, as they often were. She smiled at him, a sleepy smile that was surely the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. 

He stopped himself before his mind could wander too far. 

“Morning’, Preacher,” she greeted him as she eased the door shut. “How’d you sleep?”

He shrugged, wrinkling his nose in distaste. “Hardly a wink. But it’s alright, I can always catch up on sleep tonight. What about you?”

“Not any better than you. But it seems like all the little ones all got some sleep, which I was hoping for. Poor things went through a lot yesterday.”

Bob hummed as she moved to stand beside him, leaning against the porch railing. She’d let her golden locks out of the plait they’d previously been weaved into, and her hair framed her face. He thought it looked like a halo, of sorts. 

There it was again, that stubborn mind of his beginning to wander. He forced his thoughts of her beauty aside and continued speaking. 

“I was thinking I would pray with them before we leave today,” he remarked. 

Fairlight nodded. “They’d like that. Especially Zinnia.”

“Are you two close?” He asked, out of curiosity. 

The girl shrugged, her fingers running idly across a rough patch of wood. “We were, once. We grew up together. She’s a little younger than me, but she’s the only girl close to my age around here, so we were drawn to each other, I guess you could say. But lately, we’ve been growing apart. Mainly because she’s getting married soon and I don’t want any part of it.”

At her explanation, Bob’s brow furrowed. He knew he was essentially engaging in gossip by asking further questions, but he figured the Lord would forgive him, so he asked anyway. “Why is that?”

“The man she’s marryin’…I don’t like him. I think he’s no good for her. But she insists it’s the Lord’s plan for them to be together. But he acts like my—” she stopped herself, second-guessing the words she was about to say. My father. Instead, she said, “he believes all women are good for is getting married and popping out babies.”

Realization lifted his brow. “Oh, I see,” came his reply. 

“What do you think about that, Preacher? Do you agree with him?” She asked. He looked at her, and found that she was not trying to trap him with her words. She was merely curious, and he could see how conflicted she was. 

What did he think about it? He decided to be honest with her, simply to ease her mind. “I disagree. Women are meant for so much more than that.”

“You think so? Because my entire life, I’ve been told my worth is in my ability to bear children.” Fairlight lifted a delicate hand to her abdomen, just over the place where her womb would be. “I-I don’t want to have babies. I don’t want to bring them into this kind of life. Is that…is that wrong of me?”

Bob felt an ache blossom in his chest at her words. She looked so lost, standing there in her bare feet, her gray eyes filled with something akin to fear, or uncertainty. 

“No, it’s not wrong. From what I’ve seen already, life out here is hard. I don’t fault you for deciding you don’t want to bring a child into it.”

“Daddy says it isn't right for a woman to not want a child. Says there’s something wrong with a woman to think that way.” But Fairlight didn’t trust her father’s judgment about such things. He couldn’t even keep the wife he had. She had fled from his harshness, unwilling to bring any more children into their union. 

Fairlight would never forget the day she left, small as she was. Opal had wanted so badly to take her daughter with her, but Montgomery would not let her. He refused to allow her to even say goodbye. 

It was a scene that had been forever burned in Fairlight’s mind. And while Mont had done all he could to poison her memory of her mother, and insist that Opal was selfish and unloving for what she did, it hadn’t worked the way he’d intended it. 

Now, at nearly twenty-two, Fairlight was beginning to understand her mother’s reasoning for leaving. She had to, for her own well-being. It was either escape, or suffer at the hands of her controlling husband. 

Mont, however, insisted on telling people that she had died. Mostly because his pride was so severely wounded that she had outright left him. He couldn’t face it, not even now, almost sixteen years later. 

That was the story that Bob had gotten. But it wasn’t true. And Fairlight was itching to tell him that. However, she was afraid of how her father would react if he found out she blurted such a thing to the preacher. So, it was one thing she kept to herself. 

But now, as they stood there on the porch, and he gazed upon her with those deep blue eyes, she felt like she could tell him anything. It was an odd feeling, one that she hadn’t experienced with anyone before. No one ever bothered to truly listen to her. But here was Robert Floyd, a man she’d only known but a few days, who made her feel seen for the first time in her life. 

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he said with conviction. His gentle voice pulled her from her reverie. “I don’t believe God intended you to only be good for reproducing. He gave you a beautiful, strong mind. You’re so much more than your ability to bear children. Don’t you ever forget that.”

His words struck her, and she felt tears well in her eyes. She’d never heard the men in her life, let alone a preacher, say such things. The old preacher, Reverend Daniels, had held the same archaic views as all the other men in this community. He strongly believed things should be done the old-fashioned way. 

Robert Floyd didn’t think that way, however. And part of her was concerned for how he would fare in this church. But in her emotional state, she could not utter anything more than a “th-thank you.”

Bob smiled softly. “I meant every word.” But he couldn’t fathom the fact that this woman, this kind, gentle, strong woman, had been reduced to something so one-dimensional. It made his chest warm with indignation toward the ones who’d made her feel this way. 

But he was getting ahead of himself. He needed to keep his emotions in check. Maybe, if the Lord allowed, he would be able to gently nudge the congregation into changing its views on such matters. But even he knew that was foolishness. A people set in their way will not easily sway. 

Even so, he hoped he could at least be an encouragement to the girl before him. She deserved that much. 

Unbeknownst to either of them, something changed between the pair that morning, as they stood on that porch. A bond had started to blossom, just barely beginning to take root in the rich soil. And it would soon flourish into so much more than they ever could imagine. 

Until then, they remained in a delicate push and pull, only just getting to know the other. Bob welcomed her friendship, in a land where he didn’t know anyone, and was trying to find his footing. Maybe he was letting himself become too familiar with her, after only knowing her for a short time, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

He longed to say something more, but the sound of the door opening drew both of their attention elsewhere. There stood the eldest Allen, Zinnia. She greeted the reverend, and while she spoke with him, Fairlight slipped away, intent on making breakfast for the children before she and Bob departed for the day. 

As the children awoke, the morning became quite hectic, but soon, they were all occupied with their food. Bob sat at the table with them and spoke to each of them, learning their names. 

There was the youngest, Imogen, who was only four. Then there was Isaac, who was six. Then eight-year-old Will, fourteen-year-old Silas, and of course, twenty-year-old Zinnia. Bob took the time to learn something about each of them so he could file it away in his mind to use later as a talking point when he saw them at church on Sundays. 

When breakfast was over, he said a prayer over the family, asking God to heal their father, and provide his family with comfort. 

Then, the flaxen-haired girl and the preacher were off, wandering out into the warm May morning. 

Fairlight knew the roads and trails like the back of her hand, so she had no difficulty leading Bob down the old gravel road, which was so worn down that it could hardly be called gravel anymore. 

As they walked, Fairlight was deep in thought, her feet, now covered with a pair of shoes, kicked at random stones along the way. Although the silence was comfortable, Bob could tell she was deep in thought. 

“Can I ask you a question?” She finally spoke. A stray rock flew with the momentum from her kick, landing in the nearby woods with a thud. 

“Of course,” Bob replied, his hands shoved into the pockets of his trousers. He felt the coolness of his pocket watch, the one from his grandfather, against his fingers. 

“I’ve been thinking a lot of Jed Allen, and what happened. And I…I’m wonderin’, why would your God let something like that happen? He’s a husband and a father to six growing kids, who can’t get by without their daddy. Why would He try to take him from them?” As she spoke her words, she feared that maybe she was toeing a line that she wouldn’t be able to come back from. 

Bob was taken aback by a specific part of her statement. “My God? Is He not your God, too?” The moment he asked the question, he regretted it, because she shut down. 

Her cheeks burned as she shook her head. “I-I spoke wrong, I’m sorry.” She ducked her head and wouldn’t look at him. 

So he stopped, shoes crunching against the ground as he did. “Fairlight, wait. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have reacted like that. You just caught me off guard.” 

Just ahead of him, she stopped as well. When she said nothing, he continued. “To answer your question, I don’t fully know why He allows these things. Personally, I think He allows them to test a person’s faith. To see how you fare in the day of adversity.”

His answer did nothing to give her peace. In fact, it only deepened the feeling of hopelessness that she’d had for a long time. “I still don’t understand why a God who is supposed to be merciful would allow things like this.”

“Some things aren’t meant for us to understand.” He tried not to let on that he was floundering. 

“To answer your question about him being my God, I don’t know. I struggle to have a relationship with Him after everything I’ve seen in these mountains. Life here is brutal sometimes.”

Her reasoning made sense to him. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I understand why you might. But for me, God is all I have. I’ve gotta trust in Him or I don’t have anything else to fall back on.”

But to Fairlight, that seemed more like blind trust. She wondered if the preacher had ever experienced any difficulties in life. If he had, maybe his outlook wouldn’t be so positive. “Do you even know what it’s like to suffer?” She didn’t mean for the accusatory words to come out, but they did anyway, and as soon as they did, she recoiled at her own boldness. 

Bob’s shoulders went tense. His face hardened. Gone was the tenderness in those cerulean irises. “Once upon a time I was at death’s door, well on my way to eternal damnation. But then I found Jesus, and He changed my life. Saved me from myself. So don’t you dare assume I haven’t experienced any hardships. Because you have no idea what I’ve gone through.” 

But did he really believe the words he spoke? Had he found Jesus, or had he simply found religion, and a way to ease his mother’s worries? Either way, he knew he was no longer the person he was before, and that was all that mattered. 

“I’m sorry,” Fairlight whispered. 

Bob softened. “It’s okay. I guess I got a little too hot under the collar. I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just…I’ve been through a lot these last few years and now I feel like I’ve finally found some semblance of peace.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad you found peace. I’m still lookin’ for it myself.” She envied him, and wished she could find it in herself to put blind faith in the Almighty. It would make life much simpler. But she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to do that. 

“And I pray you find it,” the preacher said. 

The conversation drifted off into silence, and the pair resumed their walk, deciding it best to move on from the subject. There would be time to revisit it later, if need be. Until then, Fairlight much preferred not to think about her feelings about the Almighty, and about religion. Facing her feelings was a difficult pill to swallow. And she could only imagine the way her father would react if he found out she was questioning everything he’d taught her.

No, she couldn’t speak of those things to anyone else. Bob had to remain the only one privy to them.

That conversation they had on the road was tucked away in their minds, forgotten as the week began to pick up speed. It wasn’t long before Sunday was quickly approaching, and along with it, a crushing anxiety that had begun to pressurize within Bob’s chest. 

He had been poring over his prepared sermon for three days. He spent most of those days at the river near the Mackall property, seated on a larger rock on the riverbank, his Bible open in his lap as he whispered prayers, asking the Lord to give him wisdom. 

He enjoyed solitude during those days. On the third day, however, a welcome distraction came in the form of Fairlight approaching with a basketful of lunch she had prepared for him. It was Saturday, the day before he was to give his very first sermon in Backforty Gap. His nervousness was palpable. But Fairlight didn’t judge him for it.

“Made y’ some tomato sandwiches with the tomatoes from my garden,” she said with a smile as she handed him one of the sandwiches, wrapped in a piece of cheesecloth.

Bob smiled gratefully. “Thank you, I really appreciate it. Was just thinking about how my stomach wouldn’t stop growling and interrupting my prayers,” he said with an airy laugh.

“You’re welcome, Preacher,” she replied. 

As he began on his lunch, he watched as Fairlight stepped forward, her perpetually bare feet dipping into the edge of the water. She was quiet for a moment as she gazed upon the water. But soon, she broke the silence. “You’ll do just fine tomorrow, I know it.”

He looked at her for a moment. He felt comfortable enough to be honest with her. The last few days, ever since the moment they shared on the walk home, a comradeship had begun to develop, and they found themselves talking to one another more and more. 

“I sure hope so. I can do all things through Christ.”

“Who strengtheneth me,” she finished. Even if she was unsure of her beliefs, she still knew the Scriptures from cover to cover. She turned, looking over her shoulder at Bob. The wind blew strands of hair from her braid, sending the tendrils around her kind face. “I reckon I should warn you about some congregation members while I’m at it.”

Bob raised a brow. “Oh?”

The women nodded. “Mm. Mainly, you should watch out for Verity McNeal. She’s the church busybody. And she will suck up to you like a leech. She’ll want to be in charge of all ministry social events. And she doesn’t like to take no for an answer.”

The reverend nodded, swallowing his bite of sandwich before replying. “Noted,” he said. “Anyone else?”

“Yeah, there’s a man named Hawk Neiman. He’s not a church-going man, but I know he’ll probably be curious about the new preacher. He’s mean as a snake, especially when he’s drunk. He doesn’t take too kindly to newcomers here. So, just be warned.”

Bob appreciated her warnings. It gave him an idea of what to expect. But it did nothing to quell his anxiety. He wondered just how he was going to handle these people. However, it didn’t matter. It was all in the Lord’s hands.

Come Sunday, he’d learn exactly why she’d chosen to warn him.

And Sunday most certainly did come. He was awake bright and early, much too anxious for what was to come. He said his prayers, dressed in his Sunday best, which was a plain brown suit he’d found at a thrift store because he hadn’t had enough money for a new one. 

He gazed at himself in the tiny mirror hanging from the wall. Did he look presentable? Did he look like a man of God? When he gazed upon his face, all he saw was a boy. Lost, afraid, lying to himself by trying to insist that everything was going to work out just fine.

But he wasn’t alone, for in the house nearby, Fairlight was in her bedroom, dressing for church. Or, rather, kneeling in the middle of the floor, frustrated because she couldn’t find a thing to wear. She didn’t have much at all. A few plain dresses for everyday, two Sunday dresses, one pair of good shoes, and one pair of everyday shoes. 

But she did know where a few other, nicer, dresses were stored. In her father’s room was a wardrobe, entirely untouched, filled with women’s clothing. Her mother’s clothing. Montgomery had forbidden Fairlight from wearing any of the dresses, but today, she was going to break that rule. 

Her father wouldn’t like it, but she was hardly thinking of the consequences. She supposed all she really was thinking about was her own vanity. Why did she even want to dress up in such a way for Sunday service? She’d never felt the desire to before.

But deep down, she knew why. There was a certain young preacher who would stand before the congregation that day. Foolishly, she wanted to impress him. She knew it was the wrong mindset to have, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care as she crept across the hall and into Mont’s room.

She opened the old wooden wardrobe, revealing the array of dresses. Running her fingers delicately over each one, she finally decided on a pale pink dress, one that would compliment her hair and complexion. Then, she scurried back to her room, and began the process of readying herself for church.

Soon, she stood before the small mirror that sat upon her dresser, admiring her outfit. It fit like a glove, and left just enough to the imagination to still be considered modest for church. She couldn’t help but beam. With her hair falling loosely down her back, she felt beautiful. 

Her smile didn’t leave her face as she descended the stairs, floating as if she were on a cloud. At that same moment, the reverend was just stepping into the house, ready and waiting for the Mackall duo so they could all head to church together. 

He lifted his head as he walked through the door, eyes widening as he saw Fairlight coming toward him. Suddenly, couldn’t find the words under his tongue. She looked like a vision in a sweet pink dress, her hair framing her face. 

She smiled warmly at him as she stepped from the last stair. Bob hesitated, considering whether or not he should compliment her beauty. He knew it was highly inappropriate for him to do, but he found himself saying the words before he could stop himself. “You look lovely.”

The apples of her cheeks went pink. “O-oh, um, thank you,” she said in reply.

But the delicate moment was soon interrupted as Mont walked into the house, screen door slamming shut behind him, his boots scraping loudly against the wooden floor as he made a beeline for the wash basin in the kitchen.

He hadn’t yet noticed Fairlight’s attire as he pumped the water with the manual pump, scrubbing down his dirt-marred hands. “Be ready to go in a minute,” he announced over his shoulder.

“We’ll just go ahead and get in the truck,” Fairlight quickly said, hoping to get out the door before he turned and looked at her. 

But it was too late. He turned around, wiping his hands down with a cloth. And then he stopped. Intense blue eyes looked her up and down, and his gaze hardened. “What are you wearing, girl?” He demanded. 

She blanched, and Bob noticed it. “J-just one of Mama’s old dresses,” she replied. She no longer felt the boldness she had before.

“You know you ain’t supposed to be wearing that. What’s the matter with you?”

“Daddy, please,” she said, her voice wavering. 

Bob was floundering beside her, unsure of what to do. She looked to be on the verge of tears, and the sight sent an ache through his chest.

“Go back upstairs and change. Now.”

“I don’t see the problem with her w-”

“This ain’t your concern, Preacher. I’ll handle my own daughter. Why don’t you wait outside?”

But Fairlight shot Bob a look. Please don’t leave me. So he didn’t.

“There’s no reason I can’t wear her clothes. She’s been gone fifteen years!” Fairlight tried to reason.

“I said go CHANGE! Or I’ll rip that dress off of you myself!” He bellowed.

Bob watched in horror as her stormy eyes welled with tears, and seconds later, she spun on her heel, rushing back up the stairs, sobbing as she went. Shocked, he looked at Montgomery. The man was heaving with an unfounded rage. 

With a groan, he pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself. “I told you to wait outside. But I sure am sorry about that, Preacher. I’ve got no patience for acts of rebellion.”

Bob bit the inside of his cheek, willing himself to remain calm. “A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger,” he quoted from the fifteenth chapter of Proverbs, staring pointedly at the man before him. “I know it’s not my place, but your daughter isn’t a little girl anymore. She should be allowed to make decisions for herself.”

Mont squared his shoulders. “I’d appreciate it if you stayed outta my family’s business and stuck to preachin’.” Then, he walked away, leaving Bob reeling.

He couldn’t believe what he’d just witnessed. He longed to check on Fairlight, but he didn’t dare cause any more problems, so he slipped out the front door instead, opting to wait outside. This situation was more dire than he’d even realized. What respect he had for Mont, was now gone.

But there was no time to dwell on it. A few moments later, Fairlight came through the door, now dressed in a plain gray dress, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Bob tried to reach out to her, but she shook her head and simply climbed into the truck bed, taking a seat with her back toward him.

The preacher sighed softly and decided to climb into the passenger side. Soon, Mont was climbing into the driver’s seat, and then, they were off to church. Both men were silent as they went along, neither desiring to speak to the other. What a way to start his first Sunday as pastor.

When they pulled into the tiny gravel parking lot, which could hardly be considered as such, Bob was quick to jump out of the truck first, eager to put space between him and Mont. He whispered a prayer to the Lord, asking Him to calm his spirit and help him focus on his ministerial duties.

He pushed the argument to the back of his mind and put on the mask of the God-fearing preacher, preparing himself to greet congregation members. It wasn’t long before the first family arrived. He dutifully greeted them, introducing himself and informing them that he was eager to take on the helm of their new pastor. 

The Allen family showed up, sans Jed, who was still recovering from his injury earlier in the week. The children were happy to see Bob again, and he greeted them with a smile and told them to find a seat wherever they liked. 

Then, there was Verity McNeal, the woman Fairlight had warned him about. And oh, had she been right about her. She was incredibly forward, shaking Bob’s hand with vigor. “Reverend Floyd! So nice to finally meet you! You are a Godsend to our people! We’ve been lost little sheep with no shepherd this whole time. The Lord has sent us our shepherd at last!” 

“Oh, I’m just following wherever He leads me, ma’am,” Bob replied with a smile. Her hands were still clasping his. Her sharp green eyes unnerved him. 

“Well if you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask! I just live half a mile up the road, go south and my trailer is on the left. You can’t miss it! I’d love to meet with you and discuss your plans for the ministry!”

And then she was flouncing away, leaving Bob a little flabbergasted. However, the time to start the service was quickly approaching. So, he decided to make his way up to the pulpit to prepare. 

He could feel everyone’s eyes on him as he walked. He knew they were silently judging him, wondering if he would be everything they hoped he would be. He didn’t expect them to accept him right away, but he was willing to wait patiently for them to do so. 

Finally, he turned on his heel to face them all, and he offered a warm smile. He couldn’t help but let his gaze shift to Fairlight momentarily, who sat on the front row beside Montgomery. She did not return his smile. 

“Good morning. I’m your new preacher, Robert Floyd. It’s a pleasure to stand before you this morning. I’m really looking forward to getting to know you all, and leading this flock God has given me.” 

There were some echoes of good morning, nodding of heads, hummed responses. He took that as his cue to continue. “I’m from Indiana, born and raised. My mama raised me to fear the Lord and took me to church every Sunday.”

He continued on, recounting some more details, such as what seminary he graduated from. He got the sense the people didn’t care about that. They were just glad to have a preacher to replace the old one. 

“Well, enough about me. Let’s get on to the Good Book, shall we?” 

And so, his first sermon in a new land had begun. 

But he barely got ten minutes into it before all of the sudden, the church doors swung open, echoing through the quiet room. Bob trailed off, a little surprised. His eyes flickered to the back, where a lone man stood. 

He wasn’t very tall, but he had an intimidating air about him. His eyes were hard-set and calculating. A full beard covered the lower portion of his face. He was every bit a mountain man as they came. 

Bob knew who he was instantly. “Good morning, Hawk. I was told you might join our service today.”

He scoffed, shaking his head. “Just came to see what all the fuss is about. Y’ don’t look like much.” 

Bob ignored his insult. “You’re free to stay and listen to the sermon, if you like,” he said.

Hawk mumbled something unintelligible and then took a seat on one of the old wooden benches. Then, the preacher cleared his throat, and continued like nothing had even happened. The people marveled silently to themselves. If he was unphased by Hawk Neiman, maybe there was hope for him yet. 

After the initial interruption, the rest of the service went on without a hitch. Bob preached about loving thy neighbor, which he thought was a safe subject for his first sermon. He could focus on more hard-hitting topics later on, after he was established. 

Before long, the church hour came to a close, and he dismissed the congregation with a prayer. Afterward, he found himself standing at the door, bidding goodbye to each member as they left. 

“Beautiful sermon, Reverend!” Verity gushed, nearly scaring the daylights out of him when she popped up out of nowhere. “The Almighty really spoke through you!”

“Oh! Uh, tha-thank you. Praise the Lord,” he graciously responded. 

She babbled on about some church event coming up, but Bob found himself tuning her out when he caught sight of Fairlight, walking out through the church doors. 

“Yes, that all sounds wonderful. I’ll be in touch with you!” He said to Verity before he slipped away from her, intending to talk to pale-eyed girl. 

But then he saw her father was right behind her, and he thought against it. That didn’t stop Mont from catching him, however. 

“Great sermon, Preacher,” the man said, as he shook Bob’s hand firmly. Then, he hesitated a beat before he said, “about earlier. Would you be willin’ to agree to let bygones be bygones?”

Bob didn’t think he could let bygones be, but for the sake of civility, he nodded. The Lord did command His children to forgive, after all. 

“Now that your first service is out of the way, is there anything you need? Any supplies or help or anything like that?” Mont offered, as if everything was peachy keen. 

The reverend almost declined, but then, he thought of something. “Actually…I was thinking, with all I have to do, it may be a little difficult for me to keep up with making sure the church is clean and ready for Sundays. Do you happen to know of anyone who’d be willing to help?”  

Mont nodded, and without hesitation, he said, “Fairlight’ll do it.” He didn’t give her a moment to think about it, or answer on her own. 

Oh, um, are you sure?” Bob questioned, directing it at Fairlight. 

She opened her mouth to speak, but her father cut her off. “She’ll be fine, she’s used to cleaning. It’s what she’s good at. She can start tomorrow, if that’s alright with you.”

“Y-yes, that’s fine,” the reverend answered, taken aback. 

“Then it’s settled. Now let’s get home.” Abruptly, Mont turned to head to the truck. 

Bob fell into step beside Fairlight, waiting until her father was out of earshot to speak. “He shouldn’t have spoken for you like that. You don’t have to help me if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s better that I don’t shake the hornet’s nest any more than I already have. I’ll be here tomorrow to do the job.” 

“Fairlight, you deserve to be able to make your own decisions. He shouldn’t just decide things for you.”

“Preacher, just leave it.”

“But-”

“Bob, please. There are things you just…don’t understand. It’s best I do what he says.” And with that, she ducked away, making her way to the bed of the truck, leaving Bob staring after her. 

He only came back to himself when Mont asked if he was riding home with them. “Actually…I think I’ll walk. Need some time alone.”

“Suit yourself.” 

He watched the truck head off in the distance, and he breathed a deep sigh, his chest aching from all that had taken place that day. 

His heart bled for Fairlight. He hadn’t realized just how controlling her father was until now. He imagined how trapped she must feel, and he understood why she was questioning everything she’d been taught. If he had a father like that, he would question everything the man taught him, too. 

She had no say in many aspects of her life. As long as she was under Montgomery’s thumb, she could never be her own woman. Bob thought that it was a terrible tragedy.

And as he turned to close up the church for the day, he was struck with stark realization. Here he was, thinking he’d been led here to minister to the poor people of Backforty Gap. 

But now he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it wasn’t for them. It was for her. He had been called to this little mountain holler to watch over the flaxen-haired girl with the stormy eyes. 

And watch over her, he would. 

-

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[myechoecho]

Till the End of the Moon, ep 29

God, the grief that Tantai Jin has is all conusming. It is on another level.

I don’t think Ye Qingyi is really wrong in what he is saying to Tantai Jin, but he’s going about it the wrong way. He doesn’t understand Tantai Jin and why he cannot let go.

On the surface, it looks like they are going through similar things: both have lost the love of their lives but Ye Qingyi has also died and came back to life because Pian Ran sacrificed herself for him, his grandmother, father, brother and sister all dying. So I cut him some slack in how he’s treating Tantai Jin

However, he doesn’t under stand the difference between them. Ye Qingyi was loved. He was a beloved and cherished son. The favoured son really, until he surrendered to Tantai Jin but even then it was only his father who cast him out. He grew up with love, and security.

Tantai Jin only has Susu. Susu was the one who loved him, protected him and taught him to love and other emotions. Yes, she also betrayed him and tried to kill him but it doesn’t matter. Tantai Jin was so staved for love and when he got it he was absolutely willing to take any scrap he could get - he was used to scraps after all.

Ye Bingchang. She tries to escape only to get caught. I thought she’d wanted to survive but nah, she blurts out her deeds in front of everyone (also blames everyone but herself). It does give Tantai Jin a piece of the puzzle he was missing and what set everything into motion.

Bingchang whining to bet let out - GIRL, you literally just admitted to trying to kill Tantai Jin and and killing your grandmother. Why would they let you out?

I don’t know how I feel about Xiao Lin giving her comfort and telling her that he really did love her.  Perhaps it’s petty, but I don’t think she deserved it. We don’t see much of her before the love threads, but what little we did see she was still selfish and jealous. The love threads amplified that. She remained awful after the love threads were removed.

I also don’t think she loved Xiao Lin but hey, she ate the porridge so she’s dead finally. Not sure if we’ll see another version of her in the present (or rather 500 years from when she dies) but if we do, I hope she’s nothing like the last two versions.

 I don’t know what the guy needed with the blood of the enemies and tears of lovers (which I guess is supposed to mean that Bingchang really did love Xiao Lin but I don’t believe it). Whatever it is, I don’t trust it or like it

Tantai Jin won’t destroy the world because Susu loved it so he’ll just remove himself from it.

Baiyu, who honest to go deserves a massive raise for being the most loyal and steadfast bodyguard to Tantai Jin, offers a different (but equally suicidal?) option to burning himself alive - a chance to possibly see Susu’s spirit/soul.

Tantai Jin searches for Susu’s soul for 500 years, at great cost to his life. Which to be fair he doesn’t care about without Susu and he can withstand any pain (physical, at least). The Divine Essence that Susu gave him is sustaining and healing him so he keeps going on. Side note: did she mean to give him healing powers and prolonged life??

But now that’s running out and it looks like he might die (doubtful) and we also see Susu again at the very end and she’s not an illusion.

The underworld looked very pretty and I love how the spirits tried to help even though they knew he was cray cray.

Back in the real world, all kings “descended” from Tantai Jin wear a mask, which suspiciously looks similar to the Devil Lord mask. I’m curious to know if it is still Ye Qingyi under that mask because I’m pretty sure he’s part demon now.

The two demons from the Ming Ye and Sang Jiu time line are back and looking for the Demon Lord “fetus”

So that begs the question - did Susu just remove the Evil Bone™ or did she destroy it? Because it sounds like it’s still out there which means the Devil Lord can rise again. It maybe doesn’t have to be Tantai Jin. 

Also, I’ll be mad if Baiyu is really dead and was given the lamest death scene.