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kathyprior4200 · 4 years

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Alastor Ascension Arc

Part 1: 1896-1933 Human Life in New Orleans

Part 2: 1933 Arrival in Hell

Part 3: 1933-1940s Meeting Rosie and Mimzy

Part 4: 1950-1952 Making a Deal with Niffty

Part 5: 1953-1966 Alastor vs Vox

Part 6: 1970-1975: Making a Deal with Husk

Part 7: Alastor Prequel Comic

Part 8: Alastor in the Pilot: That’s (Alastor’s) Entertainment!

Part 9: Alastor on Hazbinstagram

Part 10: Alastor’s Parents

Part 11: Three Vs Attack Pt 1

Part 12: Manipulating Charlie and the Magnes

Part 13: Evil Charlie Unleashed

Part 14: Alastor Temporarily Takes Over Hell

Part 15: Rosie’s Deception

Part 16: Eldritch Family Rise

Part 17: Three Vs Attack Pt 2

Part 18: Adina influences Alastor

Part 19: Heaven and Hell War, Alastor joins Hell’s rebellion

Part 20: Alastor’s Redemption – Mother Reunite and Heaven

Part 1: 1896-1933 Human Life in New Orleans

“Murder On The Air”

Art by Ashley Nicholas

“You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile”

Chapter One: “Down in New Orleans”

Alastor Roscoe Moreau (A.M.) is born January 24th 1896 (VA born Jan 24th 1986) to his parents in New Orleans, Louisiana. Alastor has medium olive brown skin, short brown hair and brown eyes with glasses. He is lanky and thin but appears stronger than he looks. He often wears nice shirts with bow ties and dark pants and shoes. He wears overalls, boots and the occasional straw hat whenever he hunts or explores the woods and swamps outside. During his rise to fame, he wears fancy suits and top hats, complete with a microphone cane with golden antlers.

Armand Louis Moreau is Alastor’s French Canadian white father. He is a tall strong man with white skin, dark brown hair and a beard. His hobbies include going to church, hunting, taxidermy and drinking with his friends. Armand meets his wife and they soon fell in love. But Armand’s parents, Eugene and Manette disapprove of his interracial marriage. He becomes distant with them, only allowed to be back in the family when he divorces his wife.

Antoinette Loretta Moreau (formerly Duvalier) is Alastor’s French Creole mother. She has short curly black hair and dark brown skin, often wears cotton dresses and round ladies’ hats in bold red. She is part African American and part Native American and can speak Haitian Creole. In secret, away from her Christian husband, she asks her ancestors for guidance and reveres the Loa and saints, sitting at an altar she made. Antoinette’s white mother, Odette is a Voodoo Queen who reveres Yemaya and the saints. Odette’s husband, Mathis, is an African American musician, who later helps Alastor start a music career. Armand’s parents wanted Antoinette to abort her child as Alastor was perceived as a “troubled mixed child of sin,” but she refused. Manette offers to put Alastor in an insane asylum “for his own good”, but Antoinette fights back to keep him. Mathis was also wary of Alastor, but later grew to like him, while Alastor’s paternal grandparents always treated their grandson like he was stupid and dirty.

Antoinette is the one who taught Alastor all his favorite hobbies: cooking, sewing, Voodoo rituals, French and playing instruments. From her, Alastor learned how to play the piano, sing and dance while listening to the gramophone in their living room. At school, Alastor loved theater and leaned to play the trumpet, violin, saxophone, and piano. He also improves on his dancing and singing. Alastor is bullied for being mixed, doing women’s work and not liking girls.

New Orleans culture is introduced, along with popular festivals, 1900s language and Haitian Creole. Armand and Antoinette briefly talk in French as well.

Chapter Two: “Runnin’ Wild”

Early 1900’s Alastor’s youth

In his early innocent days, Alastor goes with his family to theater shows and Mardi Gras festivals. He eats king cake and watches jazz bands play. As a kid, Alastor is marveled by the colors, sights and sounds of the parades, costumes and delicious Creole food. Young Alastor is oblivious to the fact that others look down on the Moreau family for their interracial marriage. The insults affect Armand, reminding him of his chiding parents, but Antoinette insists that they must keep raising their son to be strong and kind. Alastor meets his uncle and aunt and cousins, celebrating St. John’s Day, Christmas and Fet Gede (All Soul’s Day). Alastor could often be found playing in the woods and the swamp. He even makes friends with the alligators while keeping a safe distance from them.

Chapter Three: “What a Wonderful World”

Early 1900’s more Alastor childhood and learning

Alastor’s mother teaches him how to make jambalaya and the dish becomes his favorite food. It nearly killed her when a drunken Antoinette put gunpowder in the pan and it blew up in her face. Antoinette would always tell Alastor, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile,” and Alastor smiled ever since. Alastor likes black coffee, hard liquor, deer meat and elegant meals. Alastor does not like tea, Oreos, strawberries, canned foods or anything sweet.

Alastor also learns Native American myths from his mother, including one about the Wendigo. (Alastor’s shadow and full demon form would be associated with the Wendigo monster).

For the only time in his life, Alastor enjoys being around dogs without fear. Despite being perceived as “abnormal” by many, he is one of the nicest kids around. He reads a lot, and really got into cookbooks and joke books. Alastor and his mother dance together to the gramophone, singing together in pure bliss.

Alastor starts school in 1901 at age 5. He learns Creole from his mother and some French as well.

When Alastor goes to school, he eventually joins the band, despite him being bullied by both whites and kids of color.

Chapter Four: “When The Saints Go Marching In”

Early 1900s, Voodoo rituals

Along with sewing, cooking, and dancing, Antoinette also teaches Alastor about Voodoo/Hoodoo rituals, along with his Grandmother Odette Duvalier.

Alastor sews Voodoo dolls (but doesn’t use them to harm others), collects animal parts and herbs, later using them to curse the houses and hideouts of criminals. He learns the veves of the Loa and conducts rituals with red and black candles. He uses alligator blood for healing magic.

Alastor learns how to consecrate objects, mediate in front of altars and how to connect with his ancestors. He learns of Antoinette’s Native American heritage. He eventually connects with the Loa, most of all to Met Kalfu, the fiery trickster Loa. He learns of his mother and grandmother being prominent Voodoo queens/figures in New Orleans. Antoinette had to curb back her involvement ever since she married Armand, but Odette still maintained her strong connection to the community. Antoinette and Alastor frequently do rituals out in nature, always showing respect to Papa Legba, the Loa of the Crossroads first. Ironically, the child-like Papa Legba and his dogs shared a spiritual connection with the young boy before Legba’s Petro aspect Kalfu took over as Alastor grew up.

(The dogs being part of Alastor’s death could represent the consequence of Alastor abandoning his innocence and former faith in his family/ancestors. The dog is sacred to Papa Legba and Ogun, Loa of iron and warriors/hunters).

Odette and Antoinette warn Alastor not to use magic and Voodoo for evil (which he later does anyway). His spirituality would reflect what path he goes down. Antoinette told Alastor that Voodoo magic is used for healing and guidance. Alastor formerly used Voodoo magic for good until being corrupted by the dark influences of the Goetic demons and Met Kalfu. Antoinette reveres the Rada Loa and discovers that Alastor has a spiritual connection to Met Kalfu, a Petro Loa. This explains Alastor’s affinity with fire magic.

Odette and Antoinette’s hidden magic is a reddish blue, the colors of the Petro and Rada mixed. Alastor’s magic eventually becomes Petro red. In 1919 after making deals with Gnostic demons Abaddon, Furfur etc. (kill souls on Earth as sacrifices to gain more power in the afterlife), his magic becomes exclusively evil and powerful. As a consequence, he loses touch with his ancestors and the other Loa after the deaths of his parents. (Souls can use magic in other worlds but lays dormant on Earth).

Alastor later gets his magic in hell with Kalfu’s influence and on Earth, he calls upon Ogun to assist him with using knives, axes and other weapons. None of the Loa accept human sacrifices but the Gnostic demons do, thus how Alastor gained more souls and eventual power.

Antoinette notices her husband slowly growing more distant from his son as Alastor bonds with her more.

Chapter Five: “Smile”

1903: age 7

At first, Armand is friendly with Alastor, watching with pride as he grows up. But as time goes on, he becomes more distant and harsh. Armand’s exposure to church made him believe that Alastor was a spawn of the Devil. He forces Alastor and his mother to memorize parts of the Bible and to pray to God every day. When they refuse, they get beaten up. Antoinette always cries in despair when she has to watch her son get beaten and whipped. She gets beaten up as well when she doesn’t clean the house or cook food to his liking. When Armand displays more “appropriate manly” behavior, he receives approval from his male friends and his parents.

During the better moments, Armand teaches Alastor how to hunt for game, prepare deer meat and skin deer for fur and deer heads. He also taught him some French. Armand has a taxidermy collection at the family cabin, even having his own business selling the stuffed prepared animals. He also teaches Alastor self-defense and how to run and be strong like a man. Alastor didn’t play sports like his father wanted but he was skilled at hunting and doing outdoor work.

Armand is mostly at work or with his buddies. Other than teaching Alastor skills in the woods, he doesn’t spend time with him. When he does interact, he chides his son for various things. Armand brings a hunting dog into the woods and the dog attacks Alastor, thinking he was a deer. Armand chides Alastor for not defending himself and being careless. This begins Alastor’s fear of dogs.

Chapter Six: “You Rascal You”

1906: age 10

As time goes on, Armand and Alastor begin to hate each other. Armand doesn’t like the fact that Alastor cooks and sews, calling it “women’s work.” Alastor’s love of theater and musicals doesn’t please him either. Alastor gets bullied for his heritage and interests at school. Armand stamps and breaks Alastor’s ribs when he doesn’t behave. Armand gets jealous that his wife seems to spend more time with Alastor. In darker moments, Armand soon begins drinking alcohol and hooking up with other women, even in their own home. When Alastor witnesses the horrific sight one night, his father beats him, whips him and molests him, calling him a “half-breed sissy faggot who likes other boys.” His mother comes in later and comforts him.

Alastor at a young age remembers the feeling of violation, his father’s hands on his waist and thrusting penis in his ass. This begins the cycle of trauma and Alastor’s aversion to people touching him, other than his mother. His mother soon finds out of his actions but can’t do anything about it as he is the head of household. Alastor’s mother sings “Smile” to her son as a song of comfort and lament. Alastor begins to think about killing his father.

Then one day when Alastor was ten years old (1906), Armand announces his divorce. He says that he will take most of the family income and the cabin, leaving Antoinette alone with her son and poorer. Having been pressured by his parents and wanting to reclaim his status in society as a white Christian man, Armand announces his leave.

Armand is about to leave one early morning to confirm the divorce when Alastor arrives. His father briefly beats him again, almost choking him to death and threatens to violate his mother as punishment. Not wanting his mother to go through more beatings and rapes, Alastor grabs the hunting rifle and shoots him square in the chest. The gunshot wakes his startled mother. Stunned at what he had done, he hides the evidence from her and promptly burns his father’s body. Though his mother has a suspicion it was him, she doesn’t say anything.

Chapter Seven: “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen”

1909: age 13 Alastor witnesses discrimination

Alastor begins to play instruments and sing really well, his skills backed up by his mother’s teachings and the school band practices.

Alastor watches many old films including…

“The Great Train Robbery” (1903)

“Chased by Dogs” (1904) traumatized him/foreshadowing

“Satan Finds Mischief” (1908)

“Frankenstein” (1910) One of Alastor’s favorites as a teen, he emphasizes with the monster

“Oliver Twist”

“White Fawn’s Devotion” (1910)

“L’Inferno” (1911) another one of his favorites

“Peter Pan” (1924)

“The Phantom of the Opera” (1925) Watched it with Mimzy

“The Wizard of Oz” (1925)

“The Jazz Singer” (1927) One of his favorite musicals

“Sweeney Todd” (1928) Another silent crime film he enjoyed

“PopEye” (1929)

“King of Jazz” (1930)

“Dracula” (1931)

“Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1932)

“Smilin’ Though” (1932)

“Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1932)

“Tarzan the Ape Man” (1932)

“The Big Broadcast” (1932) Alastor relates to the radio broadcaster main character

Radio City Music Hall started showing films in 1933.

Chapter Eight: “God Moves on the Water”

1912: age 16

Alastor witnesses the Titanic sinking in 1912, reading the newspaper (the same year that Baxter died). During the same year, he and his mother are forced to evacuate due to hurricanes. Alastor helps save people’s lives from drowning. They move closer to the city but their cabin in the woods remains intact. Alastor and his mother frequently pray to the Loa and saints associated with disasters.

World War One

World War One begins in 1914 right after Alastor graduates high school, and Alastor is drafted for it at age 18. He tearfully hugs his mother goodbye, unsure whether he’ll see her again. During his time there, he discovered the use of old radios used for communication. He was one of the soldiers who fixed and transported said radios on the front lines. Alastor watches several comrades die around him, the only thing keeping him sane is his task to operate the radios. After the war ended in 1918, Alastor returned to the city, now with more of an idea of his career. He applied to several radio stations but was rejected due to his race. But the Spanish Flu also occurred…

Chapter Nine: “Willow Weep For Me”

1918: age 22 Spanish Flu

…and when Alastor gets home in early November, he finds out his mother is gravely ill. He is able to embrace her as she says her final words: “Don’t be sad for me. Remember, you’re never fully dressed without a smile.” Heartbroken, Alastor is forced to bury her at a nearby cemetery as it rains. He kills two intruders in a blind rage and feeds their remains to the alligators in the bayou. He visits her grave and leaves offerings every October and November.

It is at this time that Alastor makes his deals with Kalfu, Furfur and Baron Samedi demons: wealth and power for the sacrifice of human souls. Only Furfur accepts human sacrifice, the Loa do not (they are not necessarily evil, they just want to help guide Alastor and teach him important lessons). Alastor is instructed to retrieve a grimoire in the afterlife that will seal the deal and grant him his powers (plus his shadow as he already had his microphone staff and basic radio powers beforehand).

Alastor even gets a chance to meet his cousin Dr. Facilier in the future (who later becomes his snake demon slave in Hell).

Alastor calls upon Baron Kriminel to help with getting revenge on those who tormented him and bullied him around. Alastor loses touch with his ancestors and the more beneficial Loa, opting instead to work with Furfur.

Chapter Ten: “Dr. Jazz”

1919: age 23

The Radio Corporation of America is founded in 1919. In 1922, WWL, Louisiana’s first radio station started broadcasting, founded by the Catholic Loyola University to help raise funds to build six new campus buildings.

Alastor dreams of becoming a jazz musician. Louis Armstrong becomes his role model and encourages him to join a band of his own. More people start to recognize his talent.

Axeman

Alastor takes care to avoid the Axeman killer and is spared from his attack by playing jazz every night. At one point, Alastor hacks a couple and copies the Axeman’s actions, leading to more panic in New Orleans. The rumors spread that the Axeman had killed twice as many victims, which was entertaining for Alastor as he reported it on the radio.

Time goes by (Roaring Twenties) and Alastor performs in an attempt to make some money. His uncle then connects with someone who works for CBS. More people flock to hear Alastor and his band perform. Alastor earns more money when he begins to fix radios for people. Alastor then applies for a radio DJ position but ends up getting stuck in a lower position, organizing files and cleaning up the studio rooms. Alastor kills off the higher ups and gets a position at NBC. He plays the top tunes but it soon gets boring. After getting fired, Alastor decides to broadcast on his own.

Chapter Eleven: “Sitting on Top of the World”

1920s: Young adulthood, career peak

During the Roaring Twenties, he would become the most famous radio host in Louisiana. Alastor often smokes both during work and during his free time. Alastor basks in wealth and fame.

Chapter Twelve: “Mack The Knife” (Alastor’s killing sprees)

1919, 1920: age 25 - 1933

During the Roaring Twenties, Alastor begins his killing spree of racist men, rapists, and criminals. He is called the Vigilante and the Louisiana Lunatic by those in New Orleans and kills his victims in various ways. Guns, knives, traps, and fire were his favorite tools to use. However, in this version, Alastor doesn’t kill women or children, he only uses them as tools.

Alastor flirts with women and manipulates them because it’s fun to do. People who made deals with him often found their money stolen by him. Many women are charmed by Alastor but Alastor doesn’t get intimate with any of them. He enjoys dancing with women, especially Mimzy. Alastor lavishes in wealth, buying new red suits and top hats, a fancy red car and a microphone cane with golden deer antlers. He also likes black, brown, blue, and green outfits. Alastor pulls pranks on people for fun (thumbtacks, kick me signs, soap in drinks, whoopee cushions, plastic doorways), some like it, some don’t.

Chapter Thirteen: “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile”

Chapter Fourteen: “Pack Up All Your Troubles and Smile, Smile, Smile!”

Alastor meets flapper woman Mimzy and the two bond over drinks, dancing, and singing. Alastor discovers that she killed her abusive husband and took his money. Mimzy finds out that Alastor kills criminals but she doesn’t say anything to anyone else.

Chapter Fifteen: “Charleston”

Mimzy and Alastor dance the Charleston.

Chapter Sixteen: “Let’s Misbehave”

Mimzy is deeply in love with Alastor, but he doesn’t love her back. He only sees her as a friend, which Mimzy doesn’t quite understand. She questions whether Alastor has a sexual disorder when Alastor tells her how he feels, which offends him. The two of them get intimate and nearly have sex but Alastor holds back, saying he’s not ready, much to her shock.

Chapter Seventeen: “Cold, Cold Heart”

Mimzy later dies after Alastor accidentally poisons her drink that was left for a racist man. Alasor would later sing with her and Rosie, bonding again in Hell. Alastor gets tired of people assuming he has a sexual disorder. Alastor was heartbroken at losing his only friend.

In this version, Alastor doesn’t eat people until Rosie introduces him to cannibalism in Hell via her elite group of associates. They later sing a cannibal song in Hell. Alastor is also not an Overlord and doesn’t go after women or children.

Chapter Eighteen: “When You’re Smiling”

Alastor cheerfully broadcasts peoples’ deaths on the air, not being found out until the thirties. On the radio, Alastor tells dad jokes, talks about special Creole recipes and always ends with the song “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile.” Alastor also talks about the Axeman and when he says “play jazz and I’ll spare your life.” Alastor takes great care to avoid the Axeman. Alastor also talks about Clementine’s killings and voodoo practices as well.

Hell, 1929

Esteemed Mortal of New Orleans: The Louisiana Lunatic

They have never caught me and they never will. They have never seen me, for I am invisible, even as the sound waves that surround your earth. I am not a human being, but a demon from the hottest hell. I am what you Orleanians call the Louisiana Lunatic. Down here, I’m the inevitable Radio Demon.

When I see fit, I shall appear and claim other victims as I see fit. I alone know whom they shall be. No clues will be left behind, save for what you might hear on the next broadcast.

Tell the police and the racist, elite scum of the world to beware. Let them try not to discover who I am, for it’d be better for them not to have been born than to incur the wrath of the Louisiana Lunatic. You’ll have a deer in the headlights look and won’t have any idea what hit you until after it’s too late.

Undoubtedly, you Orleanians think of me as a monster and murderer. But if I wanted to hurt anyone else here, I would have done so already. If I wished, I could pay a visit to your city every night. I could kill every one of your best and worst citizens, for I am in a close relationship with the Shadows of the Other Side.

At 6:06 pm next Friday night, I am going to pass over New Orleans and then visit those in Hell. I am going to make a little proposition to you people. Here it is:

I am very fond of jazz music, electro swing, and jambalaya. I swear by all the Loas and deities that I will spare those who can provide me with some great entertainment when I visit. Word of warning, I can read you people like a book, and see into your very souls. Anyone foolish enough to challenge me will have their corpses consumed and their screams muffled by the lovely sound of jazz bands jamming the night away.

I have been, am, and will be, the worst spirit that ever existed in fact, fantasy, or realm of Hazbins.

Smile and stay tuned!

Chapter Nineteen: “Crazy Rhythm”

The Great Depression comes into effect as well as the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Alastor enjoys reading about the chaos in the newspaper. People frantically sell their stuff and beg for jobs and money. He also enjoys seeing the orphans suffering homeless in the streets as it reminds him of his better off status. He also finds children annoying and undisciplined, a left over trait from his father.

But soon, things take a downward turn. Alastor begins to lose money and food, his former glory days over. Alastor hoards radios and radio furniture in his house. He grows bony thin and his eyes have bags under them. (He takes on a similar gaunt appearance arriving in Hell, remaining weak until he gains his powers and eats other demons. Magic also takes some of his energy.) Alastor grows unhealthy due to lack of food, and (almost!) resorts to cannibalism. He also fears losing his radio audience due to the prospects of TV. He meets Vox, an ABC broadcasting company CEO who taunts him for his race and career. They get into a fight but victorious Vox leaves, saying to him that his days are over.

Alastor becomes depressed, cutting into his skin for rituals or just to taste his own blood…to feel something. His self-inflicted cuts add to the scars on his back and body from his dad and struggling criminals.

Chapter Twenty: “Video Killed the Radio Star”

Alastor ironically dies when a full Hunter’s Moon is present. Alastor becomes more careless with his killings, and is soon discovered by police in 1933. The police sends dogs after him, a German Shepard, a Pit Bull, and a Black Lab. As he runs, he is bitten by a rabies infected dog in an alley. Alastor races through the snowy woods, experiencing painful headaches, and hallucinations of drowning and his parents being killed as deer. The police dogs bite at his legs but he shakes him off and runs some more. A deer hunter spots him, fearful and disgusted by the madman who rushes at him head on. (The hunter is Vox’s friend and the soon to be TV Overlord smirks). Alastor’s insane eyes beg the hunter to finish him off, as he didn’t want to be arrested. The hunter almost shoots him but finds he can’t do it. Vox then shoots Alastor between the eyes and his body falls. (Video Killed the Radio Star). The dogs maul at him moments before the gunshot before the police arrive. They turn him over and see the hole in his forehead, his glazed eyes, bloodied clothing and frozen smile. Alastor’s body is promptly burned, his belongings destroyed and his radios given away to an antique shop. His death is announced on his own radio station by none other than Vox before it, too, is done for. Many of his fans are saddened but the majority of New Orleans is relieved that he is gone. Vox is hailed as a hero before he returns to his job in another state.

(This is why Alastor hates Vox so much, not just because of their different tastes in technology!)

“You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile” (finale)

A lone old fashioned radio (the one with the smiling grin on it and Alastor’s favorite radio) lights up in an antique store. His creepy voice says “Stay tuned” as the next part begins.

Part 2: 1933 Arrival in Hell

“Beware the Radio Demon”

Tagline: “It’s time to tune in…”

Chapter One: “Heebie Jeebies”

Alastor arrives in Hell in 1933. He lands in the street between a jazz club and a strip club. He arrives naked and afraid, shocked by his new deer-like appearance. He has a black and red deer tail, antlers, red and black hair, sharp yellow teeth, red eyes, scarred gray back and chest, a regular size penis and gray scarred body. He is revolted by the tan gray gnarled state of his clawed hands and feet. When he talks, his voice has a radio filter, which surprises him. He realizes that it must be how he sounded to his audience. (Mimzy catches a peek at him but doesn’t yet know who he is). He summons his microphone staff, who is stunned to see Alastor nude. The microphone briefly glows, allowing Alastor to go on the air. Alastor realizes that Hell is a lot bigger and scarier than New Orleans. Demons mock him, including perverted ones. His memories coming back to him and instincts, Alastor quickly takes out the surrounding creeps with his bare hands, stealing their overalls and clothes. Alastor first wears brown too-loose pants and a white torn v neck shirt. So far, his only powers consist of controlling radios and brief bursts of fire.

Alastor then witnesses the harsh reality of Hell, daily discrimination, turf wars, killings, rapes and stealing. He then realizes that he has no place to live. It was the survival of the fittest from here on out. Alastor witnesses Tom Trench on TV, Sir Pentious and Baxter creating inventions, Mimzy performing at the jazz club and, of course, he learned of the royal family. Helsa and Seviathan and other Hell born spit at him, complaining that “common sinner scum” don’t belong in Hell. Alastor also sees a man with a radio head called Muse on an advertisement for 66.6 FM. Alastor gets mad that he was sent to Hell with his black stag demon father Neleus while his mother Poena got to go to heaven as a beautiful red doe humanoid sorceress.

Alastor camps out alone in the woods, deeply missing his mother and his old life. He wants to do something about all the sinners in Hell. A sense of duty came back to him…how he wanted to get rid of bad people, lost causes… an obligation to continue his work he had done on Earth. There were only a few people he could trust…and he decided to be untrustworthy and manipulative to everyone else.

Chapter Two: “All Of Me”

Alastor is reminded of what Furfur said after he sacrificed other humans to them on Earth. His microphone told him to find a grimoire that would allow him to summon Kalfu, and Abaddon to gain his magic. He asks a blue deer overlord and he tells him to look in Stolas’ palace, knowing that it was near impossible to get out alive. Rosie witnesses the conversation and decides to follow the sinner newcomer. Alastor sneaks into the palace to retrieve the grimoire, only to be caught by an angry Stolas. Alastor retrieves the book and is rescued from Stolas by a floating Rosie Poppins with an umbrella in her hands.

Alastor summons Kalfu, Baron Samedi and Furfur.

Furfur grants Alastor with heightened deer senses and destructive powers.

Baron Samedi grants Alastor with darkness and shadow powers.

Kalfu grants Alastor with fire and voodoo magic.

Alastor’s powers over radio were already his own when he arrived in Hell. This was why no mortal souls before him were seen with that much power; only powerful Hell-Born/Overlords had similar powers.

The prices Alastor paid for his powers were the collection of souls over the years, loss of his loved ones by fate, his own brutal death, being sent to Hell for his murders and a limit on his powers. Kalfu’s demons got a part of Alastor’s powers and Alastor can get tired after using a certain amount of energy. Alastor using blood magic drains energy, and he requires food, meat and rest to recover. Alastor can also be killed by angelic weapons.

Alastor’s powers include teleportation, shadow magic, portal creation, reality warping, conjuring fire and objects, possession, destructive magic, blood magic etc. The shadow demons get part of his power and after a painful separation, Alastor’s shadow is formed. The shadow, representative of Alastor’s darker thoughts, acts as a guide and bodyguard. Alastor creates his red tattered dress coat, black shoes with red deer tracks, his pants and his monocle. Alastor’s microphone allows him to be on the air anywhere to broadcast his massacres. The device reflects his mood as well, playing music and songs. The microphone can hypnotize demons who stare and listen to it and creates fatal radio waves that can blast brains out and destroy nearby buildings. With the help of his shadow, Alastor can travel from one shadow spot to another, through doorways and in small spaces. He can also travel through radios too.

In addition, Alastor can also shapeshift into others and into his red deer form. In his most powerful form, he appears as a bloodthirsty wendigo.

Alastor’s shadow is a manifestation of all his dark subconscious thoughts that are freed after he dies. The microphone staff is a manifestation of his radio host personality he had as a human. Alastor turned into a deer in Hell to remind him of his fate: “the hunter becomes the hunted.”

Chapter Three: “I’ve Got the World on a String”

Taking advantage, Alastor soon uses his powers to topple Overlords and take over many areas of Hell. He takes over 66.6FM, killing Muse and many Overlords (including Newspaper, Telephone, Clock, Car, Plane, Textile, Telegraph, Book and other Overlords. He makes a truce with the Overlord of Film.) Vox, Valentino and Velvet would arrive later. He forms an army of shadow demons and voodoo imps, his minions killing demons, burning stores, looting, feasting on deer and causing havoc.

Alastor becomes friends with the blue deer Overlord, a descendant of Furfur. The Overlord tells him where he can find his father, Neleus.

Alastor spends time with Lucifer too, drinking whisky, booze and singing. Lucifer likes polka music while Alastor prefers jazz. He treats Lilith well and watches as she performs on stage with her Resist band. (“God Spelled Backwards Is Dog”) Lucifer had been notified of Alastor’s powers and was intrigued. No mortal soul had power like the Hell Born elite before. Alastor even got a chance to dance with Lilith, him treating her like a lady and temporarily entranced by her beauty.

Alastor learned to stay on the king’s good side but can’t help getting curious about his unique daughter, Charlie. Lucifer talks about how Charlie sees the good in every sinner and her bond with Seviathan in Inferno high school (Charlie had not met Vaggie yet and Alastor wasn’t in love with Charlie, just curious about her, like finding a new specimen.). Knowing that getting too involved would lead to trouble, Alastor shrugs it off. Lucifer allows Alastor to do his chaos, provided he leave the royal family out of it, which he agrees.

Alastor makes deals with several demons and even temporarily gains access to Earth, gaining more souls. Alastor creates two hideouts: one a cabin with radio towers near a forest and an underground lair where the shadow spirits are (Deer’s Den).

Chapter Four: “The Axeman’s Jazz”

Alastor terrorizes Hell and uses an ax to kill off demons who don’t play jazz on his birthday. He even writes a letter similar to the Axeman’s letter:

Hell, 1933

They have never caught me and they never will. I am not a human being, but a demon from the hottest hell. I am what the Orleanians called the Louisiana Lunatic. Down here, I’m the inevitable Radio Demon.

When I see fit, I shall appear and claim other victims. I alone know whom they shall be. No clues will be left behind, save for what you might hear on the next broadcast.

Tell the Overlords and every sinner and Hell Born of the world to beware. Let them try not to discover who I am, for it’d be better for them not to have been born than to incur the wrath of the Radio Demon. You’ll have a deer in the headlights look and won’t have any idea what hit you until after it’s too late.

Undoubtedly, you denizens think of me as a monster and murderer. But if I wanted to hurt anyone else here, I would have done so already. If I wished, I could pay a visit to your city every night. I could kill every one of your best and worst citizens, for I am in a close relationship with the Shadows of the Other Side.

At 6:06 pm next Friday night, I am going to pass over Pentagram City. I am going to make a little proposition to you people. Here it is:

I have been, am, and will be, the worst spirit that ever existed.

Smile and stay tuned!

To make a deal with Alastor, call 666 - 024 - 1929 on your hellphone.

(Edward’s number is 24, 666 is the Beast number and 1929 is the year of the major Stock Market Crash)

Chapter One: “Practically Perfect In Every Way”

Hell Born Rosie Marie Poppins and Alastor properly meet shortly after he gains his powers. Rosie introduces Alastor to an elite group of cannibals, and Alastor happily accepts her invitation, thus further increasing his influence. Under the teachings of Rosie, Alastor learns how to increase his status, despite being a sinner. Due to being close to Rosie, less people insult Alastor as he walks by. He learns what it’s like to be a cannibal for the first time, and his hunger never ends since. Alastor begins to miss Kalfu and his Loa interactions (and his mother). He originally thought that he would pass through the seven gates of Guinee, the land of the dead in Loa culture. Rosie and Alastor bond over tea, coffee and murder. Rosie offers Alastor the position of Overlord but Alastor declines, as he wants to be free to wreak havoc without rules. He also shows a distaste for the greedy Overlords and authority figures. Rosie said that there are several sinners who are Overlords as well, but he still declines. Alastor would be his own Overlord!

“I was never destined to be part of any high hat group of leaders. I’ve worked exclusively for myself in my last life and will continue to do so in this one. With enough allies and the right timing, I could take them all down one by one. Besides, their meetings sound boring anyway.” - Alastor

Rosie used to work with her girlfriend Franklin until she died and Rosie got to own the shop for herself.

In return for Rosie helping Alastor get the spellbook, Alastor treats her like a lady and helps promote her emporium and spqeakeasy. Rosie recalls how she treats her employees cruelly and uses their wages to live a lavish life. Rosie is a cruel CEO who pursues rich and powerful men (and like the Dolly Sisters, she dances and performs as well). They both laugh as they share stories of taking advantage of other demons. Despite being Hell Born, Rosie does not treat Alastor with contempt due to his status as a sinner. (Or if she does, she hides it). Rosie becomes a stern-mother-like figure to Alastor, chiding him for any stupid mistakes he makes.

Rosie later gives Alastor advice such as being more open with Mimzy or to not fall for Charlie and be at the Hazbin Hotel (she finds the idea of redemption ridiculous. Despite this, Alastor still offers to help Charlie anyway due to seeking entertainment and potentially the trust of the royal family). Rosie also is a model for an All Soul’s Day/Death Day festival. Zombies, ghosts and other denizens watch as she poses on a blood red carpet in her rose garden. Like Day of the Dead, Death Day is a day to celebrate when sinners arrived in Hell and when the Hell-Born were born.

Unbeknownst to Alastor, Rosie secretly hopes she can gain some of Alastor’s power for herself so she can create Hell into a more orderly place where people admire her and her beauty. Deep down, she believes that Hell Born are superior to sinners, and would be pleased to see the lower class be her slaves! She forms an alliance with Lucifer, Lilith and the Eldritch family who are frequent buyers of her dresses and wares. Rosie works with Lucifer and the Eldritch family to try and bring Charlie down, saying her idea will never work. From Lucifer, Rosie learned of Charlie’s plan to redeem sinners. Redeeming sinners could mess up the hierarchy system and Rosie and the higher ups don’t want that. Her demonic form consists of a vulture like creature hovering in the air with an umbrella. Being in a position of power, it’s no surprise that she wants more of it! She even attempts to hold Mimzy and Charlie hostage to try and bring Alastor down.

Chapter Two: “Eat a Little Flesh Fantastic”

Alastor and Rosie sing the cannibal song after Rosie introduces Alastor to the elite cannibal group of Victorian ladies. Everyone dances like in the Mary Poppins movie as Rosie calls on her group members to ”go forth and feast.”

“Eat a Little Flesh Fantastic”

Alastor and Rosie strolled arm in arm after Rosie finished going to an Overlord meeting.

“Hey Alastor,” said Rosie turning to him. “Have you ever considered joining my exclusive club of socialites?”

“No, I haven’t…but do entertain me.”

“It’s mainly me and my group of ladies. We meet up for tea and coffee at this nice café not too far from here. We discuss the latest news, perhaps exchange jewelry or deserts.”

“Sounds lovely, my dear.”

“Oh and here’s the best part. My group and I have…exquisite tastes when it comes to meals. And I’ve heard about you and your slaughters.”

Alastor couldn’t help but puff up his chest in pride. “I was also a very skilled hunter in my other life. I’ve made many meals including jambalaya with venison in it. It is my favorite.”

A grin of sharp teeth stretched across Rosie’s pale face, her black eyes shining. “Have you ever considered eating the flesh of your victims?”

Alastor’s stomach growled at the thought. “I had a feeling that something was missing after I killed all those men as a human. I’ve hunted and ate deer and game many times. Perhaps I was too unsure about doing the same to other humans.”

Rosie laughed. “No restrictions now, though. This is Hell. Feel free to eat whatever…and whomever you’d like.”

Rosie handed him a blue arm of a nearby dead demon. Alastor maneuvered it into his mouth and sliced it to bits with several noisy bites. The sharp fangs effortlessly tore through the muscle and bone. The tangy taste of blood and juicy meat filled his mouth before he swallowed.

“That was quite tasty,” he remarked, licking his lips. Alastor then realized something extraordinary: there were countless demons roaming around in Hell. It was as if Hell had decided to provide him with an all-you-can-eat buffet. Not only would he have more meat to eat, but being a cannibal would also help with his fearsome reputation. Cannibalism was considered one of the worst taboos to do on Earth.

Why not add another sin to his list?

Alastor bowed and kissed Rosie on her hand in thanks. “Even in death, I learn something new every day. I’d be honored to join you.”

Rosie introduced Alastor to her group of friends: a bunch of demon women dressed in fancy Victorian dresses of many colors and round ladies’ hats on their heads. Violet, Lavender, and Poppy were some of their names. For a brief moment, Alastor felt like he was back in his time period on Earth. He ate demon meat to his heart’s content. Hell-Born or sinner, raw or cooked, it didn’t matter. He used the flesh and the sinner’s hearts in his jambalaya recipes. As the sinners had previously been human like Alastor used to be, he was now a cannibal.

The thought of someday tasting actual humans in the living world made his mouth water more.

On Sunday mornings after Alastor had coffee, he would be greeted by his new admirers while he walked outside, humming a cheery tune.

“Hello ladies,” Alastor said with a tip of his red top hat.

“Hello Alastor!” they chimed, as they sat on the ground in front of a mutilated body of a demon. One woman picked up the demon’s separated arm and used it to wave at him. Alastor chuckled and strolled on.

During one moonlit night, Alastor and Rosie decided to sing a song to strengthen their bond. They were already good friends, if not that then at least compatible associates with similar tastes. She looked like a gaunt Mary Poppins entering a Day of the Dead musical.

Rosie:

“Let’s say you’re bored and want to be full,

Sure, you can go about your day, dull. Or…

You can eat a little flesh fantastic with me.”

Alastor:

“If you live your days in wonder, but can’t focus due to hunger…

Just eat a little flesh fantastic with me.”

Rosie:

“For if you decide to kill a person, their body will someday rot away. But if you make haste and not let it go to waste…

Then you’ll be satiated for the day!”

Alastor:

“You don’t need to be Lector Hannibal, to consider the life of a cannibal.”

Rosie: “Want to be robust?”

Alastor: “You know I must.”

Both: “Come eat a little flesh fantastic with us!”

Rosie (speaking): “My fellow epicureans, answer my call. May your gluttonous desires led the way!”

“Welcome to the club, Radio Demon.”

Rosie and Alastor:

“The life of a cannibal The feeling is so wonderful Hunt and kill, munch, munch, munch, A few screams later, you’ve got your lunch!”

“Have some style and show some class It is us among the mass When you’re feeling beat and want to eat A demon can never have too much meat!”

“Eat a little flesh fantastic with us Give in to another kind of lust A sweet treat you are, come near or far

Our food as you bite the dust!”

Rosie:

“You can refrain and boldly exclaim ‘Eating your brethren’s not right!’”

Alastor: “But we know well, to maim in Hell The blood will be shed tonight!”

Rosie:

“The life of a cannibal,”

Alastor:

“The feeling is so wonderful,”

Rosie:

“Hunt and kill, munch, munch, munch…”

Both:

“A few screams later, you’ve got your lunch!” “Eat a little flesh fantastic with us!” (oh- oh- oh- oh- oh) “Eat a little flesh fantastic with us!” (oh- oh- oh- oh- oh)

Chapter Three: “Hello Mimzy!” (Hello Dolly! By Louis Armstrong)

Alastor bonds with Mimzy Dolly Hannigan at the jazz club and they recall their memories together in New Orleans. Mimzy works as an employer for Rosie at her emporium and squeak-easy. Rosie, enamored with Mimzy’s performance, decided to offer her a job to increase her influence. Like Alastor, Mimzy is more protected thanks to Rosie’s overlord status. Mimzy helps sell Rosie’s custom made clothes and antiques and performs almost every night at the underground bar behind Rosie’s shop. (Behind a door, down a stair-case. The password is “Practically perfect in every way.”)

Several times, Alastor and Mimzy dance and sing at the squeak-easy, to the joy of the crowd. At the squeak-easy, influential people and criminals gather there to discuss business, drink and have fun. Husk also goes there on occasion to serve drinks. Mimzy is popular both there and at her own jazz club: Mimzy’s Place. Rosie, herself, has performed there after her shifts. When asked if Rosie treats her cruelly, Mimzy says, “Almost never.”

Mimzy had died in the 1920s before Alastor. They agree to sing and stay friends, along with Rosie, creating a trio of singing, dancing, drinking and murder-spree-loving friends. They also terrorize orphans as they sing “Little Sinners” (Little Girls). Alastor apologizes for accidentally killing her and being aloof. Mimzy then apologizes for being too clingy with him and claiming that he didn’t know how to love back on Earth.

Mimzy lives a lavish lifestyle (like the Dolly Sisters, she pursues wealthy men and dances).

Alastor later offers Mimzy an invitation to visit the Hazbin Hotel and discusses the idea of redemption. Mimzy accepts his offer and decides to stay there, so long as she can still do her performances. Mimzy eventually becomes a guest at the Hazbin Hotel along with Baxter, Tom Trench, Molly, Arackniss, Cherri Bomb and Crymini. She bonds with Alastor, Niffty and Charlie as the girls gossip about men and the group performs in musicals together. Mimzy shares her story about being in New Orleans and with Alastor’s encouragement, she also thinks about pursuing redemption…as long as she gets more fame/recognition. Like Niffty, she gets jealous when Alastor pursues Charlie more. Mimzy thinks that Alastor loves Charlie more, but Rosie suspects he has another motive.

Alastor and Mimzy dance some more together and frequently perform at the jazz club.

Prequel Comic:

“Let’s go for a stroll.”

Comic by Liam (Pencils), Fautisse (Lineart), Lunetta (Colors), Magpie (Backgrounds) and Vivienne (Story).

Alastor enjoys coffee on a Sunday morning. Alastor hums down the street, goes to a café and watches birds fight over food. He stops to smell the roses, making one wilt with his touch. Everyone flees when they see him, making him a bit lonely inside. While visiting Rosie’s cannibal colony, he tosses his hat to the four admiring well-dressed women who eat a demon body. Alastor tosses a coin to a cat jazz player and swears after seeing Vox. He hates him so much, that his gentleman demeanor was gone. Alastor then saves a sheep demon lady from a butcher boar, kills the man, then enjoys the meat. (More to come)

Part 20: Alastor’s Redemption – Mother Reunite and Heaven

The villains eventually get defeated. (Assuming no one dies a second time) Eventually, Alastor gets redeemed and turns into a human/hart hybrid angel. Alastor never forgets about Charlie and how wonderful a person she was. They share a hug and kiss before Alastor leaves with his mother and Charlie stays to rule Hell. He reunites with his mother and they go to Heaven for a while. Alastor hosts shows in Heaven, and teaches the Angels how to make jambalaya and do dad jokes (He remarks their food is plain and boring). Alastor and his mother eventually depart for the seven Guinee gates with the Loa after they are accepted at last by Baron Samedi. For the only place where Alastor truly belonged was not Earth, Hell or Heaven, but with his family and culture.

Angel Dust gets to have private fun with guys in Heaven, while he continues to work on curbing his addicting habits. Molly, Arackniss, and Angel/Anthony reunite with their white spider mother Aranea. Husk finds true love with…Angel Dust! Husk performs magic shows for everyone and plays card games without betting as he has plenty of money and comfort. Alastor reunites with his mother and spends quality time with Mimzy before going to Guinee. (But Alastor will always remember Charlie!) Autumn, the Zoophobia deer and Alastor become friendly rivals. Vaggie reunites with her family (minus Valentino, her father) and marries another woman in happiness (but of course, never forgetting Charlie and what she did to help make their new lives comfortable!). Tom Trench, now mask free and blonde, hosts Holy 333 News. Zoophobia animal characters make cameos as denizens of Heaven. Sir Pentious or Baxter creates inventions and healing potion for the greater good instead of drugs and weapons and evil aquatic creatures. Roo and Cherri are BFFs along with Angel. Niffty marries a kind man in Heaven. All the characters take their time in healing from their wounds and experiences.

Vaggie, Angel Dust, Husk, Alastor, Baxter, Mimzy, Crymini, Roo, Villa, Tom Trench, Cherri Bomb, Arackniss and Molly all get redeemed. (Niffty may be is secretly evil). Charlie succeeds in redeeming sinners but eventually has to let her redeemed friends go.

I.M.P. and C.H.E.R.U.B. are still in business for many years. Blitzo lives his musical theater dream and Loona is by his side, arm in arm with Crymini.

Centuries later, Charlie marries a woman similar to Vaggie in Hell. Through a willing man, Charlie gives birth to two children who eventually take Charlie’s place as the Hotel managers when Charlie grows old. (Yes, she ages very slowly!) Her children are the next generation of do-gooders in Hell.

The show ends with all the characters dancing and singing under rainbows while “That’s a wrap!” shows up.

#alastor #human alastor #hazbinhotel #zoophobia #hazbin hotel theory #the radio demon

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songfell-ut · 4 years

Text

Chapter 2, bc this is happening

Yo. I’m charging ahead on this project because I’m a terrible mother and my kid is getting a lot of (educational) screen time during the day while my husband works from home and I get this written. It remains based on this comic by @lostmypotatoes. It’s so long that I split off the end and it’s mutating into Chapter 3. Lots of talking, with Stuff to come of it very soon, no worries.

Now featuring a cut! Thanks (what’s an easy nickname for you? “Lost”? “‘Tatoes?”) for the tip on how to very easily do that.

Lastly, I have login shenanigans to deal with, and have been chatting with Lost (?) using @ikustioa on my phone, so I suppose that’s my blogging/personal handle now. Anyway, here we go:

Three nights later, Sans woke with a jerk. Someone in the next room was sobbing. It wasn't a memory or nightmare, he realized a moment later, and it wasn't the priestess; it was a small child, crying so hard that it could barely breathe. Steeling himself, the boss monster slid out of bed and listened intently.

He heard a woman whisper something, and the child's sobs quieted as a familiar sound came through the door. It was the same humming that had de-powered his blaster the other day, though not the same tune. The skeleton took a moment to be sure that the glow in his eyes was out, then cracked the bedroom door open.

Frisk was kneeling, bare-headed, with her arms around a little boy of perhaps eight or nine years. In the light of one lamp on the worktable, Sans saw a dark patch of blood in the child's hair. Frisk glanced at the skeleton, giving him a wan smile, still humming. Sans closed the door enough that the child wouldn't see him.

The priestess waited till the boy had calmed down to the occasional sniffle, then leaned back and reached for something on the table. "I've got a treat for you," she said cheerfully. "Do you like peppermint?"

The child thought it over, and nodded.

"Wonderful, because that's exactly what this is. You'll feel better in no time." She held out a glass bottle. "You can have three big swallows, but only three, all right?"

Well played, Sans thought, framing it as something he got to have, not something he had to take. Sure enough, the little boy gulped it right down, smacking his lips as the young woman retrieved the bottle. "Good. Can you do something very important for me?" she asked. Nod, nod. "Can you lie down and count to one hundred? That'll make the magic work better. Let's go to my office."

The child went with her quite willingly. After a few minutes, the High Priestess re-emerged into Sans' field of vision. Her pleasant expression was gone, replaced with one that actually made him feel a little sorry for whoever had pissed her off. Then he remembered the blood on the kid's head. "Anybody you want me ta kill?" he asked through the door.

"Don't tempt me." Frisk jerked a sheet of paper from a stack on the desk, grabbed a pen, and began writing rapidly.

Sans checked the time. "God damn, what's that kid doing awake at two in the morning?"

"Being beaten." The pen scratched viciously across the page.

He decided to shut up. Frisk soon finished the message, blew the ink dry and folded the paper in thirds, then sealed it and marched to the outer door, where she woke up the guard on duty. Sans heard her reaming the guy about doing his job properly, serving a writ, and not letting a guy out of the castle. She came back in, only to return to the office.

This seemed to be typical for her, as far as Sans could tell, though it usually wasn't this dramatic or this late at night. If she wasn't off at church or giving him lessons, she was talking to someone who needed help and apparently couldn't get it elsewhere. He had yet to see her do something for fun, or sleep more than five hours at a time.

Meanwhile, his daily routine had been surprisingly low-key. The first day, after being flagrantly mind-controlled into agreeing to stay, he'd eaten some more, then slept for another dreamless twenty-four hours. The next morning, she'd let him have another pile of food, then started his apprenticeship by showing him the most common ingredients for potions and how to identify them by sight, as he couldn't smell and didn't have much sense of touch. Yesterday had been a review, emphasizing that a mistake could literally kill someone, and she'd given him a book of basic recipes, asking him to make a list of any ingredients he found that she hadn't already introduced.

It was kind of annoying to have homework, and he was starting to get cabin fever, but otherwise, the whole experience hadn't been too terrible. He was relieved and disappointed that she kept the veil on almost all the time, which reduced the distraction somewhat, though she persisted in having a fantastic shape, and he was really starting to enjoy the sound of her voice. When he could focus enough to ask questions, she was patient and encouraging, and let him use all the paper he wanted to write down the answers. She was obviously pleased that he cared enough to take notes, though not in a smug or irritating way; it just made her happy, and that made him...not unhappy.

It was also still novel to talk to a human who wasn't afraid of him. He hadn't seen many humans up here besides the little boy, and figured they were forbidden to come into her rooms unless they desperately needed help, or could sneak past a sleeping guard. That was fine with Sans, though he'd overheard one cleaning lady being so persistent that he really wanted to come out of the bedroom and tell her to piss off. Unsurprisingly, Frisk had asked him to not do that.

There were only a few real mysteries so far. One was a pile of letters she'd brought in on the second day and tossed into a basket of also-unopened envelopes standing by the roaring fireplace in her workshop. He'd caught her looking at the basket a couple of times, as if debating whether to burn them all, but she never did it, or opened any in front of him.

The biggest question was how she knew he could teleport, and the nature of his blue magic, even if was getting more red than blue these days. He had unthinkingly used the latter to grab a couple things yesterday, and his magic had almost immediately died out. He didn't know exactly how she was doing it, but her barriers weren't just blocking him in: they kept his power so muted that he couldn't have summoned a single bone. It seemed that he'd be allowed to use some magic to make the actual potions, and that was it.

Well, there was time to worry about that later. The injured kid had made him think of Kris again, which made him think of the book passage Frisk had quoted at him. He'd have to ask if she...wait, no, he didn't have to ask. She'd given him carte blanche to read anything he found in her bedroom or workshop. Sans tapped the nearest witchlight on, noting that it was much weaker than the ones Underground, and started perusing the shelves.

Fifteen minutes later, Frisk knocked on the door, waiting for him to grunt acknowledgement before she came in. "I'm sorry for waking you," she said, dropping into her chair with a deep sigh. "There's going to be hell to pay in the morning."

She did look like hell, with bags under her eyes and a smear of blood on her cheek. Sans put the book down and tapped his own face, and she got the hint, rubbing her cheek with the back of her hand. "Ugh. That poor child." She sighed again, curling up and resting her head on the arm of the chair. "I'll wash up in a minute."

"Didn't you just get back from a thing?" he asked, wondering if she was always this cavalier about bodily fluids.

"Yes. His Holiness decided we needed more midnight services, and I have to be there every other night." She rubbed her eyes. "Flynn must have followed me back here. People aren't supposed to know where I live, but word is spreading. At this rate, I'll have to move again."

Sans drummed his fingertips on the bedpost. She'd found an oversized stool to use in the workshop, but there were no armchairs big enough for him, so he spent most of his leisure time on the bed. "Bein' High Priestess sucks. How long ya been at it?"

"Three years. The last Thea was assassinated, and they had to find a replacement as fast as possible. Out of all the minor priestesses available, I was the only one who passed all the tests. It's been...instructive."

"Hm." That didn't surprise him. A human strong enough to block a boss monster's focused attack had to be pretty rare. "How old are ya, anyway?" he asked, suddenly curious.

Her eyes shut. "Twenty-two. I was educated in a convent, ordained at sixeen, High Priestess at nineteen." A mighty yawn was partly hidden in her arm. "Lucky me."

Sans didn't know much about humans, but he was pretty sure that was young as hell for so much responsibility. The problem was that she was good enough to handle it, which meant they'd pile on more and more until she went nuts. "Nah, it sucks ta be you. Any way you can get out of it?"

"Well," she mumbled, eyes still closed, "I can die, or marry, or go back to the convent and become the Mother Superior, which would also be until I die." Frisk yawned again. "The Feast of All Saints is next week. That's when the last High Priestess was murdered."

Something prickled up Sans' spine. "You spend all yer time doin' church stuff, kissing babies and healin' puppies or whatever. Why the hell would anyone wanna kill you?"

"I meant it when I said I have influence in the Church and at court. I don't hate monsters, which is inconvenient for several people, and I'm not quiet about it, which is extremely inconvenient for many more of them. Besides, my natural father is very wealthy, and his other childr—"

"'Natural' father?" he queried. "What, do some humans have unnatural kids?"

Her eyes opened. She looked lovely in the soft light, but troubled and sad, so much that he wished he hadn't asked. "I'm illegitimate. My father never married my mother, and our life was...bad. Very hard, for a very long time." The priestess rubbed her fingertips together, as if seeing more dried blood. "He was a very busy man, but he only has one legitimate heir. After his second wife died, he started tracking down his children born out of wedlock, and it's an open secret that he'll leave each of us a large amount after he passes."

"And whoever's left gets a bigger piece of the pie?" Sans guessed.

"Exactly. As far as I know, there were fourteen or fifteen of us, but magic runs in his side of the family, and most of his children became sorcerers. Almost all of my half-brothers have been killed fighting monsters. Two of my half-sisters blew up in an experiment that went wrong. There are only six of us left, including the—his heir."

Sans' eyes narrowed. "What is it with humans an' explodin' stuff by accident?"

He couldn't read the look on her face. "If we knew the answer to that, history would have taken a much better course."

Of course, that made him think of Kris again. It seemed pretty inevitable, so he might as well ask... "I don't s'pose," he mumbled, "there's a record of the humans who went t'the Underground on that last trip? Maybe what happened to 'em after they got back?"

Frisk raised her head a little. "That depends. We know exactly which nobles, sorcerers, and other dignitaries attended. Do you mean one of them?"

"Nah, this was a servant, I think. Prob'ly. I dunno." The skeleton felt his eyes lighting up again. "He was only 4 or 5. S'comin' up on thirteen years ago, so he'd'a grown up by now."

The priestess frowned. "No one that young was in attendance, so far as I know, and I've read every account that I could find. May I ask why you want to know?"

"Nah." Sans flexed his hand around the bedpost. "Forget it."

Frisk sighed, carving a design into the plush chair with her thumbnail. "Well, I'm afraid the answer is no. There's no record of the servants who came along, except the ones who were killed, and that didn't include any children. You'd have to check with each of the—" She sat up. "Wait. I know someone who was there—my mother. Do you want me to ask her?"

"Hell yes, I do!" Sans' hand tightened, splintering the bedpost. He guiltily released it. "Did she talk much about it? What all did she tell ya? Can I ask 'er a coupla things?"

The priestess laughed, quieting him with a wave of her hand. "Sans, please! She's been very sick recently, and I don't want to excite her too much. I will ask her anything you need to know, thank you. And yes, she talked about it to anyone who'd listen. She's the one who told me all about monsters, and what you're actually like."

Sans sat forward, but she forestalled more questions with another gesture. "First, her name is Rosa. Did you ever meet her?"

It did sound familiar. "I think so. Little, blonde, wore her hair up?"

"That's her. She would've been in charge of any children they brought along, but she never mentioned any of them to me." Frisk tapped her finger on the chair arm. "She did say there were things she wasn't allowed to talk about. She worked for the Duke as a nurse, and she would never disobey him."

He wondered for a moment if that meant the guy was Frisk's father, but was too excited to dwell on it. "What'd she say about us?" he asked curiously.

Frisk hesitated. "Well...she didn't talk very much with individual monsters, but she said the Queen was very kind and made sure to tell each of the humans how glad she was to have them visit. The King was also very courteous. He tried his best not to frighten anyone, and he thought it was rude that the servants weren't allowed to eat with the nobles."

Sans' foot started tapping. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he reluctantly stopped. "Who else?" he demanded.

The next moment, they both heard the office door open into the workshop. "Miss?" came a plaintive voice.

Frisk was at the bedroom door in an instant. "What is it, Flynn?" She closed the door most of the way.

Damn it all to hell. Sans grumpily listened to the child explain that he'd scratched his head and sorry, there was blood on the couch now. Frisk explained that wounds got itchy as they healed, and to please not scratch it, and that it would be much better to wipe his hands on the towel she'd put down than on the furniture. Then he had to be cleaned up again and a bigger bandage applied, and someone was sent for to take the boy somewhere he could sleep safely.

A thought stabbed at him as he listened to the proceedings: that was how she knew he could teleport and zip things around without touching them. King Asgore had insisted the monsters show off their powers in various amusing ways so that the humans would be less afraid of their magic. Sans thought it was a bad idea at the time, and look what came of it!

Frisk eventually came back to the bedroom, drying her hands on her skirt. "Let's cut t'the chase," Sans said quietly as she sat down. "Did she tell ya about any skeletons?"

"Yes." Frisk folded her hands and looked straight at him. "Two brothers, Sans and Papyrus."

Sans laced his fingers together to avoid accidentally destroying anything else. "And...?"

"She liked them very much," Frisk said calmly, "especially Papyrus. Sans was friendly, but she said he watched their every move, and it made them nervous." The priestess smoothed her skirt over her knees. "Papyrus was a joy to be around. He was very full of himself, but there wasn't a mean bone in his body, and he considered it his duty to welcome the humans as much as possible. My mother talked about him more than any other monster." She coughed. "Apparently, his spaghetti was terrible."

"...Sounds about right."

Frisk looked at him sharply. "I wanted to ask you about that, but...are you all right?"

Sans couldn't answer. He'd avoided thinking too much about home, especially the fact that he'd already been gone for a week when he got caught. It'd been easy to tell himself that he could always bust out of here if he needed to, or that the lady would let him send a message or even go have a quick visit before coming back here, but...

"Are you Papyrus' brother?" Frisk asked.

"Yeah," he ground out.

The priestess shook her head. "I don't understand. R—Mother said that Sans was shorter than any of the humans who came to the Underground, and the only boss monsters mentioned in the official histories are Asgore and Toriel. Can you tell me what happened? I wasn't sure if you were the same skeleton, you seem so diff—"

"A lot of shit happened, that's what." Sans lurched to his feet, and she had to tip her head back to look up at him. His sockets were glowing again. "Ya know what? I'm tired, an' you look like crap. Time for night-night." He jerked the door open, rattling the hinges. "Good luck cleanin' up. Blood's a bitch to get out. Trust me, I know."

She rose quietly, folding her hands in the style he recognized from the very first time he'd seen her. "All right, then. Good night, Sans," she said, and walked past him, out of the room.

He didn't slam the doors shut behind her, but it was pretty close.

Once she had control of herself again, Frisk wiped her eyes and resumed scrubbing the couch. She kept glancing underneath it, and as she threw yet another towel into the laundry basket, she decided, To hell with it, and pulled the couch aside. A nearly invisible seam in the floor showed where a board could be pried up to access her hidden safe. There was no lid, no lock, and no key, just a solid golden film that vanished when she pressed her thumb into its center.

The High Priestess surveyed the contents: several tight-folded papers, a bag of high-value dinar, a sack of silver ingots, a few pieces of jewelry, and a small box. She selected the box and removed its rosewood lid to reveal a tiny glass orb, something swirling around on its surface like smoke. She stared at it for so long that her knees began aching, but she didn't notice. Her vision blurred again, and she jammed the lid back on the little box, shoving everything back into the safe, re-sealing it, thumping the floorboard into place and pushing the couch back. Not today, she told herself fiercely. She didn't care what Sans said or how he acted. It couldn't be worth it. Nothing could!

The next day, after a late breakfast, Frisk quizzed him on the differences between various herbs and powdered animal bits and their uses; they looked over the list he'd made of new ingredients, going through the recipes and identifying how each item worked in each potion. That was the first time she demonstrated how to mix and infuse something, and the first time she warned him, "You have to be careful how you feel when you make potions. Intent is always important when you're using magic—you fully intend to cause damage, and I fully intend to protect, which is why we're good at what we do, yes?"

He shrugged philosophically, and she half-smiled. "Well," she continued, "it's similar when you're making something for someone else to take. If you're in a foul mood and you want to cause harm, or you simply don't want the person to get better, you might as well be concocting poison, or giving them water. Of course, your feelings don't matter if you're just throwing herbs into a pot, but these work as well as they do because you're putting a tiny bit of yourself into it. You have to make sure that it's a good bit."

"Pretty sure all my bits are bad by now," Sans remarked. "How's about I make some poison instead?"

Frisk shook her head, leaning over the table. "No one is all bad, Sans. Here." She took the glass stirrer out of the miniature cauldron bubbling away in the middle of their workspace. "I'll infuse it now. Watch."

He did observe closely as she bent forward, though probably not the way she'd intended; he just made sure he was looking at the potion when she glanced up at him. "Try thinking of someone you care for, and imagine it's for them." She opened her hand over the cauldron and, to his surprise, let out a low whistle, piercingly sweet.

A mote of light drifted from her palm and settled into the mixture. It seemed to sparkle for a moment, then resumed being a potion. When he concentrated, though, he could feel a little tingle of magic in it. "I won't ask you to try it till you have better control of your emotions," she said. "Right now, you're so angry that I don't know what would happen."

A different note had crept into her voice. Sans shifted his bony weight on the stool. "S'not like I can help it."

"Perhaps," she said. "You probably don't even notice it anymore. It's become a part of you, through whatever stuff has happened since the humans left the Underground. And before you ask, my mother is ill again. We can't speak with her until she's better."

There it was; he'd wondered if she was going to pretend he'd never snapped at her. "Well, you can only ask me so many personal questions before I get touchy, lady. Frisk." He tapped the worktable a couple of times. "Look, I know ya have a lot on yer plate, an' havin' to deal with me isn't much help. I just want t'know...is there any way to tell the others I'm not dead or somethin'? My brother's gotta be out of his mind by now, and I don' want someone comin' after me and gettin' caught."

Frisk shook her head, and his SOUL sank to the floor. "I'm sorry, Sans, but that's out of the question," she said, soft but firm. "Our King has forbidden any humans from coming within a day's walk of the entrance to the Underground, and let's be very honest—what would happen if a human came up to you out of nowhere and said they had an important message to give the monsters?"

Sans' jaw clenched so hard that the priestess put her hand out, not quite touching his arm. "Sans, please. If there was any way to—"

"Forget it, okay? Just...never mind." The skeleton glared at the windows facing out from the workroom. Like everything else in this damn place, they were too small for him to fit more than his head through. He'd gone through this in his own mind a dozen times: even if he could break through the wood and stone, he could sense the barrier set behind the wall to block his shortcuts. The one along the outside wall was heavier than the ones in the bedroom, which were permeable, purely there to track his movements. It was debatable whether this one could be physically broken with...something, but the moment he tried, she would know he was trying and stop him with a stronger barrier.

Hmm. What if...what if he waited till she wasn't here and couldn't get back in time to stop him? If he broke through when she was distracted, and far enough away – say, doing her church stuff in the middle of the night – then there wouldn't be much she could do. He could escape and decide later whether he wanted to come back or—

Wait. Come back? What the hell was he thinking? Why would he choose to be locked up by any human? No matter how pretty, and gutsy, and sweet and nice-voiced and...

Crap.

Anyway. He wouldn't come back. He'd have to be sure to grab his notes and a few books for Alphys; Frisk could always get more copies. He already had plenty to report to King Asgore, though he felt a little uneasy about letting ol' Gorey know that the most powerful barrier-making human was a determined sorceress whose SOUL could probably make you invincible. Actually, he felt a lot uneasy. Maybe he'd keep that to himself for now.

Too bad he couldn't bring her with him...

"...ans. Sans?" Frisk was touching his radius. She'd lifted her veil, large brown eyes turned up to his. "Are you all right?"

Sans studied her for a long moment, reflecting that Papyrus had always wanted a pet. The idea was more appealing than he'd have liked to admit; he had to dismiss it with a shake of his head, and shake it again to get it loose. "'m fine, kid. Remind me what this stuff was for?" After all, he thought darkly, he'd always told Pap no. Pets were too much trouble, especially if you got attached to them. Besides, what would they feed her?

A knock on the outer door startled them both. Before Frisk could respond, the door opened, and in strode a tall, thin man in dark robes, holding a box under his arm. "High Priestess. Honored guest," the man said in a cool, whispery voice, giving them a short bow.

"Dr. Serif? This is a surprise," the High Priestess responded, replacing the veil as she stood up. "I wasn't expecting you so early. Sans, this is Dr. Serif, the royal sorcerer. Doctor, please meet Sans the skeleton."

The man regarded Sans with mild curiosity. "I am very pleased to see you again, Sans the skeleton. Has Her Eminence been treating you well?"

"Uh...yeah," said Sans, nonplussed. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

The royal sorcerer bowed again. He was unnervingly pale, the effect enhanced by dark eyes and long black hair framing his face. "I helped transport you from your cell to this room."

"It took magic," Frisk said helpfully.

He'd figured as much; magic was the only way humans could do any damn thing. The boss monster looked at the box under the doctor's arm, which had a strange feel to it. He couldn't tell what it was, but he knew he didn't like it.

"This is for you, as we discussed, Your Eminence," the man said smoothly. "I will leave it in your office."

Frisk looked so uncomfortable that Sans glanced at the sorcerer, but nothing was visibly wrong. The man ignored them both, striding past the table and opening the door to her office. They heard rustling, and the doors closing as he stepped back into the workroom. "That will be all. Good day, my lady, Sans." With another bow, the doctor turned and left.

"Weirdo," said the ten-foot skeleton. He found he didn't want to look away from the door lest the guy come back and catch him unawares. He hadn't been threatening, but something about him was very off.

"He's...unique." Frisk sat down again. "Now, this infusion is almost ready. We'll leave it at room temperature for another ten minutes or so before we stir it again. In the meantime, you can add two drops of peppermint oil, mint, orange or lemon extract..."

The rest of the day passed without major incident. Frisk had to stop in the middle of concocting a burn salve and leave Sans to finish it, though she cautioned him not to infuse it yet. She rather envied him; she had to walk to the other side of the castle to go over her parish's monthly accounts, balancing foot-long columns of tiny numbers to check that tithes and alms had come in and gone out properly. They never quite did, though it had gotten better in the past year, as she had made it increasingly clear that she was not interested in stealing from the poor or turning a blind eye to it, even for a few hundred extra dinar in her own column.

The attempts at bribery were particularly insulting because she didn't need it. The realm's High Priestess was entitled to half a percent of the Church's total monthly income, and through the magic of frugality and compound interest, her personal fortune had grown to the point where she didn't want to use any of it. Life was so strange; as a small child, she had only eaten once every couple of days, and now she could decide not to buy her own estate and maintain a huge staff for it.

She was starting to wonder, though, about a rumor she'd heard regarding several hundred acres of land that would supposedly be up for sale in the next few months. They were principally wheat and barley fields, no more than two days' walk from the Underground's main entrance. That was food for thought, indeed.

Frisk eventually finished and stopped by the kitchens on her way back to her room. Sans was still wary of what he ate, and she took care to have more than one damned fork now when she tasted his food for him. She wasn't worried for herself: if she didn't have time to eat in the kitchen, she routinely paid several of the staff a bit extra to make sure that everything they brought her had come straight from the pot or the pan, with no chance for someone to add any surprises.

That had felt hypocritical at first, but she'd soon realized that she couldn't rely on people's consciences or sense of duty to keep her safe. Many, like the guard captain, were loyal for loyalty's sake, but many more of them needed external motivation, and she was helping the cooks and servers support their families. And she wasn't literally stealing from orphans to do it!

An overstuffed basket sat outside her chambers, and the guard hastened to open the door and push it inside for her. Frisk carried the tray to the table, setting it by Sans' elbow as he compared nearly identical recipes in two separate books. Then she dragged the laundry basket over, pulling a sail-like garment out end over end. "Here you are," she said around an armful of fabric.

The skeleton looked up, scowling at the interruption. "Wha?"

"This is for you." Frisk tried to hold up an enormous shirt, then an enormous set of trousers. "I had them measure your clothes when we washed them for you. They made you another set."

Sans slowly got up and took the shirt from her, holding it against himself. It was sturdy linen, almost as thick as the canvas shirt he wore now and much softer. The skeleton turned it this way and that, poking the material. "What's this for?"

Pause. "It's a shirt," said Frisk. "It goes on the top half of your body. Humans need it for protection against the elements, and modesty, but for you, it's principally so that you have a shirt on."

He acknowledged her smartassery with a respectful nod. "I mean, wasn't this a pain to make? I hope nobody expects me t'pay fer this. Not my fault if what I got on ain't pretty enough for ya."

"Oh, it was. Getting something that size made up so quickly cost me more than I paid for all the clothes I've had this year combined. But you're not a slave, you're my apprentice. That means you're working for me, and I'm keeping track of your wages. It'll take a while to pay this off—" Frisk stuck her arm through one of the trouser legs, flapping it to shake it out. "—but I think you'll manage it before you leave."

Sans had another odd expression. "Yer payin' me for the stuff I make? I thought apprentices were the ones payin' to learn."

"I consider the knowledge you'll bring back to the Underground to be your apprenticeship fee, and as this arrangement wasn't your idea in the first place, we're bending the rules," she said patiently. "I see you've made three sets of burn salve, two of which look useable, and you're almost done with a cough elixir. Fair market value for those is about ten dinar total, so minus the infusion I'll do for you, you've earned about seven already."

"Hm." He scratched the side of his head. "What am I payin' you for my food?"

Frisk laughed, shaking out the other leg. "The pleasure of your company." At his blank stare, she shook her head and uncovered the tray. "No one charges their apprentice for room and board, Sans." The priestess put down the trousers, picked up the fork and leaned in for a bite of baked fish.

The skeleton pulled the tray away, making her stab the table instead. "If I owe ya money, you're definitely not gonna poison me," he pointed out, and began shoveling it in.

"You're right," Frisk said gravely, trying and failing to hide her grin. "I'm glad you've had time to mullet over."

Sans pounded the table with his free fist, rattling the glass vials. "Might as well, just for the halibut. Right?"

She covered her mouth with the back of her hand. "That was weak. Think of a better one and let minnow," she said around it.

"You're right," he said, and waited for her to take a bite before he added, "We really need to scale back."

They had to stop laughing long enough to eat. By the time dinner was over and Frisk had carried the dishes out, both were relaxed enough to be sleepy. "Dunno why I keep wantin' to go t'bed, all I've done is read 'n catnap," mumbled Sans, trudging into the bedroom and flopping onto the mattress. "'m not even usin' my damn magic."

"You're eating human food, so your body is getting more nutrition and working harder to process it," Frisk pointed out, settling into her chair. "Mother said the humans all had to eat more to stop being hungry Underground." She tried not to burp out loud. "Besides, you're probably still recovering from the energy you spent being captured and then trying to kill me. Thrice."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that." The skeleton stretched all the phalanges of his toes, flexing them in turn. "Probably won't do it again," he added truthfully.

"Thank you." Frisk also stretched her legs out, Sans noticing how absurdly tiny her feet were as she got up from her chair with the recipe book. She reached down to dog-ear the page they were on. "Well, I—"

He whisked the book out of her hand and flipped it open to smooth the page out. "Use a bookmark, woman! What are ya, some kinda barbarian?"

"It's an old book! They're all creased anyway," she argued, trying to take it back. He held it over his head, roughly a mile out of reach. "All right, then, fine," she said with a smirk. "I'm going to take a bath. Read through and find five more ingredients to discuss when I get back." She shut the door on quiet skeletal griping, smiling to herself.

The next day passed in a similar fashion, at least outwardly. Frisk took careful note of everything Sans made, ignoring his suggestion to dock him the price of the ingredients when he screwed up; luckily, he was catching on fast, even if she wouldn't let him infuse anything yet. She also wouldn't tell him how much his new clothing had cost, saying only that she'd let him know when he broke even. What really got his attention was her adding, "If you make enough money, we'll send a few bushels of wheat back with you. No one can be upset that you were gone for so long if you come bearing gifts, can they?"

Sans was glad he didn't have facial muscles or anything similar to betray his inner turmoil. He'd had a lot of second thoughts last night about bashing his way out of here, due in small part to the new outfit and the possibility of bringing food to the Underground, but mostly because she was working her brain-magic on him again, being attractive and kind and easy to talk to like the terrible, sadistic person she was...not. She was not remotely terrible or sadistic, and that was the problem. He still didn't understand it, or how it was getting worse so much quicker than he'd anticipated. He just wanted to get away before she entangled him any further.

Then he'd started thinking of Snowdin right before he fell asleep, and for the first time since he'd been captured, he had dreamed of home. He dreamed their house was cold and dark, with no one upstairs and a single light on in the kitchen. A female form was silhouetted in the kitchen doorway, hands on hips, facing something slumped over the side of the couch. "C'mon, Pap. He's probably just out on another hunting trip," she argued.

"...IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER?" The thin, nasal voice hurt Sans' SOUL, and not just because he'd desperately wanted to hear it again. This wasn't his boisterous, indomitable, recklessly cheerful brother; this was a small, heartsick Papyrus, one Sans hadn't seen or heard in a long, long time. The last time it happened, at least Sans had been there for him. Now Sans was gone, too.

"Hunting animals, Papyrus! He's hunting animals. Not humans." The woman thumped the wall for emphasis, knocking little bits of plaster from the ceiling. Dammit, Sans had told her to quit doing that. "That's gotta be it. We don't eat humans, and he knows how bad the food situation is, right? So..."

"I DON'T CARE WHAT HE'S DOING. ...WELL. NOT MUCH." The skeleton heaved a sigh, raising his face from the couch cushion. "...UNDYNE, I...I CAN'T REACH HIM. IF HE'S ALL RIGHT, WHERE IS HE?"

And then something had seeped out of the darkness and gently enclosed Sans' mind, blotting out the dream like a sponge on spilled water. He had woken up knowing that it wasn't a dream, and was instantly enraged—he'd been so grateful that the nightmares had stopped, and too damn stupid to figure out that she'd set a barrier up against external influences, including dreams shared with Pap. He'd ponder the full ramifications of it blocking nightmares another day; the memory of his brother's expression had decided him. Agreement or no agreement, he was getting out of here tonight.

Of course, he couldn't pack up the stuff he needed before their lesson was done, or right afterward. He wasn't worried about giving himself away: as an accomplished bullshitter, he knew he was behaving perfectly normally. The moment dinner was cleared away, he called dibs on the bathroom, which had a nice, huge tub that he wanted to use one more time. When he was done and she'd gone in and locked the door – and after the usual stab of curiosity as to what she looked like outside of clothes – Sans quietly put everything he wanted into a satchel he'd found under the worktable, and stowed it behind the door in the bedroom, where he had to wait until she was done getting dressed.

The one odd thing was that after she emerged from her dressing room in her full priestess-y regalia, she went into her office and spent a few minutes doing nothing that he could hear, after which she was wearing a different brooch. She'd had a white one on the first day they met, but this one shone with a greyish light under her veil.

"Goin' so soon?" he asked carelessly. It was ten o'clock.

She smiled. "If my duties only included saying words and a few songs, I would sleep much easier. There's always someone to speak to before and after services."

"Gotcha. Well, have fun. 'm gonna read somethin' with a damn bookmark 'fore I go to bed—I forgot t'ask, mind if I try ta make a few things while you're not here?"

"Go right ahead. You'll pay for it if you burn down my workroom, so I'm trusting you to behave." Was he imagining a weird little inflection there? No, she looked totally wonderful. ...Normal. She looked totally normal. "Good night, Sans," she said, adjusting her veil.

"G'night, Frisk." He stretched out on the bed as she shut the door.

That was it, then. He might not ever see her again. It...wasn't a good feeling. In fact, it felt pretty bad. Time to quit feeling it, think of Pap, and focus on his plan of action.

The plan: well, for starters, it would be dumb to try breaking out immediately. He wished he knew exactly where the chapel was. He'd heard occasional church-type singing off in the distance, but that didn't give him an idea of how far away she'd be during the service, or for exactly how long. Instead, he watched the clock and fidgeted, as nervous as the first time he'd faced down a group of human sorcerers.

Maybe this was a dumb idea. Maybe he should just ask her to take down the barrier keeping him from dreaming with Papyrus, just for one night. She was too kind to refuse, and intelligent enough...

...to ask him for more information in exchange. Frisk knew he used to be a normal monster, and might think to ask if he'd always been able to speak across dreams; it wouldn't be too far a stretch for her to keep questioning how he became a boss monster. She'd also realize that if she let him communicate with other monsters, he could tell them several things that she would prefer they not know, including her identity and full capabilities. It was one thing for her to take a calculated risk and let him go back to the Underground with that information, or – much more likely – to make him forget it before he left; some humans had the ability to excise bits of memory like that. It'd be another thing entirely to permit a conversation that no one else could even hear. She was nice, not stupid.

So Sans waited until eleven forty-five, and then he sat in the workroom with the satchel looped around his wrist for another ten minutes, nerves humming. Then he got up, went to the double doors leading out of her rooms, and silently picked up a seven-foot decorative statue standing at the room's threshold, wedging it inward across the doorframe. He went back to the workroom, judged the weakest place in the outside wall, reared back, and slammed his fist directly between two of the windows.

Frisk had started to relax as the organist began playing and incense floated in the chapel air. She was opening her mouth for the first hymn when a warning note sounded in the back of her mind: the barrier to her workroom's outside windows was tingling, and then it suddenly burned away, the warning note sliding all the way up to a full-blown klaxon.

She gritted her teeth so hard that it hurt, controlling her expression with a supreme effort as the voice in her head screamed, Sans, you two-faced sack of fertilizer!

The only good thing about the situation was that she wasn't leading this service. Therefore, it was odd, but not completely conspicuous, when she stepped to the back of the choir, touched her new brooch, and vanished.

#frans this fic brought to you by ABC Mouse

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charliewarrxn-xo · 4 years

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CHARLOTTE MAE WARREN // intro ;

is that CLAIRE HOLT ? no, that’s just CHARLOTTE MAE WARREN SHE is TWENTY EIGHT years old and is a BOOK CLERK AT WHAT THE BOOK? AND A WRITER. rumor has it they’ve been in town for FOUR MONTHS. on a good day, they’re HONEST & KIND. but watch out ! they can also be STUBBORN & RESERVED. [ BETWEEN THE BARS BY THE CIVIL WARS ] plays in my head whenever i think of them. can’t wait to see them around springhill !

@shstarters

( trigger warnings: death, child neglect, alcoholism, drug addiction, rehab, violence and abuse down below. )

Charlotte Mae Warren was born on April 5th, 1992 in Hermosa Beach, California to Robert Warren and Alycia Reynolds. She is the youngest of two children, her older brother being Christopher. They both had a rough upbringing, their parents were involved in the drug industry from before even Chris was born and eventually turned their own garage into a lab, creating a very dangerous and violent atmosphere in their home.

Because of their drug business, their parents were too busy to raise two kids the right way, so Chris was the one who would usually look after Charlie and made sure she was properly fed and taken care of. That didn’t mean Alycia wasn’t around, she was loving and nurturing towards them but she was slowly becoming more and more dependent of the drugs. Chris was Charlotte’s hero, her knight in shining armour in a world of full of villains and evil sorcerers.

Charlotte used to love being around Chris and learning from him. She admired and will forever be thankful for his bravery standing up to their father’s violent streaks and substance abuse, in order for his sister to be unharmed. Her favourite part was when Chris would read her bedtime stories and create magic protection spells to help her forget all of the ugly moments throughout the day and shield her from bad dreams and monsters under her bed.

Charlie Mae’s life was turned upside down about a week after turning seven years old. A neighbour’s calls to child protective services were finally taken into consideration and a social worker showed up at their house to take Charlie away from the disruptive home she was in for good, which meant she jumped from foster home to foster home until she was around twelve and placed in the house of a couple who couldn’t have kids and were thinking of fostering and eventually adopting.

James and Emily White were the parent’s Charlotte never had. They took care of her, sent her to a proper school, made sure all of her needs were satisfied and more. They knew about the girl’s troubled past and they tried not to talk about it, except for the times she had nightmares or lashed out saying they weren’t her real dad and mom. Many times she asked for Chris or pleaded to be taken back to her home, but they would eventually calm her down and made sure she understood this was her only chance at growing up the right way.

Despite the fact that both James and Emily made Charlie a part of their family, she never took their last name out of respect to her older brother, who she knew was out there somewhere. With time, she graduated high school with flying colours and decided to pursue a career in English and Writing. Stories had been a big influence in her life, coming from Chris or Alycia and even from James and Emily when she was older. Their stories shaped the woman she became.

Charlie never knew about her mother passing when she was around ten, that was until she turned of legal age. She found out the truth from the social worker who came to review her case every year before the adoption, who she learned to care about. Once she was finally allowed to make decisions on her own, she called her and dug up her file to see if she could find her family again but only found out her mother was dead and her father’s whereabouts were uncertain. There was no information on Chris. This sent her into her very first downward spiral, turning to alcohol to deal with the pain of having lost her family for good. From then on, Charlie battled with drinking issues every now and then.

Unfortunately Emily passed last year and it triggered her drinking once again. With help from James and the social worker who she now consideres a kind of Aunt and mentor, she managed to get clean and has been sober for six months. She also got a place for herself in Springhill, where Emily was born, and still visits James in the city regularly. He makes sure she stays sober and she makes sure he is okay and safe too.

Charlie also got a job at the local book store due to her background with writing and hopes to make the most of her time in Springhill to work a book of her own. She mostly writes stories and poems based off her own personal experience and turns some of the events of her childhood into fiction, adding elements of fantasy to cope with her tragic past.

Because she refused to believe that Chris was completely gone, Charlie asked for help from her social worker once again and managed to find out this time, through a lot of digging and investigating that Chris has been living in Sprinhill for the past few months... but she still hasn’t been brave enough to come face to face with him. She is silently keeping a grudge because she still doesn’t know that he has been looking for her ever since the day she was taken away.

#springillintro #about #OH LOOK I FINALLY MANAGED TO WRITE THIS WOW

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anastasiaskarsgard · 5 years

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Link to my masterlist for earlier chapters or other stuff I've written

His Queen

Part 3

Bri ripped open the letter, amazed it was handwritten and in cursive! Knowing Roman, he had an assistant write it, but she felt a warmth in her chest knowing he’d truly loved her all along.

To My Queen, Briana Godfrey,

(Admit it! That sounds way better than Tucker, have the lawyers change it.)

Oh, and before I get into it, I wrote this myself. No assistants, so fuck you for thinking it.

Bri smiled a sad smile at how they still knew how the other thought.

I have to start off by saying thank you for reading this letter. That means you're at the white tower. I don't deserve you. I've turned into everything I never wanted to become. Everything you made me believe I could escape. You are the light to my darkness and I'm so sorry I disappointed you. I don’t have a lot of time, but I needed a plan in case I fail. You’re the only person I trust with my company, my money, my daughter, my legacy, my heart, all of it. I am an absolute crack head level blood addict, and I couldn’t trust myself when we got overly emotional to keep my head. Because I love you so much, you can make me so upset, and That last fight we got into, I scared myself. I don’t blame you for slapping me, but to hold back from returning the blow, I literally broke my own hand... but this is not what this letter is about.

Peter and my sick half-sister Annie have stolen my daughter. Peter is hell-bent on destroying me because he killed Destiny's trash fiance, and lied about it, so she blamed me and attacked me and I hurt her bad enough to foresee issues with peter, so I broke her neck to avoid problems figuring it was showing her some mercy since she was heartbroken. Annie was there and when I refused to carry on an incestuous relationship with her, she turned on me and told Peter about Destiny. So he came after me and fucking shot me, we fought and I won, but didn't cut his head off so I knew he’d be fine. Well, he calls me and has my kid and won't turn her over, and says he's going to kill me so even though I doubt it, Nadia needs someone to raise her, and if I'm killed it's not my whore of a sister Annie. I need you to find Nadia and take her home and raise her as she deserves. She’s such a sweet baby and she adores you.

Find Shelley and she can help you maybe. She’s in love with this weird old poet and chooses to live at the old steel mill. Calls it Rooster Poop. Can’t make this shit up.

The entire security team is trying to find Nadia, so contact them and see where they’re at with it.

you are the love of my life and I refused to ever say so, even though we both knew it was true. I would bullshit and say it’s cuz I was saving you from myself, but I’m not that fucking noble. You scared me more than anything ever scared me in my life. God, it's great to admit I love you. Like I need to make up a new word for how I feel for you cuz love isn’t strong enough.

there’s a pretty poem I saw that reminded me of you;

I’d still choose you.

In a hundred lifetimes,

in a hundred worlds,

in any version of reality,

I’d find you and I’d choose you.

Even though I knew you were going to break my heart again and again.

I’d still choose you.

It’s crazy how happy I am writing you a letter, even with every aspect of my life in shambles, you’re my light.

You get everything. Fuck all of them. You were right about everything. If I survive this shit, I am winning you back if it takes 100 years and I have to spend every cent. This is literally a reset.

I tried to forget your baby girl but I never could. No amount of drugs, money, blood, or bullshit could ever distract me from the constant ache in my heart for only you. You’re the only pussy I ever wanna see again. I ran thru a fantastic amount of pussy after you left and none of them made me forget you for even a moment. I pictured you or I could not get off. It was pathetic. I hope I get to see you again and rip up this fucking letter.

I looked back over this and there’s a reason I have other people write shit up for me. A few requests to seriously consider:

-->Blitzky should take over for Pryce. Not only is he a genius, he's a good guy. He's a bit soft, so you may have to be the bad guy.

-->Get a new nanny. The current one looks good on paper but she's an idiot.

--> Live in the white tower. It's secure and safe and you can make as many floors as you like home.

--> if an animal killed me, it's Peter and he's still a wolf. He’ll be white. Kill him, cut off his head and burn him up in the incinerator.

--> if Annie comes around at all, kill her. She's very manupulative and acts religious and nice. She's crazy and not to be trusted.

-->try and convince Shelley to live in the mansion and have her little homeless community there. She doesn't care about money but she cares about people, so offer it as a safe haven. Make sure it stays stocked in necessities like toilet paper, soap, cleaning materials, etc and write it all off as a charity contribution. Make the whole endeavor a big tax write off, but don't tell Shelley that part. Just tell her it was my dying wish she had a home.

--> the loser she's with has legal problems. Have the legal department solve them so he's got no reason to desert her.

-->if Peters mom comes sniffing around, don't tell her a damn thing. I doubt she will tho, she's a wanted fugitive.

--> don't trust any gypsies.

--> Nadia is very intelligent. She can read minds, influence dreams, and kill anyone or anything just by looking at them. She's dangerous and shouldn't be allowed around animals or people until she can understand the concept of death and consequences. There's no way to control her, I have found.

--> I promised a homeless man I ate that id pay for his sons school. Anonymously pay for Mathew Shandwicks classes, books and dorm at Penn State for all 4 years. His father traded his life without a single complaint so it's imperative you keep my word.

-->make sure Nadia isn't a spoiled brat like me. Teach her about her mother and her father and all the good things about us. Leave out we were related if you can swing it. Just say we were young and loved each other very much. I enclosed a pack of photos of me and Letha for her.

I wonder what you’re wearing... That reminds me; if I’m really dead, you have to be in mourning at least two years. That means all black suits and dresses that cover you up, black nails, big black hats like you just left a Catalina Yacht Mixer or you’re going to a royal wedding. I even got you black lab coats just in case.Don’t half ass this. It’s important.

Also I want “Fuck you” by the Archives played at my funeral, if it comes to that.

Hopefully, you never see this letter because I got everything fixed here, and went and found you and you ran into my arms and we lived happily ever after, and I have a whole lifetime with you... But just in case...

All my love,

Roman Godfrey

P.s. - since you're a genius, hopefully you can fix me or bring me back. I hope you still love me even 10% as much as I love you, because then nothing can stop us.

Brianna stared at the page as her tears fell on it swirling the ink in designs and spirals. She knew he’d always loved her, but it was bittersweet seeing him finally admit it. She took the photos out of the envelope and looked through them.

Looking through the pictures was heart-wrenching. There had to be a way to fix all this! She tried to remember everything she’d learned about Upirs from that dreadful Russian women and Pryce. Luckily they’d been a bit of an obsession for her that she delved into when Roman pulled his shit. Being obsessed with Upirs had distracted her from obsessing over the real issue.

Just as she started to wonder when Mueller and Edwards would be back, as if by magic, the elevator doors opened. They had brought Dr. Blitzkey with them as well.

“Oh my gosh! You’re alive! I’m so happy to see you’re ok and still here!” Bri said as she ran up and embraced Blitzky. “Where is Roman? I need to see him.”

Blitzky looked at the ground nervously before meeting your eyes. “It’s not fixable.”

“No matter. I just NEED to see him. Please?” She begged.

“Okay. He has several severe traumatic injuries so please prepare yourself for that.”

“What happened to him?”

“Some Type of animal attacked him in the old mansion and pushed him out the upper story window, fracturing his spine and neck which most likely left him paralyzed and vulnerable. His throat and heart were then ripped out.”

“Peter.” Bri said darkly. He was going to pay for his betrayal. She would make sure of that.

“I mean that’s the most logical conclusion but after all Roman did for that little degenerate, ” Blitzky muttered.

Bri nodded solemnly.

“Hate to interrupt your happy little party but we have several forms that need immediate attention, to get this shit show back on the road,” Edwards interjected.

“They’ll have to wait till after I see Roman. You lead the way Blitzkey, you two stay here.” She said firmly stepping into the elevator with the doctor. Both lawyers looked furious but did as they were told since they were honestly intimidated by this young woman that had all this piled on her, and seemed unfazed.

As soon as the doors closed she sank to her knees and screamed. The tears came flooding out of her eyes as her body was wracked by sobs. It’s like she’d been hit by a truck. The realization that Roman was really gone finally sinking in.

Blitzky didn’t know what he should do. He was a genius, but completely clueless when it came to social and interpersonal skills. He hesitantly patted Bri on the head like a golden retriever, unsure how long was comforting so he just kept doing it. “You’re strong.”

Bri glanced up at Blitzky through her foggy tears and couldn't help but agree. She WAS strong.

The elevator opened to their floor as she looked down at the floor.

“Well” Blitzkey peeped, unsure of what to do, “this is it.”

“We have to fix him Blitzkey. There’s got to be a way.” she said rising to her feet, as if the little display he just witnessed never happened.

“You’re the boss.” Blitzky said as cheerful as he could muster.

“I’m giving you Pryce’s position. I trust you.”

“Thank you! I wasn't sure if maybe you'd want to take charge.... What will you do? Take over for Roman?”

“Until I can bring him back, I guess I’ll have to. I will bring him back Blitzkey.... If I have to make a deal with the Devil himself.” Bri stated adamantly before setting off down the hall like a woman possessed.

#my writing

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detroit-become-magic · 6 years

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Leo Manfred: Green Witch

So continuing on with my magic headcanons in a sci-fi video games, a weird few headcanons came in the form of Leo Manfred. For purposes of this AU, he is not a complete wreck. Without much ado, let’s go!

Leo always had a green thumb. Magic has always had the tendency of presenting young. He’s found out he likes playing mud and gardening ever since he was introduced in the great outdoors.

Even if the great painter Carl Manfred is recognised as his dad, he feels like Carl doesn’t acknowledge as his dad. He retreats himself to his plats, talking to them like people.

This of course concerns his mother who tries her best. She pushes him to get friends. They’re pretty cool and all to Leo but he likes plants more.

Leo meets a woman at the local gardening store for his seventh birthday to pick up a new plant. It’s the first time he feels connected to someone. He can smell rich pine and the clean air of the forest around her.

The woman leaves her card for him to contact. Blaire, botanist, environmentalist, and, apparently, green witch.

Blaire and Leo’s mom become fast friends and eventually girlfriends. It works out in the end because Leo now has a green witch in the house that can guide him.

Because Leo has stable parental figures in his life, Carl’s absence doesn’t affect him as much as it does in canon. So he’s more emotionally mature. (Still an idiot sometimes, but everybody is an idiot sometimes)

Leo, because he’s a green witch, cares very much for the environment. Which is why he doesn’t appreciate the progressions of technology harming the environment and recycles appropriately.

Leo’s ten when he loses his sight. It’s a mishap at a swimming pool on a school excursion. Only a few were harmed but Leo was blinded. He’s had some surgery (paid generously by daddy dearest who is never there) so he can perceive some light but his optical nerves were seriously damaged.

Learning how to cope with being blind is fun (unless you can’t tell, I’m being sarcastic here). Leo’s hooked up with a braille tutor, has to change his entire lifestyle and has to be that extra touch careful.

But strangely he can talk to plants in a way. The green witch in him can use plants as a sort of radar to help him walk around. Leo retreats even further into gardening.

It’s not a good idea to bother the blind kid who happens to be a witch. His classmates didn’t know about the witch part though. Attitudes to the supernatural range from fearful to downright snide by the mundane. A few kids thought it’d be funny to steal his lunch and play piggy in the middle with it.

Unlucky for them, Leo was resting against an old oak tree, slowly dying because the polluted soil it was planted on. The tree roots lurch, rising up as if it was starting to move and the branch slither around. It’s only meant to scare and it does, leaving the kids running for the hills.

Leo goes back to reading his book, (printed in braille)

It’s around when he’s sixteen that he enters his ‘punk’ faze. It’s not really a punk faze. He just starts listening to a lot of angry music, gets taken to underground concerts by friends that are both human and magical.

When Leo enters college, that’s when Leo starts making bad decisions. Namely, drugs.

College is the phase where you start experimenting and, hey, since everybody was getting doped up, why couldn’t Leo? He could do everything they could do.

Cocaine, red ice, meth, cannabis, he does it all. But thanks to his weird witch biology, he always detoxes and the high never lasts. But being good at gardening, he starts growing a few illicit plants.

In his second year, he creates a prototype of a new drug that’s like red ice. It affects supernatural creatures more than humans. A few of his ‘friends’ want to refine the substance and promise to give Leo a cut of the profits if he gives them the formula.

And hey, it’s money, why not? (Leo, you stupid idiot.)

Leo is a common sight at environment sort of protests and has at some point used his powers to attack development projects. The police never find out it’s him doing that, since there are so many other people and Leo can get lost in a crowd. Also Leo is not above pulling the blind card.

Meetings with his father are always stilted and awkward. It’s enough for Leo to get an impression that his dad is disappointed in him. Carl knows about the whole witch thing but he’s never taken magic seriously since it’s not common anymore and more of a fairy tale these days.

Kamski on the other hand is very interested in the witch thing. It’s not his first brush with the supernatural. In fact, he has a half-brother that’s a werewolf (*cough, cough* Gavin *cough, cough*). But Leo is not a big fan of what Kamski represents which is further destruction of the environment with the development of androids and harvesting of thirium so half the time he crosses Kamski, he’s either picking a fight or ignoring him.

Remember the stupid drug deal Leo made a few points back? It comes back to haunt him.

His friends want a new formula with a little ‘added insurance’.

Carl doesn’t enjoy the same protection given to Leo’s mother from the supernautral and is basically a sitting duck. So a few guys break into his mansion, hold him hostage and wait for Leo to come back.

During this time, Carl is severely roughed up to the point his spine is damaged.

When Leo comes back, he is pissed. You see, Carl has plants in every room and they tend to react to Leo’s mood. So when he’s pissed, the plants are influence by his rogue power breaking free of their constraints and growing monstrous in form, wrapping around the intruders in vines.

Leo is this close to killing them when his father calls out for help. Leo does what he can to stabilise the damage done to his father, using what little healing magic he knows to reduce the swelling and directing his father’s cells on where they need to go, all the while rapidly muttering sorry’s, please forgive me’s over and over again.

Leo’s case is taken up by the Pa.In Bureau (short for Paranormal Investigation Bureau, because the guys who founded it thought it’d be funny to call the overarching law enforcement agency for the paranormal ‘pain’.)

Leo’s facing 7 years in Drakennoff for environmental terrorism, gross misuse of supernatural powers and creating and distributing unregulated magical substances. Leo manages to get a reduced sentence in a deal where he gave names and information and handed over his illegally acquired funds.

His parents, all 3 of them, are not happy. Leo knows this. He knows he did a stupid thing that ended up seriously hurting a lot of people including his father. So Leo does the grown up thing and face the consequences.

Leo does go to jail for 2 years before released out.

Carl has been through the motions, coming to terms with his paraplegia, depression and anger at his son. He and Leo don’t talk anymore.

Leo’s moms are mad. They understand that yes Leo has screwed up and wants to make up for it but goddammit they taught him the difference between right and wrong and he did something massively wrong! But they do try and make it work.

The supernatural community is usually cool with ex-cons and criminals. They’re a pretty underground society with most of them having done something wrong in their lives. Meaning, it’s not hard for blind guy Leo with a prior for drugs to get a job.

Leo actually changes his name after he gets out of prison. This is more for security so nothing is traced back to his family. He changes it to Leon Adair, not much of an extreme change but it’s there.

He manages to get a job at an apothecary/cafe that caters to the supernatural and human. (The humans that end up are hipsters and health nuts). Leo is an unofficial doctors, specialising in blends, tisanes, poisons and, of course, plants.

Some people do ask how he’s able to do what he does being blind. Leo says it’s years of practice and plants.

Leo lives on the other side of Detroit, far, far, far from Carl Manfred and he figures he’ll never see him again like this. Well, hear him, since Leo can’t really do the seeing part well.

He meets Markus by total accident. Leo is on the way to work and since the Bellini Paint Markus usually goes to is out of commission for remodelling, he had to go to the other branch store which is near why Leo works.

Long story short, Markus is stopped by some anti-android protesters and is getting roughed by. He is that close to deviating when Leo steps in. Leo has no idea about Markus, All he knows is somebody is beating up an android and they’re in the way, he needs to get to work and get started working on the blends or otherwise he’ll be so overworked, he’ll cause an accident.

So he pretends to be the struggling blind person who’s lost and they can’t find their helper android who he pretends is Markus. And these protesters, they’re not that much of an asshole (at least some of them) and let them through with apologies for causing trouble.

“Thank you,” Markus says.

“Shut the fuck up. You reek of thirium. It’s sickening.”

“You’re Leo Manfred, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not.” Leo walks away, slams the door to his apothecary. He knows the no androids sign is there, keeping the plastic outside.

Unfortunately, the android now collects paints from the Bellini near where Leo works. Meaning Leo has to suffer weekly crossing with Markus who keeps talking to him for some reason.

It’s not long until Carl shows up. It’s been a few years with no contact whatsoever. Carl’s in a different place now. He’s chill, he’s sorted through his stuff and he wants to reconnect with his son.

So he shows up where Leo works. At first, Leo doesn’t know (being blind). Carl’s just watching him, not saying anything. It isn’t until Leo’s co-worker points out that an old man has been coming in with an android (that’s definitely not allowed) that he knows his dad’s there.

And Leo just straight up acts like he can’t see him. Because he can’t. He pretends his dad isn’t there and keeps on working as he usually does.

It’s until Carl’s had enough and punches Leo in the gut just as he’s closing up that Leo even acknowledges the man.

“What was that for?!” Leo spits out. “Wait, no, don’t answer that. I already know.”

“Well, then you should apologise.”

Carl is scarily forgiving of Leo (as I said before, he’s had years to deal with his anger) but Leo is still a little hesitant because he knows what it’s like for be seriously physically damaged and caused that to another person.

Markus is actually fascinated with Leo, well, his magic to be more precise. It’s just really cool. This is a thing with androids where they just really like magic. It’s a contrast to what they are and it can’t be explained.

Imma just end it here. If you have requests for magic in Detroit or anything else, feel free to leave an ask in my box!

#detroit become human #leo manfred #markus #carl manfred #dbh #headcannons #green witch leo au #tw: drugs

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millenniumhprp · 6 years

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“Gina my love, I absolutely loved your application. Your original character sounds fantastic and I can’t wait to see him on the dash. ~Admin M

Congrats Gina! You have been accepted to play as Benjamin Cooper (FC: Chance Perdomo)! Now, you have 48 hours to create your blog and follow our checklist. Once completed, please send a message to the main page and we will provide the link to the OOC blog / Discord.

In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the process, just send us a message here and we’ll be happy to answer you. Great job! We can’t wait to see how you bring your character to life. Happy RPing!

Name: Gina

Preferred Pronouns: She / Her

Age: 23

Time Zone: MST-AZ

Activity level: I work for local news, so sometimes can be swept away easily for work – plus my shift is odd. However, I will try to get on every single night, if not every other day. <3

Previous Roleplaying Experience: over 12 years of forums and tumblr alike haha

How did you find out about Millennium? I’m an admin and set it up :P

What are you most excited for in the RP? THE TOURNAMENT – and older characters 😊

Anything Else: [removed]

IN CHARACTER

Character’s Name: Bejamin Cooper

Face claim: Chance Perdomo

Preferred Pronouns: He / Him

Age: 17

School: Hogwarts

Year: 7th

Blood-Status: Half-blood

House: Slytherin

How do they feel about their house placement? Indifferent. He does not want his house to define him. Only himself and his actions.

Job: During the summers with his mother, something in the Muggle world.

Biography: (tw: abuse & alcoholism)

Vola anima per aeterna - fly through eternal life.

Growing up was something of a difficulty for Benjamin. His father was a Pureblood – descendent from the Nott family – and emphasized the need for the young boy to learn magic when Benjamin first started showing his abilities at a young age. His mother was a Half-Blood, raised by a Muggle-born mother herself. Thus, she pleaded with her husband frequently that Benjamin needed the chance at a normal life without magic or the wizarding world. Especially since her own mother died in a tragic accident due to the aftermath of a battle from the first wizarding war. She wanted to give her son another option – knowing that a storm was coming. She saw how dangerous it was and didn’t want her only child growing up in such a dangerous place – and had another life to escape to if need be. Often, their screams from their fights shook the house, sending Benjamin into tears as he tried to cover his ears to block out the world. Drown it with his own thoughts and dreams. All while hiding in the back of the broom closet. Later, Benjamin learned that his father manipulated him many times. The Nott family was keen on memory charms and influence – making impressions and dictating many decisions often by corrupt ways. Out of guilt from thinking he was causing his parents fight, Benjamin often hid away or sometimes even ran. But one day, he didn’t have to. His father, suitcases in hand, left with another woman while his mother was left crying. Out of spite, Benjamin took his mother’s last name, protecting her as the new war began.

Raising him as a single parent, Benjamin’s mother moved them to a two-bedroom house right on the shore-line of Weymouth, Dorset in England. It was away from the center of the war, but another waged at home. His mother was in a drunken state most of the time, leaving the boy to write to himself, feeling lost in the world. She even took him out of Hogwarts during his fourth year – fearing the war would take her precious boy away. He went to a Muggle boarding school but missed the halls and corridors of Hogwarts. His home. Afterall, there, he thrived academically, particularly in potions. He liked to tinker with them, making them better. And in charms, he did the same. His journal was filled with ideas and potential inventions. Even so, Benjamin still practiced magic, eager to return once the war was over.

Now that the school is reopened, Benjamin has refused to finish Muggle school and told his mother that he is returning to Hogwarts. No matter what. Of course, she was distraught, and still has not come around. The fear of the Triwizard Tournament clouds her mind, wanting to keep Benjamin as far away as possible. However, he doesn’t need her protection. He’s fine on his own – witty, intelligent, cunning…qualities he knows are passed down from his father. All Benjamin wants is to be his own self, independent, and make his name known to the world. Not a Nott – nor a Half-Blood. Simply Benjamin Cooper. And he will stop at nothing to get his way.

What will your character bring to the RP? A male character split between the traits of his parents and the ambition to be his own person. He’s got the wit and tendencies of a villain, but longs to be good. I want to toy with the light and dark of a soul theme – and let Benjamin find his own way.

Patronus: Gray Wolf

Wand: 11 ½ inches, slightly springy, alder wood, unicorn hair core.

Head Canons:

· During his first school-years at Hogwarts, in the summertime, his mother (a professor at the University) would be sure that Benjamin had full knowledge of the history of the Muggle World as well. Many times, she gave him books to read and take at least one Muggle-schooling course. Although, the war had caused her paranoia and thus led her to be more distant. Benjamin would then browse the library in their home on his free will whenever he decided to visit. After years of studying, he finds that he likes literature from the Muggle world and learning its history; because of this, Benjamin has a burning desire to travel, but also incorporate magic.

· Benjamin is pansexual; however; aromantic. While he enjoys sexual encounters, he does not actively seek love or feel it often. In fact, he is often even more satisfied with friendships and other non-romantic relationships. He thinks this may change because he’s never been in love and goes in with an open mind. Benjamin’s severely insecure and does not believe in love due to his parents.

· To keep a savings in mind, Benjamin worked a part-time job during the summer holidays. Oddly enough, at a bakery that is owned by his elderly neighbors. After his father left, his mother wanted to move out of London completely and migrated them towards the sea-side in Weymouth, Dorset England. The ocean did wonders for Benjamin, allowing him to gain a sense of wonder and appreciation for Muggle life even more. The summer meant he could swim, relax, and study. His neighbor, Lyle, was elderly and allows Benjamin to take his sailboat out if he cleans it up and also gave him his part-time job at his wife’s bakery. Discipline and responsibilities come with a job, which is what Benjamin believes he needs to become a man; to have courage and never let himself standby and watch any other horrible event pass before his very eyes.

Extras: Jupiter by Sleeping at Last

Para Sample: (tw: abuse, fighting, & alcoholism)

“Look at him, Camilla! He’ll never amount to anything.” Nathaniel Nott shouted to his wife as she held a younger, four-year-old version of Benjamin.

“He’s just a boy! Of course he won’t with you talking like this!” Camilla bent down, wiping the tears from Benjamin’s reddened cheeks, “Sweetheart, go to your room…please…”

All the young boy could do was look at his mother, saddened by how she seemed so broken. Every night was the same. His mother, fearing magic, did not want the boy to learn it when it became time that he would get the letter from Hogwarts. She feared it because it had killed her own mother - but Nathaniel, his father, tried to reason that it was dark magic that had done that. And with the tantrums Benjamin sometimes had, he was proven to show signs of magic with lights faintly flickering from time to time when he cried. Nathaniel, from pleading with his mother, led to arguments and fights - leaving all parties saddened greatly. Seeing the look in his father’s eyes, Benjamin quickly ran up the stairs, hiding in the broom closet with his knees hugged to his chest.

Some years later, even after Nathaniel left, the pain of being different; a freak; grew worse…

While growing up, Benjamin was faced with many issues. First his abuse, his mother becoming an alcoholic, and his father leaving. It made him feel unwanted and uncared for….as if he was the cause for all the issues. As if he were to blame. If that was what love was, he wanted none of it. Unfortunately, at home was not the only place where his insecurities thrived.

At age twelve, despite having gotten the letter from Hogwarts, Camilla refused to let her son learn magic at first. In the end, he started a year later than most Hogwarts students, making him feel behind and stupid. However, it was not his fault. As his mother tried to raise him as “normal”, Benjamin knew in his heart that he didn’t belong. It became evident as he was starting to be brought up in Muggle schooling, unable to control his magic when his emotions were heightened.

Being an awkward, shy boy, Benjamin was always bullied. Whenever the kids would push him or tease him, the bullies would suddenly trip on thin air. And one day, the boys were going too far. They began calling the young boy names saying that he was talking to the ‘Devil’ when he would whisper in his sleep at nap time (from nightmares) or utter words that he remembered his father saying when practicing and showing him simple spells.

They kicked the back of his desk, threw papers at him, pushed his arms, and even put gum in his hair. And while trying to control his anger, the young Benjamin’s temper slipped, making the teacher’s desk move forward and even start to lift before Benjamin fell to the ground, scared and shaking.

“You freak!” he heard a young girl scream and all he could do was crawl up from the ground and run. He ran until he reached his house where Benjamin hugged his knees to his chest and cried back to his broom closet, where the lights flickered from his hurricane of emotions. The young boy was confused, scared, and angry. He had no idea what to do. But the gentle touch of his mother’s hand on his shoulder was the only comfort he felt at the time. He always thought he was a freak.

Even now, Benjamin still feels out of place. Having finally been social at new Muggle schools when he was pulled from Hogwarts, it had done him a lot of good, but a lot of harm as well. He craved to be “normal” or at least fit in. He didn’t want to cause any pain that he felt when he was younger. To him, he was scared to death of being his father, but he was also terrified of being that boy once more. Benjamin has many fears; thus, those fears are his insecurities. Although he must be careful to not let them get in the way as he returns to Hogwarts – a new, improved, young man.

#accepted #chance perdomo #Hogwarts #Slytherin #harry potter roleplay #harry potter next generation rp

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comicteaparty · 6 years

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September 13th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on September 13th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PDT. The chat focused on Gemini Journey by Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Gemini Journey by Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero~! (http://geminijourney.com/) Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

Shen

i liked when she was getting ready for interviews and she messed up her makeup and her buttons popped 100% relatable

Tenor | Shinavar

Hi Hi! Q1: TOO MANY. But specifically I really enjoyed Veil's anger he morning after Gemini went missing. I just really appreciated getting to see someone actually care someone just wandered off, and him still having lingering emotions about the whole incident of her returning home.

aliceapproved

Oh gosh, that one was such a BIG MOOD!!!

saetje

whoo-hoo! Thanks @RebelVampire for putting on CTP. And hey all, thanks for coming :)!

Kabocha

Oh, boy, this is a hard one to answer, to be honest! I really liked the first chapter, where Gemini and Veil were going up against the Dragon-Roach... I was like "WAIT HOW CAN YOU HATE DRA--- Oh." Also, this scene: http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=69 Veil. You are the best.

It was fantastic handling of that... Creeper Kappa? Is the flasher a Kappa?

Shen

i just give 100% of my heart to Veil he works so hard hes so tired let him rest

Tenor | Shinavar

Flasher, I'd say

aliceapproved

Gosh, yeah, the dragon cockroach was really creative and I'm SO HAPPY there's a Kappa and they had to do the "bow" move to "defeat him"

Tenor | Shinavar

But yeah I love how 'street smart' he is about like, everything going on.

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

a book nerd with street smarts

Kabocha

Veil has no time for any of these Shenanigans

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

he's amazing

aliceapproved

I really love Gemini's "guilt" expression in one of the interviews

Superjustinbros

Hello!

RebelVampire

yeah i think veil is also a great character balance to gemini. cause when you have someone who is into the shenanigans, you need someone to be a grounding influence

Tenor | Shinavar

I also really like that though because he shows a level of attentiveness and perception to the world around him. <3

saetje

yess! It's a flasher Kappa! Glad you liked that scene.

Shen

yeah sometimes the "straight man" character can come off as a wet blanket but he genuinely cares for Gemini. i'd like to see more of that, like how they mnet or something one day in the future

aliceapproved

Yeah! Veil and Gemini are such a dynamic complimentary duo, from personality, body shapes, and orange and blue colors!

Shen

EXCELLENt design

Superjustinbros

Oh yea, huge props for how polar opposites Gemini and Veil are

aliceapproved

OH!!! One of my favorite scenes is when Gemini firsts visits the creepy circus and the scene transitions to her perfectly waking up in bed. That was such a cool transition!

Kabocha

Yesssss!

mathtans

Yes, I agree, the two play off each other well.

Kabocha

It was!

Superjustinbros

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=198 Also, I like this scene, in part cause it reminds me very well of what happens to me some days

aliceapproved

I'm really eager to see how the circus devolves and how Veil and Gemini will handle it. Also those rad fox twins!

mathtans

(I may have to leave at a moment's notice when the baby awakens, if I suddenly go silent.)

Jess

You guys are so nice. I don’t know if I can add smilies fast enough haha

Kabocha

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=55 Also, the lighting on this page was woooonderful. I wasn't sure how to read Veil's expression though. It was kind of like... "wait. Do you not want her to move out? Or... Are you just... ....caught off guard by dog fire?" ....Then the next panel is like "Back to reality."

Jess

Yeah the scene where it transitions from her as a circus performer to her in the bed was one of my favorites. @saetje really owned that scene

Tenor | Shinavar

I read it as he's a bit hurt at the "You can finally be alone!" more than her moving out

Superjustinbros

wow that is some really good lgithing

Jess

I think that was the first time that I didn’t second guess the panel format

RebelVampire

to repeat something already said, i loved the dragon bug. that was such an immensely creative idea, and i think it was a great way to open the comic. we get a great way to get not only the impression of what the world is like, but we get to get a great feel for the personalities of the characters.

mathtans

I gotta say though, my favourite was apparently Death owning a flower shop that has the slogan "You Don't Gno-me". Gotta love those little details.

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=44

Tenor | Shinavar

GASP I MISSED THAT

OMG I LOVE IT

Jess

Yaaaaay!!

RebelVampire

yeah i give death's appearance an A+. that and gemini's confusion about why death asked about her immortal soul

aliceapproved

I looove all the mythology monsters at play in the background!

saetje

A lot of those details are thanks to @Jess who does final rendering/lettering. Flower-shop Wraith/Death will actually be showing up again I think next update, haha.

RebelVampire

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=45 although i was also distracted by the page right after. this feels so true for getting a job.

mathtans

It's the Wraith of Khan.

Shen

LOL Gemini's entire job ordeal is so relatable. "i workeds hard on this one application im gonna go get a treat" girl, same

Superjustinbros

hehee

Kabocha

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=157 Veil's distress :<

Tenor | Shinavar

Gemini sets off my inner Veil tho bc I know so many friends who do like

1 app a week

Shen

UGH hes so cute when hes sad XD

Tenor | Shinavar

and it's like: HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-

mathtans

Back to what Rebel said though, I agree the dragon as a bug was hugely creative, and a good way to see the main characters play off each other.

Tenor | Shinavar

istg I relate to Veil the entire job process lmao

Kabocha

I love the expressiveness of both Veil and Gemini, but yeah, I really really feel for Veil

aliceapproved

I love how much Veil cares! He cares SO MUCH!!!

Tenor | Shinavar

Did anyone else notice in he dragon roach scene Veil has Gemini's shoe the whole time as the weapon?

RebelVampire

i love that page, @Kabocha like the lighting plus that expression made my heart weep

mathtans

I like that Gemini did start to take it more seriously for Veil, or at least seems to have been at interviews.

RebelVampire

weep so dang much

mathtans

Tenor: I don't think I picked up on that.

Kabocha

Although, how much is Gemini caring vs the Circus influence infecting her with confidence?

Tenor | Shinavar

I realized it after I noticed Gemini running around without a shoe and had to go back to see where I missed it lmao

saetje

@Tenor | Shinavar AH! Someone noticed that!

Superjustinbros

(I'm gonna go AFK for a bit, got some things I have to do but I'll hopefully be back later!)(edited)

Tenor | Shinavar

IT'S CUTE BUT MAKES ME WONDER HOW WE GOT TO THAT POINT LOL

saetje

Yes, Veil took Gemini's shoe despite having larger feet than her. I could jsut imagine the behind-the-scenes squabbling about it

aliceapproved

OOOH Good point about the influence! I'm really intrigued by the hypnotic circus

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: Caring about what, specifically? Like, about the circus, trying to get a job...?

(Sorry if I'm slow on the draw, got kids here )

Jess

On our world dragons: Yeah. It came from a conversation that dragons are the pests of the magical/mythical world. To the roach/dragon thing just kinda took form from that Ahahaha

RebelVampire

yes i noticed the shoe and thought that was a great art touch of continuity

Jess

Ahaha yeah!!! I mean. My boi got nice shoes. He can’t be using them for that

aliceapproved

I'm really glad dragons have the roach aesthetic, too! As someone who loves all dragons, I draw the lines at cockroaches XD

Shen

yeah that poster at the end threw me for a loop i thought it was a legit magic look-alike so when i saw the poster i was like "whoaaa no way" haha makes me VERY interested to read more

aliceapproved

Veil is so clean haha!

Kabocha

@Tenor | Shinavar -- Just in general honestly. Gemini started putting more effort into things, but it didn't feel like she actually really gave a damn more than she had gained some level of confidence.

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

i really liked gemini's haunted mascara

saetje

I'm glad you all like the Dragon Roach opening/idea too. It's also the idea...trying to imagine how mythical things might have 'evolved' along with our modern world, and yeah. Dragons are pretty much pests you always have to exterminate, yeah?(edited)

Kabocha

Although maybe that's the magic of the circus

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

or maSCAREa

mathtans

I grinned at it being one of the flying types.

Tenor | Shinavar

Ooooh that's fair, and a good point.

mathtans

Made me think of ants. I hate the flying ones.

saetje

@mathtans directly related to past experience with real life 'flying ones'. Nothing makes a roach worse than realizing it's one of those

omg ants too

Tenor | Shinavar

Saetje: So would this modern world have those 'fortune cat' memes but with the dragons instead? Reblog for good fortune?

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

god i related to that line so much bcus of how often i had to deal with flying roaches as a young childe

saetje

hmm, fortune cat memes? Like on tumblr when someone reblogs a picture of a cat with money on its head? XD

Tenor | Shinavar

Yeah~

aliceapproved

OMG

Kabocha

I could do without the flying insects aaaaaaaa

aliceapproved

gEmini and Veil on social media haha!

Shen

i bet Gemini is a memelord

Jess

Yeah!! For the circus - we’re at the point not where we can start unraveling some of the mystery. Throughout the story so far we wanted it to be sorta ambiguous about if that Gemini in the circus was the same one. In the next oncoming scenes you’ll see what’s real and what’s not. But hopefully the way it’s being read is that the readers (y’all) are realizing it might actually be Gem

Tenor | Shinavar

I'd collect flying insects if they were smol dragons justsayin

Oooou~!

Jess

She is definitely a memelord Hahahah I love that

saetje

I doubt about dragons being seen as fortune memes since dragons are seen as pests and they tend to keep you from your money (ala sitting on the horde and breathing fire) or take loose items into their hidey holes-- so they're not seen the same as lucky. But that might just be for Gem and Veil's part of their world

aliceapproved

I'm so excited for the Circus to "unravel"

Shen

i bet she texts memes to Veil from across the room and then just waits for him to look at her in disapproval =3

Tenor | Shinavar

I've been under the impression the circus might not be entirely real and the performers there are stuck against their will - kinda fae-style. <_< So either she's performing against her will and is not yet fully bound or it's been an illusion to GET her there

RebelVampire

is veil thus the type to post all the old timey book quotes then? XD

in regards to the social media thing

mathtans

Yeah, at first I thought maybe Gemini was just seeing herself in place of who was actually up there, but with the poster it seemed likely that they were actually making her do the things.

aliceapproved

Oooh, I think it could go either way with trapped souls and she's not bound yet, or it's all an illusion to trap her.

Also, Veil posts moody aesthetic boards

Shen

aliceapproved

"Juggling is not a garbage job" :V

saetje

yeah we're getting into I guess the third act and I hope it comes together and makes sense. as we unravel some mystery. There's more stories we want to tell after "Barley & Bay-Lily" that all follow continuity, so I want to wrap Barley & Bay-Lily where you all know what's going on but there's more overarching questions than answered in some ways.

I'm loving these thoughts on it!

mathtans

Clever play on Barnum & Bailey, by the way.

Jess

Thanks!!

RebelVampire

i want to say i loved the juggler. that was a great design and gemini's reaction to it made me laugh. although i do wonder now if the juggler is part of the circus conspiracy

mathtans

I wonder if it's significant that they seem to be foxes.

Kabocha

Foxes are tricksters, so I mean

aliceapproved

Kitsunes!

Tenor | Shinavar

My fear about the poster though, and why I hink it's a trap, is it said her "final act"

mathtans

'Tis true.

Jess

Also I don’t know if anyone noticed but the juggler was only juggling 2 balls with 4 arms

aliceapproved

Very fitting to make them foxes! Cute and mischevious and devllish

Tenor | Shinavar

so it's like; HHHHHHHHHHHHH GEMINI BBY NO RUN AWAY

aliceapproved

YEAH!! GEMINI GET OUTTA THERE

Jess

So lots of talent going on in the streets of New Olympia hahaha

mathtans

Jess: I caught the four arms. Guess I didn't count the balls. Seems like less of a challenge there.

Shen

"mysterious circus ive never heard of down a dark alley? sounds like a great time and not at all suspicious!"

Jess

Right!?

saetje

yes, what @Kabocha said. The idea for GJ is this is HER story/myth/hero's journey. Foxes are pretty archetypal to suspect characters in folklore and fairy tale. WHAT they are exactly, well. More to be revealed :' D you guys have some awesome theories.

mathtans

Maybe there was a chainsaw off panel.

saetje

hahahaha

Kabocha

This'll be really cool to see as it approaches the end

(of the chapter, anyway)

Tenor | Shinavar

yeeees

Jess

That’s true! Whether she was a good juggler or not is the true mystery

mathtans

The foxes are actually out of work actors.

saetje

oh god.

Mathtan you figured it out

noooo

Jess

Yesssss

aliceapproved

I misread that as "work out" actors LOL

Tenor | Shinavar

choke

saetje

oh even better

Tenor | Shinavar

Explains why they are trying to start their own circus

aliceapproved

LOL "Get BUFF with JUGGLING"

Shen

LOL

mathtans

Appearing next in the Big Top - Jazzercize.

Tenor | Shinavar

WHEEZE

saetje

Possessed Scary Circus Zumba

Shen

Crossfit but its clowns

Jess

That’s terrifying

Tenor | Shinavar

I h8 u all bc I can't draw this right now

RebelVampire

i would pay to see clowns doing crossfit

saetje

now tHAT'S a million dollar comic idea, Shen

or idea in general, yes

aliceapproved

I know it's probably way off in the future, but I'm curious about plans for Veil-focused arc in the future

Shen

yeah same, im sure its planned but im interested

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. While searching for a job, Gemini clearly has gotten wrapped up in a dangerous situation involving a circus. What do you think the circus’ goal is in general for the people it entraps? Who exactly are the fox ringmasters running the show? Why was Gemini in particular targeted as opposed to other people in the audience? Why did Gemini seemingly come home in a trance, and what do you think it means for whatever is happening to Gemini? How do you feel the performer who represents Gemini’s ideals fits into all of this? Do Gemini’s anxieties have something to do with all this do you think? Lastly, how do you think Gemini will get out of this mess (or is she just doomed)?

Shen

i wanna know why he puts up with her tbh ^^; seems like she can be a bit self interested

aliceapproved

Also that it's confirmed he has friends cuz of that phone call. I'm sorry, I keep assuming he's a Sad Books lonely boy

Shen

no friends its just his mom

saetje

yeah you guys don't know if he's just sadly talking to a dial tone

Kabocha

The circus' goal is to... Basically steal her life energy! Somehow. But we'll see. Or enchant her and spirit her away~ Once she becomes part of the spirit world she won't really be albe to retuuuuuurn~

Shen

SAETJE THATS SO SAD XD

RebelVampire

well now you made it sad. XD

Kabocha

@saetje oh noooooooooooooooooooooo

aliceapproved

LOL! As for Question 2: Like most shifty magic things, steal her soul! Trap her in the circus

Kabocha

What about Gemini's mom? I'm sure he's probably got her on speed dial

RebelVampire

i assume soul stealing. i mean thats pretty standard evil fair. and who doesn't need a good soul

Shen

i dont think they targetted Gemini specifically as much as they laid out a trap and waited to see who stumbled in, and she did so they ensnared her

mathtans

Veil seems too organized to talk to a dial tone. It'd at least be the official time signal.

aliceapproved

I think the Circus targets ppl who are down on their luck or confidence or don't have a quote "real job" atm? Like job hunting is really stressful and feels hopeless a ton of times

so it looks for vulnerable ppl imo

mathtans

Gemini came home in a trance because the cab was too expensive.

Jess

That’s how I do too

saetje

BRB faking trance to get out of cab faire

aliceapproved

To heck with fantasy Uber and Lyft!

Kabocha

It shows them something akin to their best selves, maybe?

saetje

hahaha

RebelVampire

what if this is a known phenomenon in their world so when someone says "they ran away to the circus" they mean that whoops, got that soul life energy sucked out

aliceapproved

Yeah! The play of "UGH I should just run away and join the circus" it's so cool!

Shen

i once saw a video of a woman pretending to be a ghost to get out of paying a toll

Tenor | Shinavar

Q2: The specific part I havenb't already kinda answered is: I feel she is part of Gemini's subconciousness in the sense of having her "act" together. Her life wouldn't be too chaotic, she's able to balance all that is expected of her without being a 'clutz' or anything she seems to think at least minimally negatively on. (seen by her admiring the grace and such)

Kabocha

She's a representation of everything Gemini wants to be?

aliceapproved

^^^^

Tenor | Shinavar

Not exactly but def a bait, in some way

Kabocha

Except moving more toward that ideal means that Gemini gets trapped...

Well, representations don't have to be literal >_>

<_< I figured it was all pretty figurative

Tenor | Shinavar

True true

RebelVampire

the thing i cant figure out is why the trance thing. like gemini was in the circus, just suck out her soul. why give her the chance to escape?

aliceapproved

Since we see Gemini specifically, I'm assuming the audience members are just an illusion

Maybe these foxes like playing with their "prey" and make it a slow burn

mathtans

It could be through the music that the circus gets you. That alley cat seemed real scared of it, while Gemini was drawn in.

Alice: Oh, I like that.

Tenor | Shinavar

Rebel: If i works like fae magic, you gota get them to agree to it

aliceapproved

Yeah, why play if there's no risk involved?

mathtans

Rebel: To recharge?

Tenor | Shinavar

You also can avoid like - all legal repercussions if it's "willing" >_>

aliceapproved

^^^

Jess

Ahahaha consensual death is the best ... death?

aliceapproved

For lawyers, yES!

mathtans

Now waiting for the scene where Veil rules-lawyers the foxes.

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

thats how it be sometimes

aliceapproved

Law & Order with VEIL

Tenor | Shinavar

Also it hurt a lil bit I couldnt resist. Crossfit clown from geminis world lol

Shen

JKRFJGJHMHG LMAO!!!

saetje

omg @tenor hahaha

mathtans

That's a garbage job. ^.-(edited)

Tenor | Shinavar

BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE VEIL THROW DOWN VERBAL LOOP HOLES IN CONTRACTS

saetje

IT'S NOT A GARBAGE JOB, VEIL. I mean MATH.

Tenor | Shinavar

Just like, pops on some glasses and busts out a book from no where

Kabocha

That's Veil's magic power -- BOOK LEARNIN'

Tenor | Shinavar

YES

Jess

Yessss

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

magic is a thing, he probably just pulls out outta his pocket dimension- which is in his pocket

Tenor | Shinavar

He has a pocket just for his books

aliceapproved

I love all the art you guys do of Veil with his book beasts! They're the best!

Tenor | Shinavar

all 2k of them

saetje

haha,t hat's actually a joke we've been wanting to use somewhere-- "I love your dress" "Thanks it has pocket dimensions"

Jess

Omg I love it. All pockets are pocket dimensions from now on

Tenor | Shinavar

OMG YES PLZ

DO IT

aliceapproved

OMG PLS DO THAT

Tenor | Shinavar

AS A PARENT IT'S A NECESSITY wheeeeeeeeeze

aliceapproved

pockets are THE BEST

imagine a pocket dimension!

This world gets better and better! Minus the creepy circuses

Jess

Right

Hehehe

mathtans

"My pocket dimension is full of clowns...."

Jess

Nooooo worst dimension

Kabocha

I saw a few other people ask it, but... Why is Veil so tolerant of Gemini's shenanigannery? I mean, I am a far less patient roommate than he is...

saetje

I figure a pocket dimension dress would have to be some kind of plot device though for a future arc. i mean, HAVE to be.

Tenor | Shinavar

New def to clown car

Kabocha

matth whyyy

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: My shipping side if he finds it endearing

Exhausting but endearing

saetje

wellp, clowns ruined it

RebelVampire

i do applaud veil's sheer patience

Kabocha

I WAS LEANING THAT WAY BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S JUST ENTERTAINED OR WHAT

RebelVampire

but i do assume the blushing is more than just blushing

Tenor | Shinavar

CON GRATS REBEL

YOU DID IT

Jess

Ah. Well be answering that soon. I think so far we’ve been focusing on Gem and some of her worst traits - her selfishness, but

Shen

nice~

mathtans

Kabocha: Because I can. As to why Veil's tolerant, maybe he knows someone like Gemini in his family or his past.

Kabocha

I figured Veil was kind of perpetually blushing unless otherwise upset.

Shen

i am absolute ship trash and i am waiting for this to sail but i am patient

Jess

And we’ve focused on veils best - his smarts and his loyalty

Tenor | Shinavar

I keep getting little hints Veil at least Likes her.

Kabocha

Hm. So he knows Gemini could be Amazing if she'd try?

RebelVampire

i think there is some of that yes

Tenor | Shinavar

But doesn't push it

RebelVampire

wait veil has bad traits?

i dont accept this

Tenor | Shinavar

No he doesn't

don't listen to them

shh

Shen

no, veil is perfect

Kabocha

Veil's afraid of bugs....

mathtans

Veil just likes Gemini for her shoes. Much shoe blushing, wants to wear them.

Tenor | Shinavar

aliceapproved

I'm sure Veil totally finds Gemini charming and really.. pr-pretty BLUSH

RebelVampire

being afraid of bugs is a good trait

Jess

It’s true. And he won’t dirty his own shoes

RebelVampire

bugs carry disease

Tenor | Shinavar

But is he afraid of bugs

or the fact they can catch shit on fire

aliceapproved

Veil is very much a neat freak which is a double-edged sword

Tenor | Shinavar

like his books

aliceapproved

and not very impulsive, so Gemini helps liven things up for him

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

tenor raises a good point

Shen

thats more "quirky" than a character flaw lol

like "clumsy" girls XD

Kabocha

They're foils for one another, you say? That's how these sorts of friendships balance each other? NEVAAAAAAR! ....I ship them unless there is a reason I should not.

Shen

these ship goggles dont come off

Kabocha

Several people are typing...

aliceapproved

Yeah, this arc is very Gemini focused and how she needs to grow as a character

I'm excited to see how Veil needs to grow as a character in the future

Kabocha

Yesh!

Shen

aye

aliceapproved

Gotta take turns!

RebelVampire

admittedly i do think veil kind of needs to learn to have fun probably

as a character arc

Tenor | Shinavar

But books are fun

Work is fun

saetje

well but organization is fun

RebelVampire

although i do wanna know now who veil is calling

and what he does with his not gemini friends

Tenor | Shinavar

RESPONSIBILITY

aliceapproved

Yeah, that's definitely something I see with Veil

Tenor | Shinavar

Just what the dr ordered

RebelVampire

i agree with organization and books but i meant more in how he carries himself

Jess

Oh! It’s a dial tone

RebelVampire

gotta learn to tweet those memes back

saetje

hahaha

Tenor | Shinavar

lmaaao

Shen

thats fair he could stand to lighten up lol they both need to learn a bit from each other. hes not got time for fun if he has to always be the "responsible" one because someone else took up all the "fun" XD

aliceapproved

Yeah! Guy needs to party and have an impulsive time for once rather than strictly schedule

They need to work together

Tenor | Shinavar

I do agree tho, with how in the know he seems to be, I'd like to know who all he's got, esp depending how they'll influence stuff in the future.

bc it seems he's from here whereas Gemini isn't soooo <_<;

mathtans

Veil can be fun. Veil can't be impulsive.

RebelVampire

yeah i do hope this circus experience teaches gemini more responsibility. in that maybe she should fill out more than a few apps XD

aliceapproved

Does Veil have a hard time making decisions?

Shen

"look how impulsively i filled out your applications for you isnt that fun?"

mathtans

Alice: Not if blueberries are involved.

aliceapproved

And yeah, Gemini certainly learning more responsibility and also, to trust in herself if she applies herself and focuses

Jess

Ahahaha

Tenor | Shinavar

I think Gemini jus needs to get to the point she doesn't need a child leash

Jess

Well and for me - I think when people are going through hardships, like Gem not being able to land a job, sometimes the worst parts of themselves show up. And while I love the character - (and hopefully) she’s shown to be kinda funny and not overly mean - I thought it was important to show her bad side early on

mathtans

I don't see her as mean, just easily distracted.

Tenor | Shinavar

^Same

She's irresponsible but not in a malicious way

Like if she hurt someone I'd be dead up surprised if it was intentional

aliceapproved

Yeah, that's definitely it ^^

mathtans

Tenor: She killed a dragon.

aliceapproved

I never thought of her as "mean"

Tenor | Shinavar

she is a sweet widdle cinnimon bun who needs protected from circuses and flashers

I said someone

Not thing

Kabocha

Gemini is Dovahkiin now lol

aliceapproved

I'm sorry, Mat, but they're pests in this universe. Cockroaches uugh

Tenor | Shinavar

Difference ;)

RebelVampire

oh yeah gemini is still super likeable. its more shes that adult who hasnt quite grown up yet. and youre kind of hand waving her to make stop being a kid 100% of the time.

mathtans

Fair.

aliceapproved

Yeah! She's like a kid fresh out of college

Jess

Oh good! Was kinda worried. But she’s definite selfish and flighty and I’m happy to see that it’s coming through

Without making her irredeemable

Draco Plato

yeah she's definitely still likeable

aliceapproved

Open to the free adult world, but still needs to learn how to adult cuz lord knows school prepares us for THAT

Tenor | Shinavar

Yeah nah there's not a mean bone in that child's body

Free spirit, I think is a good desc?

mathtans

The foxes are also spirits, but they're not free.

saetje

I'm glad! That's what we're going for- she's not intentionally harmful but has a lot of growing up to do. I don't think she realizes when her actions can hurt someone else.

aliceapproved

She's selfish and irresponsible, but there's still potential to be redeemed. She's a well-rounded character that's set up to evolve from this story and that's what makes sticking with this story so worth it!

saetje

no one's free when they teach Clown Jazzercise

RebelVampire

those poor foxes. gemini is actually doing them a service

mathtans

I wonder if this world has the Zodiac? Is Gemini's name at all related to that?

Kabocha

Pffff

Tenor | Shinavar

Oooh. <.< Good q

aliceapproved

Like, Veil is obviously responsible and an adult, so Gemini doesn't seem to think she has to think about Veil's feelings or words on some matters? He's got it all figured out! Me though? I need help. Veil, veil help me! What applications?! Not boring help ;; That's how I see Gemini

Kabocha

Gemini's the twins, yeah? Does Gemini have a sister, or a hidden second side where she's actually really competent?

mathtans

Maybe she's the good twin, and the evil one is in the circus.

aliceapproved

OOH, I'm curious about that, too, Math. I'm a Scorpio!

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

that means you have a scorpion in the circus

Shen

"the twins" the foxes...

Jess

Ahahaha yesssss

saetje

Can't really reveal the Gemini connection yeeet buuut, duality and twins have some play in the overarching story yes!

aliceapproved

DUN DUN DUUUN

Shen

PS im a Gemini~

Jess

Me tooooo!! Yesssss

Are you also plagued by fox clowns out of work

Kabocha

Gemini probably hasn't really taken time to consider other people's feelings long-term. I don't think she's quite there emotionally, but when she actually like.... really has it sink in that she worried Veil, that'll be interesting. Although she did acknolwedge she scared him, so I mean

aliceapproved

Secret revealed, Gemini is called Gemini cuz Jess is a Gemini

Tenor | Shinavar

Naaaice ~ Also omg the fox twins ffft- Makes me think

Kabo: Yeah, I don't think she fully got how bad the scare was?

Shen

sweet im gonna name my next character Sagittarius

Kabocha

Yeah, it's the depth that I think she lacks

Tenor | Shinavar

Like "I'm sorry for scaring you but not sorry I did the action to cause it :D" levels of immaturity

aliceapproved

@saetje What's your zodiac sign if you don't mind sharing?

mathtans

Plot twist, Gemini sells her soul to the Flower Wraith Shop, and the foxes have to buy it back to keep their shenanigans going.

Tenor | Shinavar

kjdhaskj

Kabocha

When she gets more insight it'll be awesome as she grows

Shen

LOL

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: Yeeeeees

Jess

She’s two fishes

saetje

Pisces

aliceapproved

Yeah, Gemini maturing as an adult is really exciting to wait for

My sister's two fish, too XD

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

twins............. two fish..............................

i see a theme here

Tenor | Shinavar

I really wanna see Gemini work for Death now hhh-

aliceapproved

OMG

Yes haha!

Maybe a temp job that doesn't work out somehow

Kabocha

Twist: Death only claims dead plants

Tenor | Shinavar

Mostly bc I'm stuck with Death having the VA as the Death from Conker's bad fur day and I just. Can't.

mathtans

"You should probably hold the scythe the other way."

Kabocha

"You're going to hurt yourself if you trim the shrubberies this way."

Tenor | Shinavar

"Why are you wearing all black it's hot af out go change, child"

RebelVampire

i hope death only claims dead plants cause otherwise gemini is basically going from one soul threatening adventure to another

saetje

haha so true

XDD

Tenor | Shinavar

WELL I MEAN

she just have to give death her soul

it's never said when

mathtans

Does it have to be her soul, or just a soul? Or maybe soul music?

Tenor | Shinavar

oh god

Just a soul can be how we find out Death accepts plants

RebelVampire

death better be a fan of soul music

saetje

you've split this concept wide open Maths

Shen

the sole of this shoe

Tenor | Shinavar

Shen NO

Shen

saetje

SHEN YES

Jess

Yessss

aliceapproved

Another note about this story, is that I think it's a really good Young Adult story, cuz I feel myself and a bunch of other adults or kids coming out of college can relate to Gemini's story of trying to find work after moving out to live on their own

Tenor | Shinavar

That's Death's brother, Reaper.

mathtans

Veil: "Your spell checker has done you in. Gemini only has to give you her shoe sole."

Jess

Awwww!! Thanks so much

Tenor | Shinavar

Alice: Yeees. Tho I think this first big arc is good for younger children too

RebelVampire

the shoe in the dragon part was foreshadowing

aliceapproved

Yeah!

Tenor | Shinavar

Like my kiddo would love the art and atm if it goes where I suspect it might, it's a great lesson to learn young

saetje

Thanks @aliceapproved !! that makes me happy to hear because that's also what we're going for

Jess

Yeah actually when whenever we show Gem getting rejected I get real sad. Since some of it draws from our experiences

aliceapproved

You guys nailed it

Yeah, it was a big mood for me this year, so this story has been helping

Tenor | Shinavar

Rejeced? D:

Jess

Younger out of college Jess applied to be the new death - and I got turned down

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Though we certainly know Gemini and Veil a bit, much of their past history has yet to have been discussed. Why do you think Gemini has struck out on her own? Do you think it’s just to embrace adulthood, or is there something specific she’s seeking? Was there anything about Gemini’s journey into adulthood that you connected with? What about Veil? What do you think Veil’s backstory is? How do you think Veil and Gemini even know each other? Do you think Veil’s overprotectiveness of Gemini exists for a reason, or do you think it’s just part of Veil’s personality? In regards to their future, do you think that the two will be able to remain friends, or will their differing personalities get in the way of peaceful cohabitation? Do you think Gemini will be able to successfully get a job? Finally, will Gemini move out once she gets a job, or will Veil potentially actively sabotage it?

saetje

I guess now that we're getting more shows like "Aggretsuko" I'd say we'd like to hit around that target. Like, we're sort-of 'mature' only because of some of the (not-NSFW) themes resonates more with older folks. But hopefully there's still more to be enjoyed from a slightly younger YA/teen audience.

mathtans

Interesting last question there - I don't think Veil would actively sabotage, but might passively, without really thinking about it. "You can't move out next week, it's supposed to rain."

Shen

i think Gemini's irresponsibility combined with the double life (???????) shes got going on now is leading to a big fight with Veil. I dread it though

aliceapproved

SAME SHEN!!!

A big confrontation scene!

I can feel it coming

Veil finally calling out Gemini

I can only imagine the emotions!

Kabocha

...Can Veil handle confrontation where he gets pushback?

like, he can handle snark, but, an actual argument?

RebelVampire

yeah. veil might be the type who cant really deal with confrontation like that

Tenor | Shinavar

3: Gemini is homeschooled. If she's trying to branch out there's a chance she might either feel shackled a bit, or she's been encouraged by her parents to stretch her wings. Gemini ran into Veil lost puppy style, trufax. Brought her in from the rain and cold Veil's personality is probably tied to sorta trying to guide Gemini in the sense of law and order. Everything has a place, so you gotta do it- where you going coME BACK OMG I AM TRYING TO HELP YOU. I do believe here is going to be some strife at some point because Gemini has shown a lack of communication and emotional skill and Veil has shown a lack of willingness to bend. BUT I do believe this will clear up after some resolution from some juicy content So yes I believe they'll stay friends.

RebelVampire

although i think the confrontation is coming

saetje

That's a really great question, Kabocha. We haven't shown that yet :)c

Tenor | Shinavar

Maybe at worse a temporary not friends moment to crush our hopes and dreams

aliceapproved

Or maybe "not speaking" terms atm

RebelVampire

actually ya know what i could see as veil's big character arc is addressing change. cause the moving out thing may be more than veil just doesnt want gemini to go. it may be that veil is the sort that completely shuts down when there is change

saetje

y'all you guys have such insight, I'm loving your thoughts here. It's a relief to know you guys are getting a lot of what we're trying to put out and I love hearing your concepts, and concerns, for the characters!

Kabocha

I dunno that Veil realizes how overbearing he can be, to be honest. So.. Gemini's gonna get pushed to the edge and push back against him.

Tenor | Shinavar

Rbeel: Oooooh, that can be true too

aliceapproved

I think Gemini might resolve to move back in with her mom (which is LEAST wanted thing for her cuz I think she loves being out on her own), but Veil offers that she could still say with him, granted now that she has a proper not circus cursed job

Tenor | Shinavar

SOME chaos is good but what is his limit.

aliceapproved

RebelVampire, that's a really good note on Veil!

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: Yeah I get that. He seems so happy to 'help' but because he knows what you NEED to do to get done, he doesn't seem to fully 'get' that it's a lot for Gemini

aliceapproved

Veil's very much overprotective

Tenor | Shinavar

A bit of lack of empathy for the situation in the face of necessity?

aliceapproved

Yeah, like filling out applications is FuN???

Kabocha

He also doesn't understand how to break things down into smaller more completable tasks

mathtans

Gemini needs a source of income, maybe Veil's letting her stay for cheap?

Kabocha

he can handle a long list, but.... honestly, Gemini needs to feel accomplished at each step of the way and realize how much progress she's made

aliceapproved

Yeah, Gemini is a person that needs to be eased and break down steps, not all dumped at once

saetje

@Kabocha exactly- one of the flaws we've hopefully seen in Veil is that he can be pushy (literally physically pushing her around town int he beginning arc) and then tends to put too much on Gemini than what she's ready for at times.

Tenor | Shinavar

I got pushy though I didn' know the physical part was part of it

aliceapproved

Yeah! That page with her smushed with all his word bubbles was a great representation of that!

Tenor | Shinavar

I figured him grabbing her was because it was liTERALLY UNSAFE LOL

mathtans

Veil isn't as observant as Gemini, maybe because she's so distractible. He didn't realize she knew his fave berries and such.

saetje

Well I might've misspoke- it was more of a visual analogy for being emotionally pushy than, like, physically harmful or abusive.

Kabocha

He's basically trying to herd her lol

saetje

yes like a little sheep dog lol

aliceapproved

Yeah!

Tenor | Shinavar

OOOH OKAY

I getcha now lol

aliceapproved

Veil is honestly a toothpick and I bet a small breeze could push him over

Tenor | Shinavar

laskdjKLSDFJ

Jess

Lmao

saetje

omg

Tenor | Shinavar

Don't insult my son like that

just bc he can takje flight with those ears don't mean nuttin

Shen

LOL

aliceapproved

He's a GOOD SON!

saetje

oommg haha

aliceapproved

I love him!

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

veil is a good boi

aliceapproved

Boy ain't gonna win a bar fight is all haha!

Bless this sensitive boy!

Kabocha

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=178 "You are in my personal space"

Tenor | Shinavar

Nah legit tho being the tiny I'm surprised he CAN push her, or at least shows she's willing somewhat to be guided

Jess

Guys. It’s the nose isn’t it

Tenor | Shinavar

omg someone draw me Veil getting carried off by gemini plz

Jess

He can do no wrong with a face so right

mathtans

Veil has a large picture of Spock in his room. Big fan.

Tenor | Shinavar

That's exactly it Jess

saetje

Honestly Gem could just pick him up and swing him around like a baseball bat if she wanted, I think.

Tenor | Shinavar

kaisdjfKHJDSF

I mean he is such a stiff

saetje

@mathtans definitely a huge Spock influence!

aliceapproved

OMG BASEBALL BAT

RebelVampire

veil's number one advice to gemini is to just think of what would spock do

Shen

PFFFFF

RebelVampire

then gemini asks who spock is

aliceapproved

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=186 < a M O O D

mathtans

Gemini to Wraith: "Dammit Bones!"

RebelVampire

oh i loved that page with the giant to-do list

it was a great visual gag

aliceapproved

I definitely "treat myself" for small tasks when there are still more or bigger tasks to do haha!

Jess

Lol me too

saetje

I was REALLY into Star Trek a while back and almost did some 4-panel Star Trek Gemini Journey AU comics...I don't know if I have the sketches anymore though. Kind of psyched myself out of them

I think everyone works differently. You gotta treat yourself once in a while though!

Tenor | Shinavar

Jess

But going back to the characters - we hope to focus on their dynamic more and more. We love all y’all insight tho!

Tenor | Shinavar

reating yourself is importaaant

I LOVE THEIR DYNAMIC AND AM HYPED FOR MORE

mathtans

Their dynamic is mezzoforte.

saetje

yeah I'm loving hearing all your thoughts and getting some insight into how you all are reading the comic. It can be tough when you're so close to something to really 'see' it anymore

I appreciate your thoughts!

aliceapproved

Yes! They're a great duo!

I'm always excited when there's an update and Veil and Gemini are interacting

And yeah! Ofc dude! Lots of pairs of eyes help

mathtans

Just want to say the style of the comic is really interesting... I don't think I've ever really seen it before, just having the one panel. Most trend to pages or 4-panel or whatever. But one panel can really speak volumes, even if it's just a reaction shot, done in this way.

Jess

That means so much to hear!

Tenor | Shinavar

As someone with a messed up wrist I appreciate it too bc scrolling hurts so this worked great

aliceapproved

I think the webtoons layout for it works really well for scrolling! I love reading updates before bed It fits so well!

saetje

Thanks! Honestly it's how I've always 'seen' it and I'm glad you all like that-- It's been a bit of a point of uncertainty for us. I'm hoping in the future we can get some sort of swiping option for mobile devices to swipe between panels on full-screen instead of always clicking

and yes! Webtoons has done well for us too

Kabocha

Yeah, I'll agree - carpal tunnel makes scrolling format hard, but your website is perfectly suited

thank you for having both options!

Jess

I gotta be honest when we made the decision to do it this way - we were so conflicted. We wanted to do this format becuase we envisioned it with simple panels and @saetje really works hard to make things look cinematic

Tenor | Shinavar

omg if you get swipe in I'd be so happy bc I do like 90% of my reading on my phone ;u;

aliceapproved

Yeah, I would definitely love that as a feature in the future. Clicking is fine, but it can be difficult going back and forth and waiting for a website to load

Oh yeah! This story really reads well as a show or film! The storyboard format

RebelVampire

yeah i was skeptical of the one panel thing at first but once i got used to it i thought it was really nice. especially for how much it allows to be fit on any one "page"

saetje

yeah! Tenor, we always wanted it to be REALLY mobile friendly. Like my ideal is to just let the panels fill a mobile screen and swipe to read. We just....aren't really programmers so we haven't figured that out so much yet XD BUT- I'm really happy to hear the one-panel tapping is easy on wrists! I've heard other people call us 'accessible' for that and that was an uninentional side effect but I'm happy to hear it.

aliceapproved

Yeah! Plus, you get cool scenes like the circus sequence back to Gem waking up in bed in the same pose as the juggler

Tenor | Shinavar

It's muchly appreciated too <33

RebelVampire

on a different note, im really intrigued by the fact that gemini's savings are in the form of like actual treasure. and im really curious if thats literally their hard currency, and if not, where did gemini get all that treasure.

Tenor | Shinavar

I think it is bc she says the coffee was a gold coin + a virgin's tear

Superjustinbros

I'm back!

Shen

"a gold coin AND a virgin tear what a rip off"

mathtans

They're paste gems.

aliceapproved

I think it's Mom's allowance to her before she moved

Superjustinbros

And glad you're aiming for a smooth mobile experience with the comic.

Tenor | Shinavar

So I'm curious, if you two are willing to answer this (and it's cool if not!) But what's inspired you guys to tackle this story? :D

Superjustinbros

I have to admit, sticking to one panel per page helps a lot

mathtans

Yeah, maybe Gemini should store up her tears and sell them on the street?

Tenor | Shinavar

omg math

saetje

omg

Superjustinbros

@mathtans

mathtans

Tear-able idea, I know.

Jess

It’s probably a bit different for both of us: We’re huge myth nerds but we felt like there wasn’t a story that really talked about what ppl just starting their journey was like.(edited)

Superjustinbros

oooo

saetje

@Tenor | Shinavar no problem at all! Honestly GJ has been through many iterations including an animated series pitch in 20...12?? It was my and @Jess 's senior project! It was always very heavily myth-inspired because we're really into that. It's a modern hero's journey

Tenor | Shinavar

Oooh~! <3

saetje

but basically what @Jess said

Superjustinbros

Did someone say, animated series?

Jess

Like the feeling of being unprepared to adult and the lack of jobs. The scariness of being on your own. Finding love, and losing it. And the fear of letting people down.

aliceapproved

That's a really good point, a Journey!

Jess

It’s why Gemini’s full name is Gemini Journey

aliceapproved

Also mythology is SO GOSH DANG GOOD

mathtans

I thought that was a clever play on words.

aliceapproved

I love all the mythical creature references!

Jess

And plus—- all this myth jokes Hahahaha

saetje

Yeah. What can we say--- we were starry-eyed animation students once (well, @Jess was a graphic design major)

Superjustinbros

Seconding mythology

and wow, that's quite impressive!

mathtans

Wouldn't want to myth out.

saetje

yes! I'm REALLY into myth, folklore, and fairy tales. Bookshelves are lined with them, and I still don't know everything. It's a really rich topic.

Jess

I was not a animator hahah but I like them. They are awesome

aliceapproved

World Mythology class was one of my all time favorite classes in college haha!

Jess

Me too!!

aliceapproved

and your animated ad was BEAUTIFUL

saetje

same @aliceapproved !

and thank you!

aliceapproved

Seeing Gem and Veil move is gorgeous and I could see little gifs of them interacting

mathtans

As for the question of the half hour, I'm thinking Gemini answered a "want ad" from Veil, looking for a roommate, and she was the only one willing to take the place. Everyone else thought he was too strict, would get upset if they left the milk out.

RebelVampire

oh thats good to know. i did wonder what the significance was in that her name was gemini journey

aliceapproved

when time allows to work on those kinds of things haha!

Jess

I think myths in general tell important truths about people while still being entertaining. I hope our story gives them justice

aliceapproved

You guys totally do!

RebelVampire

veil does seem like the type whod make horrified faces at the milk being left out XD

Jess

Yeah. It’s a play on the Hero’s Journey

aliceapproved

I wonder if Griffins will make an appearance. I love that Teacup manticores exist haha!

saetje

Definitely lots of fights about how to load the dishwasher correctly (if they even have one)

Superjustinbros

lol

Tenor | Shinavar

I believe you guys give them great justice! I's def creative and fun for sure! :D

mathtans

"You bought the powdered soap again...."

RebelVampire

posting a bit early but i feel we are segueing into the next question already

QUESTION 4. Although the world has present-day elements, there are also a slew of magical things. What aspect of the world intrigued you the most and why? Are there tidbits mentioned that you’d love to know more about in the future? Alternatively, is there any magical related creature or being that you’re hoping to see make an appearance in the comic? In regards to actual story canon, do you feel Gemini is familiar with this magical world or that she still has a lot to learn? In what ways do you think magical elements might come into play and make trouble for Gemini? Regardless of magic, what sorts of other conflicts are you hoping to see/do you think we’ll see, especially in regards to Gemini learning to be an adult?

saetje

@aliceapproved honestly one of our downfalls is @Jess and I want to showcase TOO MANY mythological animals b/c we love so many of them and have a lot of ideas for how they'd work in our world. But, to what cost to plot, ugh.

and yeah griffins are like on that list b/c GRIFFINS

Shen

give me werewolves

ill give you a dollar

Tenor | Shinavar

brb

mathtans

Magical dishwasher.

aliceapproved

VERY GOOD

mathtans

Do they have flying cars?

RebelVampire

have we seen a minotaur yet? need some minotaurs up in this joint.

and unicorns

aliceapproved

What I'm interested is the fact that Gemini is an Antlantean and I wonder how that factors into future story elements if any

And yes, PLEASE griffins, unicorns, and minotaurs

saetje

WELL, here's something I think I can give away that hasn't exactly been pointed out a lot of times in our story yet (we are getting to it): there aren't any humans in the GJ universe (http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=74) so a concept of a werewolf to them would really be a "werehuman", haha. But there are other wolfed-figured beings like Wulvers from Irish myth.(edited)

Superjustinbros

Unicorns, you say?

~~suddenly thinking about centaurs~

aliceapproved

YEAH THAT'S RIGHT! I remember giggling at that "HUMAN TALE"

Human tale must be so boring to them XD

It's like OUR world, but NO MAGIC

oh wait, they're horror stories

saetje

^^ yes

mathtans

Is Gemini actually a magical girl?

saetje

I MEAN, there are some strong "Princess Tutu" influences already and even more so coming up

Shen

magical girls are my jaaaaaaaaaaam

RebelVampire

did notice gemini was an antlantean, didnt realize there were no humans

i actually hope the gemini veil fight happens

Superjustinbros

What does the transformation sequence look like

RebelVampire

so we can see gemini's home

that sounds amazing

Superjustinbros

I must know

mathtans

Gemini is a duck?

saetje

how did you know?

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

a WHAT

Jess

Nooooo you figured it out

aliceapproved

I wanna meet Gemini's mom haha!

I've seen the art but gosh

or Veil interacting with them

Honestly, Veil and Gemini meet the other's parent(s)

mathtans

Waiting for the episode where Cupid accidentally shoots Veil with an arrow.

Jess

Yeah admittedly - the character designs for gems mom @saetje has done I’m really digging. I can’t wait for her appearance

mathtans

Veil falls in love with a dial tone. Very embarassing.

Jess

“Accidentally”

I love that

We need to rewrite the next episode stat

mathtans

He meant to shoot Gemini but Veil protected her.

saetje

um YEAH Math is going to be our new head writer

awww

mathtans

aliceapproved

LOL

Superjustinbros

Math, you should re-write all our comics/stories

saetje

omg agree

aliceapproved

I think you guys have a great Valentine's idea strip coming!

Superjustinbros

mind blown from the idea of a Math/SJB production

puns and jokes and visual gags everywhere

RebelVampire

i hope gemini's mom is super awesome. i feel like she must be and gemini wants to be awesome like her

mathtans

Let me try to get to 10 people reading my own comic first, maybe.

Superjustinbros

lol

I read your stuff and it's pretty rad @mathtans

mathtans

Would Gemini's dad still be in the picture, I wonder?

Superjustinbros

Gemini's uncle?

aliceapproved

Gemini's grunkle?

Shen

My dad? your dad?

saetje

hahaha, Uncle Saggitarius, Auntie Pisces...

aliceapproved

OMG

Jess

All dads

Superjustinbros

OMG

aliceapproved

HAHA!!! Great idea!

Superjustinbros

I dunno why but i always caught onto the name Saggitarius

Shen

in a shocking twist, veil isn't Gemini's love interest hes her dad

mathtans

Gemini could have two moms for all we know.

saetje

LORD

Superjustinbros

and it's totally not because I love centaurs

mathtans

(I now ship Gemini's parents, I guess...?)

aliceapproved

For Halloween, there probably should be a "Scary Human Tale" and it's filing taxes

Shen

RebelVampire

well to be fair, dont need to be blood related for him to be her dad in a way. i mean he is basically pushing for her to succeed, teaching her stuff, and generally being the responsible adult

Shen

Veil is her dad confirmed

he loves and supports her and wants the best for her even when shes at her worst

Superjustinbros

daww

Shen

ps saetje and Jess i hope you guys are in DMs with each other just screaming about all the dumb shit we're saying XD

Superjustinbros

lmao

Jess

Are... you here with us

Superjustinbros

I never thought of CTP's featured creators ever doing that

aliceapproved

Repeating what a previous comment mentioned, it'll be fun to see how Veil falls for Gemini, like the spark that ignited his feelings for her and hopefully for Gemini in turn

Shen

LMAO

mathtans

Veil is actually a magic clone of her dad that was sent by the ghost of her grandfather, Thor?

saetje

oh, @Jess is my S/O so we're just chatting in our living room together and loving everything y'all say

Jess

But honestly this has been so inspiring

Shen

oh even better!

Tenor | Shinavar

BACK. #4: THe aspect that inrigues me the most is how diverse the world is and how it just is all one big melting pot. It's colorful and you've no idea what's around the corner. :D I'm curious if something like a Wendigo might get seen! :D

Superjustinbros

Daww, that's cute! (edited)

also WB!

Tenor | Shinavar

THaaaaank

Superjustinbros

np~

brb for a sec

mathtans

Wendigos is scary stuff. O.o

Tenor | Shinavar

Yes they are

saetje

I LOVE the myth of Wendigo! No plans, esp. because they start out as human, but. I enjoy that one a lot

Tenor | Shinavar

But also like, one of my favorites so-

That's fair!

RebelVampire

can never see wendigo in a positive light. 2spooky.

mathtans

Wendigone.

Shen

that eliminates vampires, too....

RebelVampire

i hope there are phoenixes. and i hope gemini doesnt know them offhand and freaks out when one bursts into flames.

aliceapproved

Would aliens fall into the category or is that too sci-fi?

Lol a fantasy world that has stories that are sci-fi

Jess

But what if we made a chain. And it’s a reheaded wendigo that sells burgers with square patties

Tenor | Shinavar

Y R U MEAN TO THAT CHILD REBEl

omg

oMG

plz

Jess

I mean —-

mathtans

Oh, phoenixes are fun.

aliceapproved

Phoenix chicks!!!

Tenor | Shinavar

"We sell Hyumahn meat"

aliceapproved

Little baby Phoenixes pls haha!

Shen

phoenix lady dating a merman

aliceapproved

Fresh from death!

I mean Rebirth!

mathtans

Jess: I got that.

Sassy twitter extra.

saetje

We've been throwing around a phoenix story idea! They're also a personal favorite

again: too many great myth/fairy tale creatures we love, guuh.

aliceapproved

Again as said earlier, I'm really happy that Kappas made an appearance, too! I love it when mythical creatures from all over the world are in one place together

Shen

i just love how he knew how defeat the kappa lol

mathtans

"Why's that bird hanging around the Vietnamese shop?" "It's a Pho Enix."

Shen

BOOO MATH XD

saetje

IE: we thought of Veil and Gem "babysitting" a sphinx and Gem keeps feeding it puns and popsicle riddles (junk food) when it needs, like, existential riddles for nutrients, ha.

RebelVampire

yes i do think theres a great mixture of things from tons of diff cultures. it really makes the world extra super colorful.

Tenor | Shinavar

AWH

Yes plz sphinx bby

RebelVampire

i bet veil has some great existential riddles

mathtans

Aw, those are cute drawings.

aliceapproved

AAAAWW

Shen

GOSH

Tenor | Shinavar

I'll hate it because the puns will hurt so much but UGGGH IT'D BE SO CUTE I'LL DIE FROM IT

Shen

SLEEPY VEIL MELTING MY HEART

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

OMG CUTEEEEEEE

Kabocha

Awww, Veil, that is just way too cute ^_^

aliceapproved

Your sketches are SO GOOD

mathtans

(Speaking of, when do we get the pastries that I saw on Veil's plate for the CTP today?)

aliceapproved

Your guys' ideas are SO GOOD

saetje

older concepts BUT. Again. there are SO MANY potential for fun-myth-animal stories we tend to get lost in them, haha. I don't know how much/if any will make it into the comic

I'll mail them out Math!

Jess

The pastries were there all along. In your heart

aliceapproved

Do you guys plan to do little intermission stories before doing a big arc like this one?

saetje

yes! Just like the roach comic

Jess

Yup!

aliceapproved

Like the dragon cockroach felt like a good mini-story before we got a meaty story

saetje

we plan to do little minis between bigger arcs

aliceapproved

YEAH!

Tenor | Shinavar

Sweet! :D

Jess

We want to alternate between large stories and smaller world building stuff

Tenor | Shinavar

Exciiiiiited

mathtans

Anyway, gtg, baby needs me. Best with the comic!

RebelVampire

good luck math~!

Jess

Best!! And thanks for stopping by!!

saetje

thanks for coming Math! Best wishes

aliceapproved

Bye, Math!!!

Tenor | Shinavar

Oh more queestions~ Due to how your comic is constructed, do you find you have more time to work on it, and/or you got a good healthy buffer?

BYE MATH

saetje

oh that's a really good question Tenor!

Originally, for like the last two years we've had almost a 6 mo queue, because also only update bi-weekly. But we recently ran out of that queue because LIFE and freelance hit us hard XDD so we've been trying to catch up somewhat successfully. As far as page-speed creation, I think it can vary widely but both @Jess and I have gotten a lot faster than we used to be. When we're really able to focus after-work hours (no life and freelance jams getting too much in the way) we can do about 4-6 panels in a single week, about 10-20 hours between us

The thing is though, one of the draw-backs of single panel shots is you DO have to show a lot more, I think, than just a page-layout comic.

Superjustinbros

Oooh!

That's interesting~

also bye Math

saetje

like, if we took those panels and made them into a page layout we would get away with showing less, I think, and possibly saving some time? But it's hard to gauge because also there's panel layout and flow and page composition to consider that we don;t have to worry as much about

Jess

Yeah I was gonna say the same thing. Actually the full panels largest drawback is that you have to draw sooooo much. In a comic with many panels you could cut to a talking head suddenly - in ours, because of the layout we have to be very careful not to take them out of context too quickly and too frequently

saetje

yeah good point Jess

Tenor | Shinavar

That's a good point. It's such an interesting thing o consider because - I guess the easiest way I can describe it is like the illustrations in children's books. They can be just so world building and easter-eggy so it's interesting to consider the differences!

Jess

So it’s a mixed bag. On one hand you are making only one image at a time. Sometimes even usi a lot of the same assets. But on the other - it’s a full color illustration and having to show minute changes in expression to keep the pace from seeming too quick can be a challenge too

Yeah that too!!

RebelVampire

im curious if you took printing into consideration. idk if youve printed the comic before or ever intended too. just wondering how a single panel per page comic would work in that case.

Superjustinbros

Yeah, I see what you're saying, do one-panel updates but fill them with lots and lots of detail?

saetje

or if the pacing reads too slow too- panel comics (or comics made by animators in general) can also be too slow b/c us animators LOVE showing those minute pose/expression changes, which can sometimes read slow. I'm always stressed about the pace, ha.

whitneyandcompany

Hi! Love the comic

Tenor | Shinavar

I could see, in print form, largely remaining single panel per page, or for the more fast paced ones tweak to 2-3 on the page

saetje

@Jess and I always imagined the comic a digital-first production, but if we were to go to print it'd likely be something along the lines of what Ava's Demon did. Just, single panels-per-page. But @Jess being the graphic designer who often works in print too might have some other ideas on that

Hi @whitneyandcompany thank yoouu

Jess

So when creating one of the things we did as a priority is consider the mobile screen first. Which is the opposite of what is the norm. If we were to do a book it would be handled where we put a very limited amount of images on a page. Maybe 1-2 similar to Ava’s demon

aliceapproved

Yeah, the drawback of single-paged stuff is exactly that. Focusing more on some things, like a character going through emotions can read more slowly even tho it's important to the story

Tenor | Shinavar

ugh ilu for the mobile love lol

Superjustinbros

Just thought I'd say before the CTP ends- good luck with the rest of Gemini Journey, @saetje and @Jess. It's really coming along well and you're definitely got a good story here to tell as well.

aliceapproved

But it works so well for mobile scrolling, it's so friendly!

Tenor | Shinavar

Like I can't express how frusrating it is for me bc there's SO many people who own their own sites and it's not mobile friendly

saetje

thanks @Superjustinbros have a good night!

aliceapproved

Maybe you could have 3 panels per page if printed?

Tenor | Shinavar

I live on the go I NEED THAT MOBILITY ;n;

Superjustinbros

You too, and thanks for being here, @saetje!

saetje

@Tenor | Shinavar I got to be honest with you- as a webcomic fan and reader for MANY years I feel that

Kabocha

I really look forward to reading this in the future. It's enjoyable and to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what I was in for at first... BUT it is a pleasure to read!

Superjustinbros

And cya to you as well, @Jess.

Jess

Awwww thanks!!

Kabocha

Thank you for creating an amazing comic. :3

Superjustinbros

Anytime!

RebelVampire

yeah im glad priority was placed on mobile because it is basically the way thing are going, whether ppl want that or not.

Superjustinbros

Tenor | Shinavar

YES it was a fun surprise! (And def last minute for me bc I didn't realize it was something I could read lmao OTL)

saetje

Thank you @Kabocha for your wonderful insights and kind comments! Thanks for coming

RebelVampire

and its definitely a beautiful comic. i think the pacing works out great as well~!

whitneyandcompany

You guys are the reason I downloaded the web toon app, I look forward to every update

aliceapproved

Thank you for making such an inspirational and gorgeous comic!

Jess

Awww well it means so much to hear you guys say that

aliceapproved

I always look forward to your updates!

Superjustinbros

In that case, cya everyone!

aliceapproved

And yes, you're the reason I downloaded the web toon app, too!

saetje

oommmg @whitneyandcompany , thank you

Shen

im glad i got to read this story its so good so far and i cant wait to read more~

Jess

It’s been really humbling for us to put our work out there. But I am so incredibly touched right now

Superjustinbros

Glad to hear~

saetje

Thank you @Shen! I look forward to more of your comic as well! I'm glad you like it.

Shen

GOSH <3

saetje

Yeah everyone, thank you for coming and letting us know you thoughts It has meant the WORLD to us

aliceapproved

You guys are amazing and I love your work

Tenor | Shinavar

Thank you for signing up so we could disect it /shot

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero, as well, for making Gemini Journey. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: http://geminijourney.com/

Donate via Paypal.me: https://www.paypal.me/YeseniaCarrero

Tracy’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/saetje

Yesenia’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Demongemini6

Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club

Next week’s Thursday Book Club will be about The Hunter of Fenaur by CalimonGraal. For participants, you have the next week to read as much of the comic as you would like~! We hope to see you on Thursday, September 20th, from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat in #thursday_bookclub!

Comic’s Main Site: http://hunter.fenauriverse.moe/

Comic’s Tapas Mirror: https://tapas.io/series/the-hunter-of-fenaur

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #book club #bookclub #comic book club #comic bookclub #webcomic book club #webcomic bookclub #comic tea party #ctp #gemini journey #tracy maclauchlan #yesenia carrero

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talesofealdancynedom · 3 years

Text

Tale 18: Patrick Monabellan & the Paladins (3/4)

Tale 18: Patrick Monabellan & the Paladins (chapter 3 - In The Night 3/4) part 3. Stories of True Love

none

Patrick, searched his brain for the right story to tell Holly. They sat near the fairy fire warming his home. He wanted something personal, about how he felt about his father, and about paladins. Something that described his childhood, and led him to Holly’s side in the middle of nowhere. Then Patrick remembered a small memory, that he kept for some reason. He took a deep breath, and then began to speak;

“Father was young and dedicated to his work; but desperately wanted time with his children and wife. Thus, he decided to have a family vacation to the Capital, since he was on his way there anyway for a conference. Might as well make it a long Weekend. The Capitol was the biggest city in The Grand West; the land where I grew up. Father loved magic conferences, because what fanatic does not like a convention catering to their very niche interests. Furthermore, Father’s goal was to bring unity to fey, wizards and mages, by teaching empathy and the joy of magic; with history lessons. Going to a bustling city was mother’s idea, as father felt his feral magic children, could be socialized to common folk at public school; which was intended to give us options in life. Yet mother insisted we needed more. Me and my three bigger sisters grew up on a giant gate, about the size of this valley; The deepest part of the magical forest. As mages, we had become very attached to that way of living.

We took the train to the Capitol, though we could all ride our familiars. The train is a popular and fancy way to travel outside the West lands. It is considered luxurious, even though tickets were cheap. I hear the trains very from land to land. I however, never understood the appeal of five cent trolly snacks, open public booths, and colourful paint chipping off the smooth wooden benches, rails, windows and walls. It smelled good though, like coal, dust, resin and old carpet. The train trips could take days; ours took twelve hours. My parents were forced to wrangle four very magical children in public. We were, for lack of a better word, animals.

Father said he was pleased by his children’s behavior on trips. Mother on the other hand, had a dark sense of humor; She said she had given the four of us a sleeping draft in our morning tea. She had learned to plan ahead after baby number two. It only now occurs to me, that her drugging her own children was a joke, and is very inappropriate; but still funny. An overactive sense of humor aside, mother knew five mages, confined for twelve hours on a train, could end badly. Her and father’s adventures often went crazy; “one’s problems are proportional to their power” as father would say. They must have been so nervous the entire trip.

Once in the Capital, we stayed at a castle like motel. Most of the buildings and streets in the Capitol are old, and made of brick and marble; people would rather spend good money to upkeep and preserve the architecture, then redeveloped. In the inn, my parents had their own room, and the four of us kids where to share our own. Most siblings would fight, but the four of us are very close and loved sharing a bed. Cadence, the eldest, in the middle between Calliope and Artemis, with me curled up at the foot of the bed. I was still small then. We had a whole queen suit to ourselves, because cadence had just turned old enough that our parents trusted her. This trip was indeed a treat for the lot of us. As long as we were together, and didn’t have to interact with anyone else. Which defeats the point.

While father was at the conference, trying to woo the wizard community to accept fey and mages as equals, mother went to get some shopping done. She booked a theater to perform a magician show the next day, so she wanted to get chores out of the way. I wanted to go with mother, so I could shoplift candy, but she knew this. Mother was a woman who took crap from no one. Even if I was the best at buttering her up. I love my mother so much. Anyway, She was really good at reading people because of her job. Mother was a show woman, charming people with her magic; Her magic tricks were very silly, just like her acts. If we ever leave Grand Snow, you have to see one of her shows. It’s unlike any other magic we’ve known. Anyhow, I wondered why I tried to get things past mom and dad sometimes; and then I remembered they never actually caught me when I did. Like they knew I would teach myself it was wrong via guilt. Instead of shopping with mother, like I asked, I was sentenced to spend time with my sisters; Cadence was in charge of watching her three younger siblings, as we stayed at the inn. And by ‘watch us’, I mean Cadence interpreted it as she had to tire us out on the courtyard playground, while she read. This is honestly how most fourteen-year-olds babysit to my knowledge. Huh…I guess that would have made me eight years old at the time.

The intention of keeping us at the inn, was to make sure we would be safe from wizards who conspired to exterminate mages; or kidnap us to get at our parents. We didn’t know this at the time. The common folk seemed to walk wide around us if I recall. Just imagine an eight, ten, twelve, and fourteen-year-old, each with animal familiars, using magic in the open without a parent around. Wizards. Everything scares and amazes them at the same time. In paladin training, I was told to tell people scared of magic, that ‘if you leave magic alone, it will leave you alone’. Our family would never leave magic alone. Therefore, I was planning on taking on the Capitols magic head on. I knew the Capitol of the Grand West is actually the Raven Gate’s magic forest. There was no way I was spending the whole long weekend in a tiny hotel, or being a tourist leashed to my parents.

The city was full of fey, if you looked past all the attractions for common folk. Most people in the city don’t even know it’s a magic forest, in spite of the amount of fey that live alongside them, blending in with the city’s fauna and flora. Getting out to see it would not be a problem; I knew how to escape my three sisters, to do a little exploring. I was overconfident in my abilities, viewing paladins and mages as fearless and strong. I aspired to be the same. I decided to wake at night, and leave silently to examine the streets while my family slept. I loved nighttime; and sneaking out was a pastime I used to hone my abilities. I would pretend to be a knight or paladin, cleaning the street of mythical crime. I wonder if everyone found that cute. However, roaming around at night was safer back home, in our cozy village where everyone was friends. Thus, I didn’t know any better, and assumed it was the same everywhere. But the streets in a city are too dangerous for a young boy. There is no tight knit community, easy to navigate roads, or befriended fey.

I remember it clearly; on my mini-adventures, I always had a plastic bag of five cent candies in my pocket. I enjoyed tossing them in the air and catching them in my mouth. I had a talent for it. My sisters loved tossing snacks at me to watch me catch in the air too. Each time I went exploring I did that. And just as usual, when I left that night, I have a pack of candy, and my familiar Orion by my side. I felt even more comfortable having a wolf companion around. But it was not long before I wandered into Paladins on night patrol. I froze as my interests were peaked. The one thing I had most in common with father, was a lack of fear in situations that actually warrant it; making me undeterrable from certain danger. I disregarded all consequences in the presence of real paladins before me; That was so cool to kid me. My cup was so small and easy to fill. If I recall, they were not as impressive as Amadeus, who was the paladin protecting my family, or Melida who was head paladin of the Grand West; but still. I had stars in my eyes, that blinded me with bewilderment. Danger all but disappeared. I stalked those wizards like a wolf for an hour, straying so far from the inn, that when they noticed me and asked where my parents where, I could not say.”

Patrick cuddled Holly in; the furs had begun to slip off the couch. The two of them readjusted, and relaxed further into the blankets. Holly was enchanted by Patrick’s descriptions of the Grand West. The people of Grand Snow weren’t allowed to be influenced by outside culture, or leave their pristine home, thus Patrick’s words made Holly’s imagination surge. Holly had always wondered what life was like outside the magic valley. Her family controlled the radio phone tower, and guided people in and out of the magic forest, but no details were ever given by travelers or calls. Ouroboros had left to learn more magic, medicine, and find true love, in his youth. So maybe leaving for a little while wasn’t impossible. The thought of seeing where Patrick grew up, made Holly want to see it for herself even more.

“Your family sounds lovely; I would love to meet them all. And the trains, a comfy town by a massive gate, or a magical forest in a city. It is like everything is permeated with wonder, outside these mountains. Just like here in Grand Snow; but bigger and warmer. Why would you ever leave?” Holly asked.

“My family life was something else, for sure. But the culture of wizards, and all the people; It is the exact opposite of life here. No amount of wonder can undo centuries of ingrained stigma and terrifying legends. That is why Grand Snow is protected and isolated. It is a precious oasis of peace, unattainable by the world wizards have tainted. That’s my father’s job actually; he wants to change that…” Patrick said. It made him sad that the rest of the world, only now, realized the values Grand Snow, because of his father’s work. “When I graduated from the academy, I was eager; I wanted to find somewhere to be a paladin, but I also wanted to find somewhere that had Grand Snow’s type of wonder. A place where common folk loved mages and fey, and there is snow in winter that goes up to your shins. A place that smells of pine and ice, honey or fresh wild flowers. Where mead is sweet, and I can be myself unapologetically. A mystical safe place where I can meet someone special, and is worth loyally guarding.” Patrick said. His tone had begun to rise with excitement. Just thinking of Grand Snow, Holly and the incoming spring filled him with joy. He exhaled contently. He was grateful, and glad he said yes to a less glorious post.

“We’re not done yet. That tangent was what I needed to tell the rest of the story. Don’t you want to hear what happens next before you fall asleep?”

“I’m not falling asleep.” Holly yawned. “But I don’t think you’re asking. Go on.”

<---PREVIOUS

#tales of ealdan cynedom #fantasy #short stories #story 18 #holly #patrick #morgan #emilia #cadence #calliope #artemis #orion

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unkindnessofone · 7 years

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Bunny Rabbit

Pure fluff. I want to write a story about an object or place or something with sentimental value to each character. This is the first one. Let me know what you think. It goes out to @themoonkilledmyride. I see you, girl! I appreciate you reading my stories.

The Hemmings house had rules when it came to significant others spending time in the bedrooms of their children.

1) It was not allowed if there was no parent home.

2)The door had to remain open.

3) It could only be while the sun was out.

4) No exceptions to any rules above.

While Penelope blatantly walked right through all the other fences her parents put up, she did obey the bedroom rules. It was only her friends that she up in her bedroom and, while Connor had always adored Penny with pink cartoon bubble hearts in his eyes, he was respectful and was never doing much besides sitting on her floor talking or singing while she sat against the closet door and listened. Miles and March on the other hand had both broken each rule at least once.

Michael and Grace Clifford had always been more laid back with their children. Emmeline proved so challenging to control and influence from the moment she came screaming into the world that they just tried their best to keep her alive. Iden was such an easy baby that they never felt the need to set up rules for him. Besides, Michael had already talked to Iden about sex at Grace’s request that he knew his kid was in the loop. He had seen a condom wrapper in his kitchen garbage under the sink only a few days after he moved into the condo. All Mike cared about was that his children were being safe and present when it came to their bodies. After all, they were not his bodies to control. He and Grace always agreed on that. If their kids wanted piercings, tattoos, twelve different colours in their hair, or to keep multiple partners – they would not object as long as Emmeline and Iden were old enough and of sound minds.

So Iden didn’t think twice about shutting his bedroom door behind him when Mariona came over around seven in the evening after her shift at her parent’s gallery ended. His dad was out with friends, but had left the freezer stocked with frozen pizza for when Iden found himself hungry that Friday. On the floor, he took his time going through Mariona’s first binder of photos she had taken since school started. They had begun to seriously plan their first show, deciding it would be easier and feel better to do it together with her photographs and his sketches. On his bed, Iden had left a small stack of his books for her to look at as well as a few loose leaf pictures sandwiched in between. She had initially sat on top of his perfectly made bed with her legs folded open like a lily pad, but Mariona’s attention soon went everywhere else in his immaculately kept bedroom. Iden designated time to keep his world clean. He found it much easier to battle his depression when his world was organized. If he had a serene place to unwind, he could generally avoid slipping into a dark loop.

“We need someone who isn’t biased to help.” From the floor, his eyes focused on studying her pictures, Iden mentioned with his hand resting under his chin and partially covering his mouth. He looked for the different things Mariona talked about, but he wasn’t a photographer. He didn’t have the critical eye that she had. Iden just knew if he liked a photo or not. “I like all your stuff.” They were still only a two months into officially dating. He still thought everything she did was wonderful solely because she did it.

“Some of those pictures are awful. You can’t like them all.” Standing up and lifting herself slightly on her tip toes, Mariona told him while reaching for a picture on the shelf above his bed. It was of him and his grandparents on his Dad’s side, the only two he knew, when he was about eight. He was in his soccer uniform and showing off his recently lost tooth right in the front. It was an embarrassing photo, he assumed, but Iden didn’t worry about what people thought of him anymore. He was trying to take a page out of his sister’s book and Emmeline Clifford couldn’t care what anyone thought of her. As long as they were thinking of her, she was pleased. “I won’t be offended. You can be honest. I’m going to be honest with you.” She explained, putting the picture back somewhat where she left it.

Iden knew she would be truthful no matter what her opinion was. It was one of his favorite things about Mariona. He never had to do any guess work with her. He always knew what she was thinking.

“Okay, well I really like this one.” He constantly went back to the photo of the crammed bus shack just a block South of her family’s gallery. She used the technique of motion blur that she loved so much with a lot of her street photography. This particular picture made the overcrowded bus shack and all it’s waiting passengers inside the focus, the street around it just a mess of grey shades. Iden couldn’t look at it without wondering what different people were feeling, what kind of days they had just had, where they were going, what and who they were going to. He reached forward from the binder in front of him, adjusting his posture for a second, to peel off a bright neon green sticky note from it’s pad and mark the picture. He glanced up at his girlfriend, her hair natural and sitting up top of her head somewhat centered. She looked comfortable in her navy and red checkered pants with their wide legs and a very cozy white sweater hiding her inside. He smiled as she kept snooping around his room, moving to his book case and observing the eclectic mix of Star Wars memorabilia, soccer trophies, and pill bottles.

Iden’s eyes narrowed in on the pills. She grazed her finger over his multi-purpose vitamins, but didn’t seem to pay them any steady attention. She breezed right on by his anti depressants. Iden didn’t feel any shame that he took medication to help stabilize his mood. He knew more people who took pills than those who didn’t, but he still hadn’t quite made peace with himself when it came to his suicide attempt just over a year before. He didn’t know how to talk to himself about it so he figured he wasn’t ready to share that with Mariona either. He knew she wouldn’t be judgemental, but he didn’t want her to be discouraged to stay with him by his baggage. He didn’t want her to think that she needed to be his nurse. He didn’t want to slip again so he made honest attempts to stay in the moment. He took every day minute by minute in order to ward off any oncoming demons. “Are you going to help?” Chuckling, Iden asked once he had pressed the sticky note to the picture. He turned the page to give another photo his attention, but he sat up straighter and stretched out his legs right beside her binder, watching as she took an interest in the stuffed animal on top of the book case. The cocoa and cream colored bunny rabbit was in reasonably good shape considering it had been deeply loved from the time Iden was three to about six. It was the one plushie that he was allowed to bring on tour and Iden showed the rabbit the entire world.

“Is this why you didn’t want me to stay over two Fridays ago?” He had yet to bring her over to his mom’s place. “You weren’t ready to share your bed with a different girl.” Mariona spun around, hugging the rabbit to the side of her face and teasing. It was nearly as soft as it had been when it first became Iden’s.

“Kylo is not a lady bunny.” Dry as yesterday’s toast left on the counter, Iden responded, staring up at her as if they were talking about their views on war and mortality.

“You named him Kylo? As in the Star Wars character?” Her parents were nerds, granted Lord of the Rings nerds and not the Star Wars kind, but Mariona was still familiar with the most famous space opera of all the time.

“I was, like, four maybe.” He had actually been three. “I didn’t choose him, I made him.” Iden pointed from the ground at the fluffy, but somewhat limp rabbit’s right foot where his logo was still sewn on loosely. “He’s a Build-a-Bear.” Kylo was sentimental to Iden. He hadn’t cuddled with it or anything in a long time, but he couldn’t bring himself to part with it. When his Dad told him to bring some stuff over that would make his bedroom at his place feel more like his own, Kylo Ren-Clifford was one of the first things to be thrown in the cardboard box. This was really where he belonged.

Certain tasks didn’t feel right being delegated to an assistant or crew member. There were things that as a parent Michael felt a responsibility to do himself. He also knew it meant a lot more to Grace if he went to the store himself and picked up children’s cough syrup for Emmeline instead of just making the medicine magically appear in their hotel room in Ohio. Since Grace was occupied lying in a hotel bed with their Princess of Hacking, rubbing her back and kissing her pink as grenadine cheeks, Michael took Iden to the store with him.

It had been a particularly boring day for the toddler. With his Dad doing a hospital visit, radio interview, cable show interview, and special acoustic performance for twenty lucky winners, Iden Clifford was stuck at the hotel with his Mom and very sick sister. Since Emmeline required all the attention, Iden was left mostly to his own devices. He scribbled with crayons on hotel paper, he ate lunch in front of a television show about rainbow porcupines that fixed townspeople’s problems, he had a good one hour nap. Iden had wanted to race up and down the hallway with his little legs and on large yoga balls with his Dad, his dad’s tour managers, Connor, Penelope, Uncle Luke, and a few crew members that he had known forever like they had at the last hotel, but there was no such luck. The whole day had been as low key as possible which was why Michael felt like going to a drugstore would be downright exciting for the small boy.

Underneath his kids Gap baseball hat, Iden took in the busy mall that his Dad took him into, reaching up to hold Michael’s bigger hand that could engulf Iden’s little fingers if he wanted to. He led him into the CVS without looking directly at anyone around them. Michael didn’t want to engage. He didn’t want to acknowledge the two phone cameras he saw directed at him and Iden. They were on a mission and Michael found it was best to keep to himself when he had a simple task to do. Besides, he knew Grace didn’t like when he talked to fans with the kids with him. She thought it was inappropriate.

While Michael stood in front of the different boxes of shelved medication, a children’s syrup box in hand with tiny printing for him to struggle and squint at, Iden crouched down and poked at the different allergy boxes, knocking some down as he whispered to himself the different colors he saw on the packaging. Red, white, blue, blue, red, green.

“We got it.” Michael informed his son who wasn’t paying attention, shaking the box in his hand and letting the bottle inside shuffle like a maraca that no one would buy. “Let’s go.”

In response, Iden lifted up his arm to his Dad and offered a box of Clariton that he had picked out for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

“For me?” He suggested more than asking. Iden even took the box back and pushed it into his chest. It wasn’t always the case, but generally if and when Emmeline was gifted with something, so was he. If she was having a bath, he was right in there with her. If Mom gave her slices of cheese or a pudding cup for a bed time snack, he had one too. Iden couldn’t understand this being any different. It had been explained to him on the car ride over that they were picking up medicine for his sister, so he just assumed he would get to pick one out for himself as well.

Sounding like a dramatic inhale, Michael huffed out humoured before shaking his head ‘no’ at Iden. Iden glanced down at the box that he was poking his stomach with and just stared at it. He was being told ‘no’ and now he just wasn’t sure what to do.

“You got to put that back, bud.” Michael was trying to stop doing things for his kids. He could have just reached down, snatched the allergy medicine, and put it back on the shelf, but that kind of behavior was why Emmeline threw a temper tantrum about putting her toys away or why she just anticipated everyone doing everything for her. Iden was still young enough that Mike felt he could teach him to finish his own tasks. “You don’t have allergies.” It was possible that they would find out one day that he did. Hell, the kid was pale enough from Michael’s genes that he could very well need SPF 2000, but for now, Iden didn’t have any seasonal problems that they were aware of.

Slowly, Iden bent down on his knees, butt out, and reached to put the box back even though he had squished it’s side slightly without meaning to. He had just been clutching it so tightly to his chest. Both his hands uncurled and reached for a different box, the Reactine one right beside it, but Michael shook his head as soon as his son checked with his head raised to his Dad.

“I don’t know.” Iden stood up straight and explained, dropping his open palms to his side. “Why not?” His sentence was chopped up, but Michael caught the jist of it. He started to walk by Iden, just a half step, and watched as he followed him to the self-check out. Iden was good at continuing on even if he didn’t understand something or was upset. He never freaked out when it was time to leave the park. He could be disappointed and still carry on. It was a trait that Michael didn’t find in many adults, but was pleased to see Iden had picked it up somewhere.

“You’re not sick, bud.” Michael explained after scanning the box and putting it in a paper bag next to the check out. He hoped that Iden wouldn’t catch what his sister was fighting. As soon as Emmeline woke up with her cough mimicking the sound of a 90 year old miner and her eyes like red cotton puffs, Grace moved Iden out of the bedroom and into the king sized bed she and Michael were occupying while they were in town for another day. The two could still find privacy in the living area on the couch, in a small closet, or in the jacuzzi tub. She and Michael were trying to make more time for one another this tour since they were finally finding their own balance again after becoming parents for a second time around. Luckily, for both of them, Iden was a terrific sleeper.

“Molly is sick.” Iden repeated what he had heard a few times in different voices above his head that afternoon.

“I know. That’s who your sister caught it from.” Or so Michael assumed. He had heard from Ashton as soon as he saw him that morning with purple rings around his eyes and a Venti dark roast from the lobby Starbucks that Molly was three days in and still coughing up mucus and crying of a burning throat. Since Simone was travelling with Connor for work, opening her first counter in Toronto, Skye was stuck babysitting Molly for the day while also trying to shield baby Daphne from all the new germs.

Once Michael had paid, he took the bag in one hand and gripped Iden’s with his other. He walked them the same way out as they had come in from the particularly windy evening. Michael was turning them right where he remembered to, just at the Swarvoski store, when he saw an illuminated bright blue and yellow sign. He remembered when Grace was pregnant with Emmeline, just a few months, he thought to himself that he would take his kid to the Build-a-Bear shop one day. It was just a fluffy idea that had come into his mind when he was feeling particularly euphoric about the whole situation. He had only just heard Emme’s heartbeat for the first time a day before and now everything seemed like a possibility. He remembered saying he would take his kid to the Spam Museum, the Hershey’s factory, and to every family movie that came out. Of course, none of those things had happened yet, but there was some mumbling between him and Calum that they could find time to go to the Hershey’s factory soon. It sort of coincided with Daphne’s birthday in October. Michael stopped them walking for a second, Iden’s attention on his own reflection in the Swarvoski store window. He just stared into the jewels and found himself staring back at him in a translucent manner. Michael managed to check his phone out of his over-sized jean jacket, his paper bag still in hand, and debated with himself if they had time. Yes, Emmeline was sick. However, Grace was trying to get her down for a few hours of sleep. They both knew that tonight would be a night with Emmeline waking up a few times due to the ferociousness of her cough, but Iden’s day had been completely scheduled around his big sister being sick. Mike decided that Grace had things handled back at the hotel for now. How long could building a bear possibly take anyway?

“Hey bud?” Michael wiggled Iden’s arm around, shaking their clutched hands, until Iden looked up at his Dad, his head all the way back on his little neck. “Want to build a bear?” It was a question that Iden had never had posed to him before, so he blinked twice at his Dad while trying to sort out an answer and then nodded enthusiastically and shouted ‘yes’! “Alright.” Michael started leading Iden in and the closer they came to the pop music playing and the wall of stuffed animals to pick from, the more excited Iden’s body became. His smile was at full beam when they entered the store, Michael walking them up to the plush toys they could pick from. Iden’s hand, out of joy, was squeezing tightly around his dad’s fingers. He didn’t loosen up or run away, he had to hold himself in place. He didn’t know how else to not flip out.

Completely amused as well as looking forward to crossing something off his parent dream list, Michael crouched down to be closer to Iden’s height and watched as his kid just stared at all the toys with intense anticipation glowing from his brown eyes.

“So you have to pick one and then someone in here will help us fill it up.” Michael knew there were more steps than that, but he wasn’t about to overwhelm his son more than he already was. Plus, Michael didn’t know the other steps. He had never built a bear before so to speak. “Which one do you like? There’s some Pokemon ones.” He pointed over toward one end of the wall, Iden following his dad’s hand for a second and then looking elsewhere on the shelf before them. “Or the karate bear is pretty cool.” Michael figured that would be the one he would pick, a fluffy basic brown bear in karategi with a green belt wrapped around it’s center. “Which one do you like?” Michael stood up again and walked them closer, encouraging Iden to start them out on their Build-a-Bear adventure. The kid was so used to following after his larger than life sister and playing happily in all her activities that he hadn’t had to make many decisions on his own. When Michael loosened his hand from Iden’s that was when the three year old walked over to the window, finding a brown and white bunny with very floppy ears. He pointed at it with his finger patting at the fluff that he thought was fur on it’s ear and waited for his Dad to join him.

It made sense since Easter was the next holiday coming up, but they didn’t celebrate it much beyond hiding eggs around backstage dressing rooms, tour buses, and hotel rooms. Michael didn’t think much about it and just looked around until he found an employee to come help them. The young girl with a name tag that read 'Kate’ greeted them as if they were more special than anyone else that had come in and Michael appreciated it. She spoke almost directly to Iden and found the Easter inspired rabbit for him before taking him over to the stuffing station where she helped Iden to sit down with her so they could fill up his friend. Michael took a second to ask the kid behind the counter if he could leave his drug store purchase behind the till. He wanted both hands to properly take photos or a video on his camera. He knew it was hard for his parents to be away from their two and only grandchildren, so he wanted to give his Mum and Dad proof that the kids weren’t borrowed following their dad around on tour. They were still having fun. Well, Iden was at the moment. The little boy was gently stepping on a black pedal while Kate tended to stuffing the rabbit. It had to have been about the thirtieth stuffed animal she done this to all month. It was wasy for her to ask Iden questions while still doing her job, inquiring if he was excited for Easter and liked chocolate. It wasn’t until the rabbit was fully stuffed that Iden had warmed up to the salesgirl. He was naturally more shy than his sister was. While he wasn’t nearly as quiet as his friend Daphne, he did fair more to her than other kids.

“You can pick out a sound for your friend if you want.” She explained. “Or a scent.” Her manager liked to encourage both, but enough parents had looked at her with death stares for her to feel uncomfortable doing so. Iden checked with Michael who had his phone out. Michael was feeling too happy to damper the mood with any 'no’s’. He liked that he could give his children whatever they wanted and Iden was a pretty good kid. Michael had to exercise discipline twice as much with Emmeline than he ever did with his son.

“You can pick one.” He told his boy, knowing that was what Grace would do, and then watched as Iden went over to the area that Kate pointed out for him. Michael followed closely behind, watching as Iden pulled on sound strings and moved on to the next. He liked the cotton candy scent, but he couldn’t stop himself from pulling on the string that played out the Imperial March from Star Wars two more times. Michael helped Iden to make the decision that he should go with the song he liked as the heartbeat for his rabbit. Once his Dad handed him the right heart, Iden carefully sandwiched between his small hands and ran it over to Kate.

“I want this one for Kylo’s heart.” He annouced right in front of her before lifting up his top hand and revealing the red circle for her to use.

“Good choice.” She nodded and took it from him with the same amount of concern she knew he wanted her to use. “Kylo, huh? Kylo Rabbit?” She checked while stitching up the stuffed animal’s back.

“Yes.” Iden agreed. “He’s my favourite in the movie.” With Emmeline, Michael showed her all kinds of anime as a kid. She was always partial to Sailor Moon and Kiki’s Delivery Service, but Iden had taken to the Star Wars movies. Grace thought he was too young, but Michael had never mentioned to her that he used to stay up on the tour bus with Iden when he was a baby, giving him his bottle, and going through The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. He couldn’t start telling Iden now that they couldn’t watch them. They were a part of his soul.

“He’s the bad guy.” The girl engaged as she finished with the bunny and handed him to Iden.

“He’s the cool guy.” Iden explained as if his fact was the more important of the two. Besides, his Dad always told him that nobody was all good and nobody was all bad. His mom felt differently, but he didn’t know that yet. Iden hugged Kylo to his stomach, both arms wrapped around him. He kissed each of his ears and listened happily as he set off the song that they had put inside of the stuffed animal.

“So, you need to go blow dry him and comb him since he’s just been through a stuffing and then we can pick out clothes or other things for him.” She stood up and explained, leading Iden over to the next station where he dutifully took care of his new friend, Kylo.

Anything a stuffed toy could possibly desire was hanging on the wall before the check-out. There was helmets for bears, jet packs, wigs, cell phones, hates, flowers, power blasters, purses, bandanas, and even stuffed animals for the stuffed animal. For a moment, Iden looked over a pair of sunglasses for his rabbit. He hugged it again and the Imperial March sound distracted him.

“Do you want any of this for Kylo?” Mike tried to keep them focused. He was enjoying himself, but he knew that they were expected back by now.

“No.” Iden shook his head, surprising his Dad.

“Are you sure?” Michael thought that if he was a kid and he was given permission that he would get his stuffed animal one of everything. Well, maybe not the satin flowers and plush cell phone, but bejeweled bucket hat, but everything else.

“He’s happy.” Iden shrugged content. To Iden, that was what he figured Kylo’s heartbeat was telling him. He was perfectly fine as is. Besides, bunnies didn’t wear clothes or have cell phones. Iden didn’t know too much for certain, but he did know that as well as he knew that his Dad was the fastest tickle monster and his Mom gave the world’s best goodnight squeezes.

Michael chose not to argue with Iden. They went to the desk where Emmeline’s medicine waited for them and filled out Kylo Rabbit’s information, using Skye’s work phone number instead of their own as everybody did and John Feldman’s office address as Kylo’s home address. Michael liked the idea of John constantly being sent Build a Bear catalogues and he didn’t like giving out his personal information. As Michael paid, Iden waited with the sales girl for Kylo Rabbit’s birth certificate. He was pleased to see that they were both born in Sydney, Australia even though Kylo Ren-Cifford had only just been born now in Cleveland.

“Thank you, Daddy.” Iden almost shouted as he bounced out of the store, finally finished waving goodbye to the employee that helped them. Iden was in charge of holding his sister’s medicine now since the Build-a-Bear box that housed Kylo was nearly his size and he couldn’t carry it. He watched it move back and forth against his dad’s leg as they walked out of the mall, making a beeline for their rental car. Michael held his kid’s hand in the parking lot, telling him twice to not drop the paper bag. It wouldn’t be very good if they arrived home with a brand new bunny rabbit doll and not what they initially went out for in the first place.

Mike tossed the rabbit in it’s box into the backseat first and then buckled Iden up into his car seat. He couldn’t peel his son’s attention away from the box if it had been his job. Michael hadn’t even started the car and Iden had managed to reach over, pull apart the cardboard tabs and rescue Kylo-Ren Clifford. Before fully emerging from the parkade and into the city that he would have been lost in without the help of his loud GPS, Michael checked in the mirror and watched Iden pull faces at the bunny. It made him feel like the best Dad in the world for one second which meant a lot considering he always felt guilty for having a career that demanded him to be physically and often mentally away from his children. Everyone sacrificed their time for the band and Michael didn’t ever gloss over that fact. It had only been a half an hour of one on one time with Iden, but Michael felt like today he had been able to do it all. He fulfilled his career responsibilities, helped Luke out with a personal complaint, sent pictures of his kids to his parents, bought Emmeline her medicine, made Iden’s day, and if the night went as planned, he was going to make his wife cum twice back to back. Today, Michael managed to do everything.

She couldn’t resist. Mariona had one leg hanging off her boyfriend’s bed with the rabbit in the small nook her folded leg on the bed made. While Iden explained Kylo to his her, she had moved his drawings to the floor. She pushed her two thumbs into it’s stomach, but nothing happened. She looked behind her at Iden, lying with his hands behind in his head and his knee against her hip. He was watching amused as she tried to make his rabbit play the Star Wars song. Mariona tried again before leaning back and resting her head against Iden’s firm chest.

“I’m afraid your bunny doesn’t work anymore. Time for another trip to Build-a-Bear with your Dad.”

Iden just smiled slightly to himself and reached down to pick it up from her waist where it had flopped over. He held it above his face with squinted eyes, somehow silently communicating into the black beads it wore in it’s face, and then he brought it down and hugged it to his body, right beside Mariona’s head, and let the song play proudly.

“You’re not his best friend.” Joking, Iden deadpanned and shrugged. He let out a laugh as Mariona rolled her eyes at him. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head before putting Kylo down. As much as the rabbit meant to him, it also reminded him of a rare time in his life where he had his Dad’s complete attention all to himself. Even though Iden went back and forth between his parent’s respective places at the moment, it wasn’t as if he wasn’t sharing his Dad with the world anymore. He still did have his Dad’s crazy schedule to fit into as well as trying to tip toe in between Emmeline’s over the phone freak outs. Iden wasn’t a little kid anymore. His dad wasn’t his idol any longer, but he was trying to figure out where they fit in one anothers lives. Right now, though, he just wanted to make out with his girlfriend. His hands slid smoothly down Mariona’s side as she adjusted herself to be lying on her stomach, crawling up his chest until she was sitting over his hips and kissing him back. She always thought she was okay at kissing, but Iden’s topsy turvy tongue had taught her tricks that she thought were made up by screenwriters. He knew how to illicit goosebumps all over her body. She had never found herself feeling as feverish as she did when Iden was kissing her, hands sliding underneath the back of her top. As the two of them fumbled on top of his bed, Iden kicked one leg off the mattress, making room for Mariona to press her hips into his. He just about had her big sweater over head when his foot found Kylo-Ren Clifford’s stomach, sending the Imperial March through his room. Both teenagers parted their mouths, exchanging confused expressions for a second, and then broke out laughing.

#iden clifford #5sos imagine #5sos au #michael clifford imagine

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devilsclergy · 6 years

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50 Questions, answered.

Putting this under a cut for length. Since SOMEONE requested all of them.

01. What does your character’s name mean? Did you pick it for the symbolism, or did you just like the way it sounded?

The answer is both! Endō Haru (遠藤春)

The surname Endō comes from Japanese 遠 (en) “distant” and 藤 (to, do or fuji) “wisteria."

His given name, Haru comes from Japanese 陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male”, 春 (haru) meaning “spring” or 晴 (haru) meaning “clear weather.” I chose the character for spring.

In relation to him, the significance of his name is in the Wisteria’s symbolism:

“The wisteria plant is known to live for upwards of a hundred years, even living centuries. Because of its extensive lifespan and elegance, the wisteria is thought to be a symbol for wisdom. Throughout its life, the wisteria plant grows increasingly larger. It expands as it takes on new wisdom and experiences. The long vines of the plants are forever extending to seek new knowledge.

A final note from the wisteria plant symbolic meaning is one of nostalgia and memory. The wisteria is witness to several generations and absorbs lessons from every time period. The plant knows that valuable lessons are hidden away in our pasts and that we can learn from previous mistakes and the mistakes of those who came before us. Take these mishaps and turn them into strengths. Like the plant, practice strength and resilience."

All of these factors are key, important pieces of Haru’s character that play into how he interacts with others and approaches his daily life.

02. What is one of your character’s biggest insecurities? Are they able to hide it easily or can others easily exploit this weakness?

Probably his kindness or naiveté. Haru likes to portray himself as a neutral, clinically minded fellow who makes all decisions based on logic and reason. He spent much of his teenage and adult life studying, reading, experimenting, and assisting his father in his work, which led to a lack of certain social graces. Knowing that he lacks in “street smarts” is unsettling to someone so concerned with accuracy and depth of understanding. And ultimately, his kind nature often allows for him to be taken advantage of, or to put others’ safety before his own.

03. What would be their favorite physical trait about themselves?

Probably his eyes, as they are like his mother’s.

04. What are their favorite traits about their lover? (one psychological and one physical)

If he had a lover, it would very likely be their cunning or intellect, as Haru is invariably drawn by those who intrigue him mentally. As for physical, that would vary person to person, so it’s hard to pin down.

 05. Are they sexually confident or more of the shy type?

Most definitely shy, as he is incredibly inexperienced.

06. Do they have any hobbies that their lover finds unusual, odd, or otherwise annoying? 

Probably his tendency to obsessively clean his surroundings. Again, if he had a lover.

07. Is there a catchphrase or sound that they tend to make a lot (likely without being aware of it)?

“Mmn.” or tongue clicking while he works.

 08. What is, perhaps, their biggest flaw? Are they aware of this or oblivious to it?

Haru’s biggest flaw is his inability to see his own worth, and, how that manifests itself in his actions. For example, he is extremely observant and keen in picking up others’ feelings or motives, even if they are well hidden or orchestrated in a way meant to deceive. As such, he is likely to put faith in them where others may not, sometimes to his own disadvantage. By not being able to see how valuable his insights, skills, and person are, he diminishes himself.

 09. Do they have a favorite season? What about a favorite holiday?

Haru’s favourite season is spring, when everything is at the height of beauty.

 10. Is your character more feminine or masculine?

He’s pretty masculine in the standard sense; his style of dress, the way he carries himself, and how he speaks. But he is quite sensitive and emotional under the surface, as level-headed as he attempts to remain.

11. What is something that would make your character fly into a rage?

Haru’s anger is rare and difficult to incite. But someone he cares about being careless with their own life or making a decision that would put themselves or others he cares for in danger would likely do the trick. Or, if he is helpless to prevent such danger from befalling them.

 12. Is there some particular talent, skill, or attribute that they simply could not give up? 

Haru would not be the same without his skills with white magic and talent for aether sciences. The core of what drives him, his thirst for knowledge and desire to turn that knowledge into useful advancements, has heavily influenced who he is and what he wants to become. He also would not wish to survive without his ability to perform certain types of white magic, for it would have meant the loss of a dear friend.

13. What are your character’s sleeping habits? Heavy or light sleeper? Blanket stealer? One that always rolls onto the floor? Pushes their lover onto the floor? Sleep talker or walker? 

Haru sleeps heavily, typically. Once he’s in a comfortable position he won’t move much, but if he had a lover, he’d most likely gravitate toward them. He’s rather warm-bodied, so blankets are usually light or he will kick them off partially. He only talks sometimes, explicitly when having nightmares.

14. Do they live alone or with family? How do they feel about their family/roommates? 

Haru lives alone. Until recently, it was a non-issue, but he is starting to experience a degree of loneliness beyond “kinda wish I had someone to share a meal with”. His father and any other relatives live back in Kugane.

15. Is there a certain person in this world that they cannot stand? The very mention of this person’s name makes them tremble with anger or fear.

He’s not the kind of person who really holds grudges or gets angered easily. So at the moment, there is no such person. But there are whispers a certain person may be entering his life soon whom could fall into this category. :^)

16. Is your character the athletic type or more of a couch potato? What are some sports/games that they like? 

He isn’t lazy, and his line of work requires him to be up and about much of the time. He practices his swordsmanship when he has down time and when he is at work, he’s actively moving around or fighting. He does like to play triple triad, chess, and sand volleyball (do they have volleyballs in Hydaelyn?) occasionally.

17. Does your character have dreams of getting married and/or having children?

Haru has never fantasized about the ideas of marriage and a family, but it is not totally off his radar. However, the current involvements that he has professionally may deem him unable to pursue those interests. He’s far too busy to go chasing after kids, at the very least.

 18. What kind of home would they want to live in? Where would they place this abode?

His current home is in the Mists Topmast apartment complex, which suits him just fine, but he would not mind having a nice, secluded home in Shirogane or the Lavender Beds.

 19. Would your character be the kind to get into fights? (physical or verbal) Would they be a good fighter or cave in rather easily? 

Haru is not overtly aggressive physically or in temperament. He can hold his own in a fight, however.

20. Does your character like animals? What are some of their favorite animals? Would they want pets? What about mythological creatures?

He does like animals! Lots of types, actually. He’s studied a vast array of things in his pursuits of intellect, so he has had the opportunity to meet/interact with some of Eorzea’s strangest and more obscure creatures. His favourites include, but are not limited to, unicorns, bandersnatches, narbrooi, syrictae, and drakes. Of all the creatures he’s heard of, the ones he remains most interested in, are dragons. He’s also very fond of cats.

21. What is one of your character’s biggest fears? How would they react when dealing with this fear?

Haru is absolutely afraid of failing to protect, heal, or otherwise prevent mortal bodily harm to someone he cares for. He will typically show signs of distress, anxiety, and tends to raise his voice at those who go against what would be in their best interest. He does try to keep all of these things at bay, though, because he knows if he loses control, or loses focus, things could get much worse.

 22. What kind of tattoos, piercings, birthmarks, freckles, and other such unique physical features do they have? 

Haru has both horns pierced, but is devoid of any tattoos. He has a few scars littered across his body, and a crystal burn on his hands. This is why he is often wearing gloves. His largest scar stems from his left shoulder down to his elbow joint on the anterior side of his body.

23. What is your character like when it comes to school? What subjects are they good/bad at? Do they get in trouble a lot or are well behaved? 

Haru. Loves. Scholastics. He would be the kid at every book fair, every spelling bee, and every mathlete competition. He is least skilled in creative writing, but all things scientific, mathematic, and chemically related, he excels at. And he is a perfect angel what are you talking about.

24. In their own words, how would your character describe what their lover is like?

He doesn’t have a lover.

 25. Is there something traumatic from your character’s past that greatly affects them even to this day?

Yes. Yes, very much. Like he has night terrors a few times out of the week about those events. Get to know him IC and it may be revealed to you (highly unlikely).

26. What is their lover like sexually? How do they feel about their lover’s quirks, needs, etc? 

I can just feel Haru blushing. See question 24.

27. If your character was going to get arrested, what would be the most likely reason for it?

Black market trade, probably.

 28. If your character became a celebrity, what would they be famous for?

A Nobel prize for inventing some incredible aetherial mechanism. Or a drug which actually cures all ailments and/or prevents mortal death.

 29. What is one of the most courageous things your character has ever done for a loved one?

Faced his own fear of going into the sea, learning to swim.

 30. When it comes to the arts (music, film, theater, etc), what does your character like?

Haru likes music and theater. Most entertaining live performances he is fond of.

31. Would your character be the kind capable of killing? Would they enjoy killing or only use it when necessary or, perhaps, refuse to kill no matter what?

Haru tends to be a thinker, which means he tends to believe that any conflict can be resolved without violence. But he is not so naive to believe that everyone shares his views, and he understands that, unfortunately, sometimes violence is the only answer. He would avoid killing anyone who is innocent at all costs, but if it meant saving someone he knew intimately or loved, he would. It would haunt him, though. It would eat away at him.

 32. If your character’s lover offered to take them out on a dream date, what would they want to do? 

He would probably want to visit some ruins he had not yet been privy to see.

33. If your character wanted to be alone, where would they go?

His apartment, or to the beach in the middle of the night.

 34. Does your character have favorite foods? (breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, etc) 

Haru mostly enjoys foods that remind him of his childhood home, so traditional dishes like soba, yakitori, rice and eggs, sukiyaki, and dumplings. But he enjoys cooking and therefore has experimented with Eorzean dishes like meuniere.

35. Is your character afraid of death? If they got to choose how to die, how would they want to go?

He’s not afraid to die, but I don’t think he’s looking to go anytime soon. If he could choose, it would be while protecting someone he cares for.

36. Does your character have any medical conditions? Are they serious or minor? Do they affect their day to day life?

None.

 37. What are some of your character’s pet peeves? What are some things that annoy them or disgust them? 

Haru is a bit neurotic; he likes things to be neat, symmetrical, and aligned just-so. He also dislikes messy or noisy eaters.

38. What kind of weather does your character like? Cloudy skies, rainy days, sunshine, etc? 

Haru enjoys rain, but it carries with it a nostalgia of sorts for him.

39. When people look at your character, is there some assumption they might make about them just by appearance? Is that assumption correct?

That he’s a nerd, and yes they would be correct.

 40. Does your OC have any guilty pleasures they enjoy? Hobbies, past times, music, etc that they wouldn’t want known by others?

He loves to study the effects of potions and herbs on beastkin and mankind alike. This has… led to some embarrassing discoveries and interactions. He also loves a good, hot bath and will not miss an opportunity to indulge in one. I wouldn’t say that is a secret, though.

41. Does your character’s family affect your character in any way?

His relationship with his mother and father greatly affect how Haru behaves to this day, in very differing ways. These are things I prefer for people to discover through interaction with Haru, though, so I won’t go into detail.

 42. Is there anything in your character’s past that they regret, haunts them, or they wish they could change? 

Yep. See question 25.

43. Does your character have a switch that changes aspects of their personality whether they are around friends, family, etc. Is there someone who gets to see their true self? 

There have been very few to see the side of Haru that is not completely reserved, professional, serious, and task-minded. The switch for him is emotional, but it’s hard to say how to illicit it. It could be triggered by different things.

44. Is there a particular event that would emotionally devastate your character?

The death or murder of one of his close friends or allies.

 45. Is your character the kind to hide their true emotions or do they wear their heart on their sleeve?

Haru tends to keep things hidden most of the time.

46. What is some random affectionate thing that your character always does to their lover?

Read: he doesn’t have a lover, and this would probably vary person to person.

 47. Is your character outgoing? Would they be the leader of the friend group, or the quiet one that gets dragged along? 

Haru is a bit shy and very reserved, so he would be the one who is dragged along and forced to interact. Or alternatively, he would be the one who is approached for conversation more likely than being the one to initiate it.

48. Is there anything in particular that would ignite your character’s jealousy? Or does your character not get envious? 

He does not really experience jealousy, as he is not a very possessive person.

49. What is something that your character has nightmares about? Are these frequent? Do they heavily affect your character’s mood?

Well, since this is probably the 4th time it was asked, I suppose I can shed some light. Haru experienced a tragedy with a close friend years ago during an experiment they were conducting. It was Haru’s fault, and he has never forgiven himself for it. When he has a night terror about it, it usualy leaves him aching and lonely in ways inexplicable, and he will usually resort to smoking to soothe his nerves. This is one of two incidents he would have a nightmare about.

 50. If your character confessed love to their crush, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc, what would they say?

He would probably blush and stumble over his words and avoid doing it all-together. But if he really wanted them to know… Haru would tell them how they occupy his mind so much that he cannot focus on his work, and that it’s really a problem but it’s a problem he doesn’t seem to mind having. Tagged by: @vylbrand Tagging: All y’all @vylbrand @rgael @ff14vamir

#ffxiv #ffxiv rp #mateus rp #mateus lfc #au ra #au ra raen #ask meme #character sheet #reference #haru endou #GOLD squad #learn ALL THE THINGS about Haru #i'm p sure no one is gonna fucking read all of this lmao #good ref for me tho

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kathyprior4200 · 4 years

Text

Alastor Ascension Arc: Murder on the Air (Outline)

Tagline: “It’s time to tune in…”

Alastor Human Life

Chapter One: “Down in New Orleans”

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Alastor Roscoe Moreau (A.M.) is born January 24th 1896 (VA born Jan 24th 1986.) to his parents in New Orleans, Louisiana. Alastor has medium olive brown skin, short (sometimes long) brown hair and brown eyes with glasses. He is lanky and thin but appears stronger than he looks. He often wears nice shirts with bow ties and dark pants and shoes. He wears overalls, boots and the occasional straw hat whenever he hunts or explores the woods and swamps outside. During his rise to fame, he wears fancy suits and top hats, complete with a microphone cane with golden antlers.

Antoinette Loretta Moreau (formerly Duvalier) is Alastor’s French Creole mother. She is a descendant of the famous Marie Laveau, Marie being Alastor’s great, great grandmother.

Antoinette has short curly black hair and dark brown skin, often wears cotton dresses and round ladies’ hats in bold red. She is part African American and part Native American and can speak Haitian Creole. In secret, away from her Christian husband, she asks her ancestors for guidance and reveres the Loa and saints, sitting at an altar she made. Antoinette’s white mother, Odette is a Voodoo Queen who reveres Yemaya and the saints. Odette’s husband, Mathis, is an African American musician, who later helps Alastor start a music career. Armand’s parents wanted Antoinette to abort her child as Alastor was perceived as a “troubled mixed child of sin,” but she refused. Manette offers to put Alastor in an insane asylum “for his own good”, but Antoinette fights back to keep him. Mathis was also wary of Alastor, but later grew to like him, while Alastor’s paternal grandparents always treated their grandson like he was stupid and dirty.

New Orleans culture is introduced, along with popular festivals, 1900s language and Haitian Creole. Armand and Antoinette briefly talk in French as well.

Chapter Two: “Runnin’ Wild”

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Early 1900’s Alastor’s youth

Chapter Three: “What a Wonderful World”

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Early 1900’s more Alastor childhood and learning

Alastor also learns Native American myths from his mother, including one about the Wendigo. (Alastor’s shadow and full demon form would be associated with the Wendigo monster).

Alastor starts school. He learns Creole from his mother and some French as well.

When Alastor goes to school, he eventually joins the band, despite him being bullied by both whites and kids of color. The kids often throw rocks and mud at him, calling him “Chocolate Boy” and “Dirty Dan.” At one point, they surround him and vicious rub at his skin until a teacher arrives to stop them. After Alastor gets home, bruised and crying, Alastor’s mother tends to him and tells him to smile and not hit girls. She makes him jambalaya to cheer him up and lets him help with the cooking. Alastor’s father suddenly berates him for being weak and orders the mother to make dinners and do laundry afterwards.

Chapter Four: “When The Saints Go Marching In”

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Early 1900s, Voodoo rituals, witch doctor black uncle and grandfather, Odette grandmother

Along with sewing, cooking, and dancing, Antoinette also teaches Alastor about Voodoo/Hoodoo rituals, along with his Grandmother Odette Duvalier.

Odette and Antoinette’s hidden magic is a reddish blue, the colors of the Petro and Rada mixed. Alastor’s magic eventually becomes Petro red. After making deals with Gnostic demons Abaddon, Furfur etc. (kill souls on Earth as sacrifices to gain more power in the afterlife), his magic becomes exclusively evil and powerful. As a consequence, he loses touch with his ancestors and the other Loa after the deaths of his parents. (Souls can use magic in other worlds but lays dormant on Earth).

Antoinette notices her husband slowly growing more distant from his son as Alastor bonds with her more.

Chapter Five: “Shadow Man”

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Age 7

Chapter Six: “You Rascal You”

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Age 10

Chapter Seven: “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen”

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Age 13 Alastor witnesses discrimination

Alastor begins to play instruments and sing really well, his skills backed up by his mother’s teachings and the school band practices.

Alastor watches many old films including…

“The Great Train Robbery” (1903)

“Chased by Dogs” (1904) traumatized him/foreshadowing

“Satan Finds Mischief” (1908)

“Frankenstein” (1910) One of Alastor’s favorites as a teen, he emphasizes with the monster

“Oliver Twist”

“White Fawn’s Devotion” (1910)

“L’Inferno” (1911) another one of his favorites

“Peter Pan” (1924)

“The Phantom of the Opera” (1925) Watched it with Mimzy

“The Wizard of Oz” (1925)

“The Jazz Singer” (1927) One of his favorite musicals

“Sweeney Todd” (1928) Another silent crime film he enjoyed

“PopEye” (1929)

“King of Jazz” (1930)

“Dracula” (1931)

“Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1932)

“Smilin’ Though” (1932)

“Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1932)

“Tarzan the Ape Man” (1932)

“The Big Broadcast” (1932) Alastor relates to the radio broadcaster main character

Radio City Music Hall started showing films in 1933.

As a teen, Alastor swims in the creek, hikes in the mountains and hunts bear and deer. He also collects animal skulls when he can, as he is fascinated by anatomy.

Chapter Eight: “God Moves on the Water”

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1912 Age 16

Alastor enjoys hunting deer, rabbits and other animals to use for meat. It is one of the few times where Alastor feels in power and in control. He soon enjoys killing the animals, which would later translate into his enjoyment of killing and manipulating other people.

World War One

World War One begins in 1914 right after Alastor graduates high school, and Alastor is drafted for it at age 18 along with his father (but they were sent to different places). He tearfully hugs his mother goodbye, unsure whether he’ll see her again. During his time there, he discovered the use of old radios used for communication. He was one of the soldiers who fixed and transported said radios on the front lines. Alastor watches several comrades die around him, the only thing keeping him sane is his task to operate the radios. Alastor returned to the city in 1917, now with more of an idea of his career.

Late 1910s:

At a young age, Alastor’s main source of entertainment is the abandoned family radio; he would mimic the Trans Atlantic accents and enjoy listening to the news and static. It was his way to escape the harsh reality he was in. His uncle, mother and grandmother encouraged him that he could do anything he wanted to, and that a broadcasting career would be a great fit for him in the future. (Next generation people needed for the airwaves). Alastor starts fixing radios for people and makes a crystal one by himself. For a while, Alastor is happy to be alone and free with his mother, no worries of his imposing father to keep both of them silent.

But the Spanish Flu also occurred in 1918…

Chapter Nine: “Willow Weep For Me”

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1918: Age 22 Spanish Flu

…and when Alastor finds out his mother is gravely ill. (Alastor’s aunt and cousin cared for his mother while the men were away). A few days pass in early 1919. He is able to embrace her as she says her final words: “Don’t be sad for me. Remember, you’re never fully dressed without a smile.”

His father happens to come home on the same day his mother dies! He is deeply saddened by her death but on the outside he looks at her with disgust over her illness.

He slams the door to her room, not letting Alastor grieve by her side. For the first time, he is not afraid to get beaten by his father anymore. His father berates him for being lazy and not caring for his mother. He tries to ignore his father, but he beats him and chokes him. Not wanting to die by his hands and overburdened with grief and rage, Alastor had enough. Getting his long awaited revenge, he uses a nearby knife to brutally slash his father’s throat, killing him (he also bites his throat and mocks him for good measure). He had lost both parents in a single day.

Heartbroken, Alastor is forced to bury his mother at a nearby cemetery as it rains (He promptly feeds his body to the gators with no remorse.).

Chapter Ten: “Dr. Jazz”

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1919: Age 23

Alastor dreams of becoming a jazz musician. Louis Armstrong becomes his role model and encourages him to join a band of his own. More people start to recognize his talent. He does music and low paying jobs from 1919-1920.

Axeman

Alastor takes care to avoid the Axeman killer and is spared from his attack by playing jazz every night. At one point, Alastor hacks a racist couple and copies the Axeman’s actions, leading to more panic in New Orleans. The rumors spread that the Axeman had killed twice as many victims.

Chapter Eleven: “Friends On The Other Side”

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1920s

Alastor goes to Dr. Facilier, both men had lost their mothers. Distraught, Alastor agrees to talk to the dark Loa and gain dark magic to use in the afterlife. But Dr. Facilier intends to gain wealth at any means, even if it means offering Alastor’s soul. Dr. Facilier reads Alastor’s tarot cards.

The two voodoo men make a deal: whoever wins and lives the longest will own the other’s soul in the afterlife. (Alastor’s shadow appears as well). Alastor knew it was risky, but he felt helpless at this point. He watches Dr. Facilier carefully, and is able to mimic some of his magic when he arrives in Hell. Dr. Facilier tells Alastor that if he tries to kill him, then the Loa will haunt him until his death. Both agree to let the other do their dark deeds (Alastor killing people and Dr. Facilier scamming people for money).

Alastor ends up giving him money to help him run his shop, but ends up more broke in the process. Dr. Facilier laughs at his cousin’s fate, but Alastor vows that he will surpass him.

It is at this time that Alastor makes his deals with Kalfu, Furfur and Baron Samedi demons: wealth and power for the sacrifice of human souls. Only Furfur accepts human sacrifice, the Loa do not (they are not necessarily evil, they just want to help guide Alastor and teach him important lessons). Alastor uses Haitian Voodoo to hex and curse people, along with using a variety of weapons at night. Alastor is instructed to retrieve a grimoire in the afterlife that will seal the deal and grant him his powers (plus his shadow as he already had his microphone staff and basic radio powers beforehand).

Chapter Twelve: “Sitting on Top of the World”

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1920s: Young adulthood, career peak

During the Roaring Twenties, he would become the most famous radio host in Louisiana. Alastor often smokes both during work and during his free time. Alastor basks in wealth and fame.

Chapter Thirteen: “Mack The Knife” (Alastor’s killing sprees)

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1919, 1920: age 25 - 1933

Chapter Fourteen: “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile”

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Chapter Fifteen: “Pack Up All Your Troubles and Smile, Smile, Smile!”

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Chapter Sixteen: “Love is a Magical Mystery”

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Mimzy and Alastor dance the Charleston.

Chapter Seventeen: “Let’s Misbehave”

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Chapter Eighteen: “Do What I Wanna Do”

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1926

Dr. Facilier dies in 1926 after failing to please the dark Loa. He tries to kill Alastor but is distracted when Naveen comes along. He lost his bet to Alastor and as a result, became Alastor’s snake slave in Hell. Alastor would also surpass him in magical power in the afterlife. Alastor is more than happy to announce his death on the radio.

Alastor’s uncle is killed by KKK members and Alastor goes after them.

Hell, 1929

Esteemed Mortal of New Orleans: The Louisiana Lunatic

When I see fit, I shall appear and claim other victims as I see fit. I alone know whom they shall be. No clues will be left behind, save for what you might hear on the next broadcast.

At 6:06 pm next Friday night, I am going to pass over New Orleans and then visit those in Hell. I am going to make a little proposition to you people. Here it is:

I have been, am, and will be, the worst spirit that ever existed in fact, fantasy, or realm of Hazbins.

Smile and stay tuned!

Chapter Nineteen: “Crazy Rhythm”

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The Great Depression comes into effect as well as the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Niffty is born in 1929: Alastor briefly takes care of Japanese born Niffty as a baby before placing her in an orphanage, where she would leave with her new Japanese family.

A crazed Alastor goes on his killing spree and begins to eat people out of desperation for food. He goes after racists, rapists, KKK members and deer hunters who hunt for sport and status (despite hunting deer himself and liking venison). He broadcasts their deaths on the radio. He doesn’t kill women and children. The people he killed are offered as sacrifices to deer demon Furfur and Met Kalfu, deities who grant him his power in Hell after he made deals with them. In order to gain power, Alastor had to leave his mortal life.

Alastor enjoys reading about the chaos in the newspaper. People frantically sell their stuff and beg for jobs and money. He also enjoys seeing the orphans suffering homeless in the streets as it reminds him of his better off status. He also finds children annoying and undisciplined, a left over trait from his father.

Chapter Twenty: “Video Killed the Radio Star”

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Alastor ironically dies when a full Hunter’s Moon is present. Police send dogs after Alastor after finding out of his actions, he barely manages to escape in the woods. He kills a deer hunter but an infected dog bites him afterwards. When a rabies-bitten Alastor buries the deer hunter’s body in hunting grounds, a hunter mistakes him for a deer and sends two hunting dogs after him. He gets mauled by the dogs before he is shot in the head. It is revealed that the hunter is Vincent/Vox, a white man who had been visiting New Orleans as a new CEO to promote TV. Vox is hailed as a hero after he finds out he killed the serial killer. (This is also why Alastor hates Vox so much).

#alastor #hazbinhotel #voodoo #humanalastor

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sage-nebula · 7 years

Note

Akko/Andrew!

Who’s the messiest one:

I feel like this one has got to be Akko. It’s not that she’s lazy or sloppy so much as it is that she’s extremely disorganized, and tends to jump from one activity to another without thinking about properly wrapping up her previous activity first. As a result, books get left all over the place, she’ll leave the laundry all piled in the basket, she’ll toss her keys on a random chair and then forget she did it hours later when she needs them again. Helping this is the fact that her parents were always pretty easygoing with her, so she never really had a reason or thought to change the way she behaves.

Andrew, on the other hand, might have been messy, but his upbringing was very strict and so he learned early on not to leave anything strewn about, or else he would get it taken away from him. (Sort of a, “Clearly you don’t like or care about this, since you just left it laying out on the table, so you don’t need to have it anymore” kind of deal.) Although he’s very wealthy and there were housekeepers to do some cleaning, what they did was more along the lines of sweeping the floors and wiping down windows. Andrew was in charge of keeping his belongings not just tidy, but put away, so that a guest who dropped by unannounced might not even know that a young boy even lived there. This instilled habitual neatness in him that carries into adulthood, although over the years Akko’s influence does help him loosen up and relax some.

Who feels the most uncomfortable about PDA:

Akko once again! This is a cultural thing; although I hear that some younger generations in Japan have grown a bit more lax about PDA to some degrees, from my understanding Japan is still very reserved about that sort of thing, and so I feel that even though she’s exuberant and verbally affectionate, she’d be a lot more shy about things like kissing in public. Andrew, on the other hand, doesn’t have such reservations himself since western culture is more open about that sort of thing (and even though he was raised in a prim and proper wealthy English household, so long as he’s not sucking face it’s not inappropriate), but he respects the fact that Akko is shy about it, and thus lets her initiate any PDA they have, to make sure she’s comfortable.

Who’s the funniest drunk:

ANDREW.

First of all, the boy cannot hold his liquor. Let that be known. Champagne is one thing, and a single glass of wine with dinner is another. But start giving him more than that, and it will not take long at all for him to be completely sloshed. And when he’s sloshed? Oh boy. All those barriers come down. See, underneath his aloof and somewhat rigid exterior is a boy that loves adventure, risk taking, and having fun. We see this in his first episode, how he grins when he jumps after Akko as they’re being chased, as he smiles a little as he agrees to keep the misadventure their little secret. Andrew is actually quite fun-loving, beneath it all—and if his inhibitions were dropped I feel like he’d be the biggest goof imaginable. He’d be much more prone to accepting silly, ridiculous dares; he’d stumble over his words and then laugh about it because everything would be hilarious to him; he’d want to show off to others in ways that his father always frowned upon, because if it wasn’t business it wasn’t important. These might not seem too outlandish, but given how straight-laced he normally is, it would definitely be hilarious for those watching. Of that, I’m certain.

Who texts the most:

Hmmm, I’d say it’s about equal?

Akko’s the double texter, in that she’ll send seven texts in a row to ask a single question (maybe ten if she throws in some emojis in there). But Andrew will send longer texts, using paragraph breaks and everything, and I feel that this means that he’s really sending just as much, it’s just that his texts are slower and longer. So probably about equal; they like keeping in contact even when they’re just friends, even when it’s casual.

Who has the most embarrassing taste in music:

Probably Akko, but she’s not even a little embarrassed. Yes, she will blast the Sailor Moon theme song, and she’ll sing every word, and she won’t apologize for it for even a second. That said, although I imagine Andrew probably wasn’t allowed to listen to pop and the like growing up (you know his dad only ever let him listen to classical), I imagine that when he finally does hear it, he really likes it, simply because it’s so different. So you know, his taste might be a bit embarrassing as well, but he’s also not embarrassed because, hey, it’s his first time hearing it, leave him be.

Who reads the most:

Andrew. We all know Akko hates studying. :P (Like, she studies when she has to, but it’s . . . far from her favorite activity. She’s more of a hands-on learner.)

Who’s better with kids:

Akko! She’s playful, energetic, and loves to make them laugh. Andrew, by contrast, doesn’t really know what to do with them, particularly since it’s not like he has a good frame of reference to go by given what his own childhood was like. I do think, though, that he’d be the better … I don’t like to use the word disciplinarian, but he would be the one better equipped to set them straight when they were misbehaving, to teach them to right their wrongs, et cetera. He’d be better at the less fun aspects of parenting.

Who’s the one that fixes things around the house:

They’re both disasters, are you kidding me? Andrew never learned how because he never had to, and Akko tries to fix things with her magic and just makes it worse. In the end they have to call a third party repair service, like they probably should have done from the beginning.

Who’s got the weirdest hobby:

Hm, I can’t think of anything that would be too weird for either of them! Akko canonically collects Chariot cards, but I don’t think that’s odd, and I feel like any odd hobbies Andrew expressed growing up would have been stamped out by his father, who wouldn’t even let him practice piano because he viewed it as a waste of time. So for this, I’m going to say neither!

Who cooks and who cleans up:

Both! I think Akko would love to cook and experiment in the kitchen, and that Andrew would want to help so that it’s not all on her (and so he can keep some of the more, ah … eccentric recipes in check). So I think this is a responsibility the two of them would share. :)

#ship meme #ankko #otp: it'll be our little secret #aurantia-ignis

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xxmudcakexx · 6 years

Text

A Christmas Miracle - Part 2

Plot: Hailey had it all planned out. She was getting married to the sweetest guy on Earth, Jake. He was perfect, or well at least with the most of it. He didn't like her listening to her favorite boyband MONSTA X. He thought that they were bad influences on her. One night on Christmas Eve Hailey made a wish, a wish that changed her whole life. A change that she'd never thought would happen. She was suddenly in Korea and best friends with the boys. And Jake was nowhere to be found.

Genre: FLUFF/FICTION

Words: 3216

Pairing: Minhyuk | Reader

Authors Note: So stuff is happening in the book.. What if that magic actually worked in real life? :’)

It was right after Piano class when Hailey heard someone yell her name. She wasn't expecting someone, neither did anyone know her at that part of the town. She looked the way where the sound came from, but it was empty. She walked towards the parking lot when she noticed a small poster on her car. It said 'Hailey' and she opened it and saw a picture of MONSTA X.

"Where did this come from?" She asked the air confused, when she noticed a little girl smiling at her. She had the looks of an half Asian girl, a long brown hair with bangs with a red headband. She had a smile on her lips, and something reminded Hailey of herself when she was younger, but also someone else.

"Was it you?" She asked. The girl nodded and walked away from her. Hailey looked after her quite confused and wondered what just happened. Hailey drove home to Jake and walked to the door. She knocked on the door and a fully dressed Jake opened the door with a smile on his lips.

"My love, you're here early" He said and let her inside. She smiled at him and gave him her coat as she walked towards the his bedroom.

"No, not my bedroom! I'm busy cleaning it! Let's be in the kitchen" he suggested. She nodded as she walked to the chairs. She sat down and studied the room closely, seeing two glass on the counter beside the fridge. She looked at it for a while.

"Did you have company?" She asked. He shook his head, but followed her gaze to the glass. He laughed a little with a bit of nervousness in his voice.

"Ahh.. Troy was here earlier! So let's talk!"

"Well I guess you should be doing the talking, I don't get why you got angry at something so ridiculous" She said with a sigh. He shifted his way of standing and a small frustration grew inside of him. He didn't like how she couldn't be a nice girl all the time and agree with him.

"Ridiculous? You stood in a classroom while talking about boybands, and also made everyone think of me as a substitute whenever you don't have them. Troy has been laughing about that all day, how you like bad guys all of the sudden!" He argued. Hailey got irritated at how he always commented her idols like it was a bad thing.

"Don't worry, I have them all the time! So you're not a substitute. And why is is such a bad thing for me to like a boyband? You like Eminem don't you?"

"Eminem is a good guy and a American citizen! You're listening to Chinese people with tattoos and weirdly big muscles who sings about killing people and fighting" He argued.

"What's wrong with them being Korean??? And what's wrong with tattoos or muscles? You have them too! And what? Killing and fighting? Search for the lyrics if you want to know what they're singing about. Just because they have a song named Fighter doesn't mean that it's about them killing or fighting someone" She argued back. He looked at her with anger and slammed his fist in the table making her frightened. She looked at him.

"Both your mother and me thinks they're bad influences on you! So stop spending time with listening to them before you go psycho! Listen to One Direction instead! If you excuse me, I have soccer practice in twenty min" He said and grabbed a glas of water.

Hailey sighed and walked to the door and grabbed her coat when she felt his eyes in her neck staring at her with the ownership look. She gulped and turned around towards him.

"I guess I'll see you after Christmas Jake" She said with a smile.

"I'll be there on Christmas Eve. Your parents invited us over, so we're celebrating together"

"Oh okay" She said and walked out to her car. She sat down and drove home with thoughts about what he said. She stared at the wheel and took a moment of breath before walking into the house.

The moment she walked into the hallway, she heard her moms voice calling her from the kitchen.

"Hailey Smith" She said with her scolding tone. Hailey walked into the kitchen and saw her mother standing with her wine glass in the air, while her father sat down working on his computer.

"What mother?" She asked concerned.

"Jake called us earlier today and told us what you did during the presentation! You're going over the line, and one more move with this Chinese thing and I'll take the computer away" She said. Hailey stared at her mother in disbelief and shook her head as she walked up to her room with tears forming in her eyes.

Hailey opened the closet and took out a big box with a lock on. She locked her door and walked with the box to her bed as she opened it with the key on her necklace. The big box contained posters, letters and other things regarding MONSTA X. A big pillow was inside and she hugged it while letting out her tears. This was something she always did when she was sad. She opened the box and let it all out, including words in the diary that was inside.

"Hailey, can you please help me with the gifts?" Mr Jones asked when he entered the living room. Hailey nodded and walked out to the truck to get the other gifts when she noticed Jake inside the car. He jumped out when he saw her and smiled.

"Hey beautiful" He said. She looked at him and walked past him and inside. She looked at Mr Jones who looked proudly at her. Kids were running around her legs and taking candy from the kitchen counter.

"Kids, calm down with the candy" Mother said. Hailey looked at her mother as she smiled big when Jake entered the kitchen. She looked at them and then at Mr Jones who had his eyes on Hailey with a concerned look on his face. She smiled a little and turned away and walked up to her room. She sat down on the bed and started to read her book.

A knock was heard and Jake entered the room and looked around, probably after boyband stuff. She looked at her book and continued reading as he sat down on the bed and took the book away.

"Why are you ignoring me?" He asked.

"I'm not, I just don't see how I must be obsessed with you" She answered. He rolled his eyes at her.

"You're my girlfriend, so you're supposed to be clingy and obsessed" He said. She looked at him for quite a while. He smirked when he saw her looking and laid down over her trying to kiss her. She kissed him back a little and smiled when he continued, but on the neck. She felt uncomfortable and pushed him away.

"What are you doing?"

"Isn't it time for us to do it?" He asked and did it once again. This time she tried to push him away harder, but with his strength, she wasn't able to do get away from him.

"Please stop Jake. I don't want to"

"We need to do it"

"It's Christmas Eve! Let it go today, please" she said while sighting on the same time. A laugh left his mouth and he sat up. She stood up from the bed and walked out of the room. She walked down the stairs when she noticed Mr Andrews in the hallway talking to her mother.

"Mr Andrews?" She asked. He smiled at her and opened his arms as Hailey ran up to him and gave him the greatest hug someone could get. Mr Andrews had always supported her through everything in school, even with her liking of the boys. He was the only one who understood what she wanted and who she was on the inside. He was like a grandfather who reminded her of Santa. He had white hair, and a long white moustache. He always wore Santa shirts and had glasses on his nose whenever he read something.

"I see that you made our beloved Hailey happy with joining us on this beautiful day" Mother said.

"Your daughter is a miracle in this world. You should be happy that you got just her as your daughter as she is the smartest, but also the most lovely student I've ever had." He said with a smile on his lips that was seen under his moustache. Hailey laughed a little and looked at him. His smile disappeared when he saw something behind Haileys back. A look of disgust was formed in his eyes.

"Jake! Your wonderful teacher is joining us today" Mother said. Hailey looked at Jake and then at Mr Jones who seemed disturbed by his existence. She felt Jake grabbing her hand and embracing their fingers together. She looked back at him and saw his wonderful smile. She smiled back at him and walked to the living room where the kids were playing around.

"It was beautiful earrings Mother" Hailey said when she opened her mothers gift. Her father gave her his and she looked at him rather shocked. It was bigger than it usually was and she smiled as she opened it. But a disappointment formed inside of her when she realized the content of the gift.

"Oh a camping trip with Jake! Thank you Father" She said with a smile. Everyone had their eyes on her with a smile except for Mr Jones who looked rather disturbed and irritated of everyones gifts for her. She smiled and looked at her gifts.

"Hailey, I have a gift for you! But you're not allowed to open it now." Mr Jones said as he gave her a package, a heavy one. She looked at him with a curious look and smiled big.

"Thank you Mr Jones! I can already feel that I will love it" She said. Mr Jones smiled at her in a way no one else did. His love for her was different than someone else. It was like a real grandfather love.

"Are you the real Santa?" Jasmine, one of the kids asked. Everyone laughed a the question including Hailey. She looked around the room and couldn't find Jake when a voice was heard from the entrance of the room. He held the box she kept hidden in her closet. She stared at it.

"What are you doing Jake?!" She asked as she stood up from her seat. Everyone looked at him and he opened the box and turned it upside down as all of the stuff fell out. She looked at her parents who stared at her with anger. The calm and cozy atmosphere turned into anger from many ways.

"You kept these stuff from us?" Mother asked. Hailey felt tears forming in her eyes as she sat down and tried to put everything back in the box.

"Where's my girlfriend?" Jake asked. She looked up at him and then down at the box that her mother took away from her.

"This is! We're fixing this right away" Her mother said as she walked out of the house with everyone behind. She turned fire on everything that made Hailey cry. She shook her head and run back inside and up to her room. She fell down in her bed and cried while hugging the pillow.

She didn't know why they were against it. But she knew that none of them felt good with people who wasn't American, or white. She had to accept the fact that she wasn't allowed to like this boyband. She was marrying Jake and he wouldn't let her like them if they were married. She had to accept the fact that she was weird and crazy.

"You're not crazy or weird" Someone said. She looked at the door and saw Mr Jones with the gift in his hands. He closed the door and sat down on the bed brushing her tears away.

"Mr Jones.."

"I know it's hard right now. But it will get better, so don't stop listening to them. It will change soon, everything will change. You have no idea how unlucky you are right now" he whispered.

"Unlucky?" She asked.

"You're not happy if that's what you think. Your parents are manipulated by your boyfriend who clearly is a jerk and a psycho one. And there you are in the middle of it thinking you're the wrong one. "

"I'm getting married with him"

"Don't do anything you know you'll regret. And about my gift.. I want you to open it when everyone's asleep. You can only make one wish, and when you make that wish it will come true. So think what you really want before wishing for it" He said.

"I'll wish for the boys" Hailey said with a laugh. Mr Jones laughed together with her and gave her a hug before leaving the room.

"Remember, you're worth more than this" He said. She looked at him leaving and thought about what he said. She smiled while thinking of what to wish for even if she didn't believe in it coming true.

Hours went by and soon everyone was asleep. She opened the box in silence and noticed a snow globe sparkling. Inside of it 7 boys were sitting on a long bench. Soon she noticed that it was them, her idols. She studied the snow globe for quite a while before making up her mind. She walked out on the balcony under the stars as she put her hand on it.

"Dear Santa, I wish for myself to live in Seoul while being best friends with MONSTA X. I wish for my life to be happier than it is right now. Please Santa, make my wish come true. " She said before she ended it with an 'Amen' just in case. She looked up at the stars before going back to bed. She laid down with the snow globe standing on the table beside the bed with the moon shining on it. She slowly fell asleep

"Hailey! Wake up before I hit you with a drum" a voice said. Hailey turned around and sat up slowly as she looked around the room. She was in a different room, and a lady was looking at her with a spoon in her hand.

"Uh.. I'm awake" She said.

"Dress yourself and come out. It's breakfast time and school starts in one hour" She said. Hailey looked at her confused and got up from the bed and looked around the room before noticing a school uniform. She laughed at herself as she thought she was having a lucid dream.

"So can I just ask you something?" Hailey asked when she came out in her school uniform. The lady looked at her as she nodded her head.

"Ofc sweetheart"

"Where am I?" She asked. The lady looked at her confused and put the bowl of rice infront of her.

"You're in your home in Seoul. I'm your mother and you're on your way to school. Where else would you be?" She asked.

"Oh.. No nowhere.. I just woke up with memory loss" Hailey said as she laughed a little. She started to eat and looked around the kitchen amused.

"Don't forget that the boys will pick you up at 4PM outside of the gates! Okay?" She asked when a sound was heard. The lady, or well mother walked over and answered a call with a webcam.

"Oh Meli, come in" She said. Hailey looked at her mother and noticed how alike they looked. It was something total different than how she and her mother outside of her dreams looked. She wasn't alike none of her parents, but this lady was a older version of her. She noticed a girl in the same type of school uniform walking into the kitchen.

"Gooooodmorning bestie" she squealed. Hailey looked at her confused and studied her every move as she sat down and started to eat. Hailey looked up at her mother who smiled at something. She turned her eyes towards the way her mother was looking, and she noticed a young man some years older than Hailey.

"Who is he?" She asked.

"I'm your brother stupid" He answered and hit her head with a smirk. She noticed how the girl beside her stiffed up when he walked into the kitchen. Hailey was sure that she had a crush on him. She laughed at her and continued to eat when she realized how lucky she was to have company to school.

"Let's go!" Meli said as she dragged Hailey to the hallway. They said their goodbyes as they walked out of the house. Hailey looked around while they walked towards the school. She had never been in a lucid dream that kept on going for that long, and she had never been able to think in her lucid dreams either.

"You're acting weird" Meli said.

"Huh? Why? How?" Hailey asked. Meli laughed and jumped infront of her and walked backwards.

"Well you're usually on your phone searching for videos of your wonderful MONSTA X boys, or talking how you're forever alone" she said. Hailey laughed and looked at her best friend.

"Hmm.. I'm just lost today I guess. So you have to be my ultimate best friend today and help me with the studies so I can pass them"

"You're kidding me right?" she said. Hailey looked at her while shaking her head confused.

"You're literally the smartest girl in school and I'm the most unwise person you'd ever know" She said.

"But I'm not awake today you know" Hailey said. They walked past the gates and she looked at her school before walking into it. They walked to the classroom while she looked for her seat.

"You're sitting here stupid" she said.

The clock was 3:59 when the class ended. Hailey looked at the clock and then at the board before turning her head to her phone.

"Aren't you in a hurry? You're supposed to hang out with the boys today remember?" She asked. Hailey nodded and dragged her outside. They walked towards the gate and she were worried, nervous and her thoughts were everywhere when she thought of the boys she was about to meet.

"Oh I see Wonho"

"W..onho?" Hailey asked and looked at the big black van that stood infront of them. Wonho had half of his body outside of the van while laughing before he fell down over the window to the ground making everyone laugh. She laughed and ran up to him.

"Are you okay?" She asked and helped him up. He stood up and had his eyes on her making her stare. She stared at him as she realized that he was real. That Shin Hoseok, Wonho was right infront of her eyes. He smiled at her with his charming smile.

"Hello pumpkin"

"p...pumpkin?" She stuttered. His big smile fade away and turned into a concerned look.

"Oh you're not reacting?"

"..W..what are you doing here?" She stuttered once again.

"To pick up our best friend"

#monsta x #monstax #shownu #wonho #kihyun #hyunwoo #hoseok #minhyuk monsta x #minhyuk #jooheon #changkyun #hyungwon #im

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ruffoverthinksthings · 7 years

Note

Can you start with how some of the major Auradon royals raise their children?

Mybrain thought it’d be more interesting if I give a general idea ofthe different styles of Auradon parenting, using AKs as the cases toshow it off. There’s more planned, if you want to ask about thenext in the series, but for now, have four cases:

Progressive Style –Upper-Middle Class – Li Ping Lan AKA “Lonnie”

Shang raises, teaches, andtrains Lonnie like he did his son, “Lil’ Shang” (who Iheadcanon is named after General Li, whatever his name was.) This ismostly because the only style of parenting he’s ever known was hisfather’s rather strict and militaristic style, but still, he forceshimself to become more progressive and feminist, allowing Lonnie toindulge in traditionally female interests such as fashion andmake-up, and attempting to become an expert in matters like femalereproductive health, now that they have a modern, properunderstanding of why women menstruate, reproductive health, and howto properly care for their bodies in general.

If I had to sum up hisphilosophy with raising her in one line, it would be this: “Mydaughter will dress-up and play house, or wield a sword and train tobecome a soldier because she chooses to, not because others demandsshe does!”

He still hasn’t quitewrapped his head around the fact that Lonnie does both asthe mood strikes her, though you have to forgive the man: he’sa product of a very conservative time, which wasn’t that kind towomen, to say the least.

Mulan has a much easiertime with this, both because she’s the poster-girl for feminism andprogressive values in Auradon, and having lived her life as much ofan outsider, she’s used to dealing with people scratching theirheads, or outright saying “But girls don’t do that!”

She never really subscribedto ideas of needing to be “feminine” or “masculine,” andinstead just encourages Lonnie to have independence and think forherself, a sense of morality and what is “right” based on hervalues and not that of what the society thinks should be “good,”and to never be afraid of rebelling and breaking out of a system todo what she believes is right.

“It worked out fine for me,it’ll probably work out fine for you,” she says.

With her other strongparental influences:

Mushu is basically her“soccer mom” babysitter who is ferociously supportive ofwhatever it is Lonnie does or chooses, and will rise up to defend heralways, even if the offense is just assumed, and only recognized byhim.

Yao, Ling, and Chien Po arecontent to treat Lonnie like they did her brother and Mulan back intheir army days, knowing that “she’s no delicate lily.”

Her ancestors are, as always,constantly split about their opinions, but Lonnie doesn’t reallyput much stock into them considering “We aren’t in the Old Chinaanymore.” She still regularly prays and makes offerings, though,especially because some of them have become quite fond of thespiritual essence of foods from other cultures. (“Dates! Please bring backthose delicious dates from Agrabah, they’re amazing!”)

Conservative Style –Royal Class – Audrey of Auroria

Because of how little we seeof Aurora awake, and the few details we have of the othercharacters personalities until we go into sequels and spin-off media,I’m going to assume that Audrey had an extremely “ClassicPrincess” upbringing.

Aurora, Flora, Fauna, andMerryweather all encouraged her to be beautiful, charming, andfeminine, pushing her to all the Disney staples of holding elegantbanquets, winning over their husbands’ guests like visitingdignitaries, ambassadors, and other royals with their grace, and ofcourse, singing and befriending woodland creatures.

Though they weren’t opposedto pushing Audrey to sports, advanced education into STEM fields,and the like, they weren’t exactly very encouraging aboutit, and Audrey herself isn’t a very sporty person, nor a personthat would be willing to get her hands dirty.

I wouldn’t discount hergunning for a college degree now that higher education is accessibleand socially acceptable for females, but there’s a part of me thatworries a law degree is merely a matter of reputation and decorationfor her, than the beginnings of a career as a more hands-on ruler.

Philip isn’t likely to pushher to stray from the norm, either, seeing as he was raised in theera that said that boys did all the riding off into battle andrescuing princesses, and he likely would be very protective over hisdaughter after the love of his life and her kingdom were almost putto sleep for all of eternity, if the Three Good Faeries hadn’tintervened.

All in all, Auroria is one ofthose kingdoms that seem to be just fine doing as they always did, astheir particular “Fairy Tale” was the classic “Prince savesPrincess, They Get Married, Happily Ever After”” Formula.

And before you ask, yes,her perfectionism and anxieties were likely a result of thisupbringing, as unlike her mother, she did not have the luxury ofbeing magically blessed with beauty, song, and protection againstcatastrophe, and has to be completely, absolutely, effortlesslyperfect on her own merits and her mortal limitations.

Progressive Style –Working/Fae Class – Doug of the Dwarves

The Dwarves and Snow Whiteherself are no strangers to hard work and backbreaking labour—miningwas, still is, and always will be the pure-blooded dwarves’ careerof choice, and the Queen still constantly pulls her sleeves up andgets right to work, be it cleaning up her own bedchambers and cookingin spite of the castle staff, or being incredibly active in hersocial work, either being in the villages handing out food andleading workshops, or going on camera to charm people into helping.

They are of the firm beliefthat Auradon would be a much better place if more people were willingto get their hands dirty, are wary of automation and the internetmaking a lot of former jobs redundant or able to be downsized to thedetriment of the old work force, and have their reservations aboutthe disproportionate wage/hours/effort ratio of white collar vs bluecollar jobs, along with the reputations both classes of work aregetting.

Ironically, in spite ofhaving all the makings of an incredibly conservative family, theycouldn’t be more progressive, as evidenced by their pushing Doug toescape the mines, study in Auradon Prep, and the fact that he isclearly most comfortable with the melody of musical instruments, thanwork songs and pickaxes striking rock in unison.

You could say that this was areaction to the slave conditions the Dwarves have, realizing how badtheir lives had gotten under this new rule, and how little “Snowie”could do to mitigate the oppression and damage Auradon does on aregular basis to their oppressed minorities.

They would have been happy toinclude Doug if he were the kind of kid that was happy to pick up apickax, tirelessly search for gems whilst singing “Heigh-Ho!”,but they all know however that his place isn’t in the mines.

“Put up your cap and yourpickax, Doug, and start reading some books: you’re getting out ofhere, to someplace better, someplace you belong.”

Conservative Style –Working/Fae Class – Jane of the Faeries

It’sironic that despite working constantly with the newest generation,who were spawned in the wake of the most dramatic and expansiverevolution any of their home realms have seen or will ever see, theFairy Godmother is one of the most conservative parents in all ofAuradon.

Youcan probably blame her being thousands of years old and incapable offorgetting anything—with a blank slate like the AKs, it’s easy tohave them accept all the realities of the world, because that’s allthey’ve ever known, but with Fairy Godmother, she not only has afirm foundation of what reality should be cemented in her mind butalso a grand, palatial castle of norms, “truths,” and beliefsabout how the world should always be.

Asa result, it’s almost impossible for her to change her corevalues, and said core values skew towards very conservative,traditional ideals.

Youcan see evidence of it with Jane’s behaviour, from her clothing andher former hairstyle, her “My mom’s going to kill me!” linewhen she ripped that tiny seam in her skirt, and of course, the wayshe’s constantly shying away, making herself small, and staying inthe sidelines while the “Royals” do their thing.

Forwomen and the Faeries of old, they were only ever the supportingcast, the prizes to be won, the people that stayed behind and tookcare of the household while the men rode off to have adventures, orin FG’s case, the one that comes to Cinderella’s direst, mostdesperate hour to give her the push and the assistance she needs tosolve her problems herself—notice how FG didn’t step in at theclimax of Cinderella, knowing that the mice and the otheranimals she had befriended would swoop in and save the day all bythemselves, no magic necessary.

Youcould also blame her absent-mindedness, aloof, and overly optimisticnature; it’s REALLY hard for her to see Jane’s problems becauseshe always thinks things can’t get THAT bad, and abides strongly bythe Fae Rule of “Only as much assistance as is necessary, nothingmore, nothing less.”

Toobad the rules don’t really fit so well with the new realities ofAuradon…

#The Auradon Parent's Primer #Descendants #Disney #headcanon

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blastron01 · 7 years

Text

Ascendance of a Bookworm – 047

Interlude: The Power of Money

“If I ever pass out from the devouring, Lutz, it’s not your fault at all. It really, really does come without any warning. …And there’s no way I’m gonna lose anytime soon. I haven’t made a single book yet.”

Maine's voice is quiet, right next to my ear, as she tries to reassure me.

I don't want her to see my miserable, crying face, so I'm carrying her on my back. However, since I'm doing so, I don't have a free hand to wipe the tears running down my face. One by one, the teardrops fall onto Maine's sleeve, leaving little wet spots.

I want to help her, but I can't. I can only grit my teeth at how powerless I am.

Maine always keeps saying that she's completely useless, but I don't know what I'd do without her.

When I said I wanted to become a trader, my family disregarded it completely, telling me not to be ridiculous, but Maine just smiled and told me to follow my dream. When I was first introduced to Benno, I was so terrified that I wanted to flee on the spot, but Maine held my hand and helped me through it. When there wasn't anything I could do on my own, Maine stuck with me, helping me think and helping me act so that I could become an apprentice. Even now, when I'm wondering if it's even a good idea for me to become a merchant, Maine's teaching me how to write, how to read numbers, how to do math, how to think about money... everything.

And despite all that, there's nothing I can do to help her when she's suffering from the devouring.

I don't have the kind of money to help her. I've started to earn a little bit of money, but all that was things that she thought of. If I hadn't helped her, if she was stronger, if she'd gotten more help from the adults, I wonder if she'd have been able to make paper a lot faster and earn a lot more money? If that's the case, would she have made enough money to save herself?

I can't think about anything else. I'm so weak that I'm miserable, regretful... shameful.

If I wasn't a kid, if I was an adult, I wonder if I'd be able to help her? If I was a merchant like Master Benno, if I had that kind of money, maybe I...

I swallow everything down, grit my teeth, and keep walking forward, Maine on my back. If there's anyone who can help Maine, anyone who has enough influence and money to help Maine, I'll find them at Benno's.

Master Benno will surely save Maine. He knows just how much the things Maine can make are worth, so I'm positive he'll help.

When we arrive at the store, Mark and Benno are lying in wait for us. Mark has a worried look on his face while Benno is scowling unpleasantly. Since I still haven't been able to wipe away my tears, I hang my head low, not wanting them to see my soggy, miserable face. As I stare down at the ground, the tips of Benno's shoes come into view.

He sighs heavily. "...this kid."

I thought he'd just walked up to sigh at us, but suddenly all the weight disappeared from my back.

"Eeek?!" cries Maine, startled.

I snap my head up to see Benno hold Maine up roughly and then toss her over to Mark. My heart nearly jumps out of my chest when I see Maine hurtling through empty air.

"Wh...?!" "Whoa?!" exclaims Mark.

As soon as I'm sure that Mark's caught her securely, I allow myself a moment of relief before turning to face Benno angrily. The instant before I start to yell "what are you doing to a sick little girl?!", he jerks his chin towards the shop.

"Lutz, let's go. You and me."

I open and close my mouth wordlessly, my fervor suddenly evaporating, then follow Benno into the shop. As I try to convince myself that there's no problem entrusting her to Mark, or at least that it's far better than letting Benno take care of her, I hear the door close behind me and frantically wipe my face clean with my sleeve.

Benno motions to the table we always use. As soon as I sit down, he fixes his glimmering, reddish-brown eyes on me. He studies me from head to toe, then opens his mouth.

"...Was it the devouring?" "How did you..." "Despite the fact that you were carrying her, Maine seemed to be doing pretty well. I thought that her fever must have suddenly spiked and then gone down again just as suddenly. You're together all the time, but is this your first time seeing that?"

I nod, gulping. Even though I've been by Maine's side whenever we went to the forest, went to the store, and worked on making paper, this is my first time actually seeing the symptoms of the devouring manifest.

There wasn't a single sign that her condition was worsening, but suddenly she got a fever so hot that I wondered if her body was going to melt. Something wispy and yellow drifted off from her, like steam rising from her whole body. It was astoundingly terrifying.

"Master Benno, please, help Maine. I can't do anything. I'm just a kid, I don't have any money, I can't do anything..." "I can't."

In a quiet voice, Benno immediately shoots down my request.

"Why?! You're a grown-up, you have money, you do a lot of business with the noblemen..."

As I desperately make my argument, Benno's face twists as if in pain, or regret. Grinding his teeth, he shakes his head.

"I told you my business was rapidly growing. When it comes to trading with the nobility, I'm a newcomer on the scene, relatively speaking. I don't have many connections. I'm still at a point where they see me as someone at their feet, ready to be ripped off. ...I can't do anything, either." "Master Benno... even you can't...?"

I'm left speechless by Benno's completely unexpected words. Benno, who owns this huge shop, who does business with the nobility, is saying that he's powerless to help Maine; is curing the devouring completely impossible? As everything in front of me starts to grow dim, I remember the one person I know of who has been cured.

"But, I thought Frieda was cured... then maybe the guild leader...!" "I already talked with him." "Huh?"

Benno takes a shallow breath, then reaches up to scratch at his head. A wry, sarcastic smile floats over his troubled face, and he shrugs.

"He said that, if you have money, you can temporarily stave it off. Since he's willing to spend any amount of money so that his granddaughter could keep living, he's been working with a disgraced noble family this entire time, constantly paying them to use a broken magical tool. Using it just once costs him two small gold coins." "G... gold?!"

When I got the one small silver coin for selling that paper, I'd been so thrilled at how much money I'd just earned, but it seems like Maine needs gold, not just silver. The thought of such an unattainable amount of money makes my head spin.

"However, even that's only enough to buy about a half year's worth of time. Even if I spent that much money once to keep her alive, I'd have to spend it again before you know it. Maine, especially, is very young. As she grows up, the symptoms of the devouring are only going to get worse, and more and more frequent. You think I have that much money to spend on a single apprentice? It's impossible, for me."

If what Benno's saying is right, then it really is impossible. There's no way he'd be able to spend that kind of money. However, just saying it's impossible and giving up is giving up on Maine's life.

"There's not much I can do," he says. "I can buy the unusual knowledge that she has from her, giving her some gold to make up for it. When it starts to get too bad to deal with, I'll probably hand her over to that old bastard. ...So, what can you do?"

Benno stares at me with sharp, predatory eyes. Without thinking about it, I glare back at him. He's an adult, with power, brains, money, and everything, and he still can't do anything to help Maine. What could I possibly do?

"...I can't do anything at all. I'm just a kid. I'm not strong, I'm not smart, I don't have any money... if there's something I can do, tell me, please." "Don't make her have to look after you. Don't make her worry." "Wh...?!"

His immediate response makes my breath catch in my through. He's hit the target so cleanly that I have no way to respond at all. My eyes grow hot with chagrin. Benno's facial expression softens a just a little bit, but his eyes are still sharp as he opens his mouth to speak.

"Listen up, Lutz. That kid out there is not the little girl she seems to be. At the very least, even when she's suffering, she doesn't want to make you worry, so she puts on a brave smile for you. Make sure you don't let her trick you with that."

I remember that after the devouring fever went back down down, when her breathing was still heavy and ragged, she had a bright, happy smile on her face. Seeing her smiling like that really did make me feel relieved, but it looks like maybe that was a mistake.

"You're a man, so don't give her anything else to worry about. You can't pretend like you don't know anything, so cooperate with her so that she can buy herself a little more time to live. If you're going to say grandiose things like 'I'm going to make whatever Maine comes up with', then take every single one of her ideas, make them, and sell them! If you've got time to cry, then you've got time to think. You've got time to work. Make some money!" "...Alright."

I raise my head, full of determination, and Benno's lips stretch into a broad grin.

"Now that's the right kind of face, hm?"

"Oh, Lutz!" says Maine. "You done with your conversation? Look, look! I finished up getting us paid for the hairpins we brought today."

She's smiling, as usual, as I come out of Benno's office to meet her. She has a very carefree expression on, but when I remember Benno's advice and look more closely I can see that despite her smile there's a hint of worry in her eyes. Feeling like I should be scolding myself for making her worry, I put on a smile, refusing to be defeated.

"That's a lot," I enthuse. "I think we'll be good for about two or three more days with this." "Two or three?!" "Honestly, I have no idea just how far my mother's going to rampage through this project, and Tory's just as fired up as my mother is..."

As we banter back and forth, I can see Maine start to loosen up, bit by bit. I think I probably managed to give her a little bit of peace of mind. Behind me, Benno comes out of his office with his usual stern expression, shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't just chit-chat in my shop. If you're done with your business here, then go straight home and, Maine, get right to bed. Lutz says you're not a hundred percent right now."

As Benno waves his hands to shoo us out of his shop, he seems to suddenly think of something and amends his previous statement.

"Mark, go with these two. It's dangerous for kids like these to be walking around with that kind of money." "Certainly, sir."

In order to make it easy to pay Tory and the others, Maine got all of the money in medium copper coins. Since there's thirty-three of them, they'll probably jangle loudly when we walk around. If unbaptized children such as ourselves carry around that kind of money, then, of course, we'd be incredibly conspicuous.

Now that the danger of being robbed or attacked has been pointed out to her, Maine forgoes her usual "no thank you, it's all right" routine and obediently offers the bag of money to Mark. Mark exchanges a brief look with Benno, then reaches down to pick up both the bag and Maine herself.

"I–I can walk on my own!!" "Were you not just carried here by Lutz, Maine? You're such a good girl, so please come along quietly so that the rest of us can rest easily." "Nnngh..."

Maine, having lost any means of resistance, stops struggling and just hangs her head. It seems like she doesn't have any way to fight against Mark's gentle words.

This is a good discovery. I should work quickly to learn how to talk like Mark.

On the way home, Maine and Mark discuss things like how to handle the winter handiwork and how to manage the finished products. I pay close attention, since I'm going to be doing the exact same thing too.

I thought that we were going to go our separate ways when we reached the plaza with our water well, but Mark doesn't put Maine down, saying that he'll bring the money all the way to her home and explain things to her family. I part ways with the two of them, deeply appreciative of how considerate Mark is.

"Lutz, I'll stop by later," says Maine.

I wave goodbye at them as they head into the building, then I turn towards my own home. My feet suddenly feel like lead weights as I drag myself forwards.

"I'm home," I say, as I close the door behind me. "What, empty handed today?"

Zasha, my oldest brother, looks me up and down, raising an eyebrow. For unbaptized kids like me, going to gather things from the forest is effectively a full-time job, but since I've lately been going to Benno's shop a lot, I haven't been able to do enough gathering. My family, I know, doesn't actually care about the circumstances why.

"Seriously. You didn't even go earn any money, huh?"

If I'd come back with some money, things might have been a little better, but only a little. Ralph really doesn't like how much money I've made in such a short period of time, and lately he's been really strict with me.

I put my things in my room, lie down on my bed, and let out a long sigh. Ever since I started saying that I wanted to be a merchant, everyone in my family has been uncomfortably icy towards me. I know that if I just said I was going to give up on that and be a craftsman instead, things would instantly improve, but I also know that I'd regret that forever.

Knock, knock!

"Good afternoon, Miss Carla. Is Lutz here?" "Oh, Maine! It's good to see you. I just heard him come home a little while ago... Lutz, Maine's here!"

At the sound of my mother's voice, all of my older brothers immediately rush forward, dragged by Maine's invisible grip on their stomachs. By the time I manage to make it out of my room, she's already been completely surrounded to the point that I can't even see her anymore.

"What's up? Do you have a new recipe?" "I'll help! What do you need?" "Nuh-uh," she says, "not today. I'm just here to pay Lutz what I owe him." "You owe him?" "Yep! He helped me with my winter handiwork, so I owe him for that."

Maine squeezes her way out of the crowd and walks up to me, with the kind of self-satisfied smirk she gets when she's scheming something. "Lutz, your hand, please," she says, and I stick it out. Then, she exaggeratedly places coins into the palm of my hand, one by one.

"You helped with five pins, so I owe you five medium copper coins. One, two, three, four, five. That's right, right?" "Yeah."

The coins clink against each other as she places them into my hand, and I'm suddenly aware that the gazes of all of my older brothers are firmly fixed to the spot. My palm seems to tingle under the pressure of their stares, and I hear someone gulp nervously.

"Hey, Maine. You said Lutz helped you, was that those sticks he was making yesterday?"

Maine, waiting for Ralph to say those exact words, puts on a sweet, but very, very forced, smile.

"That's right! I'm making hairpins, so I asked him to help with the pin part. One pin is one medium copper coin." "That's worth that much?!"

Zasha's eyes fly wide open, staring again at the coins in my palm. Zeke, his doubts seemingly erased now that he actually sees me holding money, takes a sharp breath and looks over at Maine.

"...Does it have to be Lutz that does it? Can I help too?"

Zeke is the one to ask the question, but it's on all of my brothers' minds. All of them turn to look at her. She looks back at them easily, smiling and nodding.

"No, it doesn't really have to be Lutz. But, they need to be a specific size, and they need to be polished really smooth so that they don't catch in anyone's hair, so it's not really casual work, you know?"

As soon as my brothers hear those words, they all scramble to be the first to talk themselves up.

"Maine, Maine. I'm way better at woodworking and carpentry than Lutz is. I do it every day at my job, you know." "Me, I'm definitely better than Lutz." "If we're talking about experience, then I've got the most of it, right?"

Whoa, whoa, wait a minute, guys. Who was it yesterday that told me I should go off and make those boring little sticks all by myself?

"Oh man, I can't believe we were so stupid yesterday!" "Lutz, why didn't you tell us you were getting paid for these?" "Were you going to hog all the money for yourself?"

I'm pretty sure I told them about it, but they probably ignored me, thinking I was making things up. My brothers' memories have been repainted by the power of cold, hard cash, making me into the bad guy here. All of my brothers are staring at me with a dangerous look in their eyes, and I'm suddenly extremely aware of how terrifying money can be. As my brothers start closing in around me, Maine claps her hands together.

"So, would you three make them for me, then? I'd need five from each of you. If you make more than that, I won't be able to use them. I'll be back in three days to get them, okay?"

"Yeah, leave it to me!" "I don't even need three days." "I can do them right away."

Maine holds up a single finger, grinning impishly.

"Precision is more important than speed! If you don't make them exactly, I won't be able to use them and you'll have to redo them. ...Oh, right! You should ask Lutz about how big they need to be and what kind of wood you should be using. Okay then, I'll see you guys in three days to pick these up!"

My brothers, with big smiles on their faces, wave to Maine as she heads out the door. The instant the door shuts behind her, though, their attitudes immediately change. They grab onto me tightly and drag me to our room.

"So, what kind of wood do we need?" "How big are they?" "You're not getting anything this time, heh."

Their tools are already in their hands as they close in around me, demanding an explanation. I'm left dumbfounded by their complete and utter turnaround from yesterday, where they didn't even bother paying attention to what I was doing.

"Don't just stand there!" "Tell us, quickly!" "O... okay!"

I answer all the questions they have about the kinds of wood and how to make them, and they immediately set to work. In the blink of an eye, I've been completely tossed aside. Then, most frustratingly, my brothers start immediately churning out beautiful hairpins, far faster than I could have made them, thanks to their job experience.

Ah. Is this how Maine feels when she's always saying she isn't good for anything?

I, having been forgotten in a corner, get out my slate and calculator. This is something that I should be doing. I can leave the crafting to the craftsmen.

On our way home, Maine had told me to do three things.

First, on a board, I should make a note of the number of pins that we make. Then, I should make sure that I keep that board hidden securely, so that nobody can arbitrarily add more to it. Lastly, I should use my calculator to work out what my total commission on these is, remembering that my commission for each pin is four medium copper coins.

"Aha, done!" "Man, I'm way ahead of you." "Ralph, that looks kinda sloppy. If you don't do it right, Maine can't use it, right?"

From the sounds of it, my brothers have started competing to see who can make them the best.

"Lutz, how's this look?" "...Yeah, that looks great! Good job, Zasha."

Zasha has finished one, so I've made four coins.

"Look, I'm done too!" "That's perfect, Zeke!"

Zeke finished another, so now I'm up to eight.

While I'm sitting here practicing my writing, I'm not actually making anything myself, but when see my commission fees steadily ticking up on my calculator I suddenly understand.

Now this is being a merchant, huh? Now that I've seen the power of money firsthand, my desire to know how to handle it well has only been strengthened.

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