#glad we’re keeping that tradition alive

[chloesimaginationthings]

How much securitywaiter/dreamtheory stuff have you seen?

And what do you think of the ship

Tbh I’m shocked I got to see Matpat Yaoi in my lifetime

[tumbling-rocks-no-danger]

I’m glad we all agree that Eddie self-sabotages his relationships when things start feeling too good, right? Great. I’m just here to say that Eddie and Wayne had a very complicated relationship prior to season 4…

We’re talking regular arguments, Eddie being resistant to viewing Wayne as a father figure, refusing affection and not following the few rules that Wayne has. We’re talking Wayne giving into Eddie’s snide remarks and arguing back to him.

This is, of course, not to say that they don’t love each other. Things between them aren’t always tense, and they don’t stay mad for long, and they even have some traditions that they both hold dear. I specifically like the idea of Wayne being the only one who Eddie allows to cut his hair (usually just Wayne insisting on giving Eddie a trim to keep it healthy), and also Wayne cooking family recipes for major holidays that always taste like shit that leads them to just ordering takeout.

After the events of season 4 (when Eddie comes home alive, fuck you duffers), Wayne refuses to allow Eddie out of his sight and Eddie finally accepts affection from Wayne.

[transpoettryinghisbest]

Who wants some Desmitri? Just trying something new lol. This is early in their relationship. Also Aurora is alive because fuck you. Trigger warnings are in the tags.

I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe. I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe. I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe. 

I curl up into a ball, trying to ground myself by feeling my weight against the mattress, the blankets around my shoulders and over my feet. I squeeze my bear plushie tighter against my chest. My breathing is the only sound I can make out, aside from some distant chatter.

BANG.

I feel myself flinch.

I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe. 

Logically, I know they’re just fireworks. Completely harmless to me, as I’m tucked up warm inside. But they still have some kind of effect on me that I can’t quite place. I just know that I hate it. And I hate that I hate it. I wish I could just be normal and enjoy Bonfire Night like anyone else.

But it keeps bringing me back to that memory.

I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe. 

“DiDi are you not coming downstairs?”

“Huh? Uh…no.”

Aurora’s at my door. I didn't hear her coming. She’s the adoptive daughter of my new partner. She’s a bit of an oddball, even coming from someone like me, but she’s sweet and she seems to accept me.

“But Grandpa Ray made soup! And this spiced cake thing, I forget what it’s called.”

“Parkin?”

“That’s it! He says it’s traditional to have it on Bonfire Night. Then we’re going to burn a doll of this evil man from history. But Dad says if you're coming outside you should wrap up warm.”

“Mm hm.”

I’m vaguely familiar with the history of Guy Fawkes and this holiday, having lived in England for most of my life, but Aurora’s fairly new to all of this. It’s sweet watching her learn and retain things, but I can’t really focus on what she’s saying, I’m so on edge anticipating the next bang.

“Are you okay?” she asks me.

I nod.

“You look frightened, DiDi.”

“I’m-”

BANG.

I flinch. Aurora seems unfazed.

I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe. 

“Oh, are you scared of the fireworks?”

I want to deny it, but I don’t think I’ll be able to convincingly. I just nod, trying to slow my breathing back down to normal.

“Oh that’s why Dad didn't buy any. He bought sparklers. They don’t make any noise. But he said we can still watch the neighbours’ fireworks.”

I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe. 

“DiDi, the fireworks won’t hurt you. Dad says they’re pretty explosions in the sky hundreds of feet away. They’re meant to be fun.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay.”

BANG.

I flinch, letting out a little whimper.

I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe. 

“Do you want me to get Dad?” Aurora asks.

I nod.

“Okay. Stay here. I won’t be long.”

She goes downstairs and I stay put, trying to regulate my breathing and ground myself.

I don’t know if what I’m having are flashbacks, it feels more like just constant repeated bad memories and a sense of unease. Every time I hear a bang, I get this impending feeling of doom, like someone I love is going to die again. That I’ll be helpless to stop it, and I’ll be left alone in the world, sobbing on the ground.

I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe. I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe. I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe.

“Love, are you alright?”

Desmond is here. His voice is very soft and calming. I smile, mostly out of relief.

“Aurora told me you were having a hard time.”

I nod.

“It’s alright, I’m here.”

He sits next to me on the bed and I instinctively nestle into him.

I’m glad he’s Desmond today. Descole is hot and funny and interesting and cool. But Desmond…he makes me feel safe.

My partner switches back and forth sometimes. Not in a dissociative identity disorder way, moreso…he’s playing roles. They help him express how he’s feeling and what kind of environment he’s in. He’s Desmond a lot of the time he’s around Aurora and in professional settings, but he’s Descole on dates or…when things get bad. Descole allows himself to feel things much deeper than Desmond does.

Both are better suited to different environments, but I love them both equally. They’re two halves of a whole man whom I fell in love with.

BANG.

I flinch against him. He gently strokes me, making a shushing sound.

“You’re safe, Dimitri.”

I’m safe. Everyone’s safe.

I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe.

“I didn't think it would be this bad,” Desmond says. “I’m sorry I wasn't more prepared.”

“It’s alright.”

“I wish there was something I could do. Perhaps some noise cancelling headphones would help.”

“I… No.”

Something about the idea of explosions going on around me and not being able to hear them scares me even more than this. The idea that someone could just disappear without me knowing.

“No, you're right. An avoidant strategy may not be ideal.”

If I thought running away would help, I’d have left the country for the weekend. I feel stuck in this place, unable to do anything until the night ends, so frightened of something that I’m not entirely sure what that something is anymore.

BANG.

I flinch. Desmond holds me tighter, telling me once again that I’m okay.

I’m okay. No one’s dying. Everyone’s safe. 

“Do you want to talk?” he asks me.

I shake my head.

“Alright. Well I’m here if you change your mind.”

“I love you.”

I said that instinctively, in case this is the last time I’ll ever see him. Even though I know it won’t be. I can’t help but be scared of losing someone else. And I know he feels the same.

“I love you too. I promise you will be alright.”

The one thing that Desmond and Descole have in common, is that they both have a deep sadness within them. Maybe that’s part of what attracted me to him in the first place, the idea that I don’t have to hide anything from him or pretend to be okay. We’re both broken souls. But we found each other. Somehow.

BANG.

I think I flinch less that time. My mantra isn’t really helping, but holding onto Desmond is. He feels so sturdy and real, which helps me from getting lost in my head. I put my plush bear down and wrap my arms around Desmond instead. He kisses my forehead.

“Perhaps looking at the fireworks would help? So that you can be more aware of what the noises are and that they’re not going to hurt anyone.”

That sounds logical, Desmond usually is, but something is stopping me from doing so. I keep my forehead resting against his chest, feeling his chest go up and down with his gentle breaths.

BANG.

I cling tighter.

“That one was blue,” Desmond says. “Quite pretty. I wonder which metal they added to the gunpowder to make that particular colour.”

I'm crying now. I’m not sure why. Maybe because I miss Claire. Maybe because I hate feeling like this. Or maybe because I finally feel safe enough to do so. Desmond's shirt becomes slightly damp from my tears, but he doesn't react in a huge way, just continues to stroke my back.

Maybe one day I'll tell him about Claire. Maybe.

There's a soft knock at the door.

“Grandpa Ray says he's left the soup on the stove if anyone wants some. But no pressure.” 

“Alright, thank you, Aurora.” 

“DiDi, I made you tea. Because you're upset. Was…that the right thing to do?” 

“It is customary to ask first,” Desmond says.

I take the tea. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Offering tea as a sign of compassion is a very British thing, and given that Desmond is very British, I'm not surprised Aurora picked that trait up from her father. I take a sip. The warmth is comforting.

“I think I'm gonna stay inside tonight,” Aurora says. “It's cold out. Can we have a movie night?” 

“What do you say, love?” Desmond asks me. 

“Uh…okay. Just nothing with…loud noises.”

“Okay! I’ll go get my collection and we can pick one. Dad, can we have popcorn?”

“Sure, sweetheart.”

The fireworks continue well into the night, but snuggled up to Desmond and Aurora, watching a cringy but wholesome film about ponies, I feel safe. Halfway through the film, Aurora falls asleep leaning against me. I cautiously stroke her hair.

I may never get back what I felt for Claire. I still don’t even fully understand what that feeling was. But that’s okay. I know who I am now. And this strange little family loves me with no complications. And I love them back.

[rowansparrow]

The Light Between Oceans: Chapter Three

**This series is rated 18+, Minors do NOT interact or you will be blocked**

Summary: As the last of the survivors make it back to camp, Fives, Athena, and the remaining rebels prepare to bury the dead.

Chapter Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic description, gore, injury, violence, burial traditions, mentions of character death, grief. 

Ships: Rex x Female!Reader, Fives x Male!OC, Fives x Female!OC

Word Count: 6.2k

A/N: Are y’all doing okay after last week? 

Regular updates come every Saturday.

Thank you very much to @djarrex and @witchklng for their various contributions to this work. I couldn’t have done it without either of you.

Sensitive content is tagged #Ro’s Protected Tag. Please block that tag if you are concerned about content.

Reblogs are so appreciated!

Rex stepped out from the ship and into the sunlight. Dawn had begun to climb over the village, bathing the ruins of the settlement in a cruel crimson as the rain stopped. The harsh light of day betrayed the bodies, the decay, the complete and total destruction of what had once been their home.

A healer had interrupted you and Rex, and he’d quickly scrubbed at his face and stepped aside so the healer could inspect you. Another had collected Calder from his arms, promising to alert Rex at once should anything come up.

Rex had to step away.

He’d exited the ship as gracefully as he could manage, avoiding eye contact with you. He needed a moment to mourn, not just for what had happened to his son, but for everything he’d lost. Howzer was dead. Ju’Lah had been taken. Gol’Chek may never walk again. He’d missed the birth of his son. He had no idea who else was dead. His child would never hear his voice.

He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to center himself. There was still much to be done. He needed to lead, needed to guide his people through the storm. They were counting on him. His family was counting on him.

Rex closed his eyes, silently thanking any gods listening for watching over his family. His wife was alive. His son was alive. There was still much to be grateful for.

He inhaled slowly, tasting the moisture in the air from the rainfall, and turned his head towards the sky, greeting the sunlight like an old friend. Dawn had come again, regardless of who lived and who died.

He started down the landing platform, heading back towards the triage zone. He spotted Wrecker among the survivors, Soteria treating a nasty blaster wound on his arm. He saw a Mandalorian carry Howzer’s body away.

“Where are they taking the bodies?” Rex asked.

“They’re burning them.” Wolffe said quietly. “We’d like to afford them all a proper burial, but there’s no time. We need to leave as soon as possible, before the Empire gets wind and sends reinforcements.”

He glanced to Rex. “They’ll do the remembrances, if you want to get a list of names of the dead.” He said gently. “We’ll do things properly, as much as we’re able.”

“Thank you.” Rex said quietly. Along the horizon, he saw a tall man approaching camp, carrying what appeared to be a body.

He started down the ramp, turning over his shoulder. “The little girl, Omega. Don’t let her come outside the ship.”

Wolffe nodded, and Rex jogged out towards Crosshair. “Is he dead?”

“Not yet.” Crosshair drawled, laying Hunter out on the nearest cot. “He was too close to one of the blasts. He’s lucky I saw him, or nobody would’ve been around to dig him out of the wreckage.”

“Kriff, he’s full of shrapnel.” Rex swore. “Medic! We need a medic!”

Soteria rushed over, along with Wrecker, Echo, and Tech. “What happened?” Echo demanded.

“Shrapnel.” Crosshair answered lazily. “I imagine he’s blown his eardrums out, too.”

“Glad to see you’re so concerned about it.” Wrecker bit back.

“Maybe he shouldn’t have been standing so close.”

“Enough.” Soteria barked, shoving her way through alongside a Mandalorian healer. “We’ll take care of this, everyone back up.”

“Where’s Omega?” Tech asked.

“She’s asleep on the ship, Wolffe’s keeping an eye out to make sure she doesn’t come out and see Hunter like this.” Rex replied.

“He’ll bleed out if we don’t act quickly.” Soteria said, already peeling off Hunter’s armor. “Everyone step back! Give us some room!”

Rex looked around as the rest of the batch continued to hover save for Crosshair, who took a few steps back at Soteria’s insistence. Several survivors had been brought up from the tunnels, a few families reuniting while others grieved.

“Captain,” Dogma jogged up to Rex, a backpack slung over his shoulder. “I’ve been gathering supplies, a few of the houses are still standing.” He gave Rex a look. “Yours is still mostly in one piece, if you want to go get any of your things, especially for the baby.”

Rex nodded. “Thank you, Dogma.” He glanced over his shoulder towards the ship, debating whether or not he should tell you where he was going, when something caught his eye.

Two more Mandalorians were approaching the triage zone, carrying the body of a large Nautolan between them.

“Oh, gods.” Rex whispered aloud. Echo heard Rex, and turned his head, following the Captain’s gaze.

“Oh no.”

Fives and Athena leaned against one another, stumbling back towards the ship. Fives had a smear of blood on his cheek, tear tracks streaked through the red.

“Fives,” Rex began, starting to reach for his brother. Fives ignored him, shuffling past him and following along behind the Mandalorians carrying Quill’s body. When they didn’t stop at the triage site, Fives snapped his head toward them.

“Hey. Where are you taking him?” Fives demanded, struggling to keep up with them. “Where are you taking him?!”

“We have a site where we’re disposing of the bodies.” One of the Mandalorians replied. “If you give us his name, we’ll -.”

“No. No he can’t be buried or burned.” Fives said sharply, shaking his head. “He has to go back into the water.”

“We’ve been instructed to take all bodies to the burn site.”

“I don’t give a fuck what your orders are.” Fives snarled, limping over to the Mandalorians. “He can’t be buried or burned. He has to go back to the water.”

“Fives,” Echo stepped in front of him, a hand on his chest as he tried to guide Fives backwards. “Let him go, brother.”

“No!” Fives shouted, shoving Echo hard enough to knock him down. “No! No, he can’t be burned or buried, his – his body has to go back to the water! He has to go back to the water!” Fives was nearly hysterical, grabbing Quill’s body and trying to pull him away from the Mandalorians. “He has to go back to the water!”

“Fives!” Rex tried next, but Fives elbowed him hard, shoving him away and still struggling to wrestle Quill free even as tears streamed down his cheeks.

“HE BELONGS IN THE WATER!” Fives wailed, sinking to his knees as the Mandalorians pulled Quill’s body away from him again. “Please!”

“There’s no time, all the bodies are to be burned.”

“Not this one.” Athena spoke up, forcing her voice to stay steady. “Leave him here, we’ll take care of him ourselves.”

Rex dropped to his knees beside Fives, pulling the other man into his arms as Fives sobbed. “It’s alright, it’s alright, we’ll take care of him.” Rex promised, trying to soothe him. “It’s alright, Fives. It’ll be alright.”

Would anything be alright? Rex couldn’t fathom the unimaginable grief Fives must’ve been going through; he didn’t want to imagine a world without his wife or child in it.

Fives caught his breath, tears still streaming down his cheeks as he gently pushed Rex away, struggling to get back to his feet. Rex shifted, helping Fives up but letting him go once he was standing, watching helplessly as Fives stumbled over to Quill’s body. He clung to the Nautolan, pressing his forehead against Quill’s even as he wept.

Echo stepped forward, laying his hand delicately on his twin’s back. “I’m so sorry, Fives.”

Fives shoved him back at once, fury written across his features as he spun on Echo. “You made me leave him.” He accused. “You left him behind, you left him to die!”

“We were trying to save you.” Echo kept his voice calm, his hands in the air. “We didn’t have a choice.”

“You should’ve gone back for him!” Fives screamed, advancing on Echo even as Rex stepped between them, holding him back. “You should have gone back for him!”

“Easy, easy, take it easy.” Rex soothed as Fives broke off into heaving sobs, his whole body shaking as Rex held him upright.

“What can I do?” Echo asked softly, looking between Rex and Fives.

Neither man answered, and Rex held Fives close, rubbing his back and looking at Quill’s unseeing black eyes behind him.

~

The Mandalorian healer had given you a strange salve. It wasn’t quite bacta, though the smell was similar, but whatever it was, it was working wonders on your body. Your pain had been reduced to a dull ache, and when you inspected your surgery site, the once ugly incision was already minimizing itself to scarring, the wound healing rapidly as though you’d been in a bacta bath for hours.

You managed to sit up with relative ease, carefully testing your balance as you stood, wrapping Rex’s cape around yourself once again. The Mandalorian had been kind enough to leave you a clean tunic and a comfortable pair of leggings for you to change into, and you hobbled over to the refresher to change.

You still wore Gol’Chek’s ring around your neck, and you rubbed your thumb over the smooth metal after you’d changed. Cautiously, you exited the refresher, making your way instead to Gol’Chek’s cot. The warrior was half-covered in a blanket, the healers finished working on him for now. He appeared to be sleeping, his eyes closed and head turned slightly to the side, one arm tossed over his stomach.

You didn’t want to startle him. “Gol’Chek.”

His eyes didn’t open, but he acknowledged you with the slightest incline of his head. You reached out, brushing your fingers gently over his cheek and up through his hair, smoothing the wild curls away from his face. Gol’Chek leaned into your touch, his eyes opening at last to take you in. Concern seeped into his expression, sensing immediately that something was different. “The baby?”

“He’s okay.” You promised, your heart swelling at Gol’Chek’s worry. “The healers have him. He’s okay.”

Gol’Chek relaxed, leaning his cheek into the palm of your hand. “Did you ever pick a name?”

“Calder Sho’cye.” You smiled. “Just like you suggested.”

Gol’Chek smiled, but the expression was short-lived. “Maul has Ju’Lah.”

You nodded. “I know.”

“My legs are gone.”

“I know.”

“How am I supposed to get her back if I can’t even stand?” His voice cracked slightly on the last word, and you shifted your touch instead to his hand, squeezing it tight.

“We’ll figure something out.” You promised. “And we’ll get Ju’Lah back too. We won’t give up on her.”

Gol’Chek nodded, his breathing slightly ragged as he looked down at himself, grimacing. “I guess I’m lucky.” He mumbled. “I was able to stop my healing. Or at least, slow it way down. The medics say the nerves in my legs may be salvageable for prosthetics.” He winced. “I can’t bring myself to look at my legs.” He admitted quietly. “Will you…?”

You nodded, letting Gol’Chek turn his head away as you lifted the blankets, carefully inspecting his injuries. The Mandalorians had bandaged the stumps of his legs, blood already staining the white of the bandages in some places.

“You need your bandages changed.” You murmured, looking around for a crate of supplies you could ransack.

“I’ll be alright for now.” Gol’Chek said, sighing softly and readjusting the blanket to cover himself better. “Should you be up and moving?”

“I’m fine.” You told him. A few seconds of silence stretched between you, and you studied the warrior’s face, watching as his eyes closed again, inhaling sharply.

“He took my daughter.”

“I know.” You whispered again. “We’re going to get her back.”

Behind you, a Mandalorian healer stepped back into the bunkroom. “Lady Sho’cye?” She called gently, summoning you to her. You stood at once, and Gol’Chek reopened his eyes, watching you.

“Your son has been placed in an incubation chamber with a medical droid watching over him.” The healer explained. “He is underdeveloped, and at greater risk of infection or illness due to his prematurity. We think it best that he remains there under close supervision until we can evacuate your people to Ataxia.”

“Ataxia?” You echoed.

“Our tribe fled there during the war. Our settlement is small, but our leaders have granted permission to bring your people there to recover.”

“Thank you.” You murmured. “Can – Can I see him?”

“He is in incubation.” The Mandalorian repeated. “It is best we leave him to recuperate. The medical droid is monitoring him closely.”

“Did you find anything else when you scanned him?”

The Mandalorian sounded grim. “The clone was correct on his initial assessment. The child’s hearing is irreparably damaged. I’m sorry.”

You nodded, wrapping your arms around yourself and thanking her again. 

Gol’Chek looked up at you. “What’s wrong with the kid?” 

“He was early.” You explained. “There was a complication, and I had to deliver him. Tech and Soteria, they - they cut him out.” You looked down at your hands. “He’s deaf.” 

“He’s what?” Gol’Chek tilted his head to the side, disbelief written across his expression. “How?” 

“We don’t know.” You said softly. “Something must have happened to him either during the delivery or in the womb, but he’s - he can’t hear us at all, Gol’Chek. He can’t hear his parents’ voices. He can’t hear us tell him we love him.” You started to cry again, tears bubbling up in the corners of your eyes. 

“Hey,” Gol’Chek reached out to you, finding your hand and squeezing it tight. “Hey, it’s gonna be fine. I know it’s scary, but that’s - it’s not so bad.” He soothed. “We can figure it out. We’ll find a way to communicate with him.” 

You nodded, wiping quickly at your tears. “I know, and I know I should be grateful that he’s even alive, after everything we went through, but he -.” Your voice cracked again. “He can’t hear me. He’ll never, ever, get to hear me say I love him.” 

“There’s plenty of other ways to tell someone you love them.” Gol’Chek reminded you softly. “If anybody can figure out how to navigate this, it’s you and Rex.” He gave you a sad smile. “You’ll figure it out together. I know you will.” 

You sniffled, nodding again and trying to reign yourself in. “We’ll get Ju’Lah back too, Gol’Chek. I mean it.” 

“I know.” Gol’Chek nodded, pain washing over his face at the mention of his missing child. He squeezed your hand again. “I know.” 

~

Fives and Athena worked in silent tandem.

Even though Fives could barely stand, he worked with a quick, quiet efficiency, sniffing on occasion as silent tears rolled down his cheeks with every move he made.

The burial rituals of the Nautolans – or at least, the rituals that Fives and Athena had found on the Holonet – called for the entrails of the dead to be removed, and the body cavity filled with smooth stones blessed by the priests and priestesses of Nephto. The body was then sewn shut and wrapped in a special cloth that had been woven from the time of the Nautolan’s birth up to the day of their death, often adorned with designs or patterns based on status. Then, the body was brought to one of the great chasms across the oceans of Glee Anselm, and the body sank to the bottom of the darkness, releasing the living spirit into the sea.

Fives and Athena had begun by cleaning the body, wordlessly cleaning each of Quill’s wounds, stripping him of his bloodied clothes and washing away the dirt, blood, and grime that covered his form. Twice, Athena had turned away, vomiting into the nearby bushes and breaking off in a quiet sob as she composed herself before returning to the work.

Fives had remained stoic, and aside from the tears that betrayed him, he appeared unfazed as he cleaned his partner’s body, preparing it for the grave.

“We need to cut him open.”

“We can’t do that, Fives.” Athena said quietly. “I can’t do that.”

“We have to do this right.” Fives replied, his voice flat.

“How? We barely know what we’re doing, we had to look up how to handle his body on the damned Holonet.” 

“It’s not like burial traditions came up in conversation.” Fives replied, an icy edge to his voice. 

“We can’t get his body to Glee Anselm, Fives. We don’t have his burial cloth, or the stones, we don’t need to cut open his body. We have to compromise.” Athena gave him a sad look. “Do you really want to be the one to cut him open?”

“If I have to, I will.” Fives said quietly, pausing for a moment to wipe the blood from his hands. He fell silent for a beat, holding the damp rag and staring down at the ground. “He proposed to me.”

Athena looked back up at him. “What?”

“He proposed. The day before he left.” Fives said. “We were waiting to tell people until he came home. He was going to marry me. My riduur.”

Athena was silent. Nothing she could have said would have repaired what was broken before her.

“I have to do this right. Or as right as I can, at least.” Fives said quietly. “It’s… it’s the only thing I can do.”

“He wouldn’t want you doing this, Fives.” Athena tried again. “He wouldn’t want you hurting yourself like that. I’m begging you.”

She walked around the table, taking Fives’ hand in hers. “We can wrap him in cloth, we can get the cleanest, nicest sheets we can find, and we can fill the cloth with stones, so he still sinks to the bottom of the lake like you want.” She offered. “That way you don’t have to…”

Fives sighed softly, glancing back at Quill’s body before quickly looking away. “He has to go back to the water.”

“I know. And we’re doing that.” Athena promised. “Whatever it takes, we’ll get him back to the water, but please, Fives. Don’t let your last image of him be of… of this.” She touched his arm. “Let me finish. Why don’t you go to the lake and start gathering some stones? Pick whichever ones you’d like. Pile them up beside the lake, and when I’ve finished here, I’ll have someone bring him down to the lake so we can bury him properly.”

To her relief, Fives relented. “Alright.” 

She squeezed his arm gently, letting him go as he started to hobble down towards the lake. Echo had been lingering nearby, trying to avoid Fives’ ire but staying close to support him however he could.

“Where’s he going?” Echo asked.

“To the lake to begin gathering stones.” Athena said, looking up at Echo. “Go with him. He needs you.”

Echo hesitated, but reluctantly began to follow Fives, at first at a distance and then fell into step with him. He silently offered his shoulder for Fives to lean against as they walked, and Fives wordlessly accepted, letting Echo help carry his weight.

Fives started to speak. “About how I acted -.”

“I know.” Echo cut him off. “It’s okay.”

There were no other words between them – there was no need. It was in the way one twin clung to the other, the way Echo held Fives upright as they walked, that both men knew all was forgiven.

When they made it to the lake, Fives pulled away, shrugging off Quill’s jacket and shuffling towards the water.

“Your leg already seems to be doing better.” Echo offered. “Those Mando healers are something else. But maybe you should stay off it for a bit?”

Fives ignored him, wading into the water up to his waist and letting his hands hover over the glassy surface.

“Nephto.” Fives whispered aloud. “Guide my hands. Take them where they need to be.”

He reached below the surface, letting his fingers ghost over the rocks beneath his feet. He let his fingers drift until they stopped on their own, and he picked up the stones one by one, bringing them back to the edge of the water to Echo.

“Stack them over there.” He murmured, returning to the water to keep gathering stones.

“Do you want help?”

“No.” Fives replied. “This is something I need to do.”

Echo obeyed, picking up the rocks after Fives deposited them and neatly stacked them beside the little beach, watching as his brother returned to the water over and over again, offering a silent prayer each time he searched for stones.

On the final pass, Fives inhaled slowly. “Nephto, guide my hands.”

He dove below the water, fully submerging himself this time, and when he went to grab another rock, something caught his eye.

Farther away, deep below the surface at the bottom of the lake, something was jutting out of a little rock pile.

Fives frowned, popping his head above water and inhaling deeply before diving back down. He swam to the bottom of the lake, pulling the rocks aside. Someone had fashioned them into a little makeshift cave, and inside lay a trident.

Quill’s trident.

Fives took the weapon in hand, swimming back to the surface and gasping as he broke through.

“Fives?” Echo called, concern bleeding into his voice. He’d waded out into the water a few feet, reaching for him as Fives resurfaced. “What are you thinking? You’re still injured, you can’t go diving under the water like a -.”

He cut himself off when he saw what Fives was holding. The weapon was huge, clearly meant for someone bigger than Fives, and Echo already knew who it belonged to.

“Quill?”

Fives nodded, wading back out of the water. “It must’ve been his. I don’t know why he’d hide it at the bottom of the lake like this.”

“Maybe he wanted to leave that part of his past behind.” Echo murmured, taking the weapon from Fives and setting it aside. “We can bury him with it.”

“No. His people aren’t buried with their material possessions, they’re passed on, their legacy living on through the people who survive them.” Fives murmured, studying the trident.

Echo hesitated. “Maybe your home is still standing.” He offered. “We can look through the wreckage together, find other things that belonged to Quill for you to hold onto.”

Fives nodded, still focused on the trident. Hesitantly, he set it aside, leaning it against their pile of stones. He picked up Quill’s jacket again, studying the blood stained into the fabric, muddying the patches Quill had so carefully sewn on.

“Hang on.”

Fives returned to the water, carefully washing the jacket clean of the bloodstains, being mindful of the patchwork.

When he finished, he walked over to the trident, hanging the jacket off the top of the glorious weapon. Fives squeezed the sleeve.

“Okay.” He murmured. “I’m ready.”

Echo offered his shoulder once more, and Fives leaned against him again, letting his brother guide him away from the lake and back toward the village.

Back at the village, Athena stood over Quill’s body, wringing out the bloody rag for what felt like the hundredth time. Perhaps it was the hundredth time. Athena had touched her best friend’s blood so many times, she’d lost count. Over the years she’d known him, she’d patched many of his wounds. She’d stroked cool cloths across his forehead and cheeks when he fitted with fever, she’d stitched his wounds closed as he hissed under his breath, she’d treated burns, scrapes, bruises, and scars. In many ways, Athena had known Quill more intimately than she knew herself. 

She never wanted to know him like this. 

“Quill Cawthon.” She whispered aloud. “You fucking idiot.” 

Athena stroked his cheek gingerly, using her thumbs to gently close his eyes. “What’re we going to do now?” She asked him. 

Quill held no answers for her, and she found his hands instead, biting her lower lip as she began to weep. 

~

“Omega, wake up.”

The girl stirred as you shook her gently, rubbing her eyes tiredly and sitting up. “What is it?”

“The rest of Clone Force 99 is outside, I thought you might like to see them.” You murmured. “Hunter was injured.”

“Is he alright?” Omega asked urgently, sitting upright and scrambling to get off the cot.

“He’s going to be okay, he’s just in rough shape.” You soothed. “The second ship has arrived, and they’re loading him onto that one. I thought you may want to ride with the rest of your family.”

“Yes please.” Omega nodded.

“Mama?” Kiran mumbled, rubbing his eyes and yawning widely. “Where’s mama?”

“We’re gonna go see her, baby.” You promised, taking Kiran’s hand and guiding both children out of the ship.

You moved carefully, mindful of your still-healing injuries, and Wolffe stopped you before you could travel far beyond the ship.

“What’re you doing up and moving? You should be resting.”

“I’m fine,” You waved off his concerns. “These two need to get back to their families.”

Wolffe nodded. “We’re loading up the other survivors now, we’re departing once we’re sure we have everyone.”

“Hunter!”

Omega broke free from your grip, sprinting down the landing platform and rushing over to where Mandalorians were loading Hunter onto the other ship.

“He was caught in a blast.” Wrecker explained to the girl. “He’ll be okay though, the medics said so.”

“Can he hear me?” Omega asked worriedly, finding Hunter’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“He’s been fading in and out of consciousness. It’s probably best to let him rest.” Tech said.

“You can ride with us, kid.” Wrecker said. “We’re taking the Havoc Marauder while Hunter goes on this ship-.”

“No, no I want to stay with Hunter.” Omega interrupted. “Please.”

Echo looked up at Crosshair, the sniper’s arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the Mandalorian ship, chewing on a toothpick.

“Can she come with you?”

Crosshair scowled. “I’m not a babysitter.”

“You’re already going with Hunter, can’t she come along?” Echo frowned.

“I’m only going on this ship because I assumed I wouldn’t be invited on that one.” Crosshair hissed, jabbing his thumb towards the Marauder. “I’d prefer to not be left behind. Again.”

Echo put his hands up between Crosshair and the rest of the batch before a full-blown argument started. “Stop. None of that. What’s done is done, you’re here now.” He said. “Can she stay with you or not?”

Omega looked up at Crosshair hopefully, and the sniper scoffed under his breath, flicking his toothpick away.

“Fine.”

Omega sighed in relief, following the Mandalorians up the ramp as they loaded Hunter into the ship.

“Let’s find your Mama, Kiran.” You murmured, squeezing Kiran’s hand gently and leading him around the triage zone. As you started to look around, Kiran tugged on your sleeve.

“What’s wrong with Quill?”

“What do you mean?” You asked, and followed his gaze. Your stomach dropped.

Quill was lying on one of the triage tables, and Athena sat on a chair beside him, stitching one of his wounds closed with shaking hands. Even from a distance, you could see the way her body shook, tears streaking down her cheeks as she worked.

“Um,” Your voice cracked slightly, and you swallowed roughly, trying to steady yourself as you shifted positions to block Kiran’s view, crouching in front of him instead. You forced a smile. “You know what? Why don’t you wait here for just a second, and I’ll go get your Mama?”

“I wanna see Quill.” Kiran protested, trying to look past you. “I wanna see him.”

“In a minute, honey, let’s get you to your Mama first, I bet she was very worried about you.”

“No!” Kiran shouted, pushing you away and trying to run around you. “I wanna see Quill!”

You grabbed him quickly, holding him against your chest even as he started to scream and swing his arms. Athena heard the commotion and dropped what she was doing, racing over. “Kiran!”

The little boy halted his struggles just long enough for you to release him into Athena’s embrace, the other woman clinging tightly to the boy.

“Oh gods, you’re alright.” Athena sighed in relief, pulling back and cupping Kiran’s cheeks. “Are you hurt, baby?”

Kiran shook his head, hugging Athena tightly. “I wanna see Quill.” He mumbled into her shoulder.

Athena froze for a moment, slowly pulling back to look Kiran in the eye. “Kiran,” she began quietly, brushing a bit of hair from his eyes and cupping his cheeks again. “Honey, Quill’s… he’s-.” Tears had begun anew in her eyes, and you watched helplessly as she turned her head away, sniffling for a moment as she tried to compose herself. “He… He’s gone, sweetheart.”

Kiran frowned. “No he’s not. I see him.”

“No, honey, he’s gone. Remember your Mama, and your Daddy and your sisters?” Athena prompted gently. “Remember… remember what happened to them?”

“Did he get too many ouchies?” Kiran asked. “Like my real mama?”

Athena wept, nodding once. “Yeah, baby. He had too many ouchies.”

“Well…” Kiran frowned deeper. “Then we should fix him. We can make him all better.” He pulled away, rolling up his pantlegs to show Athena his legs. “The people fixed my ouchies, ‘member? They can fix Quill’s ouchies too.”

“It doesn’t work like that, Kiran.” Athena said softly. “He had too many. We couldn’t fix him.”

“But – but he’s right there!” Kiran protested, trying to look over Athena’s shoulder at Quill’s body. “He’s there! We can fix him!”

“We can’t, honey, I’m so sorry.”

“No!” Kiran shouted, tears beginning to streak down his chubby cheeks. “No! He’s okay! He’s right there! You gotta fix him!” He began to kick and scream, shoving at Athena as he struggled to get to Quill. “You gotta fix him!”

“Kiran.”

The boy stopped his tantrum, turning towards the voice. He shoved Athena away again, this time sprinting over to Fives, his little body colliding with the trooper’s chest as Fives knelt to catch him.

“You gotta make him all better.” Kiran wept, clinging to Fives. “You gotta.”

“I tried, buddy.” Fives whispered, hugging him tight. “I tried.”

You could do nothing but weep.

~

Rex picked through the wreckage of his home, careful to step around the debris. The house was miraculously still standing, though a large hole had been blown through the side from a nearby blast. Rex cautioned the stairs, inching up them carefully and filling a pack with what he could, prioritizing the supplies for Calder and you. Clothes, a blanket for Calder, anything he could find that he thought may be of use when starting over, Rex tried to pack it into his bag.

Once he’d gathered everything he could carry, he retreated down the stairs, preparing to head back to camp but stopping, looking further down the street. He hesitated, ultimately deciding to go for it, and walked down the street towards Gol’Chek and Ju’Lah’s house.

The little house had been nearly destroyed, reduced almost entirely to rubble. Rex was careful as he stepped through the chaos, nudging things aside and looking around. He found what remained of Ju’Lah’s room, her once beautifully painted walls destroyed in the bombing, her paints overturned and room reduced to debris.

He dug around in the rubble, looking for anything he could salvage. Her bow had been destroyed, the two ends of it barely clinging to one another against what had at one point been Ju’Lah’s dresser. He dug around where the bed had once been, pulling the ruined fabric of her blankets aside and withdrawing her little clone trooper doll. He brushed it off carefully, tucking it into the backpack alongside the rest of his supplies.

He slowly marched his way back to the triage zone, keeping an eye out for any other survivors as he went.

You pulled your gaze upwards as you heard Rex approaching, wiping the tears from your eyes as you hurried into his arms. Rex took in the rest of the scene, watching as Fives straightened up from where he’d been holding Kiran, taking the child into his arms and carrying him silently away from Quill’s body, towards the other end of the campsite.

“We went back to Quill’s home and salvaged some things.” Echo said, motioning to a similar backpack to the one Rex wore over his shoulder. “We also made preparations down at the lake. As soon as we can transport Quill’s body, we’re ready for the burial.”

“Give him a minute.” Athena murmured, nodding to where Fives went. The trooper had set Kiran down and was now crouching in front of him. You couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Fives was cupping the boy’s cheeks and wiping his tears with his thumbs.

“How’s Calder?” Rex asked you.

“Nothing new.” You reported quietly. “The Mandalorians agreed with Tech’s assessment.”

Rex nodded, resigned, and Athena turned to you.

“Calder?” She asked. “He’s here?”

You nodded. “He’s in the ship, in an incubation chamber. He was premature, but he’s alive and – and okay.”

Athena gave you a half-hearted smile. “Congratulations.”

You gave her a weak smile in return, your eyes drifting back to Quill’s body. “What’re we going to do about him?”

“Fives and I have prepared everything.” Athena said, inhaling slowly and centering herself. “Rex and Echo, we’ll need you to help carry him to the lake.”

“Of course.” Rex said. “Whatever you need.”

Fives and Kiran walked back to the group, Fives holding Kiran’s hand. “He’d like to say goodbye.” Fives told Athena. “Is that alright?”

Athena hesitated, glancing to Kiran. “Are you sure?” She asked the boy. “He doesn’t look like you remember, sweetheart. He – he was hurt a lot, and people look different when they die -.”

“I wanna see him.” Kiran interrupted. “I wanna say bye to Quill.”

Athena nodded, turning back to Quill’s body and ensuring the wounds were covered, leaving just his face exposed when Fives picked Kiran up again and brought him over. Athena had closed Quill’s eyes as she worked on his body, and Kiran peeked anxiously around Fives, clinging to the man as he peered down at Quill.

“He looks like he’s sleeping.” Kiran said quietly. He was quiet for a few minutes, sniffling to himself, before he lifted a tiny hand in a wave. “Bye, Quill.”

Fives turned his head away, hiding his face in Kiran’s back as he pulled the child away, setting him down again so he could return to Athena.

“It’s time.” Wolffe said quietly, stepping back up to the group. “We’ve loaded up the last of the survivors, and a few men have managed to salvage some of your ships and supplies, which we’ve added to our fleet.”

“What about the Cordillera?” You asked. “Gol’Chek’s ship?”

“I’ll fly it.” Fives said quietly. “I’ve done it once before. I can do it again.”

“Dispatch the rest of the ships.” Rex instructed Wolffe. “And send coordinates to my comm for where we’re headed. We’ll all follow behind you in the Cord and Marauder.” He hesitated. “Our son is still in the incubation chamber aboard your ship. Is there any way -.”

“I’ll have it moved to the Cordillera and will send a healer and medical droid along with it.” Wolffe promised at once. “Once we’ve done that, we’ll dismiss the ships.”

Rex nodded. “Thank you.”

“I’ll… give you a moment to finish here.” Wolffe said, and politely excused himself.

Rex turned to Echo. “Wrap him up.”

Together, Rex and Echo wrapped Quill’s body in sheets, carefully picking him up and walking him towards the lake while the others followed. You glanced to Fives, watching as he solemnly marched along, his head angled down and his hand still joined with Kiran’s.

When you arrived at the lake, Rex and Echo gently set Quill’s body down while Fives and Athena unwrapped him one last time, this time gathering the rocks from the pile Fives had made and carefully laying them along the insides of the sheets parallel to Quill’s body, stacking a few in a straight line down from his chest to his pelvis.

Fives carefully adjusted his tendrils so none were being crushed, and he stroked Quill’s face delicately, brushing his thumb over cold lips. He lowered his head, pressing his lips to Quill’s cheek, and then touching their foreheads together one final time.

“Akay vi urcir tug’yc.”  

He pulled away at last, and wrapped Quill’s body again.

It took Echo, Fives, Rex, and Athena together to lift Quill’s body and wade out into the water with it. You remained on shore, holding Kiran’s hand and watching as they walked out until they were nearly up to their chests. When they reached the drop-off where the water became deep, they stopped, slowly lowering Quill’s body into the water, and let it go. Fives remained, standing in the center of the semi-circle and watching as Quill sank, gazing into the black of the water until it swallowed him up for good.

Rex put a hand on his shoulder. “Come, brother.” He said quietly. “Let’s go.”

Fives nodded, at last pulling his gaze away from the water and trudging back to shore with the others. He paused, picking up Quill’s jacket once more and putting it back on, and drawing the trident into his grip. He held it firmly, and gazed back out towards the lake.

“Are you alright?” You asked him.

“No.” Fives replied quietly. “But I have to be.”

He turned and walked back towards the ships without another word.

*Akay vi urcir tug’yc.  - Until we meet again. 

~

Tag List:  @wild-karrde @tsundere-cherry-girl @jesjestraverse @theroguesully @clonecyaree @salaminus @book-of-baba-fett @starwarsmeninhelmets​ @ladykatakuri​ @cosmic-persephone​ @djarrex​ @literallydontlook​ @bobafettuccini​ @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life​ @a-c-lee​ @chromia7567​ @embarrassedauthornerd​ @itsagrimm​ @seriowan​ @gotomarvelgal​ @space-b33​ @moonstrider9904​ @frietiemeloen​ @writingbylee​ @witchklng​ 

[endpolarnight]

Who are we? (ENG)

We are a group of united Karelians who care about the future of people in the Republic of Karelia. We believe that our voices have been muted and we should start to be loud. Nothing about us without us.

We want to create a platform that will help us, Karelians, “see each other” in order to feel that we are not alone, but keep it anonymous and safe for everyone. Our function is purely logistical - to give people an opportunity to connect and share information safely supporting equal exchange. We want to learn about ourselves through our land’s and families’ history. We want to promote free access to archives and give people a chance to decide what they want to do with that information. This movement is alive as long as our idea exists at least in one person. Our movement is faceless, because we don’t (plan to) have main characters, but many people who are united by the same idea. Knowledge of our victories will inspire, knowledge of our tragedies will remind us we survived, knowledge of our families history will bring back important parts of us. It’s all our national trauma we could go through it together and become stronger. As long as we remember who we are, nothing is lost.

How do we feel about people of various cultural backgrounds:

We want to learn through our own history how to build a free and civilized society. We don’t want and don’t plan to “take back” any territories outside of the Republic. We will be glad to make a cultural exchange with people from Karelian regions of Finland or any Karelian diaspora around the world, but we respect the sovereignty of other countries. Our movement is about radical acceptance. While we’re working together the only thing that matters is our idea, not your age, gender or any other characteristics. But we don’t accept those who took part in russian aggression against other countries and nations: 1st and 2nd Chechen, Sarkatvelo, Syria and Ukraine wars. We don’t want to give a platform to justify or legalize this ideology. You can’t fight for independence while taking independence from others. It’s non-negotiably. 

All people are welcome, including Russians and Finns. We have clear boundaries on what the colonial parts of your culture are. We want you to achieve a full understanding about how to find a non-harmful way to express your national identity without imperialism, and to stop using your culture as a weapon to erase other’s. Co-work means equal effort from all participants, and you’ll need to listen to nations which suffered by colonial parts of your culture without starting to be defensive. You should listen or you should go. Make your choice. 

Being inside of society which normalizes imperialism means you don’t actually know how harmful it could be without an external view. You should recognize and acknowledge the injustices and harm caused by colonialism. Reflecting your imperialism is a challenge and it WILL be hard to rebuild your mindset. You will feel discomfort, anger, guilt, shame and sadness. It's long-term work. Be ready for many unexpected discoveries, most of which will not be pleasant ones. It’s okay for this kinda process, but remember: listen. 

What are our goals?

To reconnect with ourselves and our culture, country, land (nature) and people. And because of it we will work on archives. Save open archives of repressed people in the USSR, open archives that weren’t open yet.

Regional decentralization. Independence of Karelia Republic from russian federation and decentralization inside of Republic. It's about transfer of political, administrative, and decision-making powers from a central authority to regional or local levels of governance.

Cultural decolonization refers to the process of challenging and undoing the cultural dominance, impositions, and influences of colonial powers on indigenous people. It will involve reclaiming indigenous knowledge, traditions, languages, and cultural practices that were suppressed, marginalized, or disrupted during the colonial era. We need to restore self-determination and pride in cultural heritage.

How do we want to achieve them?

Create a resource which will safely contain all information without control of russian law enforcement, make sure it’ll work even if some of us will not be able to continue. Use open archives to save and structure information in it. Collect non-digital and unwritten information from people who wish to share. We need to co-work with Karelian diasporas and be able to use all the archives, including russia’s (USSR) and Finland's.

… [under construction] Ecology: people of Karelia know what’s better for their land and nature. We know better if someone could make a forel farm on our lakes or not; cut our 200 years forests or not; 

"Хочеш знищити народ, лишити його без суті, — убий насамперед його мову." (UKR) "If you want to destroy a nation, deprive it of its essence — kill its language first."

We believe that all indigenous people in the Republic of Karelia should be able to use their languages as means of communication with the government and businesses. As an example, the Karelian language must become one of the official languages in the Republic of Karelia. This means that people speaking Karelian should be able to use it for communication with public services. 

Popularization of the Karelian language, most importantly for children. It must be accessible for everyone, our language isn’t a museum exhibit. Popularizing an indigenous language in the Karelia Republic requires concerted efforts from various stakeholders, including individuals, communities, educational institutions, governments, and cultural organizations. 

We plan to governmentally support projects about languages and cultures of native people of Karelia. It could be self-governing organizations formed by people who desire to renovate their culture and work on it, participate in decision-making processes, choose representatives and manage a budget. 

Vepsian National Volost’ (Vepsän rahvahaline volost’). It showed results in the restoration of the culture of Vepsian people even under russian law control. This example of local decentralization already shows us it’s possible.

We will officially (governmentally) support russian/Finnish language and culture projects ONLY with decolonization context within. 

KRL / ENG / RUS / FIN / UKR

[simmancy]

🎶✨when u get this u have to put 5 songs u actually listen to, and publish. then, send this ask/tag 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool) ✨🎶

tagged again, this time by @morrigan-sims!! thank you I love talking more about my terrible horrible musical tastes... also kpop

Lucifer by SHINee (HER WHISPER IS THE LUCIFER) - this is my favorite song ever I’m not exaggerating. Don’t listen to whatever Spotify or my last.fm say, because I go back to release day with this bitch. I’ve been in the trenches with Lucifer. Bonus, it was released July 19 2010 so it was happy belated birthday to me that year. Bonus 2, you can also enjoy this together with Ring Ding Dong for Kit’s Ultimate Kpop Joy.

Cyberpunk by Ateez (my favorite thing in the song is Seonghwa tbh) - I’m glad Ateez is keeping alive the time-honored tradition of boys sadly hip thrusting about how terribly sad they are. The world needs more of it. Dance your sad little hearts out gentlemen.

Navillera by WJSN (Pass through the world with my wings, you can call me “oh my Queen”) - I hated this the first time I saw it and then idk I guess the witchy-vampire-wlw vibes won out in the end, anyway stan Cosmic Girls for clear skin. I will not elaborate further.

Daughter of the Sea (Beware, beware the daughter of the sea... Beware, beware of me) - God I hate Blizzard so much, Jaina is so cool. The song is also on my Fathomless warlock’s playlist because of course it is. I don’t even play WoW but I watch every cinematic because if my husband is going to listen to me talk Sims and Animal Crossing and Dragon Age, it’s only fair. The song is a banger, Jaina is super freaking cool and I love her.

Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons (so hold my hand, consign me not to darkness) - the first time I heard this song was in someone’s Game of Thrones MV right after the Red Wedding. Beautiful song using biblical references that is instead, in my mind, about either a Grey Warden facing down the Blight (please god ask me about my Tabris I dare you), or a vampire princeling struggling with undeath.... Or Robb Stark.

Bonus Song, because I was thinking about my Dragon Age playlists: Dark Doo Wop by MS MR, the original Handers song imo (though I am more of a Fenhawke girlie and it could really fit with any of them by the end). This world is gonna burn burn burn burn, as long as we’re going down, baby you should stick around!!!!!!

More tags to hand out, feel free to ignore if you: @lazarish @musicalplumbob @rebelangelsims @floresibs @hazely-sims @xiapxls @nizaberry @disasterbri @thatsimslove @gothoffspring .... and bonus tag: anyone who sees this and wants to do it, I tag you.

[percontaion-points]

Delicious Monsters chapters 13 & 14

Today's review might be difficult for some; reader discretion is advised

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions

Click here for the rest of the series!

Chapter 13

We’d come all the way out here for this house. This beautiful, amazing house where Mom had spent those elusive summers she’d never thought to mention. But I couldn’t go in by myself. 

’Cause that made sense.

I bit the inside of my cheek. 

There was something in there that she didn’t want me to see. A secret. Something she wanted to keep hidden like everything else in her life. That was the only reason that tracked. 

In Brittany’s POV, they’re talking about the Daisy of past-tense, who murdered several people in the house.

But from where I’m sitting, Daisy is a victim of years of abuse and neglect from practically every single person in her life. 

His hair was in its usual style, curls popping and juicy…

She says “his usual style” as if this isn’t the second time she’s seen him. 

“What’s a four-wheeler?” 

King openly laughed at me. Like my question was the most hilarious thing he had been asked in a while. I was suddenly glad that I hadn’t also asked what a Ski-Doo was. Once he’d composed himself, he smiled. Bright and shiny. Like a magazine cover. “You’re really like born and bred Toronto, eh?” 

“Yeah, well.” 

“It’s like… It’s hard to describe. Google it.” 

It’s honestly not that hard. It’s like a motorised dirt-bike with four wheels. 

Maybe I shouldn’t have. The dog would have loved me back.

Chapter 13 summary: Later, Daisy goes to the greenhouse, which is mostly dead from neglect. As she looks around to get started, King shows up with a wheelbarrow for her to use. He offers to help, but she’s randomly nasty towards him for no real reason. (It’s the years of systematic abuse talking.) He says that the house is dangerous, and that it’s why his family wants to get in and “cleanse” it. 

He leaves, so she gets to work clearing things out. He comes back after a bit with some trash bags for her, so she asks him to help her clear out on the other side. As they work, she asks him about how his family claims to be psychic. From her perspective of being able to see the dead, it’s an awful lot like Harry Potter with his real magic looking down his nose at Harry Houdini for his stage magic. 

King explains to her that when the family first came to the area two generations ago, it was a quick way to get involved in the community. Now, the family wears the traditional Nigerian garb because they think that it’ll add legitimacy to their claims. Their real surname isn’t even Okeke, but they adopted it in an effort to try and reclaim their roots. However, King scoffs over the idea, since none of them know if they’re even from Nigeria or not. 

Daisy is only impressed that they can pretend so well. Her own grandmother came over from Trinidad as a child and immediately shucked all of her prior culture in order to fit in. 

She asks if he’s going to continue the family tradition, but he says no. Asks if she does everything her mother asks her to do. She says no. That the only thing she’s ever wanted to do is to care for her plants. 

She then tells the readers that when she was 9, she asked her mom for a dog. Grace got her a monstera plant instead, with the idea that if she could keep the plant alive, she could get a dog. It died. So Daisy got another one, which she researched heavily on how to keep it alive. That turned into multiple plants. Grace then said that Daisy wasn’t going to have time to care for her plants AND a dog, but Daisy said that she no longer wanted a dog. 

Chapter 14

“We’re really not going to go inside the house?” 

“If necessary, we will. And it’s not currently necessary.” Mom let out an exasperated breath and leaned back on her stool, balancing on the back legs. “I’m not going to have this conversation with you over and over.”

That isn’t a fucking explanation. 

“I just don’t understand how we’re going to run this whole operation like this.”

 “You don’t have to, Daisy!” she cried. Her voice was strained. “I’m the adult. Let me worry about it. All you have to do is manage the garden, go to school, and… you know. That’s it. Just be a kid.” 

This was not how this was supposed to go. 

There were the plans Mom and I made, and now, apparently, there were alternative plans that she made on her own. Ones where I was less of a helper and more of a bystander. Leaving her the sole responsibility of making this business work.

It’s not so much that I disagree that children should be allowed to simply be children. Even 17 year old children. 

But at the same time… This entire situation is super suspicious and terrible. Daisy is right to be on edge. 

“This isn’t like Toronto. I don’t need you to support me. I’m going to handle this.”

You can’t go for the first 17 years of somebody’s life expecting for them to take care of you. And then do an about-face and suddenly tell them that it’s not the job of the child to take care of the parent… Only to be surprised that you’re getting push-back from them about it!

I woke up the next morning with the distinct feeling of an itch on my scalp, and when I reached up, something moved under the probing of my fingers. Goose pimples danced over my skin. I should get up. Needed to get up. I had to check. But at the same time, I couldn’t, wouldn’t, didn’t want to. 

[...]

“Is there anything on my head?” I whispered. 

“Stop it!” she shouted. The sound was too loud in the small space, echoing through the high ceilings. “We are not going to do this again. Get it together. You know what’s real and what’s not, don’t you? Because if you don’t, then we can leave right now and skip over you imploding.”

Grace: Her psychotic break came out of nowhere! There were no signs leading up to it at all!

But then again, King could kiss my ass. He would probably enjoy it too.

Chapter 14 summary: Daisy and King wrap up in the greenhouse and start to leave when they come across Grace returning with some groceries. King leaves after Daisy makes it clear that he is no longer welcome there anymore. Inside the guesthouse (I refuse to call it a “bunkie”, in the same way I refuse to call it “chicky nuggies”), Grace tells her that she’s arranged for a local farmer to have orders of food ready to be picked up; the new house is too far away for delivery. 

Daisy and Grace get into an argument over why they aren’t to set foot in the actual house. Grace insists that now is the time for Daisy to be a child, and to let Grace “handle things”. However, the parentification and adult-incompetence is immense; Daisy is scarred from a lifetime of needing to pick up the slack from her mother in order to avoid late fees and overdraft fees. Ugh. 

The next morning, Daisy wakes up to the sensation of a maggot moving around on her head once again. Grace comes in to say that she’s going to go smooth over the butthurt feelings of their neighbours. While she’s gone, the photographer will likely show up, so Daisy is to let him into the house without Daisy herself going in. The entire thing is beyond stupid. 

Daisy asks if there’s anything on her head, but Grace gets beyond angry at her. Tells her to separate fact from fiction. She then leaves. 

After a shower, Daisy starts to walk to the greenhouse when she sees a ghost who’s heading for the main house. Daisy decides to take matters into her own hands, so she sticks her hand into the woman’s chest. With her hand in there, Daisy can hear the ghost’s thoughts, which are about I guess the ghost’s (presumably still alive?) baby. Daisy freaks out, and then realises that another neighbour girl, Ivy, had witnessed the entire thing. 

[radioromantic-moved]

drabblecember: going shopping

"okay this one won't be 700 words i'll keep it short" you were lying to yourself the whole time you bitch. anyway inspired by me going to snowport in boston and thinking that would be nice to do with a partner

Moss watches as Nyx rings up their purchase and takes the bag from the cashier, waving them goodbye as they exit the little stall. “That’s my gift for the holiday party done!” they announce happily, peering inside the bag. “Gotta say, I’m really glad we all just did one of those swap things this year, because I love all you guys but it is so hard to keep track of everyone’s holidays. I had a whole list tracking who was celebrating what and when, but this is way easier.”

“I sort of find it fascinating,” says Moss. “It’s nice to learn about the myths and traditions of monsterkind and the ways they’ve changed over the years. Not to mention the undead who celebrate the human holidays they did when they were alive. From a cultural perspective--”

Nyx whaps him with a wing. “Yeah, culturally, sure, but you know what I meant. I’m not spending hundreds of dollars on presents for every single monster I know just to find out I missed half of their special days by a week! Plus, what if I forgot someone entirely? I wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt. This is much more manageable.”

They pat their bag fondly. “It’s nice spending time with you, though. And shopping is kind of fun when it’s all fancy like this.”

The Solstice Market bustles with monsters of all shapes and sizes getting their holiday shopping done. Twinkling lights are strewn across stalls and booths advertising everything from handmade pottery to talismans pulsing with dark energy (“a perfect gift for that special nemesis in your life!” the lich lady running the stall claims.)

The winter air is bitingly cold, but Moss and Nyx are better suited to it than most. The latter breathes out a tiny orb of fire and lets it hover in front of their face. “That’s nice,” they murmur, then warn, “Don’t touch it.”

Moss rolls their eyes. “I wasn’t going to.”

“That’s what you said every other time.”

Moss grumbles, then deftly changes the subject. “I know you’re finished shopping, but what about one more stop before we go?”

He reaches out a wing to indicate the books on display a few stalls down. 

Nyx’s tail starts to wag. They grunt and drag it through the snow. “Ack, no, I already have enough books and if I look I’m just gonna find more stuff I want to read. My list is long enough already.”

“Are you sure you don’t just want to look?”

Nyx does a bad job of hiding the fact that they very much want to look. “OKAY FIFTEEN MINUTES. And then you have to drag me out. Heh. Wait. You’ll be dragon me.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Polly’s are worse.”

 Nyx approaches every bookseller with the same delight and reverence, and Moss never gets tired of seeing it. (He also never gets tired of hearing their thoughts on their favorite new releases and which authors couldn’t write their way out of a paper bag, but of course they most prefer it when their interests overlap.) He flips through a couple of celebrity memoirs and admires the covers of a few mystery novels for what he figures amounts to fifteen minutes, then wanders over to the science fiction/horror shelf and taps Nyx on the shoulder.

They jump. “Damn, that fast? Rrrgh. Okay, I’m stepping away now.” 

They pause to look longingly at the book they were holding before making their way back to where they came. “Anywhere else you wanna go?”

“Hmmm. No, I think we’re--” Moss pats their pockets down. “Oh, wait, I think I might have left something in that last booth. Could you go and check? I’ll catch up.”

“Sure! Um, what’d you leave?”

“A…pen.”

“A pen? It it, like, important or something?”

“Yes, sure, it’s a special pen, go look for it. But not too special! So if you don’t find it don’t worry about it! Just go over there for a few minutes.”

Nyx nods their head, slowly, in the manner of someone who is definitely humoring someone else. “Sure. I’ll go look for your pen. Meet you at the entrance.”

“Will do.”

They stuff their hands in their pockets and turn around. They probably know what he’s planning--they’re not stupid by any means--but he is allowed a sappy gesture for their partner during the wintertime. They’re sure Nyx would agree.

Moss takes the book off the shelf and goes to ring it up at the cash register. 

Actually, first they turn around and grab one of those mystery novels. Because they deserve an extra present too.

[thoughtless-gay-frog]

((Anon who asked about victims))

Yay! I really like Manov too! He’s really awesome as a character, and i wish we could see more of him. It’s so sad that his brutal death was caused by his idol

(I just like aa victims in general lmao, too bad most of them are not talked about very often, so thank you for your answer on that)

So, another question if you don’t mind: what’s your opinion on spirit channeling in aa?

Yes!!! Welcome back anon, I’m glad you agree with me on Manov and I will gladly talk about spirit channeling!

Honestly it’s just such a cool concept. I overall enjoy the way they built the history of it throughout the games. It’s established in the second case of the original game, and it does not stop being important until the last case of Spirit of Justice (and maybe tgaa too, I just wouldn’t know lmao). While I’m not a big fan of Spirit of Justice as a whole, I do think it’s just so interesting how they continued to keep explaining the history of spirit channeling and how its origin of Khura’in ties into their entire culture, yet they’re two completely different ideologies.

This is more so a commentary on the contrast of Kurain and Khura’in, but I love the stark difference between how each country treats spirit channeling. Kurain is the first place we’re introduced to the channeling practice, and we’re supposed to feel bad and maybe look down upon Maya, just a little bit, for not being able to channel spirits. Because according to Kurain tradition, many women are able to do it, and as a descendant of the village leader, Maya should have been easily able to tap into her spiritual abilities whenever she pleased. We later meet other women from the village, like Pearl and Misty, who are very proficient in spirit channeling. The consensus of Kurain is that the lineage of the village leaders are all able to channel spirits, some like Morgan being an exception, but like. It’s not exclusive to them. They’re just the best at it, it runs mostly in their blood. Whereas we later learn that in Khura’in it’s the complete opposite, only the queen is allowed to channel spirits and any one else even considering it is blasphemy. Maya was very reluctant to channel for the sake of keeping their tradition alive. In Khura’in, spirit channeling isn’t necessarily treated better, it’s just treated like a perk of being royalty. Something the commoners could never hope to achieve. Which is such a different outlook than Kurain has and it’s just so interesting to me.

Global differences aside, I generally do just enjoy the concept. Like. It is so cool to know that the dead don’t really have to stay dead, if you suddenly lost a relative and never got to say goodbye you could do that. If you never got to make amends with someone who fell ill or got killed you have the chance to reconcile. And that’s just such a nice thought. And I appreciate that ace attorney didn’t just treat it like that, like something near and happy and picture perfect. That no, spirits can still deceive and cause problems when they’re summoned, taking over someone else’s body can cause harm and get one into a lot of trouble. It’s nice to see something so bizarre treated with realistic ideas, if that makes sense. I’m very glad that it stays throughout the games and continues to be messy and add onto trials, because yeah, if we had spirit channeling in the real world all kinds of wacky things would happen. People would try to use it to their malicious intentions. And I just really like how well the games dealt with that while still making it interesting and fun and something you want to learn more about.

[your-highnessmarvel]

From Bleak to Bright

Requested by Anonymous: the world is in black and white until you meet your soulmate. you’re Bruce’s little sister. you want to go with him during Avengers 2012 because you’re the only one that “can calm the beast” if ever he pops out. so you’re just chilling with the avengers in the flying thing. then they bring Loki in. the world goes to bright, bright colors. you don’t want it to be him. but it is. no one knows. no one knows but him.

AN: IM BACK. YES. AFTER LIKE A WHOLE YEAR. the flying thingy. me too i had to google it, ahaha

Warnings: angst, language

*gif not mine

Enjoyed this and want more? Send in your requests!

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MASTERLIST

You spun on the stool, facing your brother with a sigh. He scratched the back of his head, the glow from Loki’s scepter reflecting on his specs in a grey light. 

“One more hour?” he asked with a wince. 

You rolled your eyes. “Okay,” you groaned. “But then we’re off to bed. And I’m putting Celine Dion on the stereo to sleep.”

“Not her again,” he groaned. 

You raised a finger, brows crawling up your forehead. “You made me come here on this ridiculous flying tank with the God damned Avengers, of all people, and we’ve been here for four days listening to sounds of water dripping and Cap’s fifties music.”

Bruce sighed, leaning his forehead into his palm. “Fine.” His hands went up in mock surrender. You could see the tension in his shoulders, straining against the material of his chemise. 

Not that you could see the color of it. You imagined it was blue. Bruce liked blue. Bruce knew colors. Of course he did. He’d met his soulmate such a long time ago, you’d forgotten she even existed. 

But not you. You’d gone through life in the dreary black and white of a world without a soulmate. But now you were curious. You knew the colors by name, but not sight. What does green even look like? Bruce had told you trees and grass were green. Some people’s eyes. Ever since he’d told you that, green became your favorite. Maybe blue could beat it, since Tony Stark had told you the sky was all shades of blue combined. 

An alarmed blared overhead, and your first instinct was to run to your brother’s side. Bruce’s eyes met yours, his mouth tugging up at the corners. 

He’s fine.

Your hand found the curve of his forearm, still. No one really knew what actually triggered the Hulk, and you, being his little sister, were the only human alive able to tame the beast. 

You heard footsteps, many, clambering loudly down the hall. The door to Bruce’s workspace was wide open, and you heard the telltale sound of security making their way down the hall. You frowned. What could they be doing so late at night, and so many all together?

At first, from the windows in the workspace, you only saw the black suits of the security patrol, their reflective masks bright in the hall. They walked in patterned, simultaneous movements, guns held firm in their grasps.

You saw the top of a really - no, seriously, really! - tall head, black hair. White skin. And as the small platoon of security walked passed your door, you saw the man walking in their midst, tied in shackles. 

He turned his head, buzzing in your mind, something deep in your chest tightening. And then you saw the color of his eyes. 

You couldn’t tell at first. Because the world became so vivid, so bright. He went from black and white to stark and bright and whole before your eyes, stealing the breath from your lungs. 

A ringing started in your ears, a burning in your throat. You couldn’t help but stare, watching his eyes drink you in as well, watching his own world turn from ash to bright as the sun. 

No, you thought. No. Not him. 

Anyone but him.

And just before he rounded the corner, his lips stretched into a smirk. 

A cold hand on your arm brought you back. As if slamming back into your body. 

“You okay?” Bruce asked. 

You gulped. Nodded. Felt your cheeks blooming with heat. “Yeah, of course.”

You could see the colors on your brother, now. Albeit, not being able to tell which specific color it was. And yet he was beautiful. Later, after hours of searching online for colors, you’d be able to tell his hair was black, his eyes a warmest brown, his skin a shade of white a few degrees darker than yours. 

But now, it took everything in you not to scream. 

You could finally see the entire world for what it truly was and all because of a demi-God wrought with darkness. 

No. It couldn’t be him.

You separated from your brother, your mouth dry, feeling his eyes on you. He could always tell when you were troubled. But there was just no way, no freaking way, you’d tell him that you’d just met your soulmate. If he knew who it was... No. You wouldn’t tell him. You wouldn’t tell anyone. 

You went to the computer and turned the screen away from Bruce, clearing your throat. Bruce went back to his own computer.

You didn’t even search up colors yet. You searched up the possibility of soulmates being wrong for each other. The computer spat out articles and data from hundreds of years, all proving that the soulmate trigger worked. That the signs of color all proved one had met the person right for them.

You sighed, dropping your head in your hands. 

You rubbed at your eyes, steeling yourself for what you were about to ask. 

“Bruce?”

“Hmm?”

“Did they just bring in Loki?”

His head raised from his computer. “Yeah.” He frowned. “I’m going to go ask why. Does it disturb you that he’s here?”

You scratched your jaw. “No, not at all,” you said quickly, too quickly. You cringed internally, hoping your face didn’t mimic the shame you felt. “Just - why?”

“I’ll go ask,” Bruce said. If he had any inkling as to why you were suddenly intrigued in God of mischief, he didn’t give any clue. 

He left. You took a second to steady yourself. You counted your fingers. Felt the shape of your face. 

Then you took a breath in and all but flew out the door. 

You followed the maze that was the inner organs of the Helicarrier until you reached the “jail”, which was, upon inquiry, meant to hold your brother if ever you weren’t there to calm him in time. 

You watched from outside the doors as Fury talked to Loki. You couldn’t help the fire in your chest as you watched. Loki seemed trapped, looking discreetly around the room, around his glass cage, his green eyes keen on any weakness.

You felt the sweat collecting in the palm of your hands. You waited patiently, praying whatever Bruce was up to would keep him long enough that he wouldn’t come looking for you. You heard broken pieces of the conversation on the other side of the steel enforced doors, but Loki’s voice was even, steady, unafraid. 

He knew he wouldn’t be beat here.

You counted to one hundred the moment Fury walked out. Your heart beat vehemently between your ribs, battering your bones. Your knees were putty when you finally, slowly, opened the doors.

The air ruffled your hair, blowing it out of your face. 

He stood tall, straight, unmoving, statuesque in the middle of his prison. Hands at his sides. Eyes mild. Mouth straight. He gave no indication that his world had finally shifted after millennia of black and white. 

“I didn’t have to wait long.” His voice sent shivers down your spine, your body so reactive to even the sound of his words that you wondered, for just a second, what his touch would do. 

You closed the door, tentatively approaching the control board. You saw a big red button and decided maybe touching random buttons wouldn’t do any of you any good. 

“What’s your name?” he asked, following your movements with his sharp emerald gaze. He still stood there, like cement was poured down the length of his spine. 

You darted your eyes back to his. He was glad in - what you later learned - was a green and gold ensemble, a green cotton cape grazing the floor of his cage. He was beautiful, really. Cut by the finest knife to the most perfect edge. 

He smiled then, creasing his cheeks in what you could only feel as adorable. 

“Didn’t expect it to be moi, did you, princess?”

You tried not to react, but heat bloomed across your cheeks, giving you away. 

“Why?” you asked.

He rolled his eyes, sighing dramatically, breaking his statuesque stance to throw his arms up. “By the Gods,” he groaned, accent thick on his tongue. “You humans are so pathetic. Why this? Why that? Why me? Oh, you want to be so special that you question the straight line of fate as if the entire meaning of the world revolved around you.”

You raised your brows. Wow. He’d been thinking of that for a while.

“Do you know the colors?” you asked, approaching the glass that separated you from your soulmate. 

He took you in, green eyes drinking you in from head to toe. He didn’t seem to think anything negative about his soulmate. “I’ve taken sense-enhancing drugs in my lifetime,” he said. “I’ve known colors briefly. Thor taught them to me.”

You nodded. “Your eyes are green.”

His lips split in a grin. “You’re very perceptive,” he chuckled. “And you’re wearing a powder blue sweater. Childish.”

Something in you shifted and you wanted to say something, something bad. Something along the lines of, “what is your favorite color?” and then run and wear it.

Instead, you approached the glass even more. By this distance, you could see he was significantly taller than you. He eyed you down his nose. 

“A human,” he said with distaste. 

“Maybe that’s your punishment,” you ventured, your heart railing against your ribs. “Maybe that’s your conundrum. You’ve thought nothing of humanity but the possibility to dominate and squander us under your boot like ants. Isn’t it fitting?”

You saw the anger cross his face before his lips spat the vile things he thought in his mind. “You are not worthy of a God, you fleeting, imbecile, nothingness of a human. I will outlive you before I even grow a white hair. Our children will watch you wither before they’ve even gone to school.”

“Our children?”

That seemed to faze him. 

Wow, you thought. Of all the things Loki was, he was traditional. He very well intended to follow through with the soulmate script; to marry you and have children with you.

The thought first amazed you, burning bright in your mind’s eye. Then you thought twice and feigned disgust. 

He laughed. “Oh, please, you’re the luckiest woman in the universe to have been bound to a God.”

“Aren’t you a demi?”

His gaze placated you. “I am, but the fact remains that I am greater than you, greater than anything your pathetic little human brain can conceive.”

You rolled your eyes with audacity you didn’t know you had. “Well,” you sighed, shrugging, hands in your back pockets. “What now?”

He cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

“Are we to start this - thing, or are we to go back to our normal lives and, hoping you don’t obliterate the planet, we never see each other again?”

His jaw clenched, working. “You know it’s physically impossible now for us to be apart.” He said this through clenched teeth, hands in fists. 

You shrugged again. “I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t mind never having to look at your ugly mug ever again.”

He frowned deeply. “Try it, then, you’ll see, mortal.”

You sighed apathetically, turning your back to him. 

“Before you go!” Loki called. You turned slowly on your heel, offering him nothing but your side profile. “Let your brother know I’m hoping to meet him soon.”

The blood in your veins went cold. 

Part 2? Anybody?

[topazy]

Silent bloom

Pairings: Bellamy Blake/reader

Warnings: swearing, mentions of blood and vomit

Chapter: 2.04

You sat inside the commander's tent shaking, as you stared at the blood on your hands. Raven’s scream echoes in your ears.

Clarke sat down beside you, "Y/N … I don’t know what to say."

You began to frantically wipe the blood off, rubbing your hands against your trousers until Abby and Kane entered. Abby immediately pulled her daughter in for a hug.

Clarke stepped back from her mom and looked at you sympathetically. "They would have tortured him. You did what you thought was right."

"What did I do?" You sobbed.

Before Clarke had a chance to say anything else, Gustus entered. "The commander will talk now."

"Blood has answered blood." Lexa said, stepping forward. "Some on my side say that's not enough; they want the murderer to suffer as our tradition demands. But they do not know that your suffering will be worse. What you did tonight will haunt you until the end of your days. Still, there will be restitution. The body will be given to Tondc. The murdedered and the murderer will be joined by fire. Only then can we have peace."

Kane shook his head, "No, no, we've done enough. The boy should be buried by his own people-"

"Enough? We were owed the pain of 18 deaths, we were owed the righteous kill my village deserves justice." Indra spat.

Your heart hammered in your chest. You kept thinking of the last real conversation you had with Finn. His voice was so clear inside your mind, he could have been standing beside you.

‘I was scared... when you disappeared. I thought I’d never get the chance to say I’m sorry, and I needed you to know that I love you.’

Why didn’t you see the signs then? He was saying goodbye. Thinking back, you knew Finn must have already made his mind up to hand himself in.

It was all too much for you. You jumped up and ran outside the tent to throw up, ignoring the dirty looks you were getting. Nobody could hate you more than you hated yourself at that moment. Once you had composed yourself, you noticed Raven crying over Finn’s body, and slowly made your way over to her.

"Go away."

"Raven," you sobbed. "I'm sorry."

"I said go away!"

The brunette couldn’t even look at you, and you didn’t blame her. "I’m so sorry. They were going to torture him. I couldn’t let him suffer."

"He loved you! He loved you, and this is how you repaid him!" Raven eventually lifted her head to look at you. "He was the only family I have, and he’s dead because of you."

Hearing the words coming from her mouth made your body physically ache.

Clarke placed her hand on your shoulder as she stood beside you. "The commander had now agreed to help us," she said quietly before facing Raven. "I know how hard this must be for you, but I'm leaving with the Grounders and I need you to work on the radio."

The brunette stood up and glared at you. "You agreed to this? Is that why you killed him? For some deal?"

"What? No," you pleaded. "I just … I couldn’t let him suffer."

"We're taking him back to the village where the massacre took place. There's a death ritual." Clarke cleared her throat. "It's the only way to get our people out of Mount Weather."

As the grounders began to move Finn’s body, you jumped back when you saw his eyes open wide. You rubbed at your eyes and then they were closed again. You were going insane.

"Daisy?"

You turned to face Clarke. You knew by the look on her face that whatever she was about to say wasn’t good. But then again, things couldn’t get any worse. "What’s going on?"

"I think you should stay."

"Wait … Have you decided that I'm going to stay here as some kind of punishment?"

The blonde let out a sigh. "No. Look, Daisy, I’d be lying if I said the thought of doing what you did didn’t cross my mind. I understand it, I really do."

"But?"

"I spoke to my mom and she agreed it would be for the best. A lot of the grounders still blame you for what Finn did, and now-"

You finished the sentence for her, "now our own people hate me."

"I can walk you back to camp before I go? I don’t think you should go back alone."

You declined Clarke’s offer. "It’s fine, thanks though."

If anything happened to you, you’d deserve it anyway.

—

"I know why you're hiding."

You glanced up at Murphy as he sat down beside you. You had been hiding out in your room since you thought Finn was sitting across you in the canteen. He was everywhere. Screaming at your dead friend and telling him to leave you alone definitely drew some unwanted attention.

Shrugging, you looked away from him, "I don’t know what you mean."

"When the grounders first took me … no, actually even before that. When I was banished and alone, I used to see her while wandering the forest."

You finally turned to face him. He looked so broken compared to his usual smugness. "Charlotte?"

Murphy nodded.

"I see Finn everywhere I look. A part of me is glad that I’m seeing him; it’s keeping him alive." You stopped talking when you saw the look on Murphy’s face.

After a few moments of silence, you let out a laugh. "Why are you here?"

"Well, the council decided to send a bunch of teenagers to earth-"

You let out a soft laugh. "Don’t be a smartass. I meant in my room, not on earth."

He shrugged. "Like I said, I know how it feels."

You gripped your knees into your chest tighter as you let out a shaky breath. Never in a million years did you think John Murphy would be the only person able to comfort you.

"Why did you come back here? I thought you would have stayed with Finn’s body."

"Clarke and Abby didn’t want me to," Murphy frowned, letting out a scoffing noise. "It would have been more difficult to get the deal to run smoothly with me there, and I think they are right." Raven would have been so consumed by anger towards you that she wouldn’t have been able to focus on the radios. "I just wish I’d gotten to see Octavia before she left."

But not Bellamy. You wouldn’t have been able to look him in the eye.

"You know, I actually wish the mountain men took me instead of the grounders," you sighed. "Finn would be alive, and I wouldn’t have destroyed Raven."

"You're wrong," he replies. "Finn would still have needed to pay the price for what he did. We all do eventually. But one thing would have been different."

"What?" You asked.

"Raven might have traded me. You think you destroyed her? I shot her. I’m the reason she almost died."

"Was it an accident?"

Murphy frowned, "Of course it was."

You let your legs go straight because you're feeling them start to cramp. "You shouldn’t punish yourself for it; what’s done is done."

"You're such a hypocrite!"

"No I’m not!" You yelled back. "You didn’t mean to hurt her, I meant to kill Finn. I meant to kill my best friend." Shaking your head, you stood up. "Thanks for the company, but I need some air."

—

His blood on the ground was still surprisingly fresh looking.

I’m so sorry Finn.

The whole area seemed eerily quiet now that all the grounders had packed up and gone. It was as if nothing happened.

Sighing, you placed your hand against your chest, which now felt bare. You’d lost the daisy necklace that Finn made you years ago, and without it you felt naked.

How would you ever move on from this? You would need to eventually. It would be difficult, but Monty and Jasper still need your help. You would need to push your heartache to one side until your friends were safe.

Hearing a rustling sound, you glanced over your shoulder. Shit. You were stupid to think it was safe to leave camp yourself. Quickly, you started to run towards camp Jaha when a cloud of thick smoke appeared around you. It wasn’t acid fog, it was something else. It was thick, red, and caused you to choke.

—

"Y/N?"

You blinked a few times as your eyes adjusted to the harsh light. You tried to sit up but were unable to. Fuck. White leather straps covering your wrists attach you to a bed. You gave up fighting against the restrictions. You looked to your left and recognized the blonde in the bed next to you.

"Harper?"

Her hazel eyes were now bloodshot red, and her face was puffy from crying so much. "There’s no point fighting, it just makes it worse."

You took in the rest of the room. It looked like a hospital, judging by all the monitors and IV drips. "Mountain men?" Harper nodded. You looked at her worried, "What do they want with us?"

"Our bone marrow."

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Serenade (Daniela Dimitrescu/Reader) Pt. 6

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T for language, brief violence, and a line that hints at past physical abuse (depending on how you choose to interpret it) Warnings: Mild TW for implied/referenced abuse Notes: Okay so this was supposed to be somewhat therapeutic? But it ended up taking longer to get to that part than I intended, so... Don't worry though, next chapter will be fluffy and also involve more, like, actual Daniela scenes. Previous Chapters: Pt. 1: Nocturne, Pt. 2 Overture, Pt. 3: Accelerando, Pt. 4: Toccata, Pt. 5: Poco a Poco

Chapter 6: Elegy

(Elegy: A piece of music in the form of a lament)

When you dream, you do not dream of being locked in a tower, awaiting a kindly knight to come save you. When you dream… you dream of your old home, infested with monsters, nearly unrecognizable. Of being forced to flee, leaving everything you loved behind. Of escaping to a remote, quaint little village, only to end up trapped once again, as friendly faces morph into gaping maws and fangs dripping red. When you dream, it is less a nightmare, more memories retouched, covered in a fresh coat of paint.

Waking up is but a brief source of comfort. One hand goes to your head, rubbing gently, as if you could wipe away all traces of your past. A quick glance around your shared room leaves you confused, but serves as a welcome distraction. Though there are six beds in the room, yours is the only occupied one, the others having all been vacated and made presentable. The only explanation that fit with what you knew was that everyone had gotten up, and gotten to work, without waking you. Panic filled you as you connected the dots, knowing that missing work was a death sentence.

Rushing, you rise to your feet, throwing your dresser open to search for fresh clothes. While the castle’s staff was almost entirely female, the Dimitrescu family didn’t enforce traditional gender presentation, allowing maidens to choose whether to wear a dress or a button-up and trousers. Remembering the wound on your neck, you pause, glancing in the dorm’s singular mirror to inspect your injury. Most of the blood had rubbed off in your sleep (and would likely be a nightmare to clean from the sheets). There were, however, a few spots where dried blood mingled with the protective scab. Considering how late you already were, you didn’t believe you would have time to clean up.

As much as you hated the thought, the best you could do was go for a button-up, hoping the collar would hide the worst of your disastrous appearance. Your hair was another matter entirely, far messier than it normally was, and you struggled to brush/comb it enough to be mildly presentable. Good thing Daniela won’t see me today, you think, remembering her insistence on skipping today’s lesson.

Then you remember the rest of your conversation with her; the yelling, being dragged to your feet, and the pain in her eyes. For a moment you feel woozy, pausing in the middle of buttoning your shirt. Your eyes focus on a spot on the now-closed dresser… and suddenly you wish you had paid more attention when you first woke up. There’s a note stuck to the furniture, clearly addressed to you.

Heard you had some trouble yesterday. We’re just glad you’re alive! A certain someone has been a lot nicer since you started playing the piano, and we’re grateful. To show that, we decided to split your morning duties among ourselves, so you can sleep in. If you’re reading this, then it’s still before 4 AM. Feel free to just relax for a while, or even get some more sleep! We’ll be by to make sure you’re up eventually.

Sincerely,

Daphne, Rosalia, Ygritte, Alexandra, Juniper, and Riley

“I… have… freetime?” You mumbled, still a little drowsy, but now also shocked. This was a complete first for you. Maybe even a first among the servants! Sure, you had been given breaks before, but having a couple hours to do whatever you wanted? No one had ever pulled strings like this for you before. It made your chest feel warm, and you just about forgot the whole mess with Daniela. “I’ll have to find a way to pay them back, even if they think they’re paying me back.” With that said you relaxed a little, no longer rushing getting dressed, though still leaving your neck the way it was. You figured you’d stop by one of the maidens’ restrooms before you officially started your shift.

In the meantime, you knew exactly what you’d be using this time for: finding those damn piano books you had been promised!

-----------------------------------------

“Let’s see… dust, more dust, a dead spider, even more dust, and- oh shit, the spider is not dead,” you said, barely holding in a yelp as the arachnid scurries away from you. If you had known the attic would be so unclean, you might not have bothered to come up here. So far your targets had alluded you without giving so much as a hint towards their location. The library had seemed a likely location, but you had heard Daniela’s voice within, and anxiety had sent you dashing away. Up here, in an area clearly used for storage above all else, was the next best guess, as far as you were concerned. Still, you hadn’t seen anything worth your time yet.

Just insects, really. Not even terribly interesting ones. Well, there had been a shiny beetle of some sort, but it had crawled into a crack in the wall mere seconds after you saw it. Other than that, though, nothing but creepy crawlies. Creepy flyers?... Both, for sure. One fly in particular kept buzzing around you, weirdly interested in what you were doing.

Somehow you didn’t understand what that meant until a firm hand had wrapped itself around your neck. The grip was tight, putting more than enough pressure to make your vision blur. Thankfully, or perhaps unfortunately, the culprit didn’t intend to just choke you out. Instead they lift you and toss you aside- casually, at that. You hit the wall with a terrible crashing sound, certain to leave bruises, and narrowly avoid toppling into a stack of heavy crates. So much for enjoying some free time, you think. Stunned for several seconds, you find yourself left helpless as your attacker approaches.

“You’re not allowed to be up here,” a voice snarled, familiar enough to leave you terrified. Of course you had to run into the most violent of the Dimitrescu sisters. “Looking for a way out, hmm? Or are you stupid enough to think we’d leave a weapon where a wretched thing like you could find it?” Cassandra asked, pausing only to send a swift kick your way. A grunt escapes you, leaves you coughing, but it doesn’t hurt as bad as hitting the wall. Despite wanting to curl up and give in, you tried to drag yourself to your feet. Surprisingly, Cassandra makes no move to stop you, perhaps enjoying the sight of you struggling.

“Lady… Daniela… gave me permission,” you said between painful breaths. By the time you’re back on your feet, the vampire before you is watching you with narrowed, albeit curious, eyes. Normally it would take a lot of courage to face her. But you’re exhausted, in pain, and you’ve taken nearly as much hurt from someone who called themselves your lover. It’s not brave to stare down Cassandra, it’s foolhardy. It’s idiotic, really, and yet you find yourself unable to care. “I’m just looking for a couple piano books I’ve been told about, so I can use them to help teach Lady Daniela.”

“Oh? You’re her instructor?” Cassandra asked, a strange smile overtaking her expression. Something in the atmosphere has shifted, dangerously, but you can’t figure out why. Clueless to your self-betrayal, you nod in response. Instantly Cassandra’s smile turns into an open-lipped snarl, and she reaches out to grab you by the shirt, this time slamming you into the wall with her own hands. “Then you’re the reason she kept me up yesterday, crying non stop! I’m going to rip you apart, you vermin.”

The look in her eyes is, most definitely, the scariest thing you had ever seen. It’s feral, inhuman, and unstoppably determined. But when tears fall from your eyes, it’s not because you know you’re about to die. No, it’s because the last thing you think you’ll ever hear is the news that your partner had been sobbing for hours… and that you were the reason why. Your heart aches, both physically and emotionally, as you brace yourself for the bloody end.

Instead, the grip on your clothes loosens. You don’t dare open your eyes to see why.

“What the fuck do you want, sis?” Cassandra asked, sounding like she had turned her head away from you. Before you know it you’ve been let go, and you slide to the ground, too surprised to hold yourself steady. When you look up, you see an irritated Bela pulling Cassandra away from you, whispering something you can’t quite hear. They argue for a minute, under their breath, keen on keeping you out of the loop. Eventually the younger of the two storms away, but not before making a dent in the wall with her fist.

“What a child,” Bela said, rolling her eyes at the display. Then she’s walking back towards you, extending a hand in an offer of assistance (one you gladly accept). “That girl has the foresight of a magic eight ball, I swear. If she had actually killed you… ugh, I can hardly stand to imagine how inconsolable Daniela would become. Then I’d have two insufferable sisters. Regardless, do tell me why you thought it would be a good idea to come up here unaccompanied? It is normally off limits for servants, after all.”

“I-I, well… I mean, firstly thank you for saving me, I had no idea-” Bela holds a finger up in a ‘shut up’ motion, then puts it away as soon as you pause- “right, you don’t care. Look, I was just trying to find the piano books that Lady Dimitrescu mentioned, but I’ve looked all over and I can’t find them, so I should really just go,” you explain, eager to get out of the attic. To your surprise, Bela gives you an odd look before turning away. Then she takes no more than five steps, shifts to the side, and opens an old cabinet. Inside you can see a dozen books of sheet music, notably from several different decades, all worn but still in decent condition. “How did-?... I thought I checked there.”

“Well, you must have been distracted. Nonetheless, you know where they are now, and you owe me twice over. With that in mind… come with me. We have things to discuss,” Bela commanded, walking away before you could protest. All you can do is grab the sheet music, tuck it under one arm, and follow her to who-knows-where.

-----------------------------------------

“I’ll have to have you make my tea more often,” Bela mused, letting the mug keep her hands warm. The two of you were sitting in some sort of study, a room that you had never been inside before. From what you could tell it belonged solely to the eldest Dimitrescu daughter. Inside were several shelves, each filled with well bookmarked collections, a desk next to a massive window, a couple simple chairs, and a few instrument cases. All in all it was an aesthetically pleasing room, organized but not exactly neat. You could certainly imagine Bela spending entire days in this chamber. “Now, why do you think I brought you here?” Her voice brings your focus back into the present moment, as well as sends a spike of anxiety through you.

“Based on what nearly got me killed earlier… Does it have to do with Daniela crying?” You asked, doing your best to indicate just how bad you felt about the subject. No matter how cruel she could be, you did honestly care about Daniela, and even wanted a real, healthy relationship with her. Desire, or willingness, wasn’t the root of the problem by any means. Something told you that Bela understood this, maybe even respected you for it.

“Guess there’s more in that pretty head of yours than air and symphonies, hmm?” Bela replied, laughing a little as she did. It was a far nicer sound than Cassandra’s maniacal giggling, for sure. “Now, I don’t know all the details about what happened- just that there was an argument, clearly a bad one, and Daniela barely made it through dinner before locking herself in her room. Luckily for you, our mother doesn’t seem to know about your little ‘fight’. She’s not sure what upset Dani, and I doubt my sister would tell her, so your secret is safe. Assuming that I blackmailed Cassandra well enough, that is. Anyway, I can’t help you, and by extension my sister, if I don’t know the full story. In case it wasn’t clear, that’s your cue to start talking.”

You’re surprised, admittedly, by a number of things. But Bela seems impatient, so you go over the details of the previous night with her, occasionally pausing to let her ask questions. The whole time her focus is on you, unwavering. There’s also a noticeable lack of judgement in her expression, even when you voice your regret about how you handled the situation, and what is there seems directed more towards Daniela than yourself. Once you finish, Bela releases a deep sigh. One of her hands goes to rub her forehead as if warding off a migraine.

“Well, I can’t say I’m terribly surprised, as much as I wish I could. Daniela’s always had her head in the clouds, and it’s left her tripping over her own feet more than once. Still, this is certainly one of her bigger messes…” Bela said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m going to have to talk to her about this, aren’t I? There’s no way she’s going to process this correctly on her own.” This time she seemed to be talking to herself, gaze locked on her tea as if it might suddenly offer to speak to Daniela in her place. When the tea stayed silent, understandably, she returned her focus to you. “You seemed upset, earlier, about this ridiculous situation. I am going to assume, from that, you are genuinely interested in my dear sister. Normally, this would be the part where I drain you of all blood, and possibly keep your skull as a memento... mori. Yours would look lovely on a window sill, I think.”

She pauses, head tilting a little to the side, clearly evaluating your artistic value.

“However, Daniela appears to care about you, far more than her usual fleeting infatuations. So, for now, I have decided not to eviscerate you, you’re welcome,” Bela cooed, teasingly, enjoying the way you shifted uncomfortably in your seat. Still, you were glad that you would apparently be surviving the day. “So I’m going to give you some advice, which you will take, and you won’t even owe me anything extra for this. Daniela is in love with the mere concept of love- and she has been for as long as I can remember. Romance novels are practically the only books she reads. It’s… embarrassing, truly. More than that, I get the impression that she couldn’t even begin to describe what love actually feels like. She’s digested so much of that written drivel that it warped her senses. Of course, the, ahem, situation we find ourselves in, here at the castle, has undoubtedly added to this effect.

“To get to the point, Daniela’s terribly, hopelessly clueless when it comes to things like what she wants from you. And so I take it upon myself, as her older sibling, to ensure that you understand. Moreso, that you are not dissuaded. If this is an actual chance for her to experience real romance, then it could make her happier than I’ve ever seen her,” Bela explained. The look in her eyes was incredibly soft, to the point where it made you realize just how much this odd little family cared for each other. “Don’t give up, don’t let her occasional infuriating antics push you away. Given enough time… I think the two of you could, I suppose, compliment each other quite nicely. But if you break her heart? I will pull yours from your chest and eat it raw. Understood?” Gulping, you nodded quickly, ignoring the feeling of heat rushing to your cheeks. It was one thing for Bela to want her sister to be happy, but another thing entirely for her to acknowledge your “suitability” for the position. “Good. Now return to whatever it is you maidens normally do. I have a sister to talk sense into.”

-----------------------------------------

Hours later, you stand alone in a display room, dusting various relics from bygone times. A trophy here, a bizarre art piece there, strange, unlabeled tools you can’t quite imagine are for wine-making. It’s a fascinating collection, really. But your mind is focused on other, far softer things. All you can think about is what Bela had told you, about how Daniela really is interested in you, and how she thought the two of you could make it work. After the chaos earlier in the day, this was exactly what you needed. Just some time to yourself, working quietly, thoughts all to yourself. Even your bruises bother you less, the pain fading out into the background. Considering where you are, though, it is not at all surprising that your peace cannot last. As soon as you finish your task you move towards the exit.

The door swings open, outwards, at your touch, only to reveal a familiar figure reaching for the doorknob. Both of you gasp, taken by surprise, before your gazes meet. Of course it’s Daniela. Who else would you bump into right now?

“I thought about what you said,” she blurts, suddenly, eyes wide and hands shaking. “We need to talk, yeah?”

[lubdubsworld]

Change of Heart

Pairing : Taehyung x OC

[ Summary :

Times are changing.

After years of being oppressed, werewolves are taking a stand against humans , demanding equal rights and fair treatment. Heading the movement is Kim Taehyung, the breathtaking heir to the Kim fortune and one of the few remaining Alpha werewolves in the country. His disdain for the human race is well known and well warranted. They killed his family after all…..

He wants to change the world , to put humans in their place but when his five year old daughter takes a shine to their very human neighbor , maybe he has to start with a change of heart , first.  ]

Pairing : Taehyung x OC

Genre : Romance, Explicit Content.

Warnings : None. ( Some mild violence but mostly off screen )

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3

Chapter 4

The Preserve had originally been an isolated island about 50 miles off the coast of the mainland.  Over the decades, the land had been expanded with man made floats serving to support the extra buildings and complexes that cropped up to cater to the small human population that stuck around to help out. 

The wolves still kept to the interiors, most of them having built huge cottage-villas which could house the entire pack, territories marked out clearly to avoid disputes. A few of the very traditional ones lived on the huge mountains that lined the northern end, opting to stay in their wolf-forms most of the time. 

The island itself was beautiful, rich vegetation , a thriving fauna and a landscape that was lined with beautifully stark cliffs up high and private little coves and beaches scattered below. 

Taehyung and his daughter lived on a beautiful beach side villa, which had its own vegetable garden , a staff of over 8 to take care of everything, a private jetty for trips to the mainland and a helipad/ airstrip. 

True to his word, Taehyung did not stay around most days. He was busy with his campaign and I spent the first week recovering. The doctor visited everyday and by the end of the week, most of the internal injuries were healing well, the pain well managed with meds.

Luna had moved into my room, pretty much and I spent the days with her curled into my side, reading from her favorite books, stopping when she encountered a particularly difficult word, ebony eyes turning to mine for help. We read countless books, and she introduced me to all her best friends : Mr. Ted the bear, Kihyun the bunny and Momo the panda. The stuffed animals had a small baby carrier of their own and she liked carting them all around the house. 

“She was really pretty. Mama....” Luna whispered one night, as we lay curled on the window seat in my room, a fur throw covering us up as we stared out into the rocky beach far below. 

I felt my heart lurch in shared grief. 

“Was she? What else do you remember about her....?” I asked softly.

“Her scent. “ Luna said quickly. “ She smelled just like you. Like home and fresh cookies with sugar sprinkles. And rainy puddles you can jump in.” 

I bit my lips, mindful that Luna was just listing her favorite things. I didn’t know much about how weres scented other weres or humans. But i supposed it made sense that her mother’s scent should remind her of things that offered her comfort and joy. 

But her next words threw me for a loop. 

“Daddy didn’t like her much....” She said suddenly and I felt my throat close up . 

“Oh-Oh?” I was genuinely shocked. Taehyung had looked devastated when he had told me about his wife’s passing.... 

Luna shook her head. 

“My friend from school, Mina? Her mommy’s still alive and her daddy likes her. They kiss and stay in the same room. Mommy and Daddy never kissed. Mommy lived on the east wing.... That’s on the other side. Near the rose gardens.”

I bit my lips, feeling incredibly guilty for some reason. This information felt somehow private and not for stranger’s ears. I didn’t want Luna to get into trouble for saying this to me . 

“I miss her sometimes. I’m glad you’re here.” She sniffled and i felt my heart crack in two. The girl was replacing her mom with me, I thought miserably. I couldn’t in good conscience let this happen. 

But as the days stretched into weeks, with Taehyung out and busy most of the time, i couldn’t bring myself to leave. Luna did appear to be calmer, more grounded and happier with me around. She liked staying close to me, at touching distance and she often buried her nose into my neck, sniffing till I had to gently pry her off. 

Although, absent physically, Taehyung called every day. He facetimed his daughter twice at least and I got a call every night at exactly nine. It was usually curt and formal but he did tell me what he was upto.

“The elections are coming up soon.... I need to work a bit more on the immediate reforms we’re planning to launch...I won’t be available this week, Luna’s keeping well?” 

“Yes, she is. We made a modern recreation of red riding hood and the wolf today with play dough.” 

Silence.

“Interesting choice of fairy tale, Mi Rae ssi...” He drawled. 

I flushed at how my name sounded in that voice.

“It’s a bit different plot wise. In this case, the granny is just a meanie who likes to order Red about and the wolf is the one who rescues her.” I grinned.

He chuckled amicably.

“Bit of a stretch , that. But I’m glad you’re happy. I didn’t want to pressure you too much and i know its asking way too much of you . But Ms. Lee says that Luna is happier than she’s ever been and I do believe you’re the one I have to thank for that. “

I bit my lips. I wanted to tell him that Luna was getting way too attached. That I was afraid of what would happen when it was time for me to leave, but already i could hear voices in the background, people calling for his attention and I remembered that he was doing something important.

 He was trying to build a better world for his little girl. 

In the long run, all of this would be for Luna’s benefit only. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

it had been nearly a month since I’d last seen Taehyung . A whole three months since I’d moved into his villa. My paycheck as a nanny was three times what I was paid as a lab tech. But I hadn’t stopped working at the research facility either. I spent the days there, when Luna was busy with her school work . The vaccine had been successful but somehow, my father’s company had pulled some sort of nonsense with the patenting and not everyone had got the shorts. 

I stared out into the murky blue waters as they crashed into the jagged black rocks that lined the private beach. The huge bay windows in the living space offered an unfettered view of the rocky beach. 

Next to me, Luna was pretty much bouncing around, trying to find all her beach day toys. I watched her fondly, feeling something squeeze my heart when I thought about not seeing her again. The elections were done, the results were due any day now and Taehyung had already told me that he was looking to end this arrangement soon. 

Luna had a mind like no other. A vibrantly curious child with the most incredible questions, it was clear that she adored her father more than anything else in the world. In the evenings, she liked to play near the small water inlet that fed into the Ocean. The water was shallow, barely an inch or so deep, the terrain covered in small smooth pebbles in every shade of brown of grey.  

Luna and I  spent most of the weekends exploring the small beach around the villa, foraging around in the coves while her caregiver watched me covertly from a distance. She clearly didn’t trust me much, but I tried not to let it get to me.

I wasn’t here to stay. Taehyung had sent me a mail the previous week, letting me know that I was no longer had to babysit, because he was planning to move to Seoul himself. He would be renting out a condominium there and hiring a full time nanny. 

And that was fine. it wasn’t like i hadn’t seen that coming. I had a life of my own and i had to get back to it. My cottage near the research facility was fixed now and I was looking forward to getting back to my life, no matter how much it hurt to leave Luna behind. 

 I was a little upset that he had sent an impersonal mail to me instead of talking to me in person. Or maybe spoken about it over the phone at least. But I knew that he was just trying to make it easier for me to cut all ties. 

Okay, fine, maybe I was a little bit bitter that Taehyung hadn’t even offered to hire me to take care of Luna .  I wasn’t qualified , yes, but so far Luna had been a dream to stay with. She was so inquisitive and bright, so full of sunshine and happiness. 

After three months of her unconditional love for me,  the idea of not coming home to her vibrant laugh and endless giggles, it just felt so painful. 

“Rae Rae, let’s gooooo....” Her voice broke me out of my thoughts . Despite endless protests from Ms. Lee, Luna insisted on calling me Rae Rae and I found it adorable. 

I jumped a little, hastily moving to grab the sunscreen, the hat and gloves. While Luna did heal quickly courtesy her wolf-y genes, she was also incredibly prone to sunburn. The first few times, she had promptly shifted into her wolf form when i tried to put it on her, snipping my fingers angrily. The chemical was supposed to be unscented but her sensitive nose had clearly picked it up anyway. 

It took a lot of bribing with delicious meat patties and steak bites, for the girl to shift back and let me apply it on her.

But now she was comfortable with letting me apply it on her when we went to the beach. 

She picked up her backpack, a baby blue fur lined affair with twin bunny ears near the handle , and the small tote bag full of her collection of seashells and skipped out of the room happily. I finished packing the rest of her beach stuff : towels, napkins, hair pins and a change of clothes just in case. 

We were just climbing down the huge stairwell, when Taehyung’s voice rang through the foyer, startling me badly. i hadn’t seen him in a long time and against my better judgement I almost half ran back to put some make up on at least. I probably looked like an ogre with smeared sunscreen and my hair uncombed and in a bun. 

“Lu - Lu? Baby???” He called out, his deep voice pretty much reverberating off the walls .

“DAAAADAAAAAA” 

I watched her almost tumble headlong the stairs in her rush to get into her father’s arms and I hung back, letting them have their reunion. 

I waited till Taehyung called out for me, before moving to greet him as well. 

The first thing that stuck me was how incredibly handsome he looked, hair now fully black, swept straight back from his forehead. He was dressed in skinny jeans and a loose black shirt, buttons undone to show the lines of his pecs and a pair of dangly earrings caught the light as he turned to stare at me. 

“Mi Rae ssi....i see you’re all ready for Beach day?” He grinned softly.

There was something radiant about him, a definite lack of anxiety. He looked relaxed almost.

“You won?” i blurted out. “ You won didn’t you?”

Taehyung’s eyes glinted .

“Its not officially announced yet, but yes, the Commission called me today . They think I’ve won by a landslide.

Before I could rethink my impulse, I flung myself into his arms, genuinely thrilled beyond belief.

“RThat’s so incredible, Taehyung ssi...i’m so happy for you and-”

“Tae? Should I get the other suitcase?” 

The female voice made me jolt, and I pulled away, arm still arapped around his neck, intensely aware of his hands on my waist.

Three feet away from us , stood an incredibly beautiful young woman. She was almost as tall as Tae, probably the same age as him and her eyes flashed red when she looked at me. 

I flinched, stepping back like i’d been scalded.

“Just leave it sweetheart, one of my men will get it. Come meet my little girl.” Taehyung said casually, shooting me one brief intense look of.....anger? annoyance? I couldn’t figure it out.

 Sweetheart? did he just call her-

Luna had shuffled to hide behind my legs now, her fingers gripping my waist as she refused to greet the newcomer.

“Luna, this is Ms Jihyun. She’s a very good friend of mine.”

Jihyun dropped to her knees, eyes flashing red again as she smiled a tight lipped smile.

“Hello, Luna. How are you doing?” She said seriously. Luna’s grip on me tightened.

“She’s a little shy.” I choked out, trying to tamp down the rising sense of heartbreak. No. i had actively fought against feeling this way. Every night here, I had told myself that I would not think about Kim Taehyung. Admiring him for what he did , for how hard he worked for his kind....that was one thing ....but this. This was madness. 

Taehyung reached out around me to lift Luna up into her arms. 

“How about we go to the beach with Jihyun and Ms Lee today?” He said casually, holding his hand out to me.

I almost did something stupid, like press my hand into his before realizing that he was asking for the bag i had over my shoulders. Wordlessly, I handed it over. 

“I want to go with Rae Rae....” Luna said sharply, lips jutting out in a petulant little pout.  

“Well, Appa and Ms. Rae need to talk about something and once we’re done, I’ll join you there okay?” He ruffled her hair softly and then gently placed her back down. 

Luna gave me an imploring look.

“Are you leaving me?” Her lips wobbled.

I shook my head instinctively.

“Of course not baby, I’ll be right there. Just a few minutes, okay? Don't forget your sunscreen.” I smiled and Luna pouted again but moved to Ms. Lee’s side hesitantly. 

Taehyung waited till the three of them began leaving before turning to me. 

“Thank you.” He said quietly , gaze moving to me with the same intensity, and this time I knew what he was doing. He was trying to gauge what I was thinking and I remembered, weakly that Alpha wolves could sometimes sense moods, changes in a person’s body temperatures and things like that. It wasn’t like mind reading or anything but a perceptive enough werewolf could definitely guess what kind of mood someone was in.

I fought to keep my face neutral. There wasn’t much I could do about how clammy and cold my entire body had gone after meeting Jihyun. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to guess why I didn’t l;ike Jihyun there.

“It’s not you.” He said gently.

I swallowed.

“Sorry?”

“You’re beautiful. If we were.... the same kind of people.....I wouldn’t be saying this. But because of who we are.... I’m going to say it. It’s not a good idea.” He whispered.

I flushed, feeling like my entire body had been dipped in ice cold water.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said evenly.

He hummed.

“If you leave today, there’s a job waiting for you in the Research Center. It’s a level up from what you’re doing right now. I’ve asked them to put up extra security around your cabin and I’ve talked with the wolves here. No one will come anywhere near you. “ 

I nodded bleakly.

“Thank you.” I said quietly. 

“You’re going to forget me and Luna in a few weeks. And I would rather that things end now, before Luna becomes more attached.”

I nodded.

“Can i talk to her before I leave?” I asked softly.

He hesitated. 

“I don’t.... I mean, I would rather not have Jihyun be present for that. She’s.... well she’s someone I’m getting to know and she may feel -”

I wanted to kick myself in the face for ever having agreed to this whole thing.

“I understand. I’ll be back tomorrow morning to get the rest of my stuff and to say goodbye to Luna.” I said shortly. 

Before he could reply, I brushed past him and ran up to my room. I had to get out of here as soon as I could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luna cried inconsolably and I was eternally grateful that no one else was there when I carefully unpacked the huge carton of snacks and toys , I’d packed for her. Taehyung had made things a little easier, by telling Luna that it wasn’t me who was leaving but it would be them. They were going to a new place so they would be leaving me behind because I had stuff to do here. 

“I’m not going to be gone completely. I’m going to come visit you as often as I can alright and look....” I pulled out the small phone I’d brought her.

She stopped sniffling and held her hand out. I placed the flip phone in her hands.

“Theres just two numbers there. See the picture of the wolf? Thats daddy..... And see the one with the flower.....that’s me. If you want to talk to either of us, all you need to do is press this button.”

Luna hesitated.

“Daddy said, I can’t have any phones.” She said hesitantly. What a wonderful child, i thought fondly.

“Yes, but this isn’t the kind of phone that could hurt your eyes. It’s just a talking phone. Besides, your daddy already knows and he’s okay with it.” I smiled. 

She nodded, turning the little device over and over in her hands.

“Daddy say’s we’re going to the city. Why don’t you want to come?” She said angrily and i sighed.

“Its not that I don’t want to come, baby. It’s just that my home is here. I help take care of the little pups here remember? Some of them get sick and I help make them better....” I smiled, ruffling her hair. 

She nodded.

“Good girl...Now how about we go see the sandcastle you built yesterday...? See if it’s still there?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Life went on and I found myself busy enough to not dwell on Taehyung too much. The vaccines were rolling out much faster now and most of the cases were milder . i spent the days in the research center and went home to my cozy cabin. Taehyung had been true to his word an an electric fence ran around the perimeter , twelve feet tall . A security guard stayed near the gate at all times, a beta werewolf named Minjun. 

Two weeks after Taehyung had moved out of the island, a distraction arrived in the form of one Jeon Jungkook . He was a year younger than me and finishing his internship before becoming a radiologist. He was smart , handsome and an alpha wolf with a deceptively cute bunny like smile.

Jungkook liked following me around when we had free time and I found his incessant noona , noona...endearing. But I was also not an idiot. 

Jungkook was looking for a fuck buddy and I was convenient. The only female in the research center. Werewolves didn’t do one night stands with each other, because being intimate always left a scent and it would make things messy. So weres  generally went to humans for no strings attached sex. 

It wasn’t that I minded , but a part of me was terrified i would do something stupid. Like call him Taehyung in the middle of us fucking. 

But of course, stupid decisions were my forte. 

So I did end up sleeping with him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Well, you look miserable.” Jimin commented mildly, as I stumbled forward to the counter. I hadn’t slept much the previous night and had nearly missed the ferry to the mainland in the morning.

“I’m fine oppa. Just frazzled. Give me something strong but sweet...” I begged, riffling through my bag for my wallet. Outside, the rain poured in torrents. I was still dripping water from my hair and my jacket, although I’d been out of the rain for a whole five minutes. 

“Taehyung’s been asking about you....Why don’t you pick his calls?” Jimin said casually and I flinched. 

“I did pick his calls. a couple of times....” I muttered . 

That had been a whole experience. Taehyung had called me two weeks back, frothing at the mouth about something. 

Apparently, Ji Hyun the lovely girlfriend that Kim Taehyung like flaunting all over town, was also the older sister on one Jeon Jungkook. And because we had had sex the previous night, Jungkook had smelled like me when he visited Taehyung and Ji hyun. Even Luna had picked up on the scent.

How on earth was i supposed to know? 

Taehyung had been so furious that I’d hung up the phone midway through. 

“And, what happened?”

I shrugged.

“And then I got busy. Why? I’ve been talking to Luna... I even met her a couple of times. It’s not like I have any other reason to talk to him.... “ I protested.

Jimin hummed.

“He’s still seeing that model. Jeon Ji hyun? I heard her brother works in the Research center?” Jimin raised an eyebrow, sliding my drink across the counter. I stepped out of the line but stayed near the counter, staring at him. Damn it. Had Taehyung actually told Jimin about it? 

“Jungkook? Yeah. He’s a doctor... He’s doing his MD , radiology and he’s here for exposure , apparently...”

“Alpha?” Jimin continued flitting about, making orders but his tone held a note of sympathy. 

I shrugged.

“Yeah, he is. But we don’t talk much. We went out one night but then he’s been aloof ever since.” I shrugged again hoping that Jimin was buying my nonchalant act. i still didn’t know how much he knew. 

Jungkook was a nice guy and I was a little peeved that he didn’t seem to want anything more than a friends with benefits thing. But that had less to do with him and more to do with the fact that men, in general, never seemed to consider me as a potential girlfriend. 

But then, the poor guy was in probably the most crucial part of his education. Relationships were probably the farthest thing from his mind. 

Jimin stopped when the last customer in the line left. He stared at me. 

“Taehyung told me Luna called you one morning and Jungkook picked the phone.” 

I froze.

“What?!” I hissed, completely thrown. This, I hadn’t known. 

“You went out? With Jungkook?  And he stayed over , I’m guessing....I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you guys did not play Jenga all night?” He glared at me. I flushed.

“Fine. We slept together. We are sleeping together....its just consensual sex between two willing parties,  . It’s no big deal.” I said flippantly.

“You don’t think that’s why Taehyung has been calling you? That’s his potential brother in law right there. It’s too messy. I think you should stop. ” He frowned. 

I rolled my eyes.

“Listen it has nothing to do with me. I’m not going to marry Jungkook okay? I’m not going to be calling Taehyung my brother in law either. Its not going to happen. i just had this...stupid king of crush on him and he knew about it. He turned me down too, did he tell you that. He told me him and I were too different.... meaning I wasn’t a were so he wouldn’t consider being with someone like me. ”

Jimin groaned. 

“you know why he feels that way. Don’t make this about you. It’s not personal.”

“Then why is it spilling into my personal life? I have no obligation to him. I can sleep with who I want.....”

Jimin rolled his eyes.

“Taehyung’s a were. He’s not going to see it that way.” 

“Well, I don’t give a damn how he sees it, I’m having sex with a handsome young man who is attracted to me. That’s a good time, right there and I’m not going to stop having a good time just because it offends Taehyung’s delicate sensibilities.” I snapped. 

Jimin shrugged.

“Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I went back to my cabin that evening, I found Minjun missing from his usual place near the gate. The gate was still locked so I didn’t think too much about it, merely slotting the rusty old key into the huge lock and prying it open. 

I made my way to the door, opening it carefully. 

i nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw who was there. 

“what the- Seo Joon?” I said in disbelief, stumbling back when the tall alpha stumbled to his feet from where he was lounging on the couch. 

“Well, look who’s here....if it isn’t the slutty little bitch who wants to sleep her way through every were on the island....First Taehyung and now Jungkook.....you sure know who to pick, huh.....? All powerful, influential wolves..... “ He slurred.

I stared at him. This wasn’t good. I turned on my heel, ready to run back out but he was faster than me. I groaned when he slammed into my back pinning me to the door with so much force that the wood splintered,. 

While my bruised ribs had healed, they still hurt a bit. And the force of his actions left my mind reeling from the pain. 

“Get off me!! “ I screamed, “ MINJUN!!!!! MINJUN HELP!!!” 

“SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU WHORING BITCH!!!”

He slapped me right across the face, the strength of it sending me crashing into the side table. I whimpered as I tried to get on my feet, fingers fumbling for my phone .

“it was you wasn’t it? I was supposed to be the deputy minister.... Taehyung’s supposed to be my fucking friend. instead i got fired like some lowly runt ...... It was you wasn’t it? you convinced him that humans are our fucking friends....” 

I shook my head, frantic.

“No...i swear I’ve not spoken to Taehyung...i didn’t say anything... Seo Joon please don’t...” I screamed when he reached down and grabbed my hair, yanking me to my feet till my scalp felt like it was on fire.

“Maybe I should fuck you too....since that's the thing people seem to be doing these days....Its because of your father isn’t it? That bastard has been all over the news,  talking these past few weeks about how his precious daughter is doing a lot of work for the welfare of wolves....Maybe I should fuck his daughter too....  ” He began, reaching for my blouse. 

I barely registered the nonsense about my father before a loud sound broke through the din. 

The door swung open and the sound of gunfire made me scream.

 I stared at the door only to see the security guard staring at us with wide eyes. 

Minjun , panicked and completely overwhelmed , had blindly opened fire on both of us. 

I felt the touch of the bullet to my shoulder, before the blinding explosion of pain.

 But he seemed to have hit Seo Joon as well, enough times for the were to let go of me and I crashed to floor, clutching my shoulder in agony. 

The sound of gunfire had attracted more people and through the throng I heard Jungkook’s voice.

“Noona.... Mirae noona is that you----???”

“Kookie!!” I croaked out desperately. Jungkook’s eyes went wide when he saw, me, pushing his way past the other wolves before letting out a snarl. The sound seemed to make the others cower and I remembered that he was an alpha too. 

I gripped his arms when he reached me. 

“Don’t tell Taehyung...” I gasped out, still clutching  my shoulder. 

“God, what the fuck.... We need to get you out of here...” He was already dialing for the ambulance. I waited for him to finish, gasping from the pain. Fuck, it hurt like hell. 

“We’re going to get you to the research center first.” Jungkook said frantically.  

I nodded, stumbling to my feet when he tried to lift me up. 

“It’s okay...just...get me something to …” But he was already peeling off his shirt, wadding up to press against the bleeding bullet hole .

“Hyung is going to kill Seo Joon.” He said grimly. 

For once, I didn’t particularly care. 

My mind raced because I hadn’t thought about my father in years. 

What did that tyrant want with me now??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Note : Me trying to finish all my fics and not lose my mind in the process :’( 

[stiltonbasket]

(Is this where you submit prompts? I really dont know ^^💧) Prompt for the renouncement au: I don’t know why i love when gossip is involved, so maybe something about people’s opinions on wangxian’s marriage and how it slowly changes to a better perspective to the point that anyone who doubts their feelings for each other gets immediately shut down. And you could add some juniors shenanigans to make wangxian have that good of a reputation because i miss them </3. Thank you for your time and effort! (And sorry if this is not the place for the prompts, i will submit it again if you say so ^^’ )

(author’s note: please please reblog if you can, since that’s how we get prompts for future chapters!)

Lan Siyong considers himself one of the more moderate elders among the Lan sect. 

He has been close friends with Lan Qiren from childhood, and he saw Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji grow up into the fine, upstanding men they are today. When the two of them were boys, he even had fond thoughts of attending their weddings, and watching them take on the most sacred of duties with glad, willing hearts. 

Learning that Xichen would never wed had been a disappointment, but Lan Siyong rallied again when Lan Qiren confided the reason why the boy rejected marriage—chastity in an upstanding cultivator was to be lauded, especially in an age where Jin Guangshan had once demanded such high respect, and there could still be children born to Lan Huan if he decided to cultivate them. And of course, Wangji was there, and Lan Siyong knew from the first that he would be the kind of youth to fall in love deeply, at first sight, and remain passionately devoted to his mingding zhiren until he drew his last breath. 

But then Lan Siyong had Wangji’s own sword turned upon him at the Burial Mounds, because the one that his many-times distant nephew loved so dearly was none other than Wei Wuxian. 

“Qiren,” he says hoarsely, when the lotus-scented wedding invitations arrive from Lotus Pier. “You cannot let this happen—an unrighteous cultivator, one who spurned orthodoxy without remorse and led Wangji down such a dangerous path—”

“What has been done has been done,” Lan Qiren replies. “We have sent the bridewealth, and the marriage was contracted between Xichen and Jiang-zongzhu. All their terms have been agreed upon, and the date set.”

And then, after a brief pause: “He makes Wangji happy.”

Lan Siyong nearly cries. He does not attend the wedding, for fear of shaming Wangji with the open despair that appears on his face whenever he sees Wei Wuxian, and sends the newlywed couple the most expensive gift he can afford in an effort to do something useful. 

Wei Wuxian is the one who writes him a letter in thanks. Lan Siyong almost has a qi deviation.

__

“You know,” one of the other elders mutters after the second wedding ceremony: namely, the ceremony held in the Cloud Recesses, since Jiang-zongzhu demanded that his brother should be married at Lotus Pier first. “Wei Wuxian refused to have a blessing for children spoken at the an chuang ceremony.”

“Gossip is forbidden,” Lan Haiyang says tranquilly. He stopped caring about practically everything after his son’s wife gave birth to the whirlwind that calls himself Lan Jingyi, so Lan Siyong has long since given up relying on him to fix any kind of sect turmoil. “And they already have two children. I have not seen a finer Lan disciple than Lan Sizhui in all my days.”

Lan Siyong is forced to concede this last. Wangji has two good children, even if the Yiling Patriarch is perhaps the most unsuitable person alive to raise them with him, and a couple’s choice to expand their family is up to them, and no others.

“He should at least have let the blessing be spoken, though.”

Lan Siyong does not disagree with this. Traditions are traditions, and surely even Wei Wuxian should know to respect them once in a while. 

__

“It’s worse than I thought,” Lan Siyong murmurs, on a summer afternoon about six weeks after Wangji’s wedding. He passed Haiyang’s grandson and his friends on his way to the refectory that morning, and heard them discussing how heartbroken Wangji had looked upon hearing that Wei Wuxian did not return his love. “I ought not to have eavesdropped, but—poor Wangji!”

“Poor Wangji what?” Lan Haiyang asks, as if their little Lan Zhan being in trouble was all in another day’s work to him. “What’s happened to him now?”

“Wei Wuxian disavows Wangji’s love at every opportunity,” he replies dismally, going over to the refreshment table to drown his woes in chestnut cake and tea. “I fear for him, Haiyang. To love for so long, and to wed his beloved, and have children with him, and still…”

Lan Haiyang snorts into his tea. 

“What do you mean by that?” demands Lan Siyong, more than a little offended. “Wangji is in distress! We must do something!”

His friend does not reply. Honestly, it’s as if no one remembers what Wangji suffered for Wei Wuxian’s sake. Lan Siyong even tries raising the issue with Lan Qiren, and then with Xichen, but all he gets in return for his pains is a tray of fresh-baked red bean buns from the hanshi and another cryptic comment about Wangji’s supposed happiness from Qiren. 

Yet again, he is forced to leave his worries for another day, and try his best to follow rule three thousand, one hundred and sixty-two: that the affairs of a married couple should not be discussed by outsiders, even if they happen to be close, concerned family. 

Lan Siyong thinks his hair might be turning white by now.

__

And then, in early winter, Lan Siyong is roused from his bed one night and told that Wei Wuxian has gone missing. He joins the search party that Wangji leads, and follows him to a dark house in the woods with the Ghost General leading the way—and then he watches as Wangji kills at least a dozen men in an effort to reach his husband, whom they find unconscious in a cave beneath the house with corpse bites dotting every visible inch of his skin.

Lan Siyong nearly weeps as he hears Wangji’s desperate whispers to his beloved on the way back to Gusu, and watches him hold Wei Wuxian close while refusing help from anyone who offers.

Let him live, Lan Siyong prays silently, when Wei Wuxian is carried into the infirmary with Wangji at his side. Please, for Wangji’s sake, let Wei-gongzi live. 

__

“Qiren?”

A few days after the news about Wangji’s soon-to-be-born daughter is made public (public being a subjective word, since ceremony preceding the birth of a third child is unnecessary, and Wei Wuxian had said that he would rather wait until the baby arrives to make a formal announcement) Lan Siyong discovers Lan Qiren in one of the common rooms, sitting at a writing desk with his head buried in his hands. It’s a strange thing to see his friend do, since Lan Qiren has not looked so distressed since those three dark years after Wangji’s sentencing, and he hardly even looks up when Lan Siyong lays a hand on his shoulder. 

“It was just four weeks ago that Wei Ying was kidnapped and confined in that dungeon,” Lan Qiren says blankly, after he registers Lan Siyong’s presence and turns around to greet him. “If he—oh, heavens—”

Two weeks later, Lan Siyong requests a week’s leave from teaching to attend the trials of Wei Wuxian’s kidnappers, who are being held under Nie-zongzhu’s jurisdiction in the Unclean Realm. He has always believed himself to be a gentle man, but when the only sentences dealt are life imprisonment and execution, Lan Siyong’s heart is strangely devoid of any pity. All he can think of are the corpse bites he saw on Wei Wuxian’s face and throat, and a baby girl who nearly perished with her father before she had the chance to take her first breath. 

On his way back to the Cloud Recesses, he purchases a bolt of thick cream-colored silk with fine sky-blue embroidery and brings it to Wangji as a gift after the next monthly sect meeting.

“Xinhua-jun will need wider-cut robes before long,” he says, when his nephew gives him a curious glance before bowing low in thanks. “Zewu-jun has told us all that he and the child are in good health, and that the little one is growing well. All of our good wishes go with them both, and we pray that you should not hesitate to rely on us in the months to come if it should be needed.”

Wangji’s eyes go soft. “Thank you, San-shushu. It is much appreciated.”

__

Lan Siyong gets his first chance to hold Wei Shuilan at the baby’s full-moon ceremony, while Wangji and Wei Wuxian are running back and forth through the banquet hall to greet the arriving guests, and seize the first trusted elder they can reach to watch little A-Lan for a moment. At first, Lan Siyong merely stands by her cradle to keep an eye on her, but then she seems to sense her parents’ absence, so he picks her up and jogs her up and down to keep her from crying; and then he begins to hum softly beside her tiny ear, soothing the baby back to sleep by the time Wei Wuxian returns. 

“My good Lan-bao,” Wei Wuxian croons, cradling the child to his chest before rearranging her crumpled swaddling clothes. “Such a good baobei, to take your nap even with so much going on! Just like your A-Die, thank goodness, and not like your A-Niang.”

Curious, Lan Siyong clears his throat. “What do you mean, Wei-gongzi?”

Wei Wuxian laughs. “I never sleep properly at night, but Lan Zhan always falls asleep at hai shi, even if he isn’t in bed yet,” he says, with his voice so full of love for the newborn child in his arms and the husband who gave her to him that Lan Siyong feels strangely humbled. “A-Lan’s just like him that way.”

At that moment, Wangji appears with a plate of cut fruit and lotus cake before presenting it to Wei Wuxian. “Here, Wei Ying. Give A-Lan to me, and eat your lunch.”

“Lunch?” Wei Wuxian asks, confused. “But we’re having the banquet in just an hour.”

“You have been having your luncheon at this time for the past six months,” Wangji says stubbornly. “I will not have you going hungry even for a minute, xingan.”

“Lan Zhan, sweetheart…”

Thank heaven they found each other again, Lan Siyong thinks, slipping away to find Lan Qiren with a rising lump of tears in his throat. I do not think anyone else could have ever made Wangji so happy.

[sunnysviolin]

High school Sunny enthusiast here! Would you mind sharing a couple more headcanons about it? I’m so glad you’ll be able to teach again this fall, you totally deserve to develop your passion at full potential 👏🏻

Am I showing up after forever of being gone? Yeahhhhh Sorry y’all got the brain sads lol but!! I’m back w one of my favorite little universes! I actually had a meeting for our teacher prep program on Thursday which is so exciting!! We’re being assigned our working teachers sometime this month which is insane to me.....Anyway today I’m gonna clean and write!! Take some headcanons nonnie you helped to make me feel inspired again!

This ended up being more Sunny and his Mom than Sunny and high school, but it gets there!! So Sunny’s mom used to make him and Mari bag lunches almost every day. The only day she didn’t was on Fridays, because those were pizza days, and she knew pizza was Sunny’s favorite

She made their lunches the night before and they sat on the back right corner of the fridge. She liked to keep it pretty standard- usually a sandwich (or leftovers from their dinner), a snack, a piece of fruit, and some sort of dessert. Sunny used to sit at the kitchen counter and watch her make their lunches right before he went to bed. 

It was one of the special things that was him and his mom. He got to choose what they had for a snack, what piece of fruit the two of them had, even what went in their sandwiches. He was the one that chose Caprisun or water bottle. He got to help his mom write a little note for Mari to read on a sticky note when she ate her food the next day at school. 

It started as a practical thing (Sunny was such a picky eater, it was best that he decided what they ate so he would actually eat his food) but then it was just their tradition

Sunny was never talkative per say, but during this routine of theirs Sunny’s mom could ask him about his day or his friends, and Sunny would do more than nod or shake his head.

After Mari died, after her husband left, they didn’t need bag lunches anymore. Sunny didn’t go to school, and Mari couldn’t. Sunny wouldn’t speak, not even his infuriatingly endearing head nods and shakes. He just slept. All day long. 

But after they move, after those last three days where she left him alone, something changes. At first his mother is furious with herself. She left him alone and he ended up in the hospital, how could she do that? How could she do that to her last living baby? But Sunny is changed, and not in the bad way. He’s getting up, he’s going out, he’s even seeing his friends.

She had been treating him like her baby again. She had thought that’s what he needed. He needed someone to cuddle him close and tell him he was loved. He had needed someone to make excuses, to let him sleep and process. He had needed to be in the house where he was safe and not out in the world where he could get hurt. He needed his mommy

But....maybe that had been what she needed. 

Admitting you got it wrong as a parent is not easy. It gets swallowed down like medicine and lemon rinds. It bubbles in the stomach and leaves you nauseous and unsettled. But seeing her son growing in front of her, seeing the shell she had left him in beginning to crumble shows her that yes. She did get it wrong. She had let them both stagnate.

When he tells her he wants to go back to school, she cries. She cries a lot. He is clearly very uncomfortable, but Sunny’s mother holds him tightly and cries. She calls the local high school that day and tries to explain their situation. Sunny had been doing some online classes over the last four years, but his grades were abysmal, and his mother is pretty sure he hadn’t learned a thing. 

The school agrees to take on Sunny, but they put him in a grade below his own. He will graduate a year late, but he will for sure graduate. That they promise her. His last school just let him fall by the wayside. This school is already planning out special practices just for him. Sunny’s mother settles the fear in her. Her boy will be looked after this time. 

They are worried about his socialization and ask if there’s any hobbies he has. She can only think of blank stares and sleeping, but she tries to remember the quiet sweet boy her son used to be. She remembers endless sketchbooks and colored pencils, and the oh so perfect melody of her children together. On a whim she enrolls him in Orchestra and Art with assurances that if he doesn’t like them he can switch them out.

The night before his first day of school, she walks into the kitchen and beckons him to follow her. They don’t have a bar counter space for him to sit at anymore, but Sunny hops up next to the fridge. Normally she would scold him for doing this, but she just asks what kind of fruit he wants. 

He tells her peaches, and she carefully carves them into perfect slices the way her mother used to do for her. She and Sunny begin their traditions once more. 

Sunny goes back to school and it is not easy. She doesn’t make it easy. Not on him, not on his teachers, and not on the administration. She calls at least three times a week, telling them that it’s too much. They tell her to back off, to let him stumble. It’s terrifying to do that. It’s worse than any fear to let her child fall and hurt himself. But she does. She does because she’s seen the changes since she left him alone those days in the beginning of the summer. 

One full semester is what the administration asks of her. Just two quarters for him to find his footing without her influence. They will reconvene over winter break to make adjustments, but she needs to let him fail if that’s what’s going to happen. He needs a mother, not a mommy. They don’t know the knife they’ve twisted when they say those words, but that knife is exactly what she needed. She agrees.

Sunny struggles to adjust but he does. His failed tests and missed classes slowly disappear one by one. He brings home a practice violin she did not buy from him, and he plays when he thinks she’s asleep. It’s quiet and unsure, but the music is there. 

He invites her to his concert. She does not hug him and cry again, even though she wants to. He isn’t a baby, he doesn’t need her to fawn over him. She agrees to come, and secretly begins to covert with Kel’s mother. 

She waits outside Sunny’s school for them all to arrive. Hero has come home from college for a long weekend for this. She greets each of them with a firm hug, something she hasn’t done in years. Even Basil, although he seems slightly terrified of her. They sit together in the audience and watch Sunny perform. 

She cries as she watches him. She doesn’t recognize this boy. This is not her baby, not the same child she loved and then lost alongside his sister. He’s changed, someone new is on that stage performing, someone for her to discover and love. 

She had been so afraid of this, so scared for that change, so sure it would only end in another dead child. Now there’s a teenager, not a child in front of her. He’s not so tall and not so strong, but he is alive and real right in front of her, and she is growing. 

She can finally start to let herself be his mother. 

[raindancer2004]

A mate for Christmas? - Alec

Word Count: 1,375 Alec x Swan reader Oneshot Warnings: Angst,  Fluff

Alec –

Demetri, Felix and the twins joined Aro and Marcus at the Cullen’s house for Christmas; Caius refusing to go as he knew the ‘Dog’ would be there. “Caius sends his apologies Carlisle, but he couldn’t join us for Christmas. He decided to stay back and keep things in order at the castle” “I understand Aro. We’re glad that you, Marcus and the guard would come” Carlisle replied.

Carlisle led them upstairs to where the rest of the family were waiting; including Y/N Swan, Bella’s sister.

Alec noticed her the moment he entered the room; Y/C hair, Y/C eyes and your scent hit him like no other had before ‘Blueberry and Vanilla’ He felt a pull towards her and a knowing smile from Marcus confirmed it; Y/N Swan was his mate.

The Cullens exchanged gifts and Y/N handed him a small gift neatly wrapped in blue wrapping paper with silver Stags “For you.” He took the gift and gave her a small smile; opening it revealed a dark green scarf and glove set “I know you don’t feel the cold but I thought they’d help you blend in a little better when you’re around humans when you’re on missions during the winter months” Alec laughed at her; Demetri smacked his arm and shook his head at him, Alec turned to face him and just glared at him. Y/N got up and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water; choosing to sit at the dining room table whilst playing a game on her phone. 

Jasper could feel everything Y/N felt at that moment; hurt, humiliation and inadequacy. Y/N felt like she wasn’t good enough for him ‘stupid little human, buying a gift for someone like him. I shouldn’t have bothered’ she thought, Edward and Jasper growled at Alec “What’s your problem?” Alec asked “You! You are my problem. You don’t deserve her” Jasper growled back. Alec raised his hands to use his gift when he felt Demetri’s hand on his shoulder “Don’t Alec. Jasper has a point; you did laugh at her and at the gift she gave you” Demetri said looking at him “Yes but…” “But what?” Bella cut him off “I’d never use it; I don’t need it” Alec replied “She told you one of the reasons she bought you that particular gift. The other reason was you could wear it when the two of you went out during the winter months… whilst she is still human” Edward said, Alec just sat there as though he was a scolded child “Brother go talk to Y/N” “Really sister?” He asked almost in disbelief “Yes she did something nice for you…when was the last time a human did something nice for you?” Jane asked “The secretary doesn’t count…even if she said she’d rather you kill her then Felix” Demetri added smirking.

Alec got up and made his way to the dining room “I owe you an apology” He said low as he entered the room; noticing the shocked look on Y/N’s face “I’m sorry I laughed at you; at the gift you gave me. I now understand why you gave me such a gift even though I do not need it” Y/N sat there and nodded at him as he took a seat beside her “You don’t need to apologise because you’ve been told to. I know that for you; one of the witch twins having a human as a mate is something to be ashamed of so just get the rejection over with so we can both move on” Y/N replied, her voice held no emotion “I-I’m apologising to you because I want to not because I was told to. I have no plans to reject you either. That wouldn’t do either of us any good” He replied back with a determination that Y/N was not expecting “O-ok, don’t get your panties in a twist” She replied and the laughs coming from the vampires in the other room didn’t amuse Alec, although Y/N bit her bottom lip to hide her smile. “I like her” Felix said nudging Demetri “She’s a brave little thing saying that to him” Jane mused.

“How about we go for a walk and get to know one another a little” Alec said standing up “Ok. Let me grab my coat” Y/N replies. A few minutes later she’s dressed to go outside wearing a blue and silver scarf with matching gloves and her dark blue winter coat. Y/N notices Alec is wearing the scarf and gloves she bought him “It’s to help me blend in remember” He smiles at her “Green looks good on you” She smiled back. They make their way out of the house and walk into the woods at the back of the Cullen house “What’s your favourite colour Alec?” She asked as they walked “Green, funnily enough” He replied “What’s yours?” “Y/F/C” She replied “My favourite animal is Y/F/A. What’s yours?” Alec thought for a moment before replying “Sharks. I watched a documentary on them a few years back and have been fascinated with them ever since” “That’s probably because they’re predators too” She replied smirking “Huh – you have a point” He says as he turns to look at her letting his ruby eyes darken a little; a smirk playing on his lips as she backs away slowly, he steps towards her slowly “Mmm…such a pretty little human” He says low as he stalks towards her like she’s prey “Run” He whispers and watches as she turns and does exactly that and waits a few moments before slowly running after her.

He watches as she looks around as if deciding which set of bushes she could hide in ‘Demetri would love this’ he thought to himself and flashes forward so he’s in front of her and catches her easily; burying his head into her neck and growling low “Got you” She lets out a soft giggle when she feels his teeth lightly graze her neck “Th-that tick-tickles” She says squirming in his hold “Who knew humans could be so fun?” He asks smiling before kissing the tip of her nose and pulling her into his chest; his arms wrapping around her. A few moments pass and she pulls away slightly and leaning up she places her warm lips to his cold cheek placing a kiss there; he can’t help the smile that appears on his lips and feels her head rest against his chest once more. He hears a familiar voice; Felix’s voice “Ahh young love” If Alec could blush, he would be, being caught in a tender moment with his mate, his human mate.

A few hours later they are cuddled up on the sofa together underneath a blanket as they watch ‘It’s a wonderful life’ with the Cullens and the Volturi “Merry Christmas Alec” “Merry Christmas little human”

Each year when winter rolled round again and Alec had to leave on missions, he would wear the green scarf and have the gloves in his pocket “This way I have a little part of you with me when you cannot be with me” He’d tell her each time he left “Aww I’ve made one of the witch twins soft” She gently teased him and she tapped his nose lightly with her finger. “You’re my entire world and I fall in love you with you more each day” He kissed her lips gently “I’ll miss you” She said low resting her head against his chest “I’ll miss you too” He replied resting his head on top of hers gently.

Every year on Christmas day Alec made it a tradition to wrap himself up in the scarf and glove set Y/N bought their first Christmas together, making sure she was wrapped up too before taking her into the Tuscany countryside to play hide and seek with her. Upon their return to the castle, they would snuggle under blankets and watch ‘It’s a wonderful life’ This tradition lasted long after he turned her as this was the little part of her humanity that he wanted to keep to alive; for the Christmas they met was the first time he had enjoyed that holiday in his long life and he didn’t want it to become just a shared memory.