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doomed-prophetess · 3 years

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I was going through the manhwa and it hit me that unlike Athy and Jennette's dresses, we never see anyone dissecting the meaning behind Claude or Anastacius's costume, even though they have much underlying symbolism to offer with all their varying colours and motifs. And these are the two most rich characters in terms of backstory and human relationships. Ur detailed dissection on Jennette's costumes are so good that I'm scarily tempted to tempt u to do this one. Will u do this one analysis🥺???

I don't know anything about the medals or the flowers on Claude's clothings since I'm don’t know flower language... But I can give my thoughts on some of his clothings.

Claude wears three types of clothings throughout the manhwa: 1. royal military uniforms 2. togas 3. victorian children clothings of the upper/middle class (play suits + sailor suits).

What is striking is that all three types of clothings he wore can be associated with freedom and oppression equally (1. military 2. ancient romans 3. royal navy).

Let's start with the first outfit he wore as a child: The sailor suit.

In 1846, the four-year-old Albert Edward, Prince of Wales was given a scaled-down version of an enlisted man’s sailor suit. It was almost certainly a carefully chosen decision calculated to make the public associate the monarchy which had declined in popularity with the most popular institution in Britain -The Royal Navy.

What do we know about the royal navy? Besides it’s role in British colonialism and the suppression of many Asian and African peoples, it helped to defeat a series of opponents for the most part countries goverened by authoritarian or dictatorial rulers (Philip II, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm II), in other words: tyrants.

Sailor suits which are associated with childishness and innocence stand in juxtaposition to it’s militaristic origin . It’s a reminder how young Claude was still pure and innocent, yet without being fully aware of it he was thrown into a battle for succession at such a young age, and expected to survive or die trying.

We could also dvelve into color theory a little bit: Brown is mostly associated with humility, plainness and poverty. It could be a reminder of his commoner origin. Perhaps it tells us that his mother didn’t have much money back then and Claude had to get dressed in clothes that didn’t gave away easily how often they got mended or got dirty, because his mother could only afford a few sets of clothing. This is only a speculation: perhaps the money meant for Claude was mostly used for the treatment of his mother’s sickness. (I can’t see the Emperor paying the treatment of a chronically ill lover. Unless he actually loved her).

We could also assume that Claude intentionally picked out plain brown clothing that would allow him to blend well with the environment. The flashback in chapter 73 shows us little Claude hiding behind the bushes from the palace guards. Considering his state of increased alertness, he seemed to be used to sense danger approaching and find ways to hide quickly and efficiently.

Ah before I forget too much brown can also create feelings of sadness, isolation and loneliness...alright, you get what I mean, I stop here.

Now to Anastacius. While Claude’s attire is more lowkey about it’s violent origin: Anastacius’ is more upfront. He’s already aware of the situation he is in. He knows his little brother is more talented than him and feels threatened enough to consider the words of Caracks who tried to lure him away. Anastacius wears something resembling a mix of military uniform and a victorian play suit in blue and red.

Blue was also considered the most prestigious colour, and was granted to “royal” regiments.

I think Anastacius and Claude’s outfits were meant to show that they were at a crossroad in life. When Ana was still friendly with Claude he started out wearing play outfits and then as his relationship with Anastacius deteriorated, gradually started to wear normal suits and uniforms until he was wearing his ceremonial military uniform at the day he killed Ana.

The Obelia brother’s wearing a military uniform signifies that they are at war with someone. They are ready to spill blood. You can see it in The Lovely Princess, where when Athy meets Claude for the first time, instead of a toga he is wearing a military uniform and continues to do so almost until his death. We know that Diana was the one who introduced him to Siodonna’s fashion. With the memories of her gone, so was the peaceful presence in his life and he became a misanthrope. The memory spell had taken full affect and he was incapable to love or care for Athy in any way. Athy became his biggest torment, his enemy. Similarly our! Claude is only wearing a military uniform at official occations like Athy’s debutante ball, where he had to face the nobles which he resented so much. And even now, in the latest chapters he bothered to change his clothes with magic from a toga into a uniform when he reunited with his elder brother.

Whenever Anastacius and Claude are wearing a military uniform they are meeting someone hated (LP verse Claude met Athy, birthday baquet! Claude met the nobles (Roger), and now in chapter 109 he met his brother who had tried to kill him), they either want to demonstrate strenght (the uniform at Athy’s birthday baquet was more show) or they are ready to attack (the uniform in the recent chapters was more practical to move in).

However they are also stress on the fact that they belong to the royal family and are ought to be respected.

Ana wore almost constantly military uniforms, because he felt the need to show that he was the heir. Not only by birthright, but also in appearance. Only when he went undercover he switched his wardrobe to suits (still, in purple in the color of royality) and puffy shirts. You can see it when Anastacius entered the palace with Jennette. When Ana is fighting against Claude he is either wearing a royal blue (past) or a combination of red and black (present).

“ Black and red. In western culture, these are the two most sinister colors, as red typically conveys the meaning of blood or anger, and black is that of darkness or death. Being a very visually striking combination, they can also convey a sense of power. Together, they additionally give the impression of burning coal or wood, i.e. "fire and destruction".”

(TV Tropes: Red and Black and Evil All Over)

In his previous life he bought fire and destruction upon Obelia...like in Athy’s nightmare remember? So it’s is kind of a bad omen as well.

Anastacius uniform in black and red forms a strong contrast to Claude’s uniform, which is dyed in colors of purple and pure white. “The color purple is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. Purple also represents meanings of wealth, extravagance, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and magic.”

My point is that Ana’s appearance reflect his state of mind. Being all the time at war with his brother. The paranoia to get overthrown. The fear not to be enought. He insisted on wearing the ceremonial royal uniform, the crown and the coat, in royal colors, because he felt inferior towards Claude and it made him feel safer. If he thought his own skills as heir were lacking he sought to compensate with the way he presented himself in public (his inferiority complex might have contributed to his lavish livestyle and tendency to waste money).

The only exception where Ana is not wearing a uniform is a scene during the time of Ana and Claude’s falling out. But he still emphasizes that he belongs to the Imperial family in another way: The brooch on his vest, has the same blue shade as the color of his eyes, which are a trademark sign that only the Imperial family possesses. In chapter 109, Claude and Athy chose to wear a similary colored brooch to show that they are the “true” heirs.

#does this make sense #I'm tired #anon #answered asks #wmmap outfits #wmmap #who made me a princess #sbapod #suddenly became a princess one day

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quartzalynlove · 3 years

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Mi Estrella (pt 1)

Description: Camilo x Oc childhood friends to lovers with a little bit of pining. Enjoy :)

Bored. So bored. Nighttime was the only time Ana could thrive as she studied the night sky and sketched each constellation she found; the days were long and her hands needed to work. Ana woke up and groaned at the sun beaming through her window.

The girl’s bedroom was littered in drawings of the stars scattered about from last night. The first chore was gathering them and adding them to the collection that covered the walls. Ana’s room was her own little corner of the stars.

After she dressed in her white, puffy, short sleeved shirt and long, flowing, deep blue dress, that she had sewn a white shooting star that wrapped from her right foot up to her waist, Ana searched for her glasses. The dark blue cat eye glasses had fallen from her wooden desk onto the floor. Ana adjusted them on her face feeling the texture of the painted stars on the arms on her finger tips. After tying her thick curls into a puff on top of her head with a blue head wrap and grabbing her tan bag holding a sketchbook and pencils Ana raced downstairs.

“Mamá can-” She began to yell into the empty kitchen.

Ana sighed. Always gone, always busy were her parent’s lifestyle. Luckily there was a backup plan. Ana left her home and ran for the heart of Encanto, the Casita.

Ana was quite close to the Madrigals, her Mirabel and Camilo were all friends since children and the older girls adopted her as a sister. Pepa and Julieta loved her like their own child and while abuela was usually indifferent, since the restoration of the magic even she had grown fond of the girl.

Ana knocked on the front door of Casita before being greeted by Pepa with a smile.

“Morning, señora,” Ana beamed, “Are Camilo and Mirabel home?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

“I’m afraid Mirabel is running errands this morning, but Camilo is home.” Pepa moved from the doorway letting Ana inside Casita.

Before Ana could reach the door upstairs Casita hit a painting against Camilo’s wall, something it did only to tell him she was here. The door swung open revealing the girl’s best friend.

“Camilo!”

“An!”

The two performed the handshake they made as kids and Casita led them down the stairs that now served as a slide and to the outside.

Although the town operated together at the same pace, when the two teenagers were together a whole new world was constructed. It was theirs alone, Encanto through their eyes, apart from the rest of the town.

“What are we up to today, amiga?” Camilo smiled at Ana.

Ana grabbed his wrist pulling Camilo towards the dirt trail that went through the forest. “To the river first, I wanna draw something!”

Camilo smiled as he was dragged into the woods. Once they finally slowed, Ana lost herself in the towering trees around them, the leaves' emerald color shone beautifully in the sunlight. Camilo loved seeing how happy nature would make her, he loved seeing everyone happy, but Ana was different. He wasn’t sure how though. He could listen to her talk about plants and the stars for hours, her drawings were beautiful, and he thought the stars on her glasses and skirt were adorable.

Once they made it to the river Camilo sat on a rock listening to the waterfall behind him as he watched his friend search for something new to sketch.

Ana scoured the plant-life behind the river, Encanto was a little well into spring, so she was bound to find something, that’s when it caught her eye. A beautiful orchid with a bold orange hue. Ana studied the flower then glanced over to the shapeshifter and thought how well the flowers would compliment his yellow ruana, maybe as earrings? Camilo sat next to Ana to see what had her curiosity. He breathed out a ‘wow’ at the flower’s sight.

“Do you know what it is?” He asked

Ana shook her head. “Mm-mm, ask Isabela for me?”

Ana picked the flower and settled it in the boy’s light brown curls, he felt a flutter in his chest.

“¡Aww que lindo!” She cooed. “You’re my muse for today.” Ana smiled nipping at her friend’s nose.

As Camilo tried to stay as still as possible he watched the artist’s focused expression, occasionally seeing her face when she looked up with slightly furrowed brows and soft lips pressed together.

I love her.

Camilo’s brain short circuited in disbelief of what he thought. They hung out everyday exploring Encanto, pranking his sister and cousins, they were best friends, only friends. Right? If that was the case why couldn’t he stop the hammering in his chest.

“Done!” She smiled, breaking Camilo from his spiraling thought.

He moved to Ana’s side to see what she had drawn, it was the rock Camilo sat on with the flower in his hair, but she had added him studying a chameleon that sat on the hand he raised to his eyes. Camilo wore a smile as wide as the river as he looked at the drawing.

“Ana, it's amazing,” He let out a light chuckle, “Could I er- keep it?” He stammered.

“Of course!” Ana smiled before ripping the page out and handing it to the shapeshifter.

Camilo noticed another sketch on the back and turned the paper over. It was a bust of him wearing two of the flowers as earrings.

“Oh, yeah, I thought they would look good on you.” Camilo hummed, too flustered to respond, before helping Ana up.

After dusting the dirt off their clothes, the two headed back to Casita to hang out in Camilo’s room. They chatted on his bed for a while about his family, laughing about how abuela still isn’t used to Antonio’s animal friends and mocking Dolores and Mariano’s lovey dovey relationship. Well into the afternoon Camilo braided Ana’s hair; the bag holding her sketchbook caught his attention.

“Did you draw any constellations last night?” He asked.

“Oh!” She exclaimed.

Casita used the floorboards to move the bag towards Ana then bounced it up to her. She flipped through to the pages that were marked for the previous night and showed one to Camilo.

“The Ursa Major,” She turned to him with a bright smile. “Right here is the body, then the legs, and the tail. I have the other copies on my wall already.”

“Woah!” Camilo responded, studying the drawing.

Ana noticed the time on Camilo’s clock, her parents would almost be home.

“I have to be home soon but I can show you the real deal through my telescope tonight if you want?”

Camilo nodded. “Yeah, totally, it’s been a while since we stargazed!”

After grabbing her things Ana turned to leave before reminding Camilo.

“Don’t forget to ask Isabela about that flower!” she shouted before leaving.

Before Ana reached the front door Julieta called out from the kitchen. “Not staying for dinner, mija?”

The aroma of Julieta’s famous arepas were intoxicating, but Ana needed to go.

“I’m sorry, señora, but I need to get home.” she frowned slightly.

As her hand touched the doorknob Ana turned back to the Madrigal cook. “Can I take one for the road?”

Julieta smiled and tossed an arepa to the girl. It was still warm as Ana bit into it and hurried out of Casita. She was able to arrive home in time.

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carewyncromwell · 2 years

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You know I gotta ask about Anaaaaaa🌟

🌟 Anastasia "Ana" Read

1) Thanks both to her love of history and fantasy and her stepbrother Jasper's talent for stage combat, Ana absolutely loves antique swords. Her favorite kind of blade is a rapier -- she always feels like Westley in The Princess Bride whenever she duels Jasper with one!

2) Ana is an avid letter writer. She often loves closing her letters to her friends and loved ones with quotes or passages from whatever book she's currently reading, especially if it relates to the letter or she just thinks it'll make them laugh.

3) Ana's most successful book series is for the fictional adventuring dragonologist Ardon Ronne (inspired by her husband Charlie), but she has also written several other fantasy books geared for the Wizarding World as well. One book, inspired in part by the anime/manga Fullmetal Alchemist, involves a pair of magical siblings -- one of whom was turned into an Obscurus after he was shut away by their abusive mother -- who have to face off against a government run by seven Dark wizards and try to prevent them from throwing the entire world out of balance by invoking necromancy to bring back their long-last master.

4) Ana is all about the Gothic Victorian fashion aesthetic. She'll very frequently wear dresses, but when she's outdoors with Charlie, she also loves dressing in waistcoats with tails and pants tucked into heeled boots.

5) Speaking of fashion, when Ana goes flying either on a broom or on dragon-back, she always wears steampunk-style goggles. (Hey, it's aesthetic, okay??)

6) Although Ana has been intimidated by some of the dragons Charlie's introduced her to over the years, she still just about always gets hearts in her eyes and gets silently giddy when she sees their babies. They're just so cyuuute!!

7) When Charlie and Ana have kids, the two read to them every single night, often acting out all the voices, just like they used to when they'd read together in bed alone as a couple. One of the first things Ana picks out to read to their children is The Hobbit, which Charlie ends up having a love-hate relationship with, given that it ends with the dragon Smaug being slain. In response, Ana actually wrote a new installment in the Ardon Ronne series inspired by The Hobbit, only with the dragon as the hero instead of the villain.

8) When she attends one of her stepfather Bradley's rallies, she'll often dress in the same color as he is and stand right beside him, to show silent solidarity.

9) Ana has written several strong-worded and controversial letters to the Daily Prophet over the years advocating for Squib and Muggle rights. It's frankly testament to how well-received her books and her views have been received by young people that her staunchly progressive views haven't put much of a dent in her book sales.

10) Ana and Charlie's wedding was a masquerade hosted on Halloween. Their looks were inspired by Princess Serenity and Tuxedo Mask, respectively, with Ana securing her veil with a pink crystal tiara that's a Pinkstone family heirloom and Charlie wearing a cape with traditional Scottish tartan on the inside.

10 Facts!

#10 facts #anastasia read #about anastasia #about ana #charlie copper #bradley pinkstone #jasper pinkstone

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methylsalicylate · 2 years

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Flipped (Bruno Madrigal x OC) 1/2

AO3 LINK HERE

Reina Guerrero, the spoiled only daughter of a businessman, was close to Bruno Madrigal when they were kids. As they grew up, the Madrigal boy developed a crush on her, while she saw him as nothing but an annoying little kid who had no other friends to play with.

After an incident, Reina’s family was forced to leave Encanto.

When she came back, humbled by the harsh reality of life, she discovered that her childhood friend had been missing, presumed dead, and that nobody in town dared talk about him.

Four years later, she met a kind, charming man with a bucket on his head.

—----------------------------------

Yes the premise is inspired by the movie Flipped, but the plot is different. Basically Bruno crushes on someone but when they grow up he pulls an uno reverse card HHHAHA

Being an only child to well off parents made Reina Guerrero a little bit of a brat. Ever since she was born, she was given almost everything that she wanted, be it toys, dresses or her favorite sweets. If she was denied something, the tantrums she threw were enough to startle the neighboring kids, which was why her mother made sure that everything she wanted was instantly provided to her.

She reveled in all the attention she attracted. After all, she was the daughter of Señor Felipe Guerrero, the owner of the only primary and elementary school in the remote town. The sudden displacement years ago did not urge him to let go of his old business habits. Thanks to his charm and good connections, he was able to hire a handful of teachers and employ them to teach the children in the Encanto.

Reina’s mother, on the other hand, was a housewife. The beautiful Ana Guerrero was much younger than Felipe, and she would rather hang her head low and smile for her husband’s friends, and seemed to act as more of a trophy wife than someone who truly loved him. She came from a poor household, which was why she didn’t care much about how controlling Felipe could be, or how spoiled Reina had become… she’d rather suffer this than go back to having nothing at all.

Reina knew that she was pretty, with her beautiful brown eyes and long, wavy black hair. She was smart and talented with the voice of an angel and skilled hands, making many of the village kids her age want to be her friend. Her father praised her whenever she acted polite to his business partners, and she mastered the art of sucking up to him to get whatever she wanted.

For the longest time, all eyes were on this star child.

That was up until the Madrigal triplets turned five.

Reina heard from her father that Alma Madrigal’s children were granted amazing powers… one can heal people, the other could control the weather, and the last one could see into the future. He planned to make Señora Madrigal have her kids enroll at his school, that way he would have a tight connection to one of the most powerful women in the area.

The little girl knew of the magical house that resided at the top of the hill, but she decided not to pay any attention to it. After all, her whole world was in town and in her father’s school, where she was regarded as royalty.

She was 9 years old when the triplets started primary school.

“What are you looking at?”

It was a hot day and she was standing in line to buy some juice, when she noticed someone staring at her from the side.

The tiny boy, practically drowning in his green clothes, looked up at the 9 year old with fear in his eyes. “M-my ruana… you’re stepping on it.”

Reina looked down. “Oh.”

She removed her foot, then glared at the boy. “Well, that’s because your clothes are too big. How old are you?”

He mumbled something inaudible.

“What was that?”

“F-five.“

Reina chuckled out loud. “Five? You’re so small! You’re just like a baby!”

The boy tried not to cry. “I’m n-not! Mama said I’m a big boy a-already.”

“Well your Mama was lying. Look, you’re already crying. Like a baby.”

The juice vendor called out to the next customer, so Reina pushed the boy aside. “Out of my way chiquito, I’m next.”

The other child just nodded, and ran away in the opposite direction without buying any refreshments.

“Huh. Weirdo.”

“Wow, that was pretty daring of you kid.”

She turned to the vendor. “Why?”

“That boy you just pushed away? That was Bruno Madrigal.”

Oh.

That kid was one of the triplets who got magic powers… If he had them, why didn’t he use it against her?

“I don’t care”, she said to the man, voice not wavering at all. “He looks really weak. If he had cool powers then he shoulda used them properly, not run away.”

________________________________________________________________

Reina’s papa was mad at her.

After she told him about their encounter at the dinner table, she had expected him to praise her for acting superior, but she was met with harsh shouting.

“Why did you do that, princesa?!”

“B-but… he didn’t look special! He was small and weak, and he was blocking my way - “

“That was Alma Madrigal’s only son! You know how protective she is of her children”, he sighed, and rubbed his temples. “Alma is one of the most powerful leaders… no, she is the most influential person here, Reina. We cannot get on their bad side. Especially now that her children have magical gifts.”

Reina.

Her father rarely called her by her name. She was always his darling princesa.

She turned to her mother for support, but she only gave her a sad smile. “He’s right, mija. You need to be more polite to the Madrigal children.”

She didn’t like this.

Why was she the one being scolded!? She was just speaking her mind!

“I will be inviting Alma and her son tomorrow. Make sure you make peace and be friends with the boy or else I will forfeit your birthday gift.”

“But papa - “

“No buts, mija. We’re doing this for your own good.”

Reina angrily got off her chair and stomped to her room. The child banged the door behind her and screamed into her pillow.

Forced to be friends with a weird, weak-looking loser?

No way.

________________________________________________________________

“Alma, I’m so glad you could make it!”

“Good afternoon Señor Guerrero. Thank you for the invitation. I was actually wanting to talk to you regarding the school…”

A small boy poked his head full of curls from behind her long dress.

“Oh, this is my son Bruno. Brunito, introduce yourself.”

“G-good afternoon Señor Guerro. I’m Brunito.”

Alma chuckled. “It's Guerrero, mi vida. And your name is Bruno, don’t forget. I just call you Brunito because you’re my little boy.”

Señora Guerrero shook Alma’s hand. “Hello, I’m Ana, Felipe’s wife. Bruno’s such a cute child! What beautiful curls”, she marveled, as she patted him on the head.

“My daughter Reina will be accompanying him while we talk”, he turned up towards the second floor, where his daughter was watching their exchanges from behind the railings. “Reina?”

The girl hid all her frustrations behind a sickly sweet smile. “Yes papa?”

“Take Bruno to your room and play with him.”

“Yes papa.”

The nine year old gracefully went down the stairs and smiled at Bruno. The boy held tightly to his mother’s skirt, but she ushered him towards Reina.

“Come on Bruno, let’s go play!”

“O-okay…”

Bruno was a bit confused. This girl used to be scary! She looked like she would bite his arm yesterday… Why was she kind now?

Reina closed the door behind her when they reached her big, dominantly pink room. At the corner was a poorly drawn circle made of chalk.

She harshly pushed the boy towards the corner and instructed him to sit down.

“Okay chiquito, here’s what’s going to happen.”

Bruno tried not to tear up in fear.

“My papa wants me to be friends with you. But I don’t want to. So you’re going to stay here inside this circle and behave.”

The boy visibly deflated.

He genuinely thought that he would finally be able to make friends… He’s been having trouble trying to open up, and now that he got his gift, reaching out to other children has become much more difficult. He was not as outgoing as Pepa or as cheerful and kind as Juli…

“You will also tell your mama and my papa that we played together. If you do, I will give you candy. And I might even make the circle a little bit bigger.”

His eyes twinkled. “Really?! Okay! I will b-behave!” He exclaimed. Bruno fiddled with his ruana while sitting down politely.

Reina can’t help but smile a bit. This boy was actually pretty cute. Like a small squishy stuffed toy with a mop of curls on his head.

“Good.”

She gathered her dolls and sat not too far from the drawn circle. With her boy and girl dolls, she replayed a scene from a telenovela she saw her mama watch.

“But Juan, I don’t love you anymore.”

“Why Maria, why? You’re the only one I held hands with!”

Bruno was super attentive the entire time. His eyes were focused on the story in front of him, but he dared not interrupt the scene or leave the circle.

Finally, after finishing the whole scenario, she made the dolls bow their heads.

Bruno clapped excitedly.

“T-that was so cool!”

“I know. I’m just that amazing.”

He fumbled his ruana. “C-can you do another one? With fighting! And punching! Or magic!”

“Hey, I make the stories here okay? You can only ask for one at a time.”

All his excitement faded in an instant, and he went back to being his shy self. “Oh, s-sorry Ina.”

She glared at him. “Ina?! My name’s Reina!”

“S-sorry! Señora Reina I’m sorry.”

“Hmm…” she frowned, and used the doll’s head to tap on her cheek as she contemplated. “You know, I kinda like it. Okay, I’ll allow you to call me Ina.”

“O-okay.”

“So, what story would you like next?”

“Uhh… I like magic fights.”

“Got it. But I’ll add princesses. Magic fighting story with princesses… with fairy wings!”

“Ooooh!”

Eventually, the two of them forgot the existence of the circle. Reina even allowed Bruno to play a character with her toy lion, but he always ended up using his character to punch and make “cool karate moves”.

After an hour of playing, Alma knocked on the door.

“Brunito? It’s time to go home.”

“Yes mama!”

She picked up the small boy and kissed his forehead.

“Mama, can I come back? I wanna play with Ina’s toys. P-Please?”

Señor Guerrero looked very pleased with the outcome. She turned to his daughter and patted her on the head.

Reina, on the other hand, didn’t know what to feel.

First of all Bruno was too young to hang out with her. She was already a big girl after all! She would very much rather spend time with her other friends and cousins than with a baby child.

But she can’t deny that she had fun.

“Well, if Señor Guerrero is alright with it…”

“It is! Just come over whenever you want, mijo.”

Felipe was delighted. Good relations with Alma would mean good business.

Good relations with Bruno might also secure him with a good future.

________________________________________________________________

One Madrigal child turned into three.

Ever since Bruno gave Señor Guerrero a vision about his school being successful, he kept praising Alma and giving them expensive gifts.

This also led Reina to become more acquainted with all three of the Madrigal children.

Julieta was by far her most favorite. She was such a sweet child, and very easy to be with. There were times when she would want to show off her new dresses and toys to her, but instead of getting jealous, she just kept praising her, and she genuinely felt happy for her. There was not an evil bone on her body. She was also very mature for her age, which was why she introduced her to some of her older girl friends.

Pepa can be a bit of a nightmare. She was the one she fought with the most, sometimes causing slight drizzles in Encanto. The bright haired Madrigal girl also wanted the beautiful accessories she had, which was why she loved gloating her new stuff at her. Despite this, they can get along well if they wanted to, and their parents forcing them to share toys usually resolves whatever fight they have between each other.

Bruno was the baby. From Reina’s perspective, that boy remained the smallest child she has ever seen. He loved her stories so much that he even started making his own. He was also the easiest to order around, and Reina really loved it when he got all flustered before proceeding to retrieve what she wanted. He was a bit more comfortable around her, now that they have known each other for 3 years, but Bruno was still very cautious when around her, obviously afraid to get yelled at.

Reina was now 12 years old, turning into a very pretty teenager. She focused more on her appearance now that she noticed how boys her age looked at her.

She thrived on the attention she gained from them.

It was just weird that there were 3 eight year olds that tend to tail around her like little ducklings.

“I’m just saying it’s pretty cute”, remarked her cousin Francesca, who was a year older than her. “You’re like their hermana mayor.”

“But it’s annoying… How can I hang out with you guys when they keep sticking to me? They really need to find friends their age.”

Her best friend Sofia shook her head. “They do have friends their age though. Well at least Pepi and Juli do. I’m pretty sure you’re Bruno’s only friend, not counting his hermanas.”

As if on cue, they saw the small boy walk fast in front of them at the other side of the road. His hood was up, and he had something clutched around his abdomen.

He was being followed by bigger boys who were definitely older than him.

“Oh no, it’s happening again.”

“Why doesn’t he just give better visions”, Francesca sighed. “Everyone would love him if he just stopped being such bad luck.”

Reina was already pulling up her sleeves.

“I’ll be right back.”

She did her best to catch up to the boys, who already lost Bruno.

“Hey!”

The largest of them, Lorenzo, turned his head. When he saw who it was, he instantly smiled.

“Oh, it’s Reina! Hello Reina!”

The girl was instantly disgusted. She knew that Lorenzo liked her, but he ugly.

“Lorenzo, hey! I really, really need your help today. And I also need the help of your friends.”

“Sure! Anything for you princesa.”

She tried not to cringe. Only her father calls her princesa.

“I need you to find my baby cat! She’s black and white, with a little orange fur on her head, a striped tail, and a collar that’s colored pink.” She produced fake tears. “I really need to see her right now, would you please look for her? For me?”

She batted her eyelashes and the boys were instantly under her power.

“Si, señora, you can count on us! Come on, boys!”

They all ran away, probably not even remembering the description of the cat.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

Bruno was nowhere in sight, but she knew where to find the reclusive boy.

Reina made her way towards a remote cliff near the Madrigal house. It had a great view of the forest below, and the sunset amplified the beauty of the Encanto.

This was their spot. Bruno found it while they were playing hide and seek, and used it as his happy, peaceful place. He also kept it a secret from his hermanas, because sometimes being around them all the time can be overwhelming.

It was flattering to know that she was the only other person to know about this hidden spot.

There were quiet sobs coming from a pile of green cloth behind the palm tree.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

A gasp.

“I-Ina?”

“What’s up chiquito?”

He quickly wiped his tears with his ruana. Reina can’t see him cry, he’s not a baby anymore! The last time he cried in front of her was when he was 6 years old, when he got a boo-boo after he tripped on a rock.

“Everyone hates me because I give bad visions. And because I give people bad luck.”

She didn’t know what to say. That was the truth anyway, well at least according to some of her friends.

“Well, maybe you could do some stuff to get rid of the bad luck?”

“Like what?”

Using her right hand she gently tapped on the tree with her knuckles. “Knock on wood.”

Nothing happened, but Bruno believed he felt something shift.

“Just… knock on wood?”

“Yep”, she nodded. “My Mama always tries to find a wooden surface when she does it. She says it wards off bad luck or keeps bad things from happening.”

Bruno gasped. He gave a tentative smile. He gave the tree trunk two soft knocks.

“Knock on wood… Thank you! I will try that before I do my next vision!”

Reina beamed back. Bruno was such a cutie pie, with such large cheeks, fluffy hair and small frame drowning in his clothes. He hasn’t grown at all.

He was probably doomed to be baby-like forever.

She couldn’t resist; she just had to pinch his cheeks.

“W-what are you doing!?”

“You’re wayyyy too cute chiquito! Never grow up bebe.”

“I’m not a baby!”

________________________________________________________________

Bruno was 10 years old when he started to realize that he liked Reina a little more than he usually does.

She loved to wear her long wavy hair into a ponytail, and she shot up in height in the past few years, leaving Bruno behind.

Reina was well aware of her beauty, which is why she dresses in fancy expensive clothes whenever she goes to school or hangs around in town. Ever since she was interested in boys, she spent less and less time with the Madrigal triplets, who were also very busy with using their gifts for the community. There was a gap forming between them, but they were still pretty familiar with each other.

There was a different guy with Reina every time Bruno saw her, and he did not like it one bit. He really missed her company, and he sometimes imagined… what if it was him with Reina? What if she… kissed him like she kissed her boyfriends?

Bruno’s face grew red at those thoughts, but he exhaled a sad sigh after realizing that it would never happen. First of all, he was still pretty short. Reina always went for boys taller and older than her. They always had big muscles and deep voices.

According to Juli and Pepa, he was still very much baby-shaped. Being the last of the triplets didn’t help either.

If he couldn’t be with Reina like that, then maybe he could be a close friend, just like how they used to be back when they were younger.

But Reina seemed to make it harder for him to approach her.

“H-hey Ina!”

Reina stopped embracing Miguel and looked at the source of the voice. “Oh, what’s up chiquito?”

Miguel raised his brows, then chuckled. “You know Bruno Madrigal? The bad luck of Encanto?”

She immediately blushed. “N-no, what are you talking about? We just met when Papa asked him for a vision… Did you need anything? I’m kind of busy.”

The young seer’s shoulders sagged. “Oh… sorry. I just wanted to say h-hi.”

“Okay, I already said hi.”

“Yeah… see you around, I guess.”

Bruno covered his face with the hood and ran away.

Miguel was now laughing loudly. “For someone with powers, he sure looks weak.”

“Y-yeah…”

“He should know better than to approach a pretty lady like you.”

Reina tried not to let her emotions get the better of her. She had to act more civil and mature, and bit down the urge to shout at Miguel.

She was already 14 years old after all, practically a grown up. Reina had no time to spend with children. Her reputation was also dependent on who she was seen with, which was why her friend group was mostly teens her age, and those who were a bit older.

But it didn’t stop her from feeling awful about what she did.

Bruno was still a friend, after all. He was like a little brother.

Maybe she should say sorry to him later.

Meanwhile, the young boy stomped angrily inside Casita, catching his sister’s attention.

“Woah, a rare sight! An angry little Brunito!”

“I’m not in the mood, Pepa.”

Julieta stopped mixing in her small bowl. “Was it a bad vision?”

“No. It’s Ina.”

“What, did she hurt you?!” Pepa exclaimed. Her hands were already formed into fists, clouds forming on her head.

Bruno calmed her down. “No! It’s just… Why does she have to be with boys all the time?! Just because she got prettier and and her hair got longer and more beautiful, she stopped spending time with me!... I-I mean us! I can’t even talk to her because… there’s nothing to talk about anymore! And she’s always kissy kissy with guys, yuck!”

He crossed his arms and glared at the table.

It was after a full 15 seconds of silence when he noticed that his sisters were staring at him.

“What?”

“Awwww Brunito, you like her!” Julieta squealed.

Pepa, on the other hand, was not amused.

“Yuck! Julieta, don’t support him! Reina is just a meanie! Bruno’s right, you know, she hates us because we’re just kids to her.”

Julieta ignored her sister.

“But you said you don’t like that she’s with other boys all the time. That means you're jealous.” The oldest Madrigal pointed her wooden spoon at her brother.”

“I’m not jealous.”

“You hate that she’s with other guys, si?”

“Yeah!”

“But you want her to be with you?”

The boy’s face turned as red as a tomato.

“Brunito noooooo!” Pepa wailed and shook his shoulders. “Not her! Not Reina!”

“I knew it! You actually like like her!”

“Ssshh Juli! Don’t be noisy! Mama might hear you.”

“Say that I’m right and I’ll stop. BRUNITO LIKES - “

He clasped his hand around his oldest sister. “Okay, okay! But she hates me, so it doesn’t count!.”

Pepa nodded. “And we all hate her too. So we leave her alone.”

Julieta removed her brother’s hand over her mouth. “Maybe give her flowers? She really likes flowers.”

She did enjoy flowers. Once when they were younger, the triplets played in a beautiful garden where tons of colorful flowers grew wildly. Reina taught them how to make flower crowns, necklaces, and bracelets. Ever since then, his hermanas would play with flowers nonstop, starting Alma’s flower crown collection.

“Okay I’mma go get some flowers!”

“Good luck, Brunito.”

Pepa crossed her arms. “You’re making a mistake, hermano!”

Bruno ignored his middle sister’s complaints, and went around Casita to look for flowers with pretty petals. His small walk had him end up in their cliff.

The boy sat down and started to make his crown. He chose the small purple ones, since purple was her favorite color. Plus it looked really pretty and matched her black hair.

After a few minutes of focus, he was interrupted by a curious voice.

“Whatcha up to?”

“Ah!”

He accidentally ruined the crown.

“Nooooo…”

“Oh sorry about that!”

Reina sat down next to him and collected the mess.

“It’s not a problem, really! Let me fix it.”

She laughed. “You’re always so focused all the time, chiquito. You startle too easily too. Loosen up a little!”

“Y-yeah… well, it comes with being hated by the community, I guess.”

There was silence, and Bruno had to think if he made a bad joke.

“Listen… I’m sorry about earlier”, she mumbled softly. She was twirling a single flower in her hand, while Bruno tried to distract himself by working on the crown. “I know it was kind of mean…. But you understand right? I really, really like Miguel.”

Bruno stopped moving.

“Remember that old deal we had when we were kids? Let’s do it again!”

“Deal?”

“The one where you stay in the circle and I give you candy?”

“Oh…”

“Yeah… W-well, Miguel and his friends are kind of…hmm what’s the word. Scared? Of you. Not because you’re evil or anything! Maybe because of your visions? They say when someone gets a vision from you, they are cursed for life.”

Bruno tried not to cry, but he can already hear his voice wavering.

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault though! I mean, you just look at the future, not make it… right?”

The young seer inhaled sharply. She understands!

“Y-yes! I can only see it! I can’t control what my visions show me…”

“I know! But sadly Miguel, Francesca, Sofia… some of my friends don’t get it. I can try to talk to them…” she sighed, and looked him in the eye. “Is it okay if… you try to stay away from me a bit, when I’m with them? Not that I hate you, because I really don’t! But my friends, they - “

Bruno held her hand. “Hey, i-it’s okay! I understand… I could stay away if you want.”

She exhaled a heavy breath. “Oh thank you… But you’re still my friend, okay? We can meet up here whenever you want! And I’ll give you candies, just like our deal back then.”

“Yeah… T-That would be nice.”

Reina laughed. “Whew, thank you for being such a great friend, chiquito! You’re the best!”

She hugged him tightly, and Bruno forgot how to breathe. She let go and smiled at him.

Bruno was blushing madly, hands still clutching a bunch of flowers from an unfinished flower crown. “Y-you’re welcome. You’re the best too.”

She didn’t know what came over her… maybe it was his wide, expressive eyes. Maybe it was how squishy his cheeks were. Maybe it was how cute he was with a red face.

She kissed him on the cheek for the first time.

Bruno tried not to faint.

“Sorry about that, but you’re just too cute! Anyway, I gotta go now, I’m meeting Miguel later. Bye!”

“W-wait - “

But it was too late. Reina ran away, probably on her way to change into something less dirty. The 10 year old stood up and dusted off his ruana.

He stared at the purple flowers in his hands, which now looked wilted.

“I wanted to give you flowers…”

________________________________________________________________

Vicente was bad news.

But he was also the hottest guy around.

Which was why Reina was head over heels for him.

The man worked as a carpenter’s apprentice, so besides having a pleasant face, he also had an amazing physique that made him a head turner. He was also kind, friendly, charming…

… and 22 years old.

To Reina, this didn’t mean anything. She was 16, and she grew up beautifully and dressed in more mature clothes that most people thought she was already an adult.

She was delighted when she heard gossip about how Vicente tends to look at her when she passes by the carpenter’s shop. Reina loved it when other jealous girls sneered at her… it’s their fault for not being as pretty as she was!

She was the best looking woman in the entire town, and they should be aware of that.

After a few exchanges and private moments, Vicente and Reina started their secret relationship. Her papa was super vigilant, and he hated seeing his princesa around with an older man, but they were never caught. The more strict he became, the more rebellious Reina would be, ending up in her sneaking off at night to see Vicente in his house.

Bruno knew all of this because it was Reina herself who told him.

They still saw each other in their hidden cliff, but as they both grew older, their meetings became less frequent. Bruno was always busy with doing his visions and hiding from the townspeople, and Reina was busy with trying to maintain her status.

Tonight was one of the rare occasions when they were able to encounter each other here serendipitously, without making a prior arrangement. They shared this spot, after all.

“He’s just so… mature! He’s already thinking about saving money and making houses.”

Bruno scoffed. “I don’t know… he looks kind of scary to me.”

“You have to keep this a secret, okay? If my Papa knew of my relationship, he would end me for good.”

“No, he’d probably end Vicente for good. But okay, I promise to not say anything.”

Reina turned to him, ready to make a rebuttal, but opted to take a good look at him first. They haven’t seen each other for a long time, with the both of them taking different roles in their community.

He was finally catching up to her in height. Right now, he was only 2-3 inches below her, and all his baby fat melted as he grew up into a teen. His hair was a bit longer, and his facial profile was not that of a child anymore.

He’s probably going to grow up to be handsome, like his father.

Woops. Where did that thought come from?

Bruno turned towards her and asked a question, and she was caught off guard by his eyes. They were still the same but it held so much more emotion, and his eyebags were indicative of his lack of sleep.

Despite all these changes, he was still very much her chiquito Brunito.

“Reina? Are you alright?”

She pinched both his cheeks with her hands.

“Ow! Not again, you really need to stop doing that!”

A hearty laugh bubbled up from her chest. “Never change, chiquito. I’ll miss staring at your cute face if you grow up too fast.”

He tried not to blush. “Ay, you sound just like my hermanas. They’re both way taller than me and it sucks.”

“That’s because you’re forever a bebe.”

“No I’m not!”

After a few minutes of teasing, she leaned on the tree and stared at the moon.

“I think I’m in love with Vicente.”

“What?!” Bruno tried to push his jealous feelings back into his chest. “But you were together for just… a few months?”

“I don’t know… there’s something about him. He treats me like a woman, and not a little girl.”

“But he’s very old!”

“Hey, he’s not that old! He’s just mature.”

The seer shook his head. “I still don’t trust him. Be careful around that guy, okay? Promise me Ina!”

He shook her shoulders and she giggled. “Okay, okay! No need to be too overprotective!”

“If he hurts you, tell me right away!”

“And what, you’ll beat him up? He’s older than you by 10 years.”

“W-well, I can curse him! I’m bad luck after all!”

That earned him an ugly laugh from his friend. “Alright! That’s the spirit! I feel much better now knowing that you’re protecting me.”

Bruno smiled, and puffed out his chest. Reina tousled his hair fondly.

“Never change, chiquito.”

________________________________________________________________

A few months passed since Vicente and Reina secretly dated, and Bruno noticed that she was making herself more and more scarce. The moments he did see her in town, her eyes were so far away, as if staring into something in space. She acted very differently from the friend he knew his whole life.

He hasn’t seen her in 2 weeks now.

Bruno tried to visit her in her house, but her Mama always told him that she was not feeling alright, that she was sick and she didn’t want to see anyone that day.

He badly wanted to do a vision for her, but he knew that he can’t.

Reina never asked him for a vision. He suggested it to her once when they were younger, but she practically covered his mouth, and demanded that he never suggest that ever again. She kept insisting that she always wanted to be surprised by whatever will come, but he felt like the real reason she hated getting one was because she too was scared to be cursed by him.

So he respected her wishes, and never made a vision for her.

Until now.

It was already late at night, and Bruno was sitting in his vision cave, at war with himself.

Should he have a vision without her permission, and find out why she’s been hiding, and he’s been seeing her less and less?

Or should he respect her wishes?

After a few minutes of deliberation with himself, he finally decided to go through with it. He could just get information, then break the tablet and keep it hidden forever.

She’ll never know what he did.

He’d be keeping his promise.

Bruno performed his pre-vision ritual, closed his eyes, and inhaled slowly. His mind focused on his friend.

The wind and sand began encircling him, and a green glow emitted from his open eyes.

The images started forming.

He saw a fight.

There was a screaming match between Señor Felipe and Reina. The images changed to their family… wearing bags? They had a lot of their things in donkey carts, and were traveling towards the mountains…

They were leaving the Encanto?!

Bruno tried not to panic.

Suddenly, there was a blank slate and another image formed.

It was of Reina standing up, looking frustrated, sad, and angry… she was crying…

She had a huge tummy.

Bruno’s eyes went wide at this revelation.

Reina was going to be pregnant! But she looked just as she did now… she did not look older at all!

Did that mean…

There was a bright flash, and the vision of her pregnancy materialized into a tablet.

He couldn’t breathe.

It looked like she didn’t want to be pregnant… did Vicente…?

Bruno had to steady himself by leaning on the wall.

Maybe he could still save her! He could still play his role as her protector!

He quickly hid the vision inside his bag and grabbed his sandals.

He had to tell someone.

Someone who was more capable than him, more capable of protecting her.

He had to tell Señor Guerrero.

________________________________________________________________

Felipe hated unexpected guests, which was why he angrily banged the door open, ready to punch whoever was disturbing his peaceful sleep.

He was caught off guard by who it was though.

“Bruno?”

“S-señor! You have to help me!”

“What is it, boy?”

The teen was visibly shaking, struggling to get something from his bag. When he was able to steady himself, Bruno raised the glass tablet up to him.

“I-it’s Ina! She… She’s going out with this older guy, and I-I saw her with a big tummy! She was pregnant, Señor! I don’t know what to do - “

“Who.”

Bruno felt himself shrink at Felipe’s voice. It was laced with disappointment, frustration, and fury.

“T-there’s a carpenter, named Vicente - “

“I KNEW IT!”

His voice shook the whole house.

“REINA!”

The man practically ran up the stairs, leaving Bruno alone in their living room. Should he go? Should he leave Señor Felipe to save her?

But Reina might need a friend after the confrontation…

He saw Señora Ana looking confused, rushing to their daughter’s bedroom.

Even though he was on the lower floor, he heard everything loud and clear.

It was his vision happening in real time.

“Reina, are you pregnant?!”

“P-papa? I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Explain this, then!” There was a deadly pause. “So you were out there with the carpenter, huh?!”

“H-how did you…”

“Be thankful Alma’s son told me! You are never to leave this house, young lady! You will cut ties with that man, now!”

“NO!”

“Don’t make me ask twice, mija!”

“But I love Vicente, Papa!” Reina screamed angrily. “I don’t care what you say, I’m keeping his baby - “

SLAP

Bruno felt like throwing up.

He heard Reina start sobbing, followed by loud stomping getting closer to him.

“REINA! We are not done talking!”

She came into view.

They locked eyes.

After a split second, her shock turned into rage.

“YOU!”

She ran downstairs, and Bruno could not move.

“HOW DARE YOU! YOU PROMISED!”

SLAP

Bruno could not feel the physical hurt from the angry slap… he was too numb to feel anything at the moment.

She pointed an accusing finger at his chest. “You ASSHOLE! You LIAR! I hate you so much, I never want to see you again!”

“I-I’m sorry - “

She started punching him lightly, obviously tired from the burden she had been carrying for weeks now.

“S-SHUT UP! SHUT UP! DON’T TALK TO ME - ”

“Reina, leave him alone!”

She did, and Bruno scrambled for the door.

He couldn’t breathe, he felt like he wanted to throw up and hyperventilate at the same time.

As he ran away, he heard a bit of their conversation.

“It was him, Papa! Bad luck Bruno cursed me!!”

________________________________________________________________

Bruno respected her wishes.

He came home after the confrontation, and hid inside his room for days. His mama, Julieta and Pepa keep trying to ask him what happened, but he never budged. He cried for days, until he was out of tears.

A week after his isolation, he learned from Pepa that the Guerrero family left. They went away with no explanation, and if they did, their relatives firmly shut their mouths to stop rumors from spreading.

A day before their disappearance, Felipe was still working in the school as if nothing happened. By the time sunrise came, they were gone.

The carpenter’s apprentice was also nowhere to be found.

Not many people knew about their secret relationship, so no one made the connection between the Guerreros leaving and Vicente’s sudden disappearance.

But Bruno knew.

Vicente’s never coming back.

Reina, his only closest friend, was also never coming back.

And it was all his fault.

Chapter 1 (Here) | Chapter 2

#encanto #encanto fanfic #bruno #bruno madrigal #bruno fanfic #fanfic #encanto fanfiction #bruno x reader #bruno x oc #julieta madrigal #pepa madrigal #mirabel madrigal #disney

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straightlikewetspaghetti · 3 years

Text

A chaotic story that just as chaotically appeared in my head. It's much longer than I normally write, but I hope that doesn't bother you.

Fake It Till You Make It

Poppy x MC (Bea Hughes)

Warnings: None, except for the possibility of errors.

Walking through the grounds of Belvoir Bea witnessed a rather comical looking scene: Poppy was gesticulating very animatedly towards two adults, presumably her parents. It was the first time Bea had seen such rage in the blonde's movements. Curious and attracted by the possibility of Poppy's humiliation, Bea decided to get closer and see what was going on.

When she was close enough, she hugged Poppy tightly around the waist and clung to her with her whole body, nearly knocking the air out of her lungs. "Good morning, Kitten." she purred into her ear, loud enough to be sure the other two heard her as well.

Poppy's face went pale as a hospital wall, and her hands fell involuntarily along her body at the sound of the nickname Bea said in her peculiarly sexy, low accent.

The man and woman standing in front of them looked at each other and then swept their eyes over Bea. The woman nodded her head approvingly, and her eyes lit up. The man spoke first: "You're that famous Poppy's fiancée?" his voice was husky and expressed all manner of disapproval, but before Bea had time to bite her tongue, she nodded. "Where's the ring then?"

"Come on Piers, who cares about some shiny things." the woman's voice was much more pleasant.

Bea knew that what they were thinking was wrong and she should set the situation straight. "I don't..." she began embarrassed, but was silenced by a firm pinch on her bottom that was the equivalent of a snake bite. She looked accusingly at Poppy, but the blonde was only smiling falsely.

"Yes, this is Bea my fiancée. Bea, these are my parents, Ana and Piers Sinclair." the blonde pushed the girl slightly towards them.

The brunette shook hands with Piers and he nearly crushed her hand. She wasn't sure if he had intended it, but he made his warning very clear to her. Ana, on the other hand, hugged her tightly with a grace worthy of a queen herself. Poppy was the perfect blend of their characters.

"It's nice to finally meet you." chirped Ana pulling away from Bea. "We were slowly getting worried that Princess made it all up to make it easier to get our wealth."

"Princess?" Bea sneered under her breath, resulting in an immediate meeting of her ribs with Poppy's elbow. She grunted hastily putting a fake smile on her face. "No, no. What we have with Princess is the real thing." the brunette hugged Poppy around the waist again, feeling her small figure bubbling with inner rage.

"Then let us invite you to dinner!" Ana communicated contentedly, clapping her well-groomed hands. "We would love to get to know more about the person who tamed this untouchable girl."

"Mother." Poppy cut short Ana, measuring her with the kind of glare that could kill people. To her displeasure her mother didn't seem to mind, on the contrary, she looked like she enjoyed teasing her daughter. It could be a family thing. "That won't be necessary, I'm sure you're tired after your trip."

"Nonsense my dear." Ana waved her hand dismissively. "I insist." although her voice was gentle, there was a hint of force hidden in it. Her mother did not seem like someone who took well to words of objections.

Ana slipped her hand under Piers' arm and together they started walking towards the car. Before they drove away, however, the woman smiled broadly "Tonight at 7 p.m. at our favorite restaurant. Dress appropriately... As long as you wear clothes when you're next to each other ." her laughter Poppy and Bea could hear long after the car drove away, leaving the confused girls alone with their thoughts.

"What was that?" first spoke Bea, looking at Poppy with obvious amusement. She really enjoyed seeing the state of embarrassment Poppy was in.

The blonde let the air out of her lungs and shook her head. "I panicked."

"That much is obvious," sneered the brunette. "We've slept together a few times, but marriage right away? There are easier ways to get a woman, princess."

"Just... Shut up. Let me think." Poppy nervously paced around breaking her mean girl exterior. Her mind raced and no logical answer wanted to emerge. The only rational solution is to continue this charade to the delight of her parents. "Do you have any clothes worth more than a pack of chips?"

Bea choked on air hearing the blonde's words. "Yes, I have clothes that are worth more than you."

The blonde just rolled her eyes and ignored the brunette's insult. "Come by the sorority house an hour before dinner. I expect you to dress decently." With those words, she left Bea with no way to refuse.

A punctual hour before dinner, Bea stopped her beloved Pick-up in the driveway of the Zeta sorority house. Even though it didn't show on her, she was nervous. Her palms were sweating and she nervously tapped her fingers against the steering wheel.

The door of the sorority house opened and there stood Poppy, dressed as elegantly as ever, but something about her appearance knocked all the air out of Bea's lungs. The brunette jumped out of the car and was at the passenger door in a flash.

Poppy unhurriedly walked up to the girl and spun around letting the material of her dress float freely with her movement. The sight was mesmerizing to Bea and she became very aware of how much she wanted to kiss her fake fiancée now.

The blonde ignored the butterflies in her stomach, which began to cheerfully flutter their wings under the influence of the brunette's adoring gaze. Even if her reaction was sincere, she couldn't forget that this was all one big farce for her parents.

Their journey passed in absolute silence, each was absorbed in her own thoughts. When they arrived at their destination five minutes before the appointed time, they noticed that Poppy's parents were already waiting for them.

Poppy jumped out of the car first before they could figure out any tactics. If Bea had been nervous before, the sight of her parents compounded that feeling, making her feet grow into the ground.

After a mental pat on the back, Bea stepped out of the car and stood next to Poppy. Her hand casually went to the blonde's waist and pulled her tighter against her. Poppy stiffened for a second before melting into the comfort the brunette's closeness gave her.

"Look Piers, how well they fit together. Almost like us." Ana said excitedly, kissing her husband. "Show your fiancée some love Poppy."

Bea chuckled and looked at Poppy's reddened face, the look expressing every level of embarrassment. She pulled the blonde closer to her and asked with genuine concern: "You okay there?"

Poppy shook her head, muttering under her breath. When she noticed the girl moving closer to her, she placed her hand carefully on the brunette's chest, alarmed that her parents were watching. "You don't have to..."

"I didn't have to pretend to be your fiancée either, and look: here I am." she whispered holding the blonde's gaze. An unspoken emotion passed between them, and the next thing they knew, Bea's lips were pressed against Poppy's in a rather unsure kiss.

The dinner went off without a hitch, and Poppy's parents didn't seem to suspect anything. The fact that the girls lived on the same campus made it very easy for them to create a colorized story of their first meeting and their entire relationship.

Poppy was strangely calm and they never once jumped down each other's throats during the entire evening. Bea got the impression that the blonde was even enjoying herself. She caught herself thinking that this was even what her life could be like. With her by her side.

Somehow Ana had talked them into slow dancing. She and her husband on one side of the dance floor, while Poppy and Bea preferred to be in a less visible place. Their bodies swayed in unison, no words needed to be spoken for them to understand each other in that moment. It was a magical moment shared between them, a peace that was not meant to exist.

"Have you thought about children yet?" asked Piers bluntly when they decided to sit at the table for a while longer after the dance.

Both girls almost died of embarrassment. Bea slowly began to panic that their lie had taken hold all too well. Under the table away from prying eyes Poppy grabbed the brunette's hand and squeezed it tightly. It was so unnatural for her that Bea's face flooded with a blood-red blush.

"Of course there is adoption or other unconventional methods in your case, but..."

"Excuse me for a moment." Bea said feeling an invisible force squeeze her. She escaped from there at an alarming rate, stopping no sooner than she reached the front of the restaurant and took a gulp of the cold night air.

It was too much even for her. The honesty and openness with which Poppy's parents welcomed her made her feel like a monster.

"Here is a runaway bride" laughed Ana stopping next to Bea. "I was convinced you'd drop out earlier, but I have to admit I admire the stubbornness."

Bea's face went pale, and her heart pounded like a hammer. It's impossible for Poppy's mother to know. Or...

"Don't look at me like that child, I'm her mother after all." she smiled sympathetically, then her expression changed to a slightly more serious one. "Aside from your charade, I can safely say that there is something between you two."

Bea sighed quietly and looked at the woman beside her. "How did you know you loved Piers?" she asked boldly, even though the next second she was biting her tongue for her lack of tact. The silence she was met with was so awkward, that she was ready to apologize for her insensitivity, but Ana just smiled and shook her head.

"Piers is a wonderful husband and father..." she began with a hint of nostalgia in her voice. Her gaze flickered ahead and she probably didn't even realize that she was involuntarily playing with her wedding ring. "I love him, as much as I can, but he is not the love of my life."

Ana fell silent to let Bea digest the information she had received. Various emotions were painted on the girl's face, but curiosity took over: "I don't understand?" she said, hoping the woman would continue the topic.

"When I was your age, I met a man." Ana involuntarily smiled radiantly at the memory of her beloved. "He was a wonderful man. If he could, he would have saved the whole world with me by his side."

Bea began to notice a slow change in the woman's tone that foreshadowed a sad end to this story. She moved closer to Ana, offering her mental comfort.

"After several years of relationship, Poppy, my greatest treasure, was born. I don't often remind her of it, but she's the apple of my eye. Her father also loved her more than life and would do anything for her." the woman's eyes began to well up with tears, though she meticulously tried to hide it. "But his calling conflicted with raising a child in one place. One day, he simply disappeared leaving a letter. A letter... As if it would change anything."

"I'm sorry..." Bea whispered, moved by Ana's story.

The woman straightened up and blinked a few times, chasing away the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "Piers was lovely enough to accept me and Poppy. Not to mention his fortune." she giggled and in a split second, her face no longer expressed her earlier sadness. The smile however she put on did not reach her eyes, which was very noticeable. "Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I decided to leave with him and Poppy. Would our lives be different then?"

"I'm... I'm not really in a position to answer that." Bea replied slightly embarrassed, scratching back of her neck nervously. She wasn't ready to emotionally support an adult because she herself didn't understand what was going on in her life and heart.

"Of course." Ana smiled cheerfully, this time the smile was genuine. "Thank you for letting the old woman talk about the old days."

This time, they both laughed, making the earlier discomfort evaporate. Bea couldn't tell how much she and Poppy's mom had stood outside the restaurant like that, but the street lamps had managed to light up, immersing the city in a soft bright glow.

She wasn't sure what Ana was trying to convey to her with her story. After all, she and Poppy don't love each other. And if they don't, why did the thought of it sting her heart so much?

"There you are." Piers' voice snapped the women out of their reverie and the man wrapped his cloak around his wife hugging her close. Even if he wasn't the true love of Ana's life, they were both happy having each other and it was admirable.

Poppy stood next to Bea, not quite sure how she should act. To her surprise, the brunette preceded her and covered her shoulders with her jacket. In a second, a delicate scent entered her nostrils and she realized that it didn't bother her at all. On the contrary, she could get used to it.

The blonde turned her head gently to look imperceptibly at Bea's face, but Bea already had her gaze fixed straight into her. Her eyes glistened in the lantern light, making Poppy's legs try to refuse to obey her. Reflexively, her face began to move closer to Bea's, only to have a grunt snap them out of their trance shortly before their lips touched.

"Thank you for this, oh so lovely dinner." Piers' voice was soft, although slightly suspicious and both girls blushed awkwardly, avoiding each other's gaze.

"Come on honey." interjected Ana correcting her husband's already impeccably placed bow tie. There was pure joy in her voice compared to his. "We'll have to do it again sometime."

Poppy's face darkened and she said an express goodbye to her parents, almost forcibly shoving them into a cab. In all the confusion, Bea caught Ana's gaze, which sent shivers down her spine. It was like a silent consent, but also a warning.

As the cab pulled away, Poppy slumped against the restaurant wall with a dramatic sigh, burying her face in one of her hands. Bea looked at her with newly aroused curiosity. "It wasn't... Bad." she concluded, thrusting her hands into the pockets of her pants.

As if smacked with a whip Poppy rose to her feet, reminding herself of the brunette's existence. She poked an accusing finger into her breast. "What were you thinking, leaving halfway through!"

Bea carefully caught the girl's perfectly manicured finger and lowered it, smoothly sliding her hand into Poppy's. They fit together perfectly. "I wasn't thinking."

Slightly taken aback, Poppy lifted her gaze from their entwined hands. "Of course you weren't thinking! You never do. Even if your life depended on it."

"That's true." the brunette admitted calmly, slowly drawing circles on the blonde's cool skin with her thumb. It was like a trance she wasn't even trying to snap out of.

Poppy's face twisted in fury. "Why are you so damn calm!" her voice reached higher octaves every now and then, slowly drawing the attention of nearby passing onlookers.

"I'm tired." Bea sighed and without breaking eye contact, she cupped Poppy's face in her hands. Her cool skin, was like salvation to the blonde cheeks hot with rage. "I'm tired of not understanding what's going on between us. I'm tired of not being able to tell you how I feel about you." with each sentence she spoke, her voice faded in her throat and Poppy's face changed expression from angry, through surprised to confused. The blonde finally gave up and relaxed her posture, allowing Bea to move closer to her. Their foreheads touched and their hearts pounded in unison. "I don't know if it's love..." the brunette continued once she was sure Poppy wasn't ready to scratch her eyes out. "But I'd like to explore it. With you."

A treacherous grin crept across Poppy's face, making the knots in Bea's stomach loosen and in an instant she felt several times more light than she had a second ago. She was ready to take a chance and by the blonde's reaction, she got the impression that she would share her opinion.

Without waiting any longer Bea shortened the distance between them and kissed her. It was not one of the kisses they had shared so far. This one was slower, calmer, yet more sensual and emotional.

Poppy pulled away first and sighed contentedly. "We've done this so many times before, but this one seemed like a first." she remarked, with a newfound hunger in her eyes as her gaze wandered across Bea's figure.

"Think of it as a promise of what's to come." the brunette laughed, embracing Poppy around the waist and pulling her close. "Then what will it be, Princess? Will you marry me?"

#poppy x mc #poppy fic #choices #playchoices #poppy min sinclair #bea hughes #queen b #queen b choices

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pepperpills · 3 years

Text

The Harvest - RE8 fanfic

The Harvest

A Resident Evil 8 fan fiction by Joana

Notes: It is a headcanon of Karl Heisenberg x Female Reader. I will be uploading chapters' parts everyday and a new chapter will be out every tuesday. English is not my mother tongue, so sorry if there are any grammar mistakes. Please, feel free to enjoy hehe

NSFW content.

Part I – Destiny (1)

It had been a week since the encounter with the creature in the woods surrounding Karl Heisenberg’s lot. It wasn’t the weirdest event you have seen though, of course; you grew up in one of the cabins close to the Village, you, and your people, were way familiar to the rusty metal sounds, the night fogs and the guttural growls living in the forest around the houses. Because of that, one day, when they grew nearer, your people knew the time had come and you too would be absorbed by the Village, being lead – not to say forced – to worship Mother Miranda and her children.

At first, it was odd, the mood was mournful as if your own family had lost the brightness of joy in their irises. Everything there felt uncanny as there was a sweet and mistrusting mist in the air.

You have always known about Miranda and the four lords, but had never laid your own eyes on them. Until your 20s, they have been nothing but whispers in the distance, folk stories to scare the youngsters, so they wouldn’t go too deep in between the trees and their twisted thin branches.

As the months and then the years passed by, your people started making that place feel like home. Luiza, Urias and their own have been very kind and supportive to all of you, they’ve shown you their believes, their rituals and their daily life; in return, the cabin folk shared their knowledge on herbs, flowers and wild animals, which meant hunting instead of raising them. It worked out fine, anyway, you knew you couldn’t stay in the cabins forever, there would be a time when the Village would grow and it did.

To this extent, you felt comfortable, you actually started sharing a feeling of belongness, especially when it came to rituals and festivals. It was astonishing how the Village would gather, sing, dance, bake and eat on special dates – mostly agricultural calendar ones – and helping organizing it, putting up the decorations, the horns distributed in clothes-line, the red fabrics waving as flags on the ceilings, all of these things were very reassuring.

Years passed by and transformed you into a woman, you had your periods every month, the etiquette practices and the daily choirs such as baking and feeding the animals (now you had pigs and chicken to look after). This, however, bothered you, not the baking though, that made you happy, but you would much more appreciate to help your father and brother with the machinery and hunt with the men, which you did, only hidden, for sport maybe, until you improved your stealth and archery abilities so it became a part of you that you liked much more than singing by the lake while doing laundry with the wives, even though that too had its appeal – music always got the best of you, particularly when it came along with dancing.

About the hunt, you would sell it to Duke, the impartial merchant that comes every week. He is the best way to maintain a low-profile about your illegalities, once he also deals with prohibited materials.

Thinking of it, you believe it was fine, definitely bucolic, but you never expected more. And for your mitigation, you had never yet seen all of the lords face-to-face. Miranda came by at least once a month, but mostly spent her precious time with the Village leader. She usually went back to her lot afterwards. The others were… Well, different.

Lady Beneviento was an in-doors person, the only one who had constant contact with her was her groundskeeper who lived closer to her house. Lady Dimitrescu was only seen in her castles’ windows looking way distant and melancholic to anyone that far from her stand. Her daughters too never left the upright protective stone walls, no one knew why, neither bothered to find out. Sometimes girls from the Village would be sent to the castle in order to serve them as handmaiden, some of them came back on special dates, but never spent the night in the Village.

Lord Moreau was the only one who visited more frequently, usually fixing demands for his experiments. He never stayed too long, he probably sensed that the people had less interest on him than they had in the other lords, which kind of made you pity Lord Moreau; however, you never had the courage to speak to him anyway and it didn’t feel very possible to be friends with the lords.

The last one, Lord Heisenberg, you had only heard in the distance when exploring the Altar surroundings, hidden from the others once it wasn’t allowed to be there without a good motive. The villagers told you, sitting around the fire in windy twilights, that he used to wander around more decades ago. Back then most of your friends were kids and nowadays don’t remember him very well, just his temper as he tends to easily lose patience.

They don’t know what made him stay in his factory for so long, but through the time he has been recluse, some said the metal noises have risen as if he has been working to exhaustion on something. When they told you these stories, you hoped never to find out and feared The Harvest.

That was it for your historic with the lords, at least until three months ago when you turned twenty years old and The Harvest took place again. The 20s was a unique age for the villagers, it was when they would know for sure if they had been chosen by Mother Miranda for some position in her family’s choirs. If you were free, as you’d like to say, you should start thinking about your role in the Village, finding a partner and leaving your parents’ place, if not… You would serve, not sure exactly how.

For your absolute pleasure, your 20th birthday was the most beautiful ceremony you had ever attended while living in the Village. It made it easier. It wasn’t made only for you, but for all of the young people who were turning that age in that year, as it was traditional to have The Harvest.

The small town was all dressed in light colours, paper lamps gave the paths a magical blue aura, goat wood sculptures painted white were disposed here and there blessing the birthday boys and girls. Women wore lace Prussian blue dresses below the knees and men were in grey linen tunics. People commemorated in the area around The Maiden of War with gasps and smiles.

You were dazzling. Tradition demanded that the 20s wore white, almost transparent, clothes. It was supposed to show you emerging as a pure being into something else, finally you would be considered a part of the mundane world after two decades of only experimenting it.

The families were responsible for their children’s garment, so each one looked different and unique. In your case, your mother, Ana, made a ravishing job, one that you could only have dreamt of.

Ana sewed you a white mesh ruffle midi dress, almost off shoulder if it wasn’t for the thin straps that held it there. The down skirt’s fabric was tulle and in the breast area you had a lace to tighten it, the ruffle there also worked on hiding your boobs, so you wouldn’t feel completely naked, only your nipples would show due to Fall’s weather.

After celebrating throughout the afternoon with wine, fresh pies, music and the villager’s affection for you and all the 20s being demonstrated, the night fell upon the Village and the oil lamps were lite, they started dancing in your vision like phantasmagorical illusions, inviting you to follow the way they headed. You didn’t fully understand back then, but it probably was Beneviento’s work.

Your heart throbbed immediately, the euphoria peaking your skin, making you feel electric. Maybe you were drugged, maybe a bit drunk, that didn’t matter, once what mattered was that you were absolutely surrendered by the moment. It felt almost like gluttony, the atmosphere made you want more of whatever there was to so deeply desire.

Attending the call, one by one, the 20s started walking towards the ceremony site were their parents, Mother Miranda and the four lords should be waiting for them. That year there were twelve of them, one more than last year, equally divided between men and women.

Even though it was prohibited for any villager, besides Luiza and Urias, to go past the area of the Altar, you knew where you were heading, you have explored every inch of the Village, quietly, never daring to talk about it with someone. On The Harvest, though, you were being guided. A magnificent deer appeared in front of you, it moved slowly, unafraid of your presence, he glanced at you and walked towards the site. You couldn’t help, but following it, somehow you were sure it would lead you to a pleasant event.

Past the gate and there they were, the four lords all together for the first time in your live. Strangely, you felt seduced more than scared, maybe it was the deer spells, maybe something else made you feel welcomed. The night was your wonderwall and nothing bad could happen to you.

#resident evil #re8 #karl heisenberg #re village #karl heisenberg x reader #resident evil 8 village #heisenberg #heisendaddy #heisenberg resident evil #resident evil viii #resident evil 8 fanfic #original post #resident evil village #re8 karl heisenberg #resident evil heisenberg #fanfic #re fanfic #the harvest

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phykios · 3 years

Text

volcano kiss scene but make it medieval, for @perseannabeth 💙 note that this is little more than a fancy rewrite, but... marble king verse is too good to be done with completely

***🌊***🌊***🌊***

June, 1446

As Percy led his little band of adventurers through the tunnels of the Labyrinth, himself, his questing partner Ana Zabeta, his childhood companion Aegidius, and his half-brother, the cyclops Tison, following a marvelously clever creation of the god of fire, he allowed himself, for a brief moment, to feel a small sense of pride. They had finally located a deity who not only did not appear to have any negative designs on their characters, but had also promised them his help--after they had performed him a small favor, of course.

Hephaestus had fashioned for them a little spider made of metal, who moved about as though it had a beating heart, darting this way and that, nearly invisible, were it not for their torchlight flickering off its shiny, shiny legs. Though he would never speak it aloud, Percy felt a particular kind of pride on Annabeth’s behalf, as she followed the eight-legged creature with neither complaint nor fear. He knew full well just how totally she detested the beasts, her eternal and forsworn enemies, just as their mother had been an enemy of Athena.

They rounded a corner, moving from a passageway lined with a strange, shiny substance which felt cool to the touch to one of crudely-cut stone, when he spotted a tunnel off to the side, dug from raw earth, wrapped in thick roots which pried their way through the holes in the stones. Aegidius had noticed it as well, slowing his pace until he stopped entirely in front of the dark, gaping maw in the wall. “Aegidius,” Percy said, stopping as well. “What is it?”

It was as if he had not heard him. The satyr merely gazed into the black tunnel, his curly hair rustling in an impossible breeze.

“We cannot delay!” said Annabeth. “We must keep moving!”

“This is the way,” Aegidius muttered, hushed and reverent. “It is here.”

He couldn’t possibly mean… “The way to Pan?”

But Aegidius ignored him, turning instead to Tison, the creature whose very nature often rendered him speechless with fear. “Do you not smell it, too?”

“Yes,” said Tison. “Earth. The forest.”

Before them, the spider skittered further down the stone corridor. If they delayed any further, the trail would be lost to them.

“Once we have finished our errand for Hephaestus,” said Annabeth, “then we can return for Pan, I swear it.”

“The tunnel will have gone by then,” said Aegidius, with a confidence Percy had rarely seen before. “A door such as this will not remain open for long--and I must enter it.”

“But,” she said, desperate, “the forges!”

He looked at her sadly, but firmly. “I cannot go with you this time, Annabeth.”

Percy had forgotten--Aegidius was not only his companion. He had been Annabeth’s as well. He had been responsible for seeing her safely over the magical boundary in Sigeion. But the spider was nearly out of sight, and they could not tarry any longer before the gateway to the god. “We will continue to the forges,” he decided. “Aegidius, you go on to seek Pan.”

“No!” she gasped. “It is far too dangerous. If we part ways, we might never find each other again! And I cannot let you go alone.”

It was then that Tison, gentle creature he was, put his hand on Aegidius’ shoulder. As much fear as satyrs held for cyclops, Tison, for some odd reason, held just as much, if not more, for the satyrs. They had made an amusing pair at times, two of the sweetest, kindest people Percy had ever known, cowering in fear at the other. But Tison showed no fear now. Now, he was brave. “I shall go with him.”

Percy could not believe his ears. “You will?”

He nodded. “The satyr needs help. We shall find the god of the wild--together.”

Aegidius took a deep, steadying breath. “I wish I could see this through to the end with you, but--”

“I understand,” said Percy. The search for Pan was his life’s goal, the final prize in a quest which had taken his father, his father’s father, and so many searchers before him. If he did not succeed on this journey, the Council of Cloven Elders would never give him another chance. “I pray that you are right.”

Shoulders square, suddenly possessed of a confidence Percy had rarely ever seen from him, save for when he deliberated on how keftedes paled in comparison to spanakopita, he grinned. “I know that I am.”

Percy took a heartbeat to gaze on him one last time, imprinting him in his memory--just in case. “Be careful,” he told him. Then, he looked towards Tison, and opened his arms to his half-brother, who went into them willingly, squeezing Percy so strongly his eyes just about burst from his sockets.

Tison and Aegidius then disappeared into the darkness of the tree roots, lost to the wild.

“This was a mistake,” said Annabeth, her voice trembling. “We should not have let them go.”

“We will see them again,” Percy replied, attempting to summon Aegidius’ confidence. “Now, come on. The spider will not wait for us any longer.”

“Do not remind me,” she said, shuddering.

Before very long, the tunnel grew warmer, the stone walls red and glowing. The air felt as though they were walking through a giant oven, as though they had been transported into one of the forges beneath the villa for Hephaestus’ children, and he supposed, in a way, that they had. The tunnel sloped down, deeper into the earth, the spider nearly tripping over itself to reach the bottom, Annabeth right behind it.

Percy jogged to catch up. “Annabeth!” he called. “A moment?”

She glanced back at him, but did not cease her quick pace, forcing Percy to match her. “Yes?”

“I have a… question,” he panted, “regarding what Hephaestus… said, about your mother.”

“She swore never to marry,” Annabeth said, easily. Curses, Annabeth did not appear to be even remotely out of breath. He felt like such a fool compared to her, always. “She is one of the maiden goddesses, alongside Artemis and Hestia.”

Percy frowned. He had not recalled that detail about the war goddess--though, he was rather infamous for nodding off during lessons. Perhaps he had simply slept through that particular lesson. “But, if she is a maiden goddess, then--”

“How is it she came to have demigod children?”

Blushing, he nodded.

Now, this was not at all appropriate conversation, he knew. Young boys and girls were not meant to discuss such things with each other--not yet anyway. But Percy was nearly a man, and besides, he had spent enough time with Carlos and the older boys at the agoge to pick up a few pieces of knowledge here or there. Hopefully, Annabeth would think the flush on his cheeks was due to the heat of the cavern.

“Do you know how Athena was born?” she asked him.

“She was born from… the head of Zeus? In armor?”

“Precisely. She was literally born from his thoughts--and thus, her children are born the same way. When Athena falls in love with a mortal partner, it is a purely intellectual affair, just as it was with Odysseus in the epic tales. Our mother says that it is the truest kind of love.”

“So,” said Percy, frowning. “Your father and Athena… you were not--”

“I was born from their minds,” she interrupted, quickly. “Sprung from the divine thoughts of my mother and the mortal ingenuity of my father. Her children are gifts, blessings on the mortals she favors.”

“But--”

She turned to him, exasperated. “Percy, the spider has nearly vanished. Do you really wish for me to explain the precise details of my birth?”

Flushing even harder, he snapped his jaw shut.

Victorious again, she smirked. “I thought not.”

Running ahead to catch their guide, Percy followed, very neatly put in his place, and not certain he would ever be able to look at his friend the same way ever again. Some things, he decided, were perhaps better left as mysteries.

After another few minutes or so, they emerged into a cavern, larger than any stadium Percy had ever seen. It felt to be five times the size of the mighty Colosseum. There was no floor, just miles of bubbling lava beneath their feet. Standing on a rock ride which encircled the cavern, Percy saw a complex, overlapping network of metal bridges spanning the width of it, meeting on a huge platform in the center which housed the largest anvil he had ever seen, a block of iron the size of a villa. Dark, strange shapes moved about them, like formless shadows, too far away to discern what manner of creature they might be.

“We cannot sneak up on them,” said Percy, noting the distinct lack of places to hide with some despair.

With a slight grimace, Annabeth picked up their metal guide, its form having changed to a small ball, and slipped it into a fold in her dress. “I can. Wait here.”

“Hang on--” But Percy was too late, as Annabeth put on her magical cap, a gift from her mother, and vanished from his sight.

Percy cursed. He did not dare call after her, not willing to draw attention to her tactics, but nor did he appreciate the idea of her approaching the forge on her own. If those creatures could repel the likes of Hephaestus, what hope did Annabeth have? It was not safe. She was their leader--they could not risk her life. Percy would not risk her life.

Alas, he could never sit still for very long. Creeping along the outer rim of the lake of molten rock, he darted from stalagmite to stalagmite as best he could, hoping to find a better vantage point. Really, Annabeth should have known better.

The heat was horrendous, heavy and oppressive. Drenched in sweat, and eyes stinging with smoke, he moved along, staying as far from the edge as was physically possible, until he found his way stopped by a large metal box, fitted on wheels. Peering inside, he saw it was full scrapped metal, bits and bobs of broken swords and lumpy shields, piled on top of one another. Nothing he could reasonably use for an extra weapon, or even some kind of defense. Making to squeeze himself around it, he suddenly heard from up ahead a voice, rough and grating, speaking an ancient language which no man alive had heard for a thousand years.

Monsters, he knew.

There was no time to run away, no place to hide… except for the box. Leaping inside, covering himself with a dented aspis, he curled his fingers around his father’s sword, that blade Anaklusmos, hissing as the sharp metal of his bed cut between the soft parts of his armor, biting his tongue so no curse could escape.

With any luck, the monsters would pass him by, and he could continue along unmolested.

That was when, of course, that the box lurched forward, pushed along by the monsters, carrying Percy along with it. Malaka! Was he about to be tipped into a smelting pot?

All around him, he heard the chatter of terrible beasts. He was not so skilled in the ancient tongue as Annabeth, but even he could recognize a few words here or there, “weapon” and “cyclopes” and “furnace,” and some names as well: Zena, hissed with scorn, Posidaota, spat with bile, and, most chillingly of all, Kronos, spoken with reverence and awe.

Percy blinked against the sudden light as his cover was removed from his person, revealing himself to the monster, who was so taken aback by his presence, that it blinked back at him in return. For a few moments, neither of them moved, so shocked were they by the other’s sudden appearance. Then, springing into action, Percy slashed upwards, dissolving the beast in a cloud of golden smoke. Snatching up another shield and leaping from his bed of spikes, he saw with his preternatural vision a small army of at least twenty monsters, black like dogs, but with sleek, shiny skin, and legs which looked to be more suited for swimming than scrambling around the rocks of Aitne.

With a hearty battle-cry and another wide swipe, he repelled the front row of these creatures, carving himself some space to jump, sprinting for the mouth of the tunnel. The monsters followed after him, baying and growling as a pack of ravenous wolves, and they would have caught him, tearing him to pieces, had they been but a little bit faster. Thinking quickly, at the top of the tunnel, Percy hurled his shield into a column, the rocks crumbling upon impact, burying the monsters and blocking off the path with a great, noisy cave-in.

He doubted it would keep them trapped for very long. Not only that, he very much doubted that they had been the only monsters in the cavern. Percy had just announced his presence to anyone who might have been listening, destroying their chance for any sort of subtle reconnaissance.

And Annabeth was still out there, somewhere, invisible.

“Annabeth!” He yelled, running towards the platform at the center of the ocean of lava. “Annabe--!”

An invisible hand clamped over his mouth, wrestling him down behind a large, bronze cauldron. “Silence! Do you mean to have us killed?”

Arms flailing, he managed to locate her head, slipping off her cap of invisibility. She shimmered into view as an island emerging from the mist, scowling and covered in ash and grime. “It’s far too late for that,” he said, grimly. “I came upon a group of monsters, and brought the roof crashing down on them.”

Hissing curses, her hands clenched, as though she meant to strangle him, before she visibly managed to control her temper. “You said there were monsters?”

He nodded. “I know not what kind. I had thought they may have been dogs, were it not for their flippered feet and human hands, adorned with claws. They spoke of furnaces and weapons, making arms for the first Titanomachy.”

“Telkhines,” she gasped, eyes wide. “Of course! I should have known. I had wondered when I saw… well, look.”

Together they peered over the lip of the cauldron. In the center of the platform stood four of these demons, larger than any Percy had seen before, standing at least the size of a fully grown man. Their black, scaly skin glistened in the light of the fire as they labored, sparks flying between mighty hammer strikes on a long piece of glowing, hot metal, hissing to each other in the ancient language. “What are they saying?” he whispered to her. If he could not understand them, Annabeth surely would.

“They are talking of fusing metals,” she said, frowning. “Other than that, I--I cannot say.”

“Is that bad?”

She stared at him, incredulous. “The telkhines betrayed the gods,” she said, “for practicing dark magics. For their transgressions, Zeus banished them to Tartaros.”

“Alongside Kronos.”

She nodded. “We must return to Hephaestus at once--”

But no sooner had she spoken than a sharp, clawed hand pierced its way through the rubble of Percy’s cave-in, pushing aside the rocks which blocked its path, followed closely by its snout, teeth long and sharp and dripping with saliva. “You must return to the god,” Percy said, moving into a crouch. “Leave me here.”

“What?” she shrieked. “No! I will not leave you!”

At any other time, he would have praised her for her courage, but not now. “You must! Let me distract the monsters, and perhaps the spider can lead you back through the Labyrinth. You are the leader of this quest--you must take the message back to Hephaestus.”

“But you’ll be killed!”

“I’ll be fine,” he said, turning to face her. “As well, there is no other choice.”

She glared at him, her lips pulled back almost in a snarl worthy of one of the monsters. He knew this look of hers well--it was the one she wore whenever she considered hitting him for his foolishness.

But rather than hit him, she did something which shocked him even more.

She grasped the collar of his tunic, pulled him close, and kissed him. “Be careful, phykios,” she murmured against his lips, breath hot. Then she put on her cap, and vanished.

Percy couldn’t breathe, and not for the smoke. Had it not been for the lava, the monsters, the weapon, the quest, he would have been quite content to sit there all day, thinking of nothing but the softness of her mouth and the way her eyes sparkled in the firelight, unable to even recall his own name.

A sea demon screamed, jolting him back into reality.

The horde of monsters, freed from their prison, charged across the bridge towards him. Percy scrambled up from the ground, running for the middle of the platform, startling the large monsters so thoroughly that they dropped the red-hot blade over which they labored. It was as long as they were tall, curved like a crescent moon, its shape burning into his vision, sending shivers down his spine.

Unfortunately for Percy, the monsters recovered quickly from their shock. Every which way he turned, his exit was blocked by a small army, surrounding him. Cutting him off.

Raising Anaklusmos, he prayed that they could not see the blade shaking.

“Son of Poseidon,” rasped a demon, speaking Percy’s own language now. “We are honored by your visit, fish-blood.”

He spread his senses, casting about for an escape, but there was none. He was trapped.

“Will you strike us down, half-blood?” asked another one. “An you try, the rest of us shall tear you to shreds.” Licking its lips, it advanced on him, claws glinting in the glow of the forge. “Perhaps we shall deliver you to your father in pieces--an omen of the horror we shall visit upon him, and all the rest of the twelve, for their betrayal.”

Annabeth would not have allowed herself to be cornered this way, but Percy was no strategist. If the gods favored him at all, they would have seen to Annabeth’s escape, leaving him to his doom.

Was this to be his doom, he wondered? Trapped in the heart of a volcano, overrun by monsters which would use his bones to pick their teeth?

The tallest of the demons plunged its hand into the furnace, scooping a handful of molten rock. “Let us see the might of Olympus,” it said, grinning. “Let us see how long it takes him to burn!” And it threw the lava at Percy.

Dropping his sword, he swatted at his clothes which had been set alight, as though he had merely had an unfortunate run-in with the lava trap at the agoge, but it was not nearly enough, the fire engulfing him with each passing second. At first, oddly, it had only felt warm, though it grew hotter and hotter with every heartbeat.

“Your father’s nature protects you,” one monster sneered. “Makes you hard to burn. But not impossible, fish-blood. Not impossible.”

Later, Percy would struggle to remember the particulars. He would recall only the fire, and the pain. He would not remember how he crumpled to the floor in deepest agony, the sea demons howling in delight at his terror.

Nor would he remember the voice of the naiad at the farm of the giant Geryon. The water is within me, she had said.

Between waves of torment, there was a tugging sensation in his gut, calling vainly for water where there was none: not a river, nor a stream, nor even a petrified seashell. Percy called for the sea, the towering waves which could wash away villages, the currents which could destroy ships in a single blow, the endless power of the ocean, and he called for these things inside of himself, letting it loose in one terrible, horrible scream.

Fire and water collided, a typhoon of unearthly power shooting him up from the beating heart of Aitne on wings of superheated steam, peeling his skin away, another piece of flotsam flung from the earth by the force of the blast. Higher and higher he flew, further than Icarus, than Bellerophon, than Zeus himself, so high that the lord of the heavens would not be able to reach him--and then he fell, a shooting star, hurtling towards the sea which would not save him. Not this time.

#aegidius = grover btw #the marble king #perseannabeth #my fic #darkmagyk #pjo #percabeth #the rivalry ends here #marble timestamps

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millllenniawrites · 4 years

Text

sparks fly (Poe Dameron x Reader)

part three of dear love of mine

words: 1.6k

warnings: very very slight dom!reader vibes; tension; second hand embarrassment; reader has a last name; regency au for the aesthetic but it’s historically inaccurate for the *vibes*; afab!reader; slow burn; sexual themes throughout; eventual smut; pining; warnings will be added as the series progresses

a/n: this chapter was supposed to be longer but I decided to split up some scenes so I could get it to you sooner!! I hope you guys like it!

Poe did not attend breakfast the next morning.

You weren’t sure what you were expecting. It’s not like you could very well ask him why he decided sneaking into your room in the dead of night was appropriate in front of your mother and your staff, even if he had come.

But your questions nagged at you. Had he known that you were out in another part of the house? Had he expected to find you in bed? What would he have done? He couldn’t very well have come into your room. That wouldn’t be proper.

Not that you were worrying about your prospects. It wouldn’t matter if you were untouched if you were never going to marry.

Not that he’d ever—

As you jolted yourself out of your thoughts, you kicked up, sending Ana’s cup careening off the table. Finn managed to catch it before it hit the ground, which your mother applauded. As if that was some trick of magic and not pure luck.

Ana batting her eyes at him and the way he softly smiled was enough for you to keep your mouth shut, if only barely. The men in your home were here to ensure Ana and Finn were married. And quickly.

You’d returned to your room after breakfast, claiming an entirely false headache before shutting yourself in for the day. Retrieving the note from under your pillow, you read over his words again.

Your humble servant.

Humble, indeed. So humble he dared to insult your mother and your household by not showing up to his first breakfast in your home.

You traced over the curl of his name. Poe. It was strange, how fitting it was. Gentle. Like the slope of his neck…

Crumpling the letter in your hand, you stuffed it back beneath your pillow and lay atop it. It seemed the General did not need to be in your presence to be needling away at your patience.

You retrieved an old copy of one of your father’s favourite novels, intending to distract yourself from the handsome stranger and dive into a well-loved tale. Running your fingertips along the edge of the cover, you squinted your eyes in an attempt to focus.

You read the same sentence over and over. It was as if your mind had refused to cooperate.

A change of scenery. That should do the trick.

With your book tucked under your arm, you snuck out of your room and made for the drawing room on the first floor. The couch in the corner had a beautiful view of the mountains…

A view that had been thoroughly obstructed by one General’s large, curly, unkept head.

Ana sat across from him, and Finn beside them both at one of the smaller card tables in the centre of the room. Lord Barnes spread out a group of playing cards in one hand and leaned over to fan Ana with them, making her giggle.

Slowly, you began to back out of the room, but your sister caught your eye before you could escape.

“Sister! Come sit!” Ana patted the stool beside her. “We can play as teams! That would be much more fun.”

Lord Barnes stood and gestured across the table to the empty seat. “Miss Dean. If you would be so kind as to join us.”

You approached the table as you would a rabid animal. The General stood slowly, as if in pain, though he straighten the moment his eyes found you.

“Miss Dean,” He sounded surprised. Did he find it odd that you would frequent your own drawing room?

Perhaps he was not as educated as he claimed.

At least he was now dressed. His dark coat was fully buttoned, his teasing sliver of chest from the night before thoroughly covered.

“General Dameron,” You bowed your head slightly, only enough to be polite. “I trust you slept well?”

He had the decency to look embarrassed, though he recovered much too quickly for your liking. “I must apologize for my absence this morning. It was a late night.”

Something glittered in his eyes that had you casting your gaze to the ground. There was a darkness to him that you refused to allow yourself to examine, no matter how much it may intrigue you.

You allowed him to push in your chair, though you did not take the hand offered to help you sit, however tempting the warmth of his skin may be.

“Well, what are we playing?”

Finn quickly dealt out playing cards. The game was a simple race to 23 points. Ana and the General played on one team, with you and Finn on the other. You angled yourself as to not brush elbows with the General, though it seemed you could not avoid his gaze, which brushed it’s way over your form as one would brush away fallen leaves. A nuisance, but somehow necessary.

“Where is your other sister? Siena, is it?” The General asked in a lull of conversation.

“With her governess, mostly likely.” Ana answered simply.

The General’s eyebrows shot up his face and you muffled a snort.

“I had not realized she was so young.”

You had more than a handful of things to say if the General had the intention of courting your sister, but Ana beat you to it.

“She is a sweet girl.”

“As most children are.” You followed up, not needing to meet your sister’s gaze to know her intentions.

As much as you differed on your expectations for your futures and the way you saw the world, you and Ana had never once disagreed about Siena. She insisted on growing up too quickly and your mother, in her age and grief, did not have the keen eye she once kept on her two eldest daughters. Even for her clear favourite.

So it was up to you and Ana to look after her, down to ensuring her hems were taken down and her governess reported to you both in secret.

You paid her handsomely to do so and her bore concerns of her own. It wasn’t as if she was going to refuse.

You caught on to the game quickly. Finn was a good partner, keeping up with your quick changes in strategy with such a keen eye that you could have sworn he was reading your mind.

He made you laugh a few times, breaking you out of the overcast mood that the General’s presence put you in.

He’d be a good match for Ana. You were certain of that.

Eventually, his good-naturedness and Ana’s swooning over him relaxed you enough to engage the General in polite conversation.

He asked after your favourite novels and you listed a few obscure titles that he certainly could not have studied. When he admitted as much, you gave him some grace and engaged him on his knowledge of Shakespeare.

“Well, Romeo and Juliet is of course the greatest love story ever told, so I have studied it at length.”

Finn clapped him on the back and leaned across the table as if to tell you a secret. “This one is quite the romantic.”

You rolled your eyes and Finn guffawed, leaning back so far in his chair that you were afraid it might break. He laughed with his whole body, oozing a confidence and joy into the room that you hoped he might bring to his relationship with your sister.

The General cleared his throat. Embarrassment looked good on him. He was a much smaller man without his bravado lifting his chin so high. There was something… sweet, almost, about him.

As he ducked his head, you noticed what appeared to be a bit of a feather stuck in his hair.

You set your cards on the table and started to reach out, but hesitated at the last moment. Hands clutched to your chest, you giggled, “General, you have a bit of…”

The small bit of fluff bounced as he shook his head in an attempt to free it. His curls flew out like wings, but it didn’t release itself.

“Let me.” You reached forward, tipping Poe’s face up with two gentle fingers beneath his chin. At your touch, his lips parted in a small breath that had heat rising to your face faster than you could combat it. You plucked the white fibre from his curls and carefully swept them back into place before leaning away and letting him go.

The way his throat bobbed with shallow breaths did not evade you.

“There,” you whispered, returning to your cards. Your face burned, but you did not meet his eyes. “Fixed.”

Ana loudly cleared her throat. “Lord Barnes, I believe it is your turn.”

You glanced up at Finn. He had hidden his mouth behind his cards, though it did little to hide the amusement shining in his eyes.

This was a plan, a scheme of theirs. Boys. Children.

A plan to embarrass you.

Surely.

It had to be.

Ana gripped your thigh, as if anticipating you would stand and excuse yourself. “Lord Barnes—” she paused and corrected herself, “Finn, if you would be so kind as to make your next move.”

The game continued on for some time, but the tension didn’t lessen. Ana and Finn flirted in your peripheral vision but you couldn’t concentrate on anything but Poe. Ana had to remind you to take your turns and Finn groaned about some of your choices, but you weren’t really paying enough attention to even try to defend yourself. Every slight movement of Poe’s, a swallow or slight widening of his knees, had you flushed and near-panting.

The game couldn’t end quick enough. You did not meet Poe’s gaze again, even as he helped you out of your chair.

You made the mistake of taking his hand. His palm was soft, his fingers rough against yours. Though the touch was brief, it made you shiver when he let you go and took a respectful step back.

“Thank you,” you breathed before sweeping from the room.

#poe dameron #poe dameron x reader #poe dameron x you #poe dameron x y/n #poe dameron imagine #poe dameron fluff #regency au #dear love of mine

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personatrash · 3 years

Text

Fate's child servants are such a difficult thing for me to "pick a side" on because I have feelings about each one for different reasons. (This one is gonna be a bit long, I'm afraid)

Jack: adorable character, extremely creative to incorporate the supernatural belief about Jack the Ripper's identity being the vengeful souls of dead children, but you put her in a thong & ruined it. Why

Nursery Rhyme: I actually have no problems with Nursery rhyme. She's not dressed inappropriately, she doesn't say inappropriate things for a child, has a childlike sense of wonderment & makes sense because of how she came into being in EXTRA

Paris: a stupid little idiot moron baby (affectionate). I want to adopt him as my son & keep Apollo way the hell away from him. He's precious but needs to be put in time out for kidnapping Helen. Justifying him being a child by saying Apollo likes him better that way makes the god a creep (which he kind of is) (& his designer to a degree). I don't exactly have a problem with him dressing so feminine I do too if I feel like it, I wouldn't ban my own son from dressing how they want & Paris has often been depicted as more of a feminine man, but maybe pull back around the shoulder area looks a bit too much like lingerie

Gily: seems kinda unnecessary, but he's cute & isn't problematic like Jack so eh I kinda forget he exists until I pull him on friend banner & I'm like "oh yeah, Gil Lily exists"

Alexander: Make him an adult & his design is 10/10 better than Iskandar because it's more truthful to what Alexander the Great looked like in proper history given historical records. Keep him as a kid & it seems a bit sexualized. A child showing skin is more off-putting than an adult showing it

Kama: she grows into an adult one stage later so she's not really a child servant for long just any% speedrun her to stage 2

Chloe: get out. No. Bad. Miyu & Illya can stay if they want but they have to cover up. No loli bait magical girl costumes Chloe better get back to her pervert loli anime though

Abigail: same as Nursery Rhyme except she's spooky this time

Ana: baby & can stay as long as she wants

Altera Larva: also baby & can stay

Hans: like, is he? Idk. Like, he's clearly an adult, but he looks like a child because of Innocent Monster

Jalter Santa Lily: Santa should not be in a training bra & a skirt. Put something on before you catch cold young lady

Leo Rider: was there a real reason for making mama Leo into a loli or are we just catering to a certain demographic

Paul Bunyan: absolutely no problems until stage three. Just stop at stage two please

Sitonai: it's just illya & she's dressed properly. No real complai- what the fuck is stage 4? No what the fuck. Is stage 4

Setanta: he's in arcade so I don't really have much reason to bring him up other than to say hes a cutie pie

Voyager: baby

Wu Zetian: no fuck you. Stage one was pushing it, but ok enough to just get side-eyed but no uproar stage 2 & beyond is just gross & one of fate/go's biggest problems

& the obligatory Mother Harlot: the biggest WHY! in all of fate. You gave the WHORE of Babylon the body of a child. Why? Nero is short, yeah, but she's clearly an adult with a mature adult body. Could they not do what SMT did & kinda be faithful to historical depictions with their own stylized twist? Like having her look like a mature woman who's still recognizable as Nero riding the beast side-saddle in an outfit that Nero would approve of? Or is that just too much. Fuck

#fate #fate go

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ourloveisforthelovely · 4 years

Text

Lost Part 8

Harry Potter Marauders Era

Link to Part 7

Pairings: Regulus Black x Reader

Rating: M

_____

Regulus found himself staring at his father with wide eyes. This was the last thing that he ever expected to happen! When Regulus scoped out this cafe, he liked it because it was off of the “normal path.” He never expected his father to be in a place like this.

Reaching down, Regulus wrapped his hand around yours. If he had to break the law for underage magic to apparate both of you away from Orion Black, he would. Regulus wouldn’t let you be harmed. He had just gotten you back in his life and nothing (not even his crazy pureblood parents) would wreck it. Regulus was happy for once and that happiness wouldn’t be taken away from him!

If his parents thought that arranging some marriage to some pureblood girl would stop him from being with you...they had another thing coming! They could kick him out of the family, disinherit him, and leave his share of the Black family fortune to someone else for all Regulus cared. He would find some way to provide you with the life that you deserved.

“Dad…”

Regulus began but Orion stopped him with one icy look. Orion didn’t have to say anything to get his children in line. When Regulus and Sirius were small and behaving wildly it would take one look from their father to make both boys sit down...today was no exception. Regulus’ mouth instantly shut. The boy bit his bottom lip before looking down to avoid his father’s piercing gaze.

His eyes had flickered over to the girl huddled at his son’s side. You looked up at him with fear clearly written all over your face. You didn’t, however, move away from Regulus. That to Orion was bravery. If you knew who he was and didn’t try to run or back down, maybe you were more than a pretty face?

Regulus had scooted, if possible closer to you and was gently rubbing the hand that he was holding onto.

“I want to talk to you outside.”

Orion finally in his calm reserved voice. Unlike his wife, Orion wasn’t one for yelling. It took too much effort and made people too uncomfortable. His reserved nature usually got him everything that he wanted. Regulus turned his attention back to you as his father spoke again.

“She will be just fine without you for a moment. Wait here, my dear.”

Regulus gave you an apologetic look before standing and following his father outside of the cafe. He wasn’t for sure what Orion was about to say but whatever it was it couldn’t be good. He was about to learn that his “favorite son” was dating the one thing that their family hated most in the world.

Orion turned to meet Regulus’ wary gaze. He was thankful this scene was happening with Regulus and not Sirius. Sirius would have bitched the whole way out of the building. Regulus just followed after him with a frown on his face.

“The girl, Regulus, what is her name?”

Regulus looked down at his feet a moment before facing his father again.

“Y/n Evans.”

Regulus replied, keeping his tone calm and reserved as his father was silent for a moment.

“Her blood status?”

Orion watched as Regulus muttered “damn” under his breath.

“She’s a muggle-born. Go ahead and kill me.”

Orion smirked as Regulus closed his eyes. The boy was clearly waiting to be wiped from the planet. When no pain hit him, Regulus’ grey eyes fluttered open before focusing on his father.

“Well, what are you waiting for?”

Regulus asked and was even more confused when his father smiled. What the fuck was he smiling about? Orion Black didn’t smile. When he did it was few and far between...just like his youngest son.

“I’m not your mother, Regulus.”

“I’m aware of that but I’m dating a muggle-born...that’s like first on the Black family things that we don’t do list. I should be kicked out of the family and never spoken of again.”

Orion motioned to the bench by the front door of the cafe. Regulus followed his father to the bench and sat down as Orion looked thoughtful.

“I’m not going to say anything to your mother. You should know that some of our family rules are meant to be broken. What Walburga doesn’t know won’t hurt her. For example, she thinks that I am at work right now. The girl is very pretty. What house is she in?”

It took all that Orion had not to laugh at the expression on Regulus’ face. The boy looked as if his father had been replaced with an alien and he was just figuring things out.

“Hufflepuff.”

Regulus replied, quietly as Orion nodded.

“That makes sense. You’re like me more than you realize, Regulus. I’m going to tell you something and I would appreciate it if you kept this to yourself as I am keeping your Y/n’s blood status to myself. When I was your age, before it was arranged that I would be marrying your mother, I was in love with a girl from Hufflepuff. She was a muggle-born too. I let her get away from me because I didn’t want to disappoint the family. Regulus, if you love this girl then don’t let her go. You will regret it for the rest of your life.”

Orion chose to ignore the stunned expression on Regulus’ face as he took in what he was told. It took Regulus a few moments before he was able to speak. He never in a million years would have guessed that his father loved anymore but Walburga.

“What happened to her?”

Regulus asked. Orion sighed.

“She died in a car crash. You were six at the time. While I love your mother very much, I have never stopped loving Ana. If I had just been a little braver, maybe she would still be alive. You don’t need to be afraid of being kicked out of the family, Regulus. If you love Y/n then you need to be ready to fight for her because that is what it will be...a fight. My suggestion, again, is to not let her go.”

Regulus frowned.

“The family will never accept her since she’s a…”

Orion interrupted without meeting Regulus’ face.

“Don’t. Let. Her. Go.”

Regulus didn’t feel the need to argue anymore. He simply nodded at his father’s command.

“I won’t. Please, don’t tell mum yet. I want to wait as long as I can. At least until we are out of school and I can provide for Y/n.”

Orion stood with a curt nod. He had things to do and this conversation needed to end. He looked back to Regulus with a small smile. If Orion hadn’t noticed how much his youngest son resembled him, he saw it now. Regulus reminded Orion of himself at 16.

“Tell your mum what?”

He questioned before Regulus smiled.

“Nothing.”

Regulus said, softly as his father turned and walked down the street without another word.

Meanwhile,

You remained in the cafe feeling even more anxious with each passing moment. Would Orion hurt Regulus in the middle of a busy street? Surly, he would have more sense than that. Too many witnesses. The better question in your mind was how was Orion taking the news about his son dating a mudblood? You frowned at the word but was sure that was what Orion Black was calling you at the moment. The fact that the man didn’t curse you was still a shock all on its own.

The door of the cafe opening and closing quickly pulled you from your thoughts. Regulus stepped back into the building without his father behind him. You nearly jumped on his lap when your boyfriend took his seat beside you.

“Are you okay? Is he freaking out? Did you get kicked out of the…”

Regulus placed a finger on your lips.

“Everything is fine.”

He replied, seeing the questions building in your mind. Why was Regulus so calm when he was so nervous only 10 minutes ago? He looked as if he had just gone and had a pleasant little chat with his father.

“But Reggie…”

Regulus raised an eyebrow resulting in you shutting your mouth instantly. That look alone said “enough, hush.” He leaned down and nuzzled his nose against your ear.

“I’ll tell you everything, shortly.”

Regulus was mostly quiet until the two of you returned to the hotel room that Regulus had reserved. The two of you were returning to school the next day and Regulus wanted one more night of just having you to himself. Regulus knew, come the next day, he was going to have to share you with others again. He didn’t mind his brother and friends as much as he did people like Gavin McDonald. Regulus was still internally seething over Gavin asking you on a date. It didn’t matter that Regulus completely had you under his spell now...Gavin was still worth brooding over.

I’ll just pay him another little visit in a dark hallway so he doesn’t forget just who he’s dealing with.

You, meanwhile, had been keeping your mouth shut all the way to the hotel. Regulus was going to extremes to have your last night alone as “alone” as possibly. You had suggested Regulus just staying with you in your bedroom but he insisted on a hotel. This left you lying to your parents about where exactly you were going. Your parents were under the assumption that you were staying at Lucille’s when in fact you just checked into a hotel as Mrs. Black.

Regulus locked the door behind him as you took off your coat. You waited until he turned around to speak again.

“Do you think that witch at the front desk bought it when you said that we are on our honeymoon?”

Regulus smirked.

“Well, we don’t like 11 anymore. Give it another year and maybe we won’t get such weird looks.”

He rolled up the sleeves of his black dress shirt before pulling your body against his.

“We won’t have to lie much longer either. You know that I’m in love with you.”

You eagerly returned the sentiment and kissed Regulus hungrily. The kiss quickly escalated but was stopped when you abruptly pulled away and went to sit on the bed. Regulus remained where you left him looking confused. You never pulled away from him like that and he didn’t like being left behind.

“Are you going to tell me about what happened today?”

You asked. Regulus quickly moved to join you on the bed. Reaching out, he gently took your hand in his and stroked his fingers over your palm.

“Apparently I am more like my father than I previously believed. My father had a little love affair with a girl from Hufflepuff when he was my age. I never would have believed it possible but he seems to be okay with us. He also agreed to not tell my mother anything.”

Regulus smiled at the stunned expression on your face.

“So...he doesn’t care that I am a muggle-born?”

Regulus shook his head.

“He would be a bit of a hypocrite if he had a problem with us then told me about him loving some muggle-born himself. He told me that I should be ready to fight for you...and I am. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to make sure that I keep you in my life.”

Regulus gently pushed you on your back and took his place over you. He leaned down to kiss your lips before making a path down your neck.

“I told you so.”

You said with a smug smile. Regulus raised his head up curiously.

“Told me what?”

“That Slytherins can’t resist Hufflepuffs.”

You slyly replied. Regulus smirked and pulled you into his arms. He didn’t want to rush to get undressed but now it seemed the perfect path to go down.

“Yes, you did and you were right. Now shut that smart mouth or put it to good use.”

______

@amelie-black

@truly-insatiable

@realgaytrash

@kitkatkl

@lucasfilms77

@exhsle

@nikki-sixx-is-daddy

@bisou-doux

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@knight-of-gleefulness

@untoldshortsofthefandoms

@sprnaturallover

@mycuddlycorner

@wontlookaway

@sunles

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tallycraven · 4 years

Note

thoughts on a raylla hercules AU?

ohhh? OH. I can see that, but with major changes to mythology to match themes, maybe? if disney did it so can i

raelle is the daughter of hades and a mortal. not that she knows that.

her mother, hades, had to hide her and leave her in the mortal realm in fear of retaliation from the olympians. they would take her for their own, raise her as an arrogant demigod, charge her with duties of honor and glory-- send her to die on one of their battlefields. hades couldn’t have that.

so, she snuck her baby away and hid her amongst the bushes, tucked between the safety of two cypress trees, hoping for her a better future than to be bound to the olympians or the darkness of the underworld. hades left her with nothing but a small bone charm, inscribed with her given name and imbued with the same kind of magic as the helm of darkness; something to keep her hidden from olympian view.

she was found near a ravine by a couple of farmers; a wife and husband that had been praying to the gods for a baby for so long that they hardly blinked at the chance of getting to raise the small pale being that’d been abandoned to the wolves.

raelle was raised with love and care despite the meager wealth of her parents, but she always felt like something was missing.

she’s absurdly strong, for one thing. for another, she’s got a silver tongue and often wins any debate or bet with barely a bat of her lashes.

this, in combination with her paleness -- fair of skin and hair with eyes close to frost on those rare snowy winter days -- led her to be shunned and feared by other children and villagers.

her adoptive parents, seeing her distress over the feeling of not belonging, shows her the bone charm, tells her of the runes inscribed along the back and the place where they found her. a gift from the gods, they call her.

it still doesn’t explain anything.

raelle makes the decision to take the charm and climb to a temple of athena in search of answers.

when she makes it there, it’s nothing but a vast hall of stone and offerings. no goddess, no moment of clarity, no answers.

she’s in the midst of storming off in a rage when an owl lands on a perch and stares at her inquisitively.

it speaks to her. it speaks to raelle in a voice that’s strong and assertive, if not a bit amused.

“i do not know who you are. but if you are a godling, you must prove yourself before the eyes of gods and men.”

a godling? raelle wants to ask. but talking to an owl seems ludicrous. so she just stares and blinks like an idiot.

the owl just laughs. tells raelle of a place to find a woman in self-imposed isolation. a hermit who will guide her along, wishes her luck before lifting away on magnificent wings and disappearing into the night.

the trek to find this hermit is hard and raelle almost quits and turns around more than once. but where would she go? to a village where everyone fears her? no. the only way forwards is onwards.

raelle finds the hermit on a secluded island off the mainland. her yard is littered with half-finished marble statues and shooting targets with perfectly placed arrows stuck into them. swords, spears, and shields are lined and stacked in orderly fashion at the bases of trees.

right as raelle is about to knock on the door to the lone homestead, the door swings open to reveal a tall woman with dark skin and a piercing stare.

“godling.”

“you know who i am?”

“so you do think you’re a godling?”

“what? no, i--”

“prove it.”

her name is anacostia. she turns out to be the most no-nonsense taskmaster that raelle’s ever heard of.

she didn’t know she could feel sore, but the first two weeks in, she’s pretty sure her arms are going to pop off of her body. she complains and anacostia only raises an eyebrow before making her take another lap around the island.

it pays off though. her lithe form fills out with lean and hard muscle; her strength adopts accuracy and grace.

months pass and raelle trades her shabby farm clothes for a clean white tunic and armor to match.

anacostia doesn’t speak it, but raelle can see the charmed pride in her eyes when they sit quietly by the fire at the end of raelle’s last day as anacostia’s student.

“where will you go next?” anacostia asks

“back to the temple, i suppose.”

“strength does not make a hero, raelle. tasks and duty do.”

“what does that mean?”

“athena told you to prove yourself before the eyes of gods and men.”

“alright, so, what?” raelle frowns, staring into the fire. “i go slay a monster, save a damsel, rescue someone’s pet dog, and then i get access to olympus?”

it’s one of the few times anacostia has openly laughed and raelle feels weirdly justified by it.

“come with me.” raelle says.

anacostia starts shaking her head, leaning back against the tree behind her. “i can’t.”

“why not? you’re my mentor, i can’t do this without you.”

silence, for a while.

“i have duties i must attend to.”

“you’re alone on an island all day, what duties do you possibly have? counting and sweeping leaves?”

“training a mouthy godling, apparently.”

silence, again. anacostia watches raelle from across the fire. five minutes pass before she gives in with a nod.

“okay. i’ll come.”

they set out in the morning in the direction of thebes. it’s a long walk along the main road, so they slip off it at one point, going through the woods to cut half a day off travel.

that’s when raelle hears her.

a melodic voice with lilted accent, clean and crisp and irritated.

raelle stops in her tracks and drifts towards the noise, much to anacostia’s annoyance.

“what are you doing, godling? get back here.”

“i think i hear a damsel.” raelle replies half-joking with a quirked eyebrow-- an expression that she definitely lifted from anacostia.

she sticks her head out from behind a tree and spots the source of the voice: a girl in a purple dress adorned in golden jewelry talking to a towering centaur.

raelle’s been through a lot the past few months, but nothing has left her quite as stunned and dazed as this stranger. it takes the conflict between the stranger and the centaur becoming physical to get raelle out of the bushes and into action.

anacostia sighs and steps out of the bushes to watch raelle’s first real fight.

it’s fairly easy to beat the centaur and send him running off into the woods. it’s not as easy to get her brain to properly communicate to the gorgeous stranger, now soaked by stream that the centaur had dropped her in.

“are you alright?”

“i had that under control.” the stranger grumbles, wringing water out of her clothes and brushing her dark hair back.

“an extra hand never hurt though, he had two extra legs. it was an unfair fight.” raelle counters.

the stranger seems to smile at that, and after squeezing as much water out from her dress as she can, she offers raelle a smile.

“scylla.”

“i’m sorry?”

“that’s my name.”

“oh... oh!” raelle’s eyebrows draw together into a crinkle. “like the monster?”

“my parents had a sense of humor.” scylla drawls, “what about you, hero?”

“uh, i’m.. uh,” so much for a silver tongue. “raelle.”

scylla blinks at her and hums in acknowledgement before turning to glance at anacostia, who’s still watching from the treeline.

“well, rae,” scylla smirks, “it was a pleasure. thank you for the soak. catch you around.”

she turns to go and raelle finds herself rushing two steps forward, “wait! can we escort you? we’re headed to thebes. these woods are dangerous and--”

“i’ll be alright,” scylla laughs, turning as she continues to walk away, “i’m a big girl-- can slay my own centaurs. bye now, hero.”

it’s with pitiful heart eyes that raelle raises her hand to give a weak wave. “bye...”

raelle stays rooted to the ground for at least two minutes before a pat to her back makes her jump in surprise.

anacostia only looks at her with that damned quirked eyebrow and hard gaze.

“hope you enjoyed that, because you have actual work to do that doesn’t involve making eyes at good-looking strangers.”

“did you see her, ana? gods, she was... wow”

anacostia rolls her eyes and walks away, towards the direction of thebes.

it takes raelle more than a second to follow after, an extra bounce in her step. -------------- x --------------

scylla sighs as she makes her way through the woods, running a hand through her slowly-drying hair.

the mission was a bust and she’s hungry as fuck.

she’s weighing the pros and cons of hunting down her own meal when two figures step into her path.

they’re both tall, cloaked in familiar dark blue robes and donning small silver pins in the shape of a bident by their calsps.

one of them has red hair and a patient smile, hands held in front of herself as she stands in scylla’s way.

the other is less approachable. her hood is pulled up, hiding her dark skin and dismissive frown.

“ah. great. i was wondering when i was going to get a visit from henchmen one and two.”

“that’s not very nice.” the red-haired one pouts, hands unclutching to move to her hips in an indignant stance.

“tally and i come all the way up here to make sure you accomplish your task only to find you soaked to the core and centaur-less.”

“abigail, there’s no need to berate her yourself.”

that’s when a heavy heat rolls in out of nowhere and scylla feels herself stiffen in response.

the shadows in the trees are looming, coalescing and giving form to a tall and imposing woman with threatening posture and an expression that gives away nothing but a hint of disappointment.

“did i not ask you to bring me nessus? to join the cause?”

scylla sighs, leans up against a tree so that at least she’s protected from behind. “yes, hades, i’m sorry, hades.”

“sorry doesn’t make up for a lost ally.”

“well, i almost had him, but then he got handsy and some hero named raelle stumbled out of nowhere and scared him off!”

hades freezes, all her composure melted into a singular expression of confusion and awe and surprise.

“raelle?”

tally tilts her head and abigail straightens out from her lax lean against her own tree.

“that’s the name she gave,” scylla frowns at the growing tension, already looking for a way out of this conversation and away from these three.

but there is no way out. not with her soul bound and in hades’s possession. not with her closest two soldiers standing right there. scylla grumbles quietly to herself and presses harder against the tree.

then hades says the one thing she hates hearing hades say.

“i have a new job for you.”

#THIS WAS SO FUN I #it turned out to be more of a hades/hercules/mfs au #but you know what i like it more this way #there could be a part two if ppl like it :')#raylla #!ficideas #jenn writes #asks #Anonymous

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