#membrane tree my beloved..........

[pearlescent-soda]

🪷//A Fourth Sample of My Headcanons on the Dragon Daddies (Beast Maker Edition):

Isaak:

Now, here's a weird one, unconventional with the way he chooses to live his life. He always eats with his bare hands, he sleeps hanging upside down, and he sticks his tongue out when he's happy. Overall, it's harmless stuff, and he's as sweet as sugarcane...  But the locals have one major grievance. It's hard to keep an eye on him with all the bouncing he does, and when he emphasizes his speech, he's five feet off the ground every ten seconds. 'Isaak, settle down, if I have to look up one mo' time, Imma need a neck brace'.

Give him a stick and a leaf, he can make any kind of insect. He's been doing this since exiting the egg, 'Insect Origami' is what he's titled his profession. He uses all kinds of leaves and branches in his sculpts and he paints everything himself, this process is too 'delicate' for the other Beast Makers to handle. He can perform a few surgeries as well, like reattaching a broken wing or mandible. This kindness extends to his relationship with the beloved Sparx, anytime Sparx leaves his care, he shines a little bit brighter than before. 'It's nothin' a quick spit shine to keep him glowin' right, make sure to bring him back in three months. I might have to change his blinker fluid.'

Spyro's admittedly not a bad supercharger. As good as Isaak? Ha, no. He's barely getting enough height to make it to the next platform and his turns are too wide, but that doesn't stop Isaak's compliments from inflating his ego. 'Yeah, it's nothing. I practice all the time. You should've seen me at Wizard Peak, I was a natural'. Isaak usually tilts his head in confusion at the boy's overconfidence, just a moment ago he was dangling of the edge of tree hollering for help, now he's bragging about how much 'air' he can get.

He currently holds the world record for 'Fastest Flyer in the Dragon Kingdom' at three hundred and 5 miles per hour without the supercharge. With the supercharge? He's gone in half a blink, off one million miles in whatever direction he chooses, it's amazing!! It's been three hundred years, and still nobody's come close to beating his record. When him, Useni, and Jarvis get together, a race will happen. If Zantor, Copano, and Lyle are present, betting will happen. Cedric, on the other hand, shows up solely for the entertainment provided by the races themselves.

He does not have eyelids, he's got nictitating membranes, which is highly disturbing to acquaintances and strangers, because he can still see them clear as day through the lids. They're perfect for swimming and flying, but so unnerving to watch as they flip up when he dozes off. Here's a hint, the best way to tell he's fully asleep is the cloudy look of the membrane, the iris can just barely be seen, and his very much audible snoring.

Supercharging from rooftop to rooftop has consequences? Who would've seen that one coming, not Isaak, especially with his torso lodged in a communal bathhouse. As if this couldn't get any more embarrassing, the baths were currently in use by none other than the leaders of the Dragon Realms after a grueling day of reading petitions. Reactions from closest to furthest from the impact went as follows: Nestor almost had a heart, Titan was laughing, Cosmos actually got out to help him, Bruno was lightly scolding him, and Lateef... he was very much enjoying his bath. On the bright side, nobody was hurt and now they all have a story to share with the folks in their homeworlds.

Cold weather has an interesting effect on him, he gets sluggish. He sleeps in longer, he's slower, the contrast between him in fifty-degree weather and seventy-degree weather is astounding. The Beast Maker nearly went hysterical when baby Isaak couldn't keep his eyes open in Wizard Peak, he was out cold, and it took an hour next to a furnace for him to wake up. Nowadays, he prefers to stick to the Beast Maker Realms during the winter.

Jed:

'Do first, ask questions later'. He's an expert at getting himself stuck in precarious situations and with a sense of direction as terrible as his that happens pretty often. He's a free spirit who marches to the beat of his drum with little to no consideration for others. While off in his own little world he leaves a lot of messes for the others to clean up after he abruptly flees the scene. He's a fun-loving guy, but he's far too immature for someone his age.

Owls, parrots, and toucans, oh my. The curvature of the beak, the intricate patterning of the feathers, and the strange artistic choice to give three-fourths of them the ability to mimic speech. He's stays far away from plain colors and boring designs in favor of more extravagant... uh... everything. The one thing he's yet to do is add precious metals to his pieces, gold powder, silver twine, and the like, but he's working on it. His 'Galvanized Cockatoo' is in late-stage development and boy is Jed ready to show him off.

Spyro turns his back for one second and now he's gone, he sent Sparx out to look for him. Turns out he'd traveled up thirty flights of stairs to 'get a better look at stars' without telling Spyro. The boy was exhausted by the time he finally found him and what did Jed do? He shrugged. He shrugged.

He's taking care of the Beast Maker eggs, whoever came up with that idea must have been half-asleep, inebriated, or both. To his credit, he is gentle with all the eggs, but stacking them up in piles in the nursery is uncalled for. 'A pyramid? Really?' However, there is one teensy, itty-bitty mistake that he will take to his grave. He dropped one of them, fell right out of his hands and rolled underneath the guardrail right out of the tree. Down... down... down... down... GOTCHA! That was probably the only time in his entire life that he was serious, and it lasted a good twenty seconds, because when his feet hit solid ground he said, 'That's it! I think I'll name you... GERONIMO!'

His skin is slimy, don't listen to his 'it's not slime, it's mucus' the man is coated with a thin layer of slime. It has a few medicinal properties, but certain dragons have developed rashes after coming into contact with him. Nevertheless, it's important to his survival, it protects him from the harsh elements outside of the water, and speaking of water, he's always near a body of water.  The Jungle gets enough rain as is that all he has to do is tip the right mammoth sized leaf and let the collected rainwater pour over his exposed skin.

Once had the brilliant, high IQ idea to go the opposite direction of the arrows on a Supercharge ramp. The result was a six Dragon pileup and lots of foul language. Well, Jed made history that day, he was the second Dragon in ten centuries to receive a fine for speeding in the wrong lane, people in Tree Tops follow those arrows because their lives depend on it. Plummeting from the village is certain death and even the most experienced flyers are still at risk of severe injury from branches and Banana Boys. When threatened to reveal why he did such a foolish act in the first place, he responded with the sorry excuse 'But it was the only way to get to my favorite resting spot'. Wrong way supercharging is a serious offense, if he keeps this up, he'll go bankrupt from the hefty number of fines being passed his way.

That 'hat' has to be his actual hair with horns growing out of it. Wait a minute... Is it twitching? It's not a hat, it's not hair, the eye just blinked, it's alive! The creature, affectionately named 'Cynthia', has been his loyal headdress since the dawn of time. She doesn't do much in public, she's shy, but in private she's a motormouth.

Lyle:

'It's the little things in life' personified into a plump, pinkish green Dragon. He'll literally stop to smell the roses and frolic if time allows. He's hard to upset, he's just so... peaceful. He's the kind of guy trusted by everyone to hold at least one of their secrets.  He's of the few people blessed with ability to see the positive in every aspect of life, twenty-four seven, he's almost too perfect. What keeps him from being a literal angel is his laissez faire attitude when it comes to his work.

He cultivates and trains carnivorous plants, this includes, but is not limited to 'Jupiter Dragon Traps', 'Killer Bushes', and 'Dark Vines'. Where does he come up with these names? He chose one the most dangerous professions in the Dragon Realms next to being a Peace Keeper Soldier or a Dream Weaver, but it's got to be done. They act as the first line of defense against unwanted individuals in the Beast Maker Realms, but his relationship with the flora is 'wholesome' for him and unsettling for everyone else. He treats them like his literal children, cooing at them, handfeeding them using 'airplanes', it's disturbing. But, hey, if it keeps the residents safe, let the Dragon burp his potted plant.

He'll eat the fruit but skip right over the vegetables. 'Spyro, how are you supposed to grow big and strong without eating your greens, huh? You're gonna stunt your growth, baby'. He'll skip the celery but absolutely devastate the strawberries, but that doesn't mean that the plants don't fight back. Spyro learned that the hard way when he got eaten by a Jupiter Dragon Trap and, if it wasn't for Sparx, he would've been dissolving by the plant's digestive juices.

Roscoe comes to him about the Dragon-Eating five times each month, more during the spring. Not in person, no, no, no, he'll send a letter or thirty begging him to providing something, anything that will stop them from growing. 'Ain't much I can do for you, Ro. I ain't make those critters, the most I can tell you is to put a salt circle around your home'.

He's empathetic to his plants, so much so that he'll let them grow in any direction they want. He won't trim them or spray pesticides on them, the most he'll do is change the pot, add water, and sprinkle fertilizer. It got so bad that Jed was trapped in his own home by Dark Vines. 'Lyle this ain't funny, man!! Get your vines man, they're FREAKING ME OUT!!!' It took two sleepless nights, but his tree was finally freed from the sentient tendrils. Lyle tried to apologize to Jed for the situation, but Jed had taken an alternate escape route and sauntered right up next to him like nothing had happened. Indeed, Jed was more excited about it than he was traumatized, and commended Lyle for his impeccable craftsmanship. 'You raised 'em right, Lyle. They almost got me, haha'.

He was the one to discover a solution for the Strongarm/ Banana Boy problem, which is growing herbal plants to keep them out of his botanical garden. 'Them furry critters hate the taste, hate the smell and hate the sight of 'em. Works like a charm'. He's right, primates really don't like them... wait... is that Strongarm crying? OH, it's hindering their senses, it's too overpowering for them, especially the lavender and onion combo.

Speaking of botanical garden, Lyle's got a whole hollowed tree dedicated to his craft. There's no way anyone can miss it, there's a giant etlingera elatior centered above his doorway. 'Yep, home sweet home. Don't look at the plants stem, he's self-conscious, also he's still in his teething phase'. He's got a bit of an algae problem with the water, but he finds it 'aesthetically pleasing', instead of potentially toxic so, not good.

[gracedcoup]

the absolute irony of finishing my first Below Zero playthrough the same day an aquatic-themed event is announced,

[loxare]

An Act of True Love

I was peeling myself a pomelo and thinking about small acts of true love and anyways here you go

*

“Only an act of true love can break your curse,” the magic mirror intoned, the words washing over the princess and her knight like a wave.

With a hopeful smile, the princess turned to her knight. Her knight’s hand came up to cup her cheek, but stopped there, waiting for the princess to lean in. Their lips touched. It was a first kiss, and it was unrefined, but for the princess and her knight, it was a moment of perfect bliss. They parted with a smile, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes. And then the knight’s eyes flicked down, to her princess’s neck, and she paled. “No.”

The princess turned to the magic mirror. With the face gone, it was a simple reflective surface, and it showed the curse mark still around her neck clearly. “But how?”

“My lady,” the knight cried out, tears in her eyes, “I swear, I truly do love you. I don’t know...”

“Shh.” The princess placed a hand on her knight’s cheek. “I know. As I love you.” With a sigh, she turned back to her books. Books that she had spent the last fortnight searching through before she found the incantation for the magic mirror. The magic mirror which would only allow them one question. “Perhaps the mirror was mistaken. I’ll keep looking.”

The knight nodded. She spent some time watching her princess. Staring guiltily at the white marks around her princess’s neck, stark against her dark skin, the marks which would end her princess’s life in another week. The knight wished she could help, but the language of magic was not one knights are taught, and not one that one can learn in a year, let alone a month. With a sigh, the knight stood. “I’ll find you some food.”

The mage’s tower they’d found, and had been living in for the past two weeks, had a garden filled with fruit trees of all kinds. Apples and cherries and mangoes and more that the knight had never heard of. In better times, she would have loved to walk through the garden with her princess, picking peaches and feeding the slices to her beloved. For now, the knight picked up a basket near the tower door and started walking in a random direction, filling the basket as she went.

When her basket was half full, in a part of the garden she’d never been in before, she found a pomelo tree. The green skins glistened with morning dew, and several were large enough to be ripe. The knight put her basket down and weighed a few in her hands, sniffing the skins of the heavier ones. Only one had the flowery smell she remembered from her youth. With a smile, she pulled it from the tree and placed it in her basket.

When her basket was full, she returned to the top floor of the tower, where her princess was talking to herself. “I hope the ‘true love’ this curse is expecting isn’t a man, because we’re going to have problems then.”

“I have the same hope,” the knight said, placing the basket on a low table. She would step aside for a man, if it would save her princess’s life, if it would make her princess happy. The knight stood there for a moment, staring at the pomelo and the plums, wondering why her love was not enough.

“Hey.” A hand came up to cradle her jaw. The knight covered it with her own hand, turning to face her princess. The princess smiled at her. “None of that now. Everything will be alright. We’ll figure this out.” The princess waited until her knight nodded, then turned to the basket. “What did you find? And what’s this?”

“A pomelo,” the knight said, glad she could help her princess with this at least. “It’s a fruit from my homeland. They’re a little like a grapefruit, but trickier to eat.”

“Hm.” The princess turned the pomelo this way and that, sniffing the skin. “I want to try it.”

“You keep looking,” the knight said, leading her princess back to her seat. “I’ll peel it for you.” Placing a bowl on a clear bit of desk, the knight sat down and took out her belt knife. Scoring the flesh of the pomelo, she wrestled the thick skin off. Once it was sitting in pieces in her bowl, she tugged the fruit in half. Then, carefully, she slit the membrane covering one of the segments, pulling it down and away to reveal the pink and yellow fruit beneath. She pulled the fruit out, using the tip of her knife to pick out the small seeds, and passed the segment to her princess.

Her princess took it with a smile. “You weren’t kidding. That is a process. Why can’t I eat the membrane like I can with oranges?”

“You could, but it’s very bitter. The fruit doesn’t have much sweetness.”

“Hm.” The princess turned the fruit, holding it up to the light streaming through the window. “It looks like a jewel. Thank you, my knight.” She took a bite. “Oh, delicious. I can see what you mean. It’s a very subtle sweetness.” She leaned over to give her knight a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, my knight.”

The knight blushed. “For you, my princess, it is no trouble.”

And so it went. The knight carefully extracted segments of pomelo, and the bowl of skin, membrane, seeds and pulp slowly filled. She passed each segment to her princess, who took them with a murmured thanks and ate them as she read.

Each was so intent on their task that they did not notice. For each slice of pomelo that the princess ate, the curse mark around her neck faded, fainter and fainter, until it was gone.

[dragonrajafanfiction]

“I didn't know you were listening” —Linghao (?) Because it's rare that people ask a fanfic with him as pair

Aroma blinked her eyes, feeling a bit dizzy. The room was hazy and hot, filled with an odd perfume smell. Everyone was in a frenzy, some dancing only partially clothed. Her friends were unrecognizable, reaching for her with grasping hands, leering smiles and empty eyes. She staggered out of their reach. 

“Renata?” She whimpered.

The sound of shouting turned her head.

She didn’t feel well and wondered if the scene before her was a dream. Another boy she didn’t recognize had entered into the dance hall. Renata was standing behind him, looking terrified. Aroma reached out her hand, but she couldn’t speak without gasping for air.

The boy was slapping Anton. “Why did you touch my girl? Why did you touch my girl?” He frowned, not with anger but with impatience.

Anton gathered himself and charged him with fury. With the practice and agility of a professional boxer, this strange young man stepped elegantly aside and drove his fist into Anton’s stomach hard enough to lift his feet from the floor.

He then let him drop laughing loudly.

Anton rolled on the ground, heaving until he gagged and vomited his Christmas dinner.

“Heh. Sorry, my first time hitting someone, it was a little sloppy.” The stranger gave a mocking sneer.

Aroma felt herself gag in sympathy, covering her mouth with one hand.

One of the nurses approached as though to do something about it, but the strange boy lifted his chin, his eyes flashing a brilliant gold. Aroma felt her breath catch in her throat. She’d never seen something to terrifying.

Or so beautiful.

“What are you looking at?” The young man’s voice was frigid. “Never seen a man fight for a woman before?”

Aroma felt his oppressive aura and turned away. Everyone turned away. But she grew dizzy and desperate again and looked back.

Renata and this strange young man were dancing. Aroma staggered to them and heard his voice.

“Someone is going to blow up this port, I just learned. They released hallucinogens through the ventilation ducts, that’s why everyone is acting so crazy. Hallucinogens are like drugs. People who take too much lose their minds and only seek pleasures. The only sober people here are you and me... because your blood is too good... Hm?”

He suddenly turned and looked directly at Aroma. “I didn’t know you were listening.”

“Who are you?” She asked.

He let out a high pitched gleeful giggle. “I’m the Devil in room Zero. How did you escape my notice?”

“I don’t feel good.” Aroma sighed.

“What should I do?” Renata asked.

Zero turned back to Renata. “Take your friend here and go back to the building where you live. Enter through the ventilation ducts, find Room 0 and look for me. Hurry! We have to evacuate to a safe distance before its too late!”

“Do as I ask... both of you. And you will be free... You’ll both be my little princesses.”

Aroma watched as the Boy from Room Zero turned into a flood of gold dust snowing onto the carpet. She had scarcely enough time to react when Renata grabbed her wrist and pulled her out into the frigid night. “Who is he?”

“He’s a boy... a boy I see in my dreams.”

“Is he real?” Aroma asked. 

“He’s real.”

She was telling the truth. Behind the door marked Zero, the room where the nurses told them held monsters and demons, a boy was strapped to a chair, limp and unmoving. Even though Aroma had never seen her enter this room, Renata knew what to do, grabbing a pair of scissors and cutting through his restraints.

Aroma blinked her eyes, confused as to what was real and what was not. 

Despite the dark night moments ago, the room was suddenly lit like it was day time. She turned to the window and saw flames every direction.

Freed from his restraints, the boy named Zero grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door. “Wake up, sleepy head! You’re not dreaming any more!”

The corridors were filled with black smoke. Aroma could no longer see. She could no longer breathe. In her mind, she heard a deep roar, like a raging beast. Renata was leaning against the wall. In the dark gloom of the smoky corridor, her eyes glowed yellow. She drew back her foot and kicked the wall with such force that it burst open.

Dogs were barking. The sled dogs! They were coming towards them! They tackled her and licked her smoky face. Renata hugged them, crying with joy. The boy on the other hand was standing still, eyes forward.

A helicopter was flying over the destruction carrying the limp form of a monster with dark metallic scales and large tattered membrane wings.. It was half eaten away by decay. Aroma had seen this type of creature in story books. 

It was a dragon.

Renata attached the dogs to the sled and the three of them sped away into the night. Aroma could barely keep her head up but the boy from room Zero was smiling at her fondly. “You’re a surprise friend. I thought I had only one... but I had two. Merry Christmas...”

His eyes slid shut and the ground thundered beneath them, throwing them from the sled. Aroma ended up on her back and could see the dark cloud rising against the bright lights of an Aurora Borealis, streamers of fire arcing against the black.

They huddled together with the dogs, hearing the sound of circling helicopters above.

“Don’t move...” Zero murmured. “If you move, you’re dead.”

Unfortunately, there was no way to communicate this to the dogs. As soon as the helicopters swooped low, they panicked, breaking out of their harness, running into the woods. Helicopter fire rained down on them turning them into a crimson mist among the shattered branches of naked trees.

Aroma was now free of the hallucinogen and the smoke. She covered her mouth to keep from screaming, coming to the realization that she, Renata and Zero were the last ones alive.

The helicopter swooped back again and a man was in the open hatch with a gun in his hand. He raised it and it thundered.

The line of bullets ran right next to them.

She could hear Renata murmuring. “We will never abandon each other... nor betray each other until death...”

The man aimed at them again, switching his rifle for a larger metal cylinder that rested against his shoulder.

Zero rolled his eyes up at Aroma. “You really are lovely. Do I really get to have two friends?”

“Yes...” Aroma whispered. “Yes. Forever.”

“Little Aroma, white like snow... Snow White...” Zero was talking nonsense but she seemed to understand. He slid to her and pulled her face to his, his lips brushing against hers as he whispered. “They haven’t seen you yet. Don’t die. Please.”

His voice, the smell of his breath, the warmth of his face, his gentle request. It awoke in her the will to fight. The will to live.

Renata reached for the sled and pulled out a black metal machine gun. Her eyes were the color molten iron. She lifted the gun to the helicopter and opened fire as if she had used the gun a million times before.

Aroma stared at her in awe. What was she thinking? As she asked the question, the thoughts of Renata answered, filling her mind with the knowledge of machine guns. In an instant, Aroma knew how it worked too. She went to the sled and pulled out another gun.

Renata gasped. She had acted a moment too late. A large rocket was heading toward them! Aroma fired her own gun and exploded the rocket before it reached them. The shockwave hit and Aroma was thrown, landing a few feet away. She sat up, tried to stand but fell. She tried again and fell.

She looked in confusion. A bloody twisted wreck was where her foot had been. Crimson blood oozed into the ground.

She turned. Renata was lying not far away, gasping ragged red bubbles through her nose. She was crying.

Aroma crawled, pulling herself to her. “Don’t cry.” She whispered.

“I’m going to die. I’m going to die...” Renata sobbed.

A shadow fell over them.

“Silly girls. How can we be friends now that you’re like this?” Zero, calm in the face of the destruction and death, walked over to them. “Let’s start over. You two...” He wagged a finger to them both, “...must live well and always be useful to me.”

“But... I’m dying...” Renata coughed.

“No... just like the poppies... you will come back again after you die.” He gathered Renata into his arms and went to sit by Aroma. “I promised you freedom as a gift...” He told Renata.  “....and you...” He looked at Aroma with gentle kind eyes. “You’re my surprise Christmas gift. I was so happy to see you.”

He pulled Aroma into his lap like she was a beloved puppy.

“There is still so much out there you haven’t had time to see. Hugs and kisses... and love, so...” He held them tightly, eyes swimming with bright yellow tones. 

“...Don’t. Die.”

He kissed Renata and then turned and kissed Aroma. His lips were soft and warm against hers and that warmth spread to her entire body. She opened her eyes. Her vision cleared and her ears stopped ringing. 

Two more helicopters loomed over her head. Zero caressed her lips in a gesture asking she be quiet.

Then he turned, leaving them in the snow to stand up and face his enemies. “I give my first gift and you want to take it away? You also want to take away my surprise Christmas gift?”

His voice was a mad howl over the sound of the rotors. “WHAT KIND OF EXCHANGE IS THAT?!”

Aroma couldn’t understand what was happening. There were loud booms like fireworks. Bright lights illuminated the sky. Zero was singing and surrounded with a dark and sinister aura. He spread his arms and rose into the air. “At the end of the thousand years... Satan will be released from the prison and come out to deceive the nations of the four corners of the earth! Gog! And Magog! To call them together for the battle! Their numbers... are as the sand on the seashore!” 

[bladekindeyewear]

Boots reads Homestuck Epilogue(s) Part 6 - Meat Page 16

==>  (Whoa, went a long while before splitting posts, there.  Dangerous, with how often I’ve lost stuff to Tumblr page reloads in the past.)

Oh, you’ve realized Zazzerpan’s relevance as foreshadowing for the trolls or whatever, Rose?

Oh my god, PLEASE don’t put Rose inside a fucking robot.  >:|

Oh SHIT wait.  That one wizard Roxy named her cat after who wanted all the knowledge in the world, got overloaded and then crushed by the giant textbook or whatever???  That’s disturbingly Rose-similar here.  D:

Rose, puns.  Please.

Hm, you think it applies to you all now instead of the trolls?  Huh.  Do you think some of you might become villains and get Just deaths?

..Huh, wait.  Numerological significance?  Are we actually learning what 413 means?  Or learning that it was meant to be bullshit all along instead?  I’m “Hmmm”ing loudly either way...

Ow, ouch.  So a Light player wasn’t designed to properly live outside of canon significance, or??

Ooh.  She’s not sure that if she opens herself up to all the knowledge of her other selves, that it’d be “her” anymore.  A pretty legitimate fear... and one Dirk is perfectly disposed to disabuse her of.  As a Heart player, he’d understand better than most that the entire combination of one’s various states over all timelines IS you, and the unique direction your will and uniqueness embodies across whatever it touches.  Or something.

...Wait, wait a minute.  Before I keep reading........ I didn’t actually CLICK the candy button yet.  What if Candy just redirects to AO3 or something.  Like, the candy bit is all of our fanfics.  Oh jeez.

Okay reading on before that possibility drives me insane.

DIRK: I’m not sure anyone should be allowed to have that much foresight. Especially a guy like me.

...Mhmm, especially since in part that’s how we got Doc Scratch, yeah.

Reading to the end of this page, and........

Yeah, what the FUCK just happened.

So... is this Dirk BEING a villain?  Doing some sort of weird almost cherubic Eye thing to kind of supplant Rose as he becomes a Scratch-like fanfic narrator or... Let me reread these last few paragraphs a couple times...

Is he really sort of “puppeteering” Rose?  Is this like the birth of a god-tier villain or just a temporary respite he’s giving her sort of underhandedly for an actual good cause to help her out of her situation??  Or is “death” or a death of the self the actual solution he had for her mess???  I mean... the metatextual awareness bit that he’s speaking through in the last sentence is clearly something like what comes of ascending completely and going beyond the story to be able to write it like Caliborn or Doc Scratch might or... y’know what, fuck it.  I’ll understand it in later pages.  I have to keep reading if this is going to make sense to me.

This next button better not lead straight back to the fucking selection screen again.

==>

Oh shit, a giant Dirk section.  Only fitting that he might have been writing most of this all along possibly.

Undercurrent of narrative significance.  Oh shit.  Is he going to go off about Light, about the story parts not mattering?  Or that the fact that this IS a story and... from what I accidentally skimmed in sentences below before reading further, how we’re trapping them in a story by reading it or something???  Hence the idea that their existences are being “blighted” by the subtext of narrative significance, and would be better FREE of it?

Huh.  Is this really going to work?  As, like... a body slam of people who were too caught up in the forest of narrative purpose to see into the trees of the point he wanted to make with the finale?  It’s practically Andrew talking to the audience from within the story about their frustrations, heh.

Yeah, this whole rant is pretty awesome so far.  I forgot to mention it a few paragraphs ago, but when you look at the story list, the Epilogues are listed as “stories of dubious authenticity”, so is this whole thing like... how DIRK might have written the ending out?  Just to emphasize further that this whole thing is kind of pointless compared to the infinite possibility that was the reward for their escape from the confines of such story-stuff?

Cool.  Sounds like we’re seeing the “good end” that Dirk would have written for this story if he were to write one that still answers plotlike questions, or something similar to it.  That and/or he’s also engineering things in-canon -- or as “canon” as the victory planet is -- to follow all this for the end result he has in mind, and it comes across as practically Doc Scratch-y in the way it ties in metatextual awareness and stuff.  Either way, it DOES feel like Andrew might successfully be making his point.

==>

Pff.  This is going to be a bit interesting.  And, of course, unstuck-in-canon John can hear the narrator speaking.

And now John has ANOTHER story to get annoyed at the narrator of, heh.

The tooth is poisoned? Really? Did you just make that up or?

Okay, why suddenly the wallet, fanfic writer? Is he going to find touching pictures or just captchalogue the black hole?

This is all starting to feel a whole lot less serious, and I can’t help but figure that’s the intent.

==>

Pff, back to the B plot.  Yay Jade!  --Please don’t be metatextually aware like John and let’s get more actual story.

Phew, seems to be the case

...Is Karkat going to remake this post-scarcity society to be more Communist? Is that where we’re going here?

Alright, Roxy’s gonna be all voidy and Neutral and not want an impact on the election, from the sound of it?

GAAAHHH Jade is in love with all her friends and afraid of being alone.  AAAH FEELS

--Oh huh, so because Jane’s been in the distance putting on the Perfect act she thinks she has to pull, she’s gone down in her friends’ opinions even if that isn’t really her???  That’s pretty reassuring as an alternative, actually.  Leave it to Roxy to see everything crystal goddamn clear as usual.

Ooh, pronoun mishap.

Holy SHIT Roxy’s gonna go along with it.  That’s nonbinary-awesome!  And Dirk’s just fucking flabbergasted, I love it.

Pff, Dirk’s screwing it up outside too

yep, everyone ectobiologically had kids with everyone, really.

Oh, ow.  Something about the whole black hole green sun thing is fucking with her.  That, or, like...  Huh, might the whole metatextual ascension thing mean that she actually BECOMES that other Jade floating about for a hot minute, the one in the A-side plot??

==>

Ow this excellent narrative is pretty painful.  Like, empathetically inducing pain through really good description of pain and angst.  Ow.

Oh shit, alt!Calliope has a plan.  Maybe she’s able to use this black hole to re-begin Paradox Space and close the loop once everything’s absorbed or something, and needs a Jade’s help for it?

==>

Phew, some relative silliness with some of the others.  That vivid description of a Jade’s suffering was starting to give my stomach a cramp.  Actually, ANY vivid description of Jade’s suffering gives my stomach a cramp.  Or any allusion to it, even, heck even without WORDS.  I saw a Jadey song redux show up on my Youtube dashboard a few nights ago and had to turn it off after less than thirty seconds because I was about to throw up listening to the tune and staring at the image from my stomach clenching SO HARD.  I am WAY too attached to Jade in particular to tolerate her suffering without serious emotional feedback on my part.

Okay, breathe.  Breathe deeply, and keep reading...

....PFF, yes, Karkat.  Finally acknowledge it’s disgusting.  Birth is disgusting from any species really.

Yaaaay Kanaya! :)

Pfffff, Dave does record scratches with his hands mid-conversation like a fucking dab.  He would.

KANAYA: I Am Impressed That You Managed To Be Seen In Front Of That Many People Without Spontaneously Bursting Into Flames

I’m laughing

We internalize and project the quality in very different ways, however, which is why I’m going to win.

Win?!????

Win WHAT, the election???  Is that your only grand plan or... I mean fuck, way to be Doc-Scratch-like ominous!  Reading on...

...Yeah, Feferi was definitely a proto-Fascist too.  :)

Oh, huh. “Power Corrupts In Small Steps”... is this whole President thing going to be a big-ass metaphor for gaining your God powers without abusing them?? And pointing out that Jane is hella abusing her status in a way that COULD become villainous if it goes too far?  Victory is supposed to give you the ability to create a universe, but you’re not necessarily supposed to lord over it with an iron fist...

KARKAT: WHEN I HEAR ABOUT HOW HUMAN GRUBS CHEW THEIR WAY OUT OF THE FEMALE MATESPRIT’S ABDOMINAL HOLE BEFORE CONSUMING THE WOMB MEMBRANE IT MAKES ME WANT TO VOMIT.

Pffffffff

KANAYA: He Is Beloved In The Troll Kingdom For His Perky Ass DAVE: seriously? KARKAT: I TOLD YOU IT’S NOT JUST ME! KANAYA: It Has Some Terrible Arcane Power KANAYA: I Have Never Seen Anything Like It

I am laughing out loud here

pff dave’s doubtlessly imagined this at least as much as the rest of us

YESSS make fun of ship names some more, especially the ship names I’m not a fan of even though I’m such a fan of the pairing :D

KANAYA: Im Going To Call My Wife And You Are Going To Stop Talking

Why do I love that sentence so much.  Is it just because it has the word wife in it.  Probably.

At the other side of the cavern, Dave and Karkat bicker about what their combo kids would look like, in the event that they decided to stop being such laughable wusses and began fornicating like two cartoon animals of different species who have given into their lust.

Pffff.  Yeah, Dirk would put it that way.

Pffffff.  Not as adept at handling all sides of the story at the same time as you were as part of Doc, eh?

==>

Reading reading reading... Oh, adorable, he tried to slip a fish pun into Meenah’s name but couldn’t think of one.

...Oh SHIT, is he going to give Meenah the ring of life she wanted??? :D

Oh pff, that works too.  :D

==>

Okay, time for maybe at least a SLIGHT explanation of whatever the FUCK Dirk might have or might not have done to Rose or something????

...Huh.  What exactly are you trying to “fix” about Kanaya and Rose’s relationship, Dirk?  Something that didn’t fix itself with just the two of them together?

I mean...... Rose’s substance abuse never fixed itself when it was just two of them together on the first-run meteor.  And she’s been taking pills and trying to stave off her destiny out of fear while her wife hasn’t really been digging into her insecurities... I mean maybe he has a point.

SHADOWS around her??????  D:

==>

Yeah yeah, John drifting.  I just remembered what one of those “server beacons” they were mentioning actually is, too, visually.  Knowing it had an escape route helped.

What are you even gonna do with the slippers, gift them to Terezi when she comes flying in?  (Also, right, just remembered he’s a Breath player so it’s only natural that he actually finds whatever there is to find “coincidentally” around here, like that wallet.)

Ooh, you REALLY were thinking about Terezi over the past years from the sound of it.  And here she is or whatever.  :)

1 C4N ST1LL TOUCH TYP3 1N H3R L33T SP34K W1THOUT 4NY 4SS1ST4NC3 3XC3PT C4PS LOCK ON 4FT3R 4LL TH3S3 Y34RS  >:]

==>

Okay okay okay wait.  Her shadow is talking??? Is this, like... Jungian shadow stuff? Inversion shadow stuff?  What the fuck is going on.  It better not be Inversion-related.

Let me read that again.

Her shadow has faded to light behind her, assuming the shape of a Rose-like apparition. I nod to her, and she continues. When she speaks, it’s almost as if it’s the apparition that’s doing the talking.

That’s weird and I don’t entirely know what it means. I’d better just keep fucking reading.

Fun philosophical banter.  I didn’t know what “Hegelian dialectics” were until I read some big rant on someone’s Fallout New Vegas playthrough earlier last month.

ROSE: I think free will is a thing, sure. DIRK: Are you sure about that? ROSE: ... DIRK: Haven’t we spent the entire day having a feelings jam on how none of us got here by accident?

Ah, here we’re going with some Ultimate Riddle-y stuff.

Or wait, are we adding a bit on to that concept now?  Because it now seems like a large PART of the Ultimate Riddle stuff I covered (FUCK dropbox for breaking all the images) that might be revealed in this part of the damn epilogue is the whole the-only-way-to-have-true-free-will-is-to-escape-the-narrative-imposed-on-us or something along with the rest of it.

Hm, that whole “become One God” bit that Dirk ranted about in the beginning of one of the John sections... is that his ambition here?  I didn’t comment on the rantparagraph earlier because the “one” part of it threw me as possibly just some philosophical stuff he was musing about, but it’s like... I mean Dirk is the narrator right now, and it sounds like he wants to *BE* the narrator.  Like, become the one truly in control of this whole story.  With his orange Andrew-colored text or whatever.  Is that what he meant by “win”, winning control of the entire narrative, turning everyone else in the story into mere extensions of himself that he was “writing” by virtue of being the only author?

And him getting thwarted in that task, showing that it’s better if there really is NO narrator and the characters can do whatever they imagine in infinite branches and our imaginations, is the victory that proves the point of the story.  Or something.  Hmm.

Also, huh.  Like... I mean that IS a natural extension of a Prince of Heart if he were to turn to villainy.  A grand ambition to destroy everyone’s individuality until they’re nothing but Himself.  Right?

DIRK: Your Ultimate Self, that which is revealed when the mind’s partitions are stripped away, and all potentiality of who you are and what you could have been flow together. DIRK: Those are the experiences and processes that are refusing to stay bundled, that’s what your body can’t endure. The unbundling itself is your mind coming apart. DIRK: Because you’re not as strong as me. Not yet. DIRK: But you can be. DIRK: I’m working on that.

Because she’ll “BE” you?  Because you’ll be everyone?  Hm.

DIRK: But for now, I’m focused on stabilizing you with my own expanding consciousness. DIRK: It’s enveloping you now, in a way you can’t see. Keeping your thoughts solid, your identity anchored to your physical form as it strains to hold itself together. DIRK: You can’t see it, what I’m talking about. But I can help you. DIRK: I can help you see what I see, if only for a little while. DIRK: All you have to do is open your eyes. DIRK: Maybe what you see will help you through this.

Okay so maybe this all ain’t TOTALLY fucking sinister.  Just partially.  Hmm.

I’m not going to describe what she sees. First of all, that would be spoiling it. Unless you already know, in which case, I guess what’s taking place here qualifies as something closer to dramatic irony. But if you really want to see it for yourself, stop what you’re doing, flip the whole thing over, and begin again. I’ll be right here when you get back, waiting. Trust me, no one’s going anywhere.

Hahahahah.  So the candy part IS written.  I mean I was pretty sure, but it’s nice to have it acknowledged here.  Pretty awesome.  I won’t stop here to read it, I’ll get to the candy part eventually as a nice dessert.

All she needs is a nudge in the right direction.

We’re family. We belong together. And after years of micromanaging the inconsistent and confused desires of total imbeciles, wouldn’t it be a relief to have someone by my side who understood me?

Stop being so incestuous.  Dirk, you’re just getting off on the CONCEPT of incest being part of the flavor of all this, aren’t you.  That’s why you kept pushing things this way, you want it to be as uncomfortable as possible.

...wait, yeah he’s just talking about being a metatextual ascended, isn’t he.

Her body should be dead now.

I’M SORRY WHAT THE FLYING FUCK.

And Rose has... what, ascended but somehow given in to Dirk’s puppeteering of existence, or?  Ugh.

Next post, I wanna keep reading already to get through all this bullshit.  Then once I’ve figured it all out, I can rest comfortably back with the Candy side which Rose practically just promised me is potentially TOO SUGARY which is really enticing as a prospect.

[providentially-demonic]

The Devil and the Dead: Chapter Twelve

So, Final Chapter is here at last. This one has fought me and fought me to write. This is the end of the main story of the Demon!Arthur AU, based on @ectoimp‘s absorbing AU sketches (Most of which can be found here!).  It doesn’t mean that this is the end of the story as a whole, there are several more side stories to be written and more adventures to be had.

I’m giving credit and kudos to @arthurtristankingsmen, @phantoms-lair, @answrs and of course, the illustrious @ectoimp for some of the discourse which guided the idea from vague AU to the story that did not want to stop running through my head.

Summary:  At first all he knew was darkness— rage, pain and the ultimate sting of betrayal.  And then Lewis opened his eyes…

Back to Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve: Reconciliation of a Sorts

They made it back to the van without further incident and Vivi held open the back door so Lewis could climb in, still carefully cradling a sleeping Mystery. He hadn’t really thought much about looking at the van when he’d first gotten in it, but now with his locket back and his senses much clearer than before, he noticed that very little had changed. Arthur’s clutter of electronic components were still in their places, if a little dusty. Lewis’s bag was still in its place, also untouched, though Vivi’s showed signs of being used recently. He nodded at the box that held their gear for when they needed to camp out in the back of the van on stakeouts. “Can you grab me a blanket? I want to keep Mystery wrapped up in one, just in case.”

Arthur shivered, his wing membranes rattling like dry leaves, but obeyed, dragging out a thick cotton blanket. Vivi took it from him with a smile and nodded to the driver’s seat, while she came to Lewis and helped him bundle the sleeping dog into it. When Mystery was a dog-burrito, Lewis shifted himself to hold the bundle of dog and blanket comfortably on the seat.

Arthur climbed back into the driver's seat and spent a few minutes arranging himself before starting the van. Lewis relaxed a little when the rumble of the engine didn't wake Mystery. Arthur carefully backed the van until he reached a place where he could turn it around. Once on the actual road, he turned on the headlights and picked up speed, a barely there smile curving his lips. Lewis could almost feel the pleasure Arthur was getting from being behind the wheel of his beloved van again.

Vivi was smiling gently at Arthur, like she too, understood how he was feeling, now that he’d gotten past the initial nervousness of driving again. The silence was comfortable and comforting, reminding them all of the time before the cave. Lewis glanced down at the sleeping dog in his arms, wondering if they would be able to reassure him that Arthur was really Arthur. Maybe they could never be what they had been before, but if they could just find some sort of balance...

Arthur pulled carefully off the road, not too far from where the cabin was, hiding the van carefully in a tangle of undergrowth. Twisting his hands together, he glanced at Vivi. “Sorry we have to walk.”

She smiled and reached over to cup his cheek. “I understand. This place has to remain a refuge... for now, at least.” Her eyes sparkled with determination. “We’re going to find a way for you to come home too, I promise.”

A muddy flush climbed Arthur’s cheeks, but he leaned his head into Vivi’s hand, eyes sliding shut. “Maybe,” he allowed softly, “But for now, this is my home too.” He opened his eyes and glanced back at Lewis. “Lewis made it that way.”

Lewis ducked his head, pleased that Arthur admitted it was a home too. For a long time, Arthur had resisted calling the place home, reluctant to call it anything but a place to stay. “It’s our home too,” he agreed, hefting Mystery carefully.

Arthur slid out of the driver’s seat and hurried to open the door for Lewis. He glanced uncertainly up at him. “Y’know, you can go home for real, right? A pair of sunglasses is all you need for a disguise. That’s not exactly gonna work for me though.” His laughter was soft and self-depreciating.

“Hey!” Vivi’s voice was sharp and she slid out of the van to fix Arthur with a glare. “We’re gonna find a way, so don’t you even start that!”

Arthur wilted under her look.

Lewis sighed. “We’ve been over this, Artie. I might go home for a visit, but until you can go home for real, my place is here with you.” He tilted his chin up as is daring Arthur to say otherwise.

“Darned skippy, buddy boy.” Vivi added, reaching out to tweak the tip of Arthur’s nose. “Mine too. I can commute to work and back.”

“Vivi—!’ Arthur flushed darker. “That’s like like a hundred miles from here, right, Lewis?”

“A little under, but yeah.”

Vivi chuckled. “That means you better keep the van in tip-top shape for me, Artie.”

Arthur shook his head stubbornly. “You— How about just weekends, Vi? Coming out here every day won’t keep this place hidden, right?” he appealed desperately to Lewis.

Vivi planted her hand on her hips, glaring at him mulishly.

“Weekends,” Arthur bartered, “And long weekends and holidays, just not every day. Please. I don’t want you driving this when you get off from work and are tired. Plus,” he added ingeniously, “Think of the money you’d be spending in gas!”

Vivi shook her head stubbornly, but suddenly softened, rushing the last few steps between them to wrap her arms around Arthur’s waist. “Don’t care,” she added with a sniffle. “I just want us all back together again.”

Arthur flapped his bandaged wings to keep his balance, but all the fight went out of him at her mournful tone. He wrapped his arms around her in a desperate embrace. “I want that too, really. But it's for the best if you don’t waste time and gas driving all the way out here daily.”

Lewis desperately wanted to hug both of them, but his arms were full of blanket and sleeping dog. “Vi— you can get a few days off, right? Just— just stay for a little bit right now— a few days. We can figure things out from there. I—” He hesitated, glancing down at Mystery. “I think that we— we should all be together, just for a little while. Maybe it will give us all some peace of mind.”

Vivi sighed, her cheek still pillowed on Arthur’s chest. “Y-yeah. Duet owes me some time off. I’ll call in tomorrow and let them know I won’t be in for a few days... through the weekend at least.”

She reached out and caught Lewis’s sleeve, tugging him close enough to slip her arm around his waist.

Lewis leaned against her a little and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “Good.”

Vivi glanced up at him. “I want to stay here. I hate going back to an empty apartment full of echoes when everything I love is out here.”

Lewis sighed. “Let’s go inside. I really need to hug you, and to do that, I need to set Mystery down.” He summoned up more of his wisp lights to illuminate the ground around them.

Sniffling a little, Vivi pulled away from Arthur. “Yeah. Let’s go inside. I need that hug, and I need some answers on what I’ve missed.” She tapped a finger to her temple. “Everything is still a litt— okay, a lot— jumbled in here.”

Lewis ducked his head, abashed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—”

She reached up and flicked his nose. “I know that. But you still did. And yes, I’m still angry at you for messing up my head, but I understand why you did.”

Hesitantly, like he was afraid Vivi would reject it, Arthur held out his hand. “C’mon, let’s go inside. Lewis can make something to eat and— and we can all sit down and talk.”

Vivi slipped her fingers in his without hesitation. “Yeah, I’d like that. I’ve missed his cooking. Or at least I think I have. I kept missing something whenever I was eating, and not knowing what.” She started into the trees toward the cabin, her sense of direction unerring. “But the talking, oh, yes. There is so much talking needing to be done.” She glanced back at Mystery. “But getting my fuzzface there to chill out is the first order of business. I’m not having him try and make you miserable, Artie.”

Arthur glanced back at Mystery too and shivered, his wings rustling. His tail lashed once before reaching out and snugging around Vivi’s waist. He flushed a little but didn’t try to pull it away. “I’d like it if he didn’t try to kill me again. I— I can live with him not trusting me. I don’t always trust me.”

“Shoosh your facehole on that.” Vivi scowled. “I trust you. Whatever that thing did to you, you fought it back, and won.” Her free hand came up to brush against his cheek. “If Mystery could see what I see right now, he’d know he was wrong.”

Arthur sighed, leaning his head into her palm. “I hope you’re right...” His voice dropped to a whisper. “On all counts.”

Vivi tweaked his nose. “I said shoosh on that. Don't you doubt me.”

Arthur lapsed into silence, but his hand remained in Vivi’s and his tail curled around her as he carefully led the way back to the cabin.

Lewis desperately wanted to get there so he could set Mystery down and sweep them both up in a healing hug. They all needed to be reassured of each other. Speaking of healing... Lewis eyed the tattered gauze on Arthur’s shoulder and wings. It was more than a little worse for the wear, and he could see dark spots where more of the blisters had broken open.

“When we get back, I need to change your bandages,” Lewis said quietly. “It looks like some of the blisters broke.”

Arthur glanced back with a wry smile. “Feels like it too. I don’t know what that was, but it hurt.”

Lewis, having overheard the conversation with Mystery, kept his mouth shut on just what it was. He knew better than anyone about Arthur’s insecurities about the demon and how much of it remained.

Vivi said nothing, either, though her lips had pressed briefly into a thin line. She wasn’t going to say anything about what Mystery had thrown either. She wiped the expression away when Arthur glanced her way. “I can get more bandages from the van if you need them,” she said only.

Lewis allowed himself a chuckle. “I got it covered.”

“Big guy...” Arthur turned back to him, eyes wide and worried. “Are you sure— after all that, I mean?”

Lewis nodded, his smile widening a little. “I’m fine. I feel... better. Mystery’s freak-out did me that one favor, I guess.”

“You’re sure?”

“Promise.”

Arthur sighed, but nodded. Just then he came upon the ring of mushrooms, pausing to glance at Vivi. “Um...”

Vivi stopped beside him and sketched a quick curtsy, hampered only slightly by her hand in Arthur’s and his tail around her waist. “For the welcome and safe passage, our thanks.”

A brief gust of wind rattled the leaves around them and she smiled before stepping carefully over the line of white-spotted mushrooms. Arthur followed.

Lewis was the one to hesitate this time. He stopped just outside the line, looking worriedly at the bundle in his arms. Maybe his faith wasn’t as sure as Vivi’s seemed to be, but things around here had happened that there was no logical explanation for, and he thought it best to be on the safe side.

“Um, Arthur, can you go get some of the bread I baked this morning, and some of the cheese? Along with the usual milk and honey?” He glanced down at the ring with a significantly raised eyebrow.

Arthur nodded. “Um, Vi, just give me a sec, okay?”

Vivi did not let go of his hand. “I’ll help you.”

Lewis waited outside the ring, his mind on Mystery’s breaking of the peace and comfort that this place had exuded since he had found it after their escape from the cave. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “We’ll make him understand.”

Arthur and Vivi came out with their hands full. Vivi had the bread and some of the cookies he’d made last night, as well as the glass bowl he usually put the milk in. Arthur had the cheese and the saucer for the honey as well as the jar of honey. He also had some butter and a small glass full of something that sparkled red in Lewis’s wisp lights.

Vivi helped Arthur set up the offerings on a tree stump. Lewis waited until they had stepped away before ducking his own head and stepping over the line of mushrooms. He glanced down at the glass and raised an eyebrow at Arthur. “My cooking wine?”

Arthur had that muddy color on his cheeks that meant he was blushing again. “Vivi suggested it. Said it was a good way to gain favor. The cookies were her idea too.”

“Vivi does her research,” Vivi chirped, putting her hand on Lewis’s arm. “Baked goods and wine are considered proper offerings. Later we should get some proper wine, though, not cooking wine.”

Lewis just nodded, accepting her knowledge, and let Arthur hold open the door for him. He carefully deposited Mystery on the couch, before nodding to the kitchen door. “C’mon. I want to rebandage those before anything else.”

Arthur nodded. The next sound out of his mouth was an ‘eep’ of surprise when Lewis swept both him and Vivi into the hug he’d been longing to give them. Vivi melted into the hug, tucking one arm around Lewis’s waist and the other around Arthur’s. Arthur stiffened for barely a second before pressing tightly to Lewis and leaning his head into Vivi’s shoulder.

Lewis squeezed them as tightly as he dared, relishing in the feel of them in his arms, the sense of them comforting and warming something deep inside. He pressed a kiss to the crown of Vivi’s head and a second one on Arthur’s temple. He wanted nothing so much as to keep holding them forever, but the soft rustle of one of Arthur’s tattered bandages coming loose brought him back to the moment at hand.

Sighing, he released his hold and waved a hand toward the kitchen. “Bandages first, then food, and then—” he glanced back at the couch. “We’ll talk about what we’re going to do to keep Mystery from trying something stupid again.”

Heaving a tired sigh, Vivi looked back at Mystery. “I know his head is just as messed up as... well, all of ours, but right now I just want to swat him with a newspaper like he he’s a naughty puppy.”

Arthur managed a weak chuckle, picking at the bandages on his shoulder with the tips of his claws. “If that would work, Vivi, I’d be all for it.”

Lewis snorted, pointing Arthur at one of the backless stools at the kitchen island. “I’d suggest a squirt bottle, but filled with that perfume from your grandmother that always makes him have a sneezing fit.”

Arthur’s chuckle was a little more real this time as he seated himself on the stool, adjusting his tail and lowering his wings a little so Lewis could more easily bandage them again. “Only in his little form, though. He might sneeze fire in the bigger one.”

“Good point,” Vivi chuckled. “Maybe the newspaper then and the squirt bottle otherwise.”

Lewis plucked Arthur’s fingers away from his shoulder and began to unwrap the dirty bandages, revealing the weeping blisters and damaged skin. Arthur bit down on his bottom lip and let out only the tiniest of whimpers at the pull of the gauze.

Vivi let out a hiss of dismay and crowded close to look at the damage. “No, a wrapping paper roll. They make a loud sound that spooks him.” She winced in time with one of Arthur’s flinches. “Thought right now I’m thinking uncharitable thoughts about getting my bat.” She reached out and gently brushed her fingers along the savage older scarring on his shoulder below where the blisters were. “Was this—?”

Arthur shuddered and drew in on himself a little. “It’s from when I fell,” he whispered, his eyes darting toward the living room.

Vivi’s gaze followed his and her lips set into a hard, thin line, a dangerous look in her blue eyes. “Did he—?”

Swallowing, Arthur dragged his eyes back to hers. “I don’t remember much, just flashes of Mystery’s big form and teeth and pain and then— then I was falling. The rest—”

Lewis made a shushing noise, smoothing antibiotic cream on with a soft touch. “Don’t. It’s long over. You don’t need to try and remember everything that happened.” Frankly, Lewis would rather not have his own memories of the aftermath of the fall. Even though the rage and mental pain he’d felt then had burned away in the purifying fire, the helplessness remained like a yawning void in the stomach he no longer had.

“The rest—” Arthur continued with a stern look of his own. “Well, I was delirious and sick for most of it, but it was not a fun time for anyone concerned. I don’t think we want to dredge up the memories and I know for a fact you don’t want the details. Trust me.”

Lewis managed a half-hearted scowl but taped the gauze pad down and moved on to one of Arthur’s wings. There the burst blisters looked even worse with the fragile skin of the wing membranes. “I hope these don’t scar. Scar tissue will pull really badly when you spread your wings.”

“Not like I’ll be flying anyways,” Arthur peered at the wounds that he could see and made a face. “Ouch.”

Vivi leaned in. “If we treat any scar tissue with some of that medicated scar cream regularly, the scarring should be minimal and not hamper stretching your wings. I think you would look good flying though. Why not?”

“Heights.” Lewis and Arthur answered at the same time.

Arthur went on. “We both fell, Vi. Don’t ask us to do heights.”

"Also," Lewis added. "What if someone sees him, or worse, films him?"

Vivi snickered. “Tempo would have its very own cryptid. You know everyone and their brother would try to disprove the footage. And most of the ones that would believe it, would be out here in the woods at night, fair prey for anything.”

“I know this place is well hidden. You’re the only one ever to find it without a guide, but I’d still rather not risk Arthur’s safety and our sanctuary.” Lewis said as he carefully treated the broken blisters, before gently rewrapping the wing.

Vivi heaved a theatrical sigh. “Fiiiiiinnne! But how cool would it be for Tempo to have a cryptid?”

Arthur poked her gently with a claw. “Considering I’m said cryptid, not very.” His tone was sour.

Vivi turned to face Arthur and captured his face between her hands. “Hey, you know I would never, ever do something to risk you, right? I’m just joking. Besides, who wants those creeps hunting in my territory?”

Arthur sighed. “I know, Vi.”

Lewis finished his rebandaging job and moved to the sink to wash his hands. “Putting our cryptid status aside, what sounds good to eat?”

“Anything!” Vivi pumped a fist in the air.

“Anything?” Arthur raised an eyebrow at her.

“Oysters are not meant to be on pizza, so anything but that atrocity,” she amended. Then her eyes widened. “Oh man, you’ve been out here for months with no access to it! Do you want me to make an emergency pizza run?!”

Arthur chuckled and caught her hands. “Vi, it’s fine. Lewis makes it even better than the pizza place, anyway.”

“Oh...” She deflated. “And here I was ready to take the pizza place by storm until you got your fish booger pizza.”

“Eww.” Arthur poked her. “You’re a booger.”

Vivi dodged his poking finger and glommed onto his waist in a hug. “Snot on you!”

Arthur squirmed but relented to being hugged with a chuckle.

Lewis, meanwhile, went to the freezer and pulled out a frozen pizza he’d made and put away for later. Not Arthur’s infamous Surf’s Up but just a basic supreme. It would do for now. He turned on the oven while  unwrapping it and setting it on the baking sheet.

Vivi was suddenly at his elbow. “Ooh, did you make that or buy it? It looks yummy.” She poked at the digital numbers on the oven. “Are you hooked up to the city grid for power? Cause they might find you that way.”

Arthur joined them, “No. Lewis... well, he—”

“I create it,” Lewis finished when it seemed Arthur was stuck on what to say. “I can create things through willpower, I guess you could call it. This place...” he chewed on his lip for a moment. “It was a wreck when I found it. I needed it to be a place to rest for Arthur and I, and it was.”

“He did, but doing so much wiped him out,” Arthur cut in, laying a hand on Lewis’s arm. “When— when he has to rest, the power and the water cut out, but it’s never for long. The cabin stays the same, though.”

Lewis looked down at him, eyes wide. “They do?! Why didn’t you say anything?! ¡Dios!”

“Lewis—” Arthur started. “You have to rest. You— you said something bad happens if you get too tired.”

“Translation: ‘You need rest too, dumbass’.” Vivi put in, miming a punch at Arthur’s shoulder. “Just spit it out, Artie.”

Lewis snorted and slid the pizza in the oven. “I’ll rest when I need to and not before.”

“You are not turning into another Arthur on me, ghost-boy.” Vivi poked a finger hard at Lewis's chest. “I cannot cope with two people who think there is some sort of substitute for actual sleep.”

A muffled sound from the living room caught all of their attention. Arthur stiffened, his wings mantling involuntarily and every hair on his tail standing on end. His pupils shrunk to pinpricks. Lewis moved between him and the living room.

“Ah-ah-ah,” Vivi held up a hand. “None of that now. I am not having another impromptu roadtrip in the middle of the night because no one can keep their head. Lewis, if you can keep your cool, you can come with me to talk to more-floof-than-brains. So no more explodey fireballs, clear? Artie, you stay put and watch the pizza, please.”

Startled out of his visceral fear, Arthur lowered his wings and fixed her with a glare. It was half-hearted at best, but miles better than the wild-eyed panic. “I’m only not arguing because I know why you said that.”

Huffing her bangs out of her eyes, Vivi reached out and ruffled his hair. “Because I care, dummy. Just stay put until we can get Mystery to listen.”

Arthur batted her fingers away with a huff of his own, but nodded. “Just— just get him calmed down.”

Vivi clinked a fingernail against the amulet Arthur still wore. “He can’t hurt you. Remember that.”

Arthur nodded slowly. “But he hurt himself because he’s not thinking clearly. Don’t let him do it again.”

“I won’t.”

Lewis followed Vivi’s determined stride into the living room, where Mystery was stirring, one hind leg kicking puppy-like at the blanket wrapped around him. His eyes were still closed and he let out a soft whine when he could not kick free of the blanket.

“Up and attem, ‘Stree.” Vivi flopped down on the chair opposite the sofa.

Lewis stood behind her chair. Like this, Mystery looked harmless, but he wasn’t making that mistake again.

Mystery lifted his head. One of the lenses of his glasses had cracked in the struggle and it was the first thing he focused on when he opened his eyes. Then his gaze slid up to Vivi, and then further up to Lewis. His eyes widened, and the muscles in his shoulders bunched.

“None of that now.” Vivi’s tone was sharp as glass. “Or I will whap you with a newspaper like the overgrown puppy you are.”

Mystery’s ears lowered, canting backwards. “You don’t have a newspaper.”

Lewis manifested a rolled-up newspaper and passed it down to Vivi. “Try again.”

VIvi glanced down at the paper. “Nice party trick.” She brandished it in the direction of Mystery’s nose. “You settle your fudge bunny muffins down, or I will hit you with this.”

A low rumble started in Mystery’s throat. “Vivi...”

“Don’t you ‘Vivi’ me, boyo.” Her teeth were bared in a feral grin. “The time is for me to talk and you to listen or Mr. Newspaper gets his say.”

“Mature, Vivi.” Mystery glared. “You—”

The newspaper was raised threateningly. “I said not-Mystery-talky-time. This is Vivi-talky time, and Mystery-shut-up-and-listen time.” She leaned back in her seat. “Point the first: if you attack Arthur again, I reserve the right to have him,” she cocked a thumb over her shoulder at Lewis. “Flambé your fuzzy ass. This is non-negotiable.”

Lewis gave Mystery his most threatening glower.

Mystery’s shoulders hunched up around his flattened ears and there was a growl underscoring his every breath.

“‘Stree!”

Mystery flinched from the sharp bite of Vivi’s anger.

Heaving a sigh, Vivi leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees and hold Mystery’s attention. “Listen to me, Mystery,” she pled. “You're not thinking straight. None of us have been— because none of us got out of that cave entirely undamaged—”

“Vivi—”

“Still talking.” But she didn't raise the newspaper again. “And you should be listening— ah-ahh, that means really listening!” She cut him off when he opened his mouth. “Think about it. You think Arthur is the monster of the cave. And yet you stole the anchor of the creature that could have protected me... weakening him, and running off. Leaving me in the same room as the demon you were so intent on protecting me from. If he were really the demon, I'd be dead now, not threatening you with a newspaper like a puppy that piddled on my shoes.”

Mystery's ears came up all at once and he looked aghast. “I—”

“Are just now realizing what a mistake that would have been— if Arthur were in fact the demon you've been so intent on naming him.” Vivi continued with remorseless honesty. “Look at me, Mystery! Even without all my memories, do you think anything posing as someone I know as well as Arthur could have fooled me enough— to the point where I would have risked using your own hoshi no tama against you?”

A whine building in his throat, Mystery leapt off the couch.

Lewis tensed, but Mystery, belly against the floor, inched over to Vivi. Tentatively, whining softly the entire time, he put his chin up on her knee.

All the breath escaped Vivi in an enormous sigh. “Silly,” she chided, her voice soft. She rested her free hand on the top of his head. She set the newspaper down and gently removed his cracked glasses. “Couldn't even see the truth before these got broken. Maybe you need a new prescription?”

Whimpering, Mystery clambered gracelessly into her lap, butting his head up under her chin.

Cradling him close, Vivi sighed again. “Shh.” She held him close for a few moments, carding her fingers through his fur.

Mystery remained that way for several minutes, cuddled quietly in Vivi's arms.

“Can you trust me to know that, in spite of what he looks like, that is Arthur?” Vivi tilted Mystery's head up to look at her.

“I— I can believe you believe that is Arthur, but, Vivi— holy water would have done Arthur no harm. It's all in the belief. Like a vampire and holy symbols. They only have power if the holder believes they do.” Mystery shook his head. “If—”

“You believed he was a demon,” Lewis cut in, voice hard. “There was the belief.”

“It doesn't work that way!” Mystery retorted, glaring over Vivi's shoulder at Lewis. “Yes, I believed, but that would have had no effect—”

“Unless Arthur believes it too,” Vivi interrupted, eyes wide with sudden understanding. She looked up at Lewis.

He bit back a curse. “He— he fought against the demon, e-even when he was dying. He fell too, Vi, and his injuries were— were as mortal as mine. But that thing in him wouldn't just let him die. It tried to take him over. I—” Lewis shuddered. “I heard it just once. But Arthur fought it, fought so hard. He won, but he said, even though he couldn't hear its voice, the rage, he could still feel that.”

“He has doubts about his own humanity,” Vivi chewed on her lower lip. After a moment her expression firmed. “That just proves that it really is him. The demon wouldn't have those doubts.”

“I can't trust that, Vivi. I have to protect you.” Mystery whined again, obviously torn. “I want to believe that it really is Arthur, but every instinct in me screams that it is not.”

“And every instinct I have and every single thing I know about Arthur tells me it is.” Vivi fixed him with a look that invited no argument. “And until he does something that proves me wrong, you are going to give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Mystery chewed the thought over like a bone he could not be sure he liked the taste of. “I will give him that, for you, but you cannot make me trust him, Vivi.”

“That means no scaring him either,” Lewis growled. “He's scared to death of your other form.”

Mystery grumbled. “I will try not to intentionally scare him.”

Vivi wasn't buying it. “No intentionally accidental scares either, bub. Or I will make you regret it.”

The timer dinged in the kitchen. “Um, pizza is done,” Arthur called. “You guys ready to eat?”

“Yes, we are.” Vivi glanced down at Mystery. “Behave,” she warned.

She and Lewis led the way into the kitchen. The pizza pan was on the counter, sending up an enticing scent, and Arthur was huddled on one of the stools, feet drawn up and bristled tail switching nervously as he watched Mystery trot in behind them.

“Artie,” Vivi murmured, stepping close enough to smooth a hand down his arm and take his hand.

His relaxation was minimal but it showed in a tiny sigh and his fingers twining in hers.

Lewis cut the pizza and served out slices while Vivi leaned contentedly against Arthur. Mystery watched from the floor, eyes wary.

It wasn't perfect, or what it had been before, but Lewis would take it. For now, it was enough that they were together again. Fractured but whole

“I hope you two are ready for questions, because I have all of them!” Vivi chirped, startling a nervous laugh out of Arthur. “And being that I'm calling in this weekend, you are at my mercy until they are answered. Every single one of them.”

“There is no escape from the questions, even in death,” Lewis intoned solemnly, a hand across his forehead like a fainting starlet.

The laughter was from all of them and it was faltering, but real. It gave him hope. Hope that someday everything would be all right again.

[lisinfleur]

Curse - Chapter 4: The Curse of Tail and Gills

Author’s Notes: This chapter was handwritten, with pen and paper, in a hot day without electrical energy for fans; with my upper neighbor dragging her damn furniture over my roof, and the children of my building running and screaming all around my place. This is how much I love you guys... 

Warnings: What I warn always: 18+ ONLY and babs, this is FUCKING SCARY

Words: 1820

Those howls were disturbing. Hvitserk couldn't help himself from going out of his tent, trying to figure out what the heck was happening to that single animal howling as if one of his men was torturing it.

Others in the camp were worried about the howls as well, afraid that multiple packs could be fighting around; some were talking about making a fence around the camp to avoid the wolves to invade at night when a strange commotion near Sigurd's grave caught Hvitserk's attention.

Was that Björn?

His eyes caught his older brother's figure falling on his knees, while Harald and Halfdan were pulling away from him; swords in hands, scared expressions in their faces.

Pulling his sword, Hvitserk ran towards them just to see what he thought was impossible to be in front of his eyes: with a pale skin, laughing, Sigurd was there, standing in front of him.

"Look if the curiosity will not kill the cat one more time," he said, frowning; starting to walk towards Hvitserk who felt pulled back by his shirt.

Halfdan pointed his sword to Sigurd and Harald pulled the prince's shirt, walking back and warning about what his bare eyes had seen.

"He didn't even touch Björn. This thing is not Sigurd. I don't know what it is, but stay away, Hvitserk!"

Hvitserk pulled back, feeling the taste of fear cause the grip of his hand in the sword a little tighter. What the heck was happening?

"You're dead... I saw you dying" he said and Sigurd's expression became even worst when he stopped near Björn.

On his knees, the oldest Ragnarsson was holding his neck, gasping as if the air itself was suffocating him, struggling with an invisible hand that seemed to be preventing him to get up. Sigurd lowered himself near his older brother, catching the despair in which Björn faced him, holding his collar tightly with one of his hands. With a devilish curve in his lips, the youngest warlock placed his hand over Björn's arm and so the warrior let go a suffocated growl of pain when something started to rip his skin and his sleeves, coming out of his arms.

Horrified, Hvitserk, Halfdan, and Harald watched a pair of fins coming out of Björn's arms; another, bigger, arched his body in pain, staining his ragged clothes in blood when it ripped out of his back; and his voice, suffocated, converted into a sharp hiss that almost deafened the three of them.

Releasing himself of the bothering grip in his collar, Sigurd got up, placing his feet on the injured back of his wounded brother and looking to Hvitserk, savoring the horror in his blue eyes wide open.

"You didn't see me dying... You saw that crippled bastard killing me. And none of you did nothing about it." he accused "So I decided to come back and do it by myself".

His foot pushed Björn's soft body forward and he rolled down the little mount, loose, hurting his skin on the little rocks with no reaction until his softened body rolled into the water, sinking like a rock.

"Go for him" Sigurd said, moving his head, signalizing to Halfdan. "Go for your precious boyfriend" he joked "He's not dead, but I have a little surprise for you all. Go!" he yelled the last word, causing Halfdan to exchange a glare with Harald before starting to walk towards the river, always keeping Sigurd in front of him.

One step after another, Halfdan went down the little hill, reaching the water, seeing no sign of Björn's body. "That river wasn't so deep and a dead man would be floating", Hvitserk thought, sharing the thoughts of the other three spectators of that bizarre show. But Sigurd's lips curved in a smile and he opened his mouth, hissing that strange way similar to Björn's last scream and so, something came out of the water.

Something. Because what placed hands in the margin, causing Halfdan to squeal jumping away from the water wasn't Björn anymore.

His skin was nastily blued; the wounds Hvitserk thought he was holding in his neck were gills, enormous gills visible from where he was; his fingers were connected by a strange membrane and he opened his mouth more than he should be able to do, hissing back at Sigurd in an angry way before going back into the water, letting a strange fishy tail come over the water before he vanished into the darkness once again.

Halfdan was shocked beyond the fear, but when Sigurd laughed turning himself towards Hvitserk, the boy felt his blood froze into his veins. Whatever that took his dead brother's body, was avenging him in a terrible way and somehow, for some reason, he couldn't understand, all of them were targets, not only Ivar who killed him in fact.

"So... What about you, Hvitserk? What shall be the price of your inertia?"

Hvitserk swallowed dry. He knew he should go against all the instincts of his body and face that strange creature with bravery if he wanted to reach Valhalla one day, but there wasn't a single cell of his body that wasn't warning him desperately asking to run away from Sigurd, the farther he could go. He gripped tightly his sword and so Harald's voice sounded, waking him from his trance with a harsh tone.

"What are you waiting for? Run, boy! This is no time for bravery! Run!" the king yelled and Hvitserk's blues went from Sigurd to him for a second. "RUN!" he yelled louder.

And so, Hvitserk turned his head, intending to look at his little brother image one more time, being suddenly scared by Sigurd's image, quite in front of him: somehow that creature managed to cover the distance between the spot where he was and Hvitserk's body, placing that pale face almost touching foreheads with him and smiling.

"Run, brother... Run!" he joked, causing Hvitserk to feel frightened, stumbling shamefully in his steps behind, missing courage and running the faster he could towards the trees, hearing the laughs in Sigurd's voice behind him.

The blonde prince was having fun, after all. His stained eyes turned to Harald who raised his sword against the creature, thinking on gaining some time for the prince to flee, but Sigurd didn't seem to have anything in his sleeves for the old King.

"I don't have time for your stupidity, Harald. Two have gone, two to come, get out of my way, king" he said, extending his hand towards Harald, causing an impulse of air to push the king onto the ground and out of the way he started to walk towards the camp.

However, the hissings and screams caught the men attention and Sigurd found half of the army looking at him terrified. Some with swords and axes in hands, ready to defend their camp from the creature on the dead prince's body... With a disappointed sigh, he turned around and vanished on the blue mist from Yggdrasil's roots, in front of everyone's eyes.

It would be harder to reach Ivar now. But not impossible. Nothing was impossible for him now and Sigurd knew that.

---

Would he go for Ivar? Did he go for Ubbe as well? What the fuck was that creature using his dead brother's image?

Too many questions numbing his thoughts, causing him to lose himself into the woods, running more than his own legs were able to handle until he stumbled on a large root and fell onto the ground, rolling some meters away from the thick tree, grunting in pain when his back hit a bigger stone.

"Fuck!" he yelled, arching his body on the ground, looking around to see if the creature had followed him.

But his eyes found a strange shadow in the middle of those thick roots and, for instinct, he pulled his sword once again, ready to attack whatever was hiding on that place.

From the hole on the tree's trunk, a huge black wolf came out, walking towards him, causing Hvitserk's heart to beat like a drum inside his chest.

Nor for his brother's avenge, he would end up devoured by the owner of the howls that brought him out of the tent? Was this his fate?

The wolf walked slowly getting closer to him, not backing off a single step when he swang his sword in the air, threatening to cut the animal. However, Hvitserk noticed a lack of aggressivity in that creature and when his eyes found those blue wolf eyes, Hvitserk fell on his knees.

Slowly, the creature stumbled steps as if it was wounded, walking towards him, changing form, dragging himself until his older brother was lying on the ground, the head laid in the middle of the dry leaves, the body scratched and dirty from the mud and his efforts to prevent the worst.

"He came for you..." Hviserk whimpered, his throat closed with a huge knot.

Ubbe's blue eyes Hvitserk recognized in the wolf's face looked up to his beloved little brother in despair. And his hoarse voice spoke what he had howled madly since it all begun.

"Help me"

---

"Lemme see if I understood: my dead brother is cursing and changing people's forms around, is that it?" Ivar giggled, debauched "That's ridiculous!"

"You say whatever you want, Ivar. But tell me, where are your brothers now?" Harald said, annoyed with that boy's disbelief in his words.

"This is true, Boneless" one of the men said, looking at him "I saw him standing with my own eyes"

"Me too" another.

And another... Soon the table was surrounded by witnesses. Lots of people were affirming Sigurd just vanished in dust or smoke in front of their eyes and Harald just looked to the faithless Ragnarsson in front of him.

"I'm a King and a warrior. I have no reason to lie. Under Odin's eye, this is what my brother and I saw" Harald swore, with a lack of affirmative answers from a shocked Halfdan.

No one had seen Björn from so close as he did and somehow, that strange image shocked him into silence.

Ivar looked from one to another with an annoyed gaze.

"Again, what did he said?" he asked, and Harald sighed, repeating the chant he heard from the dead lips of the fallen prince.

"For your cowardice, you who flee from the earth to forget your duties, be forever bound to the sea you love and never ever touch the lands you chose to deny once again"

Ivar sighed, licking his teeth and looking to the men.

"Go and find Hvitserk and Ubbe. We need to talk"

If it was really happening, maybe the gods were infuriated with his actions and sooner or later that creature would come for him. It was time to put his mind to think. Somehow, not even after being dead Sigurd would give him any peace.

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[fae-works]

The Cursed Child

(LATE for Halloween and/or Samhain but such happens.)

I love love, but decided a different form of love needed some attention. Thus have a different kind of love story!

The winds gently whispered over the rising terrain, leaving the trees, both dark and old, to quake under its touch. The hillside, normally quiet and untouched, sported a lone traveler upon its faint roads. The solitary hiker, an adult woman. Vigorously, she strode deeper into the unknown landscape in her desire to be further engulfed by the simplicity in the silence.

With a furrowed brow, the woman aggressively took in the haunting beauty of the hillside forest. Yet, despite all of her forced, but true, admiration of the land, the whispers yet clung. A dark torrent of words that slunk about in the barred cage of her own make, echoing what had brought about her sudden wanderlust. The winds picked up for the faintest second, enticing the woman to shudder and glance in the direction of whence it came. Sighing, she rubbed her hands together and turned her eyes to the horizon. Strong rays of light drifted from high above, but even as she watched the powerful star, it’s tellings slipped farther down from its reign in the sky.

Releasing an exasperated groan, she alternated between gazing up at the hilltop and the path down below. With a shake of her head she sluggishly sat over a fallen log, burying her face in her hands. The end of her fingers were already beginning to chill, pricking through her fogged mind. Lifting her face ever so slightly she gazed wistfully up past her line of sight. With a muttered curse, she groaned, “I really wanted to get to the top.”

She knew it would be dangerous to linger in the chilling woods and that there was no true prize for reaching the top, but deep down she knew where her stubbornness was birthed. She even inherited the trait from the one it was sourced. Gritting her teeth, the woman looked down to the earth, allowing her hair to fall like curtains, shields, around her form. Running from the problem might not fix it, but oh, how she relished the prolonging of the separation. Closing her eyes, the faintest glimmer of impressions drifted forth. The voice of a once beloved elderly woman. The prolonged scarcity of jeweled adornments upon her hand. The continued emptiness she carried within.

A sharp hiss rung out into the air as she jumped to her feet. She knew she carried no fault, and yet the guilt still grew. For she could not give what they desired. Least, not in the fashion the expected. No matter how she tried, they still would not listen. A torrent was rushing down her face before she had the chance to withhold her pains, but in the quiet woods, what good is false bravado? Great heaving sobs met her ears as her body curled in on itself, urging her to grip at the felled log for balance as she sunk to the leaf littered floor. Her mind lectured her heart for this unfortunate showing with an echoing reminder of the setting sun. It was at the cold gripping of the wind that brought her from her mourning.

Quietly, the woman watched the last remnants of her long kept frustration, betrayal, and sorrow seep into the earth. Chewing her bottom lip, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths of the chilled air and listened to how her cries echoed about the trees. After a few quiet heartbeats she sat there, unresponsive to the world around her. For a moment she was content, until her heart gripped itself tightly. Jumping to her feet with wide eyes, she jerked about and rushed forward. The desperate cries ringing through the air continued long after she had given her last.

Lifting her hands to circle around her mouth she called out, “Hello? Is someone there?” With a tilt of her head and a furrowed brow, she slowly turned, the gravel beneath her feet giving an earthy grind beneath her boots. She had almost completed half of a circle when the cries picked up in pitch. Taking a moment to turn her head from side to side, she nodded to herself and turned her face to one of conviction. Without another moment's notice she ran forth, kicking up dirt as she strayed from the trails.

Her direction was just east of the setting sun. Long shadows grew out to engulf her into the forests embrace. Gnarled fingers, just out of reach, seemed to claw and beckon her more swiftly along her path. The woman shuddered as she ducked to avoid a low hanging branch, its long branches brushing down her spine as she sped forth. Cold winds seemed to pick up as she tread deeper into the dimming light, swirling about in a most languid pace. Thick vest and sweater was felt under her fingertips before she had even realized she was rubbing her arms. She spared her hands only a glance before she called out once more.

The cries or, more appropriately, sobbing, filled the otherwise quiet air once again. Without pausing, she ran to the source, drawn forth with how much more distinct each individual breath was becoming. Heart pounding, she tore through the low growing foliage blocking her path. If she tried, she could almost hear broken and half formed words at the end of each cry. Her eyes stung as tears threatened to form in response to the horror of what she might find loomed over her. Before her loomed a large hill; if she peered over the plants in her way she could just make out the top of an opening. The calls, though now no better than mournful mumbling, seemed to bounce and echo right at the entrance.

Placing her hands on the final fan of rough bushes that blocked her vision, the woman hesitated as her racing mind and heaving breath stilled her body. Brows long having reached their highest point and body trembling from more than the cold, she found herself frozen. A doe blinded by the light of life. Try though she might, her limbs were like lead, disconnected and unresponsive to her mind. The tension in her brow grew as the seconds passed, a fire directed at herself bubbling up from within the longer she could not take that last step. Subdued and dejected, a weak mumbling was heard from beyond her sight.

Mind rendered useless, instinct jerked her body toward the cave opening. The sight that was beheld earned a gasp as the woman recoiled away. Large gold and orange beacons, wide and still, greeted her. Heart thundering, she turned back to the path, muscles taut until a sound stopped her mid track. Crying. Pressing her lips together, the woman glanced back over her shoulder to the small being. Their eyes were closed as they weakly sobbed, a tiny hand rubbing the tears away as their body heaved. Placing a hand over her heart, she turned back to better examine her find.

The small form was mostly covered in a dark fuzz, not quite fur, from what was not covered by the dirty blue shirt and overalls. Atop the bowed head was shaggy and loose brown, almost black, hair. The ears, she noted, seemed almost tipped from extra cartilage as they twitched from side to side. What surprised her more was the limply hanging darkness just behind the child; membranous appendages that seemed oversized on the small form. Swallowing audibly, she scooted one of her feet forward, edging herself closer to the unknown. Sniffing, the child stopped rubbing his eyes and watched her quietly as she moved. With his head now up, the woman saw an additional accessory; a rope tied around his stomach and a tree.

The child tensed up under her stare. Sniffing, he pushed his quivering lips together, parting only for his thumb. Her heart ached at the pitiful sight, tears of her own fighting to fall. Closing her eyes, the woman took a deep breath. As her lungs expanded, she forced her face to soften as she lowered herself  to a crouch. Releasing the built up air with a loud sigh, she faced the boy with a tender smile gracing her lips. Keeping a lilted tone, she tried speaking to the child while carefully traversing the rocky terrain. Only the sound of the loose gravel was heard. The boy shifted and whined as she moved.

A quiet pause passed between them, the woman racking her brain for any lead of what to do next. With a squeak, she watched the living darkness behind the child twitch and jerk to life. In a most clumsy manner the wings lifted off the earth with a trembling strain and then collapse together, the child hugging himself in a tight embrace. As she watched this transpire a thought drifted to her mind. Taking what little knowledge she knew, the woman spoke in the lands native tongue.

“Hello there, little one. My name is Maria. What is yours?” The smile she wore grew genuine as the boy looked at her with a wide eyed stare. Pulling his thumb from his mouth, he clasped his hands together and shifted in his chosen seat, glancing up to Maria ever so often. Taking his indecision as opportunity, she kept her slow pace to the child as she continued reaching out to him with an ever sweet and encouraging voice. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. Please, won't you tell me your name?”

The boy jerked his eyes back to her, the golden orbs sticking on her approaching figure. Curling his lips and furrowing his brow, the child gripped at the large claw of his wing. “Darius... but not supposed to speak  strangers…” Gasping, Darius then lifted his wings to hide his face, leaving only a crack too gaze at Maria. Taking an accusatory tone he shouted, “You stranger! Not talk to you!”

Now only a few paces away from the boy, Maria lifted her hand and pointed to herself without missing a beat. “Me? A stranger? No. I’m a helper! I have come to help people.” Humming loudly, she turned left and right, lingering at each direction by tapping her chin. With a dramatic sigh, she turned back to face Darius. “Do you know anyone who needs helping?”

Slowly Darius unveiled his wingspan. His eyes were glistening as he began to breath heavily, his lips trembling. For a moment, he was quiet. It was as his tears began to fall did he begin to sob. The small hands clenched at his eyes as the heartbroken voice cried out, “Me! Me!”

Heart clenching, Maria closed the distance and held the weeping boy in her arms. Her own vision grew blurry when the chill of his small body was felt. Gently, she rocked and cooed to the child, a jarring contrast to the ferocity directed to the rope that held him. A soft prick was felt against her back. With a soft gasp, Maria twisted her head, only to relax a heartbeat later. Darius had wrapped his wings around her in a most desperate grip.

It took a few moments to calm the child enough to gather information about what had happened to him. A fiery sickness grew in her gut as the child described how his father had brought him, and told him to stay and wait. This had happened after his lunch. Wary of the setting sun and lack of direction, Maria released the rope from around the child and searched for any tracks with a dogged pace; all while refusing to release the child in her grip. Upon finding a trail, she rushed through the darkening forest as quickly as was safe. It was easy, with the large boots came and went in the same direction, but only to the cave was smaller markers found.

Dimly, she remembered of a small town that was plausibly where she was headed, easing her worries about how she would get back to her own vehicle and inn. Yet, as the signs of civilization drew near, with the faint shine of streetlamps and roads just beyond the forest edge, worries whispered in the back of her mind. It was the father who abandoned him, but what about his mother? Was she apart of this? Does she know? Glancing about the empty nighttime roads, Maria took in the surrounding buildings. How would she even find his home?

Humming in thought, her gaze traveled to the wide eyed boy. His golden eyes were shifting from side to side. Perhaps in thought, or remembrance? With a sigh, Maria decided to take the chance. “Darius, dear?” His ears twitched at her call, his attentive face following soon after. With an encouraging smile she continued, “Do you know where you live? Is your home close to something? What does it look like?”

Slowly, he listed off a few details at her encouragement. The house was white, with no fence, and the backyard lead to the mountains. It was when Maria asked about the front did Darius perk up in her arms. “Oh! Big swing outside! Fun swinging! But, momma no let me. Only inside. She get sad. Papa get mad. Not safe outside…” Chewing at her lip, Maria held the boy closer as her hesitation grew stronger. Still she tred onward, grateful for the information she was able to get. Using the mountains as her first clues, the woman soon found herself standing before the porch of a small white house. A porch swing swayed against the night breeze.

Taking in a deep breath, she glanced down at the still child. His thumb was in his mouth and his breath slow and steady. With his eyes closed, one might mistake his sweet slumbering face as no different from any other child from afar. Warily she glared at the door. In a quick act, she walked to a distant tree and carefully maneuvered the sleeping boy to a very low but sturdy branch. Darius whimpered, but otherwise remained dreaming, going so far as to wrap his wings around the trunk of the tree as he once did to her. Placing a hand over her heart, her shimmering eyes happily took in the most sweet of sights before her, but with a shake of her head returned to her task.

The door was all she could perceive as she prepared. Squaring her shoulders and tensing her brow, her hand racked on the hard wood barricading her way. In tense moments lasting forever, she waited. The pounding of her heart resounded in her ears. A sharp pain began to bloom in her jaw. Relaxing her teeth, she lifted her hand once more. Just as her flesh was beginning to close down onto the cold wood was her ears met with the sound of voices; of a man and woman. It was not long before the door was cracked open, the old wood moaning out its disagreement as it was used.

Before her stood an older couple. Their features were unimportant to Maria, but it was their eyes that spoke far more to her at that moment. Both were eyes worn and weary, haggard as they warily appraised her. The man, in a clipped voice, asked her what she wanted. It was not missed by her the heavy boots he wore. Broken from her slight trance, Maria quickly introduced herself. The night air was more hospitable when she received no reply. Clearing her throat she continued, “Well, I do apologize for appearing so late in the night but I am afraid I have some ill news. I had found a boy in the woods as I was hiking, and was directed here… I am not from here, so I do not know the proper ways of reporting this incident.”

The man spat to the ground at his side, the woman leaned against the door frame and breathlessly made a cross over her chest. Maria took a step back as the man shouted, “That devil is back where it is meant to be! We will not bring that accursed thing’s body back into the minds of the good folk of this town!”

Eyes blowing wide with each word he spoke, Maria almost missed the fierce grip at her arm. With a startled gasp, she reared away. The woman, near hysteric, kept her hand outstretched as she spoke. “Oh stranger, I know you are confused and well meaning, but this is what is to be done! Each day it’s evil grew, but even so, this fate was a kindness to what could have been done! Now, with his death we are finally freed! We are forgiven!”

Maria was already rushing away before she woman finished her sentence. A loud slamming was heard behind her before she made it past the long pathway. She decided it best they were left to celebrate their sons death. Uncaring if she was watched, the woman returned to the tree where she hid the child. A weak smile broke through at the sight of his peaceful face. Without a moment of hesitation, she lifted the child back into the cradle of her arms, shifting him over on one side. Arm free, she rummaged into her pocket as a soft yawn breathed into her ear. With ease she pulled out the phone and began to dial on the bright screen.

She could feel the boy lift his hand to his face, presumably to cover his eyes, as he muttered, “Bright. What doing?”

“I am calling someone to drive us to my inn.”

“Why?”

“Because I can get you warm, clean, and fed there.”

Darius squirmed in her arms for a moment, “But, house? Momma?”

“I am sorry baby. I looked but I found no mother or father in that house, but do not worry. I am a helper and I will help you. No matter what, I will keep you happy and safe. Is that okay with you?”

“... Yes.”

[anythingfanfiction]

Ben Solo, the One and Only

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

WARNING: The second and third paragraphs may be a bit too graphic. ¶ 2 describes the remains of Vincent + Cecilia’s bodies after a fire while ¶ 3 explains how the accident happened. Also, smut towards the end marked with stars (***) as always! If you’re not comfortable with that, please skip these paragraphs and continue reading.

Chapter 6

On a casual trip to Viktas, it would take Ben anywhere between one and a half or two hours; but, given the circumstance, it took him only 45 minutes. When he made it to her apartment, Ben witnessed Vivian strewn across the tile floor with bloodied hands beside a shattered plant vase. She looked up at him and sobbed even harder. He leaned towards her figure to slowly lift her off the ground and set her down on a seat in the dining room. Ben did not speak as he tended to her cuts. He did not speak when he brought her to the bedroom, laid her onto the bed and changed her clothes. No, he did not speak or weep at the sad state his beloved was in. All Ben did was hold her, listen to her miserable cries until she ran out of tears and fell asleep in his arms.

The next day, Vivian accepted the invitation to see the bodies. It was awful. While their limbs and entire body were still technically intact, each person had an overwhelming amount of burns. Cecilia’s hands, lower arms, chest, and midsection had lost all of its outer skin. The ends of her once golden hair were now burnt to a crisp and covered in ash. Laying on the table next to Cecilia, Vincent held a much better anterior appearance. Like her, his face featured a variety of different cuts, scrapes, and burns, but the rest of his front looked almost fine. His backside, yet, was not as picturesque. A grotesque image of nonexistence, burnt flesh that oozed cruel torture to anyone’s eyes. It looked so painful. Vivian saw that even the back of his head was scorched off, hairless with fragile tissue barely maintaining its membrane-like hold.  

The only explanation to their injuries came from what little video the technicians were able to recover, Cecilia had held the explosive vial after its contents began emitting an unusual smoke in another lab member’s desk. The chemical erupted in her hands and she screamed in agony, dropping the substance and shattering its container. All hell broke loose as the room started to catch fire and the chemical began a cycle of explosions. In the final bursting stage, Vincent embraced Cecilia in a futile attempt to shield her from their inevitable fiery doom.

A total of seven workers were trapped in the lab, all of which now rested in their respective metal examining table. Vivian took note of the medical team’s useless endeavor to save her brother and his newlywed wife, I could’ve done better, I could’ve saved him. She also couldn’t help but scoff at their excuses: 

Had there not been so many others injured...

Had it not been a chemical fire...

Had she not been holding the vial...

Had his head not catch fire...

Had there been more time... 

Knowing Vivian, Ben was not surprised when she insisted that the burial was to be strictly private. It took place underneath a secluded willow tree where the two, along with Cecilia's parents, sat in a line with their legs crossed facing two parallel tombstones. Ben noticed that she was holding back tears and reached out to hold her hand. Eventually, the coffins were embedded in the ground, each person taking turns in shoveling dirt until both caskets were fully submerged.

Ben, however, did not expect Vivian to accept the lab company’s offer to include Vincent in a memorial to honor the seven employees that died in the accident. The ceremony was held outside of the lab’s facilities. Hundreds of people had come. Friends and family of each victim, as well as corporate figures, made up the crowd surrounding the building. Admiral speeches were given by the lab’s directors and many people were satisfied by the respect for the victims. It seemed as if it encouraged everyone to share condolences. By the fifth, “I’m sorry for your loss,” Vivian couldn’t take it anymore and headed back to the apartment with Ben.

The two now sat together in her plush white couch in silence. She did not cry, nor did she feel angry or sad. She just wished things were different. Ben wasn’t sure if it was the Force or if he just knew Vivian that well, but he could tell what she was feeling. 

“Vivian, there’s something I want to ask of you. It’s a little out there but please, just hear me out,” he started.

“I want you to come live with me, live with me and my family on the base,” Ben moved to the floor, trying to scope out her reaction, only to see her bewilderment, “I know it’s way too soon and you that love living on Viktas. I know that what I’m asking of you puts you in the middle of another war and-”

“Yes,” It was an impulsive answer, she didn’t even let him argue why he thought she should leave with him, “I’ll go with you. Not right now though, I need some time.”

“Of course. I’ll wait for forever if need be.” Ben smiled and leaned up to kiss her forehead. He would get to see her whenever he pleased. Spending hours apart was so much better than days. “I’ll talk to my parents about it. We can get larger living quarters and you can work in the med bay.”

He was clearly rushing things but Vivian couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. There was nothing much for her on Viktas, the chance to start anew was quite appealing. Besides, she wouldn’t be alone, she’d have Ben by her side.

When the time came that Vivian decided that she was ready to move on and move in with Ben, it took them nearly 2 weeks to get everything sorted out. All the furniture was sold and all her personal items were packed. Her collection of plants were thoughtfully gifted to neighbors and coworkers, but she did keep a few favorite flowers to take with her. They gave one final visit to Vincent and Cecilia’s graves with a promise to visit sometime. Their time was up on Viktas, the only thing left to do now, was leave.

On the Millennium Falcon, Vivian was jittery with excitement. It was her first time flying, it would also be the first time meeting Ben’s parents. She wondered what they would be like and if they would like her. 

Ben sensed her unease and tried to lighten the mood, “My mom’s pretty excited to meet you; she even got upset with me when I told her we’d need another week to finish packing.”

“Oh?” she gave him a teasing stare, “Well maybe, we would’ve finished sooner had it not been for someone getting distracted every time I bent over to pick up something!”

“How can you blame me! You were wearing the most irresistible short shorts in the galaxy! And when it wasn't the shorts, you’d wear that tiny skirt and you know I’m a sucker for those legs,” to prove his point, Ben rested his hand over her thigh  Besides, you can’t tell me that you didn’t love the attention.”

“You’re right, I did love it,” she giggled and kissed his nose.

He loved seeing her smile, he loved her. They were getting closer to the base and Ben figured it was a now or never moment. Better to prepare her now than everything being thrown at her there.

“Alright, so before we get there, there’s some stuff I need you to know. Starting off with who I really am. Vivian, my full name is Benjamin Organa-Solo.”

At first, she couldn’t help but laugh. Yet when she caught sight of his earnest expression, her own faltered, “You’re serious? So you mean to tell me that your mom is-”

“Former Princess Leia Organa.”

“And your dad is-”

“Former smuggler Han Solo. Yep. And get this, my uncle is Luke Skywalker. His training camp that I left, it was for Jedi training.”

 Vivian remained frozen and astonished to this revelation.

“Do you still love me?”

“Of course I still love you! I wouldn’t have agreed to come with you if I didn’t love you. It’s just,” she paused, “a lot to take in. Do you know how hard it’s going to be for me to impress your parents?”

He let out a relieved sigh, “My parents are going to love you, it’s hard not to love you. And even if they don’t, I love you.”

She hummed complacently but still seemed jittery, “Wait a sec, you were training to be a Jedi? Can you use the Force?”

“Technically, yes, but it’s been so long and I hardly ever use it. Sometimes, I use the Force without really trying, it just happens.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, let’s just say I know which of my moles and freckles are your favorite.”

“But I’ve never told you-” Vivian paused and made a sudden realization, “You can read my mind?!” she shrieked.

“Yes, but I’d rather call it, ‘hearing your thoughts’. I’m not actively trying to get into your head, you just think so loudly sometimes that it’s as if you were actually talking.”

She brought her hands to the sides of her face as if it’d prevent him from hearing her think, this shit’s crazy! “Will your parents be able to hear my thoughts?”

“My mom might,” he told her, “I think she might be Force sensitive, but she’s never admitted to it and I don’t think she’d try to pursue it. My guess is that, at most, she might only be able to figure out what you feel in a general sense.”

Vivian seemed more relaxed at that. Nevertheless, she struggled to wrap her head around something, Out of all the people in the galaxy, Ben Solo, huh.

Ben simply smiled in remembrance of her brother and like once before, he responded, “The one and only.”

“That’s weird. My parents should be here.” Nightfall was approaching by the time Ben and Vivian arrived at the base. Ben sent out a message that they’d be arriving within ten minutes and his eager mother assured him that she’d be there to greet them.

Vivian wobbled a bit while walking down the ship’s ramp and latched onto Ben’s arm for support, “Sorry, I guess flying got me a bit off balanced.”

“It’ll happen for the first few times. Hold onto me,” Ben lifted her off the ground and sat her down on a metal cargo box, “Wait here while I go find my parents. I’ll be right back,” and with a quick kiss, he sprinted away from the Falcon to start his search.

It didn’t take long after Ben left for another ship to land nearby. A man around Ben’s age came out and caught sight of Vivian. He was tall, tanned, and handsome. Three great reasons to explain his confident swagger as he neared her.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before. No, I would’ve remembered such a pretty face,” this mystery man in an offensive neon orange jumpsuit reached out to kiss the back of Vivian’s hand.

She quickly took her hand back and scooted back a bit further onto the cargo box. It’s almost flattering but the whole cocky act is only cute when Ben does it, she thought. “I actually just got here with my boyfri-

“You’ve got three seconds to get away from my girl, Dameron, or I’ll make sure you don’t make it back from the next mission.” Ben had returned alone.

Dameron, why does that sound so familiar. Wait... 

Neither of the two men saw it coming. In between his flirty gaze and confusion, a loud, painful smack came across Poe Dameron’s left cheek. It hit him so hard, he stumbled back a few feet, clutching at the newly formed red handprint.

“I am not a whore,” Vivian said calmly and jumped from where she had been seated. She headed back into the Falcon to retrieve an overnight bag she had packed with essentials and a few spare changes of clothes. Ben had the sliest grin on his face before he worked on loading the rest of her belongings onto a cart and leading her to their new living quarters. On the way there, Ben mentioned that his parents didn’t meet with them because of an emergency war meeting.

“Will it be alright? Do you need to go with them?” she worriedly asked him.

“No, it’s nothing they can’t handle or fix overnight. But instead of dinner tonight, we’ll be having breakfast with them tomorrow.”

“Breakfast,” she hummed, “That sounds less...menacing.” 

“You talk as if it’s going to be your last meal. I already told you, my parents are going to love you,” he reassured her just before stopping at a steel gray door, “This is it.”

Their new flat was large but not as big as her old apartment, only one bedroom, a bathroom, a parlor, and a kitchenette. Yet, she thought it was perfect for them, more than she could’ve asked for. As Ben was setting down boxes from the cart Vivian quickly spun, grabbed at his shirt and kissed him. He, of course, happily complied and dropped a box of her clothes from his hands in exchange for wrapping his arms around her waist. They shuffled momentarily but eventually settled on a nearby couch with Ben on top of her.

Before they went any further, Vivian pressed his chest to break apart their kiss, “Are you happy?”

“Very much so,” Ben lifted his hand to the side of her face, “Every now and then, I think it was selfish of me to bring you here, but then you look at me like that and it makes me so happy to think I’ll get to see you every day.”

“I want to make you happier.” ***

“Sweetheart, you’ve-” He was going to argue something along the lines that she’d already made him reach the ultimate levels of happiness; but instead, she pushed him off her body and got on her knees between his legs and at that moment, he knew he was done for.

“Just, bear with me, okay? I’ve never really done this before,” Vivian ran her nimble fingers from his knees to his thighs until she reached his crotch. She slowly made work on unbuttoning and unbuckling his pants before pulling them down along with his underwear. Vivian had undoubtedly seen Ben’s dick plenty of times, but she had never seen it like this. Up close and erect, he looked even more massive than usual. Her eyes hazed as she took note of how riled up he was, his veins bulging and pulsating, begging for her touch.

His arousal motivated her to wrap her fingers around his member and begin to slowly stroke him. It felt strange and a little awkward for her at first, but when she looked at his lust filled eyes and parted lips, it reassured her that she was doing this right. Vivian sped up her pace as she left soft kisses along with one, long lick on the underside of Ben’s cock. He gave a low growl and urged her to go faster but she was enjoying having him writhe too much to give in to his desires.

As Ben was trying to remember how to breathe, she continued to swirl her tongue around him and slowly dragged her nails across his thighs. He became even harder and Vivian took the opportunity to finally take in the tip of his dick and start sucking. Ben’s head lulled back along with a string of curse words, feeling as if he’d come apart then and there.

Although she was trying her best, bobbing her head and trying to get as much of him inside of her, Vivian couldn’t get more than half of his member into her mouth, but she wanted more. So she started sucking and faster, digging her nails into his skin and pushing herself even further.

“If you keep that up, I won’t last much longer,” he gasped and Vivian gladly proceeded with her lewd antics.  

She was determined to fit his entire length inside of her and when she did, Ben’s hips jerked forward and he grabbed a fistful of her hair. He started thrusting himself down her throat, using her mouth as a means to fuck, rendering them both into a mess of moans. It didn’t take much longer for Ben to pant Vivian’s name and reach his peak.

Her eyes fluttered as his hot seed spewed down her throat, but as his fluids were gushing inside of her, it became too much to handle and she let go of his cock with a soft ‘pop' - the remains of his orgasm spilling onto her chest. As he was coming down from his high, she grabbed his hand and ran it across her breasts before bringing it to her lips so that she could suck each cum covered finger.

When she finished, Vivian crawled her way onto Ben’s lap and nuzzled her head on his chest as his heaving died down.

“I think it’s safe to say that you’ve made me much happier,” Ben laughed and kissed her cheek, “It’s only fair I do the same for you.”

At that, Ben carried Vivian from the sofa to their new bed and gave her the same treatment, leaving her to think how the night went on much better than she’d expected.

Breakfast was held in Han and Leia’s dining room. Even Ben was surprised at the array his mother set up. Upon entering, Vivian handed Leia a vase of rare purple flowers she brought from Viktas and explained their meaning.

“They signify dignity and admiration. It’s said that if you prick your finger on one of its thorns and bleed, the flowers will be bound to your lifeline. They won’t need any care so long as you’re still breathing,” she said.

It was a bold, yet kind gesture that gave Leia a clearer sense of this young woman’s personality. She smiled as she accepted the gift, “You look even prettier in person.”

Vivian froze and blushed scarlet at Leia’s silky voice. Not really knowing what to respond in her flustered state, she stumbled out a small “Thank you.”

As they made their way around the table, something caught Vivian’s attention. Perched upon a shelf were four pictures of a younger Ben Solo. The first seemed to be from the day he was born; Han and Leia were holding their small infant with glee. For the next two photographs, Ben had a lightsaber. In one, he looked no older than ten and had a cheerful smile as he sat with his legs crossed, several rocks floating beside him. In the other, Ben resembled a moody teenager, entirely dressed in black clothing with an angsty expression. The last one was by far Vivian’s favorite. He looked fairly similar to how he did now, perhaps a few years younger, smiling and standing with his father in front of Millennium Falcon.

Vivian held her hand over her mouth in an attempt to hide her giggling, but she couldn’t help it, He looks so cute! Ben, embarrassed and flustered, hurried to her side and took the four pictures down, giving his mother a glare, “Not cool, Ma.”

Leia held her hands up defensively and smiled at Vivian, “I have more pictures I can show you later.”

“Ma!” 

Breakfast had taken much longer than expected. Han and Leia continued entertaining Vivian by embarrassing Ben with stories of his childhood. They tried to get to know her better with prying questions. All in all, it was a success for both parties.

As they were wrapping up, Vivian and Leia stacked up the plates and made their way to the kitchen for some ‘girl talk’.

“He truly cares for you,” Leia said. “I’ve never seen him like this, it’s like he’s becoming a better person because of you.”

“I feel the same way. He-”

“You don’t have to say anything else, I know,” Leia cut her off, “You wouldn’t have come here if you didn’t love him. I see the way you two look at each other, the way you act with each other, it reminds me of my husband and me. I’m glad Ben has you.”

Vivian pulled her lips into a genuine smile and hugged Leia. It was unexpected for the general, but she embraced her affectionately in return. Once they finished cleaning, they joined the boys in the living room to continue chatting on Ben’s teen phase were he idolized his grandfather in every way possible.

The fun, however, could only last for so long - Han and Leia were eventually called in for some last minute meetings. Ben decided then to give Vivian a tour of the base, reintroduce her to Poe (in which the latter apologized), and help her to unpack in their new living space.

“I told you they’d love you,” Ben proudly stated.

“You’re right and I actually had a lot of fun. But what you didn’t tell me was that you have your mother’s eyes and your father’s smile. And you definitely didn’t tell me how cute you were as a baby!” she teased.

Ben wasn’t sure how he’d do it, but he knew he needed to find and get rid of all his childhood pictures, especially the ones where he dressed up in a Darth Vader costume.

A/N: Not necessarily my best or favorite chapter but it’s there I guess. Anyways, sorry for not posting earlier but I was on a trip & didn’t really have much time to write. Plus, I was a little stumped because even though I’ve known what I want to write since day one, the actual work of turning bullet points into paragraphs isn’t as easy. Either way, I hope you enjoyed it & I’ll post the next chapter soon!

Credit to the space line divider break is here.

[thedatte08580-blog]

Kid.

This is actually for a fact that parent is actually certainly never effortless. My moms and dads had disfavored and beloved children. In the furnace from the afternoon, I stared at the tree as if in a trance and also asked yourself if the rigorous heat had triggered my mama's stroke. Since they wish to be actually like their moms and dads or more mature siblings, youngsters copy. Baseding Upon DOCTOR Kevin , PhD the head of state from Development Temperature, Some of the greatest ways to understand if a behavior is a problem is actually to trust your inclinations and to learn about harassing methods." Below is a listing of some of the best typical red flags. Anyhow, you truly brought this to click the following article forefront for me. I think there might be actually an edge concern to it - youth sexuality in itself, yet that is actually a various subject matter. A few days later on, Carolyn came home and also showed she had actually been actually bullied through this same little one when he came close to a buddy from hers and also indicted them of tattling as well as obtaining him into problem. While reduced blood pressure by itself is not harmful, this still must be resolved through a medical professional to eliminate any rooting source. Becoming a lot more aware, coming to be conscious of a brand new method from checking out our own selves and also life is the beginning from a process from learning how to forgive as well as Affection our self. Consequently, the solitary mom as well as her time should always show respect for every other whenever they're in front from their children. When an individual transforms 18 it is actually time for all of them to start moving towards a much more adult like posture in life, the major factor that a lot of folks feel is actually that. Folks will certainly simply see exactly how awkward I am actually.' For the upcoming couple of days, she found herself acting on these thought and feelings, also clothing in a different way in an initiative to 'cover her upper legs as well as issue places.' She came to be much less singing in appointments, experiencing not sure from herself and uneasy," Firestone composes. This permits educators to deal with the class (generating electronic trainee portfolios, taking presence, scheduling 1-on-1 meetings) as well as interact with the parents (improving the on the internet calendar, tracking trainee progress, and releasing grade records). Discovering the difference between pretending and lying is an important component to your kid's moral advancement. The tractor pull in between Linda as well as Betty expanded to massive proportions when Betty shed every one of Dan's tailor-made fits on her frontal yard in initiative to reveal him that she meant business as well. CSS Parent-Child Partnership: In CSS, the parent-child connection corresponds to the human variation. Practically 60 little ones were taken to health center in eastern India after they were wrongly advised to ingest a hepatitis B injection as opposed to polio drops, representatives mentioned Monday. Due to the fact that children who are spoiled commonly carry out certainly not must discover how to resolve their very own troubles, they can easily lack the life capabilities required to properly negotiate the requirements from adulthood. The Rh antigens are identified next to pair of homologous however unique proteins connected in the membrane from red cell. " This's unethical to criticize parents for using a mobile application to maintain their little ones closer to them. Some kids, consisting of several who involve UF's facility, have signs thus intense that prevents all of them coming from playing with friends or perhaps heading to institution, Merlo claimed.

[lotsofdogs]

Natural Facial Cleansers I Love

When I first became pregnant with Chase back in 2014, I quickly did what many expectant mothers do and Googled foods to avoid. This lead me to learn about other things I should avoid, including exposure to certain chemicals and, much to my surprise, ingredients in some of my beloved beauty products. As a Clean & Clear Morning Burst face wash devotee for YEARS (a total paraben and sulfate bomb), I had some major overhauling to do to my beauty products and most of it seriously overwhelmed me. In fact, it still does.

So I started small… with my face wash!

Truthfully, my mission to convert some of my beauty products to more natural options is an ongoing process mainly because it’s admittedly challenging and constantly evolving. There is SO much information out there and it can almost make me feel frozen. Taking small steps to improve my beauty products over time is the best way for me to approach this goal.

There are some products I may never completely convert (mascara comes to mind because I am SO picky) but others, like facial cleansers and moisturizers are a bit easier. Unless you moisturize solely with coconut oil and cleanse your face with tea tree oil, the ingredient lists on products – even green ones – can seem scary. Many safe ingredients look like chemicals (like many essential oils) but I am starting slow and focusing on purchasing products free of parabens, sulfates, BHT and BHA, phthalates, oxybenzone and triclosan.

Why these ingredients? Here’s a brief rundown of the harm they can do:

Parabens: Serve as a preservative and have the ability to mimic estrogen, lead to hormone imbalance and interfere with the function of your endocrine system

Sulfates: A cleansing and foaming agent found to break down proteins which can lead to a degenerative effect on cell membranes

BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene): Used to lighten skin, BHA and BHT are considered by the National Toxicology Program as a likely carcinogen and both are banned in Europe

Phthalates: Plasticizing chemicals that are probable disruptors to the reproductive system (particularly in males); two phthalates (dibutyl and diethylhexyl) have been banned in Europe

Oxybenzone: Common in sunscreen to absorb UV light, can cause skin irritation and endocrine disruption

Triclosan: Often used in antibacterial hand soaps, deodorants and toothpaste; a possible endocrine disruptor that can harm your thyroid and reproductive hormones

Of course there are many, many other potentially harmful ingredients out there, but this is just a starting point for me and these are some of the ingredients that appear to be most common and the most harmful.

The following four facial cleansers are cleansers I’ve been using for quite a while now. I rotate through them (though I use the Amara Organics one in the shower every day) and love them all for different reasons which I have detailed below.

Natural Facial Cleansers I Love

Amara Organics Vitamin C Facial Cleanser

I purchased Amara Organics Vitamin C Facial Cleanser on Amazon Prime after I received my first facial in years in the spring of this year. My aesthetician gave me a vitamin C facial and spoke at length about the benefits of vitamin C for your skin. (The brief summary: Vitamin C helps fight free-radicals and prevent sun damage to our skin. It’s necessary for collagen production and can help reduce signs of aging.) As I began to hunt for a natural cleanser with vitamin C that was made with no sulfates, parabens or dyes, I quickly stumbled upon Amara Organics and with 600+ almost 5-star reviews on Amazon, I figured I would give it a shot.

My love for this cleanser was instant. So many natural face washes I’ve tried seem to leave a film behind on my skin but this one washed clean and left my skin feeling fresh but not dry or tight. It’s my favorite cleanser of the bunch and one I’ve ordered over and over again since I first discovered it. (FYI, I also LOVE the same brand’s anti-aging moisturizer.) The only con I have for this cleanser is that it can sting a bit if I get it in my eyes, but I learned that quickly and just take extra care to avoid contact with my eyes when washing my face with this cleanser.

Beautycounter Nourishing Cream Cleanser

Beautycounter’s Nourishing Cream Cleanser is the best moisturizing cleanser I’ve found to date. Truth be told most other cleansers that claim to be deeply moisturizing do not leave my face feeling clean at all and this one is definitely an exception. The cleanser is incredibly gentle but still effective at removing makeup and dirt. It’s a wonderful cleanser to use during the colder months of the year when my skin can often feel overly dry and in desperate need of nourishment.

I completely trust the ingredients in all of Beautycounter’s products (their Tint Skin Foundation is my go-to when I need more coverage on my face), so this cleanser was actually my first foray into cleaner and safer facial cleansers. I’ve tried a pretty decent handful of Beautycounter products and loved some more than others and this product is one of my favorites. (If anyone is interested in a post highlighting the Beautycounter products I’ve loved and those I’ve found not so great, let me know. I’m not a consultant and don’t sell Beautycounter but I am happy to give an honest rundown of my thoughts if it’s of interest since I feel like so many of the Beautycounter reviews out there seem to – understandably – come from consultants.)

Botanics Invigorating Face Scrub

My Botanics Invigorating Face Scrub was an impulse buy at Target and is the most affordable of all the cleansers I’ve tried. I treat this scrub as a once-or-twice-a-week exfoliator since the scrub is a little more rough and contains contains willow bark extract to help slough away dirt and makeup to unclog pores and combat uneven skin tones. It makes my skin feel smooth and gives me a deep clean feeling I find myself craving when I wear more makeup than usual after a dinner with girlfriends or a date night out with Ryan.

Pacifica Berry Clean Super Fruit Face Wash

This cleanser is one of the more affordable natural cleansers I’ve tried (it’s $10) and also seems to be the most gentle. It leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated and the gel formula is different than most other cleansers on the market. Perhaps my favorite part of this cleanser is the bright, slightly fruity sweet scent. It smells the most pleasant and the least earthy of the bunch.

Question of the Day

Do you use natural beauty products? If so, are there any you absolutely love and swear by?

I’d love to hear your recommendations, especially when it comes to concealer because I have yet to find a high-quality, effective natural concealer.  

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Sources:

Chemicals to Avoid in Skincare

Oxybenzone Health Concerns

Are Parabens and Phthalates Harmful?

Beauty Ingredients to Avoid

Exposure to Chemicals in Cosmetics

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