#it's an AU so it won't interest as many people as equals in life did but i hope the people who will give it a try will love it

[reggieblk]

guys I just this minute finished writing if we were lovers. without editing it's at 264 832 words (more or less the exact word count of equals in life lmao)

i am so so happy with it, I love this fic with my whole heart. my beta is gonna go over the last part once I've edited it, and then I'll do a thorough edit of the whole thing, and then it should be ready to post! it'll be beginning of December but I'll make a post the day before I post the first part or something

i cannot wait to share this fic with you, and I honestly can't believe it's over, this fic has been my baby for the past few months

[klm-zoflorr]

Now let's talk about Georgie in the superheroes AU! And wtgfs, and jongeorgie. Strap on!

I was just thinking, since I like her a lot and and her whole shtick in canon is to not feel fear (=not be influenced at all by them) but mostly that I like her a lot and I want her to have nice things, why not give her the ability to temprorarily erase other's powers? Like... Well let's not lie there are literally SO many people with that set of powers in media. Rogue, Alexia Tarabotti, Leech the mutant, Eraserhead, Amon, Number Seven,... Buncha cool people basically.

So, extremely powerful. But since she's Georgie... She doesn't want anything to do with that superhero business. Not at all. Nope. Categorically not. Forever civilian. That also means that while she has one of the strongest powers, she is entirely untrained in hand-to-hand combat and is actually kinda weak against anyone/villain/supe who doesn't rely overly on their powers or has like. A weapon.

Also the irony that the only person that might have a shot at taking down Dr. Magnus/The Watchman, the only person he fears (probably) has dated both of his ex-teammates is... not lost on me. I think it's kinda funny! So is the fact Georgie could take him down if she wanted but doesn't because she doesn't want to get involved, period.

Since she won't be doing much actual fighting, I dare think I'm allowed to give her very few drawbacks to her powers. So like, there will be someone else in the AU who can "steal" powers with a touch, I think (this really is one of my fav powers to give out, uh) (suggestions?) but for Georgie it's just. Area effect. She activates it and suddenly everyone in a certain distance of her can't do shit no more. It does tire her though. I'm thinking if she trained she could expand her "area of effect", control the distance she wants better, and work it for longer? But she's not interested in any of that. So!

Or maybe it's only one person at a time. Mmmh. But I also don't really need to give her limitations, so. We'll see, depending on what the plot requires when I actually get around to thinking about that particular can of worms.

Nowadays, she is dating Melanie, obviously. There's a certain poetry in knowing your partner is the only one that makes you vulnerable, the only one who could kill you if you asked. I think Melanie equal parts fears and respects her for it. It's a bit of danger in her life that she loves because adrenaline junkie but also she doesn't wholly trust Georgie even though she has no reason not to. It's... She's got complex feelings about this, man.

She used to be dating Jon, which went about the same as in canon I suppose. There's an added layer there though, with Georgie being the only one capable of giving Jon a reprieve, of sorts, from feeling/being harrassed by all the emotions of people around him. Did I say already that's something he struggles with a lot? He really does. He's having a terrible time. Puppy just wants a break from it all. And Georgie could give him that! And quite happily too. Although not all the time. Jon used to feel quite awful about it though, like he was using her for her powers. He questionned more than once if he was only with her because of what she could do for him. He wasn't, he truly loved her, but yknow. Jon's gonna Jon.

Georgie has complex feelings about her powers not being treated as a curse that removes people's abilities for once but instead a blessing with Jon. She has complex feelings about making Melanie human, about holding so much power over her life. Yadda yadda yadda, I'm sure you can imagine what all those feelings are.

[writingforatwistedworld]

Oh, request are open! Ok, so, long ago in one of the letters Malleus said he wouldn't mind if we ruled the Queensdom of Roses so how about in the self-aware AU the player goes and becomes the ruler there and maybe reforms the rules(laws?) so they make a little more sense and erase some unnecessary ones. Player decided to go there since Malleus is well capable of ruling Briar Valley without their help. How would Malleus, Riddle and Leona react to this event? Im sure Leona won't be happy...

Thankyou and I hope you have a nice day! 💕 ☺️

Self-aware au

I do not take any responsebility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, obsession, religion, imprisonment, manipulation, murder

Riddle Rosehearts/Leona Kingscholar/Malleus Draconia-Player becomes a ruling power

I think he is happy... no, aggressive... happy? Agressive? I don't know...

When he heard that you had finally reclaimed your throne he was elated... although he did let out his anger out on some poor student under his care by colaring him

But why is he behaving like that?

Well imagine you have admired, no, loved a person for such a long time and suddenly they are disappearing from right under your nose

Mhm he might have also made a hedgehog hit a student in the face during their regualr cricket sessions

But at the same time, he is so happy he might start to scream out of happiness (not that he did… he totally did)

Finally he could laugh at all those that simply saw you as someone of the past

And why should he be against the changes in the rule? Times change and if you mean they were becoming too old then so be it

He will get to you though

What he will do is simply say that he is an old friend from NRC and with his mothers status this is rather easy

So no, this is no way to escape him

And he is also so helpfull

The fact that he is overworking himself so that you don’t make any more public apperances is of course unknown to you

Do not worry about less and less people coming to visit you, after all Riddle is here to make things less lonely

And if someone still dares to visit you they might have to flee the Queendom

Everything for your attention and eternal rule… under his guidance

A new day, a new headache for Leona

He is not amused and when I mean “not amused” I don’t mean “Oh he is just annoyed” but rather “had to use his royal status to hide a poor pile of sand” not amused

You may place your bet who the unfortunate NPC was

Leonas home is a bit different than most places when it’s about you

Whilst you are a ruling figure, the wisest being that exists or in some cases even a god in some places you are more approachabe in Sunset Savanna

After all, who wouldn’t want to drink a cup of tea with the symbol of equality?

Now, you being so approachable isn’t exactly helping him in being happy enough to be approachable himself

There are just so many people around you… god, he just wants to rip them to… (walk it out Leona, walk it out)

How dare those pests take you away from him!

Leona doesn’t care that you are happy helping everyone out, all he wants is for you to stay by his side forever

So don’t be surprised when one day you wake up in a cage, remembering faintly how you felt something hit the back of your head before the world turned black

Can’t you see? This is all your fault! If only you had stay put in your place besides him he wouldn’t have to use such methods

But alas, you are a determined hebivore so there is no other way

What you don’t know though are the masses of people protestig in front of the palace, tellig their king he sould find him

But of curse Faranea knows what is going on and… Leona is his brother…his only, younger sibling that had already lost so much in life…

Safe to say you aren’t leaving

Well uh… this is… a interesting situation

Usually it takes a bit longer to establish new ruling systems that are actually stable but… you just turned the Valley of Thorns into a theocracy within an hour

Now, the Draconia family will of course not loose all it’s power, they are just now ruling in your name

Oh, you wish to know what happened to you? Well…

When Malleus found out that his dearest Overseer had disappeared from NRC and reappeared in his home he might not have almost lit his dorm out of excitement into a huge bonfire

But here we are, you as their all knowing perfect God who just wanted to make sure everything was alright over there now seated on a throne

Other people outside of Lilia, Malleus, Silver, Sebek, our favorite oldest ruler currently living and the servants visiting you? Oh dear, you are making good jokes

You are aware that someone in your position needs to be protected, right?

And this has totally othing to do with dragons hoarding what they like. Mhm totally

Malleus will drown you in luxuries… even the plates you eat from are golden!

You would think that an old kind like the Fae would be a bit more against such a sudden swith in power but no, they are totally for your era

They have waited for so long! All those years of praying and being faithfull have finally payed off!

So if you hoped that some kind soul would have helped you escape after you realized how sick their affection for you is then I’m sorry but no. No one will help you

Back to Malleus, our dear Fae is happier than ever

Finally his greatest wish became reality! He always had dreamt about ruling under your guidance!

Now he just needs to make sure those pesky thoughts about wishing to leave finally leave your head… this is surely just a test, right?

[nothingelsematterswrites]

omg new chapter so im back at it again hi :) the only way I can describe ch 11 is satisfying!! payoff for all of oscar’s conflict over control by finding and accepting love in spite of the circumstances! i am such a sucker for the trope of loved ones knowing someone better than they know themselves so the david & oscar scene was reread many, many times. kicking squealing fainting giggling unwell about oscar immediately going to logan and being all happy n stuff. Very cute. 11/10 no critiques! if you need an excuse to drop some lore about the background characters that we won’t get to see in the fic, i am always so incredibly interested in this au

hi!!!! :D i am so glad you liked ch11 and found itt so satisfying! hopefulyl ch12 will be equally satisfying since it is The Chapter.

lore? let's do lore!

Sir Carlos and Lord Lando

They are a love match! Lando, of course, came out the season before the current one, and it just so happened that Sir Carlos was visiting from Spain. Everyone had always warned Lando that if he did not mind his manners and behave properly he'd never catch a mate during the Season - but for Sir Carlos, it was love at first sight! Carlos' family is not very wealthy, so there was a long battle over marriage settlements that nearly nixed the marriage altogether, but Lando insisted to his parents that he would not take anyone else.

At the time of Ch11 Lando is carrying their first child.

Duke Mick and Marquess Jack

This one was arranged, and while happy enough, Mick and Jack are still learning a lot about each other, as they were married pretty much the second Jack hit marriageable age. The mating was planned by Archduke Michael and Marquess Mick from Jack's birth (had Jack been an omega, he would have been mated to Duchess Gina, instead) as a means of uniting the families of these two longstanding friends. Michael and Marquess Mick met on the battlefield and were renowned as two of the greatest generals of their time; however, in a fall from a horse while Mick was young, Michael was wounded, and no-one has seen him since.

Mick is very insecure about being older than Jack, though Jack assures him it doesn't matter, and Mick had plenty of offers. Mick is carrying their first child, but is also insecure about the fact that it took him some time to get pregnant.

Duke Lewis and Lord George

I won't drop all the juiciness of their story here - that's for the prequel! But they are a love match, and while it is not uncommon for an older single alpha to arrange a marriage with a much younger omega, it is very unusual for their marriage to come about from love.

George and Oscar have been friends for a number of years, and their love has been something Oscar has aspired to have in his own life.

Prince Daniel and Master Max Verstappen (and King Christian)

I won't drop the full story here - that's for the sequel! (Yes, lord help me, I'm planning both). Lord Webber is one of King Christian's favourites largely because in Mark and Oscar he sees a reflection of his own relationship with Daniel. Daniel is a wild free spirit who didn't much fancy the idea of marriage and was indulged by his father - until he met Max...

Duke Hamilton and Lord Webber

They met fighting in France, and became firm friends after saving each others' lives several times. Lewis is one of the very few people who knows the truth about why Mark never married.

When Lewis' family started to get on his back about marrying, he and Mark considered marrying Oscar to him, to serve multiple purposes: to meet Oscar's marriage requirement, to provide heirs for Lewis, for Oscar to be mated to an alpha Mark could trust, and to combine their political power and wealth. Both felt weird about it, but thought it the best option. Then Lewis met George...

Oscar's birth family

This was asked in one of the comments, and no, Oscar's birth family won't be showing up. Why? They don't know he exists!

(CW: abuse, scoundrels, death)

Oscar's birth father is a wool merchant who deals with the great estate, and unfortunately, had a reputation as a scoundrel. He seduced one of the maids of his house and took her to his bed, lying to her with promises of marriage and a happy life. When she confronted him after her heat, however, he threw her out, not knowing she was expecting. Later, he left Greenleigh to work at another estate up north.

She went to family at first, in London, but no-one would take in an omega pregnant out of wedlock, and she wound up giving birth in a poorhouse. She was very ill after the birth and, in the hope of giving her son a better life, decided to abandon him at Greenleigh - she had heard the staff were kind there and hoped that perhaps he would be taken in by them, and maybe grow up as a footman or a stablehand.

She never knew that Oscar was adopted by Mark himself, because she sadly died not long after.

While society knows that Oscar is adopted, they don't know his origins, and indeed, he looks enough like Mark that more than a few people believe that Oscar is Mark's bastard son. (There are also rumours he is a bastard of the King, given to Mark to raise to cover up his existence. Christian, Daniel, Mark and Oscar all find this very funny.)

Oscar and Lily

Lily is the daughter of a former chambermaid in Shell House and the head gardener there. (Their love story was so romantic that even Mark got involved to bring them together.) She was born only a few months before Oscar was found, and she was often allowed to be taken into the nursery to play with him.

When she was old enough to start in service herself as the scullery maid, Mark asked the housekeeper and David to keep an eye on her and ensure she was taught everything needed to be a lady's maid, as he planned for her to be Oscar's friend and advisor. Lily was put into Oscar's service when they were sixteen, and they are fast friends, as close as society and their roles will allow.

Oscar, Mark and their instincts

A lot of people viewed Mark suspiciously when he adopted an omega pup, because they believed that an alpha could never properly raise or love an omega pup he hadn't sired, without it being weird...

But because baby Oscar had never scented anyone before - his mother had never done so - Mark's was the first scent he smelled, stored indelibly in his brain as father. His instincts recognise Mark as his father, regardless of blood, which is why he can still chirp to him like a pup, and is unaffected by Mark's cycles. (The second person Mark handed the baby to was, of course, David.)

Logan, Kyle, and Dalton

Kyle is the under-valet of the Sargeants' house, and assisted both Logan and Dalton as needed from the time Dalton turned eighteen. With Logan often overlooked or ignored by his parents, not being the one who will inherit their fortune and business, Kyle became his best friend and confidante.

Logan has a modest fortune settled on him, but Dalton will be the wealthy one. Mark's concern was not with Logan's fortune during the settlements, but to make sure that Oscar would be properly protected; nevertheless he has promised that Logan will be looked after if the marriage goes sour.

Dalton married the daughter of a wealthy steel family as was required of him, but only agreed on the condition that his parents let Logan find a love match. To say he is angry that his parents went back on their word is an understatement. He has already decided that whatever the gender of the child his wife is carrying, they will not have an arranged marriage.

[nuatthebeach]

Hey, what are your thoughts on romoine? Please do share

Hi again!

Romione is not my favorite couple, obviously, so I don't really read much fanfic/meta about them since they're pretty transparent as a couple and thus don't really have much about them that's left unexplored that I'm interested in talking about.

But I really do love them together as a couple and - no matter how many AU fics I read - can't for the life of me see them with other people. (Not saying it's not possible or that others shouldn't multi-ship, just saying I personally can't. Same for Hinny for me.)

I love the dynamic push-and-pull that Ron and Hermione have, the friction in their fights and make-ups, the words that are more often said than unsaid (lol), and most importantly, the realism that their arc exemplifies.

They do not follow the soulmate storyline, they do not always understand each other in every little interaction, they do not always get it right the first time around, but this is what makes them real and visceral and present, and they are willing to fight for themselves and their relationship always. They are willing to do better.

I remember the harsh discourse they received as a result of that JKR & Emma Watson interview ages ago, when couple's therapy was brought up as one "terrible" thing the couple might be facing. I remember the backlash and the triumph that Harmony fans had when they thought this meant that JKR was regretful for creating the entire pairing altogether and by default suggesting that Harry and Hermione would ride off into the sunset on a hippogriff and their kids could finally be rid of the dreaded, tainted redhair gene for all time and conveniently forgetting the fact that Harry has his own choices in the matter and even if Hermione did choose him that wouldn't mean he would choose her, but who cares if "Harry and Hermione are true equals" and "it's as much Hermione's journey as it is Harry's" anyways as stated by E.W. herself, right?

I apologize if that brought back scary memories; it did for me too.

Bottom line is, Ron and Hermione are not doomed even if JKR wasn't full of shit (rare hypothetical scenario, I know) and they do need couple's therapy. In fact, I even headcannon this because of their willingness to atone for their mistakes after their fights and be a better version of themselves than before even if we only really have canon evidence of Ron doing this more than Hermione. I am a firm believer that being honest and vulnerable with one another is the bravest thing anyone can do, and most can't even realize that these days without throwing around the word "toxic" (for fictional relationships of all things), undermining the relationships that actually should be labeled as such (...I would name some, but I've decided I don't want to instigate anything today, so I won't).

So, yes. I do think Romione is a great couple. Yes, I do think they may need therapy. These concepts are not always mutually exclusive.

[thejustmaiden]

Jaken = Rin's Dad?

Okay, is this how a daughter treats their so-called father?

Most definitely not.

Rin and Jaken's relationship clearly screams of your typical sibling rivalry punctuated with cute and silly moments of playful bickering.

Yes, Jaken may technically be her main provider, but that doesn't necessarily equate to him being more of a father than Sesshomaru. If anything, he demonstrates more of a brotherly love towards her. As we all know, parents (which Sesshomaru embodies more based on real life patterns and parallels) will leave their older more capable children in charge of looking after their younger brothers and sisters. In this case, that would mean making Jaken responsible for watching over Rin and protecting her if need be. Ah-Un offers protection, too. Think of it as Jaken as the big brother and Ah-Un as the family dog who are babysitting while Sesshomaru as the parent of the household is away at work or taking care of business. I mean, they literally fit that description to a tee and I'm dying at the accuracy of it all! 🤣👌

[Quick! Someone write up a modern au where Sesshomaru finally gets out to have a nice date night but everything goes wrong in the most spectacular way. Like maybe Rin and Jaken catch a ride on Ah-Un to go spy!]

I recently revisited some episodes from The Final Act, and I couldn't believe how many moments like this there were where Rin got after Jaken or when she would "put him in his place" so to speak. Obviously, all of it is mostly harmless. I was only surprised by how often it occurred, not to mention how Jaken would just stand there and take it. Towards a supposed father figure, Rin's behavior is downright unacceptable. There's a certain level of respect a child is expected to show their parents/guardians, and that's just not what I'm witnessing here between them. Like at all.

Rather their dynamic has the nature of some sibling relationships like I mentioned above. So I really wish fans would stop pretending otherwise, because based on what we know of father-daughter relationships- healthy ones at least- they don't appear anything like what Jaken and Rin have. If you could please provide me other examples of where we've seen similar portrayals in fiction or in real life, then perhaps I can get on board.

Look, that doesn't have to mean that because Jaken isn't her father then Sesshomaru must be. They can both be her caretakers without necessarily filling that traditional father role. I'm just saying that if we're going to start assigning titles to characters, let's make sure we are accurate and truthful in our assessments. If you're going to label anyone Rin's dad, then it needs to be Sesshomaru. Jaken doesn't have precedence over him in terms of fatherly attributes, that just wouldn't make sense.

After all, this isn't about what you want to see, this is about what Rin very likely sees. It's safe to assume that she views Sesshomaru more like a father than she does Jaken. She knows she's safe with him (broadly speaking lol) and that he'll come for her no matter what. That sense of security and comfort is what a child seeks and what they should always feel in a parent's presence. She trusts and even idolizes him, just as a young and innocent child tends to do with their parents. At that age, parents are perfect and could do no wrong in their child's eyes. Idk about you, but this describes perfectly how Rin is around Sesshomaru.

Rin adores him and will follow him anywhere- yes, even into danger! That's what the innocence and unconditional love of a child will bring them to do if necessary. Fortunately, at the end of The Final Act we learn Sesshomaru takes Kaede's advice when he realizes that leaving Rin with her in the village is in her best interests. That way she'd be able to lead a more normal and safer life alongside other humans. Remember, Sessrin shippers, that doesn't mean he wasn't still a part of her life and didn't witness her become a young woman over the years right before his very eyes. Therefore, if they eventually do become romantically involved, then most if not all of those gifts had intimate and seductive intentions and it essentially constitutes as child grooming.

I understand from a Sessrin shipper's point of view why it'd be so much easier to claim Jaken as the father. In doing so, they diminish Sesshomaru's role in her upbringing. By refusing to acknowledge the real role he had in helping raise Rin (short periods can be crucial and impressionable too esp. in a child's early years so yes they did assist in raising her not only Kaede), these shippers are better able to justify how their filial-like relationship evolved into a romantic one. So yeah, I get it, if I were a Sessrin shipper I'd probably do the same. It's one of the more plausible arguments available to them, after all. "Let's pin Jaken as the father to fend off antis!" is the best chance they've got, but even so, it's still not good enough. But if you insist Jaken is indeed like a father to Rin, then Sesshomaru is most certainly one too. Who says she can't have two fathers anyway?

The thing is however much you want to deny or downplay what Sesshomaru truly means to Rin and vice versa, nothing will ever change or hide the truth of the matter. Please, stop acting like they're only traveling companions and nothing more. Some of y'all even go so far as to say that they're like strangers. Knowing potentially little about a person is not equal to a lack of love and affection. Making big assumptions such as this to defend your ship is actually doing you more harm than good. Let me elaborate.

According to your reasoning, if that's all Rin ever was to him was a companion and Sesshomaru had no real attachment to her, then what precisely is the basis of your ship? Recall that Adult!Rin doesn't exist yet, thus we have no real idea what she will be like or if she's even alive. So how can you make comments like that but then go on later to say "they have such a unique and unbreakable bond" or "only Rin can be the mother because she's the only human he ever cared for" if all that time spent traveling together didn't amount to much in the first place like you claimed to believe beforehand? Do you see how your rationalizing is confusing?

Contrary to what some of you may think, I'm not just saying all this because I'm an anti and I'm obligated to disagree with you, or whatever other excuse you want to tell yourself. Believe it or not, I'm attempting to give as unbiased and objective of an analysis I can based on widely accepted interpretations of family dynamics, development, and any history we know of.

Of course I respect that at times fans will perceive things differently since that's bound to happen. What's hard for me to wrap my head around however is the unwillingness of some fans- not exclusively Sessrin shippers- to apply basic common sense and sound judgment to their observations and deductions.

Looking at all our facts, then taking the small handful of scenes Sesshomaru and Rin do share together into account, one can logically conclude that their dynamic is akin to one found in a typical parent-child relationship. If you still fail to recognize Sesshomaru as a parent to Rin, then that's fine too. In the end, that won't really change the fact that he'd still take on a role resembling an adult figure overseeing a young child's care and protection. Be it as a vassal, guardian, what have you. Plus, nobody is saying here that Sesshomaru doesn't make mistakes regarding Rin's general well-being, but so do all parents. Overall, I think the majority of us agree that Rin is in good hands. Whether it's in his direct company or in his occasional supervision from his frequent visits to the village.

In other words, it doesn't really matter what exact title you assign him in relation to Rin, as the distribution of power is all inherently the same with any and all adult-child relationships. That bond never changes once you've established it either, seeing as it's a special kind of connection one can only form with a child and a child alone.

I was a teacher for a few years, and speaking from personal experience, you don't need to be a parent, per se, to take on a role of authority in a child's life. I know without a doubt that I could never and will never view any of those kids I taught in a sexual/romantic light later down the road; yes, not even once they become grown-ups who are independent and more than capable of making their own decisions. Those of you who disagree are usually missing the whole point though, because we're not trying to dictate what Adult!Rin can and cannot do like many tend to accuse of us doing. This isn't a question of taking away from her autonomy nor does it fall under "purity culture," which is why people shouldn't continue jumping to these outrageous conclusions and really listen for a change. You're deflecting from the real issue here when you choose to misinterpret what we're saying by ignoring the problem we're actually referring to. You cannot present a valid counter-argument if you persist in twisting our words.

Bottom line: once these kids become old enough to pursue a sexual/romantic relationship, of course they have that right if they're ready. All we're trying to say is you guys ought to stop pushing forward this it's-completely-normal-to-want-to-bang-your-adoptive-dad-since-you're-an-adult-and-can-do-as-you-please agenda and not expect backlash. Ship it if you want, but please stop acting like their romance would be the epitome of a pure and healthy relationship.

Sesshomaru may not wear his heart on his sleeve, but it's foolish to presume he didn't actually care about Rin during their whole time together just because he didn't openly express his feelings until the very end. Surely everybody can comprehend that people handle and process their emotions differently. The way Sesshomaru chooses to is completely valid for the most part, so let's cut him some slack regarding this already.

What I'm trying to get at is that any child whose life you played an influential role in will always be a kid in a lot ways to you even when they're old and wrinkly. Just as they will always picture you as the loved one who guided and protected them when they were most vulnerable and couldn't always fend for themselves. Can't we relate this to children we know personally and apply it accordingly?

Finally, I want to end on this note. Could you kindly take a look at these two images below for a second?

The reason I ask is because of something I recently read that's relevant to the topic. There was this pro-sessrin tweet I saw that stated Rin trying to take care of Sesshomaru when they first met is what a mom would do for a child, which in their opinion, translates to Rin being more like a mother than a daughter if anything.

First off: are you freaking kidding me????

Seriously, so now children aren't allowed to tend to their sick or injured parents?! Parents are apparently superhuman and shouldn't be offered a helping hand from a child, even if they mean well and want to help their parent who's in pain?? Now this Twitter user was mostly being a smartass, but at the same time, it was evident they genuinely thought they offered a valid enough point that warranted no further explanation or clarification.

Secondly, by saying this Sessrin fans don't seem to realize that in actuality they're contradicting themselves and proving the point we've been trying to make all along. Glancing at the first picture and moving down to the second, the role of the one being cared for and the caretaker is reversed. So then by their own logic, Sesshomaru IS in fact like a father to Rin.

What it comes down to is the names you give to the roles these characters play aren't as crucial as the dynamic they share. The specific characteristics of that dynamic are what define the importance of said role, not so much the name in the role itself. So real father or not, Sesshomaru and Rin clearly mean a lot to each other. Close relationships are defined and solidified by the devotion and belonging they have to one another, not solely by the duration of time spent together and their proximity.

Well, that's a wrap! I hope you guys got something outta this blog, and that you enjoyed or found some portions of it interesting. I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject from this fandom, but only engage in conversation if you plan to be respectful. Thank you!

[procrastination-queenie]

BTS Princes!au

Note: 1)This is a modern Royal family! au headcanon. (I never saw any fic with the BTS members as brothers of a royal family, so why not post about the concept. 🤷🏽‍♀️)

2)All the members of BTS are brothers.

3) Yoongi and Hoseok are twins, and Jimin and Taehyung are twins, too.

4)This takes place in the present time.

5) I will make a separate headcanon for each member (how they meet their significant others and the weddings details)later, also might turn it into a series if it gets good response.💜

6) last but not least, none of the photos included are mine, only the edits are made by me.

First things first

Maknae line are so hard to tame, I am telling you.

Yet, the queen loves to pamper them because they're her babies.🥺

Hyung line are so formal and collected, unlike the maknae line.

They are always carrying out royal duties.

They are so concerned for their subjects.

Hate the idea of leading a lavish and luxurious lifestyle while there are people out there who are suffering.

Therefore, you find each prince supporting different causes.

Jin would be supporting organisations that help single mothers.👩‍👧‍👦

Yoongi and Hoseok would focus on mental health.🧠🗣️

Namjoon definitely supporting education.🎓🏫📕

Taehyung promoting environmental causes.♻️

Jimin would probably be interested in organizations that focuses on the issue of plastic pollution.🏭

Jungkook supporting anything related to physical health maybe doing something like The invictus games as Prince Harry did.💪🏼♿

But the nation has never been on edge like this since ages, everyone can't wait to see each Prince's choice of their future spouses.

Plus don't get me started on the idea of 7 different themed, royal weddings .... OMG!!!👀💃🏽

It got to the point that whenever any of them is seen with any woman then it's instantly assumed that she'd become a future Princess. 👸🏻👸🏼👸🏽👸🏾👸🏿

The king's advisors would suggest that he talks to the boys upon the matter since they're becoming of age and should start families of their own.

But he won't force them to do anything tho.

Like he'd discuss it with their mother while they're all out doing a traditional royal activity or something.

The Queen getting excited over the idea but won't pressure her boys just like their father.

The boys won't focus on that matter, they want to focus on helping the people more.

But that doesn't mean that they haven't thought before about meeting their significant others.😉

Especially when their parents, the king and queen, set a great example for love stories.

But they find it hard specially with all the attention being on them which is not giving them the space to focus on their love life.

During one of the rare interviews that the Palace allows them to do, the 7 Princes agreed that they won't mind marrying a foreign girl.

The King and Queen wouldn't mind, too. The most important thing is that their sons are happy.

Each one would meet the love of his life unexpectedly.

Surprisingly, first one to be in a relationship is Jin.

I know everyone said it would be Jungkook, but the poor boy can not imagine to put his future Princess under the spotlight with his lifestyle, so he preferred to wait and see how it would go with his hyungs.

Plus he didn't want to be the first one to settle because the intensified attention on him that will get worst as he's the golden maknae.

The last one to likely get married or settle down is probably Yoongi.

Everyone knew it really, especially the Queen.

When Yoongi was a smol baby,👶🏻 she realised that he cherished spending time by himself.

Don't get me wrong tho, Yoongi was a sweet baby.🖤

He got along so well with Hoseok and Jin.

He even loved playing the part of the big brother when the world welcomed baby Namjoon.

He would hug his siblings if anyone of them was crying and needed comforting.

She could remember that one time Jungkook was crying his heart out because Jimin snatched his favourite toy, and Yoongi would immediately comfort Jungkook and share his favourite blanket with him, but not before reprimanding baby Jimin and making him apologize to his little brother.

Such a sweet baby 🥺💜.

But again...

It's just that the Queen noticed that her second son was not really into being a sociable person like his brothers.

He can definitely be sociable, it's just he prefers not to be.

And because of that, she knew that her Yoongi won't settle with just anyone, and that it would take time.

The king is such a proud father because all of his 7 sons are hard working and passionate about their duties.

Jin and Namjoon are definitely the ones who lead most of the important royal events.

Jin is mature and knows how to handle himself with the public and the press.

Something that the maknae line still has to learn and perfect, that's their father's opinion.

while Namjoon is really well read in politics as it was his major.

So Jin and Namjoon definitely make a good duo when it comes to the political affairs of the country.

Hoseok,Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook are most likely the ones to be on the first page of the newspapers almost everyday.

As I said the citizens would be very interested in the life of their future rulers.

Therefore, the boys are always under a microscope.

Especially those 4 because they're bold and reckless, but like not in a bad way.

With the world evolving around them, many people do realize the fact that the concept of a monarchy is old news.

And that's why these 4 are working so hard to evolve their monarchy and keep up with the changes taking place.

Therefore, they manage to surprise their subjects by their open minds and their updated thoughts upon almost every matter.

That's why you can find them all over the global news every now and then more than the other monarchies.

The boys would all probably travel abroad to complete their education, then come back to enlist in the army.

Jin enlisting first of course as he's the oldest and finishing before them.

Then Yoongi and Hoseok complete theirs.

Followed by Namjoon

Then Jimin and Taehyung

Finally, ending with Jungkook.

And let me tell you something...

The Queen cried the hardest during Jungkook's ceremony.

I mean she did cry during the other ceremonies of her sons, too.

But Kookie's was the hardest.

Because that's her last baby🥺.

Plus you know how mothers always pamper their last child. ALWAYS.

It's so unfair.

The boys sometimes think that Jungkook is her favourite, but that's not true.

She loves them all equally.

"It just hits differently when you're letting your youngest baby off to face the world because he/she is all grown up now."

That's what she always says.

Now let's move on to the important stuff ...

The Queen has an important event at which she will be bored to death?

Don't worry😊.

Leave it to her youngest twins and Jungkook to accompany her.😈

They always know how to make their mother laugh when things get way too boring.

Of course they would all show up with all their glory 😉.

The Queen is so proud of her babies.

Like who wouldn't be proud of having 7 perfect handsome boys who are well mannered and such gentlemen.

They are so smart and are always up to learn more.

Here's how they turn her boring night into an eventful one:

Make her laugh over their silly attitude towards eachother.

You know like, Jungkook teasing Jimin for being short.

Or Taehyung squishing Jungkook's chubby cheeks.

Never fail in making their mother laugh.

But now moving onto the serious part.

Once the event starts.

They become focused.

Start firing questions. (Politely of course).

Want to know more about the matter discussed at hand.

Will intimidate the host by the amount of questions being asked.

Which leads other hosts to remind themselves to be prepared beforehand in case the 3 Princes decide to show up ... No one wants to be embarrassed in front of the royal family and the public and be accused of not knowing a certain detail about the matter they're responsible of.

The Queen would have a big proud grin on her face.

Proud of her babies for being so invested in the matters of their country.🤗

Now moving onto the older twins: 😉.

You know, everyone told the Queen that having twins would be a really unique experience.

And it was true.

She swears having her first twins was the funniest thing in her life.

She was astonished to find her babies becoming the total opposite of eachother.

Like, to her Yoongi's character is the moon 🌒 while Hoseok's the sun 🌞, and the cutest thing about it is that they complete eachother.

How cute is that. 🥺😍

As we said Yoongi is calm and prefers to spend time by himself and that wasn't any different when he was an infant.

But,Hoseok was and still is the total opposite.

Even tho they were similar when they were born.

But you would definitely know how to differentiate between them.

Baby Yoongi is calm while baby Hoseok is bubbly and energetic.

You'd probably find Hoseok fussing in the middle of the night, but YOONGI !!! 😂

Baby Yoongi appreciated his sleep over anything else. 😂😂😂

The Queen would remember toddler Yoongi falling asleep in weird places at weird times.

Like how he fell asleep under the dinning table during a royal family gathering in Christmas. 😂🤦🏽‍♀️

While Hoseok would cause many maids to hand in their resignation to the head staff of the palace due to his over energetic bubbly self.🤣

Definitely was the devil himself.

Pranking the staff and pushing them to their limits.😂

She would remember that one time when they were on a vacation and they were introducing the twins to the concept of a swimming pool....

Hoseok was ecstatic, he felt like he was on top of the world and kept splashing water at his mum by slamming his chubby little hands in the water. 😂

While Yoongi kept looking around like a grumpy cat then falling asleep in his father's arms with his chubby cheeks squished on his dad's bare shoulder.

Pouty lips slightly agape.

With drool falling from his cute little lips 🤤.

The Queen was laughing so hard that day at her husband who was trying to get any reaction from Yoongi but failed miserably. 😂

Getting out of the pool and putting the twins in their push chairs for a nap.

Yoongi grumping in his sleep because the sun was too much for him which led to him waking up feeling grumpier than ever.

Hoseok was too busy consumed in his curiosity by looking down from his high chair wondering why he is being restricted in it now when he was far away from being sleepy.

Now fast forward a few years later, and the twins were still the same in their mother's eyes.

Sometimes, she would look over at them and wonder if her grandchildren would look anything like their fathers and inherit their weirdly cute personalities, or maybe they would grow up to take after their mothers whom she still has no idea who they are or when would her boys meet them.

I mean let's face it, all mums get super excited when thinking about grandchildren.

The Queen actually caught herself imaging how her grandchildren will look like after the boys decide to settle down and start their own families.

Almost had a mini heart attack at the thought of the palace being invaded by her grandchildren.😂

That is if her sons decide to have as many children as she and her husband did.

Would secretly wish for girls because obviously she didn't have the experience of raising a girl.💜

Which will lead her to think of all the royal jewelleries that she will be giving to them.

But would push away the whole thought as she didn't want to pressure the boys.🥺

Now moving onto Namjoon:

Boy was the king and queen amazed when they discovered his love for reading at an early age.

Like he would spend so much time in the library of the palace, and afterwards would go to bed immediately.

The king promised not to tell anyone this except for Namjoon's future wife.

But one night when he was on his way to his room ...

He found Namjoon sneaking late at night out of his room and into the library in his cute baby blue onsies. 💙🥺

His father won't admit it, but he thought it was one of the cutest things ever.

Just like, how he found his oldest twins the total opposite of eachother. 😍

The king as a father was very involved in his sons' lives.

They made him so excited.

Like everyday they would teach him something new, and as a father he was and still is looking forward to know more about them.

How they think, react, and what do they like and dislike.

Raising them was such an adventure to him.

He remembers when they were first expecting Jin.

Everyone told him that having a son is like having a partner in crime.

And God blessed him with 7.

Too many partners in crime for the poor Queen's heart.😂

Well concerning Jin:

The king and queen remember how he was the second quietest baby after Yoongi.

Sometimes the Queen thinks that Jin is too mature for his age.

A perfectionist since childhood.

She could remember when he would throw little tantrums when things didn't go his own way.😂

As the eldest, he is doing a great job of looking out for his brothers.

She of course understands the way Jin is as he's the crown prince.

But still she can't help but worry that he takes the position too seriously that it can wear him out.

She just wants him to enjoy his life a little bit like his younger brothers.

When accompanied by one of the maknae line to carry out a royal duty, you can see him quietly reprimanding them (yet gently) to behave in front of the public and the paparazzi.

This one time the camera caught him giving Jungkook the look because he was fussing around.

Poor Kookie looking at the ground like a reprimanded little child muttering a "sorry hyung." 😂😂😂

Jin has this faint sided smile.

He loves his brothers,truly.

Can't help having a cute little smile whenever one of them would apologize for acting unprofessionally, he just loves to mess with them.

And they know it.

But they respect him so much that they won't argue about it. 💜

Now Jimin and Taehyung are a different story:

THESE KIDS ARE A MESS

I am telling you. 🙂

DO. NOT. LEAVE. THEM. TOGETHER. FOR. TOO. LONG. ⚠️

They will bring chaos upon the place.

Even though they are not identical twins.

But unlike Yoongi and Hoseok, they have a lot in common.

Would wear matching outfits when doing a royal duty.😊💜

The boys remember when Hosoek once suggested doing the same thing with Yoongi...

But he scoffed at him. 😂

Anyways.

Even though they are trouble, but that doesn't mean that they're unaware of their positions as princes.

Therefore they won't really do something reckless. But still they're crazy.

Insepararble.

If one leaves the other to carry out a certain royal duty without his twin.... They immediately feel uncomfortable.

You can definitely feel it that they're close brothers.

But again they're twins so you can't really blame them.

definitely helped Hoseok with his pranks on the staff of the place when they were kids.😂🤭

As for Jungkook, well...:

Last child, so definitely pampered all the time.

VERY CURIOUS.

you know how children are curious by nature, well.... He is extra curious.

Definitely the most athletic among his brothers.

Very competitive.

Don't ask me why!! But Prince Jungkook would be interested in fencing 🤺

Like I'd imagine him in that uniform, sword in his gloved hand, messy hair hidden under his helmet...

And oh my God ... I just melted at the concept 🤤

Such a hopeless romantic.🥺💜

Like when the king and queen would share a short loving kiss.

All the boys would act disgusted, but not Kookie.

He found it cute.

Like he would have a hint of a blush on his face.

Smile, face down.

Hoping to find someone like how his dad found his mum.

Like it really amazes him how after all these years, with seven kids, a heavy burden of ruling a country and yet they seem to be falling more and more for eachother everyday.

If the boys learnt one thing from their parents, it would be pure love.(romantically speaking.)

All in all, the boys are doing just fine as princes.

Carrying out their duties as professionally as possible.

Things are quite normal in their lives that is until ...

Each one finds his partner.😏💜

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

A/N: Please, please, please I am begging you guys for the millionth time to not be silent readers and share your opinions. TELL. ME WHAT. DO. YOU. THINK. Pwetty pwease 🥺👉🏼👈🏼. Also I'll upload the second part of this when it gets a decent amount of likes so....

[foppishaplomb]

my new revamped story for my old gw2 oc kipp makes me so happy, I'm so glad I dont have to entirely abandon characters and story concepts that I really liked and can repurpose them for my own enjoyment... I want to collect what I have so far. On mobile so no cut, sorry. It takes some big liberties with lore but it's just for myself so I think it's ok...

kipp is a genius inventor. he won the snaff's prize and recently graduated from the college of synergenics with highest of honors. he's renowned in rata sum for his breakthrough research in the application of the arcane arts to technology. he's basically an asuran rock star.

he also hates actually inventing and researching. he finds it painful and tedious and difficult. he's like a brilliant writer who hates the process of writing. he loves having invented; that was what people gave you money and attention and free beer for. he loves that part. but actually inventing? he puts it off as much as he can.

Kipp is also deeply unstable. he has mercurial moods and crippling anxiety. he suffers from debilitatingly bad racing thoughts. he often teeters into the realm of suicidal. he's an asuran rock star in more ways than one. he's an egotist who considers himself the Alchemy's gift to tyria; he hates himself and is just waiting for his own inevitable crash and burn. He has issues.

this is the part that i am still figuring out. an actual plot in the gw2 universe and not just a personality and backstory. most of it is repurposed ideas from an old au story with someone i don't talk to anymore and tacked onto an asura necro i already had in-game.

so. kipp gets courted by the Inquest, of course, because of his accolades and big reputation. he finds them somewhat distasteful, but they offer him such a good grant that he comes by one of their bases to consider taking the job. there he meets inquisitor mila.

mila is a high-ranking inquest scientist undertaking radical research into reviving the dead. they're an ambitious genius with no regard for anything but their own goals. kipp's potential caught their eye and they wanted him in their krewe at all costs. they manipulate him into working with the Inquest despite his moral reservations. mila way overworks him and keeps him under their control by manipulating his already unstable emotions. Half honeyed praise, half cruel, cutting needling. mila keeps him working day and night on their research. Every time kipp starts to show too much doubt, they play to his ego: "We're going to conquer death itself, kid! We'll be the Krewe that figures out resurrection once and for all. It will be the greatest invention since fire!"

For their part, Mila is becoming more and more convinced that Kipp is a necessary key to their research's success. they are cruel and manipulative to him on the outside, but on the inside, they adore him. they find him delightful in a way no one else has ever really been. they spent most of their life detached and feigning interest in anything that wasn't the science of the dead. kipp was so clever. he was their equal in brilliance. his flaws were funny and his quirks charming. They loved to be cruel to him to see how it would rile him up. to manipulate him like playing the violin, one of their few other passions. he was like an experiment, interesting and he was exciting in the way that only their work had been before now.

but eventually mila goes too far with their experiments and kipp has enough! Mila tries to hurt too many innocent people. Kipp has such a bad breakdown that it finally pushes him into quitting. mila straight up won't allow him to. They say they'll keep him on the krewe by force if that's what it takes. "There's no takebacks with the Inquest, Kipp. Did you think we'd let a mind as valuable as yours just walk away?"

Kipp threatens to destroy all their work. On a suicidal, foolhardy impulse, he turns on the invention they'd been working on, a resurrection machine. He tries to overload it and explode it. It works, killing both Kipp and Mila in the blast.

But, it's a resurrection machine. Their spirits don't go to the Mists. They're tethered to their earthly bodies. Kipp, an elementalist in his training, isn't fully conscious, neither his dead/dying body or his spirit. Mila, a much older and more experienced necromancer, is.

They use their magic to make a choice. They expend the rest of their life force to force the life back into Kipp's body. They bring him back from the dead, but they kill their chance at coming back in the process. only their power as a very experienced necromancer keeps them from being ripped from the mortal world and into the mist.

Their soul is bound to kipp's. Now they're a ghost that haunts him, constantly manipulating him inside his head.

I'm not sure where it goes after that. But I am enjoying my new/revamped set of fucked up toys

[billhaderlovebot]

to kiss the skin that crawls from you - barry berkman

this is an au in which the shade of the blood depends on what kind of person you are. the blood is black if you do bad things etc etc.

tagging @a-second-hand-sorrow ily

---

cuts and scrapes were normal in childhood, and the frost-white blood that flowed from them was equally as normal.

it was in childhood that the blood was the purest.

the purest white, like snow.

it didn't stay that way, though.

in adulthood, when thoughts and deeds were less than innocent, the shade of blood would change accordingly.

evil things would darken the blood, your mother had always said. evil things would make your veins run black. black like the soot in the hearth, black like the raven.

and you knew she was right.

because you'd seen it.

when the mumbling, shaking, erratic man who your mother had always kept you away from had sliced himself open in the street, blood like coal pouring from him, you had seen it.

as it ran down the asphalt and pooled in the gutter, you watched, in morbid curiosity, before your mother shut the drapes.

it wasn't until later, much later, that you had learned of the many bodies that man had buried.

your own blood, now, was still white, not as pure as it was when you were growing up, but that was to be expected.

you had nothing to fear when you fell and scraped your hands or cut yourself while cooking, because whatever you bled was acceptable and nowhere near dark enough to indicate you were dangerous.

you knew a startling amount of people, though, who were reluctant to do anything that could result in the breaking of the skin.

when they did happen to cut themselves in front of you, you chose never to judge the varying shades of grey they would bleed. blood tore whole families apart. everyone has a past. everyone makes mistakes.

everyone.

even him.

he had captured your full attention from the moment he had shuffled into your coffee shop, looking lost and apologising quietly every time he brushed shoulders with someone.

he was also very, very attractive, but that wasn't the point.

it was late, really late.

he leaned against the counter, pulling out his wallet, and uttered his first words to you.

"hi, uh... black."

"sorry?"

"no, shit, sorry. um, black. coffee. please. can i... get one?" the man exhaled loudly, frustrated with himself. he looked fucking exhausted.

his soft, red rimmed blue eyes met yours for a moment, and you almost melted into the floorboards.

you blinked.

"rough night?" you asked, breaking the tension as you turned around to the coffee machine, flicking the switch.

"y-yeah, i... yeah. working on a scene for, um, my acting class. had to go to a difficult place."

"oh yeah?" you pulled down one of your biggest cups from the shelf, remembering how tired he looked.

"uh huh. it's great, though. the class. my teacher, uh, gene cousineau, he's a little much, but he says i have potential, yknow?"

looking over your shoulder, your stomach fluttered at the sight of his soft smile.

"i'm sure you do." you said, and a comfortable quiet settled over the shop. the only sound being the whirring of the coffee machine, the late night chatter of the last people in there, and the interesting man pulling up a stool.

the man, who you later learned was called barry, finished the large coffee in four gulps, placing it back down on the counter with a resounding clink.

he didn't make a move to ask for another, nor did he get up from his seat. he just... sat.

made him another coffee, however, because you were a barista and it was late and he was gorgeous and very tired looking.

"fuck! you're bleeding." barry exclaimed. you had handed him the other coffee, not even noticing that you'd sliced your finger on the foil of the coffee-bean bag.

"oh." you examined the small cut, wiping on your apron the white blood that had slid down into your palm. it hadn't hurt any. "it's fine. it's only blood." you shrugged, furrowing your brow slightly at his wide eyes.

"yeah... yeah, sorry. you're right."

you fell more than a little bit in love with him that night. his soft blue eyes and the way he spoke like he was being careful of something. the way he walked around as if he felt it was his job to hold everything up.

you wanted to just... hold his hand. and tell him it was going to be okay. whatever it was.

you also wanted him to jump your fucking bones, but you pushed that down and asked him if he wanted anything else to drink.

he said no, but yet he didn't leave. he spoke to you instead. asking tentative questions about your life and your family. you noticed how he stiffened when you asked him about his own, so you chose not to pry any further.

instead, you got him to laugh. a real, genuine laugh.

and your heart might as well have fallen out of your throat and landed on the table. holy fucking fuck, what a sound, that laugh.

it was a silly anecdote from your college days that shouldn't have made him laugh as hard as it did, but, regardless, it was wonderful to hear.

for the next couple of hours, you mopped the place while barry messed around with the jukebox and shot not-so-encouraging remarks from where he was perched on a table.

"mop harder, you fucking goose." was an interesting one.

"can i get your number?" he asked, at the end of the night when he was helping you close up. it was 3am.

you grinned, popping open a sharpie you used to write names on to-go cups and holding out your hand for his arm to write on.

he seemed to stop working for a second, starting blankly at your open palm. then he got it, and slid his arm into your hand, wrist up. he was warm.

you scribbled your number on the soft skin of his forearm, and smiled up at him.

and then you leaned forward on your tip toes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

he blushed. hard.

"call me when you need a hug." you said. "because you look like you could do with one."

barry nodded, shooting you one of those small, barely-there smiles and heading out of the door.

not twenty-or-so seconds later, as you were hanging up your apron on the small metal hooks behind the counter, your phone buzzed in your pocket.

"hey. it's barry. from the coffee shop."

---

you'd been in love before, sure, but not like this. never like this.

"what're you doing, bear?" you mumbled in sleepy agitation, shifting as barry wrapped his arms around your waist, his chin coming to rest on your shoulder.

"m'just... i miss you."

"i'm right here, bear." you whispered, smiling despite yourself and leaning into his warmth.

"yeah but... i love you." barry kissed the nape of your neck lazily, holding you just a little tighter. not long after, his breathing evened out, and you knew he was asleep again.

much like the night in the cafe, you just about vomited your heart out.

it had been a while since then. almost six months.

six months of soft kisses and hard kisses and a lot of hand holding and 2am kitchen dances and lazy, sleepy early morning sex and barry being 110% interested in everything you had to say and running lines for his acting classes and you were in love with this man.

and that's why it was so hard for you to accept that there was something wrong.

because there was. but you loved him so much that it would've taken a gun to your head to get you to admit it.

it was around two in the morning, and you were dozing on your couch, a half empty beer bottle balancing precariously between your limp fingers. you couldn't quite remember what you were watching, but the dull crackle and mumble of the television and its meaningless, drawling voices alerted some deep, far away place in your head, not letting you completely fall away into sleep. it had been a long fucking day, right?

but something was off. even now, leaning back into the throw pillows, a blanket wrapped tightly around you, something was wrong. it wasn't only the tv that kept you from sleep. something sinister was afoot.

what it was, you didn't know, but you were about to find out.

when barry shuffled into your apartment, you almost didn't notice him. the only light in the apartment drifted slowly from the salt lamp on the shelf above the toaster, and his tall stature cast a looming shadow across the small apartment.

when you did notice him, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. he did this a lot, coming over late to chat or run lines or have sex or watch tv, and you loved it. he had his own key.

what wasn't normal, however, was the blood.

the blood, unstaunched, grotesque upon his light grey sweater.

the blood that stained his trembling fingertips and came pouring from an open wound on his forehead.

and, suddenly, you were painfully awake.

the blood. sticky. hot.

black.

the blacker the soul, the blacker the blood, girl.

"barry..." it didn't sound like your voice. it was too small. like that of a child. "barry, what the fuck."

not him. not him. not him.

good god, please, not him.

but it was there, bleak as a bee.

tar-black and dripping, stark against the now sickly white kitchen tiles.

"baby, i-" his voice broke, no, his voice shattered. and then he was crying. he was fucking sobbing in your kitchen. such strangled sounds.

against your better judgement, against the poignant twisting in the pit of your stomach, you kicked off the blankets, stumbling over the couch and into the kitchen, where he stood, wrapping his arms around himself as if it would keep him together.

so you did it for him. you took him in your arms and held him so fucking tight. barely registering any of your actions and blinking away the tears that welled in your own eyes, stinging. biting.

"don't say a fucking word." you said, voice muffled by his blood-stained shirt. "don't."

---

when you kissed the tears from his cheeks, you tasted the blood.

barry hadn't needed stitches, thank god, but you had got him into the shower, cleaning the last traces of oil-black from his skin, pressing kisses along in your wake. barry was silent, allowing you to dry him and dress him and pull him into your bed, his head on your chest.

"not you." you said, allowing tears to fall. "i won't fucking lose you because of this."

"i'm... a bad person, baby."

"i don't fucking care."

"babe-"

"no. you're gonna go to sleep, 'kay? and tomorrow, you're going to tell me everything, and we'll deal with it then."

"why are you doing this for me?" he asked, his voice quivering.

"because i love you."