#her pregnant would be SCARY - she's terrifying already... well terrifying and to die for

[beastsovrevelation]

I was looking through my notes for Good Omens fanfiction, and realized almost every damn story includes Crowley having a baby.

There's the one where Heaven and Hell decide to use an angel baby carried by a demon as a diplomatic tool, leading into Crowley being protected by Michael, and them falling in love.

There's the one where she leaves her baby with Anathema and disappears, which triggers all the following events - from the search, to Aziraphale's trial, and everything else.

There's the one where she has to supply the new Antichrist, which leads to her and Lucifer falling in love, and her being crowned the Queen of Hell. (Well, this one is really two stories set in different timelines, in the second one the "baby" is like 27)

In the one inspired by a dream, she does have a baby eventually, but that's far from the worst thing that happens to her. Gabriel's treatment of her after is... How the Hell will I write this damn thing if I can't even think about it.

There's no baby in the one where she gets tortured with diluted holy water.

I see I have no storyline with male Crowley just yet... Fine, that's not true. I do have some thoughts for Crowley x Fem!Lucifer... It could include a new Antichrist, too. And, Crowley wouldn't be the pregnant one for once. But, dealing with pregnant Lucifer would probably be even scarier.

[msweebyness]

Class of Villainy- His Boogey Baby Sister

Hey ya’ll, this is a cute little thing Sparky and I did a while back, for the boogey siblings! I wanted to share it with you! It’s kind of based off the ‘Prince Kiran’ short by Artzy, so thanks to them for that! As always, thanks to @imsparky2002 and @artzychic27! Enjoy!

Some years before the present time, in a house on the outskirts of HalloweenTown, inhabited by a family that only a brief time ago grew from three to four, a young boogey of about eight years old stood with his arms resting on the rails of a crib, smiling down at the sight below him. This boy was none other than the terrifying Ivan Oogie, before some of his greatest evils were committed.

In the crib that he stood beside was his baby sister, Sasha, already a year-and-a-half old. Her hollow eyes were wide and she giggled with malevolent glee as she crushed the skull of a small mouse that had wandered into her reach. Watching this made her elder brother’s smile grow. A mere baby and she already had a love for causing pain and suffering. The perfect little sister, if you asked him.

Ivan would admit, when he learned his mother was pregnant, he had been…on the fence. He didn’t necessarily want competition, or someone for his parents to compare him to incessantly. But the second he laid eyes on the infant Sasha…his cold heart was hers and he knew he would protect her life with his own.

A dark frown crossed his face as he thought of how his parents tried to keep them separated. How they thought he was a ‘bad influence’ on her. They had been talking about it earlier, in fact, unaware that their son was listening from the shadows.

“I just don’ understand. How did we go so wrong twice?”, his mother had said, her face buried in her cloth hands.

“It’s Ivan.”, his father had responded, his tone bitter, “He’s twistin’ our little girl up to be jus’ like him!”

The young boogey scoffed. What a load of hooey! He had seen it the second he looked into his baby sister’s eyes. The same wicked spirit that dwelled within him, it was in her too!

At that moment, Sasha looked up and spotted him, a bright smile that melted his heart a little crossing her face.

“Bubba!”, she gurgled happily (her way of saying ‘Big Brother’), as she held up the dead mouse to show him, proud of her work. Laughing softly, Ivan reached down and ruffled her short, dark hair.

“Nice job, li’l terror.”, he praised, making her smile even bigger and bounce up and down as she sat in her crib.

Ivan retracted his hand and spied his mother watching the two of them from the kitchen door. He gave her a spiteful sneer, before turning back to his little sister, who now had her fingers in her mouth.

“Ma and Pa are real lame, ain’t they?”, he asked her, laughing again when she blew a raspberry in response to the question. He could see how much she hated it, when she would be watching Ivan torture and terrify a victim, all the joy in the world on her face…only for their parents to snatch her away and place her back in this crib. They just HAD to ruin everything! Getting an idea, he spoke to his little sister again.

“Wouldn’ it be great if we got rid of ‘em?”, he asked her, smirking when Sasha’s little face lit up.

“Die, die, die!”, the little boogey girl squealed, clapping her tiny hands, filling her big brother with pride.

“Tha's right, Sassy.”, he nodded, ruffling her hair again, “I'm plenty big ‘nuff to take care’a you on mah own. We don' need them, do we?”

Sasha rapidly shook her head in response. Ivan swore, despite her young age, she understood him better than anyone else.

“Well, then soon enough, we'll kill 'em!”, Ivan promised, “I'll teach ya how to be scary as me, and we'll rule this dumb town!”, and he grinned at the thought of no one ever standing in their way again.

His smile turned soft as Sasha giggled, reaching up and grabbing one of his fingers in her small, delicate hand. He grasped it in his own for a moment, before reaching into the crib and scooping her up. She squealed with joy as her big brother spun her around.

After he rocked her back and forth for a minute or two, Sasha drifted off to sleep in Ivan’s arms. He gave her a soft kiss on the head, before gently laying her back in the crib.

“Yer gonna be a real fright, baby sis. I love you.”, he told her softly, watching her sleep for a moment before he left the room.

And there you have it, folks! Even villains have their soft spots! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reblogs!

[gumnut-logic]

The Cane (Part 4)

@flyboytracy​​​ asked:

Steampunk AU: five uses for a cane and one time Scott used it for its intended purpose 😘

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Aaargh, those migraines messed with my muse on this one. Had to fight it the entire way and the cane reference is tiny. Hope you enjoy it anyway ::hugs to all::

Many thanks to @janetm74​​​ @tsarinatorment​​​ and @scribbles97​​​ for all their help and amazing support of my crazy. And to @flyboytracy​​​ for asking in the first place.

This be Steampunk AU with a mix of John snark, a little bit of wee!Tracys in a little bit of peril, some selfless Scott, and a reason you don’t want to mess with Five or her pilot.

-o-o-o-

4.

“This is very inconvenient.”

Scott stared at his brother in the dim light. “Is that an attempt at impersonating Lady Penelope?”

John stared back, dust drifting haphazardly off his hard helmet and goggles. “As you’ve said many times yourself, there is no use in panicking.”

He had to give his brother that. A sigh and he assessed their situation yet again, shining his torch about the space they found themselves in.

They were in a basement. It was likely that they were lucky, as all indications were that if they had been in any other part of the building, they would not be having this conversation or any other any time in the future. The basement had a wall of solid bedrock on one side, the building having been constructed with that in mind with half the plumbing bolted into the rock. Unfortunately, the rest of the structure had been built on sand, which promptly liquified when the earthquake hit.

Speaking of earthquake. “How long do you think before the next aftershock?”

John pulled out his notebook, took a note of the time on the watch he had strapped to his wrist, and scribbled down some math. “They are very unpredictable, but I’m hoping this last big one will give us some time. Or at least, Virgil some time to dig us out.”

Scott fiddled with his transmitter unit. There was no response on any frequency he attempted. Either the equipment was broken or something was stopping the signal from reaching his brothers. John had already pulled his apart and attempted a signal boost with no success.

They were both covered in dust, but fortunately uninjured.

But, for the moment, they were stuck.

Scott was not very good at sitting still.

“We may as well rest so we can be ready when needed.”

Scott grunted.

His brother ignored him and wiped off a large chunk of masonry with one leather-gloved hand and sat down. “You know Virgil will find us.”

Another grunt.

“Sit down, Scott. You can afford to take a minute to rest.”

He let out a breath and bit his lip, but with a sigh, he did as his brother asked.

There was silence for a moment, broken only by the sound of dust and rock settling.

“Why did you come back in?” John’s voice was crisp, clear and calm.

“You were in here.” Obviously.

“But now both of us are trapped, whereas if you had run like you should have, you could be assisting Virgil to dig me out.”

Scott’s lips thinned. What had been his line of thinking? Had there been a line of thinking? To be honest, all he could recall was the thought that John was under a building that was about to collapse and he needed saving.

His voice was a little rough. “Virgil will get us out.”

“Hmm.” John was not looking at him.

“What did you expect me to do? Leave you here to die?”

Aquamarine turned calmly to catch his eyes. “Better than both of us.”

“We’re not dead.”

“Pure chance.”

John was always ever so direct.

“But important nonetheless.”

John sighed. “Reminds me of the well.”

Scott eyed him. “Really? You’re going to bring that up again?”

“Eternally, my dear brother.” John’s smirk was exceedingly annoying. “Besides, it passes the time.”

“I would rather spend time finding a way out of here.” Scott shot to his feet and began pacing around the space they were stuck in.

“If you disturb something that brings the rest of the building down on us, I’m haunting you until the end of time.”

Scott slumped a little. His brother was right. Messing with the fragile pile was just asking for trouble. They were lucky to have room to breathe, much less walk around.

“This is the reason why you ended up in the well, Scott. You haven’t changed in twenty odd years.”

Scott glared at him. His little brother had been six at the time, Scott only ten. The two of them had gone beyond the borders of the Tracy farm in Kansas and into land they shouldn’t have. They were exploring. John, as always, was a little more cautious, but Scott was ever running ahead.

It was rather ironic that it was John who fell in the well.

It wasn’t long dug, but the planks covering it were flimsy and the winds from the previous day had obscured them. John had gone through them as if the planet had eaten him.

“John!”

Scott found his little brother clutching his leg at the bottom of the hole.

It wasn’t a very deep well, but it was deep enough to put his brother out of the reach of a ten-year-old.

“Scotty, my leg hurts.”

“I’ll get you out.” He looked around for something to help John.

Perhaps he knew in some part of his mind that this could be the wrong decision. He had no rope and no real way to reach his little brother. He should get help.

But he couldn’t leave Johnny here on his own.

The thought was terrifying from both of their perspectives.

Perhaps he would have thought it a little less terrifying if he realised what could happen if he didn’t fetch help. Because once he found a long enough stick, he reached over the edge and while doing his best to add to the length John couldn’t quite reach, he fell in the hole on top of his brother.

There were groans and tears after that.

Scott didn’t hurt himself. John had been heard to comment on multiple occasions thereafter that it was because he landed on a cushion he called brother.

Scott countered that by saying he was lucky he hadn’t been impaled by a bony limb of said scrawny brother.

In any case, they huddled together for warmth for thirty-six freezing hours until someone finally found them.

By then, both brothers were dehydrated and starving.

The lecture from their father was almost as long as their time in the well.

Their mother, pregnant with Gordon at the time, took ill with the fright and there was some seriously scary time until the little fish was born a month later…a touch early.

Virgil wouldn’t let either of his brothers out of his sight for a good year after the incident. The nine-year-old obviously terrified they would disappear again.

It became legendary in the Tracy household for good or bad.

“So, you’re saying, I should have gone for help?”

Something clunked in the pile of rubble.

John arched an eyebrow. “As I said, you haven’t learnt. Yes, Scott, you should not have dashed back into the collapsing building. When Virgil finds out, he’s going to scalp you.”

“I’m sorry that my first instinct is to protect my brothers.”

John rolled his eyes, both original and artificial. “Your first instinct should be to protect yourself so you can protect your brothers.”

Folding his arms across his chest, Scott shifted his weight onto one foot, cocking his hip. “Fine. Then explain Bermuda.”

“That was different. That was saving lives.”

“You rammed a twenty-eight gunned frigate with Five!”

“It was firing on a sinking civilian target full of over two hundred passengers, including my four brothers. Grandma was not aboard. It was a fair decision.”

Scott had to admit it had been spectacular, the huge, blue-grey, manta-ray-shaped Five had reared out of the ocean and sliced the pirate vessel in half.

International Rescue had fished the survivors out of the water and there had been minimal casualties, considering.

Five had taken damage, but her cahelium superstructure was designed to withstand something as simple as a mostly wooden hull. Some gentle care from Virgil, an assessment from Hiram, and she was declared fit and well.

They had disappeared for a while after that as the rumours ran riot. Lady Penelope managed to smooth any ruffled feathers at government level.

Scott had both commended and roasted John alive.

“You could have been killed.”

“So could have you, and Virgil and Gordon and little Allie. Was I supposed to sit back and watch?”

Another clunk from somewhere in the rubble.

Scott arched an eyebrow. “Perhaps, you know how I feel.”

“Of course, I know how you feel. We all do.”

“Then what is the problem?”

“Scott-“

But John was interrupted by another clank, this time clearly from one of the pipes against the wall.

“Virgil?” They both said it at once and hurried over to the rock face.

The clunk repeated itself and then started on a very familiar dot dot dot…

S C O T T

He reached behind and pulled his folded cane out of its sleeve on his back. Its metal tip shone dull brass in the yellow light.

He only had to tap one letter. Dot dot dot dash.

V.

Three letters came back in a hurried jumble of excited hammering. F A B.

Then…S T A T U S?

J  A N D  S   W E L L  A N D  M O B I L E.

S T A N D  B A C K ?

F A B.

Assuming Virgil was referring to the rock wall as the point of origin, the two brothers stepped as far back from it as they could.

Moments later a rumble and hiss of gears, the crash of breaking masonry and daylight suddenly shot through part of the rubble. This was quickly followed by a massive but familiar brass claw reaching in and grabbing a large chunk of rock, disappearing with it. A crunch of gravel, shove of rock…a shout. “Scott, are you in here? John?” Their goggled and fully armour-suited brother pushed the rest of the way through the pile of broken building, both claws fully extended.

“Over here, Virgil.”

Their brother’s head turned in their direction and metal shoulders sank in relief. “Oh, thank god.”

Something shifted in the rubble pile and Virgil reacted, his right claw slamming into the chunk of masonry threatening to fall. “Let’s get you out of here.”

Scott didn’t need to be told twice as the remains of the building creaked around them in warning. Grabbing John’s arm, he hustled his brother out through the gap past Virgil.

The engineer’s eyes on the both of them.

No doubt there would be a medical examination in their near future.

Shoving John gently ahead of him, Scott turned to keep an eye on Virgil.

His metal clad brother stepped back carefully, letting rock fall in his wake.

Then, as if the final domino had been tipped, the entire pile began collapsing in on itself.

Scott took a step towards Virgil only to have his arm yanked on from behind.

“Damnit, Scott protect yourself!” John dragged him through the remains of the rubble as a cloud of dust roared behind them.

“Virgil!” He dug his heels in, fighting John’s hold.

“He’s wearing his armour, Scott. You are not! Move!”

It went against everything. He had to protect his brothers first. But John was right. Neither of them was wearing enough protection. Virgil was.

He had to trust.

Trust that Virgil knew what he was doing.

When put in those terms the answer was simple. Of course, he trusted Virgil.

Perhaps it was fate he had issues with.

John dragged him clear of the building and the cloud of dust. Two, nestled on her landing struts, was a wonderful sight.

And then Gordon was grabbing at him. Alan was yelling his name and there were dusty hugs and clunking helmets.

But still the cloud…

“Virgil?”

As if summoned, his brother strode out of the haze, cogs whirring and pneumatic systems hissing, metal glinting in the sun. His goggled eyes searching until they latched onto his brothers.

Thank god.

A matter of strides and he enveloped his engineer brother in a hug, metal suit and all. “Thanks, Virg.”

His brother exhaled in a huff. “What on Earth were you thinking?” And so began the rant about worrying about a brother encased in metal when a building is falling when he wasn’t and could have been killed with a single rock. You idiot.

It went on for some time.

John smirked at him for the entire tirade.

-o-o-o-

Next

[writingwhimsey]

The Tiger and The Oda Princess Ch. 18

Chapter 18

After my first long night as a mother, I was woken up for my first long day. I rubbed my bleary eyes as I was once again bringing my baby girl to my breast for another feeding. My nipples were already starting to get sore from what felt like constant feedings. Asuna had given me a salve she'd made to help soothe them.

"Are you alright, my love?" Shingen asked as he sat beside me.

I felt like crying. "It just...hurts." I answered, trying to hold back the tears.

"Keep applying the salve after every feeding and washing it off before the next." Asuna told me, a sympathetic look on her face.

I just nodded.

Shingen was reaching up a hand to gently stroke my hair, doing his best to comfort me.

"When you're finished, we'll need to get you up and moving. Take you to the bath. That should help you feel a bit better, taking a nice long soak." Asuna said.

"A bath does sound nice." I agreed.

"I'll just go clear out the hallway first." She said.

I looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"Everyone has been out in the hallway since you went into labor yesterday." She answered.

"Seriously...even all night?" I asked.

Asuna nodded. "But don't worry no one is coming in until you say you're ready to have visitors." She assured me.

"So...they even slept out there?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yup."

I bet they're all really anxious. I mean...women do die from childbirth quite often in this time period. I thought.

"Is something wrong, my love?" Shingen asked me.

"Maybe after my bath...we should let them in." I said. "I bet everyone is worried."

"You don't have to think of anyone, but you and our daughter right now." Shingen told me. "They can all wait until you're ready."

"It won't kill them. I promise." Asuna said. "But if you do want to let them in after your bath, that's totally up to you. I'll give them all some orders in that case."

"Orders?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Asuna just smiled at me. "Don't you worry about a thing, okay. I'm used to ordering scary people around." She then winked at me before stepping out into the hall.

"Should I worry?" I asked looking at Shingen.

He shook his head. "No, Asuna can handle them...or do you not recall her sending all of us out of your room in Azuchi?"

I laughed at the memory. "True." I thought back to that day and everything that had happened. I thought about all of the hope I felt when everyone had come together for me. I looked at our daughter who had finished nursing and was now sound asleep in my arms. "I think I know what we should name her."

Asuna...

Asuna stepped out into the hall and all of the warlords were awake. They were stretching and walking around to work out the stiffness. "Alright, Ava is almost ready for you guys to come in and visit, but there's some stuff that's gotta happen first." She announced.

"What is it?" Hideyoshi asked.

"She's going to get a bath, so you all have to clear out of this hallway for one thing. But I've got something I need each of you to do."

"I bet I know what my orders are." Masamune said, already heading towards the kitchen. "I'll make sure the lass has a nice big meal."

"Better make it nutritious!" Asuna called after him. She was then turning to the others. "Hideyoshi, I need you to brew some tea." She then listed off all the herbs that should go into the tea.

"I can do that." He said, heading off to join Masamune in the kitchen.

"You believe you can order me around?" Nobunaga asked her, his tone amused and yet challenging.

Asuna eyed him. She wouldn't back down from his challenging gaze. "I know everyone here cares about Ava. She just had another person come out of her body. She's exhausted and unfortunately won't be getting any restful sleep for quite a while. She's going to need a lot of support. So since everyone wants to see her, you had all better listen to my orders to help support her. Is that going to be a problem Devil King?"

Nobunaga smiled. "I like your audacity." He replied. "What is it I can do to help?"

Asuna gave him a task and then the others. She then found the maids and had them prepare a bath for Ava. She also added some special medicinal herbs to the bath water before going back to the room o fetch Ava.

Ava...

Asuna returned to the room when my bath was ready. "Alright, time to get you up and moving and get you to your bath." Asuna said.

I nodded. "Okay."

Shingen had already placed our daughter in the cradle and was squatting down in front of me. "Allow me to help, my goddess." He said, reaching his arms out to me.

I placed my hands on Shingen's arms gripping them, his large hands were under my elbows helping to support me. Slowly with his help I rose to standing. "Holy..."

"What's wrong?" Shingen asked, worry instantly coming to his eyes.

"Is this normal?" I asked looking at Asuna, my eyes wide.

"Feeling like your insides are going to fall out?"

I nodded. "Yes. It's terrifying."

"It is completely normal. After your bath, I've got some extra fabric to help bind your belly up beneath your kimono. That should help." She assured me.

"You could have warned me." I told her.

"No warning could have really prepared you, trust me." Asuna replied. She was then coming over to us and wrapping an arm around me. "Let's get you to your bath. Lord Shingen you stay here with the baby."

Shingen nodded. "Alright." He was then giving me a kiss on the cheek. "You rest and enjoy your bath."

Asuna helped support me as I walked, my legs feeling weak. Before going to my bath, I made her aware of the fact that I needed to go. She helped me to the toilet. That was...an experience...and on a Sengoku era toilet too! After that we went to the bath.

Asuna helped me out of my night robes. During my pregnancy I had been putting a special oil on my belly that was supposed to help with stretch marks. Funny how even back in this time women were worried about that, funny thing was it seemed to be working as I hadn't seen any stretch marks. I looked down at my stomach, seeing my new body...I was shocked.

This wasn't at all like in the movies and TV shows. My stomach had not flattened back out like it always did in the movies. Though I had been expecting that having heard it from so many women.

"Ava?" Asuna asked.

"The damn stretch marks were all hiding on the underside of my belly this whole time!" The deep purple lines on my lower belly caught me completely off guard.

"You seem really surprised."

"Well, I'd been putting that oil on my belly three times a day...and I never saw any stretch marks...but now that my belly is shrunk down and I can see my feet again...I can also see where the bastards were hiding."

"It's totally normal to have them, Ava."

"I know...I just...I wasn't expecting that is all."

Asuna patted my shoulder. "Come on, just get in your bath and relax."

I nodded and then with her help, climbed into the tub. She then left to give me some privacy. I settled into the water and began to wash myself. My body ached and was sore in so many places. I sank back into the water hoping its warmth and the herbs Asuna had put in it would help sooth my tired and aching body.

Asuna...

As soon as she left Ava, Asuna went to fetch Otsuna. They then returned to the birthing room where Shingen was with the new little baby. "Otsuna you look after the baby for a bit. I need to get Lord Shingen and the others together for a little meeting." Asuna said.

Shingen looked at Asuna. "Is something wrong?" He asked, as he reluctantly handed his daughter over to Otsuna, who was eager to hold the new Takeda baby.

"Oh what a precious little one you are." Otsuna gushed.

"Just come on, Lord Shingen." Asuna told him.

He nodded and the followed her out. Asuna worked quickly to gather every one of the warlords. "What is wrong? Is Ava alright?" Shingen asked.

"She's fine." Asuna answered. "I know after her bath, she's planning on seeing all of you, but before that happens, we've got some ground rules to cover."

"You dare give me orders?" Nobunaga asked.

Asuna stood her ground against him. "If you expect to see Ava, then yes. I am her midwife and I am the one who is in charge of her care. So yes, I will be giving you all orders on how best to support her in this difficult time."

Nobunaga smiled. He truly enjoyed Asuna's fiery attitude.

"What is it?" Shingen asked.

Asuna sighed. "Ava is extremely emotional right now. Possibly even more emotional than when she was still pregnant. She is going through a lot of changes. Getting in the bath she just realized some of those physical changes. So, everyone is to be nothing but nice to her. If you say one thing that makes her cry or sad, I swear I will ram a senbon through your hand...and I'm mostly talking to you Yukimura and Mitsuhide."

"What? Why me?" Yukimura asked.

"Are you telling me to refrain from teasing?" Mitsuhide added.

"Yes, Mitsuhide...and Yukimura, you're kind of an idiot when it comes to talking to women."

"She does have a point, Yukimura." Sasuke agreed.

"Lord Kenshin, you can't go starting any fights. No trying to stab anyone or pulling out your sword."

"Then how am I to have any fun?" Kenshin replied. "Besides, it might be worth it to see you try to harm me."

Asuna glared at him. "I will not hesitate to skewer you."

"How about I just ground spike him in?" Sasuke suggested.

"Alright, I'll put you in charge of making sure Lord Kenshin behaves then." Asuna replied. "Masamune, you just keep feeding Ava. Lots of nutritious food, throw in a few sweets for comfort food as well, but not too many."

"I can do that." Masamune agreed.

"Hideyoshi, keep up with brewing tea and just being your general caring self...but don't be overbearing."

"Oh, that is hard for our mother hen." Mitsuhide said with a grin.

Hideyoshi glared at him. "Someone has to look after everyone else. If I don't do it, no one else will."

"Alright, Nobunaga, Lord Shingen, you two are not to fight. No pissing contests. It will only stress out Ava. And she is already stressed enough with trying to figure all of this out and not getting much sleep." Asuna said.

"I would never do anything to add stress on my goddess." Shingen replied.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Nobunaga replied. "I am a grown man."

"Yeah, well act like it then. Seriously best behavior you two." She warned. She was then looking directly at Shingen. "And Lord Shingen, I can't believe I am saying this, but for all that is good flirt with your wife. Do so even more shamelessly than you normally do."

Shingen widened his eyes for a moment at this part of his orders.

"No, don't tell him that!" Yukimura grumbled. "He's already terrible enough as it is. How else do you think she got pregnant?!"

"Oh so you do know how it works." Asuna retorted. She was then looking at Shingen. "Do you hear me?"

"I have no issues with it...but why are you actually telling me to flirt harder with my goddess?"

"Because she got a good look at how her body has changed and...well I could see it in her eyes. She's definitely self-conscious about it. So flirt like your life depends on it...but don't expect anything. It's going to be several weeks before she is healed up enough for...that."

Shingen nodded. "I have no problems telling my beautiful wife how beautiful she is."

"Alright, then we are all set." Asuna said with a sigh.

[the-fiction-witch]

Control P12

TV SHOW THE QUEENS GAMBIT COUPLE: BENNY X READER RATING: SWEET + FLIRTY

I sat trying desperately to figure this chess problem out, whice and sent me it over the phone and I couldn't get my head around it either.

"Y/n?" I asked

"Yes Benny?" She perked up as she had been sat on the chair in her little blue dress reading one if her Romance books with the arty drawing of the woman and a man laid over a castle wall in a tight and lustful embrace

"pass me the fails within defensive play, would you darling" I asked her pointing roughly to where the book should have been on the shelf in the corner

"Of course" she smiled getting up and going over to the shelf leaning over to look for it, I couldn't help but smirk a little seeing how tighter her dress became when she bent over revealing everything to me as she hadn't worn panties this morning not sure why she just doesn't some days. She found the book and brought it over the swish if her fluffy slippers on the concrete floor where she wasn't completely picking up her feet

"Ahh thank you little lady" I smiled taking the book from her

"Your welcome Benny" she smiled giving my head a kiss and returning to the shelf

"What are you doing?' I asked her

"Sorting"

"Sorting?"

"Umm none of these books make any sense for where they are. I'm going to get them all out and onto the floor and I'm going to reorganize them"

"You're gonna get out every book in this house?"

"Yep"

"Oohh dear God"

"What?"

"I literally think we have more books than anything else in this house"

"Yep, so they need to be organized, for example, why is chess championship games 1954-57 next to love on the open sea, which is then next to Borgov's old book. This is not a good system for finding anything" she says

"Maybe I do it on purpose, so I get to watch you bent over looking through the bookcase" I smirked leaning on my hand

"Pervert"

"Love you"

"Love you too" she smiled blowing me a kiss "you're still a pervert Benny" she smiled as she began pulling off handfuls of books setting them on the rug

"Should you really be... book carrying right now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Given, what's happening to you" I hinted

"What's happening to me Benny?" She asks crossing her arms

"Ohh come in little lady, you're the smartest girl I know you can't be serious that you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"..... You don't even have a slight idea that you might be... you know again" I told her glancing to her stomach

"I had thought about it" she says "I don't thinks so"

"Why not?"

"It doesn't feel like it did last time, I think I've just put some weight on"

"How long has it been since you... had a bad time"

"Four and a half months"

"And you wonder why I get concerned, that can't be normal... and I have been fucking you alot"

"When don't you"

"Good point" I sighed "Did you want me to take you to the doctor?"

"No, I'm fine" she says

"Really?" I laughed "Mac and cheese" I smirked and she gaged putting her hand in front of her mouth to stop her throwing up "You're going to the doctor."

"Noooooo!" she whined

"Y/n" I sighed, going and helping her up "Please, even if it not... what we think it might be there must be something wrong with you" I told her giving her a cuddle "and if something is wrong then can fix it" I told her giving her cheek a kiss "and if it is what we think then, we best go shopping for a crib, and some maternity clothes" I told her and she smiled

"Okay Benny"

I sat in the car undeniably nervous about the results today, we had been once the took blood and did some other tests but today we find out what's wrong with her. She was nervous too I could tell, she kept her handbag in her lap hands on the strap in a vice like grip. Her little green and black dress around her loosely, her hair done and make up done even if she didn't much want to do it when she got up this morning. I smiled moving a hand to her leg as I drove.

"It's all gonna be fine"

"Easy for you too say" she says

"Y/n, you'll be fine little lady, either way we'll know what's wrong with you."

"Benny?"

"Yeah?"

"What if I am pregnant?"

"Then, we deal with it." I said "you where so excited last time you got pregnant, you seemed to excited to tell me then. Why now do you sound like you don't want it?"

"I just… I thought I couldn't, because of Mikey"

"We've been over this. My dick works remember"

"Not because of that benny. Because of what… Mikey has done to me"

"Y/n." I told her stopping the car as we got to the place anyways "just because something bad happened to baby, doesn't mean your broken forever. It was one little time you said it's happened before, but this time… he's a hundred miles away from you" I told her resting my hand on her stomach "and this time I know baby needs looking after too" I told her kissing her head "if not then they can fix you up. And if so then"

"Then we go shopping" she smiled "Benny, do you… want it to be a baby?"

"I do. I think you'd look cute pregnant. And I didn't get to know about the last time until it was too late, I don't ever want something like that to happen again, I just wanna know. And if… I have got you pregnant, again. Then I get to show you off and take care of you" I told her "and if you are maybe you can finally make some decisions in our wedding?"

"Maybe" she giggled hugging me tighly "will you still love me? If I'm pregnant?"

"I'll love you even more. Both of you"

"Will you still love me if I'm not?"

"Of course I will, just means I have to try harder" I told her giving her a kiss "come in or we'll be late little lady"

I sat undeniably a little freaked out, how can you not be in this place.

The women on the front desk glaring at you if you so much as move.

The elderly people who saw me come in with y/n and glared having made their assumptions already as to why we were here.

The screaming children sat playing with the box of toys on the carpet.

The Loud Buzz of the intercom, and the harsh slow tone of the receptionists calling various people to various rooms.

The hussle of nurses' shoes as they hurried here and there.

The old magazines with horrific articles and adverts.

The terrifying posters across the walls, unavoidable with nothing else to do,

'You could have it! and never know!'

'9 out of ten women will die! as a result of sexually transmitted diseases

'The Common cold Kills Hundreds every year!'

'ALL MEN! must have regular exams!'

I don't like it here. everywhere I look is scary!

I saw a doctor come around the corner to the examination rooms he looked over the room and spotted me

"Mr. Watts?" He asks

"Yes. What uhh what's wrong?" I asked getting up

He didn't speak he just leads me to the little room where y/n stood just getting her dress back on

"hey hun, you alright?" I asked her and she nods so I gave her a kiss and we sat on the little chairs with the doctor "so?"

"Firstly I take it the two of you are not married?"

"We're engaged," I said

"Ohh alright then" He nods "well then, Madam. You're pregnant," he says "Congratulations Mr Watts"

"How long?"

"You're around four to five months at the moment but your weight is skyrocketing so we are going to keep an eye on you and see how things go into your next trimester and we'll get you booked in for your first scan" The Doctor Explained

"Yeah, that uhh that sounds great" She smiled widely

"Good, You can sort that out at the front desk and I'll see you soon," He says

I smiled holding her hand and unable to take my hand off her stomach "I told you, you were pregnant"

"Yeah, Yeah Mr. Genius" she sighed

"So? Shopping?"

"Yeah, shopping for tiny baby things"

"tiny baby things? we don't even know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"so? we can get things..."

"Like what?"

"Like, A crib. some baby clothes. other little you know baby stuff"

"I don't know what babies need oddly enough I've never had one before," I told her as we got to our car, so I let her go and opened the door for her she smiled and gave my cheek a kiss "Careful you two"

"Benny. You just found out I'm pregnant, tone it down" she smiled putting patting my chest and getting in the car so I got in too "You tone it down. I'm exited okay, plus we know nothing is wrong" "Nothing's wrong? I'm growing a human being in my stomach, in gonna gain so much weight, a baby sized thing is going force it's head out my Virgina!" She panicked "Yep, and you'll be so beautiful the whole time" "Your not gonna say that when you see a head coming out of me" "Ohh no. No I'm not watching." "What!" "I'm going to the man room with a chess book and some coffee. And then after some time you will come get me and give me baby" "You are being in the room with me Benny" "Why? I'm not going to be any help. I'll likely be a hindrence?" "Your being in the room, it can take hours, have complications, I'll need to hold your hand, I might rip myself open, they might need to cut me open and scop half my organs out, I may shit myself" "Yeah. That's the crazy shit I'm trying to avoid." I told her "that and... I don't wanna watch a human come out of you" "Why not?" "Because my association is that. I stick my dick in there! That place is for my dick! An sometimes my hand and sometimes my mouth but mostly my dick. When I see that area my dick gets excited because you know that's it's place. But to what a head come out.... Uuuughh I think it'll break me in a new horrifying way" I explain "Your gonna be in the room even if I have to handcuff you to me" "Do I have to watch?" "No" "Then I will be in the room, unless I get thrown out" She glared at me "What? It's not my fault if a nurse tells me to fuck off" "Fine" she sighed "what do you think?" She asks as we got parked up at the stores "What?" I asked she took my hand putting it to her stomach "Do you think it's a boy? Or a girl?" She asked "I don't care. So long as there all ours" I smiled giving her tummy a kiss "come on mummy. Let's go baby shopping" I told her

[ask-hunterxhunter]

Headcanons for Hisoka, Illumi, and Chrollo losing their female s/o to childbirth? Like the moment labor starts their s/o is in unbearable pain and she bleeds too much and passes away. How would they cope with losing one of the few people they actually love & having to be responsible for a baby on their own now? Thank u so much :3

Hisoka

This is one of the few occasions when Hisoka is lost for a while. Even as he holds your hand and feels life leaving your body, he just doesn’t react immediately. It’s not he never considered you dying before, it’s just that it doesn’t feel real when it happens. You can’t be gone. You just can’t… It’s like this event has no place in reality. It’s also one of the few occasions when Hisoka becomes a little more… Sentimental. Oh, not while the doctors are in the room (in fact, his lack of bigger reaction will either be considered shock or him being a cold bastard in their eyes), but once they leave him alone with your body… Hisoka doesn’t cry, he doesn’t scream, but he brushes your face gently as he says goodbye…

 All in all, he seems to be taking it rather well, right?

 Wrong. Dear Lord, wrong.

 When he arrives home, Hisoka just sits for a moment… And screams. He isn’t someone who takes refuge in denial, he doesn’t go on how this isn’t happening… But it doesn’t make acceptance easier. As used to death as Hisoka is, he has always been a lone wolf who never cared for anyone else but you. Accepting the death of a loved one is never easy for anyone, but we can’t say Hisoka is exactly well-prepared or adjusted for such things.

 His initial reaction is downright scary. He screams, his bloodlust overflows (it’s the only way he knows how to deal with things), but there isn’t anyone to blame, anyone to go after (it’s sad, but those things do happen), just this awful pain. The façade he keeps just drops and everything just overflows and fills the room. It’s suffocating and terrifying.

 What stops him? The baby crying. Hisoka is not exactly an emotional guy, he isn’t used to dealing with those deeper emotions, but remember that he wouldn’t enter a real relationship (let alone have a child with you) if his feelings weren’t this serious. So, yes, it might be strange to imagine Hisoka caring for a baby, but this is his child. Yours and his. As soon as he hears the cries, he stops and remembers he is a father now. And yes, he does love the baby.

 He isn’t feeling any better, but he holds the baby and tries to calm down.

 Hisoka won’t admit it to anyone ever, however, he is almost scared now. He had admitted to you he had no idea of how to be a father (and was pretty sure he wasn’t the best material for the role), and now he has to be a single father. Does that seem like a good idea? He already admitted to Illumi he has issues. Just because he’s happy with his lifestyle and doesn’t give a crap and has no intention to change, doesn’t mean he is so much of a bastard that he doesn’t care about his own child!

 Simply put, he has no idea what to do.

 Wherever your soul is, you can at least rest knowing Hisoka will do his best. Will he change his lifestyle? No more than he absolutely has to (so, very little). Will he mess up? Yes. Like everyone does. Will he love this child and do the best he can? Yes. Will he care for them? Yes. He might not be the best father ever, but he won’t be an awful one, either.

 Yet, Hisoka will never recover from losing you.

 And just because he calms down after your death because he scared his child, it doesn’t mean he will remain calm. In fact, he may (try to) deal with it the only way he knows how: By turning to violence. He’ll be staying at Heaven’s Arena for a while and people will at once fear that they’ll have to fight him because Hisoka won’t just “not attend” the match. It’s doesn’t matter who it is or how strong they are: Hisoka will be there. And this won’t be even a fight as much as murder: He will be going after blood.

 It won’t help as much as he hopes. By the end of the day, even if he uses fighting as an escape valve for what happened, he is still hurting and you’re still dead.

 Illumi

To put it in one word? Badly.

 Being pregnant with Illumi’s child (well, anyone from the Zoldyck, really) means you’ll have the best care money can afford (and God knows this means top care), but the fact remains that those things still can happen. Not that this means much for Illumi. Remember he doesn’t care for anyone beyond his family, so the fact that he wanted to start a family of his own with you already speaks volumes for how much he valued you. At first, he is in shock. You can’t have just left you, it’s impossible, you’re his wife, you weren’t supposed to die, this was to be the happiest day of both of your lives… But he won’t be able to refuse the fact that you died for more than a couple of seconds.

 If he even suspects there was a mistake, that the doctors weren’t careful enough, anything, he’ll take it out on them (if by a lawsuit or by taking matters in his own hands, it depends), because people often want someone to blame, somewhere to focus their pain on and Illumi is one of them. Once the initial shock of the loss pass, he will want to know exactly what happened and why you died.

 Not that this will bring any comfort. Even if a doctor can be blamed for what happened and Illumi deals with them, this won’t bring you back. There’s no satisfaction. There’s nothing.

 As unemotional as Illumi can be, this is one of those rare cases when it looks like all the emotions he keeps away (or doesn’t seem to have at all) just explode. Think about when he felt Alluka’s power… That is tame compared to how it will be then. The only change is the nature of this explosion. I repeat: The loss of someone you love, no matter how it happens, is always painful and can always be traumatic. It doesn’t help that Illumi is, well, how he is. This event won’t help Illumi’s mental state and it might, in fact, push him further into his darkness (after all, it isn’t as if he sees anything wrong with himself to make him want to change for starters).

 It's hard to tell how Illumi will deal with the loss. We know it won’t be in a normal way, let alone one we could consider healthy, but there is the presence of his family to be taken into account as they will offer support and help as much as they can which might help to reign him back a little. While he might seem to be okay with being killed by someone he “cares about” such as Killua in order to “be kept in their hearts” or controlling them with needles “for their own safety”, but losing them to death? Something that can’t ever be fixed? Not the same.

 As much as his family might try to help (despite being how they are, they are still somewhat more balanced than he is), there is a limit to how much they will be able to do so. Illumi may dedicate himself to the job more than never, go after Killua (in an “I already lost my wife, I won’t lose my brother” frame of mind), or anything else that may give him the sensation of recovering control in his life and that demands attention. Again, hard to predict exactly how he will deal with it, but it won’t be by keeping good memories, remembering he will see her again in heaven or anything remotely healthy.

 Regarding the baby, he won’t abandon them (as if!) and will dedicate himself to raise them well, but the problem is that without you around to “balance” his behaviour and beliefs, his methods might be worse than what his parents did to him. Illumi won’t remember your words or will just “twist” them to fit his views. Not out of disrespect for your memory, but because he truly believes in his family’s methods. Yes, he will love the baby, very much so, but again… This is Illumi we’re talking about.

 On a note, about Alluka, despite his desire to do something about your death, he won’t be dumb/desperate enough to consider using Nanika’s power to bring you back, at least until he is 100% sure this won’t backfire on him (and chances are, it will anyway. I mean, when did this sort of thing ever work for anyone who tried? Read “Pet Sematary”, “Monkey’s Paw” and whatever else deals with the subject. He is twisted, not stupid).

 Chrollo

Surprisingly, despite being a criminal, Chrollo can make sure you are well-cared for during pregnancy and when the time comes to give birth, you’ll have great doctors. Sadly, again, this doesn’t mean death by childbirth cannot happen (it depends on several things, even if you have top healthcare).

 As someone who lives so close to death and who has little to no care for human life, Chrollo doesn’t have a moment of denial. Being in the room while you give birth, he feels life leaving you and a part of him seems to go with you… He tells the doctors to do something, to help you, but it’s too late. And he knows it. He has killed enough people to know when they are gone with no chance of getting back. He stays with you for a while, not talking, not crying, just holding your hand as if you were asleep.

 Because the Spider has so many enemies, he will make sure it was indeed an accident and not someone trying to take revenge by killing you or anything of the sort (and if it turns out this is what happened, well, everyone involved is as good as dead). And also because of his lifestyle, you might think he will be somewhat better prepared for this event and know how to deal with it…

 Well… No, not really. Losing you is worse than losing another member of the Spider, as it is more personal. Chrollo doesn’t make a show of how much this hurts him while there are others around (in fact, even with the Spiders he might keep his emotions under control), but when he is alone, he doesn’t care to keep a façade of calmness. Differently from Hisoka or Illumi, this won’t be an explosion of rage or a long scream, but it won’t be less of a huge blow: Chrollo feels lost and for a moment, he can’t even focus on the Troupe or what to do. He just feels your absence and a future he can no longer have while he holds the baby close.

 Although he is used to “carry on” when a member of the Spider dies (and searching for whoever killed them to get revenge), this is different: Not only because he has no one to blame for, but again, it’s far more personal. You were his partner, the person he wanted to start a family with… He never allowed anyone to get this close, keeping his focus on the Troupe and its objectives and now he has to deal with losing you forever. He knows he needs to carry on. He knows there is nothing he can do now except caring for the baby and continuing with his plans. In a sense, his rational side continues to work because Chrollo basically programmed himself to be like this with the years of being who he is.

 Only that this doesn’t help when emotions, that are far harder to be controlled, get involved. There is no other way of putting this: Your death leaves Chrollo devasted. And this depression may last a long time. He may get to the point of continuing his plans, keeping the Troupe’s goals and all, but underneath it all, there will be this hollowness that just won’t go away. If Senritsu was to hear his heartbeat, she would point out how worse it became.

 The members of the Troupe that are closest to him, such as Machi, will know that Chrollo needs help in this moment, not as a villain or as their boss, but as a human being who lost a loved one (considering how many people they took away from their loved ones without a care, you’re free to call them hypocrites). It must be said that this help will be balanced: Enough to remind Chrollo he is not as alone as he behaves and not pushing to the point of being suffocating.

 Because of that and also due to Chrollo’s ability to not lose focus despite emotional turmoil, as depressed as he gets, he won’t forget that he has a child to think about now: The uncertainty that one feels when having to be a single father is present, he isn’t sure of how he’ll balance being the Troupe’s leader with protecting and raising a child. He isn’t just going to forsake the Spiders, but he won’t just drop the kid in an orphanage and take off (unless there is so much danger closing on him that he literally has no choice, but the chances are preeetty slim). Some members of the Troupe may help Chrollo in this department (such as Machi or Pakunoda, if she is still alive when this happens) as he finds ways to reach this balance between his goals and his personal life.

[dreamii-yume]

bittersweet?Maybe a continuation to riddles story?months after that fateful day, reader has actually given birth to his child (gender is up to you, but i think a baby girl would do just fine). it was a matter of time for riddle's mother to learn about this, so she takes the newborn to the rosehearts state and locks reader up in a tower for her to die. this is the final straw for Riddle, who finally decides to put an end to his mother's reign of terror in order to retrieve his dear new family...

Aaaahh, I can’t believe someone wants a continuation to the very first sinfic I made about Riddle \(//∇//)\  I never even considered giving that chapter a sequel until this time. What a great way of thickening the plot, Darling~! (*≧∀≦*)

Looking back at that chapter, god the number of mistakes is sickening.

♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎

Continuation of the first Riddle Rosehearts story! The one with the “Cheating Darling”!

♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎

Reaching out your hands, you stared at the beautiful, well-made ring on your finger.

For the simplicity that it was as a wedding ring, it was dazzling to look at. The bright shine of the full moon seeping through the curtains in the room was enough for you to observe its rose golden radiance, carefully decorated with sparkling bits of diamond and ruby. It was a ring that symbolizes eternal love, a ring that needed no words to explain your status. You stare at it a lot, never getting tired of its beauty, as a way to bring yourself to sleep on one of these insomniac nights.

You flinched as you felt the bed you lie on shift, followed by an arm wrapping itself tightly around your waist. You glanced beside you, the sleeping face of your husband was as peaceful as ever, in contrast to how tight he was holding onto you. Even in his sleep, he still felt possessive, as if you were going to run away the moment he loosened his hold onto you. Your eyes softened and leaned your head on his chest, giving him a sense of the comfort he probably deserved. It’s not like there’s anywhere you can go anyways, he himself already established who you belonged to and you no longer have the will to defy that anymore.

It was already clear that he got you where he wanted you to be. Riddle Rosehearts is now your husband, after all. 

You tried not to think about what happened at that time you’ve made such a grave mistake. It was a trauma that you stuffed at the back of your mind, Riddle doesn’t want you remembering nor mentioning about it either. But from time to time, your mind couldn’t help but replay that scene in your head, especially during quiet nights such as these. You don’t cry or have a mental breakdown about it anymore, you simply just got used to such scene replaying in your mind, but it doesn’t mean that you liked remembering it over and over again. You were just glad that by whatever miracle was out there, you didn’t end up pregnant like you dreaded at that time. 

You and Riddle were still young, still attending school and to be parents at that age, it could’ve been the downfall for the both of you. From that point on, Riddle never attempted such a risky move and you never attempted to cause similar scene. You swore to him that you’ll be good, that you’ll fix what you broke, and that promise was neatly kept ever since then. Even now, you were still anxious of the possibility that you might break your personal vow without even noticing. Regardless, time goes by and here was the both of you, congratulated by your friends, and peers, and schoolmates for being such a happy, married couple.

Of course, Riddle still wanted a family, something that would truly spell out a happy ending with you. He wanted someone to be a proof of your love, an addition that connects the two of you, a child. You were hesitant, but you allowed him, thinking of how genuine and serious he was about it. However, compared to the intercourse you’ve had with him the first time, this session was less forceful, much more tolerable, and dare you say, much more enjoyable. It was a gentle, romantic experience that you could only wish what your first time was like. 

Regardless, it didn’t take too long for the pregnancy test to finally turn positive. You didn’t know how you were supposed to feel, even if you were expecting this outcome in the back of your head. Riddle, however, was ecstatic, the happiest you had ever seen him become. You couldn’t help but put a smile on your face, it wasn’t every day you see the usually strict Riddle Rosehearts become as excited as a child after all. Especially when he instantly became so eager to buy products that you may need, that the child may need for their nourishment.

Seeing him this happy, you didn’t have the courage to tell him how nervous you really are and foul his mood. You didn’t exactly know if you were ready for this level, for the responsibility of giving birth to a child, and becoming a parent. Most importantly, you didn’t know if you were ready to counter this path together with Riddle. Sometimes, you would look at his face and couldn’t help but feel a shiver down your spine. As you expected, your trauma still hasn’t left you, your inner self still feared for the day that Riddle might snap again. 

You were still scared of him.

You know Riddle was trying his best to be better, for you to finally forget that time so you could finally look at him without a trace of fear in your eyes and voice. Which you felt guilty at because looking at it from a realistic standpoint, the only reason he snapped in the first place was because of you, you were the one who screwed up. You were the one who went and lied to him, betrayed him, and yet, he was the one compensating for the things that you should’ve done, the guilt was overwhelming. But still, the thought of how this man’s love for you goes beyond what’s considered normal is what makes him so terrifying. This man, your husband, had already eliminated someone from your life after all, someone who you really thought was very important. 

You bite your bottom lip as a chill ran down your spine, you clenched around the sheet you lay on with your husband. You then ran a gentle hand on your growing stomach, feeling the life beyond. For that exact reason alone, you were scared for this child. You were going to give birth to someone whose father had done unreasonable things just for love. The thought terrifies you, that you might not even become a good mother because of it.

You shook your head, swaying away the thoughts the plagued your mind every night. It was late and Riddle would surely berate you if he finds out that you’ve been lacking sleep. You closed your eyes, leaning onto your husband more, using his warmth as an invitation for sleep. It was successful, your eyelids felt heavy and you stifle a yawn. Your thoughts left you alone one by one, finally allowing you to fall into a slumber for the night.

 It’s another day tomorrow after all.

♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎

You really believed that once your child was born, nothing but bad memories would pile up inside your head. 

That you’ll even end up scared of your own child. 

However, when the time came where you could finally welcome the child into the world, you started to rethink your choices. 

Labor was as excruciating as you’ve expected. Even with the nine months of preparation, tears still ended up making its way onto your eyes every time the doctors would tell you to push harder. You cried in agony with sweat formed out of your pores while Riddle was forced to wait outside the room, trying his best not to have a panic attack. A few minutes that felt like hours came by and finally, a wail of an infant had resounded throughout the room. Before you knew it, the doctors and nurses were congratulating you for a job well done.

“Congratulations Mrs. Rosehearts! You have given birth to a healthy baby girl.”

You were dazed and exhausted from such an experience that their voices sounded like ripples in the water to you. All the energy you had channeled throughout the past months had been used and you wanted nothing more than to close your eyes and sleep. However, when one of the nurses had come up to your line of sight, carefully holding a newborn child, wrapped in a blanket in their hands, that’s when everything dawned upon you. Your eyes slowly widened, sparkling as the nurse slowly brought the precious little girl towards your bed. The baby was beside you, wriggling her small little hands around for the first time, her cries had been ceased when you made eye contact, as if she already knew who you were.

This child looked an angel, blessed upon your undeserving hands by God himself.

You brought a hand towards your mouth, gasping in disbelief as realization came up to you. Tears welled up in your eyes and you caressed her plum red cheeks as gentle as you could possibly do. Who knew that from all the pain and suffering you’ve experience just earlier could have given you such an outcome? Your child came out nothing like you dreaded her to be, there was nothing scary about her at all. She was the purest thing you’ve ever seen; how could you even think of your own child as something terrifying to have?

The door bursts open, startling nearby medical staffs and out came in was none other than your worried husband. Riddle looked at your weak form on the bed and widened his eyes at the moment he laid his sight on the child beside you. Finally, your eyes couldn’t hold onto the tears any longer and just let them all out, nuzzling your face close to your child with a smile on your face. Riddle’s own eyes softened at the scene and came closer to the both of you. No one needed any words to explain the overwhelming happiness at the two of you felt at that moment, especially when your husband had gently wrapped his arms around you.

Never before have you felt so warm in your life.

♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎

Continue the Sweetness~?

This isn’t much of spicy nor sweet dream, but like what anon say, it’s bittersweet! I hope you like this new flavor! Kind of different from what I usually make but damn, I enjoyed it!

[tmntxreader-fics]

TMNT Raphael x Reader: Soulmate AU (PART 2)

Part 2/3: 

THE CONFRONTATION

Warnings: Cussing (as always). Longish 

The second you wake up, you instantly wish that you hadn’t. 

This is due to many reasons, the main one being that your body feels like it has been set on fire and then run over by a bus. Twice. 

Another reason is owed to the fact that you have absolutely no idea where the fuck you are. 

Your fingers grasp the material beneath you, confirming that you’re definitely resting on a bed; but who it belongs to is an unfortunate mystery. It’s easily determined that you’re in a bedroom; though, again, whom the bedroom belongs to loops right back around to the unfortunate mystery category. 

A groan slips from your lips as your vision spins the room like a bowling ball hurtling down the alley. You close your eyes in an attempt to ward away the pain prodding at your head; though, to your dismay, the action backfires when you can’t bring yourself to reopen them. 

You moan again, louder this time. Distantly, you realize you sound like a wounded animal but you can’t find it in you to care who hears. If the person who took you in, (in which you’d assume the bed belonged to them), wanted to kill you they would have done so already. It’s not like they haven’t had ample opportunity to do something Saw-like while you’ve been drooling into their pillow for what would probably be hours. 

“She’s making noise!” 

You hear an excitable voice sound off from outside the door and you bolt straight up in your bed. Ignoring the way your head spins from the sudden movement, you strain your ears for any other noise. 

“I need to do a once-over on her vitals,” another individual speaks up, his voice decidedly clinical in comparison to the previous person. “Are you...” There’s an awkward pause, “Are you coming in with me?”

There’s a long silence and you shift your feet so that they dangle over the side of the bed, ready to make a mad dash if need be. Your eyes are wide when you catch sight of the shadows shifting beneath the doorway. 

“It’s not a good idea.” Your eyes widened at the sound of that voice.

 That voice... your eyes widen at the sound of that voice. 

Arms enveloped you, swathing you in a green sky, “Hey- HEY! Don’t you die on me, I swear to-” 

You gasp for air, keeling over the side of the bed at the memory that sears unwantedly through your mind. That guttural tone, inflected with such powerful aggression and anguish. Your skin prickles at just the thought of it, trailing down your spine like an electric shock. 

“She’ll hate me.” 

There’s an anxious exhale from above you, shifting the hair that’s splayed across your face messily,“No, this can’t be right. This- there’s no fuckin’ way.”

“She doesn’t deserve this, Don.” 

“This has got to be a fuckin’ mistake, I don’t have- I just, I don’t fuckin’ deserve one.” 

You rasp out heavy breaths, overwhelmed by this one man’s presence, both in your memories and outside the door. You slap your hands over your ears, whimpering as your body slips to crumple into itself on the cold ground. The sheets flutter around you, tangled in your limbs like restraints- choking you. 

“Stop it,” you rasp, pressing your palms harder to block out the noise, “please.”

  Thick fingers pat your hair down gently, an attempt to distract you from your writhing agony, “I know,” he mutters repeatedly. “I’m so sorry, this is my fault.” 

“Stop talking,” you whimper, fingernails digging into your scalp. You want to deafen yourself, to reach inside your mind and tear it apart just to silence it. His voice beckons you towards something that you can’t identify, it doesn’t scare you. The weight in your chest is what terrifies you. 

The knowledge that the more that this man talks in your mind, the closer you are to uncovering the terrible part you had so desperately tried to forget.

 The man of metal and fire.

  “Where is that pathetic soulmate of yours now?”

Your heart stops.

  -

The second time that you wake up, you instantly wish that you hadn’t. 

A recurring pattern it seems.

 Your fingers grip the sheets beneath you in an attempt to ground yourself and distantly you realize that you’ve been placed back into the random stranger’s bed. Tucked in and everything. 

There are no voices this time, no shadows beneath the door, no hint of life other than your own. And yet, you feel as though you’re being watched. The room is almost completely dark, the only reprieve being a flickering jasmine-scented candle on the bed-side table. 

Along with a cup of water and aspirin. 

With a raised eyebrow, you reach for the water. Still cold. Throwing a suspicious glance at the door, you tentatively sniff the contents of the cup. You have no idea what you’re hoping to discover, it’s definitely water but is it spiked? 

“It’s clean.” 

You jolt, the water splashing over the brim of the glass in your hand. Heart thrashing in your chest, you realize that you remember that voice. 

His voice. 

“Who’s there?” You rasp, ignoring the terror inflected throughout your words.

 Your eyes scour the room, hoping to make out the outline of anything. 

There’s a pregnant pause, dousing the air in a tension that you could almost taste. 

“I’m- My name’s Raphael,” was the hesitant response, gravelly and unsure and it sends shivers down the length of your body. 

Raphael. 

You don’t speak for a long moment, unsure of how to reply. You don’t want to tell him your name, not yet. Finally, you settle on a question. 

“Are you going to hurt me?” Your voice is paper-thin and so small you don’t recognize it. You almost don’t want to hear the answer, what are you going to do if he says yes? Where would you run? Where would you hide? 

“I don’t want to.” The voice cracks, anguish seeping from every word. Your heart leaps into your throat, that’s not the response you wanted to hear. 

“Please don’t,” you say, bringing your knees to your chest as both hands grip the glass. You’re usually not one to beg, but you had learned your lesson from your last encounter. Your jaw still stings as a reminder. 

There’s a choking noise from somewhere in the room, “What? Wait, fuck no, I’d never lay a hand on ya like that. That ain’t what I meant.” 

“What did you mean then?” You whisper, ignoring the relief that floods throughout your being. 

“I just- I...” He goes silent. 

“Raphael?” You venture tentatively.

 “Yeah?” His voice is immediate and soft, almost intimately vulnerable. “Oh, right. Sorry. I’m just- fuck, I dunno how to say this.” 

You stay silent, allowing him the space to contemplate his next words. The last thing you want is for him to feel as though you’re pressuring him or stepping out of line, resulting in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre moment. 

Though, deep down you know that’s not the case at all. 

“I need you to...” Raphael trails off again and you hope he doesn’t fall back into silence. Ironically, when he finishes his sentence, you find yourself wishing he hadn’t said anything at all.

 “I need you to look at the name on your arm.” 

Raphael Hamato New York City October 2019. “Hey- HEY! Don’t you die on me, I swear to-” 

“You motherfucker!” The screech is your only verbal response. “I swear I’m going to shove my foot so far up your ass that you’re going to choke on it.” 

“Fuckin’-what?!” Raphael’s sputtered squeak only aggravates you more.

“You in a gang?” You rage, launching a pillow in what you hope is his general direction, “is that what this is? You got me caught up in your little gang war and I had some fucking oversized kitchen knife in my face trying to find you!”

“I’m not in a gang!” He exclaims quickly, the gravelly voice he usually possesses is now a panicked falsetto shriek. 

 “There were demon ninjas!” You snap, throwing the last available pillow into the abyss with the hopes it would knock him out. “Demon. Ninjas. Raphael.” 

“Well, ya ain’t gonna think any differently about me, girly,” your soulmate drawls sarcastically and your rage falters at his statement. 

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” You snap. 

“It means,” he growls, voice husky, “that if you think they’re scary lookin’, I’m gonna look like Satan himself in your eyes.” 

“Lucifer was physically beautiful,” is your automatic correction.

“Y’know what I meant, smartass.” You can almost feel him rolling his eyes at you. 

“Then prove it,” you say, standing up to linger beside the bed. “Show me what you look like.” 

A rough, humorless laugh echoes throughout the room and you can’t help but flinch. “Trust me, short-stack, you don’t wanna see this.” 

“Short-stack?” 

“There ain’t nowhere for you to run,” he continues over you gruffly, “you’re gonna piss yourself, try to bolt, fail and pass out. Then, because nothing goes right in my life, you’ll concuss yourself, forget this happened and then we’ll have to do this shit all over again in a few hours.” 

“I highly doubt you’re going to scare me out of the room based on your looks alone, Raphael.” You drawl, feigning a bored tone. If you trivialized the matter, made it seem as if it were casual, perhaps he’d be more relaxed with revealing himself.  

“You don’t get it,” Raphael snarls, growing increasingly agitated. You raise an eyebrow at the tone, reminding yourself to be wary. Just because he’s your soulmate it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re in the clear. 

“Then inform me,” you say. “If you’re that terrified of me seeing you then tell me what you look like so I know what to expect!” 

“I’m not even a fuckin’ human! What features am I meant to explain to ya?” 

You choke on air. 

“Fuckin’ what?” 

“You heard me, princess,” Raphael’s words are rough and sarcastic. You’re beginning to see the nature of his temperament now. “I’m. not. human.” 

“What; are you part lizard?” You snark at him, heart beating wildly out of control in your chest despite your sarcastic remark. “Just because you might’ve done some bad things in your life it doesn’t mean you stop being human, Raphael.” 

“Wrong reptile,” is all he says, voice suddenly a guttural whisper. 

Then he comes forward. 

“Jesus Christ,” you rasp, stumbling backward until the small of your back hits the bed. 

“I’m betting Satan would be the better description, right about now.” 

You allow your stare to rake from feet to bandanna, drinking in the vast expanse of the awe-inspiring creature before you. He was definitely not human. 

Large, strapped feet equipped with two toes on each foot. Calves that flare with muscle; white strapping tape twisting over the diametre of his shins to meet the hefty black padding protecting his knees. The grey jagged shorts leading to a bare torso, protected by natural armor. A softer shell to match the large, hard one on his back. 

You whisper a soft curse beneath your breath when you observe the expanse of his chest and barnhouse-sized shoulders. Impossibly large arms with fists akin to sledge-hammers, decorated by the red strapping tape twisting over his knuckles. His biceps are as thick as tree trunks. 

Finally, you reach his face and the first thing you observe is his full but scarred lips parted slightly to give way to straight, white teeth. High cheekbones that mount a red fabric acting as a bandanna, shielding the entire upper part of his face except for his eyes.

 A gaze that resembles molten gold, alive and shifting beneath the glass. 

A rich and watchful stare that pins your very soul to the spot you stand in, making it impossible for you to run if you dare. The fact that he was watching you with that gaze when you couldn’t see him sends an electric shock down the length of your spine. 

“What are you?” You breathe in wary awe, eyes roaming over his figure repeatedly. Raphael shifts uncomfortably beneath your scrutiny but doesn’t express his distaste for such heavy observation. 

“Mutant turtle,” he states, voice ruled into a neutral tone. It seems like an unnatural thing for him to verbally wield. 

You remain quiet, opting to scour his appearance until his image is burned into your memory from head to toe. He remains as still as he physically can, which, if it weren’t for his anxiety he’d be able to keep inhumanly still. He could freeze as if he were suspended in time and space. 

But, pinned beneath your careful observation, he squirms. 

“Ya scared?” Raphael forces humor into his tone and it’s fooling neither of you. You swallow down your nausea, unsure as to how to answer. Your soulmate is a Pandora’s Box, the minute you unfurl his world your own will change forever. Are you really willing to run the risk that it could turn out for the worst? 

“Should I be scared?” You retort softly, eyeing him carefully from where you stand.

“I’m a freak, short-stack, it’s your nature to be ‘fraid of me,” Raphael begins, edging forward slightly. There’s a sheen over his golden gaze that makes your heart stutter, “but, I’d never do anything to hurt ya. Please, ya gotta know that.” 

You watch him, standing only a few feet before you in all his glory. This mutant in which the universe has gifted to you to be you Soulmate, baring himself and all his vulnerabilities in the open for you to either accept or quash. 

You know you’re trembling, he’s a physicaly representation for dangerous uncertainty. The normal processes and ideals don’t apply in his world and you’ll only be pulled into that life with him should you accept. But as he watches you, like you’re the only thing that matters to him, you can’t help but want to throw caution to the wind. 

“I don’t truly know that,” you whisper and his eyes widen when you take a step forward on your own accord. “But... I’m trusting that you’ll prove it to me.”   

[stahlop]

Making a Memory (5/?)

Well, here we are. Chapter 5. This chapter was a beast to write. Hopefully, you'll be satisfied with the answers this chapter provides.

Thanks again to my betas, @profdanglaisstuff and @thisonesatellite. I thought they were going to hack this chapter with a machete. Turns out, they wanted me to add a bit more. So that was amazing to hear.

Check out the banner artwork by @gingerchangeling​. There is also artwork by @mariakov81 at the end of this chapter.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1 2 3 4

Ao3

Defeating Gideon had been surprisingly easy, if Emma called sacrificing herself and hoping to God and any other gods that were around that her sacrifice meant she would get to live her Happy Beginning with her family and new husband, despite having just been stabbed in the gut. And thank goodness it was True Love’s Kiss worthy, because Emma really hadn’t wanted to die. And considering that was the final battle, she felt it was the least scary out of everything they’d had to face in the past. The Black Fairy just preened and monologued most of the time, while Gideon had his heart stolen, so she couldn’t blame him for him wanting to kill her (she had immediately asked Belle to put a protection spell on his heart, like Regina had with Henry and she had with Hook after their hearts had been taken, which Belle readily agreed to).

But now life was… well it was normal. And normal was not something Emma Swan-Jones (yes, she was hyphenating) had seen in the past few years. And it was... strange. It was strange living a perfectly normal life with Captain Hook as her husband, who insisted on using the iPad to find healthy recipes for dinner since he knew she would eat Pop Tarts or bear claws for breakfast and Granny’s for lunch. It was weird seeing him just lounging about in sleep pants on the weekends when they weren’t working (thankfully, David still worked weekends for them so they could have time for themselves along with the actual Three Musketeers spread throughout the week, who made pretty good deputies), or taking her and Henry out on the Jolly Roger to go fishing, or any other number of domestic fantasies she’d once had about idyllic life in Maine. What wasn’t strange was after a year of domestic bliss when the stick had shown the words ‘pregnant’ and she hadn’t freaked out about it whatsoever.

Because there hadn’t been any danger in over a year, which was the longest the town had gone since she’d arrived. Nothing, nada, zero, zip, zilch. Just some bad dreams which was to be expected after everything they’d gone through in such a short amount of time. And which had made her and Killian a little more carefree. It wasn’t as if they were getting any younger. She was pushing 32 and Killian was… well, they’d agreed he’d be 36 according to the paperwork Regina had magically made for him. Killian hadn’t taken kindly to being on the closer end of 40, but Emma had insisted that it just made him more worldly, and if they did ever venture outside of Storybrooke, he could freely talk about things he had done in context with his age. And now parenthood was going to be part of that.

“When does it get to the good stuff?” Hope huffed, interrupting Henry’s reading of the epilogue of his book. They were sitting in a tent in the woods only a few miles from where Henry was going to meet their parents later that day. Alice seemed to be having the time of her life, completely enthralled with the sequel to her favorite book, which seemed to be the real life account and love story of their parents and the defeat of multiple villains, until the final battle happened three years after Henry brought her to town. She’d read it the entire drive to the campsite and Hope had discovered she was a very enthusiastic reader. She constantly yelled or gasped or cried at something that happened in the book. Hope had gotten a chance to read much of it last night and the rest when the sunlight filtered into their tent that morning. She’d always been an early riser, unlike her mother and Henry. Hope had to admit it had been a fun adventure tale, (although the first few chapters chronicling the first year Emma had been in the town of Storybrooke had been pretty boring and in the last few chapter everyone seemed wildly out of character), but she wasn’t sure if she actually believed this was a true account of anything, like Alice and Henry did. Henry had insisted that he read the final chapter to them together, so they could understand what had happened.

“Not every chapter needs to be action packed or full of chase scenes.” Henry admonished her. “Besides, don’t you want to hear about what happened after your parents' Happy Beginning?” Alice clapped giddily while Hope rolled her eyes. Henry had always been a bit dramatic growing up, but Hope still couldn’t wrap her head around this whole fairytale business Henry was trying to sell her.

Killian was ecstatic to learn he was going to be a father. Although, after everything he’d been through, the thought of having a child was a little daunting. He’d never imagined he would ever become a father. Of course, he and Milah had discussed it, but having a baby while being a pirate would never have worked. Once she had died he’d never even considered it until he met Emma. And now it had finally come to pass that he was being given the opportunity to become a father. He already knew having a child would be the greatest adventure he’d have in his life.

Of course, when the ultrasound indicated they were not only having a girl, but two of them, Killian’s head went a little fuzzy and he had to sit down with his head between his legs so he wouldn’t pass out (Emma had teased him about it for days after and brought it up to everyone they came across).

Twins!

They were having twins. When he’d finally got his head on straight he picked Emma up in his arms (again reminding her he’d carried rum barrels bigger than her) and twirled her around. He was excited, so excited. Not only was he going to get the chance to be a father, but he’d get to do it twice in one go! His dreams quickly became consumed by little girls with his hair and Emma’s eyes, or Emma’s hair and his eyes. They’d be sailing, play sword fighting, drawing, all the things he wanted to teach them. They quickly agreed on names for the two girls. Alice for his mother and Hope because of everything they had gone through and the hope that had gotten them through. Emma had insisted that they use the names Cleo and Margaret for middle names, to honor two influential women in her life. So, from then on, Baby A became Alice Margaret, and Baby B was Hope Cleo.  For the next few months everything was complete bliss.

When Emma hit her third trimester, her mother, knowing that twins could come early, insisted on hosting Emma a baby shower. Emma agreed on the condition that it was a small affair. No grand balls or carnivals like she was wont to do. And so, on a sweltering hot day in early September, Emma entered Granny’s which had been closed down just for them, to find a large group of women waiting for her. Snow had stayed true to her word and not invited the whole town. Emma was relieved to see many familiar faces, including Ruby and Dorothy who had used the ruby slippers to come to the event, Belle who had brought a two-year-old baby Gideon with her (even though it still freaked Emma out slightly that this tiny child had once tried to kill her), Ashley and Aurora with their broods (they had both added one more child over the past few years), Elsa and Anna, and even Mulan had made the trip, though her girlfriend, Merida, had refused the invitation, Emma couldn’t blame her since she’d only known Emma when she was dark.

Things had been going great. Regina had made her lasagna, much to Granny’s chagrin. Zelena was even giving helpful tips despite Emma having sped up her pregnancy (she reminded Emma that she had done midwifery research when she’d first come to town). It was nice that everyone in town was actually getting along despite the terrifying last few years. Emma really shouldn’t have been surprised when it all went to hell.

Alice gasped so loudly that Hope actually jumped from her seated position on the tent. Her heart had immediately started pounding in her chest.

“Geez, Alice!” Hope said perturbed. “Lighten up. It’s just a story.”

“It’s not just a story.” Alice argued. “We’re reading about our mother. If anything, you should be the one more concerned as you got to actually grow up with her.” She sniffled as her anger gave way to tears. Hope almost wanted to roll her eyes, but she knew how strongly Alice felt about this all being real. Hope still wasn’t sure what Henry’s endgame was here, but she did know that she and Alice were sisters. She knew that with every fiber of her being. But Snow White and Prince Charming were their grandparents? The Evil Queen had cast a spell to bring them all to their land to get her happy ending? Their mother was married to Captain Hook (considering Alice knew her father had a false hand, she seemed quite surprised that’s who their father turned out to be), a former villain turned hero? It all seemed a bit much. She hoped there would be a simpler explanation somewhere down the road, but she was determined to let Henry play out his little fantasy for the time being until he brought their parents to them later that day.

“I’m sorry.” Hope sighed, placating Alice. “Please continue, Henry.”

A swirl of golden smoke appeared in front of them. Emma immediately went on the defensive, a ball of white light forming in her hand. She could see Regina conjuring a fireball at the strange plume of smoke and out of the corner of her eye she saw Granny duck behind the counter for her crossbow.

As the figure in the smoke came into view, Emma took in the mass of dark curls framing an olive face from under a black hood. The woman had big eyes with heavy lids and red lips that almost put Ruby’s to shame. Her burgundy gown seemed out of place for the modern town of Storybrooke, in that it looked like it belonged more in Camelot than even the Enchanted Forest. It was trimmed in the exact same shade of gold that her swirl of smoke had been. Emma realized she’d been staring too long at the woman who had just crashed her baby shower, but she had the overwhelming sensation thrumming through her body that she knew this woman somehow.

“Who are you and what do you want?” Emma growled at the woman who had made no attempt to do anything after her grand entrance. The room had gone impossibly quiet. Even the children who had attended with their mothers weren’t making a peep. Granny still stood behind the counter, crossbow in hand, but she too wasn’t making any comments. Regina still had a fireball ready to go, it’s fire crackling at her fingertips, but nothing else happened.

“I’ve slowed down time.” The woman said with a deep voice, one that seemed as soothing as a lullaby, but chilled Emma to the bone. The voice seemed familiar to her as well, although she couldn’t recall from where. “They can’t perceive what we are doing right now, but that’s why they’re not responding to me and only you know what’s going on.” The woman smirked at her. Emma had the impression she was supposed to be impressed.

She wasn’t.

“I’m only going to ask you one more time.” Emma said, using all her strength to pull her hand back, a ball of magic swirling within. Her other hand instinctively went over her stomach to shield her children. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“Oh, my sweet dear.” The woman said in what Emma assumed was supposed to be a motherly tone. It sounded sweet and calming, but Emma could hear the evil lurking underneath. “Haven’t your dreams told you why I’m here yet?”

A cold chill ran down Emma’s spine as she realized how she knew this woman. She’d been in her dreams!  Floating above her, the woman would chase her through the streets of Storybrooke threatening to take something from her. Something that would…. make the woman stronger, if she recalled the dream correctly..  Emma had dismissed it as an anxiety dream; the woman representing any number of villains that could spring up and ruin her happiness. But here she was, in the flesh, and already Emma had failed to protect anyone around her.

“You asked why I was here.” The woman said, her voice suddenly going from calm and soothing to cold and calculating. It now sounded like nails on a chalkboard to Emma’s ears and she couldn’t suppress another shiver that ran down her body. The woman gave a simpering smile at her. It made Emma sick to her stomach. She still had her magic at the ready though. She was not giving this woman an inch.

“My name is Gothel��”

“Like from Rapunzel?” Emma spoke without even thinking. Gothel turned to her slightly frazzled from Emma’s outburst, but schooled her features back to the smile that creeped Emma out to no end.

“I have never bartered a child for greens, nor kept one in my tower. Nor have I kept a child in my tower to keep my youth.” She said menacingly, her face pinched. “Yes, I have done my research into what your realm thinks of me.” Gothel’s features changed back to look like a woman who would dote on a child rather than hold one against their will. “I am simply an ordinary elemental witch. Content to commune with the four elements and let them use me for what they need.”

Emma did not miss what she had said.

“And what do the elements need?” Emma was quickly losing her patience. And she had to pee. Two babies didn’t leave a lot of room for her bladder.

Gothel smiled at her. “I knew you’d understand.” She practically purred. “It’s not what they need, Emma dear, but what they have told me. Some very disturbing things they have told me, and unfortunately for you, it means that your children are a danger to me.” Her blue-gray eyes flashed almost black. She slowly made her way up behind Emma and spoke directly into her ear.  “This is not a warning, this is an absolute truth. Enjoy what little time you and your children will have together, because I will not let the whispers come true.” And with that Gothel poofed out of the diner in her golden smoke.

Immediately, the patrons of the party sprang back to life, almost speeding up comically. Everyone looked around for whomever had come from the golden smoke, but all they saw was Emma crumpling to the ground holding her stomach and sobbing.

Alice gasped as Henry read the last part and grabbed Hope’s hand, as if the move would comfort her as well. Hope was in no need of comforting. She just wanted to get to the end of the story so she could understand. The story was taking place in early September and Hope knew they were born in late September so there was no suspense if this was supposed to be about their birth. She knew her mother was alive and well, so she knew nothing bad was going to happen to her. This all just seemed... redundant.

She could see Henry staring at her, gauging her reaction. Alice seemed close to tears and Hope couldn’t understand why. She’d never even met her mother.

“So what is this evil supposed to represent, an almost miscarriage? We were born, so obviously everything is okay.” She rolled her eyes at both Henry’s eagerness and Alice’s sadness.

“Wow!” said Henry with a shocked expression that then turned into a smile. “You really are just like mom. She didn’t believe me either.” He looked back down at the book, preparing to continue reading. “Don’t worry, the interesting part is coming up.”

Being at the hospital, not knowing what was happening to her or her babies was the scariest thing Emma had ever faced in her life. And that was saying a lot considering everything she’d faced. But she wouldn’t know how to even look at Killian if they lost their girls. The men had gone out on the Jolly Roger during the party, taking a pleasure cruise, so to speak, so Regina had to poof out to them to let them know what had happened. Killian came rushing into her room, and grabbed her hand, and a fresh wave of tears spilled down her face.

The barrage of questions came from his lips immediately. “Are you okay? Are the babies okay? What did the doctor say? What happened? Is there a new villain? Are you okay?” It actually made Emma’s heart sing, the level of concern he had for her.

“I think I’m okay, same with the babies. Whale just assessed me to make sure I had nothing external wrong. We’re going to do an ultrasound to make sure the babies are good.” She paused for a moment, dragging his hand to her cheek, something that always soothed her. “It seems there is a new villain in town. Her name is Gothel.” He quirked an eyebrow since she had shown him Tangled. Gothel had not been anyone he’d ever come across in his travels, so they’d figured she’d been made up for the story. “She said our babies are a danger to her and she won’t let whatever is supposed to happen, happen. She said this wasn’t a warning. Just the truth.” Her voice started to waiver again.

Killian pressed a kiss to her forehead as she let the tears fall again. How many times was she going to put him through this? How many times was there going to be danger that he could do nothing to prevent from happening? But instead of comforting her some more or telling her everything would be okay like he was prone to do, he stood up, his body vibrating with anger, his hand pulled away and fisted on his jeans.

“I’m going to talk to the Blue Fairy.” He said suddenly. “After Whale tells us that the girls are alright, because they are going to be alright, Swan. This...Gothel... wouldn’t have told you that they’d be a danger to her if they weren’t going to be okay. This was a scare tactic. An intimidation. And I will not have my family worried about some impending doom. We’ve come too far for this to happen now.”  Emma reached for his hook and pulled him toward her.

“Just stay with me for now. We’ll worry about this when we know everything is alright.”

But according to the Blue Fairy it wasn’t alright.

“Well, she’s definitely more than an elemental witch.” Emma and Killian stood in the Blue Fairy’s office, which was covered with large tomes, smaller books, and even a few scrolls.

“So you’ve heard of her then?” Killian asked darkly.

“Yes and no. She goes by many names, Gothel being one of them. Gothel actually means godmother and being an elemental witch means she’s most likely descended from a forest nymph or dryad. Possibly even from Gaia herself.” Emma saw Killian immediately get a worried look on his face.

“I take it Gaia is bad?” Emma asked, suddenly feeling the weight of not finishing high school or going to college coming back to rear its ugly head at her. Killian grimaced and she could see him thinking of the best way to tell her what she was not understanding.

“Gaia means earth in Greek.” He stated plainly. It didn’t take Emma nearly as long to figure out what that meant as she thought it would.

“Wait! You think Gothel is descended from Mother Earth?” she exclaimed.

“I think she’s exactly who she says she is,” the Blue Fairy said before Emma could spiral out. “But I think she’s a lot more powerful than she’s letting on.” She paused and gave a sigh before continuing on. “I found a prophecy in an old book. Probably as old as me. I think it’s the prophecy that Gothel is alluding to, but I need to study it first before I decide if it actually pertains to you. I don’t want to mislead you or give you false hope or false terror if it’s not the correct one.”

Emma wanted to rip the paper out of the Blue Fairy’s to read what it said. She could feel Killian tense up next to her, most likely thinking the same thing. But she calmed herself. How many times had she ‘jumped to conclusions’ before examining all the evidence first? It was one of her biggest flaws when she first started sheriffing and she wasn’t going to start doing it again. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

“Okay.” Emma said, squeezing Killian’s hand to let him know that they needed to let the Blue Fairy do her job. “We’ll trust your judgement. Just let us know as soon as possible so we can come up with some sort of a plan. In the meantime,” Emma said, turning toward Killian. “I’ll put a protection spell around our house, the bug, and the sheriff station.” She turned back to the Blue Fairy. “Do you know of any protection spells we can use on ourselves or the twins?”

The Blue Fairy shook her head. “Unfortunately, protection spells can only protect objects and people within them. And you know from personal experience that they aren’t one-hundred percent effective.” The Blue Fairy said. Emma nodded, remembering her experience with Regina and her mother, Cora, in Gold’s shop years ago.

“Here.” The Blue Fairy said, conjuring up some chalk and pressing it into her hands. “This might help. It’s infused with fairy dust. It may look like glittery chalk, but it’ll have a little more kick to it than a spell and regular chalk.” Emma squeezed it and mouthed a silent ‘thanks’ to the Blue Fairy. Killian gave a slight bow.

“Thank you Lady Blue.” he said before they turned and left.

Hope was about to scream into her pillow. She checked her watch, noting that there was another hour before Henry had to leave to meet her mother and Alice’s father. She wondered if this epilogue would ever get to the point. She still had no clue why she and Alice had been separated and why their ‘parents’ didn’t remember each other. This whole thing was getting more and more absurd by the moment. Now Gothel had been brought into it? She remembered seeing that movie as a kid and not really thinking that Gothel had been a subpar villain compared to some of the other Disney villains out there. She knew in the real version the witch had no purpose for taking the baby except in trade. But in Henry’s version it was seeming like she had no real connection except for a random prophecy. Now she felt like they were veering into Harry Potter territory.

Henry must have sensed her frustration, again, because he paused his reading to stare at her. “I promise, Hope, this will all make sense soon,” was all he said before diving back into the book.

Emma and Killian spent the next few weeks in fear. The twins weren’t due until mid-October and they had no idea if Gothel would come around again. Both Emma and Killian, plus the Blue Fairy, Regina, Gold and David had been trying to figure out where Gothel had come from and how she had gotten into Storybrooke. Once they realized that the waters that came from the well were the same waters in Lake Nostos, Tiny had managed to take some of the burned beans he’d saved from years ago and restore them. They now had plenty of beans to make portals to go all over the realms again, but they were highly regulated by David, Snow, and Regina. People in Storybrooke could travel by portal, but, as far as anyone in town knew, no one from any other realm could travel to them. Usually someone from Storybrooke took a portal to the other realm, gave them a bean and took another portal home. They didn’t want beans falling into the wrong hands and becoming a black market trade item again. Of course, there always seemed to be beans regardless. But, there were only a few select people who knew about Storybrooke. How in the world would Gothel know about them and how in the world would she find them?

While everyone else was working on the Gothel problem, Killian had discovered online that some really rare phenomena were going to be happening in the night sky. “There a Harvest Moon tonight!” he yelled animatedly. “I wonder if it will be orange like a true Harvest Moon or red like the Blood Moon?” Emma loved when he got passionate about astronomy, the man who was once guided by the stars. “It’s also a Super Moon,” He said almost in a teacher-like voice, “because it’s so close to your realm. And….” he paused for what Emma assumed he felt was an even more amazing discovery  “It’s also a lunar eclipse!” Killian grinned widely.  “Even in my hundreds of years, Swan, I’ve never seen anything like this!”. Emma could only hope that she’d be able to stay awake for it.

Killian had just started cooking an early dinner so they could just gaze at the night sky when the first contraction hit.

“Are you okay, Emma?” Killian dropped the mixing spoon and ran over to her.

“I…I think I just had a contraction.” Emma was concerned. The babies weren’t due for another month, but she also knew twins could come early.

“Do we need to head to the hospital?” Killian asked, clearly nervous and concerned.

“No.” She said, kissing him on the cheek. “Water hasn’t even broken yet. Let’s have dinner. Lord knows they won’t let me eat in the hospital while I’m in labor.” Emma was surprised at how calm she was over this. Considering the last time she’d given birth she’d been chained to the bed and not even taken a look at Henry, she was feeling very empowered. Being in charge of her pregnancy the way she wanted to be had a way of doing that. They sat down to eat for their last meal as a family of two (Henry was at Regina’s, but they’d both be at the hospital when they felt it was time to go), when the contractions started ramping up.

“I think it’s time to head to the hospital.” Emma said. Killian grabbed the go bag that they’d packed and headed to his old Jeep Cherokee they’d bought on a trip to Boston.

“That’s what kind of car Papa drives!” Alice exclaimed, interrupting Henry just as the tension was getting good.

Henry smiled at her. Hope was feeling something akin to anticipation. She felt like they were finally getting somewhere in the story with their impending births. She knew that had to reveal something.

“Are you alright, Hope?” Henry asked, concerned. “You’ve been really quiet.”

“I just want to finish the book!” She said through gritted teeth. She really needed to know how this pertained to them, and all of Alice’s disruptions were starting to grate on her nerves.

Henry nodded at her and Alice and continued.

Alice Margaret Swan-Jones arrived at 9:07 on September 27th, 2015. The lights flickered around the hospital on Emma’s final push. Whale had been concerned (once Alice had been bundled up and placed in Emma’s arms) that it could have been Gothel, but Emma assured him that it was most likely her magic, and that the same thing had happened when Henry was born, only she hadn’t been aware it was her magic at the time.

There was a perfect view of the eclipse from the window in their room. Emma and Killian watched as the almost blood red moon traveled across the sky and then disappeared when it was caught in the Earth’s shadow. Emma was glad she had this rare occurrence, plus her new daughter to keep her mind busy while she waited for her other daughter to make her appearance. Hope seemed to be taking her time, and it was making Emma nervous. She knew she could ask Killian to invite Henry and her parents and any other number of people who were anxiously awaiting updates into her room to meet Alcie, but she really wanted to wait until both babies were out. Whale had also started talking about a c-section if Hope didn’t make her presence known soon, as twins usually were born within minutes of each other, not hours. Right as the moon started to peak out from the shadow of the Earth, a huge contraction hit Emma again. It seemed Hope was finally ready.

Hope Cleo Swan-Jones was welcomed into the world at 12:27 on September 28th, 2015. Emma and Killian were astounded when they realized that their girls were born on separate days, but they were just thrilled that they were safe and healthy. Emma had almost hoped her relatives and friends had gone home instead of waiting around, but they were all there, ready to see the newest additions to the Swan-Jones clan.

Henry insisted he be the first to see his new sisters, followed by Snow and David. Even Regina was permitted to hold them, something Emma could see she cherished, being allowed to be part of their family. It was almost three in the morning by the time everyone started to filter out and the Blue Fairy arrived, a look of despair written on her face.

“What is it?” Killian immediately asked. He had Alice in his arms and hugged her protectively.

“The prophecy is as I feared.” She looked down at the floor, almost as if the prophecy she suspected belonged to them was her fault.

“How can you be sure?” Emma asked. She had been drowsy just a few seconds ago, but now it was if caffeine had been put into her IV drip.

The Blue Fairy pulled out a thin piece of parchment from thin air and handed it to them. It was written in an elegant script, something Emma would associate more with a love letter rather than a prophecy.

When the moon becomes red with blood,

And darkness covers the land

Two will be born.

One ere the witching hour and one hind

To conquer nature’s sinister conjurer

By separation will make stronger

And reconciled on the day and night the true harvest moon meets.

Emma read through it several times, not quite understanding. Her mind was swimming from the events of the day and that adrenaline jolt she’d just had was now coming down. She was desperate to know and understand, but she just couldn’t focus at the moment.

“Killian, take Hope.” And she immediately passed out.

“Is it over?” Hope wondered, thinking that was an odd place to end the epilogue.

“Almost.” said Henry, but before continuing on he asked, “Did you understand the prophecy?”

Hope thought about it. “The moon becoming red with blood and the darkness is obviously the Harvest Moon and lunar eclipse,” she said.

“And the witching hour is usually midnight.” Alice interjected. “So it’s saying one would be born before midnight and the other after, just like we were.” But I’m not sure about the rest.” Alice frowned.

“Well then.” Henry said, noting that there were only a few pages left until the book was finished. “Let’s see what we can find out.”

Emma awoke to sunlight streaming in her window and Killian and the Blue Fairy deep in a whispered conversation. At first she was confused about why the Blue Fairy was in their bedroom, but as her arm hit the guard rail of her bed, she remembered that she’d given birth to the twins that night. She quickly turned to see the girls both sleeping soundly in their bassinets to the side of her, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ah! There’s the happy little mother!” Killian whispered loudly and got up to kiss her on the forehead.

“What have you learned?” Emma asked, keen to understand the prophecy and how to defeat Gothel.

“Well, we know this prophecy pertains to us because it mentions the twins and the fact that they’d be born last night on either side of the eclipse during the Harvest Moon. All that business in the sky last night was apparently a welcoming celebration for them.” Killian joked halfheartedly.

Emma shook her head to clear away the last vestiges of sleep that clung to her.

“May I see the prophecy, please?” She asked, holding out her hand for the parchment. The Blue Fairy handed it to her. Both she and Killian tried to say something about it, but Emma put out her hand to stop them. She needed to look at the prophecy and come to her own conclusions before she heard what they had to say.

“Okay. I understand that the first half pertains to our girls, but what about the second half? Nature’s sinister conjurer seems to be a fancy way of saying Gothel. Being separated from something makes her stronger? And what does it mean by a true Harvest Moon?”

Killian stepped forward and took the prophecy back from Emma’s hand. “That’s what we’re trying to figure out, love. The Blue Fairy and I have already hypothesized what it could mean. But, don’t forget, prophecies don’t necessarily mean what you think they mean.” He placed the prophecy down on the side table and took a picture of it with his phone so they could study it more later.

“So what do you hypothesize then?” Emma asked curiously. Her brain was still too muddled to even guess at what the second half could mean.

“Well,” the Blue Fairy began, “judging from her cryptic message at your shower, we think that she thinks your twins can do some damage to her, or vanquish her in some way. Nobody seems to have heard of her in any other realm that I’ve been able to reach out to. And the only Gothel people know of here is the Rapunzel fairy tale, which, from all accounts, seems to have been completely made up and not based in any truth.”

It didn’t make any sense to Emma. Why would a seemingly low-level witch, that didn’t seem to have made any sort of name for herself in either the good or evil camp, want to hurt her children? Why would a prophecy be written about her children defeating this unknown witch, who by all accounts hadn’t done anything to anyone yet?

Yet.

“Have you looked into other prophecies that might pertain to Gothel? Anything about an elemental witch or nature’s sinister conjurer like our prophecy calls her? Maybe she hasn’t turned evil yet. Or maybe this whole thing leads her to turning evil.” Emma said, letting her thoughts take over.

“A self-fulfilling prophecy you mean?” Killian asked. Emma could see his mind working. “Like that Oedipus Rex fellow who killed his own father and married his mother?” Emma laughed at one of the few outside of fairy tale literary references she actually recognized. She was about to say something when a loud wail pierced the air.

“Looks like one of our little ladies has awoken from her slumber.” Killian said, walking over to the bassinet and picking up Alice, who was practically eating her fist.

“She’s hungry.” Emma said, holding out her arms for Killian to put Alice in. The Blue Fairy rose and told them she’d look into other prophecies that might pertain to Gothel. Emma got Alice all ready to nurse when another wail was heard.

“Ready to try and change a diaper?” A nurse said, entering the room. Emma laughed at the horror-stricken look upon Killian’s face.

Hope let out a deep sigh. This epilogue was getting them nowhere, and it was too long. Hadn’t anyone ever told Henry that the epilogue should wrap things up and not bore the reader? But Henry wasn’t paying attention to her, nor was Alice. They were totally engrossed in the story that Henry was reading. Hope checked her watch and noticed that Henry would need to leave in half an hour. She really hoped the story would be finished by then, though that seemed impossible at this rate.

It was two years before Gothel made herself known again.

Two years in which the twins learned to crawl, and walk, and talk, and gained teeth, and grew hair, and had their own little personalities.

Two years in which Snow insisted on getting as many pictures of the girls as possible in matching outfits that she insisted on buying for them.

Two years of Henry writing down every small story that happened and filling books as the author.

Two years of silence in which Gothel was almost forgotten.

Almost.

It was a month after the twins turned two that the Blue Fairy started hearing whispers from the Enchanted Forest about a new evil that had taken root. Just small things at first, nothing she even felt was necessary to tell Emma and Killian about. A spark that ignited a forest fire, but no casualties. Spells that seemed to have gone wrong leading to bad weather, or higher or lower  tides that affected the lands. But then, the reports escalated to the decimating of crops, the killing of livestock, the burning of entire forests. It seemed the ‘elemental’ witch was using the elements to drive out the citizens of what she was now calling ‘her’ forest.

Emma had started having nightmares about her daughters being taken away from her, or trapped in a tower that she couldn’t reach. The worst were the dreams where she and Killian and the twins were separated and she couldn’t find them all to put their family back together. She would cling to Killian crying while he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head, reminding her that they were safe, while showing her their sleeping girls in their cribs through the baby monitor.

After one such night, Emma and Killian were rudely awoken by a pounding on their front door. This immediately set the twins off, which is why Emma was very rude when she flung the door open.

“WHAT THE….” she started, but then saw the Blue Fairy standing before her looking as though she hadn’t slept in weeks. Her clothes were wrinkled, her eyes had purple circles around them, and her usually neat and tidy hair looked like she’d stuck her fingers in an electrical socket.

“I’ve figured it out.” She said, not waiting for an invitation into the house, but just barging in and heading to the kitchen table.

Emma looked perplexed as Killian came in holding both girls on either side of him. He handed Hope to Emma while he put Alice in her high chair.

“Figured out the prophecy?” Killian asked, gathering items to make breakfast for them all.

The Blue Fairy nodded.“Everything! Who Gothel is. Why she’s after you. Why we haven’t been able to find anything about her previously!” Emma barely remembered to place Hope in her high chair before sitting down, her mind whirling.

“I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out why and how she came to you two years ago, when she was unknown to anyone. It didn’t make any sense. Even the prophecy I found was written by a seer only a few months before Gothel came to you. And then there was only recent happenings that suggested that Gothel was fairly new, so I went to the Enchanted Forest and consulted with an Oracle.” She paused, Emma inferred, to collect her thoughts.

“The Gothel that came to see you was much more powerful than the Gothel that is currently trying to terrorize the Enchanted Forest. She was able to cross realms and slow down time. Not even Regina or the Dark One at the heights of their power could do something like that. Rumplestiltskin had to get Regina to curse the entire Enchanted Forest in order to cross realms. Gothel, at this point and time does not have the capability to do this.” Hope banged on her tray, startling them all.

“You’re saying at this point and time.” Killian said as he cracked eggs for breakfast. Emma had to admire how he could stay so domestic while being told about someone who was trying to harm their children. “I’m assuming that’s not just for dramatic effect.”

“You would be correct. The Gothel that visited you came from the future. That child she bartered for in her story? Used to make the same kind of time traveling spell Zelena attempted to do. According to the Oracle, she’s been studying up on you and your family ever since she came into possession of the prophecy and figured out who was going to destroy her. It seems she’ll become quite the vicious ruler, even worse than Regina, if that’s possible. She’s trying to recover the land of her foremothers by ridding it of all humans. It seems our theory about her being a descendent of Gaia is true and she’s reclaiming Gaia’s land for all elemental witches because we have destroyed it too much for her liking.”

Emma tried to wrap her head around what the Blue Fairy was telling her. A very sizable foe had traveled back in time for the express purpose of warning her that her daughters were a threat and that she would be coming after them because of a prophecy. She knew she must be missing something, because she was feeling very much like Harry Potter learning about why Voldemort had attacked him as a baby, but having not understood that he fulfilled the prophecy just by going after Harry. Had Gothel shown her hand by warning them?

“So, what does all this mean?” Killian asked, bringing over a bowl of scrambled eggs to the table on top of plates for everyone. He scooped some onto the girls trays and then plated some for himself and Emma, the Blue Fairy shaking her head when he offered her some.

“It means she’s going to try and separate us all at some point, according to the prophecy.” Emma said matter-of-factly.

A grim mood settled over them, the twins too young to understand happily eating their eggs with their hands.

The Blue Fairy bid them farewell and promised she’d do more research into how to avoid the prophecy, but Emma knew that prophecies were usually unavoidable, but could often be circumvented to a degree.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

It was the next day when Gothel came back. Emma, Regina, and the Blue Fairy used all the magic they could to keep her at bay, but her magic was much too strong. She had all four elements on her side to work with, and their magic was not enough to defeat the original source of magic.

After weeks of Gothel beating the town down with rainstorms, hurricanes, carnivorous plants, and almost anything else from nature that could be thrown at them, it was Regina who finally had the idea for them to leave Storybrooke. Gothel’s magic wouldn’t work outside of the town. Emma was adamant that they stay and fight. She couldn’t leave the people that she loved to fight this witch without her. But even her parents begged her to get out of town after weeks of Gothel attacking them. They’d holed up in Regina’s crypt, protected by blood magic, the one type of magic Gothel didn’t seem to be able to break. But because of the high price blood magic required, they couldn’t use it to protect the whole town.

“It’s the only way, Emma,” Snow and David pleaded with her. “We can let you know when we’ve defeated her or figured out how you and the girls can defeat her. Please.” Snow was crying into Emma’s shoulder. Seeing how much her parents were scared for her finally got her to change her mind. She and Killian packed up all they could into her tiny, yellow bug and into Killian’s Jeep. They would head out of town the next morning. Henry insisted on coming with them, much to Regina’s chagrin. But he was 17 and wanted to see more of the world and help protect his little sisters.

Emma was reminded of their goodbyes at the town line when Pan had cursed the town and she and Henry had to leave while everyone went back to the Enchanted Forest. Only this time, she had her husband and children with her, and the Snow Queen’s Scroll to get them back in when the threat of Gothel was gone. She would still be able to talk to her family and friends on the phone, or even video chat. Everything was going to be okay.

Emma had Hope and Henry waiting in the Bug, while Killian had Alice in his Jeep. They were about to cross the town line when Gothel appeared, floating in front of them. She threw a bolt of her magic below her directly onto the town line stopping them in their tracks, cackling the whole time.

“You think you can run from me and my magic?” She threw her head back in a shriek, her black curls whipping all around her in a black halo.

Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. Emma wondered if Gothel had slowed down time again, but she realized it was just the fear of the moment. Emma got out of the car, her magic crackling in her hands.

“This ends now!” Emma said angrily. She was tired of this. Tired of the fear that had hung over them for so long. She just wanted to defeat this bitch and go back to her normal life.

“You wanted to separate yourselves from your family to defeat me, fine! I’ll make sure you are separated from everyone. No one will even remember you were here.” And with that she pulled out a bottle from her dress pocket and uncorked it.

“No one here will remember you and you won’t even remember each other.” The liquid from the bottle had begun to bubble and golden smoke started to pour forth from it. “This whole town will never remember the Swan-Jones family. And you will only know who you leave town with.” Emma’s eyes widened with realization that if they left town she wouldn’t know Killian or Alice, and they wouldn’t know her, Hope, and Henry.

“Emma, Killian, you have to leave!” Regina shouted at them. Snow and David nodded in agreement, tears streaming down their faces. “The prophecy says you’ll defeat her, somehow you’ll figure it out, even without your memories. Now go!”

Emma and Killian looked at each other, both of them now realizing that they would not know each other once they crossed the town line. That their love story would not get a happy ending. And that their twins would both grow up without one of them.

“I love you, Swan.” Killian said from where he stood next to the Jeep, his hand on the handle ready to get back in. “Never forget that.”

Emma nodded, tears streaming down her face. “I love you too. We will have our happy ending.” They smiled at each other, not even having enough time for one last kiss. Emma sat herself in the front seat and the both drove through the golden fog over the town line together.

Emma only vaguely remembered the Jeep that kept up with her most of the way on her trip down to Boston. She was too concerned with how worried Henry seemed to be about their move, probably still reeling from Neal’s death a few weeks prior. She hoped their move to a new place would help him find the peace that he so desperately sought.

Tag List: (Let me know if you want to be added or removed)

@profdanglaisstuff @thisonesatellite @mariakov81 @hollyethecurious @winterbaby89 @jennjenn615 @kmomof4 @superchocovian @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @cssns @itsfabianadocarmo @xsajx  @qualitycoffeethings @snowbellewells

[earthnashes]

LAST OF UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

I started playing the very second it was made available to play and just finished it last night at like 4 in the morning. And of course it destroyed me. I love this series man so much man. ;w;

SO! I don’t usually do this but I’m like, fuckin’ dyin’ to talk about it a lil bit so if ya have plans to play it, SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT. <:

-Aight so lemme just say right off the bat that this game is fucking. Gorgeous. The environments, lighting, visual design, the level design, everything was spot on. And don’t get me started on the CHARACTER MODELS. AND ANIMATION. Like bro that shit was lifelike in not just appearance, the characters emoted and carried themselves with so much life they felt legitimately real. They were all so unique too; characters had unique special ticks to just them (Like Ellie pinching her fingers when nervous or upset, or Joel standing taller and squaring himself when talking about hard subjects like he’s bracing himself for it, or Jesse giving his stunted headtilt when he talks) and expressed in a way that was just. Bruh. Aight I’mma stop but fuckin hell what they pull off with the characters in specific in LoU (both part 1 and 2) is just somethin’ outta this world.

-For anyone interested in playing it, the game is roughly 22-30 hours long if you’re just focused on the story, and much longer still if you take the time to explore and find all the little secrets. Some secrets include unique cutscenes and dialogue that are well worth the look; I haven’t found all of ‘em yet but I’m considering trying a completionist playthrough.

-Joel’s death fucking destroyed me. I’m in no way surprised he died, but it hurt regardless, just how quickly things went south for him and Tommy there. And ELLIE. FINDING HIM AND WATCHING HIM GET REKT WAS PAIN INCARNATE. Set the tone hella hard and I’m fuckin’ here for it.

-I’m not gonna lie I fully expected to dislike Abby given she rekt Joel, even though I figured it was for a pretty good reason before it was revealed her pops was the doc Joel killed. But damn. I really enjoyed Abby, a lot actually. From a gameplay standpoint I dare say I enjoyed her section more than Ellie’s since you were BLASTING ENEMIES with those fuckin’ GUNS of hers. And by guns I mean her arms’, jesus she was shredded. As a character, she felt a lot like Ellie from a different perspective and mindset, and I really appreciated the reflection the two of them had. Two sides of the same coin, basically. Also I really, really liked how killin’ Joel brought absolutely no peace to Abby at all, and you caught her beginning to regret it. And it kinda sorta acted as the catalyst to her shift in how she viewed the world. I think that’s a good portion why she latched onto Yara and Lev so hard. Perspective is everything, and there is always more than just one side of a story.

-In the same vein I had a blast learning more about Abby’s friend group, dynamics, how she lived, who she worked for and her past and everything. Of them all I think I liked Nora the most, but Mel and Manny were both reaaaalll close seconds. O:

-Speaking of, DOGS. DOGS DOGS DOGS. So many dogs man and you got to play with and pet them! Fuck yeah. That should be a rule in gaming; if you have a cat or a dog in the game, you should have a button to pet it. Also good gorl Alice is best doggy don’t fight me on this. uwu

-Jesse and Dina were the beez knees I fuckin loved them man. They were exactly the sort of folks I can see Ellie being best friends with. ALSO, this one isn’t major, but I really appreciated that there was no love-triangle here? Dina and Jesse dated, smashed, didn’t work out but they still remained good friends. Ellie’s first reaction to seeing Jesse is to confess that she and Dina kissed, and Jesse readily accepted the fact that Dina moved on (and he had too). It’s just refreshing. No bullshit love triangle there, just three people who really understood each other. Also jesus christ, I really didn’t want Jesse to die. Goddamnit. But I’m so glad they didn’t kill Dina too like, I was fully prepared to see her get fucked up. Base rule of LoU: anyone you like has a high probability of dying. ;w;

-BRO THINKING OF JESSE, ELLIE, AND DINA MADE ME REALIZE THE PARALLEL OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO MEL, ABBY, AND OWEN. Ellie’s triangle was essentially non-existent; no feelings of betrayal or anger, just understanding and love, like there was a deep-seated bond here that would weather anything. If Jesse had lived, I wouldn’t doubt he, Ellie, and Dina would have lived together to raise the baby together. Meanwhile Abby’s triangle had Owen seeming to unable to let go of the past he and Abby had together, that poor bastard was still in love with her, and how that supplemented the slow deterioration of all three’s friendship. I was sad to see Mel turn on Abby the way she did but like. I mean.  Dude was ready to leave Mel in the dust for Abby despite HIM GETTING MEL PREGNANT. Abby also kinda did drag everyone into this, even if it was of their own violation. Oof. Though it did feel like she was angry at both Abby and Owen equally, not just blaming Abby for everything there... or at least the romantic relationship part. Honestly probably one of the few times I actually enjoyed a love triangle in a story, or at least of this caliber.

-Isaac, the leader of the WLF? He was cool as fuck. I love how much character they packed into him without even showing him too much. Like there was a scene where Nora mentions she tried to question Isaac about Owen and she said “he gave her that fucking look and told her to drop it”. Hell, when he was talking to Abby, he isn’t that much taller than her but he felt like he outright dwarfed her with the way he carried himself and how they reacted to him. I love shit like that man. But anyway fuck Isaac. uwu

-Not gonna lie I kinda wish I got to see the leader of the Seraphites, but it was hella cool to learn that she had been dead already and how the Seraphites operated with and without her. I don’t think I found everything regarding that specific point in game, but it sounded a lot like a peaceful religious leader who’s words and teachings were twisted to suit the goals of corrupt members of the tribe. She was essentially an equivalent to Jesus, at least to the Seraphites.

-I honestly really loved all of the characters introduced but I have to admit that Lev and Yara were standouts. Yara’s one hell of a big sister, lemme tell you, and the lengths she went through to make sure Lev was safe really shooketh me. AND LEV. MY CHILD. MY SON. To those of you who are familiar with the LGBT+ controversy around the game, he and Ellie are what people are complaining about. Ellie because she’s gay, Lev because he’s trans.

Lev in particular was heartbreaking. His tribe were outright hunting him for who he was, as well as Yara because she chose to protect him. The mindset the tribe had was pretty much isolated to them though.

And jesus. That scene with him and his mother? Fuck.

-YARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA :( BRUH that scene pissed me off, fuck you Isaac, you bastard.

-THE SCENE. WHEN YOU PLAY AS ABBY. AND YOU FIGHT ELLIE. WAS SO FUCKING COOL. AND SCARY. Ellie man, that section really showed how efficient and smart she is. She legit tricked me a few times not gonna lie, like I thought she didn’t see me but she’d pretend she wouldn’t, only to ambush me with a FUCKING MOLY. Also the fact that the game outright says “hey uhhhhh you can’t actually take her head on, she’ll fuck you up in a heartbeat bro”. Welp. A really strange mix of horror and sadness and pride there. Hm. :/

-Mom!Ellie was so fucking sweet to see. And it made me catch a glimpse of hope that Ellie actively tried to soldier through for her fam’s sake. But she clearly had demons she had to confront and I’m angry at Tommy for disrupting her and Dina’s life, but it felt necessary. Still made me sick to my stomach to watch her go after Dina fucking BEGS HER TO STAY. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

-Speaking of Tommy, it was so sad to see how much he fell after Joel’s death. It really showed just how much he was like his brother though; underneath a gentle man is someone you best not trifle with, and is very familiar with doing horrific things to reach a goal. Because fuckin hell, Tommy is legit a badass. That sniper part was SO. COOL. Aaaaand terrifying. RIP Manny. :/

-Bro, I’m very curious to see more about the Rattlers but. They were fucked up in a special kind of way. There’s no telling what they did to those people they captured and enslaved. Seeing Abby in the state she was in after seeing her throughout all the game in tip-top shape was painful. That poor girl was literally skin and bones and... just beaten down.

-ELLIE AND ABBY’S FINAL FIGHT WAS SO SAD. I HATED (but I loved) EVERY SECOND OF IT. I was so scared Ellie had fully lost herself there, when she threatens an unconscious Lev to force Abby to fight, who at that point, very clearly didn’t want to. Honestly. Ellie clearly didn’t either, far as I could tell, but it felt like it was the only way she knew how to confront everything. Fight it, until you kill it, or you die. It also felt like Abby understood that since she was in Ellie’s shoes once upon a time.

-I don’t care what anyone else says I’m so happy Ellie let Abby go. I’m so glad she chose not to go through with it. For so long Ellie has been angry and resentful about a lot of things, and she never got a choice once throughout the majority of her journey. As much as I will 100% agree with Joel sayin “fuck this supposed cure, fuck the Fireflies”, it’s not fair of him, or the Fireflies, to just outright take that choice from her, that she didn’t really have one to begin with. She was justifiably angry with Joel and the moment she chooses to try and forgive him, he dies. Another choice stolen away from her. The fact that she chose mercy despite everything, and it was prompted by a memory of Joel, the very reason she was doing this, is profound to me. Like she finally understood why he did what he did, and why he said he’d absolutely do it all over again. Hell, she probably even reached the understanding that her and Abby really aren’t that different from one another in that aspect.

-Ellie returning to an empty home, with Dina and JJ gone, was heartwrenching. I fully understand why Dina left and she honestly had every right to, but it still hurt man. :C AND ELLIE. PLAYING THE SONG JOEL MADE/SUNG FOR HER. ALWAYS KILLED ME. But this instance in particular was something else man like fuck I balled like a baby. Especially when it was followed by the fact that Ellie and Joel were on the cusp of mending their broken relationship only for it to be ripped away man. Goddamnit.

-ELLIE AND JOEL DUET NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. FUCKIN HELL I love this game.

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

So, this isn’t really a review more than it is me just sharing some of my thoughts on the game, but if ya want me to give it a rating? 10/10. If not a perfect score? At least a 9/10.

The Last Of Us as a series is one that’s moved me more than any other game I can think of honestly (outside of Telltale’s The Walking Dead), and just like the first one, LoU2 left me thinking about it for hours after. It’s thought-provoking, it’s compelling, it’s fun as fuck, aaaaand it’s made me cry like a baby a good number of times. I also really appreciate the fact that, in this game, they actually show the consequences of your actions. Like, they made you consider the fact that you aren’t just killing grunts to get to the next enemy or mowing through mindless drones. You’re killing people, who have lives, and friends, and families.

We got to see Joel for who he was: a very broken man, with a very dark past, who has done very horrible things in this shitty post apocalyptic world, but he is a father, and protective, and loving and thoughtful, who will do anything, anything, to protect Ellie. Blood or not, Ellie is through and through his child. But Abby only saw a monster, and could you blame her? He killed her father, and countless others, and she never got the full story. Just that a man came in and killed the entire hospital, put an end to even the smallest possibility of finding a cure, killed her dad in cold blood, and walked away no problem. And then it cycles right back to Ellie, where Abby becomes her monster.

It’s just some grade-A storytelling as far as I’m concerned, and I’m someone who usually prefers happy endings. LoU always leaves me feeling bittersweet but goddamn do I love this series. I’m kinda hoping for a DLC, to be honest? Like LoU part one, where you found out about Ellie and Riley. I wanna see what happens to Ellie; I get the distinct feeling she returns to Jackson and hopefully scrounges out some semblance of a decent life there, after confronting Tommy and (hopefully) making peace with Dina. But we’ll see! uwu

[kilibaggins]

so I loved your last post with parents Murphamy but how about mpreg Murphamy

Somebody request a Fic of these Headcanons so I don't feel bad writing something that not a Request 😂😂

OOOOO OKAY OKAY

I was hoping someone would ask this 😂😂

THE ENDING IS SUPER CHEESY WOW

Okay so, I'm not really used to Mpreg so I googled some stuff and like... Imma do the whole "Another Hole Opens When Pregnant" thing... Lol

Mentions of Abortion Consideration and Almost going through with it. Spoiler Alert: No actual Abortion.

The way it is written is not meant to shame or belittle anybody's choice. It is simply to show what he could choose to do, and what he Personally does.

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

Murphy is the one who gets Pregnant

Hes like "the fuck" cux hes never heard of this happening before

According to Abby it's a very rare case that happens with some people who are born on the Ark.

So he was born with the ability to do this

They didn't know

He gets prego.

And wow Murphy is TERRIFIED

He doesn't want to tell Bellamy because well... He's just scared

He doesn't really have a logical reason to being scared he just is.

Abby convinces him that its better to talk about it now than actually wait until his stomach starts growing.

She also brings up Abortion as an option.

Murphy is actually surprised that Abby would suggest it, without Bellamy knowing first, it's like she wouldn't have cared id Bellamy had a day or not.

Which I guess Murphy technically decides Bellamy's input doesn't matter that much, considering he takes the pills Abby gives him, then throws them up immediately after.

He realizes he personally couldn't do that to his future child.

He sees this as a fresh start.

A chance to do what his mother didn't do; care.

Murphy has no clue what he was thinking when he ended up in front of Bellamy's tent with the empty Pill packets In hand.

He has no clue what he's doing when he opens the tent flap and walks in.

Bellamy is sitting that the small desk they moved in there for the many

Murphy gulps and takes a drop breath and Bellamy is scared immediately.

He looks at Murphy hand and sees the packets and his stomach drops.

"Wh- What's that Murph?"

"I didn't go through with it."

They end up taking for a long time that night about it.

Murphy probably apologizing a million times for even thinking about taking the pills.

Bellamy reassuring him and telling him it's alright, he'd never force him to have this child.

The actual pregnancy is so hard.

Murphy's body (obviously) isn't exactly built completely for carrying a child so he gets really weak at one point.

Bellamy is like 1000000X more Protective.

He scares the shit out of Miller one day by getting in his face all pissed off

"Excuse me, what did you just say?"

"I- I was just asking him to move over so I could get through."

"Goddamn Babe, Chill."

Bellamy will steal pillows from the medbay when people aren't using them to simply make his tent as comfy as possible for Murphy to be.

C U D D L E S

Okay wow I wanna write so much but I'd have to write a fanfic. I might do it tbh.

Bellamy 100% thinks it's a girl.

Murphy is adamant that its a boy.

Everyone just agrees with Murphy because

1.) Murphy is already scary normally, let alone when he's hormonal.

And 2.) They just think hed know Best since hes actually carrying the kid.

Ut it's mostly Number 1

When it actually comes to the last two months Murphy is forced to stay in the Medbay because hes too weak

Hes too skinny, even though hes pregnant as fuck.

Abby says the baby is taking as much nutrients as possible and Murphy body just naturally doesn't gain fat easily so it's harder.

Murphy is already calling the kid "little parasite".

"He's a little parasite ain't He?"

"SHE'S a little parasite."

The actual birth is terrifying because it's a month early because There were complications with Murphy's body starting to give out.

Bellamy was freaking out the whole time. He Basically ran through camp to go find Clarke and scream at her about the baby coming

(Just had the funniest thought. Picture Bellamy like Manny for the Ice Age movies when his wife is pregnant. He just runs around screaming about the baby coming for a few minutes.)

All the lasting delinquents are trying to cram into the small hallways outside of the room.

Which isn't easy.

LITERALLY THE HALLWAY IS SO FULL IT TAKES BELLAMY FOREVER TO GET THROUGH

like excuse me y'all?? Father coming through?? FUCKING MOVE.

But turns out Bellamy was worried about getting there fast for no reason because honestly Murphy was basically chilling other than the pain.

He wasn't even freaking out, just reacting when he was in pain, and thats it.

Okay, let's be honest. Murphy is freaking out. Just not Outwardly.

He asked Abby to spew a bunch of facts about Male Pregnancy to him so he could concentrate on that instead.

The birth is fairly painful, and dangerous.

Especially considering its a month early, and in Male Pregnancy usually the baby needs the whole amount of time because o how much harder it is.

All of the delinquents are literally never going to mention the crying they hear.

Never. They know they'd die before the word "Murphy" came out of their mouths.

After a long ass time the delinquents hear a babies cry from the room and they all applaud like idiots.

Abby smirks at Murphy when she checks to see, and sure enough.

It's a boy.

Murphy just uses that against Bellamy forever after this but let's not go off topic.

They name him Alex. After Murphy's Dad, and his middle name is Aurora for Bellamy's mom. Yes. He was a "Girls" middle name.

Bellamy And Murphy say fuck your gender roles.

Murphy's the first to hold him and dear God the SPARK IN HIS EYE.

"Hehehehe... H- Hey lil' Parasite."

Bellamy Basically dies and just sits there staring at them both.

The first person to hold him outside of those two (and Abby but let's ignore that)

Is Octavia. She actually cries when she sees her Nephew for the first time.

And then she cries more when she learns his name.

Fast Forward to when Murohy is actually healthy again, and can actually move.

Theyre the most protective parents ever.

Murphy makes sure to threaten people a lot

But also hes super loving and will just hold his baby all night if he has to.

Everytime his fathers name was said before, John Murphy would get violent, depressed, pissed off.

But now he hears the name "Alex" come from the father of his child's mouth. And all he can think is Love.

[rosesnink]

The Damned Daughter, Part 1: Me and My Broken Heart

A/N: This is a prequel that will explain the world that I’ve created, how everything works and how Joanna has become the woman she is as we know her. This goes before The Cursed Heiress and will have a certain order to read. Some chapters will be before the happenings, some will narrate another point of view on the chapter (obviously published). 

Summary: The Circle is now on edge with the birth of Joanna and Mary struggles with being a mother after centuries being on her own / Months later, we see how Mary manages being a mother of the most expected child in centuries / A witch-hunt has started and Mary and Joanna must take measures to avoid being caught / Mary makes a decision that could change the course of her undercover life in Grovershire that will mark Joanna forever. 

Word Count: 3712 

November 1795

The old man slammed a fist on the table, his long beard showing “This is a scam! The girl had one job, the easiest one, and she failed!” He roared.

The male crowd chanted in agreement “She didn’t just got humiliated by a mortal and got pregnant of him without any of his aid, she gave birth to a girl!”.

The males roared angrily as some looked at him with despite and disgust. The man tried to calm the situation “Gentlemen, I understand your concern—”.

“We should have done it The Circle style! These mortals are very complex and meek.”

The room started to chant angrily, the control once lost. Uzaric Crochane felt now helpless, looking how these men called his beloved Odessa -who called herself among mortals Mary- every nasty things.

He tried to hold them off, but failed miserably.

“ENOUGH!” A loud, feminine voice called. Who else than his beloved wife and big matriarch, Vivian Whitmore. All the men stopped, now silent and intimidated by the matriarch, her tall, slim and old figure showing. She was 1005 years old, the oldest witch ever. The strongest and most powerful, she who brought five of the strongest warriors alive: Niklaus, Lucien, Nya, Nene and Odessa. Buried three other stillborn children, lost in childhood other two. If the world wasn’t so cruel, the Crochane dynasty would have ten heirs, but instead it had three “I can scarcely believe we are behaving like those who we promised to never be like. Judging a woman for not one, but three things she never asked for? Risking the Peace Treaty because the awaited child is a girl? What are we, chromes?” Her voice wasn’t as loud, but it was commanding “Over the centuries we’ve seen women thrive and save us all without a man’s guide, and now you think that you have the right to shun the poor girl? For giving birth to another girl?”.

“She should have killed that Robert guy and his wife, even that Henrietta and taken over the estate! Odessa has become weak since she became mortal!” A man scoffed “The Odessa I know had killed men over less than that.”

“Rupert Foredale will be taken care of, Wazax, I assure you, just as everyone he cares for. And Vincent Foredale… well, as much as I’d enjoy kill him myself, needs to be alive until Feyre grows up. He is the key to the prophecy and total transformation of our Feyre, who’ll evolve to Vunera.” The men nodded as she recited the last and most important part of the prophecy “After the death of the weakest patriarch, the six-bred will evolve to full Goddess, accepted and welcomed as Vunera, the Goddess of the Peace and Tranquillity, bringing the realms the desired peace until the end of times.” She looked at the men “Do not test a woman’s power because of her sex. After all, all of you gentlemen are witnesses of what it will be the most powerful creature that has ever lived since the tribids, which one of them is my dear Amatis.”

Some shuddered at the mention of Amatis, a rather bloody-thirsty and deadly warrior who was someone you shall not enrage. She was a witch as her father, half a vampire and half banshee, like her mother. She was dangerous, for she could tear you apart and was able to see when someone was about to die and had magic at her hands. She was feared and many people quivered at the mention of her name. She was redheaded, like her father, with green mischievous eyes and the Crochane smirk. Her twin sister, Freya, was a hybrid: half witch, half banshee. The only one who was any of these rare kinds was Mikael, a very well-respected warlock who was awfully supportive over his sisters.

“This is what we’ll do: you will accept the child just as you accepted my dear Lucien’s children and will call upon the races in war against us, offering a strong woman who will grow to be our biggest, most powerful creation ever. Let’s start with summoning the Kings of the strongest species…”.

Nya found herself calming down her sister, the strongest of them all, wailing and screaming of pain, and not exactly because of the baby, but of the deep despair and heartbreak she was going through. Nya thought that giving birth would help her through, but made it worse instead. She knew childbirth was traumatic and even scary -and yet those poor mortal women gave birth with high possibilities of dying because their duty was to become mothers. Sigh, mortal logic is the dumbest logic- but she didn’t know that it’d change a woman forever. Her shape changed: her breasts grew, so did her thighs and she became a whole other person during the process; emotional, sensible, vulnerable, weak, meek.

The Odessa she knew had died in that bed: one that once never quivered or wavered, always with her head high, one that earned respect everywhere she went, a true leader now shattered. She begged her little Fenris to ask a physician about what was happening to her: they called it postpartum depression. She was always in bed, crying silently while the little girl cried to be fed and attended while Odessa would scream to make her stop, but the baby wouldn’t budge. Nya told nobody, but sometimes, when Odessa wouldn’t move, she breastfed the little girl herself. She had to ask a midwife’s guidance and it was a very eye-opening experience. What made worth all that pain, all the struggles, the restless nights.

She had become fond of the girl: she had the Crochane blue eyes, some speculating that she could inherit her red hair. Watching the girl sleep, satisfied with the attention, happy, fed, loved…

“Odessa… I know what you went though was tough and painful, but right now, we need you… your daughter needs you. You need to heal, go back to that village and complete your mission—”.

“You don’t understand, Nya! I cannot do it!” She wailed.

“Why? Surely—”.

“I’M GOING TO DIE.” She screamed on the top of her lungs, thing that woke up the little princess, who was again crying.

Odessa grunted while jabbing her palms on her head. Nya had enough of this foolish behaviour and cradled the girl and made Odessa cradle her “Look at her! Look at her well! Get your shit together, Minerva!”.

Odessa looked at her shocked. No one since the 1200s called her by her middle name, Minerva. She nodded as she looked at the girl: she had chubby cheeks, big blue eyes and milky skin, the same tone as her Vincent. She started to rock her, calming the poor soul who was guilty of nothing but being caught at the wrong situation.

“Shh, my girl, shh.” She saw how the girl cooed at her and reached to her and she smiled, kissing the top of her head. She looked at Nya and smirked “Back at the village, when I gave birth to the girl, I didn’t name her Feyre as mother planned.”

“What’s her name then?”.

“Joanna. Joanna Feyre Crochane.”

January 1796

“May I present… Grand Duchess Odessa and the heiress of the house, Duchess Feyre Crochane!” The herald roared and the crowd went wild!

Everyone gathered around to celebrate the first year of the heiress to the house and if Odessa played her cards well, the throne. Many girls swooned over her baby cheeks and small, chubby figure, beaming and cooing happily. Nya and Nene were in another float. They paraded all over the Circle as people yelled how much they loved the small Duchess already. There was a moment where her little Joanna sneezed and the crowd melted over such an adorable sound, thing that made her beam and move her small legs and arms. She was only three months old, but she aspired to be smart. She was a very brave baby who laughed when her dragon, Jaskier, growled at her or when even the Devil came to see her and she threw him at the face her food, thing that he did not appreciate.

It was hard work because she always cried just when she was heading to bed and she did not appreciate it, but once she saw her chubby face crying, she could not resist. Auburn hair started to grow slowly and every time she raged, the whole ground shook.

There were some tranquil nights were she just observed her little princess sleep, licking her thumb and have dreams. Some nights, she could even still feel Vincent’s arms around her, beaming at their little girl, then kissing her cheek and asking her to come back to bed, but it was just an illusion. What he did to her was the worst humiliation possible over her 775 years of life. Betrayed, alone, abandoned… too many emotions for just a woman like her. For centuries she had suffered many betrayals: she had been ratted out for being a witch, chained in the Tower Of London, a mutiny of her lover when she was a pirate, almost burned because of those fucking Christians, casted out of England for neglecting Henry’s VIII affections during Katherine of Aragon’s second pregnancy, tortured by Hernán Cortes, kidnapped by her grandfather because he was hexed… she was so terrified of what he could do to her, yet she had never cried so much just as she cried when Vincent abandoned her for some blondie who was tasteless and desperate. It was like she had a million cuts all over her heart and her soul was beaten up and she felt so hurt, so angry, so betrayed, so abandoned…

She screamed into the void, thinking it’d become better, but then she saw how happy he was for his newly pregnant wife. She thought of writing him, telling him about her little princess, but then she remembered that he did. He wasn’t deserving of her. Her beautiful eyes, full of light and life, her laugh that filled the void of her heart and restored her soul the moment she cradled her, her soft expression every time she called her name…

The parade stopped and she had to finish the party, so put a smile on her face and lifted Joanna to the sky, where the ancestors could observe her and it poured petal pink rain: it meant that her path would be rough, difficult and uncertain, but that if she played her cards well, she could thrive. Everyone sacrificed animals, thing that made Joanna cry.

Everyone was at her door, awaiting to see the baby and shower her in presents and adoration. She waved at them and Joanna beamed, making the whole crowd swoon.

An hour after, it was time that Joanna had her sleep and she kissed her head, making her yawn and sleep.

“Seems like this time it wasn’t so hard.” A familiar voice smirked.

She turned around to see Elias, on his usual attire from the 1600s and his long, white hair and his deep green eyes, tall as ever. She smiled at him and greeted him.

“It’s been a while. How about if we go for a walk?”.

“… I’d like that.”

May 1807

It had been three months since Joanna received the last power before start transitioning and getting used to the power she held inside her. She had tried to tell her daughter about her true condition, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. She feared for her. She was out of control, too much power on such a small child. Ever since, Elias had been there, holding down the forte until she could find a steady anchor. Briar didn’t seemed an enough one, for she always encouraged her to do naughty things. Every time they argued, the floor ended up trembling. Odessa was hopeless, while Elias would never lose hope. There had to be someone out there who could help her. People started to talk about a dark force among them, one that would be their downfall. They started to question people.

Well, more like young girls, Joanna’s age. Odessa feared for her life, because if she didn’t die, she would unleash chaos and she wasn’t ready. Not yet. Not when she received a letter saying that by the year 1816, the world would be full of old dark forces looking for her downfall. The witches’ downfall.

“Miss Mills? Scotland Yard, open the door.”

She straightened herself and opened the door, looking at them impassive. One of them was smoking a big cigar, while the other had a cruel smirk on his face.

“Is your daughter home? We’d like to ask some friendly questions.”

She nodded as she offered them tea and the best seats for them as she called upon her daughter, who was reading a book. She spoke into her mind

Joanna, my dearest, you must lie to these men, for they cannot know we exist. Tell them you have a very bad temper and you’re working on it. Don’t look threatening. Be calm. Do not give them power over your emotions. Lay your head low, don’t talk back, be polite. Don’t you ever tremble or hesitate, for these men are very dangerous, butchers.

“Joanna, my beautiful girl, there are some nice men who want to talk to you.”

“Of course, Mama.”

She bowed her head in signal of respect and stood there, showing no emotions, like she was taught.

“Miss Mills… have you felt anything different in you?”.

“My Mama told me that at this age I shall find some differences in my body and voice, perhaps my behaviour.”

“Have you noticed anything… out of place in this town?”.

“I wouldn’t know, sir. I just do my chores and help Mama out, I don’t pay attention to these things.”

The man chuckled “An obedient, good girl, eh? That’s good, lass. Do you believe in witches, young lady?”.

“No, sir. I believe, just as Mama does, that is an old wives’ tale. A mere myth to scare us.”

The man with the cigar got up, examining young Joanna. He smiled like a predator and Odessa held back to trick him to get his hands off her daughter, for the tension was already palpable.

“Did you know that redheads are ought to be well hidden witches?”.

“I may have heard, but I find it preposterous. I am a normal, young lass, sir, who works to get a living and find a fitting husband.”

The man chuckled, some smoke getting in Joanna’s face, but she never wavered. He patted her shoulder “That’d be all, lass. It’s your lucky day, no charges.” He looked at Mary and smirked “Have a good day, Miss Mills.”

They both bowed “You too, Detective.”

They waited until the men were far away before sighing of relief. Odessa hugged her daughter, kissing her temple “You did well, my girl. We are no longer suspects. Now go, Elias waits for you and your lesson. Make sure you’re not followed.”

“Yes, Mama.”

1810

Odessa was talking to her newest, rather amiable friend Mrs. Coleman as she giggled about Mr. Gibbs’s son making heart eyes at Miss Daly, her dear Pavarti’s daughter, wondering if she’d feel the same or she’d break his heart, adding it to her list. Odessa chuckled as she shook her head, amused by her wonderings.

“Did you also noticed how happier your Joanna has been ever since she and my eldest boy started to court? My boy won’t shut up about how happy he is beside her, getting to know her. I think he’s more than smitten. He might be in love!”.

“He seems to be absolutely whipped about my dear Jo, indeed. It almost reminds me of her father’s gaze… unwavering, unyielding and completely enamoured. Sometimes I swear I can see him, smiling at me… but he is in fact buried and I cannot do nothing to reverse it.”

Mrs. Coleman was about to question her when Thomas himself stormed into the room, eyes wide, nervous and stuttering some nonsense. Mrs. Coleman scolded him for his poor manners and he cleared his throat, gaining his composure again “Ms. Mills, may I have a word?” He looked at his mother “Alone. Tis a private matter.”

Mrs. Coleman nodded, now seeing her son’s game and beaming, winking at Odessa to then close the door shut, leaving utter privacy to them.

“How can I help you, boy? Come, I won’t bite you.”

“Yes, I know, I just thing this occasion I must be on my feet.” He cleared his throat and Odessa observed he had put on his Sunday clothes. Something was going on, indeed “It is no secret that you daughter Joanna Mills has captivated me completely ever since the moment I saw her and I am honoured that you allowed me to court her. I’d like to think that she and I are a match made in Heaven, for I haven’t met someone who I feel so coordinated, intelligent, capable, strong and positively charming as Joanna.” He took a deep breath as he knelt down to her “That’s why, miss, I beg of you to concede me the honour to… propose to your daughter this Friday, after the governor’s speech.”

Odessa’s eyes went wide as she chuckled, not believing her eyes “These are joyous news, but… are you certain, boy? You are but 18!”.

“I’ve never been so certain in my life, Ms. Mills.”

She was about to give her answer when she remembered the Elders and their schemes. She frowned as she thought of an excuse to make him wait a bit longer. What if they tried to kill the poor boy?

“Thomas… I’d love to give you an answer, but there are some things about her education and womanly matters I’d like to discuss with the family. It doesn’t mean that it’s a no… but neither a yes. Can you wait until Thursday?”.

“I’ve been waiting for your daughter for 10 years, I think I can manage three days.”

Odessa placed a comforting hand on his shoulder “You are a great boy, Thomas. Never doubt that.”

Nya gasped “Proposal? Like, marriage proposal?!”.

“Ye—”.

“Ridiculous. They’re too young to be engaged! I have never been engaged and I’m 800 years old. I think Feyre can live without a man just fine.”

“I mean… I have lived without a man just fine.”

“It’s different, Nya. You are a sapphic, you aren’t even attracted to the men.”

“I’m actually—”.

“Odessa, the Elders have spoken.”  

She nodded as she went to that charming yet scary chamber of theirs. Many ghosts were there, looking at her and she curtsied in signal of respect “I take you’ve made your decision?”.

“Yes, indeed. It wasn’t easy, Minerva, but we’ve reached an agreement.”

Another Elder spoke “You know we are the only ones who can see millions of lives lived and endings and possibilities and after consulting our Gods, we’ve reached a decision.”

“We have decided that…” Odessa held her breath “we shall accept this engagement of Feyre with the Coleman boy as much as it can last until she reaches the age of 20, for she’ll have to meet sooner or later the Earl for—”.

“I am dying and my hex is inevitable, I know.” She frowned “Any leads about who could have done that?”.

“Not yet, but soon, trust us.”

“I shall deliver the news back to Earth.”

Friday night

Everyone was speaking about the annual speech of the governor, always so proper and stiff. Thomas couldn’t stop staring at Joanna, who was beside her mother and listening to Briar’s gossip about the governor’s mistress in Manchester, a married woman with three children she declared.

Thomas saw that everyone was gathered in the room when he shyly climbed to the fountain and gathered everyone’s attention “First of all, congratulations to our governor’s eloquent and inspiring speech. Second of all, I’d like to say a few words to a certain girl who is present tonight.” His eyes fell on a very confused Joanna “Joanna, when you first came to this town, I couldn’t believe my eyes. So young, yet so wise and educated, strong and open minded, I was awe-struck with you. During these years and especially these months I’ve never met someone who I could be myself around without feeling embarrassed or thinking about if I was making a fool of myself. I have found someone who has such an inspiring insight of the world, how many possibilities are in the world and that there’s more than meets the eye.” He smiled at her as Briar and her mother encouraged her to meet him and she realized what was going on. “I love you, Joanna Feyre Mills. Ever since the moment I saw you, I was. And I’d like to prove everyone that I am enough for you.”

He jumped off the fountain and dropped on one knee, his face beaming on the moonlight “Joanna… will you make me the happiest, luckiest and most complete man and marry me?”.

“Thomas… Tommy…” A few tears came to her glistened eyes. She got him up and smiled as wide as she could “Yes!!! Yes, a thousand times yes!!!”.

Everyone cheered for the couple as some guys grunted, damning the stupid Coleman boy for having her first and now until they were husband and wife. Joanna grabbed Thomas’s face and kissed him passionately, making the elders chuckle as Odessa shook her head. She had never been so happy for Joanna… not since her Vincent proposed to her.

Briar ran towards them, squealing and asking for details as Pavarti and Mrs. Coleman spoke of the wedding, how it’d be and many, many awful details.

That night everyone celebrated the newest engagement, dancing around and eating Mrs. Daly’s delicious delicacies as Thomas and Joanna giggled, their eyes and hands on each other.

Odessa knew that this wouldn’t last, but that was a conversation that she’d have later.

“For now, let her be happy.” She said, looking at the moon, the same moon that made certain that she and her Vincent weren’t so far from each other. 

[edyacouky]

Can I still have my Happy Ever Ending ? (1/2)

Here my first participation for @omegajasontoddweek

Day 01 : Lactation

This story happen just after Can I protect you? (Tumblr / AO3)

Hope you Enjoy

                                                         ~*~

After Roy announces his pregnancy to Jason, they decide not tell anyone, not even their daughters, for the first three months. Just in case they lost their baby.

It is the first time Roy is the pregnant one. For Lian and Eliza he is their father.

He is a little curious and anxious about it. Jason’s pregnancy was such a difficult one.

Well, because Joker beats him, so if Roy avoid any bad guy he should be fine.

But it’s hard to forget how terrified he was during Eliza’s birth.

Fortunately, the first three month go well.

Roy and Jason decide first tell the news to their daughters. They were so sure their daughters will be happy once they will hear the new, that they didn’t know how to react when Lian cries and yells.

Her scent reek from despair and she’s babbling something but it’s incomprehensible for them.

Eliza is only two years old so she just doesn’t understand what really happen. Her parents seemed happy until her older sister cries. So, Eliza starts to cry too.

“Please, pumpkins. Calm down. Roy tells her while Jason took Eliza in his arms. Why are you crying? I though you liked being an older sister.”

Lian keeps crying and yelling, trying to explain herself but her sentences are cut by her gasps.

“That’s ok, pumpkins. Breath then talk. That’s ok.” Roy tells her

Eliza doesn’t have any real reason to be upset so Jason succeeds to makes her stop crying. But she still loving in his arms. She is a very affectionate pup.

After some minutes, what Lian tries to say become comprehensible for her parents and what they hear break their heart.

“Don’t die, Daddy. She cries. Please don’t have another baby. It’s so scary. Please don’t do it.

-Oh sweetheart. Jason says caressing her hairs. I’m so sorry.”

Despite having Eliza and Jason safe and sound now, the event of her birth is still traumatizing for Roy and Jason. And apparently for Lian too.

“Everything will be alright, pumpkins. I promise you. What happens before was an anomaly. I won’t die.

-Promise?

-Promise.

-Everything will be alright. Your Daddy will be fine. I promise.”

After a lot of more hugs, Lian finishes by accepting the news. She is still wary but she stop crying for now.

Roy and Jason decide to keep a close eye on her during the pregnancy to make sure she stops be afraid.

Their families take well the news. They all give congratulation to them, promising to be there for them at any moment. Oliver and Bruce are glad to learn they will have another grandchild to spoil. Since Jason reconciled with his family, a competition between start to know which one is the best grandfather.

Lian and Eliza understand that very well and when Oliver ask which Grandpa they prefer they answer “Grandpa Bruce”, and when Bruce as, they say “Grandpa Ollie”.

Roy and Jason realize they should probably stop this. But it’s pretty funny.

                                                      ~*~

Suddenly during the fifth month of his pregnancy, Roy as the disagreeable surprise to realize his lactation starts. His chest hurt him and he is unable to find a correct bra.

“You didn’t buy one when you were pregnant? Roy ask him one day after he put his third tee shirt in the laundry before breakfast

-Well, I was in hospital so I was bra free.

-Oh yeah. That’s right. Roy says staring at Jason’s chest with a horny glow in his eyes. A shame we couldn’t take advantage of it.

-Yeah … a shame, really.”

For a moment, they forget everything else. They still look at each other before going to kiss when a sudden sound from the kitchen that surprised them.

“What happens?

-Nothing. Lian answer with a tone that definitely means that something happen

-I will find you a good bra.” Jason promised giving a peck on Roy lips

He immediately goes see what their daughters did.

                                                      ~*~

It’s take a while but Jason keeps his word and found the perfect kind of bra for Roy. And it’s a good thing because his body starts to produce milk too.

Roy works at home, but Jason works in a freaking public high school!

He doesn’t realize at first why some of his students laugh or refuse to look at his direction.

“Something you want to share with the class? He asks annoyed

-It is rather up to us to ask you the question.” One of his student smiles

Jason frowns and he’s ready to ask what the little alpha means by that, but one beta blushing furiously show his shirt.

Jason raises one of his eyebrows and looks down.

Two spots around his nipples appear during his lesson. He blushes furiously and tries to hide it, which it’s a bad decision to make in front of teenagers.

“Does that mean you pregnant? One of his student ask

-Do you know the sex of your baby?

-When you will be on leave?

-You already have two daughters, right?

-For how long?

-You must want a boy, right?

-Will you have a replacement or will we have no lesson during all this time?

-Enough!” Jason yells

Everyone shut up immediately. Jason sight and answers:

“It’s not your business. But it’s my husband who is pregnant, so I would not take a leave more than two weeks and a replacement is already provided. Now back to the lesson.”

Despite his embarrassment, he keeps his lesson as professional as he could.

He didn’t want to be pregnant because of the entire disadvantage it has on his body. But his body seems want stick together with Roy.

This pregnancy will be challenging too.

[dumbledearme]

Unpopular opinion:

TROS works. For me at least. And here’s why:

So... I have never been a die hard Star Wars fan. In fact, although I do love the story, the setting, the world, I always kind of thought the original trilogy was a Luke Snoozefest (#sorrynotsorry). I was under the impression that the three original movies were unnecessary and that George Lucas could’ve told the same story in just one movie, and that would’ve worked much better.

In 2015, I went to watch TFA by accident, mostly because there was nothing else to watch at the time. And boy was I shook. SHOOK, I TELL YOU. I got out of the movies completely in love with Rey and thinking that Kylo Ren was the greatest character to ever live.

And even though I wasn’t a fan at the time, I could clearly tell that TFA was an ode to the old Star Wars movies. It was telling me, essentially, the same story that it’d told 30 years ago: a hero comes out of the desert to save the galaxy from the bad guy in a mask. Yep. Thank you very much. 

Not only that, every single one of the new characters were cleverly written to replace someone else in the franchise: Rey is Luke, Kylo is Vader, Poe is Han, Finn is Leia, etc. The new trilogy starts the exact same way as the old one did, with a droid being found by the unsuspected hero, guarding very important information, which, in my mind, was already a hint that the new trilogy would also, fatefully and rightfully, end the same way the original trilogy did.

I’m not gonna lie to you, I liked TFA because the protagonist was a girl and because Adam Driver is amazing and he delivers Kylo Ren like it’s nobody’s business. But the story is intriguing and the building, at least to me, made a lot of sense and had a lot of potential. I knew from the start that Rey had to be someone’s daughter, not because she was the main character, or because she was clearly going to become a Jedi, but because of her raw potential and the consistent hints at her parentage, which, in a movie like this, are rarely gratuitos. 

Sure TLJ introduces the concept that anyone can be powerful, or a Jedi, or save the galaxy, and that is a truly powerful idea, but they weren’t necessarily saying that Rey was a nobody: I think they were saying that she should stop looking for who her parents were because ultimately it doesn’t matter. Rey being related to Palpatine in TROS doesn’t matter, it only tells you where her raw strength and potential for darkness comes from. What really matters is the choice she makes in the end to belong to the light, to belong to the Skywalkers. Rey being a Palpatine is balance because it tells you she comes from the villain’s side, but it doesn’t mean she is a villain, just as Ben comes from the hero’s side, but he's chosen to be Kylo Ren. 

Not to mention that as far back as 2017 there were already theories that Rey was a Palpatine, so some fans did pick up on that from the beginning. And I have to say, looking back, that I get what they mean. Especially with the fighting scenes: Rey usually overpowers Kylo Ren using anger, fear and aggression, things that, according to Yoda “the dark side are they...” 

So ultimately, I was not mad about that. Just as I wasn’t mad about Palpatine being the main villain. It seemed right (?) because, like I said before, the new trilogy is essentially the same as the old one. Palpatine is the archenemy of Skywalker. When you think about it, the Skywalker line even started with Palpatine (didn’t he use his power to make Anakin’s mom pregnant with him?), so it only makes sense (?) that it should end with him, too.

And since I’m on that subject, I might as well mention that, to me, it felt like Rey is actually the chosen one from the prophecy and not Anakin like we’ve been taught to believe. She used the Force to end Palpatine once and for all. She is the balance: she is Palpatine and Skywalker, she is light and dark. So, I’m sorry, but as far as I’m concerned the Skywalker who brought balance back to the Force was the one who wasn’t a Skywalker by birth and rather by choice, and I think that’s really beautiful. 

Now, let’s talk about the real elephant in the room: REYLO. 

Yes, I’m a Reylo shipper. I love Rey. I love Ben. I love them together. I wanted them to get married and have lots and lots of babies. The fandom is great and the fanfics are even better. But here’s the thing: I never, not in a million years (!!!), thought the movies were hinting at them being together. WUT 

In TFA I was like “sure would be nice if they banged” cause I could see, HELL I COULD FEEL, the chemistry between them and I was all in for it. When he met Rey, Kylo was all like “hell, Imma kill this girl”, which maybe might’ve been why I felt it would be such a clever twist if he fell in love with her. 

The charm of Kylo Ren to me (other than he being played by Adam Driver, I mean) is that he’s not your typical villain. Kylo is a child who has no idea what he’s doing or WHY he’s doing it. Someone who doesn’t have an agenda is more terrifying to me because he is unpredictable: there’s no telling what he’s going to do next because he doesn’t have a defined goal, he’s just angry and vengeful and a child with a lot of power in his hands. And in the real world that is a truly scary thing. 

But then again, back in 2015, I thought that if Kylo and Rey had fallen in love would mean that I was watching a romance and Star Wars might be many things but it was never about romance. Sure, it’s about family, it’s about love and friendship, but it was never about ~~romantic love~~. The romantic love between Han and Leia is a secondary plot and if you remove it from the movie, it changes absolutely nothing. The romance between Anakin and Padme gets more attention because it’s partially the reason why he became Darth Vader, so it was necessary, but even so it’s not what the trilogy is about: the movies were made to show how he descended to darkness and not to show how he fell in love. Like.. whatever. So I was never under the impression that we would get to see these two characters fall for each other. (Plus, it sort of felt like they were building something between Rey and Finn for a hot minute there, didn’t it?)

HOWEVER, 2017 came, TLJ happened and things got bothered and hot. Because killing Han Solo didn't bind Kylo Ren to the darkness, it made him shy away from it instead. And then the bond happened (and don't even try to tell me that it wasn't a natural thing, that it was Snoke who did it, because I won't believe you, okay? They were already connected from the moment the Force awoke inside Rey and that's why they were seeing each other in the vision when Rey first touched Luke's saber.) 

So the bond happened and I thought "my God please more". I sensed the potential for fanfiction. I wanted them to be a pair, to be together. I wanted Star Wars to be a romance, just this once, I never asked you for anything, guys! But I also knew it was wishful thinking. I didn't think the bond was building a romantic relationship between the two of them (clearly I was wrong), I thought it was a powerful connection of the mind, of the soul even, but not of the heart. I thought these two very lonely characters would find a way to relate to each other so that Rey, in the end, could be the key to pulling Ben Solo back to the light. 

I was reminded of the scene in TFA when Maz tells Rey: “Whomever you’re waiting for on Jakku, they’re never coming back. But... there’s someone who still could. The belonging you’re seeking is not behind you, it is ahead.” At the time, both Rey and I assumed Maz was talking about Luke, but after TLJ I wondered if she couldn't be referring to Ben Solo? That Rey could bring him back because of that sense of belonging that neither of them had ever experienced in their lives but started to find in each other? 

So through the bond we as an audience were able to explore both Rey and Ben's past. Their connection, their chats helped them get to know each other and get to know themselves. They explored parts of themselves that they had been previously too scared to explore alone. They were even allowed to see each other in moments of weakness and vulnerability, like when Adam Driver is shirtless #yes. That was included in the movie to show us that they were getting to know each other in a very deep level where Kylo Ren was no longer the man behind the mask, he was transparent, Rey could see into his soul. And he could see into hers so much that he saw her parents and her lineage. 

And ahh when they touched hands it was like having sex to me. I was so into it, I could hardly believe it. Rey got to see Ben behind the Kylo Ren facade more deeply than Luke could see Anakin behind Darth Vader, so it was no wonder that she had the same reaction he did. 

LUKE: ...There is good in him. I’ve felt it. He won’t turn me over to the Emperor. I can save him. I can turn him back to the good side. I have to try.

REY: There’s still conflict in him. If I go to him, Ben Solo will turn. 

The scene in the elevator, for example, and when Kylo Ren is delivering Rey to Snoke are also a clear mirror of when Darth Vader is delivering Luke to Palpatine. The dialogue is also pretty similar. To me, that was a hint that the end to this story would be a pretty close mirror, if not an exact one, to the end we’ve seen in Episode VI.

LUKE: I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate.

REY: I feel the conflict in you. It's tearing you apart.

Last week, when I went to see TROS, I was not expecting at all to get confirmation that Reylo was canon. I was expecting, however, to watch Anakin die again. I anticipated the scene where Darth Vader turns and dies in the hands of the only person who believed in him. And that’s what happened to Ben. 

Look, guys, I know it’s sad. It’s heartbreaking. I know we all love Ben Solo and we wanted him to be happy. But that was never in the cards for him and deep down we’ve known it all along. Sure, we’re just humans and we can’t help hope and cheer for a character we’re attached to. But since the moment he was marked with a scar on his face he was destined to die like Anakin died. It was bound to happen. I think it worked as faith that Ben should die doing the one thing Anakin couldn’t ever do. We see him asking for Darth Vader’s guidance, fearing that he won’t ever be as strong as Darth Vader, and then we get the confirmation that he is even more so. 

The new Vader, Snoke calls him. New and improved actually. 

The thing is all Anakin ever wanted was to save the people he loved from death and he couldn’t do that. It was the only power he was after, so why couldn’t he do it, if both Ben and Rey can? 

ANAKIN: Why did she have to die? Why couldn’t I save her? I know I could have!

PADME: Sometimes there are things no one can fix. You’re not all-powerful, Ani.

ANAKIN: Well, I should be! Someday I will be. I will be the most powerful Jedi ever. I will even learn to stop people from dying.

Why, you ask? Well, I have a theory. Anakin was always blaming Obi-Wan for holding his powers back, when, in fact, his own selfishness was doing that. And the movies tell us that being a Jedi is being selfless (heck, I think Anakin is the one who says that even). 

The Sith rely on their passion for their strength. They think inwards, only about themselves.

To me that is the difference between Anakin and Ben. Anakin was a full-on Sith. He wanted to keep his mom and Padme alive because of how much they meant to him, because of how much it would hurt HIM to lose them. That is not a good reason to want to save a person from death. Ben, on the other hand, he saves Rey because of who she is, because she is necessary to the world, she is important, she is a good person and she deserves to live, much more so than he does after all of the horrible things he has done. HE knows that. He is very much self-aware, something that Anakin was not. 

Which led me to think that perhaps, even as in love as he seemed to be, Anakin wasn’t ready to give up his life for Padme’s and that’s why he couldn’t use the Force to heal her. The key to that power is a life for a life. An exchange. And Anakin wouldn’t exchange his life for anyone’s. Not in that time of his life at least. He was just too selfish. And that’s where Ben differs from him. Anakin was only ever ready to die for someone many years later, when he met Luke. 

Remember: “fear of loss is a path of the dark side.”

Moreover, Anakin never learned everything there was to learn about the Force because the Jedi council didn’t trust him and they kept many things from him. I got the feeling that this was a power the Jedi kept hidden from everyone because they feared it and thought it unnatural. For Rey it came naturally because she was just that good of a person. Nobody taught her to do that. But she taught Ben, or at least she showed him how and that action is what saves her in the end. 

ANAKIN: Love won’t save you, Padmé. Only my new powers can do that.

But here’s the thing, Anakin. Love does save people, because it was love that allowed Ben to tap into the power and use it to exchange his life for Rey’s. 

So I’m okay with Ben’s death because I know he did for the right reasons. As for Rey’s reaction to his death... Well, wasn’t it the exact same reaction Luke had when Anakin died in his arms? I think it’s just another mirror scene, guys. 

And besides, the previous movies tells us that we should “rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force” and not mourn them. That this type of death is a good one, a happy one even. If a dialogue had happened in these scenes, it would probably have been very similar to the one between Luke and Vader. 

LUKE: You’re coming with me. I’ll not leave you here. I’ve got to save you. 

VADER: You already have. You were right. You were right about me. 

And she was, guys. She was right about him and that’s all he ever needed. Ben doesn’t need to live because he can’t make right the things he’s done wrong. Both his parents are dead because of him. He can’t make up for that. What he can do is make sure that Rey doesn’t die because of him, instead she gets to live because of him. 

Which brings me to my last subject: the death of all Skywalkers. Yes, they killed all the Skywalkers in a movie called The Rise of Skywalker. And you know what? I don’t blame them. Not one bit. 

I know most of us wanted the movie to be different, to be about Ben’s redemption, but it never was. The movies are about Rey. She is the main character. She is the one who needs to live out the legacy of Star Wars. And that means that people need to let go of the past. 

“Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.”

We can’t keep holding on to the old characters. We need to let the Skywalkers die. They’re done. It’s past. Star Wars needs to be about something else now. Rey only takes their name because she wants to honor the only family she has ever known, the family she knows she belongs to, but the Skywalkers have to be gone for a new generation to rise and prosper. Didn’t you notice that all the wars and all the destruction have something to do with that family? They had to go. 

In the end, Rey was alone in Tatooine and that’s okay. Being alone and being lonely are two different things. You can argue that she lost the love of her life and her only chance for happiness, but that’s not true. She lost one romantic pair. I know we live with the romantic notion of having just the one true love, but that’s not life. She will be fine because Ben made sure she lives! He gave her an opportunity to take her life and make a good thing out of it. Death is final. Life is full of possibilities. And he gave her that. As a woman, I feel good about the fact that she doesn’t need him in her life to have a happy ending, however harsh that may sound. I find comfort in knowing that she can think back on him, that she knows there was once this *beautiful* man and that she was able to touch him so deeply that she changed his faith entirely. She gave him hope. And he, in return, gave her life.  

I thought the movie delivered a great sense of nostalgia and longing at the same time that it cut everyone off from the past. It was done quite beautifully. 

I’m not going to deny that there are faults, that the fact that they changed writers mid-way was a mistake, and bringing JJ back when he had so much baggage wasn’t the greatest idea. But in no way I think the delivery was bad. There were holes in it, just like in any other Star Wars movie. There were things changed at the last minute, just like in any other Star Wars movie. 

Like I said, it wasn’t the movie I wanted it to be, the romance between Ben and Rey. But none of the Star Wars movie is what I wanted. They are what they are and they follow a pattern that, most often than not, works. 

Would I have liked it more if Ben Solo had lived happily ever after? Yes. 

Do I hate it? No. 

Thank you for reading this. Please be mindful of your words. 

[scithemodestmermaid]

i’m so mad about amnesia rebirth.

spoilers and a really heckin long rant within.

you know what i want to see from a game in a franchise well-known for not allowing the players to fight back against the monsters at all?  fighting back against the monsters.

daniel [does he even have a last name?] never hauled off and kicked a gatherer because THAT WOULD MAKE THE MONSTERS LESS SCARY.  

oswald mandus never punched a pigman in the face because THAT WOULD MAKE THE MONSTERS LESS SCARY.  

but tasi tranon?  she gets picked up by an angry zombie and beats on him until he lets her go.  and guess what happens?  THE MONSTERS ARE MADE LESS SCARY.  IN A GAME WHERE THERE WERE ALREADY VERY FEW SCARES TO BE FOUND.

also, tasi can’t die.  no, seriously.  what would have triggered a death and restart in the first two games just makes her wander off to a checkpoint.  yeah, there’s a story reason for it, but it takes away from the immersion they so desperately desired and demanded at the beginning of the game.  why should i be scared if there’s no loss?  also, one of these wandering off moments caused me to literally skip the entire puzzle.  instead of sending me backwards to start over, they made me skip the whole sequence.

and there’s a mechanic where you can lay completely flat, and its game-breaking.  i was flat on my stomach out in the open, a monster was standing over me, and he never saw me.  somehow, the monsters’ AI now is dumber than it was ten years ago.  and it was pretty darn dumb back then.

and don’t get me started on the fact that the game does not at all feel like it takes place in 1937.  mostly because the game has the whole “forced diversity” thing going on with the expedition team.  which, you know, diversity was soooooooooo prevalent in 1937.  also, tasi is not dressed very 30s-ish.  which wouldn’t be a problem, if you were constantly looking down and cradling your pregnant belly.

oh yeah, btw, the main character is pregnant.  and not, like, early stages and barely showing.  she is heavily preggers.  and still running and jumping and fighting zombies.  and i’ve looked up spoilers for the story, the entire narrative revolves around this wee tot.  an alien woman wants to raise the child as her own because.  no seriously, no one says WHY the alien wants a baby (in the spoilers anyway; i hold on to hope that mayhaps it is actually explained).  the alien is immortal, so its not an inheritance thing.  i guess its just a loneliness thing?  anyway, either you give the alien your baby so that she can keep it alive, kill the alien and escape to paris with baby and probably die, or you destroy the place with the meat moss from the first game and definitely die.  still, you’d think the alien woman would be trying to protect tasi a bit better considering tasi is carrying the baby that she wants so badly.  but nope, the alien woman doesn’t care.  you can’t die, anyway, so why bother?

and tasi WONT.  STOP.  TALKING.  i thought people were overreacting with that, but nope.  she really does talk way too much.  theres one sequence where you’ve just snuck through a huge den of zombes (actually a pretty cool sequence, although not scary at all) and now they’ve all woken up and are chasing you.  if she had stayed silent and just ran for it, this sequence would have been intense and scary.  instead, she’s just constantly screaming “RUN.”  there’s no reason for her to be yelling it.  she’s the only one there.  and i don’t need to be told to run, i can see and hear the zombies everywhere.  it just ruins the scene.

its like frictional games wanted to make a safe horror game.  one that didn’t actually scare people.  when the whole reason the first amnesia got so popular was because they did NOT hold back.  they did everything they could to craft a terrifying experience.  but not this time.  

it also feels like they looked at every single praise and criticism they got from the other games in their catalogue...and proceeded to get rid of everything people liked.  “i like that there’s no random jumpscares.”  WELL HERE ARE RANDOM JUMPSCARES FOR YOU.  “i like that the game works against you if you look at monsters, which prevents the player from really knowing what they look like and therefore heightening the fear of the unknown.”  WELL HERE TAKE A GOOD LONG LOOK AT THESE MONSTERS.  “i like how the narrative fits with the characters’ drives, and it really makes you think about life.”  BABBY.  “i love the dark and dreary gothic atmosphere, its so unnerving.”  DAYTIME IN DESERT.

soma was so good.  the first two amnesias were so good (granted, frictional only published AMFP, but still).  i’ve not played through the penumbras in awhile, but ive heard they’re so good.  what the hell happened to create THIS.

[momorabu]

Ibara Hime - Playthrough Compilation + Review

Part I - Main Story + Ending 1

Part II - Ending 2 + Ending 4 (Itoh’s Ending)

Part III - Ending 3 + Ending 5 (Mizuki’s Ending)

Read the cut below for my review / final thoughts about the game. (Contains Spoilers. R18 Story.)

This took quite a while, but I feel very accomplished that I’ve got to finish playing and writing the playthrough for this game, seeing that I’m interested to know the story for this game since quite a long time ago. The illustrations were pretty good, and incest was still a taboo topic not really touched on much in otome games. 

Though this game still features a yandere brother similar to how some other otome games introduced incest, the way it’s written makes me feel scared, disgusted yet pitiful for Mizuki. Some of the endings really depict his struggles quite well, even if I wasn’t fond of him anyway. I really like Ririko’s character though, even if she struggled badly with confidence. I could see myself in her in some of the scenarios, especially the horrifying dread feeling when realising that most people around her aren’t normal at all D: (Especially her disses and rebuttals even if she’s the weaker one in those scenarios, I’ll lash out too if I were her. What is wrong with everyone here?!) Sadly, Ririko seems like one of the most normal characters around here.

I’ll continue to touch on / rant some of my thoughts upon reaching the various endings below, in the order of how I’ve played them (which is different from the order of the playthrough that I’ve written).

Ending 1 ( 鋏 Ending)

I don’t really like this ending since it came too suddenly for me, and I kind of get scared a little as Mizuki just suddenly went and commit suicide which also scarred poor Ririko. I also get a literally “oh well... that’s it?” when the game went back to the main menu, so this ending is abit substandard. Little did I know this was just the beginning as this was the most normal ending in the game.

Ending 5 (姉弟 Ending)

Decided to go for this ending first since from the name of endings I’ve seen from the guide I’ll be using for the rest of the game (I got ending 1 on my blind playthrough so you know how badly I can be in otome games =w=“), this seems one of the best ones. The ending was indeed quite sweet and touching when the siblings decided to love each other, though I find Ririko’s transition kind of abrupt. Mizuki’s confession that he’s glad he wasn’t siblings with Ririko touched me really badly, the guy just wants to love Ririko and didn’t want to think of himself as weird too. (This was the moment I realised Mizuki probably struggled with his own issues alot.) 

Too bad that their father was a bastard who raped his own sister, had a child and kept everything undercover for so many years. I was like “Dad, how could you!!!” and “This family except the mum is abnormal now” at the last scene. Even Ririko decided that she’s not going to be the logical person anymore. At least Mizuki is alive in this ending and might continue to live blissfully, unknowing of the actual truth of his birth. Seriously, what is wrong with the Dad and his brother, and to think their aunt still continues to live and communicate with them normally just feel buzzard to me. This family is indeed very very weird. D:

Seeing that this was actually the best ending and how it turned out to make me feel abit worried for the other endings... I decided to take a break for the day after this ending seriously and continued to finish the game on the next day.

Ending 3 ( 落下 Ending)

Since this ending and Itoh’s ending just differ by 1 (or 2?) options, I decided to go for this first then Itoh’s ending next. This ending... literally gave me goosebumps and it landed such a huge impression on me that I was all about this ending when I was talking about this game to my friend. 

For me, it’s scary when Mizuki becomes stalkerish. The way he kept forcing Ririko and wanted her to love him scares me since it is extremely stressful that someone tries all means to want you to look at him romantically, but you just feel disgusted and dislike. It’s really a very unhealthy feeling so even though I was like “Wow, Ririko really did ask him to jump and die”, I kind of actually agreed/relate to her saying that. At that moment you just want that person to be gone so that you can go back to your daily life. (I’m heartless in that I said “Bye-bye Mizuki” when he jumped =w=“)

For Ririko though, it’s really not easy, seeing that Mizuki was her brother and she was even pregnant with his child. In the ending, she doesn’t even treat him as her brother anymore and just a disgusting guy, yet feels guilt that she ended up “killing” him (more towards killing a human as opposed to killing her brother, though she also feels bad for erasing his life). 

The future initially made me felt quite hopeful, and even a little touched seeing that Ririko’s child was quite good, and their family was still holding it together even when Mizuki had passed on. (I was holding abit of hope that Itoh and Ririko might patch up seeing that he still texted her.) But... the game just likes to trash my hopes that it would be a bitter-sweet ending by making the child a cursed devilish child in the end. Yuki speaking as Mizuki is terrifying... Imagine that your stalker has never given you up after all those years and coming back to haunt you again. That’s what makes this ending scary for me, I’ll rather be not loved by anybody than being pursued so fiercely like this seriously D:

Ending 4 ( 伊藤 Ending)

Decided to go for Itoh’s ending to calm my heart after this ending... The part where they reveal the reason of Ririko’s slow growth was kind of heartwarming (though it’s still a scary past event), seeing that Mizuki was really worried sick at that time and blamed himself up to the present. I like how the siblings managed to put aside all their hate and romantic feelings aside and become close siblings once again. For Ririko, this all seems like a wonderful ending to the episode, being in a good relationship with her brother again, and having a wonderful boyfriend Itoh who helped and accompany them.

However, the future started off with a 3P and led me to think that something is terribly wrong. (I don’t like forced NTR, especially when the heroine isn’t willing all the way till the end. Ririko didn’t have any romantic feelings for Mizuki so... D:) Realising that Itoh was also in love with Mizuki, perhaps even more than Ririko just made me so mad seriously. (I already have a weird tingling feeling when Itoh said he valued Mizuki very much from the beginning, guess it’s true that he’s gay for Mizuki TWT) It’s not that I dislike gays but ugh... seeing this in an otome game really destroys the feeling of playing an otome game ><” Poor Ririko is so crushed seeing that she was always in love with Itoh all along, but turned out that he loves her brother more instead, as even though he keeps telling Ririko he treasured and loves her, he wants her to have her own brother’s child. What the... I seriously cannot understand Itoh even after seeing this ending, maybe he really loves Mizuki so much that he wants to grant everything he wants and give him the best life, but making Ririko do the very thing she detests (having sex with her brother and even planning her to have her brother’s child) is not telling me that he loves her actually. Ririko is just something for him to make use of so he can have the excuse to be with Mizuki for as long as he likes. Please spare poor Ririko from all the heartbreak, that feeling of being betrayed after so many years.... ugh! (I’m still pissed from this ending even while writing this.)

Guess I’m correct for being suspicious about Itoh from the beginning. Itoh literally broke all my otome heart, and suddenly Mizuki seems just a bit better...?

Ending 2 (包丁 Ending)

Haha, just when I was thinking Mizuki is better, this last ending I’ve played kind of just wants to prove me the opposite. Ririko is abit crazy in this ending, seeing that she’s ready to give up her everything to kill her own brother. But the circumstances changed very quickly and before I knew it, Mizuki was the one having the upper hand, and I was worried, thinking “is he really going to stab her in the vagina?”, “Is this going to end up being a gore R18 otome game?” (I... really don’t like gore so I’m abit scared.) 

Thank goodness, Ririko blacked out just as I was getting scared and the ending just came abruptly again, with Mizuki committing suicide. But this time it came with a suicide letter, which revealed some of his struggles he had about his feelings with Ririko. This ending was abit touching for me, even though I already understood what their mother was talking about regarding the “what ifs”. Ririko doesn’t seem too sad about Mizuki’s loss, though in a good way she’s just relieved that her nightmare was over.

Afterthoughts

That’s it for all the rant about the endings. This is going to be one game that I’ll remember for a very very long time. I loved how the story was written since every detail in the game can be used for a certain ending so it doesn’t feel like any part of the story was redundant. The music helps in the atmosphere quite alot, seeing that it’s a pity that this game wasn’t voiced.

Even though this game doesn’t show alot of sexual assault or physical damage like how... erm... other R18 otome games would have done, there’s quite a few of emotional manipulation, which makes it scary since this can be realistic in real life, and it shows that emotional damage can be the same or even worse than physical damage in a way. There are sex scenes in the game, but they’re not depicted in a way that they’re the main topic like in nukige, but instead, as a catalyst to show the highlight of this game, the struggle and reveal of forbidden romantic feelings towards a sibling.

Greatly recommended for those who love diving into psychological analyzation and dark storyline/feelings. For those who like incest though, be prepared to be disappointed if you want those heart fluffy romantic incest, this game is totally the opposite of that. 

Art:  ★ ★ ★ ★

Story:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Voice Acting:  -

Music:  ★ ★ ★ ★

Overall Enjoyment:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

PS: CG Collection of the entire game can be found on the game collection page of the blog.