#no one should be mean to sharks regardless of their species

[jellyfishmakeoutparty]

next time you make baseless claims about how scary sharks are, look at a salmon shark.

look at him. you’re gonna look at him and tell me he’s infesting our waters? that this is a creature of terror?

look at him. look at him real good. this is a little dude. how fucking dare you talk about him this way. he’s gonna cry now, look at what you did. bet you feel real fucking stupid, huh? real silly? you better. think about what you’ve done. bitch

[therobotmonster]

Build Your Character Like a Ninja Turtle...

Working on a character for fiction or gaming that needs to be interesting and dynamic but doesn’t need to be terribly serious? I believe I’ve back-engineered the formula behind the classic (by which I mean middle of the original 88 toyline’s run) TMNT flavor that worked oh so well. This is mostly applicable to battle animal type stuff, but with some abstraction, it can work for anything.

The Basics:

On the basic level, It’s a pretty simple breakdown:

Animal (or “type”) + Cool Job/Skill + Schtick.

A trio of identifiable character touchstones that give the audience a quick portrait fo the character that draws them into more detailed exploration.

For example:

Turtle / Ninja / Party Dude

The “animal” component of the process is the least literal. In the battle animal genre, this is where the species would be, but its really the first thing that hooks you into the character at a glance, and it comes with expected traits that can be embraced or subverted. In D&D terms this is where the player race would land, but in other settings it can be as general as “big buff lady” or “skinny slouchy dude”  If you’re in a high school setting, the clique can fit here. Is it the 50s? “Greaser” goes here. etc.

In the case of Michelangelo, his turtle-ness suggests an armored shell and aquatic aptitude (which he has) and slowness (which he does not), so there’s a mix of embraced and subverted traits.

“Cool Job” also doesn’t have to be literal, but generally its a set of abilities and powers that stack on top of the “animal” traits, preferably in an identifiable package. The “Ninja” part of Mikey gives him the cool abilities that make him competent. In D&D terms, this is a character class. The expectations of the cool job should either directly subvert what you’d expect form the “animal” category or lean heavily into it.

The traits of a ninja are not the ones you expect of a turtle, so there’s an interesting irony there. On the other hand, fellow TMNT character Hot Spot

Is a firefighting dalmatian, which is perfectly on-brand and works because it feels right.

The schtick is whatever you want it to be, but it is the most important part of the formula. The schtick is a go-to character hook, a central personality quirk or gimmick that informs the rest of the package. The TMNT can have identical species and jobs because they have four very distinct shticks, called out in the theme song: Leonardo Leads, Donatello does machines, Raphael is cool but rude, and Michelangelo is a party dude.

Central characters should have broad shticks like “angry loner” or “lover of nature”, while supporting cast characters can have very narrow, exaggerated ones like “skater dude” or “always doing pro-wrestler kayfabe”. or “is a victorian spiritualist” 

Regardless, when thehumansona  coffee shop AU has boiled away the claws and the powers its the schtick that is left to hold the character together.This is the central circuit that will determine how they choose to address a problem. 

You can have multiple characters with the same schtick if they have different enough cool jobs, but its advisable to keep them distinct where possible. One of the problems Street Sharks had was indistinct shticks. If everyone on the team shares a single cool job, specialization is helpful. If everyone on the team shares a schtick, then that’s just a team traits and they still need individual shticks to stand out. 

These three parts form a sort of framework for the character, you still need a fleshed out interesting character under it all, but as a framework I think the A/J/S triangle makes for bold, fun characters that can be introduced quickly and understandably. “Michelangelo the Ninja Turtle, he’s a cool dude who likes to party” “He-Man,the Most Powerful Man in the Universe*, he’s secretly a well-meaning prince named Adam”,“Xorkan the Kobold Rogue, he’s stealing back the bones he needs to rebuild his brother,” etc.

*(I am not sure whether “exceptionally muscular barbarian” is the job and “most powerful man in the universe” is the species or if its the other way around)

It also provides you with a ready made set of themes and expectations to embrace or subvert in whatever way makes the most sense. The more corners of the triangle a given ability or character trait can tap into the better.

For best results, the combination of traits should inspire one or more of the following: confusion, intrigue, unease, laughter, confusion 2 (the good kind), or the kind of anger induced by a really bad pun.

[dwollsadventures]

The second part of a request from TheLOAD from... a while back. The initial one was the Nix/Nokk/Knucker piece. This one took me a little longer for a few reasons. Mostly school reasons. And writer's block reasons,  which is why this is taking the place of the monthly preview. And because, for research, I had to re-read the entirety of Drakon by Daniel Ogden for information. For those not used to my pedantry, this is not an "in-canon" family tree of the Greek dragons, such as you might see in those huge Greek mythology family tree pictures that are on the internet (I've got a few in my favorites from waaaaayyyy back as well). Rather, this is a way of showing how the concept of the dragon came about throughout time and how other beings are related through those branching lines. Of course this is presented as a lot more neat than it probably should be. If it were truly accurate it would have interconnected lines all over the place and obscure the little lizards. Before we talk about what's on the tree let's talk about what's not on it. Though Odgen talks about every (and I mean every) slightly Draconic being in Greek and Roman mythology, I've opted to include a trimmed down version. Because some, like Medusa and Lamia, I personally do not consider dragons proper, and others like the goddess Keto are relatively obscure and probably only exist to explain the existence of a related being (like the ketea). Creatures like Chimera and Typhoeus are included because, while not usually serpentine or draconic, they are in effect dragons; horrible, vaguely reptilian monsters slain by a hero. Not every individual dragon is depicted, only the ones I thought pertinent to include. (warning: LONG)

To start with, a drakon is a snake. The Greeks used the word to refer to both huge monsters and mundane snakes. Drakon itself is derived from the word dérkomai and is believed to literally mean, "the one who sees". The hypnotizing power attributed to snakes is present in drakons, traditionally given the job of the sleepless guardian of treasure. Going back even further, we see that the drakon comes from two disparate cultural perceptions of snake, each of which is still present in its classical form.

Snake Goddess - One of the native precursors of the Greeks were the Minoans. They had more in common with their Egyptian and Near Eastern neighbors than the Italians and Balkans. From what little we can gather of their culture, it appears the snake was a symbol of the goddess. Whether or not it was any goddess in particular is unknown. This theme survives into ancient Greece, however. Athena often uses snakes as agents when acting with mortals, Hera uses them as well (the twin serpents who attempted to strangle Heracles and the Hydra), and Medea had a chariot pulled by snakes. Earth goddesses in particular are heavily associated with them. Python was a direct product of Gaia, and the snake was a divine symbol of Demeter, who also had a rad snake chariot. Even in mortal women, their dynamic with snakes and dragons is nurturing. Several heroines sing to snakes as their masculine counterparts steal the treasure they guard, fulfilling a nurturing role in comparison to the destructive masculine one. Here the snake is a guardian, a creature of the earth and everything beneath it, including gold and the dead. These dragons are usually not slain, but pacified by the presence of a woman. In addition, the beard is an originally Greek symbol associated with snakes, particularly those connected to the gods. This was quite possibly a signifier of their supernatural status above mundane serpents. The goddess depicted above isn't any one in particular, though her dress does pull from a statue of Athena holding a curled python.

Drakaina - One way in which the snake goddess has survived is in the drakaina. This word is simply the feminine form of drakon, but also encompasses the numerous beings characterized by having the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a drakon. Numerous beings in Greek mythology fit this theme, but the one I've focused on is the Scythian drakaina, a woman who intercepts Heracles during one of his labors and kidnaps some cows. She offers to return the cattle in exchange for a night of intercourse. And then Herc is off and we're told the three sons of that union go on to become kings of great renown in Scythia. Some authors interpret this as a Greek adaptation of a Scythian myth, with one of the key pieces of evidence being that the drakaina's name is Hora, meaning "Seasons". Regardless of whether or not this is a goddess, it is a story where the snake-woman is neither killed nor stolen from, instead given the prestige of being the founder of a line of kings.

PIE Chaos Serpent - From the Proto-Indo-Europeans up North, we get the dragon we're all more familiar with. Serpents of this breed, such as Apep, Tiamat, and Jormungand, are all enormous, destructive creatures allied with darkness and the unforgiving seas. They represent the primordial chaos from what order sprang out of, and often have a hand in trying to return the world to that way. One of the primary themes associated with them is the dragon slayer: a god or hero who fights a dragon to save something, be it a land or treasure or an Ethiopian princess.

Typhoeus - This guy, though significantly more humanoid and giant-like than any others, is the clearest example of a PIE chaos serpent in Greece. It does not get more typical than a giant snake (like) monster fighting a storm god. Typhoeus probably sprung from traditions where he was more serpentine, but gradually added other aspects. Such as his own storm god qualities. In Greece, gods associated with the winds are always given wings, save for Zeus. The two's battle is reflective of a battle between the terrible whirlwinds and lightning strikes and the calmer, helpful rain showers that enable humanity to survive. 

And then we get to the drakon proper. Taking elements from both sides of the tree, the archetypal Greek drakon is an enormous, often monstrous serpent associated with both the underground and the waters in some way. They are agents of gods, most often goddesses, sent to battle heroes or guard priceless treasures. Sometimes they're killed, sometimes they're merely lulled to sleep by a helpful maiden. Rather than breathing fire (which everything from mechanical bulls to horses to giants do), they possess venoms and rows of sharp teeth. Mention of their terrible gazes is often made. This drakon has both a beard and a casque-like crown, common elements in drakon descriptions from Greece. Its face is much less serpentine, being modeled after a clay illustration of the Colchian dragon. This gives is a suitably monstrous look, as if it were being pealed from layers of mud.

Chimera - Despite its odd appearance, the chimera fits the pattern of a dragon terrorizing a countryside and being slain by a plucky hero. The chimera may in fact be the originator of the classical Saint George imagery, where the saint is depicted as towering over a crawling, pitiful dragon. A 3rd century mosaic from Imperial Rome may have started this trend. What makes her (because despite her mane the Chimera is a female) stand apart from all the rest is the sheer strangeness of her form compared to others. Especially the little goat that comes out of her back, like a rider. Which I had to cut for spacing reasons :(

Hydra - Another classical Greek dragon is the multi-headed hydra, who has given its name to a whole genre of creatures with more heads than they ought to have. In addition to having the attributes of a typical Greek drakon, the Hydra has two traits seen in Mesopotamian monsters as well. The first is the amount of heads. Having many heads is not as common in Greece as it is in the Near East, where the idea of an eleven-headed sea serpent pops up numerous times across several different cultures. The second is that the hydra, in its earliest mentioning by Hesiod, is said to have been raised by Hera specifically to combat Heracles. This same tactic is done by a few Mesopotamian gods. In their realm of influence, monsters are pawns of the gods, who send them out to do their bidding on Earth while they lounge in Heaven. Our Hydra may have been a later influence from Greece's neighbors to the East. Also, had to add in the crab that Hera also sends in to help the hydra. If this were a spec bio piece, I would make it a species of crab that evolved to clean the hydra of parasites.

Cetus - Sea monsters such as these are perhaps the furthest from the traditional Greek drakon, while still remaining core parts of the mythology. In form cetoi range from exaggerations of real whales and sharks to dog-headed serpents with frilly fins and ears. Or even animal-headed fish. Because they live underwater, they almost always function as tools of divine vengeance. Kinda hard to steal treasure underwater. Heavy metal tends to sink. While cetus was originally a word for any sea monster, it would eventually become the root of the scientific term cetacean: whales and dolphins.

But the tree doesn't end there. See, even after the culture we recognize as the Ancient Greeks and Romans faded, their dragons still lived on. Medieval Europe, with its glorification of Greco-Roman texts, derived many of their folk beliefs from their predecessors. Or, the people who they liked to imagine were there predecessors.

Draco - The Romans adopted the Greek drakon whole-clothe, like a lot of stuff. The only noteworthy original dragon to come out of the pre-Fall Roman era was the Dacian Draco. The Dacians used the image of a dragon as a standard during war-time, represented as a serpent with the head of a dog. When conquered, the Romans adopted this, possibly beginning the Western tradition of associating dragons with military power and identity. The dog-headed serpent would also survive to the modern period, showing up in descriptions of Balkan lamya. 

Indian Drakon - Here begins a tradition in Greek and Roman literature that claimed that foreign parts were full of large, dangerous, and more interesting fauna than the mundane peninsula they were all stuck on. This is a common theme of humanity in general, where everyone you're not familiar with is teeming with exciting and ancient life. Just look at cryptozoology. India in particular was a favorite of Greek tall tales, being far away for journeys to be rare, but also rich and full of exotic animals. Philostratus populated India with three types of drakons: the lowly marsh, the silver hill, and the dazzling golden mountain drakons. They were typical in every respect, having enormous sizes, red crowns, beards, and guarding treasure beneath the earth. An interesting addition was that they were the mortal enemies of elephants. Being the largest land-animal (in real life), they made perfect prey for these humongous serpents. Feeding on them was fraught with peril, however, as the struggle between reptile and mammal could result in the death of either party, or both. To symbolize the foreignness of the drakon, I drew it as a sort of hybrid between the drakon and the Hindu naga. 

Pliny's Drakon - This drakon is otherwise the same as the Indian, but is the start of another theme. As time went on, philosophers began taking more grounded looks at fantastical animals. While also perpetuating even more outrageous falsehoods. None was more popular than Pliny the Elder, hence the name. He believed that, while foreign drakons might be real, they were much more similar to the snakes of Greece than the monsters of legend. He scoffed at the crowns and hair they were adorned with. His Natural History was the first of many instances where the fantastical elements of the dragon were toned down to seem more palatable to a scientifically minded audience. It also introduced an interest into the life history of the dragons, treating them as real animals with lives beyond the myths. Our dragon up top evolved to resemble pythons, rather than the other way around to what probably happened in real life, where pythons were exaggerated to become dragons.

Then, we get two foreign influences, which would come to shape the modern definition of the European dragon. Christianity's influence cannot be understated here. As Jonathan Evans states in Medieval Folklore, the dragon came to be confused with several other desert animals. In Jewish and early Christian belief, desert animals were themselves demonic, living in inhospitable regions devoid of human life. Later, texts like Revelations would specifically denote dragons as heralds of evil, and even harbingers of Armageddon itself. This is in contrast to the morally neutral Leviathan. In the medieval era, dragons were beings of evil, without a doubt. Bestiaries were full of on the nose fables about how the natural lives of dragons. Like how they could not stand the breath of a panther (a symbol of Jesus Christ). Or how they could not catch birds that nested in the Peridexion tree (the tree being the church and the birds being Christians, who are safe from the devil so long as they do not stray from the arms of God). This is represented by a typical medieval devil, being brightly colorful and made in mockery of God's creations, aka a weird hybrid with a snake coming out of his butt. Then, the Germanic dragon. This is seen especially in Northern and Western Europe. The Germanic dragon is otherwise similar to the Greek, except that it began as a character of evil. Lindworms and other serpents are almost always antagonists, and there is no heroine who saves them from their fate of death. They also had a stronger connection to treasure. Greek dragons guarded treasure as a job, but the very existence of Germanic dragons is tied with their golden hoards. In addition, in Greek myths, getting transformed into an animal is usually the end of one's story. With the Germanic dragon, it's merely the beginning. Transformed dragons act as antagonists and moral lessons wrapped in one; a lesson to all to not be greedy. Germanic dragons, represented by the lindworm, reinforced their role as antagonists and agents of selfish evil.

Which finally brings us to the medieval dragon. In a way, this creature is a mix of everything above. The dragon is an animal and demon in one, simultaneously a figure of evil who spoils the land around them and a living being with its own life and needs. The medieval era also introduces the origin of dragons, showing them as having nests and young, not simply coming into existence out of the earth or sea like before. They also developed some less reptilian traits, like wings and hair. This was probably because of artistic traditions among the monks who wrote bestiaries rather than popular legend, which continued to conflate them with snakes and lizards and even crocodiles. This particular line of the tree would develop a life of its own, spreading far and wide across Europe and eventually reaching beyond the seas. Our modern conceptions of dragons are a whole 'nother story.

[ontheoddoccasioniwritestuff]

Seahorse (Spencer Reid x Trans Male!Reader) NSFW

Summary: Spencer and Y/N have always wanted kids. Here’s the time Spencer was brave enough to broach the subject of how they would go about it. Plus a few more times after that.

AN: @imagining-in-the-margins​ came up with the idea of Spencer’s trans bf having a baby amidst man many many prompts for Spencer x male!reader to indulge my daydreaming and I ran with this prompt. 

Thank you to @writing-in-april​ for being my beta on this one! Couldn’t have done it without you, beebs <3

This is the NSFW version. If you are under the age of 18, please do not read! Here’s a SFW version of the story.

Word Count: 5.7k words 

Content Warnings: Trans man is pregnant, coming off testosterone, impregnation kink, pre-op sex, allusions to Prison!Spencer.

Masterlist // Gif Credit // SFW Version

The halls echoed with the unbridled joy of little ones calling out “Nemo” and “Dory” at the sight of the clown and surgeon fishes. Spencer bounced on the balls of his feet as he looked around the next room in search of his goal. He stopped when Y/N spared a look in his direction, away from the tank that had captured his attention for a solid five minutes.

“JJ sent me a video of a shrimp solving a Rubik’s Cube the other day.” He grinned.

Ah yes. JJ had also sent Spencer a video of little Henry swinging a mini softball bat about just like Spencer had done. For one game and one game only he had insisted, despite Y/N’s own resolve that he looked hot in the kit.

The walk through the tunnel was the slowest slog Spencer felt, but it was the only attraction in the aquarium to properly distract him. Lights above them filtered through the water, bouncing off the painted walls of the tank in a blue glow. Various species in a perfectly balanced ecosystem swam around one another without a care in the world. A particular stingray flapped its body against the glass, and three children nearby laughed at its funny shaped mouth.

“I used to sit on my mum’s shoulders when we walked through these. Touch the ceiling as if I could pet the fishes.” And Y/N’s hands stretched up over him, his eyes following a shark that slinked overhead, “When I got too old, I’d just press my nose against the glass and stare back.”

Nerves returned at the sight of a circular tank in the centre of the room holding something familiar. Seahorses curled their tails around the plants that waved together like a crowd at a concert. Little babies bobbed about the parents, translucent and wriggly.

Spencer coughed and spoke while Y/N took in the creatures, “Did you know that the seahorse is the only animal where the male carries the children?”

Suddenly his throat was dry; the words he’d been rehearsing dragged to a halt. Y/N turned to face him properly, guiding Spencer to the left as a little girl stood on tiptoe to see the seahorses as he continued to struggle.

“Well, that might not be true actually.” Spencer choked a little on his words, his voice’s volume steadily declining into a soft whisper, “I know that some human men can have babies.”

Y/N’s face clouded with doubt for a moment. Then it clicked and his face cleared, “Spencer, tell me what you’re getting at.”

Spencer twisted his hands around one another, “Have you ever thought about us having kids… biologically?” He watched Y/N’s Adam’s apple dip as he swallowed hard

“You mean like me being pregnant?”

“Yes, have you considered it an option for us?”

The conversations of other aquarium patrons were forgotten as Y/N took his gaze away from Spencer. His eyebrows were low as he considered his words carefully. Y/N always thought about the implications of what he was saying, maybe a little too much. Spencer could be biased though; his impatience did not mix well with his anxieties.

Eventually, Y/N turned back with a brave face and said, “I’d have to think about it some more.”

“Ok.” Spencer nodded, his chin wobbling a little.

There was hope though: he needed to think “some more”. Implying Y/N had thought about this before.

Near the end of their trip, Spencer did find himself in a staring contest with a little seahorse plushie with large eyes and an anatomically inaccurate tongue hanging out. In all honesty, it was kind of ugly.

“Spencer, come on. You know how I get around stuffed animals.”

How empathetic his boyfriend really was, projecting feelings of love onto the inanimate objects then making the excuse that he had to buy it now.

Spencer did have to leave the toy behind though. Out into the sunlight of the parking lot, he winced before he put his sunglasses back on.

“Park?” Y/N offered his hand and smiled. It was an olive branch, something to say that Spencer’s query had not ruined their day out together.

Spencer accepted and squeezed his hand. “Park.”

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

 Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Y/N had a hand on their lower belly, some space between the fingers as if there was an invisible bump there to accommodate. His head had tilted while he thumbed over the air.

As drowsy as Spencer was from work, his mind was focused without a distraction on what he had seen through the ajar bathroom door. He could barely pay attention to the Doctor Who episode Y/N put on. In fact, he doubted anything could take his attention away from the idea of having a child with-

“What do you think about me being pregnant?”

Spencer’s eyes shot wide open, then they were covered slightly by his inquisitive eyebrows in his attempt find an answer. Especially with Y/N looking on him while he waited for him.

“I think you’d be so beautiful carrying our baby. But if you wouldn’t be comfortable, then I wouldn’t make you. We still have surrogacy, fostering, adoption to consider,” was his answer. Never a lie, but the truth was always softened.

Seemingly satisfied, Y/N looked back at the episode. But Spencer couldn’t wait anymore, forgetting about anything else in the world except for this.

“What do you think, Y/N?” His body leant in towards his boyfriend’s.

Squirming in their spot on the couch, Y/N hummed before he answered, “I froze some of my eggs before I started my transition. I also sold some, for a down payment on a house or my wedding.”

Spencer’s heart thrilled at the possibilities. A house together? Matching suits at their wedding? He almost neglected to think about the fact that pregnancy was suddenly a very viable option for their future.

Regardless of Spencer’s many, many thoughts, Y/N continued, “And I thought that perhaps, if I found the right person, I would like to carry their child.” His palm opened up to him and Spencer instantly took it. “I know you’re the right person, but I’m not sure I want a baby now.”

“Of course,” Spencer lifted Y/N’s hand to his lips, “Whenever we’re both ready.”

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

Spencer pushed the dirty bedsheets into the washing machine; it wasn’t that big a deal. If the blood didn’t come out, then they could always buy a new set. Although they should really be saving money for decorating the nursery.

“Spenceerrrr.”

As the machine rumbled into life, Spencer returned to Y/N, curled up on the sofa with a heat pad to his gut. No amount of warnings from their doctor could have prepared Spencer for how emotionally straining it was to see his boyfriend suffering. Y/N was taking this a lot harder than Spencer – and rightfully so, it was his body that was changing.

“Why did I have to have such strong paternal instincts?” He grumbled with his eyes still closed.

Spencer let out a laugh, but it was cut off quick when Y/N whimpered loudly. He knelt down before him and cupped his face. Y/N’s cheeks were warm; his hands clung to Spencer’s wrists like a lifeline.

“What do you need?” Spencer asked softly and Y/N sighed, keening into his cooler palms.

“Can you tell me I’m handsome please?”

“You are the most handsome man in the world, and I adore you every minute of every day.” Spencer kissed Y/N’s pouting lips gently, “Handsome inside and out, I never wanna think about life without you. You just make everything in my life better.”

His fingers moved to brush away a tear that slipped down Y/N’s face and over the ridge of his nose. But he missed and it dripped onto the pillow.

“You’re doing so much for us, for our baby.”

“It’s not even real yet,” Y/N sniffled. His hands finally released Spencer and pressed the heat pad into him.

“It’s gonna be.” Spencer bumped their noses together, “We’re gonna be dads.”

A hoarse laugh met with a hint of a groan in Y/N’s chest, “Yeah. We’re gonna be dads.” That sound and those words were all Spencer needed to feel better. But he wished the same could be said for Y/N. The only thing he could provide was a promise of future relief:

“How about we order in tonight?”

“Ugh, yes.” Y/N burrowed his face into the pillow.

When their bed was made up properly, Spencer and Y/N cuddled together. Unfortunately, Y/N was restless, trying to find a comfortable position while his painkillers kicked in. Spencer kept his complaints to himself, allowing himself to be shifted around in Y/N’s hunt for relief. Honestly it was the least he could do.

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

“The reproductive process begins when a male and a female seahorse do daily pre-dawn dances, intertwining their tails and swimming together.”

“Well, it’s nearly nine, so definitely past dawn.”

“I’m trying to be romantic, Y/N.”

Y/N adjusted the bed sheets around his middle, “We don’t have tails either and - if I remember correctly - your last sexy swimming encounter ended poorly.”

Spencer flushed at the memory of Lila in the pool; another memory turned the pink to red. Y/N had laughed so hard his gut ached when Spencer told him about how awkward he had been around Lila. This was before the context of the case had been disclosed, promptly removing the space for any more laughter.

“Baby?”

Y/N was touching his face. Spencer’s head emptied itself of all thoughts of Lila. This was not what he wanted to be thinking about right now. Y/N’s laughter maybe, but none of the rest.

Tucking a curl behind his ear, Y/N leant in close, “If I’m ready, and you’re ready, you know what happens.” His eyes wandered down Spencer’s face, “And it’s not swimming together.”

But, just as their lips were about to touch, Y/N jerked away from him. “Wait, I gotta brush my teeth first.”

Spencer moaned with indignation while falling backwards onto the bed as Y/N disappeared from view. A few seconds later, he heard the electric toothbrush buzzing. With a burst of energy, he stripped himself down to his underwear – a petty way to get back at Y/N who had made it very clear that undressing Spencer was one of his favourite parts of their sex life.

When Y/N returned, with the minty freshness he apparently desired more than his own boyfriend, he said “What? You already did this morning?”  His eyes looked down at Spencer’s chest and his lips twitched into a pout. 

Spencer held back his grin, keeping his triumph at retaliation to himself as he said, “I wouldn’t have minded.”

“That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard, Spencer.”

And with that, Y/N crawled onto the bed, over Spencer’s body and kissed him silly.

Any remaining thoughts of sleep were dispelled as the men took turns worshipping each other’s bodies. Impatience chased them in their desires, deliciously enticing them to push the pleasure further and faster. While Y/N kissed his neck, Spencer’s thoughts fixated on how perfect his boyfriend felt pressed up next to him. He couldn’t wait anymore, he just had to get inside him.

“Let me put a baby in you, Y/N.”

A whine passed through Y/N’s lips at his words as he adjusted his grasp on Spencer’s body, a hand in his hair to pull him back in.

“Do it.” He whispered into the space between them, “Please.”

As quick as they appeared, the insecurities Spencer and Y/N were holding released. Their moans harmonised when Spencer finally pushed into Y/N. His legs wrapping around his skinny waist, luring him in. Spencer was enraptured by the feeling of his boyfriend’s weight against him. God, he wanted to go slow, appreciate Y/N for all he was worth. But his greed got the better of his intentions, eating up all of Y/N’s encouragements – both the words and the noises snatched from his throat.

When they were both spent, Spencer and Y/N sagged into the mattress, wrapped up in each other and the covers. The burning warmth of their bodies drew up two soporific smiles on their faces.

“You know, a seahorses’ body shape means that they’re inept swimmers, and they can actually die of exhaustion.”

Y/N poked Spencer’s sternum. “Is that your way of makin’ fun of my stamina? Give me a few minutes; I’ll be on you like a rash.”

Grinning at such a prospect, Spence continued, “They also mate for life monogamously.”

He felt two fingers touch his cheek, "Spencer, I love you and your endless fountain of knowledge.” Y/N paused to peck the corner of his lips, “But I’m not actually a seahorse. And, though I do plan to mate with you for life, if you wake me up before the sun is above the horizon for a ‘dance’, I'm gonna suffocate you with my new body pillow.”

“Oh, you got your pillow?”

“It’s en route.” Hence why Y/N was content to use Spencer in lieu of said pillow.

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

When Spencer disclosed to Hotch that he would need some time off because he and Y/N were considering having a kid, first thing on a Monday morning, Hotch didn’t let anything on. There was a hint of a hint of a smile though. His eye wandered to the school photo of Jack he kept on his desk, and he was greeted with the memory that Jack almost shared a name with Emily’s cat.

Naturally, Rossi found out next. Technophobe Spencer Reid had left his computer screen on a website for baby blankets, and Rossi had been the one to pass by first. After turning the monitor off, Rossi took Spencer aside in the break room and spoke about how wonderful it was that he was going to be a father. Then he kissed both his cheeks, leaving with misty eyes and a smile that he wouldn’t explain to Penelope passing by. Spencer blinked then finished making his coffee.

The next conference room meeting – the same day and just for an update on the paperwork deadline - Spencer simply decided to drop the information that he and Y/N were planning on having a kid as if it was his thoughts on their next unsub’s motivations were.

Three seconds of silence later and an uproar exploded.

From then on, the week was filled with pokes and ribbing at his upcoming parenthood. A peek into the future.

After making her a cup of coffee, Spencer sat opposite JJ at her desk and asked for advice. Her response: offering Spencer the opportunity to babysit Henry more. Obviously he accepted; more time with his godson was always a good thing. Then she went into how parenting was just a natural thing that he would know when the time came. Not very reassuring on its own, but with his best friend’s support, Spencer felt a smidgen better.

Penelope admitted that she had saved outfit ideas on Pinterest for Spencer – among other members of the BAU. When Spencer dared to enter her lair, she showed him several. Apparently that wasn’t even a dent in her collection, and she had already placed an order on a little bow tie. Spencer left before she tried to organise a shopping trip; neither Spencer nor Y/N were really fans of retail therapy.

Derek was teasing away, “Spencer and Y/N are gonna be baby daddies.” And every single time, Emily would join in. She liked to claim she was the reason Spencer was having a kid, reminding him of when JJ was pregnant. He had been incredibly weirded out by the baby kicking, but Emily had asked if he had considered having “baby geniuses” and he never gave an answer.

To be fair, Spencer never could have seen this coming. That made it all the better.

Apart from when Derek began supplying a realm of baby names, that varied from “oh that’s actually cute” to “oh my god, why would you even consider that a name for a real child?” Spencer was happy to rank them aloud for him.

The cat was only half out of the bag though.

Now Spencer had always been affectionate when he and Y/N were together. But the second it spilled into their public lifestyle, Y/N knew something was afoot. He was quick to pick up on this when he went to collect Spencer up for a chilled date night and Spencer kissed his cheek in clear view of the entire bullpen.

“You told them, didn’t you?”

“I couldn’t wait, but I do have my paternity leave arranged!”

The team swarmed to deliver their congratulations. And it was then that they revealed that they all thought that Spencer and Y/N were planning to adopt or look for a surrogate. Their embraces didn’t spoil the unexpected second part of their announcement; Y/N looked like he’d simply put on a few pounds rather than gained a baby bump beneath his button-up. Naturally, there was even more of a hubbub than before when they discovered that Y/N was already pregnant.

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

“Spencer, baby, you gotta calm it with the ocean theme.”

“But…” he pouted, holding up the finished mobile. Brightly painted sea creatures and chunks of coral dangled delicately in a circle. Sure enough, there were orange seahorses hovering about their habitat.

“It’s very sweet and I adore you for it,” Y/N kissed Spencer. “Not everything has to be related to seahorses though.”

“I guess not.” Spencer’s defeated tone did not last long. His face brightened and he whipped a blanket adorned with little seahorses and bubbles at the edges out of the cot. “But - this online store was taking commissions, and you always say support small businesses!”

Thank god Y/N had been the one in charge of painting the walls. An underwater mural would have been a step too far.

“You, Doctor Spencer Reid, are so…” Y/N’s hands were up in the air between them, searching for an adjective to describe Spencer appropriately. Then he settled those hands on his shoulders and Y/N kissed him.

When they drew away, Spencer spoke, “I’m so what?”

Y/N shrugged, “Just so.” He kissed him again, lingering longer than before and smiling as Spencer’s hands touched the obtrusive roundness of his belly that pressed into Spencer’s stomach. They were so close to meeting their little bubba.

“So are you.”

“Ok, don’t have a go, I bought this before the ban,” Y/N held out a gift, wrapped in sea-green tissue paper and bearing a blue bow.

Folding the blanket neatly over the bars of the cot, Spencer eagerly yet daintily unwrapped the present. As the tissue paper fell to the carpet, his hands trembled.  Eyes shining, he couldn’t bring himself to look away from the latest scan that was framed by tiny seahorses to thank Y/N.

There was more still, as Y/N explained, “There’s another behind there. I’ve seen the state of the one in your wallet.”

“It got caught at the bottom of the pouch,” Spencer said quietly, unbending the catch on the back of the frame. Sure enough, two of the same photographs spilled into his waiting palm. Truth be told, Spencer had already taped his torn photo together again and it was going to stay in his wallet. This spare would be in the post soon, on its way over to his mother. God, she was so excited to hold a baby again. The photo album would have to do for now.

“Could you maybe recant the ocean ban? Because I saw this and I knew it would really go well with the blanket and the mobile.”

Sighing, Y/N’s head tilted back, “What is it?”

The pretence of annoyance couldn’t be maintained towards Spencer’s face beaming back at him as he held up a wonky looking seahorse plushie. It wasn’t the same one he’d seen before. Some heartfelt child had taken pity on that one and given it a forever home. No, this was a perfect little present for his bubba.

Y/N thought so too as he let a grin settle onto his face.

“Ok, we can keep this one. But no more from now, alright?”

“I suppose. Besides, our baby isn’t our seahorse. You are!”

“You better not buy us a fish tank for my birthday.” A spike of nerves hit Y/N when he couldn’t quite catch Spencer’s eye to confirm his word. “Spencer? Promise me... Spencer!”

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

“How are you feeling, Baby Daddy?” Derek hugged Y/N who was reclined in his bed. His body pillow propped him up for his visitors.

Y/N wrinkled his nose, “For once, I wish I was a real seahorse and I could have just sneezed her out.”

Katia Nikola Reid definitely looked like she’d been sneezed on when she first entered the world, screaming her teaspoon-sized lungs out. Named after a hero of both Y/N and Spencer, one day old, bundled in a blanket, she scowled at Spencer’s dopey face looming over her while Emily held her tight.

A hoard of presents huddled in the corner of Spencer and Y/N’s bedroom. Emily thought it’d be a great idea to bring the baby an Ikea shark that was bigger than the child – and would definitely take up around half of her cot.

“She’s already got him wrapped around her pinky finger.”

“Yes, she does,” Spencer agreed giddily.

Next, Derek took her in his arms, untucking her arms from the blanket swaddle to give her a fist bump. He swayed her about the room while Katia relaxed a little more. The deep humming in his chest soothed the wrinkles on her forehead. Katia stretched as if to touch his face, and her mouth gaped at him.

“Aww, baby genius is ready for a nap.” Derek yawned too, “Who’s gonna micromanage me while I put her down?”

“Me! Me!” Y/N said, his enthusiasm muted by tiredness. Spencer leapt to his side, helping him out of bed, his teammates watching fondly as he did so. Y/N was allowed out the room first, Derek close behind and clicking his tongue at little Katia.

“She’s so sweet,” Emily said, her eyes on the pair’s backs and the dangling loose blanket from under Derek’s left arm. “I’m so happy for you both.” And she hugged Spencer tight; Emily always gave such good hugs. Good thing she was going to be around to give plenty to his daughter.

Then, down the hall, he heard Derek say with sarcastic resignation, “Oh Spencer, I thought Y/N was kidding when he said no more seahorse themed items.

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

Y/N ended up climbing into the bathtub with Katia. Even as she had grown into her chubby features, looking more and more like him and Spencer with each passing day, she was still so small.

Sitting up with her in his lap to help her out, Y/N lowered her into the warm water. His fingers tenderly rubbed the blackcurrant scented soap on her tummy, copying her expression as her tongue poked out between her gums. Her jerking legs rejected the water that Y/N’s hands cupped to rinse the bubbles off.

“Oh!” Y/N said in surprise as Katia sneezed, “Bless you.”

He heard the front door go, but he let Spencer follow the clues to their bathroom. Sure enough, the Doctor soon entered with his jacket shed, already rolling his sleeves up as he dropped onto the bathmat. A hand curled at Y/N’s chin as he kissed him before it stroked over the damp wisps of hair on Katia’s head.

“Hello. Hi.” His voice was that bit more delicate as he caught Katia’s eye and welcomed her big gappy smile.

Y/N tilted his head towards Spencer. “Good first day back?”

“I missed you both.” Spencer swished the water around by Katia’s side, “Isn’t it incredible how she’s experiencing all of this for the first time?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

Spencer giggled away as the surrounding bathwater yellowed and Katia flapped her arms.

“Mind your language.” He said without any weight to his warning, “Our little girl can’t help it.” Then he stood and prepared her towel, a deep-sea blue that brought out her eyes. “Can I feed her tonight?”

“Of course, baby,” Y/N agreed as he lifted Katia out of the tub, where Spencer caught her and bundled her up with skilled speed. As he dried her off, Katia cooed away to herself. She did get a little pissed off when he dressed her up in a clean nappy and a sleepsuit, but Spencer couldn’t take her crumpled expression seriously without the tears.

The rocking chair had to be one of his best investments for his daughter’s room. It soothed Katia from the darkest of tantrums, a familiarity that swayed her. She fit so perfectly into Spencer’s arms and he fit so contentedly into the seat. Her eyelashes fluttered slowly shut as she drank more milk.

Not quite strong enough to sit up on her own, Katia leant fully into Spencer’s hand while he burped her – thankfully not for long. Then it was off into her cot.

Y/N watched him from the doorway as Spencer stroked the apple of Katia’s cheek while she drifted off into slumber. An effortless smile danced on his lips even as he switched the lamp off and welcomed Y/N over to see their sleeping babe.

“Love seeing you with her, Old Daddy Spencer teaching her everything she’ll need to know.” The kiss that followed was certainly not appropriate for their daughter’s nursery, so he took Y/N by the hand, leading him into the hallway. Even then, between the short pecks that pressed against his lips, Y/N continued to talk, “Is this how you felt while I was pregnant?”

Breath hot against his face, Spencer swallowed hard while Y/N said, “Seeing my handsome boyfriend carrying our child? I think I get it now.”

His hand slipped up Spencer’s shirt. It was crystal clear what his intentions were. Spencer was already close to panting when he pulled Y/N flush against him. With more desperation this time, they fumbled around their home until they made it to their bed. Spencer’s hands aligned with the stretch marks on Y/N’s thighs as he grabbed them and pulled him on top.

He huffed as Y/N’s teeth tugged and released his bottom lip, “We have to be quiet.”

“I can be quiet.” Y/N ripped off his shirt in one smooth movement, “Can you?”

Spencer couldn’t give an answer. Instead he pulled Y/N back against him as they fell onto their sheets.

Their first time in months, it didn’t last very long, but it was exactly what they needed.

 ---> ---> ---> ---> --->

 The biggest surprise of the evening was that Rossi put down his drink to hold Katia. To be fair though, he had already had a few. Hence why he was singing and dancing around the garden with Katia in his arms. What a sight to behold, it eased the pain of Derek and Hotch’s absence, their own kids to take care of now.

Eventually Rossi relented, allowing Penelope to take Katia, turning to Y/N who had kept a watchful eye on his actions, “Promise me you’ll bring her over when she’s allowed to eat food.”

“I can’t give her your food for her first taste. She’ll be disappointed for the rest of her life,” Y/N joked, Rossi letting out a boisterous laugh that made Katia giggle in turn.

Penelope got to hold Katia next and show her off to Henry who was very intrigued to learn more about his godsister – Spencer told him that was who Katia was and it stuck. Henry became Penelope’s little shadow until they found a seat for him and a cushion for his lap to hold the baby. His joy unbridled at such a responsibility was adorable. He posed for many photos, while Katia for once stayed quiet.

Spencer was tired but the best kind of tired. A night in with friends, watching his boyfriend and his daughter be welcomed as much as he was, it wasn’t a surprise but it was always a delight. And this moment right now, Y/N cradling Katia’s with one hand squeezing her little foot before he planned to take her into Rossi’s office? What a life they had cultivated together. As he sipped his drink, the bliss in his tummy was not doused by it.

 ---> ---> ---> ---> --->

Slouching on the sofa, Spencer watched with tired eyes as Katia stumbled in the room, her hands held in Y/N’s while she waddled between his legs. Her round face lit up at the sight of Spencer. Her pace increased beyond her abilities and Katia swung forward a little as she almost fell over.

“Oh dear,” Y/N cooed while Katia got back to her unstable feet. “That’s it, there we go.”

Spencer wished he had the energy to properly appreciate this moment, especially since both his boyfriend and their daughter were grinning like they shared a secret.

Katia dropped down onto her nappy-cushioned bottom then began to crawl over to Spencer’s feet. His hands, although dirty, rough and near ruined, accepted her offer and lifted Katia up into his lap. They stayed for safety around her middle, keeping her sat up straight as she looked on him with those big eyes. Eyes that were fresh and untainted copies of his own.

Y/N sat down beside Spencer, leaning in close to Katia so he caught her attention, “Hey, why don’t you show your Daddy what we’ve been practicing?”

Looking away from both her Dads, Katia drooled and pushed her fist in her mouth. Y/N waved until he and Spencer were back into her line of sight.

“Go on, sugar plum.” He pointed to Spencer, “Who’s that?” And he mouthed the answer to her.

“Dadadadadada.”

It was barely above a whisper. But her little grin, the top of a tooth poking out of the centre of her bottom gums, the way Katia looked at Spencer when she said it? A soft “oh” fell from Spencer’s lips and he clutched her close, her chubby arms barely reaching around his neck. His breath shaking out of him, he kissed the thick thatch of hair that had sprouted in his absence. He could feel Katia whispering “Dadadadada!” again.

“That’s me, Katia, I’m your Dada.” He sniffed back the sting in his eyes at the absolute proof that, in his time away from her, she had remembered him. When he moved away, placing Katia back into his lap, he closed his eyes as Katia’s scrabbling fingers rubbed across the tip of his nose.

Katia made a sudden attempt to stand, throwing her entire bodyweight towards Spencer. Spencer’s breath was snatched from his lungs and the tension remained even after he caught her with ease.

“You ok?” Y/N said and Spencer noticed that his hand was supporting his against Katia.

Spencer nodded weakly, “Hmm, you?”

“Better now.” Y/N let his hand go and began rubbing Spencer’s back in the same circular motions that Spencer rubbed Katia’s.

A tug snagged Spencer’s head to the left and he tutted as Katia grabbed at his cheek, “Ow, Katia, no.”

Instead, Katia took a fistful of the next thing she could find, which was Spencer’s hair, and she cried out an identical (if higher pitched) “Ow!”

“You hurt Spencer, not the other way around, Katia. Stop faking.” Y/N scolded playfully.

But Katia repeated Spencer’s outburst again, “Ow!”

Y/N lifted Katia’s little fist from Spencer’s hair, and it immediately clamped down on Spencer’s finger as an alternative to wave about.

Spencer kissed her hand, still so tiny and forgiving against his. He looked at Y/N, blinking fast as he half-heartedly said, “She’s so like you.”

The lock of hair Katia had yanked on curved around Y/N’s touch as he put it back into the disarray of fluff that stood around Spencer’s head, “That’s funny, because I think she’s so like you.”

 ---> ---> ---> ---> --->

Tilting the pram onto its back wheels, Spencer pushed it up the step and into the aquarium tunnel. Katia lay back in her seat while gumming on her blanket corner. Her eyes were ready to take in the sights.

Y/N knelt before her, suffering a few kicks to his knees from Katia’s excitement. Her pram clips were undone. Little Katia was released into her Daddy’s arms then plonked up onto his shoulders. Her starfish-like hands pressed up against the glass. Her mouth became as wide as her eyes as she pointed at the stingray rippling past. She had seen fish before (Carl and Rosalind at home) but never like this.

“Yeah, that’s a ray, Katia,” Y/N rubbed his fingers over her back, his hands still to keep her steady.

Spencer pointed his finger right next to hers, “They use their electro-sensors, not their eyes, to find their meals which consists of shrimps, clams, and -”

Katia shrieked – interrupting his and she smacked her hands against the glass. No one seemed to mind though. Some patrons in the tunnel even chuckled at her behaviour. Like she needed any more encouragement, especially with Y/N grinning up at her and tickling her sides to elicit more laughter from his daughter.

When Spencer’s hand dropped, Katia shouted again. A little confused, he returned it and Katia took his finger in her hand then began dragging the tip across where the ray was.

“She wants it as a pet, what do you say, baby?”

“I thought you said not to get you any fish for your birthday.”

Eventually Katia was returned to the pram. Her head was thrown back to watch the rest of the tunnel go by. Then she hid her face in her blankie once they were out in the last few exhibits. There was a little tug of war to get her to let it go (she was a lot stronger than Y/N gave her credit for) and see the one other exhibit that both parents were invested in.

Taking her hand again, Spencer squatted beside the pram. “Hey look, the men seahorsies have the babies. They’re just like your Daddy.”

“Your favourite Daddy,” Y/N ruffled Spencer’s hair while Spencer pretended to be outraged. Katia caught onto the dramatic expression Spencer was wearing and copied him with a gasp added for good measure.

“What d’you reckon, any of these were babies when we went to visit last time?”

“Well, Y/N, the lifespan of these seahorses is approximately a year. So they could be.” He knew it was unlikely but, for the sake of the smiles on Y/N’s and Katia’s face, Spencer let it be.

[shadowsfiguresfigments-blog]

A good place to die Chapter 24

Warning: Harsh language, violence

It's not a long one - need to get back into writing. Enjoy nonetheless!

Chapter 24

Auntie listened to me and I was alone once more with broken memories and the last remains of Mr. Shanks’ life. Determined not to have to go to that place to often, I put my everything into decluttering and cleaning. When I was finally able to properly reach some of the windows and wiped them down I was almost proud of myself. The additional light coming in made the process easier, and when Auntie finally joined me, she praised my work quite a bit. I was relieved to find her much more energetic, and together the time passed much more quickly.

We made much more progress than I’d anticipated, and by the time we called quits, the entire hallway was full of garbage bags. Neither of us had the energy to take them down, however, and Auntie’s breathing sounded quite labored, so we decided to simply return home. I glanced at my phone, but I had neither missed calls nor messages. Despite my best effort to hide my annoyance, Auntie realized right away what was going on.

“Is he giving you the silent treatment?”

I sighed. “Sort of, yes.” My stomach chose that moment to start cramping again, and I coiled my arms around it. She misunderstood that gesture.

“Listen, I didn’t mean to scare him away. He’s welcome to visit you anytime, if he just uses the front door. You tell him that.”

“Yeah, I think yesterday was probably just a bit much. Thank you, though.” If only you knew…

“How about you invite him for dinner? As a peace offering?”

I really didn’t feel like going over it again, so I quickly changed the subject.

“I will. Do you think we’ll be done by the time Bee gets out of the hospital?”

“If you’ll keep this up, I’m sure of it.” Her voice sounded cheerful, but her smile was off. I grabbed her arm and turned her towards me.

“Auntie, what’s the matter with you?”

Her indignation was just as forced as her smile.

“That’s no way to talk to me, young lady.”

“Be serious. You’re sick or something, and you should see a doctor.” I hated myself for what I said next, but I couldn’t help it. “You’re worrying me.”

Oh, the irony – how many times did we have that very same talk, just with our roles reversed? Her face fell immediately.

“I’ve just worked a lot, that’s all. But there’s good news, too. We finally got another waitress, and I won’t have to do double shifts. She’ll start next week.”

I took her hand and squeezed it. “You know, when I’ve finished school and the shop’s running, you won’t have to work there anymore.”

Auntie stared at me, then she squeezed my hand back. I could see tears in her eyes.

“Thanks, child.”

When we got home Auntie disappeared into the kitchen, and I tried to call Penny. He didn’t pick up, so I just texted him, but it was getting really annoying. I felt pretty overwhelmed – my worry for Auntie mixed with the anxiety over what had happened the day before was a strong emotional cocktail, and I didn’t feel equipped to deal with it. Once more I wondered if my old zombie self wouldn’t have handled the situation easier.

We had just sat down for dinner when the doorbell rang. I was so caught up in unwanted memories of what happened between Penny and I that I didn’t understand until I opened the door.

Benny-Penny stood before me, looking rather sheepishly.

I couldn’t help myself, I had to hug him. Auntie appeared behind me, and welcomed him warmly. Penny’s muscles tensed beneath my hands, and I quickly let go. Was he still confused about the day before? His face didn’t betray anything.

“I’m happy you could come, and to meet you properly.” Auntie’s cheerful voice interrupted my brooding thoughts, and I stepped aside to make room for her. I could feel the blood rushing to my face and my ears, and fled to the kitchen to serve another portion for Penny.

When both of them entered, they were chatting rather pleasantly about Derry, and “Benny’s life” so far. His replies were swift and calm, not suspicious at all, and there was no trace of his usual over-the-top cadence. He also didn’t really look at me.

I felt like a stranger had entered our home.

“Well, young man, I hope you like mac’n cheese.” I knew auntie well enough to know she was a little stressed over the simplicity of the dish in face of a guest, as well as over the worn-down look of our little kitchen. If you only knew where he lived.

Regardless, she sat him down, and I could see the tiniest trace of disgust in his eyes – “Cardboard, disgusting” – but he bravely dug in and even managed some compliments, putting a big smile on auntie’s face. Thankfully the tension went somewhat away, and I told Penny of our efforts with the flat, which led us to the topic of the store opening. The entire situation was so absurdly normal I almost started wondering whether I just had imagined Penny’s attack.

Before long, however, auntie started yawning badly, and announced she would go to bed. I told her to leave the dishes to me, and that Benny and I would take walk. Again, she didn’t even question that – what teenage girl “takes a walk” with a young man, anyhow? When she had left us, I turned to Penny, and found him still not looking at me.

“Okay, do you mind if we somewhere else?”

He shook his head, a familiar jingling bell sound, which I took for a somewhat good sign. But when I asked him if he wanted to change into something non-human, he shook his head again, and avoided my eyes. I nearly exploded.

I grabbed his hands, ripping my jacket off its coat-hanger, and marched out of the door, dragging Benny-Penny behind me. A quick glance around me told me the street was empty, but I still waited till we were a bit further away from our house before I let loose.

“Will you please fucking tell me what’s the matter here.” My voice was shaking, which angered me even further.

He remained quiet.

“Penny, whatever happened yesterday, I don’t understand, but I want to. Has anything similar ever happened to you?”

He mumbled something that could have been a “no”.

“Was it the animal meat?”

Another head shake, with bells again.

“Is it my period?”

Penny finally looked up, and his eyes had turned slightly crimson again. But he just stared at me.

I had it.

“Listen, either you start talking to me or I’m gonna call quits. I can’t deal with this. I haven’t had my period in ages, I’m full of hormones, auntie’s probably really sick, I got the opening of the store coming up, I need to get the apartment ready for Bee, and you won’t fucking talk to me. How can I understand you if you don’t open your fucking mouth? I don’t even understand myself.” I had started shouting. All the pent up frustration spilled out of me.

“You’re not the only one who’s not been in this situation before. You’re something like a god, and I’m just a stupid human, so the least you could do is explain yourself. I told you, I’m not good at relationships. I never had one before, and of course I had to fall in love with some unearthly… thing, ‘cause everything else would have been what normal people do, and I’m not fucking normal.”

Penny whipped around and grabbed my shoulders hard. I had upset him again, but at least I got a reaction. His fingers dug into my flesh, and his face melted a little.

“I don’t know. I don’t understand. What do you expect?” He shouted, too, and his voice changed with every word, dropping lower and lower.

“You wander into my lair, you won’t leave me the fuck alone, you make me feel all those weird things, and then you expect me to act rationally? Stupid human, that’s why I hate your fucking species so much. So self-important.” Drool sprayed all over me, and our angry faces got closer and closer.

“It’s not like I chose to end up with you. You could kill me anytime, but you didn’t do it, so sorry for still being around.”

“Yeah, because it’s my fault I can’t, right. You were the one who showed me all those new things. I was perfectly fine before. I could wake up, feed and have some fun here, then go to hibernation again. Everything was just fine.”

“Oh yeah, that’s why you were awake when I found you ten years ago. That’s why you were scared out of your wits by a little girl.”

“I should just eat you and be done.” His face ripped in half, the familiar tunnel of shark teeth opened before me, just an inch away from my nose.

“Then just do it.”

And this time, he did.

[pop-goes-the-sneasel]

whale sharks

Oh. Well um. Okay. I guess I can do that.

Whale sharks, I guess????

Whale sharks are pretty rad, and actually one of my favourite fish! They’re also the largest fish species alive, plus the largest living nonmammalian vertebrate in general. That’s HUGE! Hence the “whale” part of the name! Unlike prehistoric giant sharks, though, they’re quite docile and harmless: they’re filter feeders, so they only eat plankton and small squids and fish and stuff. So harmless unless you’re exceptionally tiny I guess. If you’re very tiny, stay away! They’ll get you!!!!! Particularly since they’re apparently active feeders and deliberately target prey through ramming or suction rather than just kinda drifting around.

Still, lacking the chompiness of other sharks kinda misses the appeal of sharks, honestly. Chompiness is what makes sharks sharks! But it’s also a lovely irony, so it kinda balances it out, and as you can see suction’s pretty heckin’ cool regardless?? Plus they have the vast size and peacefulness of whales going on, but without being stinky mammals. Nobody likes mammals, right? They’ve got great vibes and a great aesthetic, which is enhanced further by my favourite feature of them: their starry-patterned backs!

The numerous white spots along their dorsal side have earned them the name marokintana in Malagasy, meaning "many stars", and the appearance of underwater stars is an absolutely lovely concept. We’ve seen it in Pokemon with Lumineon, actually, who are described as producing the effect in their dex entries! Granted, that’s with bioluminescence, which is way different and I’m not sure I could handle the majesty of bioluminescent whale sharks. Starry white spots are pretty enough! One theory for their purpose is radiation shielding against ultraviolet light, which is neat, or just social displays and recognition.

Here’s an albino one because haha it’s like a shiny I guess and that’s how these reviews work. Pretty in white! No stars tho :(

Anyways, whale sharks are majestic as hell and I love them. Between the vast size, chill vibes, and the starry backs, they’re basically outer space personified. Or like. Fishified? Whatever point is they’re great. It’s mildly surprising there’s no pokemon based on them already, but there def should be! Water/Psychic with a space theme, perhaps??

Game Freak pls/10.

[demonicintegrity]

KATAOW HC: For the sake of the headcanon we're gonna assume that the apocalypse happened all around the world. Mutes from different regions have either adapted their own cultures, use human culture, or a mix of the two. Imagine other mutes adopting another mutes culture, that would be interesting!!

Yes yes yes yes!!! I’ve thought on mute cultures before and now you’ve given me a perfect place to infodump about it.

I think most, if not all, land mutes have adapted some things from human culture. Clothes they adapted because early on and just went with it. It was practical and available so what the hell, and it kinda stuck throughout the generations.

My favorite head canon I’ve come up with is that early on in the age of mutes they stuck with their natural way of communication (croaks for frogs, howls and barks for wolves, bird calls, etc.) but learned whatever human language was around as a mean to communicate with other mutes. Sure, there are aggression that can be understood regardless of if you’re familiar with a species or not (it doesn’t matter what it is, if it’s snarling it’s likely pissed) but for more complicated scenarios, a common language is needed.

Hell, maybe in the early years there were mutes more closely familiar with humans and that’s why they originally learned it! Point is, when finding a common ground to communicate with other mutes, land mutes used human languages/culture or what was leftover of it to have that common ground because it was readily available to everyone. So while the mutes we’re presented with speak English because that’s a common language in this California-esque location, mutes across the world likely speak other languages.

As for mute culture specifically, things can be sooo different. Not only because they grew up in different human cultures, but different species themselves have their own ways of doing something. The frogs in Las Vistas may be cold and corporate but that’s probably not the case everywhere! Tree frog fathers actually protect their eggs irl, so a mute community of tree frogs would probably be a bit more familal like. So maybe frogs in tropical areas where tree frogs are native are more connected with that famial tie and that’s the norm!

Newton wolves have a stereotypical alpha pack (I headcanon it’s because the wolves who originally settled there came across the old infactual articles that talk about it and went with it/adapted it for their purposes), but Wolf’s parents didn’t have that because they were a family based pack (like how most wolves are) in a house with very human-inspired clothing.

The fitness raccoons are more than enough proof that mutes that find human culture can totally be inspired and embrace it, or find it and despise it like every other pack. And since every human culture would have its own different set of things left behind for mutes to discover, who knows how mutes could take and adapt to it! And that’s sooo cool!!!

So who’s to say what underwater mutes are like? I wrote a whole post on it before (and I’ll maybe dig it up) but because sharks, whales, fish, etc are completely removed from human culture, they would develop without its influence. (Yea there’s garbage and stuff in the ocean but I’m p sure it’d be too degraded to make sense of it AND I doubt underwater mutes started in closer contact with humans like land mutes did so I considered them removed from it) which means it’s likely a completely alien world and should there be a common ground for communication, it might not be spoken! It could be through movements or something!!! And that’s so cool to me!!

This is why I wanna see more of the kataow world both in show and in potential movies, there’s something fasnicating to be learned about how new cultures could develop from the ashes of old ones mixed with new biological needs and wants.

[thatyanderecritic]

i really like the yandere dynamic but i dont openly post or reblog about it anymore cuz i've had people give me a hard time over it being problematic. and i get told im terrible, get called a freak... idk. do you have any advice for dealing with this...?

Hey anon, sorry for not getting to you sooner. We have a lot of questioned queued up to be answered but I decided to put you first since this is a pretty big issue. 

To be a yandere fan, we’re in a rather precarious position. Like any fandom, we are plagued with bad apples that end up painting the community’s face as a whole. You know the type of bad apples that all fandoms have: the overzealous stans that either attack those outside the community for not sharing a view or catering to our fandom. We also suffer from infighting/bullying between yandere fans because not everyone shares the same views on what a yandere is or even for something as stupid as a yandere headcanon for a character that never was a yandere, to begin with. But unlike most fandoms, the works that we support tend to go against us at times. That is to say... since we’re a bit of an under “funded” (e.g. don’t have enough yandere media. Especially for male yanderes) fandom, people tend to quickly put CrAzY characters on a pedestal without question. And this hurts our credibility, ALOT.  Having group within the fandom worshipping some non-yandere, psychotic girl as a yandere just because she’s kawaii while the more “sane” fans try to explain, “No, we swear yandere’s aren’t like that” doesn’t look good for our case. 

Is there anything we can do about people attacking us for our preference? Not exactly, I’m sorry to say. The moment humans gained self-awareness and free will, universal mental unity became a myth. There will always be a disconnect, even on concepts that all humans should be in agreement on. Would you believe me if I say that some people don’t believe that people should be allowed to have a livable wage? Of course, people will have their reasons as to why they think a certain way regardless if it sounds logical or not. Just because they have a reason doesn’t mean it’s reasonable but in a world where emotions is king, logical will never win.

People who attack you for liking yanderes most likely were victims of abuse and went through some sort of trauma that yanderes are usually identified/linked with. If they weren’t direct victims then they know someone who is a victim. And if it isn’t either of these two, then they’re most likely a bleeding heart with a “higher than thou” sense of morality. Regardless of the reasoning, they all have their hearts in the right places but rigid in their perspective of the world. Already, the decision is cemented and may never change. To most, we’re as egregious as pedophiles and incest-lovers just because we like villains. After all: “How in the world could anyone remotely ‘like’ such awful people?! Clearly, there is something wrong with THEM.” Of course, we have our reasons for liking yanderes but most people close their ears and eyes since they already judged us based on our interest. For those who were victims of abuse or know someone, I understand that they’re reaching out to attack those who seem to defend characters that may or may not be similar to their assailant/abuser. They attack, they defend invisible victims, and in a way, looking for purpose... looking at how they can turn their trauma into a positive. But most of the time, they overstep their boundaries and try to enforce their authority in something they don’t understand. 

The only way we can approach these types of people is to send an open invitation for a diplomatic talk in trying to reach a middle ground. While a change of opinion would be nice, it would be nearly impossible since a lot of people are grounded in their personal moral compass. If they are open for a conversation, then all hope is not lost. Ideally, if a conversation is open then the most important thing is to validate their emotions invested in this situation. 9 out of time 10, people are stubborn in an argument because they feel like they’re getting personally targeted either by their identity, their pride, or their emotions. Therefore, they double down and become louder in their argument, not because of their view but because they believe they are defending themselves. From there, once the other recognize that you aren’t attacking them, you shift the conversation onto yourself and point out how they were making you feel the same away but they were actively attacking you; not only that, treating you as less than human just because you prefer villainous FICTIONAL characters. Ideally, at this point, the other recognizes their hypocrisy and you both agree in staying in your own lanes. If by some miracle they’re open of a different perspective, then you’re given a platform to say why you like yanderes... typical reasons being the idea of unconditional love or coping. 

But this is all hypothetical and the most desirable outcome. But more than often, people are more than comfortable at screaming at you every time you try to open your mouth... most likely something they learned because someone shut them down in such a way. Not only that, they most likely formed their own counter-arguments already since a lot of yandere fans have the same reasons as to why they like yanderes: unconditional love or coping. The counter-argument can usually be boiled down to two reasons: unethical and risking future victims seeking a “yandere” partner. Ethicality... this is a low hanging fruit to argue. Everyone (well the majority of people, again it’s universally impossible to be on the same page) would agree that it’s bad to stalk a person. Even a yandere fan would say never to stalk a person IRL. But because of this, they think they got you in an “ethical checkmate”. It’s a cheap argument and they’re just trying to make you feel like a monster for your preferences in fictional characters. Funny enough, this is a tactic that abusers would use to shame their victim into compliance... hm...

The second counter-argument people use is “think of the youths!” Let’s be real... it’s scientifically proven that kids and teens are easily impressionable because of their underdeveloped brains and lack of experience. Not only the concerns of the younger members of society, they fear that by allowing us to enjoy our media, we are “normalizing” abusive relationships in society. Considering the state of the United State’s government, I understand where the fear is coming from. But they’re barking up the wrong tree and especially using the wrong method in preventing this dystopian future. I always see these people bring up the ‘Jaws’ case as to why there should be no yanderes and no support for them. You know, the case where there was a sudden increase in shark hunting due to public fear which pushed certain shark species into endangerment. It’s always this argument, I swear... anyways, they always toss this without never diving in deeper as to why this happened. 

Before Jaws, people didn’t know anything about sharks in general. There just wasn’t any interest in sharks because we humans just didn’t find time interesting at the time. They were there and we can’t really eat sharks. But, there were already tales about sharks being “man-eaters” from those stranded out at sea or curious citizens. The stereotype was already there. But Jaws brought sharks to the forefront of public scrutiny and shark hunting competitions came up because “what’s the harm? Sharks are man-eaters”. This dropped the shark population, but because of this there was an interest in sharks, funding to research them suddenly increased. Scientist turned their attention on sharks while later on fed to informing the public, making them educated and less scared of shark attacks. Jaws came out in 1975... Shark Week on the discovery channel came out in 1988... there’s a reason, folks. People became interested in sharks. Yes, Jaws hurt the shark population but it’s slowly been going up. Damage takes time to repair. But it also brought about awareness. While the stereotype isn’t dead (that’s just humans at this point and it’s always been a stereotype ever since man was on a boat), it opened a conversation. And that’s the key point here. (Here’s a link. But you can go even further if you research)

Abusive relationships, manipulative people, toxic actions... these are nothing new. “Getting rid” of yandere fans will not solve this issue, just like telling your kid “there are kids starving in Africa” will not end world hunger. For the Jaws example, I point to the argument that politicians make about how video games create violent people. We know that it’s nonsense, you know it’s nonsense. But there is a fear of the “unknown”. People back then thought that cartoons like Tom and Jerry would cause kids to grow up violent. And even further back, people thought that reading books created lazy people. The fear on what’s on TV is a fear people had since the beginning of time. People aren’t as soft as they believe they are but they can lack information... Instead of shutting down people and censor what goes on TV, use it as a stepping stone for the bigger conversation. It’s a lack of knowledge and fear of the unknown that killed the sharks but it is knowledge that is now protecting them. 

This is especially important for our younger peers. Raise of hands, who actually changed their minds as a teenager after someone called you stupid or told you “no” with giving a logical reason besides “because I say so.” I’m going to guess we got an empty room here. Attacking our younger peers or those who are older just because they like a character trope IS NOT HELPING THEM AND ESPECIALLY NOT MAKING THE ATTACKERS LOOK LIKE HEROES. THEY LOOK LIKE JACKASSES. Fuck man, the younger ones want acceptance and looking a supportive group by joining a fandom. Calling them toxic just pushes them to the edge these people never wanted them to be. The same applying to the older ones. We all got our issues and y’all never know what it is. That’s why I hate seeing people in our fandom gatekeep against our younger peers. They’re going to come in even though you say crap like “Lmaooo, my blog/game is 18+! Okay, byeeeee!” If you want to protect them then be their fucking guide, my dudes. You can have a mature conversation with them and explain the difference between fiction and reality and what’s wrong and right. “Yanderes are pretty cool, ay sport? But notice how that guy gaslighted the girl? That is a common tactic people do IRL. Be sure to recognize it as a red flag.” Fuck, is that so fucking hard for everyone? Some people act like they never grew on the internet during the early 2000s.Y’all were a teenager once. If what you’re doing wouldn’t help teenage you in the past, then you’re doing it wrong. Smh. 

Finally, I do want to make a point for those who use coping reasons. While I do understand where you’re coming from, you guys are our most vulnerable to these attacks but also the reason for the attacks as well. It’s the mindset of “How could you support something like this?! You must be a horrible person.” I know a lot of people aren’t like that but also, we got bad apples... people who take this for coping reasons way too far. To them, I ask them to come back from the edge and let’s look for help together. Using yanderes to embrace “yandere tendencies” or rationalizing your abuse as normal isn’t the way. Use it to help you breathe and help you feel grounded but don’t let it define you... especially don’t make it a lifeline. As for those who know the difference and can separate fiction from reality, I applaud you but you got some work in helping those who are too deep. I’ve seen some of the yandere Tumblr group chats on the app. I’ll be real... YIKES. It’s a bit of an echo chamber. I ended up having to message a user on a side since I saw red flags in the group chat when I was lurking. People were trying to give the wrong help by encouraging their actions. Just... don’t do this y’all. I get you relate but don’t get your homie in jail or a court date for a restraining order. 

Anyways, I’m sorry anon for pulling farther and farther away from you specifically since this is a big issue that everyone tackles and I’m also sorry that I can’t give you an “end all” answer. First, you can try having a civil conversation with these people. Try for the middle ground and if you feel like you can push further, then try to do a change of mind. But I know this is hard, especially when tensions build and emotions get heated. But it’s important to never explode that anger... or at least direct that anger into a logical response. The moment you explode and made an error of judgment, you will lose and suffer publically. If a conversation isn’t possible, then encourage these people to stay in their lane and unfollow you. Why the fuck are they following you if they hate the things you reblog? Sounds unhealthy... suggest some hobbies or blogs to follow instead. From there, if they try to continue the hate, just block them and delete the messages. As they say, don’t feed the trolls. Y’all may think you’ve seen all the hate anons we get but we get a lot more than what we answer. We just delete them because they’re typically incoherent or stupid. They don’t come back lol. 

From there, anon, surround yourself with people who you find agreeable and who you relate to. A lot of yandere blogs are down for a talk, I’ll be real. Just be sure you open up that you want to be friends lol. So... yeah. I’m sorry this isn’t perfect, but I hope it helps. Don’t be afraid of being yourself!

[lassieposting]

I adore your thoughts about deamon culture and upbringing. Something that’s always bugged me is that we don’t really get an insight into the culture and layout of heaven and hell or the non-humanness that makes angles and deamons. Please give more thoughts!!!

OH BOY, DO I

DEMON CULTURE HEADCANONS COMING RIGHT UP 

[1] My personal headcanon is that devil was originally a Lilim word that basically meant “warlord” - the leader of a clan with his or her own territory - and there were thousands of them, because demons lived in warring clans. Every clan had a _devil, _and they all considered themselves the ultimate authority and were constantly fighting for power. When Lucifer staged a coup and took over one of the strongest clans in the Ninth Circle, he basically went on a conquering spree, up to the point that there is now only one devil; all the other clan leaders have bent the knee to him. There’s probably either a Lilim way of distinguishing between A Devil (a warlord) and The Devil (Lucifer, King of Hell), or it’s become sort of an archaic term used only to refer to Lucifer and another name has become commonplace for your bog-standard warlord. The word then made its way to Earth both through Lucifer himself and through other demons before he outlawed possession, and developed its modern meaning from there. 

More under the cut - this is long as fuck. It’s becoming a habit.

GENETICS: 

- Demons live in one of the most inhospitable, treacherous environments of any dimension in the known multiverse. They’ve been shaped by the need to survive in their habitat. 

- Demons in general have a much higher heat resistance than humans, as well as far better low-light vision and enhanced speed, strength and endurance. 

- Hell has different habitats the same way Earth does, though, and the demons who live in the Ninth Circle (the part of Hell we see in the show, the part where Lucifer’s palace is) would have different adaptations to the demons who’ve evolved to live in the swampy marshland of the Sixth Circle (where Maze was born). 

- Demons are an R-coded species, so they have large numbers of babies, less parental care, a short gestation period and a very low survival-to-adulthood rate.  

- Because their babies have such a low survival rate, demons have very little parental attachment and they don’t form family units the way humans do (i.e. child raised by biologically related caregivers, close relationship between parents and child). 

CHILDHOOD:

- Baby demons are born already equipped with fantastic low-light vision, a full set of needle-sharp teeth, and the ability to get up and move around very shortly after birth. They’re not wholly independent - they don’t learn to talk or develop fine motor/dexterity skills until they’re older - but they are very much born armed and dangerous, which they need to be because… 

- They can and do eat their siblings in the nest, like sharks. Cannibalism is fucking rife in Hell. A large chunk of spawn are lost in their first year to fratricide/sororicide. It’s just seen as weeding out the weaklings. 

- In most clans, the spawn are raised communally in a creche run by designated nest-minders; these are usually the weakest members of the clan who would not be any use as warriors. Raising the young during their first few years of life is a fairly low-status position in society, but it does ensure that those weak demons will be fed, housed and protected - nobody wants to have to take over their job, so it’s worthwhile to keep them alive. 

- Demon spawn are…little demons. A large part of why Lucifer doesn’t like children is because of extended exposure to spawn. They completely lack empathy and social skills, so they’re loud, they bite, and a large chunk of nest-minders’ time is spent separating them when they try to kill each other. They won’t develop logic, critical thinking or their (still limited) sense of empathy until they’re a lot older. 

- Contrary to what some might believe, demons do have affectionate nicknames for their young - the sort of thing a warrior might call his trainee, or a nest-minder might call their favourite charge. The English equivalent would probably be kiddo or something, but they’d translate literally as “spawn” or “offspring”. There’s a sort of implication there that you care enough about this kid to see them as family; they can probably rely on you to protect them if they’re in danger. 

ADOLESCENCE:

- Demons don’t have a long childhood, and mostly they learn a trade by apprenticing under a professional. A would-be warrior is trained by an experienced warrior; a kid with a talent for art might apprentice under a leathercrafter; if you’re particularly intelligent and politically savvy you might get lucky and learn from your clan’s devil, if you manage to impress them. 

- A juvenile who wants to be a warrior (like Maze, for example) goes through a series of incredibly dangerous trials to become a fully-fledged adult warrior of their clan. It’s sort of like living in the Hunger Games, but, you know. Permanently. 

* Around the onset of puberty, at around 10 or 11 years old, they’re given a simple weapon and some supplies and sent out into the world by themselves to find something useful to bring back to their clan, to prove that they’re worth the time and effort it will take to train them. 

At this point, they have no formal training. They’ve got a decade or so of viciously scrapping with other youngsters in the creche for food, but they’re expected to get by mostly on their wits, their viciousness, and their willingness to kill to survive. 

There are hundreds of things that can kill a young demon alone in Hell. Demons from other clans. Heat exhaustion. Feral hellhounds. Dehydration. Volcanic eruption. Manticore. Harpy. Dragon. There’s even a chance another kid from their own clan will panic and kill first, ask questions later. 

What they bring back can be any of a number of things. Maybe some priceless gemstones that can be traded for commodities not native to their area of Hell. Maybe information about a territory ripe for overtaking. Maybe spoils taken from dead enemies from a clan yours is at war with. Whatever it is, it needs to be something the leaders of your clan will benefit from, or they might send you back out to find something better. Maze brought back Lucifer.

How impressive your gift is generally determines who you apprentice under; the kids who brought back the most impressive things will usually get sent to the clan’s top warriors. 

Only 30% or so of the kids sent out into the world will come back. The ones who didn’t clearly wouldn’t have survived training, so it wouldn’t have been worth the effort to train them in the first place. 

They’ll spend the next ten years or so (maybe more, maybe less) in training. Their mentor will teach them to fight with a whole load of different weapons, how to hunt, how to torture a captive, how to plan a battle, etc. The ones with leadership potential, training under the clan’s War Chief, also learn - on the DL, because nobody wants to get murdered - how to deal with your devil when they’re being an asshole, and how to bring them round to your way of thinking when their plan for a war clashes with yours. 

In bigger clans, at the end of their training, each warrior’s trainees get put in an arena to fight to the death. Of each class, only the last one standing actually becomes a warrior. Despite the immense amount of lives lost in childhood, demons breed so prolifically that plenty survive to adulthood. 

ADULTHOOD:

- Adult demons often wear identification marks, usually on their faces, to show whereabouts they’re from, which clan they belong to, and what rank they are if they have one. Some clans (like Maze’s) use face paint, others prefer tattoos, still others use scarification or branding. You don’t get to wear them until you’ve proved yourself, so it’s a great honour for a warrior to finally get their stripes.

- This helps establish social order - who you can and can’t flirt with, who you should and shouldn’t pick on, etc. If you’re a humble furs trader, you really don’t want to start a fight with a visiting devil over a casual insult to your work; you’ll get smoked. But fortunately for you, her face markings tell you who she is, so you keep your mouth shut. 

- Demons are promiscuous as fuck and don’t really go in for monogamy. It happens occasionally, but it’s definitely not the social norm. While every demon spawn knows who their mother is, it’s very common to have multiple potential fathers. 

- Demons can and do fall in love. They’re not very open about it, and there’s no way to say “I love you” in Lilim. Any demonstration of love is a demonstration of weakness, and in Hell any weakness will be used against you. Long term relationships between demons tend to look a lot like Lucifer and Maze - ride-or-die friends who hang out naked and have each other’s back against outside danger regardless of the issues they’re having with each other. 

OLD AGE:

- A demon who’s too old to battle anymore but was once a mighty warrior can still command a huge amount of respect; many become advisors to the clan devil - especially if he’s young; Lucifer had to lean on very experienced older advisors as a young king consolidating his power - or train the most promising up-and-comers. 

- Demons can and do grieve, but it’s usually expressed as a roaring rampage of revenge against whoever killed your ally. If something happened to Maze, for example, Lucifer wouldn’t cry or get sentimental; he’d cause so much carnage they’d be talking about it for millennia. By demon standards that would be the most touching tribute he could give her tbh. 

- After someone dies, their clan usually eats them - in a world where the creatures you eat can kill you just as easily as be killed by you, meat is meat and a meal you don’t have to work for is a gift. (This is why Mom asked if humans eat their own when She first came to Earth. Hell was a horrible surprise for both of them for a variety of reasons, and this is definitely one of them.) To humans, this is horrifying; to demons, it’s not even something to bat an eyelid at. 

- Devils don’t often get old. They live in a cutthroat world of power games and ambition, and everyone wants their spot. Devils get to the top by being especially cunning or vicious or physically powerful, and once the thing keeping them there starts to run down, they’re often killed and replaced by someone stronger. It’s just as common for your allies to turn on you as your enemies, so you’re watching your back constantly, never truly safe, always reading into every interaction for signs of danger. There’s a reason Lucifer doesn’t trust easy. As an angel he’s stronger than practically all demons, but Hell-forged steel can kill him; all it would take is for him to let his guard down just a little bit too much at the wrong moment. 

[returnn-of-the-mac]

How would all of the companions react to sole standing up for them when someone says a comment that is either anti-faction, anti-species, or just against that person specifically to their companion? Thank you! (And could do it where they either are almost highest level romance or relationship if not it’s fine)

I’m a sucker for writing the romanced companions; they’re so sweet❤️❤️❤️ (oh and yes. MacCready’s romanced/bff reactions are VERY similar because I feel like that’s just...what he’d say regardless). Anywhoodle, here ya go! It was a pleasure to write! Please enjoy!😊

FO4 Companions React: Sole Defending Them Against Hurtful/Offensive Comments

Sole and their companion had been poking around Vault 81 when a group of unwelcoming residents began hectoring them. After spewing a stream of offensive remarks at their companion, Sole snapped. They ardently defended their friend, and the hateful Vault Dwellers retreated to their quarters. After the ordeal, Sole’s companion confronted them:

Strong: “Thank you human,” Strong stated, genuinely grateful, “No one ever defend Strong or brothers. Very kind. Like Shake-Spear. Means a lot to Strong.”

Piper (bff) : “Hey, thanks for sticking up for me back there, Blue,” Piper whispered, “It’s not easy being a reporter...we kinda have a bad rep. I’m so grateful you’ve been willing to look past that since day one. You truly are my best friend.”

Piper (romanced): “Thanks for standing up to them, Blue,” Piper smirked, giving her lover a peck on the cheek, “That’s why I love ya.”

Hancock (bff): “Thanks for putting them in their place,” Hancock scoffed, “These people are so damn entitled and up their own asses...it’s good to know that there’s someone out there with the balls to shut them down.”

Hancock (romanced): “You’re cute when you’re angry, doll,” Hancock purred, winking, “Maybe I should egg them on some more. Whattya think?”

X6-88: “Thank you, [sir/ma’am],” X6 stated, “I could have done it myself, but it’s reassuring to know that you are bold enough to stand up against these haughty worms and defend the Institute.”

Danse (bff): “Thank you, soldier,” Danse praised, “I could have defended the Brotherhood myself, but I appreciate the gesture nonetheless. It’s an honor to travel with someone so steadfast.”

Danse (romanced): Danse put an arm around Sole’s shoulder and gave them a gentle squeeze, “Thanks, soldier. I would’ve defended the Brotherhood myself, but you beat me to it. You never cease to make me proud.”

Nick: “Thanks, pal,” the detective began, “Couldn’t even tell you what compels these people to act the way they do.”

Gage (bff): “Don’t sweat it, boss,” Gage reassured, “These hoity-toity clowns ain’t hurtin my feelins.”

Gage (romanced): “Damn, sexy,” Gage chucked, giving Sole a little pat on the butt, “You’re a feisty one, ain’t ya? But dontcha worry. These clowns ain’t hurtin my feelings.”

Deacon: “Yeah, you tell em,” Deacon laughed. He then cupped his hands and mockingly called back to the Vault Dwellers, “No one likes a bunch of snooty bullies!”

Preston (bff): “General...thanks for sticking up for me like that,” Preston gushed, “It comforts me knowing you have so much faith in the Minutemen and our cause.”

Preston (romanced): “Thank you, babe,” Preston began, leaning over and gave Sole a quick kiss, “You don’t know how much it means to me...having someone who actually has faith in the Minutemen. I love you.”

MacCready (bff): “I could’ve stuck up for myself,” MacCready muttered, embarrassed. “But...thanks. I appreciate it.”

MacCready (romanced): “I could’ve stuck up for myself,” MacCready began, embarrassed. “But...thanks. I appreciate it. I love you,” he smiled, wrapping an arm around his lover and giving them a playful shake.

Longfellow: “Sharks preying on easy target, that’s all they are,” Longfellow scoffed, “The elite are an interesting bunch.”

Cait (bff): “Never had anyone stick up for me before,” Cait beamed, “Thank ye kindly. I can deal with Raiders n shite but those privileged snobs...they can sometimes be a bit intimidatin.”

Cait (romanced): “Darlin...thank ye. It means a lot,” Cait said, giving her partner a rough peck, “This is why I love ye so damn much. Yer a saint.”

Curie (bff): “Defending me was very kind, [Madame/Monsieur]. Thank you,” Curie beamed. She paused for a moment, “But don’t fret. I do not think those Vault residents truly meant what they said. I think they were just joking.”

Curie (romanced): Curie clung onto her lover’s arm and gave them a warm kiss on the cheek, “Thank you, my love. But it is alright! I don’t think they actually meant those hurtful things.”

Codsworth: “Thank you, [sir/mum],” Codsworth beamed, “Who knew human beings could be so cruel?”

Ada: “Thank you for sticking up for me, [sir/ma’am],” Ada stated, “According to my ambiance reader, these civilians only saying hurtful things because they are constantly experiencing feelings of bitterness and insecurity.”

[mcmcntomorii-moved]

     Mountains might not have been too much of a change for Mukuro, but being transferred from Tokyo to a weird, secluded mansion in a mountainous area of middle America was a whole different thing. Sure the sounds in the laboratory were the same, but the vast amount of silence one would get when going outside for anything was the strangest part to her. After years of living in a bustling city, all the city noise soon became normal, and the silence was the most deafening thing.

     It was bound to happen, honestly, with her achievements earning some advancements in the B.O.W. field, Mukuro would have been moved to somewhere more secluded to work on Umbrella’s more larger and potentially profitable projects. One of which was the reptilian species of B.O.W.s that were in the process of being worked on. It was assumed that the serpentine B.O.W.s were unfit for production, but after further discussions between higher-ups in the company, they figured that it would be beneficial to bring in another researcher into Arklay Laboratory.

     That’s where Mukuro came in and despite already fluently knowing English, she was given a translator assistant to help her. Upon first meeting him, Mukuro already knew that she was going to dislike him, skittish and timid, like a rabbit, Mukuro thought as she stared at him. The longer she stared, the more frantic the man became until he finally uttered an introduction.

     “F–Frank Holland, Miss Ito, it’s… really nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you… well… I’ve read a lot about you, I mean… not in a creepy way of course just in a–” He began to stutter out, causing Mukuro to tune him out right after he gave her his name. Noticing that as he spoke to her, his eyes darted to the space around her, not bothering to make eye contact with the woman. Internally sighing, Mukuro’s gaze shifted around the room that would be her new workplace.

     The room was spacious and white, of course, the only thing that held Mukuro’s interest was one wall that held various terrariums containing different species of snakes. Ranging from venomous to a few nonvenomous breeds, continuing to ignore whatever her new assistant was blabbing out, Mukuro stepped over to the terrarium wall. As she watched the snakes, she soon noticed that they all were staring back at her, an odd characteristic, she thought.

     “O–Oh! Right,” Frank began to bumble out, following Mukuro a few steps behind her, “these are the test subjects that you’ll be work–”

     “Clearly,” Mukuro interrupted him, causing him to jump slightly at the cold tone her voice held, her gaze snapped over to the man and caused him to flinch again, “where are the files on the animals.” It was more of a demand than a question but Frank swiftly maneuvered around the room and grabbed all the available files on the snakes.

     After placing them on the immaculately clean countertop, silently, Mukuro started going through each and every file. There wasn’t a whole lot, which wasn’t surprising, there weren’t many people here who devoted their time to the snake B.O.W.s, most were here for the T-Virus. Sure, she might not know exactly what goes on in these labs but she honestly couldn’t care less. If she were meant to know, then she’d get told or be paid to know the extra information. Tuning out her ‘assistant’ again, Mukuro proceeded to read one of the thicker files.

     “Yawn,” Mukuro spoke, interrupting Frank again, “which snake is that one?” She asked as she looked up at him, Frank nodded and pointing to a large terrarium on the wall.

     “He’s that one,” Frank said in a shaky tone. Raising an eyebrow, Mukuro stood up and walked to the terrarium, inside was a considerably larger, almost the size of a black mamba but maybe add on a few feet, brown snake with no intricate patterns. He looked like he could easily blend in on a tree branch or fresh dirt. Regardless, Yawn was not a species that Mukuro could identify right away. “He was… manufactured,” Frank explained still on the other side of the room as if he were afraid the snake would break the glass and attack them.

     “I see,” Mukuro hummed as she and Yawn had a sort of stare down, almost as if they were sizing one another up, “interesting. How and what do you feed him?” She didn’t turn towards Frank as she asked.

     “We’ve been feeding him whole live rabbits as of late, though… that gate back there. We hit a button and release a rabbit into the enclosure.” Mukuro nodded,

     “From here on, we’ll stop feeding the snakes like that. We’ll be hand feeding them.” Mukuro stated and before Frank could interrupt her, she continued talking, “if these are going to be B.O.W.s we’d want them to be able to be handled without hassle. If you have a problem with that, I suggest you keep your mouth shut. I assume we have vials of antivenom?”  Frank wordlessly nodded at her question, “then we shouldn’t have too much of a problem.” Finally tearing her gaze away from Yawn, Mukuro stepped away from the terrarium wall. Her heels the only noise echoing off the walls of the lab.

     Days began to pass and the hand feeding technique that Mukuro inducted started to show positive results. Along with the hand-feedings, Mukuro would take out a snake every so often and hold it. Sure, it freaked Frank out, but Mukuro couldn’t care less so long as Mukuro didn’t handle them improperly or show any sign of fear, they never struck out at her.

     Currently, a large Yawn was draped around her neck, his head resting on her chest as he snoozed and Mukuro wrote her report on the past couple of days with the snakes. Everything was at the perfect noise level for Mukuro, the only sounds were some machine beeps and the sound of her pen scratching across the paper. Mukuro felt at peace as she occasionally strokes the snake that was currently draped and snoozing around her shoulders.

     That was until Frank shuffled in and began to do his work. Mukuro always hated any sense of having someone else in her workspace, be an assistant or even a stranger just popping into her workspace for something or a question. She absolutely hated being bothered, so when her assistant came in, Mukuro’s writing stopped and she watched Frank titter about. The change in attitude in Mukuro seemed to awaken Yawn as his head rose and also took to looking at Frank, who, now sensed eyes looking at him, turned to look back at Mukuro and her new serpentine friend. As he was about to open his mouth for a greeting, Mukuro interrupted him.

     “Don’t. Think about it. Your presence annoys me. And your voice even more so,” she stated and looked back down at her reports, continuing to write down. Mukuro then spoke in a volume that, if Yawn was capable of hearing, he’d be the only one to hear her. “If you were to kill him, I’d have no qualms.” She gently stroked the snake’s head as it rested on her bosom again.

     Over the next few weeks, Yawn continued to grow, enough so that he had to be transferred to a larger terrarium, something equivalent to the large aquariums that hold the sharks that were worked on elsewhere in the lab, and his feed consisted of young deer and other animals of equal size. And Mukuro’s progress and attachment to the B.O.W, was earning her recognition from the higher-ups in the company.

     “Frank. You need to feed Yawn, I have a meeting to attend to.” Mukuro said as she gathered the file on the B.O.W. and Frank, who by now, knew not to speak to Mukuro unless there was a question she asked of him ( which was rather rare ). He only nodded and swallowed in fear as he looked at the extremely large serpent as Mukuro left the lab.

     In this meeting, Mukuro presented the information she collected on Yawn during her time in the facility, even mentioning how the other snakes didn’t fare too well and were eventually fed to Yawn when they showed no signs in improving stats. Taking note in the accomplishments Mukuro achieved, she was rewarded with the information about the viral outbreak that happened a few days prior as well as a shot of the vaccine. She was then told to abandon her work at the lab and return to her home and laboratory back in Tokyo.

     Normally, Mukuro would have been ecstatic to learn that she could return home, but a tinge of hurt and pain hit her heart when she learned that she’d be leaving Yawn behind. The serpentine B.O.W. had become not only her project but something akin to a pet or even a friend to her, in a strange way.

     “Very well, thank you,” Mukuro stated and bowed respectfully to the others in the meeting, just as she was about to leave, she was stopped to be informed that she was not to tell anyone else about this. That the rest of the Umbrella employees here aside from Wesker and Birkin were to remain and die on the premises. Nodding once again, Mukuro notified that she understood and promptly left the room.

     Her gait was normal as she walked back to her lab, her first assignment to herself was to release Yawn and then leave. Not caring about the clothing and what other, little, personal effects that she brought with her, which, was just some makeup and toiletries, Mukuro didn’t really bring anything that could identify her, should this illegal lab be investigated. Which, hearing the mention of the outbreak, might be soon if she didn’t leave ASAP.

     Entering the lab, Mukuro first noticed the severe lack of Frank, glaring at the empty space, Mukuro’s glare swept the room until she landed on Yawn’s tank and effectively locking gazes with the large serpent. After learning about the t-virus outbreak, the sore and tumor growths on Yawn’s body as well as the increased aggression he showed when attacking his meals, made a little more sense. Albeit not knowing everything about the virus, she paid attention to meetings were notes on the virus were shared. With her gaze softening somewhat, Mukuro approached the thick glass and placed her hand on the surface, her long, acrylic nails lightly tapping against the glass. The tip of Yawn’s head pressed against the other side.

     “I have to leave,” she spoke softly, “but I cannot let you stay in this cage while I’m gone.” As she spoke, her eyes darted to the side of Yawn’s massive jaw, spotting a piece of torn white fabric hanging out and a smile spread on her lips. “Thank you, my friend. I hope you let him suffer.” She swore that Mukuro saw Yawn’s head nod slightly as she removed her hand, Mukuro went to the door of the enclosure, entering the code to release the locks and walked inside to the other door of the enclosure that led outside and pulled that door open and stood to the side.

     “We must part ways now, my friend. Be safe.” Yawn remained in the enclosure for a few seconds, as if seeing if she’d close the door before he moved, “quickly now, Yawn, I need to leave.” Mukuro spoke in a bit more firmer tone, and as if he understood, the large serpent slithered out of the large glass tank. Mukuro stood watching him slither out into the woods.

      Silently saying one last goodbye, Mukuro walked back inside to retrieve her files and leave the facility for good.

[megexpress]

Omg after that ask I really need aquamera to adopt a puppy together! And I can't stop laughing at the image of Mera trying to jump into the lions cage "Those are lions Mera, they'll chop your head off and I won't be able to have a chat with them so they change their minds about tasting you" "But look at their puppies! I'm sure the puppies aren't bad!" "Cubs. Lions' puppies are called cubs" and then she goes on mission of questioning about the name of each animal's puppies.

Hello~

Anon is referring to this post.

You sent me this anon a few days before I had learned that AquaMera actually do adopt a dog in the comics! I didn’t know at the time I wrote it. Now I really want them to adopt a puppy in the DCEU. I don’t think they will since the puppy from Arthur’s childhood in the film was probably an homage to Aquadog, but that doesn’t mean I won’t hope for it! 

Yes! I wrote in my tags on that post that Arthur would have to hold her back from trying to pet all the surface animals and I stand by that. The fact that you think Mera would refer to other animal’s babies as “puppies” is so cute, omg. I’m now accepting it as canon because that is adorable. I did think of a scenario that could help appease her curiousity, though…

“Arthur, if you don’t get out of bed right now, I’m going to kick your ass.”

She was sitting on him, shaking him with all her might. Today was Mera’s birthday and she wanted her present immediately. He told her the day prior that he was finally going to make good on his promise - he was going to take her to meet new surface animals. Ever since the puppies she saw, she had been talking non-stop about them. She demanded he tell her stories about the dog from his childhood and his experiences with other animals. She knows a lot about water creatures, but her knowledge about animals from the surface is quite limited. Mera’s curiousity about the surface world comes and goes, but her curiousity about the animals? That hasn’t waned at all. Her eyes light up when she reminisces about the puppy she held in her arms. He is excited to go to the zoo today. He knew it was the perfect gift for her. He loves seeing her happy and to be the one to bring her happiness is a gift in itself.

But, why did she want to go so early?

“As your king I demand you come back in an hour or t-”

The blanket was ripped from the bed and the curtains opened before he could finish his sentence. He shivers in the sudden draft, cringing from the light.

“Mera!”

“Oh! You’re awake! Great,” she says, pulling on his arm to get him up. “Get dressed! It’s time to see more animals!”

“Okay, okay,” he laughs as he finally sits up, wiping the sleep from his eyes. “I’m going.”

“A miracle,” she quips, pulling him to his feet.

“Happy birthday, by the way.” He kisses her temple before shuffling off to quickly get ready.

At the doorway, he looks back to see her smiling and silently clapping to herself in excitement. What a dork.

She notices his stare and huffs in annoyance, shooing him out of the room.

~

The day was a definite success. So much so that Arthur was enjoying himself more than he thought he would. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had went to a zoo. Animals behind cages aren’t his favourite thing in the world, but there is something nostalgic about zoos. His dad brought him to a few when he was a kid. Besides, witnessing Mera’s awe was all the reward he needed. He bought her cotton candy (It’s candy? Yes. But, it’s made from cotton? Not the way you’re thinking. If you’re tricking me… Just eat it, Fight Club. …Oh! It melted! It’s good, right? Yes. Hey! Get your hands off my cotton candy! Haven’t you heard of sharing? You’re already shaking from the sugar rush! Am not!) and heaps of ice cream. She didn’t seem to mind. He remembers the stories of her childhood birthdays. The theme was always the same: stuffy and more like political ploys rather than an actual party. He wanted her to experience a birthday like she never had before - carefree and fun. Thus, seeing all the animals and the copious amounts of sweets. He even bought her a balloon in the shape of a giraffe. She had it tied proudly around her wrist while she lead him around the zoo.

He couldn’t help but softly smile at her gasps of shock, her endless amount of questions, and her tendency to refer to young animals as “puppies.” He nodded at first and was about to correct her, but her look of pure happiness squashed that. She was way too damn happy for him to rain on her parade. So, he gladly went around with her and saw all the “puppies.” He encouraged her to crane her neck to meet a giraffe’s eyes, laughed when she tried to croon back to the screeching monkeys, and smiled in affection as she fawned over the bumbling bears. He took her to see some water animals, too - like hippos and otters - but her attention was really drawn by the surface-bound creatures. Occasionally she moaned about the animals being too far to touch, but then she would get distracted by the sound of a nearby exhibit and would rush to the next species to coo over.

As the day winded down, there was only one animal left to see: lions. She saw the sign and ran to look over the barrier and into the pit. All were lazily laying on a rock, bathing in the last rays of sun, drowsy as can be. The only ruckus was made from the two lion cubs tumbling about and occasionally running to one of the adults before scampering off again.

“How am I supposed to pet the lion if it’s so far away?”

“You’re not. Wild animals are dangerous, regardless if they’re in captivity or not.”

“But I held that puppy on the beach!”

“That’s different. That was a domesticated animal. These are not pets. They could seriously hurt you.”

“I’ve swam with sharks and orcas, Arthur. I could deal with petting this overgrown puppy.”

“It’s an overgrown cat, actually, bu- STOP TRYING TO JUMP THE BARRIER!”

Arthur grabs Mera by the back pocket of her pants to stop her from jumping into the pit of lions. She kicks and tries to wriggle out of his grip, but her sugar high is almost gone and, with it, her energy. Her body slumps in defeat and she lets Arthur pull her back to safety. With her feet firmly planted on the ground once again, Mera turns to Arthur with wide eyes and a pout.

“I just wanted to pet the lion puppies.”

“I know,” he says, pulling her into a hug.

She buries her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. He soothingly strokes her hair. He can tell she’s tired. Her eyes were starting to droop and her energy had significantly dropped in the last hour. The anticipation of the day and then experiencing the actual excitement must have been overwhelming and exhausting. Plus, her feet must be aching from all the walking. He’ll give her a foot massage later. He should also think about actually getting food into her system… He does feel bad for her, though.

That’s when he sees the sign in the distance.

Perfect.He unwraps her arms from around his waist, noticing that her eyes were shut.

“Did you just fall asleep?”

“Mmmm no,” Mera groggily denies, stifling a yawn. “Are we going home now?”

“Just one more thing and then we can leave.”

“Okay.” 

She gently takes his hand in hers, letting him lead her to their last stop.

~

“Shut up!”

Mera’s lethargy evaporates as she takes in the scene before her: people were taking pictures with a baby lion laying across their laps. The supervising zoologist manned the cub, occasionally swapping one out for another when one got particularly restless. People were told to sit still as the cub was placed on their laps and a photo was swiftly taken before the cub was taken back and the next set of people came in. 

Mera’s eyes light up in excitement, her last bit of energy surging to the surface.

“Are we taking a picture with the lion?”

“Of course. Why would I bring you here just to watch?”

She ignores the question as she realizes they are next in line. Her smile is beaming and she seems to be emitting a faint glow. Thankfully, no one notices as they are all enthralled by the lion cub stretching its limbs. She absentmindedly swings their intertwined hands. Arthur affectionately watches her and leaves a soft kiss at the top of her head. She turns to him and winks.

They’re next.

They are rushed in and one of the workers takes the balloon from Mera’s wrist for safe keeping. They are instructed to sit down and be still. Mera freezes, her eyes displaying all the animation that her body cannot. The cub is brought and laid across their laps, its head nuzzling into Mera’s stomach and its tail swishing in Arthur’s face. Mera’s hand slowly descends and hesitantly pets the cub’s head. The cub is distracted, not really paying attention to the affection its being shown, but Arthur can feel its purr rumble throughout its body. Mera lets out a slight laugh. She’s at a complete loss of words. That’s a first, Arthur laughs to himself.

The photographer curtly tells them to smile and snaps the photo. The next thing they know, the cub is removed from their laps and they are handed their photo (and Mera’s balloon) before being escorted out. Mera and Arthur huddle to examine their photo together. The cub isn’t looking into the camera, clearly distracted by something off to the side. However, the cub is not the best part of the photo - Mera is. Her eyes are slightly shining as she looks at the cub in reverence, a hand caught in motion, scratching behind its ear. Arthur is looking at Mera in the photo, a smile playing at his lips, complete devotion in his eyes. 

I’m going to marry her one day.

“Were you crying?”

“What? No!” Mera discreetly wipes at her eyes, erasing the evidence.

He chuckles as she tucks herself into his side and pulls him close.

“Thank you, Arthur.”

“Happy birthday, Mera.”

[ontheoddoccasioniwritestuff]

Seahorse (Spencer Reid x Trans Male!Reader) SFW

Summary: Spencer and Y/N have always wanted kids. Here’s the time Spencer was brave enough to broach the subject of how they would go about it. Plus a few more times after that.

AN: @imagining-in-the-margins​ came up with the idea of Spencer’s trans bf having a baby amidst man many many prompts for Spencer x male!reader to indulge my daydreaming and I ran with this prompt.

Thank you to @writing-in-april​ for being my beta on this one! Couldn’t have done it without you, beebs <3

This is the SFW version. Here’s a link to an NSFW version of the story, but do not read that if you are under 18!

Word Count: 5.7k words

Content Warnings: Trans man is pregnant, coming off medication, allusions to Prison!Spencer.

Masterlist // Gif Credit // NSFW Version

The halls echoed with the unbridled joy of little ones calling out “Nemo” and “Dory” at the sight of the clown and surgeon fishes. Spencer bounced on the balls of his feet as he looked around the next room in search of his goal. He stopped when Y/N spared a look in his direction, away from the tank that had captured his attention for a solid five minutes.

“JJ sent me a video of a shrimp solving a Rubik’s Cube the other day.” He grinned.

Ah yes. JJ had also sent Spencer a video of little Henry swinging a mini softball bat about just like Spencer had done. For one game and one game only he had insisted, despite Y/N’s own resolve that he looked hot in the kit.

The walk through the tunnel was the slowest slog Spencer felt, but it was the only attraction in the aquarium to properly distract him. Lights above them filtered through the water, bouncing off the painted walls of the tank in a blue glow. Various species in a perfectly balanced ecosystem swam around one another without a care in the world. A particular stingray flapped its body against the glass, and three children nearby laughed at its funny shaped mouth.

“I used to sit on my mum’s shoulders when we walked through these. Touch the ceiling as if I could pet the fishes.” And Y/N’s hands stretched up over him, his eyes following a shark that slinked overhead, “When I got too old, I’d just press my nose against the glass and stare back.”

Nerves returned at the sight of a circular tank in the centre of the room holding something familiar. Seahorses curled their tails around the plants that waved together like a crowd at a concert. Little babies bobbed about the parents, translucent and wriggly.

Spencer coughed and spoke while Y/N took in the creatures, “Did you know that the seahorse is the only animal where the male carries the children?”

Suddenly his throat was dry; the words he’d been rehearsing dragged to a halt. Y/N turned to face him properly, guiding Spencer to the left as a little girl stood on tiptoe to see the seahorses as he continued to struggle.

“Well, that might not be true actually.” Spencer choked a little on his words, his voice’s volume steadily declining into a soft whisper, “I know that some human men can have babies.”

Y/N’s face clouded with doubt for a moment. Then it clicked and his face cleared, “Spencer, tell me what you’re getting at.”

Spencer twisted his hands around one another, “Have you ever thought about us having kids… biologically?” He watched Y/N’s Adam’s apple dip as he swallowed hard

“You mean like me being pregnant?”

“Yes, have you considered it an option for us?”

The conversations of other aquarium patrons were forgotten as Y/N took his gaze away from Spencer. His eyebrows were low as he considered his words carefully. Y/N always thought about the implications of what he was saying, maybe a little too much. Spencer could be biased though; his impatience did not mix well with his anxieties.

Eventually, Y/N turned back with a brave face and said, “I’d have to think about it some more.”

“Ok.” Spencer nodded, his chin wobbling a little.

There was hope though: he needed to think “some more”. Implying Y/N had thought about this before.

Near the end of their trip, Spencer did find himself in a staring contest with a little seahorse plushie with large eyes and an anatomically inaccurate tongue hanging out. In all honesty, it was kind of ugly.

“Spencer, come on. You know how I get around stuffed animals.”

How empathetic his boyfriend really was, projecting feelings of love onto the inanimate objects then making the excuse that he had to buy it now.

Spencer did have to leave the toy behind though. Out into the sunlight of the parking lot, he winced before he put his sunglasses back on.

“Park?” Y/N offered his hand and smiled. It was an olive branch, something to say that Spencer’s query had not ruined their day out together.

Spencer accepted and squeezed his hand. “Park.”

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Y/N had a hand on their lower belly, some space between the fingers as if there was an invisible bump there to accommodate. His head had tilted while he thumbed over the air.

As drowsy as Spencer was from work, his mind was focused without a distraction on what he had seen through the ajar bathroom door. He could barely pay attention to the Doctor Who episode Y/N put on. In fact, he doubted anything could take his attention away from the idea of having a child with-

“What do you think about me being pregnant?”

Spencer’s eyes shot wide open, then they were covered slightly by his inquisitive eyebrows in his attempt find an answer. Especially with Y/N looking on him while he waited for him.

“I think you’d be so beautiful carrying our baby. But if you wouldn’t be comfortable, then I wouldn’t make you. We still have surrogacy, fostering, adoption to consider,” was his answer. Never a lie, but the truth was always softened.

Seemingly satisfied, Y/N looked back at the episode. But Spencer couldn’t wait anymore, forgetting about anything else in the world except for this.

“What do you think, Y/N?” His body leant in towards his boyfriend’s.

Squirming in their spot on the couch, Y/N hummed before he answered, “I froze some of my eggs before I started my transition. I also sold some, for a down payment on a house or my wedding.”

Spencer’s heart thrilled at the possibilities. A house together? Matching suits at their wedding? He almost neglected to think about the fact that pregnancy was suddenly a very viable option for their future.

Regardless of Spencer’s many, many thoughts, Y/N continued, “And I thought that perhaps, if I found the right person, I would like to carry their child.” His palm opened up to him and Spencer instantly took it. “I know you’re the right person, but I’m not sure I want a baby now.”

“Of course,” Spencer lifted Y/N’s hand to his lips, “Whenever we’re both ready.”

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

Spencer pushed the dirty bedsheets into the washing machine; it wasn’t that big a deal. If the blood didn’t come out, then they could always buy a new set. Although they should really be saving money for decorating the nursery.

“Spenceerrrr.”

As the machine rumbled into life, Spencer returned to Y/N, curled up on the sofa with a heat pad to his gut. No amount of warnings from their doctor could have prepared Spencer for how emotionally straining it was to see his boyfriend suffering. Y/N was taking this a lot harder than Spencer – and rightfully so, it was his body that was changing.

“Why did I have to have such strong paternal instincts?” He grumbled with his eyes still closed.

Spencer let out a laugh, but it was cut off quick when Y/N whimpered loudly. He knelt down before him and cupped his face. Y/N’s cheeks were warm; his hands clung to Spencer’s wrists like a lifeline.

“What do you need?” Spencer asked softly and Y/N sighed, keening into his cooler palms.

“Can you tell me I’m handsome please?”

“You are the most handsome man in the world, and I adore you every minute of every day.” Spencer kissed Y/N’s pouting lips gently, “Handsome inside and out, I never wanna think about life without you. You just make everything in my life better.”

His fingers moved to brush away a tear that slipped down Y/N’s face and over the ridge of his nose. But he missed and it dripped onto the pillow.

“You’re doing so much for us, for our baby.”

“It’s not even real yet,” Y/N sniffled. His hands finally released Spencer and pressed the heat pad into him.

“It’s gonna be.” Spencer bumped their noses together, “We’re gonna be dads.”

A hoarse laugh met with a hint of a groan in Y/N’s chest, “Yeah. We’re gonna be dads.” That sound and those words were all Spencer needed to feel better. But he wished the same could be said for Y/N. The only thing he could provide was a promise of future relief:

“How about we order in tonight?”

“Ugh, yes.” Y/N burrowed his face into the pillow.

When their bed was made up properly, Spencer and Y/N cuddled together. Unfortunately, Y/N was restless, trying to find a comfortable position while his painkillers kicked in. Spencer kept his complaints to himself, allowing himself to be shifted around in Y/N’s hunt for relief. Honestly it was the least he could do.

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

“The reproductive process begins when a male and a female seahorse do daily pre-dawn dances, intertwining their tails and swimming together.”

“Well, it’s nearly nine, so definitely past dawn.”

“I’m trying to be romantic, Y/N.”

Y/N adjusted the bed sheets around his middle, “We don’t have tails either and - if I remember correctly - your last sexy swimming encounter ended poorly.”

Spencer flushed at the memory of Lila in the pool; another memory turned the pink to red. Y/N had laughed so hard his gut ached when Spencer told him about how awkward he had been around Lila. This was before the context of the case had been disclosed, promptly removing the space for any more laughter.

“Baby?”

Y/N was touching his face. Spencer’s head emptied itself of all thoughts of Lila. This was not what he wanted to be thinking about right now. Y/N’s laughter maybe, but none of the rest.

Tucking a curl behind his ear, Y/N leant in close, “If I’m ready, and you’re ready, you know what happens.” His eyes wandered down Spencer’s face, “And it’s not swimming together.”

But, just as their lips were about to touch, Y/N jerked away from him. “Wait, I gotta brush my teeth first.”

Spencer moaned with indignation while falling backwards onto the bed as Y/N disappeared from view. A few seconds later, he heard the electric toothbrush buzzing. With a burst of energy, he stripped himself down to his underwear – a petty way to get back at Y/N who had made it very clear that undressing Spencer was one of his favourite parts of their sex life.

When Y/N returned, with the minty freshness he apparently desired more than his own boyfriend, he said “What? You already did this morning?”  His eyes looked down at Spencer’s chest and his lips twitched into a pout.

Spencer held back his grin, keeping his triumph at retaliation to himself as he said, “I wouldn’t have minded.”

“That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard, Spencer.”

And with that, Y/N crawled onto the bed, over Spencer’s body and kissed him silly. He did much more than that, enjoying their overlapping day off to the fullest before even leaving their home.

At ten to ten, sleepwear scattered about the bedroom floor, Spencer and Y/N sagged into the mattress, wrapped up in each other and the covers. The burning warmth of their bodies drew up two soporific smiles on their faces.

“You know, a seahorses’ body shape means that they’re inept swimmers, and they can actually die of exhaustion.”

Y/N poked Spencer’s sternum. “Is that your way of makin’ fun of my stamina? Give me a few minutes; I’ll be on you like a rash.”

Grinning at such a prospect, Spence continued, “They also mate for life monogamously.”

He felt two fingers touch his cheek, "Spencer, I love you and your endless fountain of knowledge.” Y/N paused to peck the corner of his lips, “But I’m not actually a seahorse. And, though I do plan to mate with you for life, if you wake me up before the sun is above the horizon for a ‘dance’, I'm gonna suffocate you with my new body pillow.”

“Oh, you got your pillow?”

“It’s en route.” Hence why Y/N was content to use Spencer in lieu of said pillow.

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

When Spencer disclosed to Hotch that he would need some time off because he and Y/N were considering having a kid, first thing on a Monday morning, Hotch didn’t let anything on. There was a hint of a hint of a smile though. His eye wandered to the school photo of Jack he kept on his desk, and he was greeted with the memory that Jack almost shared a name with Emily’s cat.

Naturally, Rossi found out next. Technophobe Spencer Reid had left his computer screen on a website for baby blankets, and Rossi had been the one to pass by first. After turning the monitor off, Rossi took Spencer aside in the break room and spoke about how wonderful it was that he was going to be a father. Then he kissed both his cheeks, leaving with misty eyes and a smile that he wouldn’t explain to Penelope passing by. Spencer blinked then finished making his coffee.

The next conference room meeting – the same day and just for an update on the paperwork deadline - Spencer simply decided to drop the information that he and Y/N were planning on having a kid as if it was his thoughts on their next unsub’s motivations were.

Three seconds of silence later and an uproar exploded.

From then on, the week was filled with pokes and ribbing at his upcoming parenthood. A peek into the future.

After making her a cup of coffee, Spencer sat opposite JJ at her desk and asked for advice. Her response: offering Spencer the opportunity to babysit Henry more. Obviously he accepted; more time with his godson was always a good thing. Then she went into how parenting was just a natural thing that he would know when the time came. Not very reassuring on its own, but with his best friend’s support, Spencer felt a smidgen better.

Penelope admitted that she had saved outfit ideas on Pinterest for Spencer – among other members of the BAU. When Spencer dared to enter her lair, she showed him several. Apparently that wasn’t even a dent in her collection, and she had already placed an order on a little bow tie. Spencer left before she tried to organise a shopping trip; neither Spencer nor Y/N were really fans of retail therapy.

Derek was teasing away, “Spencer and Y/N are gonna be baby daddies.” And every single time, Emily would join in. She liked to claim she was the reason Spencer was having a kid, reminding him of when JJ was pregnant. He had been incredibly weirded out by the baby kicking, but Emily had asked if he had considered having “baby geniuses” and he never gave an answer.

To be fair, Spencer never could have seen this coming. That made it all the better.

Apart from when Derek began supplying a realm of baby names, that varied from “oh that’s actually cute” to “oh my god, why would you even consider that a name for a real child?” Spencer was happy to rank them aloud for him.

The cat was only half out of the bag though.

Now Spencer had always been affectionate when he and Y/N were together. But the second it spilled into their public lifestyle, Y/N knew something was afoot. He was quick to pick up on this when he went to collect Spencer up for a chilled date night and Spencer kissed his cheek in clear view of the entire bullpen.

“You told them, didn’t you?”

“I couldn’t wait, but I do have my paternity leave arranged!”

The team swarmed to deliver their congratulations. And it was then that they revealed that they all thought that Spencer and Y/N were planning to adopt or look for a surrogate. Their embraces didn’t spoil the unexpected second part of their announcement; Y/N looked like he’d simply put on a few pounds rather than gained a baby bump beneath his button-up. Naturally, there was even more of a hubbub than before when they discovered that Y/N was already pregnant.

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

 “Spencer, baby, you gotta calm it with the ocean theme.”

“But…” he pouted, holding up the finished mobile. Brightly painted sea creatures and chunks of coral dangled delicately in a circle. Sure enough, there were orange seahorses hovering about their habitat.

“It’s very sweet and I adore you for it,” Y/N kissed Spencer. “Not everything has to be related to seahorses though.”

“I guess not.” Spencer’s defeated tone did not last long. His face brightened and he whipped a blanket adorned with little seahorses and bubbles at the edges out of the cot. “But - this online store was taking commissions, and you always say support small businesses!”

Thank god Y/N had been the one in charge of painting the walls. An underwater mural would have been a step too far.

“You, Doctor Spencer Reid, are so…” Y/N’s hands were up in the air between them, searching for an adjective to describe Spencer appropriately. Then he settled those hands on his shoulders and Y/N kissed him.

When they drew away, Spencer spoke, “I’m so what?”

Y/N shrugged, “Just so.” He kissed him again, lingering longer than before and smiling as Spencer’s hands touched the obtrusive roundness of his belly that pressed into Spencer’s stomach. They were so close to meeting their little bubba.

“So are you.”

“Ok, don’t have a go, I bought this before the ban,” Y/N held out a gift, wrapped in sea-green tissue paper and bearing a blue bow.

Folding the blanket neatly over the bars of the cot, Spencer eagerly yet daintily unwrapped the present. As the tissue paper fell to the carpet, his hands trembled.  Eyes shining, he couldn’t bring himself to look away from the latest scan that was framed by tiny seahorses to thank Y/N.

There was more still, as Y/N explained, “There’s another behind there. I’ve seen the state of the one in your wallet.”

“It got caught at the bottom of the pouch,” Spencer said quietly, unbending the catch on the back of the frame. Sure enough, two of the same photographs spilled into his waiting palm. Truth be told, Spencer had already taped his torn photo together again and it was going to stay in his wallet. This spare would be in the post soon, on its way over to his mother. God, she was so excited to hold a baby again. The photo album would have to do for now.

“Could you maybe recant the ocean ban? Because I saw this and I knew it would really go well with the blanket and the mobile.”

Sighing, Y/N’s head tilted back, “What is it?”

The pretence of annoyance couldn’t be maintained towards Spencer’s face beaming back at him as he held up a wonky looking seahorse plushie. It wasn’t the same one he’d seen before. Some heartfelt child had taken pity on that one and given it a forever home. No, this was a perfect little present for his bubba.

Y/N thought so too as he let a grin settle onto his face.

“Ok, we can keep this one. But no more from now, alright?”

“I suppose. Besides, our baby isn’t our seahorse. You are!”

“You better not buy us a fish tank for my birthday.” A spike of nerves hit Y/N when he couldn’t quite catch Spencer’s eye to confirm his word. “Spencer? Promise me... Spencer!”

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

 “How are you feeling, Baby Daddy?” Derek hugged Y/N who was reclined in his bed. His body pillow propped him up for his visitors.

Y/N wrinkled his nose, “For once, I wish I was a real seahorse and I could have just sneezed her out.”

Katia Nikola Reid definitely looked like she’d been sneezed on when she first entered the world, screaming her teaspoon-sized lungs out. Named after a hero of both Y/N and Spencer, one day old, bundled in a blanket, she scowled at Spencer’s dopey face looming over her while Emily held her tight.

A hoard of presents huddled in the corner of Spencer and Y/N’s bedroom. Emily thought it’d be a great idea to bring the baby an Ikea shark that was bigger than the child – and would definitely take up around half of her cot.

“She’s already got him wrapped around her pinky finger.”

“Yes, she does,” Spencer agreed giddily.

Next, Derek took her in his arms, untucking her arms from the blanket swaddle to give her a fist bump. He swayed her about the room while Katia relaxed a little more. The deep humming in his chest soothed the wrinkles on her forehead. Katia stretched as if to touch his face, and her mouth gaped at him.

“Aww, baby genius is ready for a nap.” Derek yawned too, “Who’s gonna micromanage me while I put her down?”

“Me! Me!” Y/N said, his enthusiasm muted by tiredness. Spencer leapt to his side, helping him out of bed, his teammates watching fondly as he did so. Y/N was allowed out the room first, Derek close behind and clicking his tongue at little Katia.

“She’s so sweet,” Emily said, her eyes on the pair’s backs and the dangling loose blanket from under Derek’s left arm. “I’m so happy for you both.” And she hugged Spencer tight; Emily always gave such good hugs. Good thing she was going to be around to give plenty to his daughter.

Then, down the hall, he heard Derek say with sarcastic resignation, “Oh Spencer, I thought Y/N was kidding when he said no more seahorse themed items.

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

Y/N ended up climbing into the bathtub with Katia. Even as she had grown into her chubby features, looking more and more like him and Spencer with each passing day, she was still so small.

Sitting up with her in his lap to help her out, Y/N lowered her into the warm water. His fingers tenderly rubbed the blackcurrant scented soap on her tummy, copying her expression as her tongue poked out between her gums. Her jerking legs rejected the water that Y/N’s hands cupped to rinse the bubbles off.

“Oh!” Y/N said in surprise as Katia sneezed, “Bless you.”

He heard the front door go, but he let Spencer follow the clues to their bathroom. Sure enough, the Doctor soon entered with his jacket shed, already rolling his sleeves up as he dropped onto the bathmat. A hand curled at Y/N’s chin as he kissed him before it stroked over the damp wisps of hair on Katia’s head.

“Hello. Hi.” His voice was that bit more delicate as he caught Katia’s eye and welcomed her big gappy smile.

Y/N tilted his head towards Spencer. “Good day?”

“I missed you both.” Spencer swished the water around by Katia’s side, “Isn’t it incredible how she’s experiencing all of this for the first time?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

Spencer giggled away as the surrounding bathwater yellowed and Katia flapped her arms.

“Mind your language.” He said without any weight to his warning, “Our little girl can’t help it.” Then he stood and prepared her towel, a deep-sea blue that brought out her eyes. “Can I feed her tonight?”

“Of course, baby,” Y/N agreed as he lifted Katia out of the tub, where Spencer caught her and bundled her up with skilled speed. As he dried her off, Katia cooed away to herself. She did get a little pissed off when he dressed her up in a clean nappy and a sleepsuit, but Spencer couldn’t take her crumpled expression seriously without the tears.

The rocking chair had to be one of his best investments for his daughter’s room. It soothed Katia from the darkest of tantrums, a familiarity that swayed her. She fit so perfectly into Spencer’s arms and he fit so contentedly into the seat. Her eyelashes fluttered slowly shut as she drank more milk.

Not quite strong enough to sit up on her own, Katia leant fully into Spencer’s hand while he burped her – thankfully not for long. Then it was off into her cot.

Y/N watched him from the doorway as Spencer stroked the apple of Katia’s cheek while she drifted off into slumber. An effortless smile danced on his lips even as he switched the lamp off and welcomed Y/N over to see their sleeping babe.

“Love seeing you with her, Old Daddy Spencer teaching her everything she’ll need to know.” The kiss that followed was certainly not appropriate for their daughter’s nursery, so he took Y/N by the hand, leading him into the hallway. Even then, between the short pecks that pressed against his lips, Y/N continued to talk, “Is this how you felt while I was pregnant?”

Breath hot against his face, Spencer swallowed hard while Y/N said, “Seeing my handsome boyfriend carrying our child? I think I get it now.”

His hand slipped up Spencer’s shirt. It was crystal clear what his intentions were. Spencer was already close to panting when he pulled Y/N flush against him. With more desperation this time, they fumbled around their home until they made it to their bed. Spencer’s hands aligned with the stretch marks on Y/N’s thighs as he grabbed them and pulled him on top.

He huffed as Y/N’s teeth tugged and released his bottom lip, “We have to be quiet.”

“I can be quiet.” Y/N ripped off his shirt in one smooth movement, “Can you?”

Spencer couldn’t give an answer. Instead he pulled Y/N back against him as they fell onto their sheets.

Their first time in months, it didn’t last very long, but it was exactly what they needed.

 ---> ---> ---> ---> --->

 The biggest surprise of the evening was that Rossi put down his drink to hold Katia. To be fair though, he had already had a few. Hence why he was singing and dancing around the garden with Katia in his arms. What a sight to behold, it eased the pain of Derek and Hotch’s absence, their own kids to take care of now.

Eventually Rossi relented, allowing Penelope to take Katia, turning to Y/N who had kept a watchful eye on his actions, “Promise me you’ll bring her over when she’s allowed to eat food.”

“I can’t give her your food for her first taste. She’ll be disappointed for the rest of her life,” Y/N joked, Rossi letting out a boisterous laugh that made Katia giggle in turn.

Penelope got to hold Katia next and show her off to Henry who was very intrigued to learn more about his godsister – Spencer told him that was who Katia was and it stuck. Henry became Penelope’s little shadow until they found a seat for him and a cushion for his lap to hold the baby. His joy unbridled at such a responsibility was adorable. He posed for many photos, while Katia for once stayed quiet.

Spencer was tired but the best kind of tired. A night in with friends, watching his boyfriend and his daughter be welcomed as much as he was, it wasn’t a surprise but it was always a delight. And this moment right now, Y/N cradling Katia’s with one hand squeezing her little foot before he planned to take her into Rossi’s office? What a life they had cultivated together. As he sipped his drink, the bliss in his tummy was not doused by it.

 ---> ---> ---> ---> --->

Slouching on the sofa, Spencer watched with tired eyes as Katia stumbled in the room, her hands held in Y/N’s while she waddled between his legs. Her round face lit up at the sight of Spencer. Her pace increased beyond her abilities and Katia swung forward a little as she almost fell over.

“Oh dear,” Y/N cooed while Katia got back to her unstable feet. “That’s it, there we go.”

Spencer wished he had the energy to properly appreciate this moment, especially since both his boyfriend and their daughter were grinning like they shared a secret.

Katia dropped down onto her nappy-cushioned bottom then began to crawl over to Spencer’s feet. His hands, although dirty, rough and near ruined, accepted her offer and lifted Katia up into his lap. They stayed for safety around her middle, keeping her sat up straight as she looked on him with those big eyes. Eyes that were fresh and untainted copies of his own.

Y/N sat down beside Spencer, leaning in close to Katia so he caught her attention, “Hey, why don’t you show your Daddy what we’ve been practicing?”

Looking away from both her Dads, Katia drooled and pushed her fist in her mouth. Y/N waved until he and Spencer were back into her line of sight.

“Go on, sugar plum.” He pointed to Spencer, “Who’s that?” And he mouthed the answer to her.

“Dadadadadada.”

It was barely above a whisper. But her little grin, the top of a tooth poking out of the centre of her bottom gums, the way Katia looked at Spencer when she said it? A soft “oh” fell from Spencer’s lips and he clutched her close, her chubby arms barely reaching around his neck. His breath shaking out of him, he kissed the thick thatch of hair that had sprouted in his absence. He could feel Katia whispering “Dadadadada!” again.

“That’s me, Katia, I’m your Dada.” He sniffed back the sting in his eyes at the absolute proof that, in his time away from her, she had remembered him. When he moved away, placing Katia back into his lap, he closed his eyes as Katia’s scrabbling fingers rubbed across the tip of his nose.

Katia made a sudden attempt to stand, throwing her entire bodyweight towards Spencer. Spencer’s breath was snatched from his lungs and the tension remained even after he caught her with ease.

“You ok?” Y/N said and Spencer noticed that his hand was supporting his against Katia.

Spencer nodded weakly, “Hmm, you?”

“Better now.” Y/N let his hand go and began rubbing Spencer’s back in the same circular motions that Spencer rubbed Katia’s.

A tug snagged Spencer’s head to the left and he tutted as Katia grabbed at his cheek, “Ow, Katia, no.”

Instead, Katia took a fistful of the next thing she could find, which was Spencer’s hair, and she cried out an identical (if higher pitched) “Ow!”

“You hurt Spencer, not the other way around, Katia. Stop faking.” Y/N scolded playfully.

But Katia repeated Spencer’s outburst again, “Ow!”

Y/N lifted Katia’s little fist from Spencer’s hair, and it immediately clamped down on Spencer’s finger as an alternative to wave about.

Spencer kissed her hand, still so tiny and forgiving against his. He looked at Y/N, blinking fast as he half-heartedly said, “She’s so like you.”

The lock of hair Katia had yanked on curved around Y/N’s touch as he put it back into the disarray of fluff that stood around Spencer’s head, “That’s funny, because I think she’s so like you.”

---> ---> ---> ---> --->

Tilting the pram onto its back wheels, Spencer pushed it up the step and into the aquarium tunnel. Katia lay back in her seat while gumming on her blanket corner. Her eyes were ready to take in the sights.

Y/N knelt before her, suffering a few kicks to his knees from Katia’s excitement. Her pram clips were undone. Little Katia was released into her Daddy’s arms then plonked up onto his shoulders. Her starfish-like hands pressed up against the glass. Her mouth became as wide as her eyes as she pointed at the stingray rippling past. She had seen fish before (Carl and Rosalind at home) but never like this.

“Yeah, that’s a ray, Katia,” Y/N rubbed his fingers over her back, his hands still to keep her steady.

Spencer pointed his finger right next to hers, “They use their electro-sensors, not their eyes, to find their meals which consists of shrimps, clams, and -”

Katia shrieked – interrupting his and she smacked her hands against the glass. No one seemed to mind though. Some patrons in the tunnel even chuckled at her behaviour. Like she needed any more encouragement, especially with Y/N grinning up at her and tickling her sides to elicit more laughter from his daughter.

When Spencer’s hand dropped, Katia shouted again. A little confused, he returned it and Katia took his finger in her hand then began dragging the tip across where the ray was.

“She wants it as a pet, what do you say, baby?”

“I thought you said not to get you any fish for your birthday.”

Eventually Katia was returned to the pram. Her head was thrown back to watch the rest of the tunnel go by. Then she hid her face in her blankie once they were out in the last few exhibits. There was a little tug of war to get her to let it go (she was a lot stronger than Y/N gave her credit for) and see the one other exhibit that both parents were invested in.

Taking her hand again, Spencer squatted beside the pram. “Hey look, the men seahorsies have the babies. They’re just like your Daddy.”

“Your favourite Daddy,” Y/N ruffled Spencer’s hair while Spencer pretended to be outraged. Katia caught onto the dramatic expression Spencer was wearing and copied him with a gasp added for good measure.

“What d’you reckon, any of these were babies when we went to visit last time?”

“Well, Y/N, the lifespan of these seahorses is approximately a year. So they could be.” He knew it was unlikely but, for the sake of the smiles on Y/N’s and Katia’s face, Spencer let it be.

[timeshuffles]

this blog is like 90% worldbuilding presently and i would apologize for that but i’m not actually sorry so HERE HAVE SOME MORE 

mer folk:

live in large schools in warm, shallow waters. sociable and curious. the most humanlike in nature of the marine peoples

often build sprawling cities along the contours of coral reefs. coral, stone, wood salvaged from shipwrecks, and woven kelp are common building materials. barnacles are encouraged to grow on permanent structures, as they offer an extra layer of durability and protection from the elements.

vast forests of kelp are tended to and carefully farmed; farming communities often weave their homes into the upper reaches of the kelp forests

diet primarily composed of various seaweeds, though dishes composed of plankton are an important staple as well. eating fish, mollusks, and crustaceans is a huge taboo. historically shark meat has been considered a delicacy, but it has since fallen out of fashion as the role of agriculture in mer society grows

most mer speak a common tongue they share with most of the fish / mollusks / crustaceans they share their waters with. this, as you might imagine, is why eating those things is so taboo.

there have been many, many, many dolphin wars. absolutely no love lost between mer folk and the dolphins

mer folk are not sirens, and do not have any common ancestry with sirens, but maintain friendly relationships with them, and mermaids with vocal talent and violent inclinations will sometimes travel to siren colonies to learn the art of hypnotizing human sailors with their voices.

human fishing vessels are a perennial hazard for mer schools, and getting caught in a human net is widely considered a worse fate than death for a mer; there are many, many horror stories about what happens to those who fall into human hands.

on the other hand, mer occasionally join the crews of human pirate ships, a lifestyle that mostly appeals to the young, reckless, adventuresome types. they are typically welcomed for their skill in hunting for treasures in ancient shipwrecks and sabotaging enemy ships from below.

female mer lay eggs, usually just one or two per year. these are then fertilized in extremely private ceremonies by male mer, and hatch after several months into fry about the length of a human forearm. mer folk have absolutely no concept of sex, and are absolutely baffled by human art depicting, for example, mermaids kissing human men.

language composed of clicks and languid, flowing calls that sound very much like music to human ears. they are capable of mastering human speech, though as it is nearly useless underwater they seldom bother to do so.

sirens: 

are not actually one of the marine peoples, but nest along rocky coastlines and coastal cliffs and are often confused with siren-trained mer folk by human sailors (and after all, if a half-human creature is trying to sing you to your watery doom, are you really going to look close enough to see whether she has feathers or fins?)

demonstrate extreme sexual dimorphism, with males being large, flightless, powerful swimmers and females much smaller, more birdlike, and capable of extended flight.

seagulls are extremely popular pets for siren families, and are commonly trained to dive-bomb, scream at, and generally harass human sailors

sirens are opportunistic omnivores who will eat anything. this is the biggest point of friction between mer and siren communities, and in the past has been the catalyst of several wars. (sirens are now obligated by treaty to refrain from hunting in mer territories.)

siren colonies are visible from a great distance on sunny days, as they like to decorate their nests with sea glass, polished shells, and jewelry stolen from their human victims.

form intense pair bonds and mate for life. a mated pair will typically produce 4-6 chicks over the course of their adult lives.

their language is a patchwork of corrupted mer and human tongues, with a collection of whistling calls and chattering sounds woven in. 

selkies: 

selkies are masters of disguise known for their great skill in crafting magical illusions and glamors. they are the elfin kin of ordinary pinnipeds, and will typically shape their true form to match that of their favored type of seal. sea lions and sea leopards are by far the most common, for the lithe frames of the former and terrifying strength of the latter are widely admired attributes. 

unlike other marine peoples, selkies are a shapeshifting rather than chimerical race; they spend most of their time as seals, living fin-to-fin with their nonmagical kin, but sometimes shed their seal skins and take on human forms instead.

a selkie in human form is distinguishable from ordinary humans by their eyes, which are large and black without any white around the iris, their teeth, which are very sharp, and their fingers, which are webbed. they are exquisitely beautiful, but humans unwary enough to be entranced by their beauty quickly learn that the teeth are not for show.

in case i’m not being clear enough: they will eat you. 

their one vulnerability is their sealskin. if it is stolen from them, the thief will have immense power over them—though it is still unwise to do so, for they will never stop searching for it, and vengeance is brutal and swift if they succeed.

on the other hand, humans who do them great favors and approach them with utmost respect can receive great rewards for their troubles, and it is not uncommon for remote fishing villages to intentionally court the favor of the local selkies.

mer folk regard them in much the same way that humans regard the fae—selkies are, after all, the elves of the sea. very, very carnivorous elves.

selkies mate freely both with other selkies and ordinary seals, and there is no cultural distinction between the two pairings; whether the offspring is a seal or a selkie is determined largely by the phases of the moon and the tides at birth.

the offspring of humans and selkies are often sickly and frail, and always cursed with insatiable wanderlust. many drown at a young age, for they are always fascinated with water; those who survive to adulthood almost invariably become sailors.

they speak as seals do, with a barking, guttural sort of language, regardless of whether they are in seal or human form. they readily understand, but seldom choose to speak, human languages.

cecaelia: 

the most reclusive and feared of the marine peoples, cecaelia live solitary, semi-nomadic lives, prowling the ocean floor and building dens in dark caves and narrow crevices. they are venomous, predatory, and reputed to be exceptionally selfish and cruel.

they do not have teeth; they have a very hard, very sharp beak, concealed behind human-like lips. their venom is delivered through the beak and is neurotoxic, paralyzing its victims and causing swift death via asphyxiation.

like other cephalopods, they are invertebrates. their humanoid mantles are given shape by a chitinous internal structure similar to the gladius of a squid.

their ink has a number of magical properties, and is especially prized for its efficacy as a base in spells and potions involving invisibility, disguise, and deception.

most of their body is taken up by the digestive system, and they eat a lot. they also have three hearts, and can propel themselves very quickly through the water by forcing air rapidly through their gills.

their brain is not where you think it is. a blow to their human head will not even phase them.

some of them grow very, very large. these are the krakens of the deep, and they are known for feasting on whales.

as a group, they value intellectual prowess above quite nearly everything else, and knowledge is their currency of choice; the only truly safe way to approach a cecaelia is to teach them something new, and their primary avenue of contact with other members of their species is through the enormous universities they build in the deep.

possess extraordinarily good vision, seeing well in both light and dark environments and being particularly sensitive to color. 

they are unique among the marine peoples in that their language is entirely nonverbal; meaning is encoded in the rapid shifting of colors and patterns along their flesh, and supplemented with a complex vocabulary of gestures that engages all ten of their arms. the language is, accordingly, impossible for outsiders to learn, which naturally contributes a great deal to their fearsome reputation.

the cecaelian equivalent of a stutter is poor proprioception, which significantly inhibits the precision of gestures with limbs the individual cannot see. this is a fairly common affliction, and in educational settings is accommodated with mirrors, which allow the speaker to watch their whole body as they speak.

they make excellent thieves, assassins, and saboteurs thanks to their innate camouflage, their superior dexterity, and their ability to squeeze into exceptionally tiny spaces. 

cecaelia have a set of peculiar beliefs surrounding death and reproduction, largely due to the fact that 1) reproduction is always, without exception, fatal for both parents, and 2) memories are generational, with cecaelia hatchlings being born with residual memories they inherit from their parents. it is therefore believed that reproduction involves the sacrifice of self and transmission of the soul into one’s offspring, and a great deal of mysticism and ritual surrounds the process. 

since cecaelia can theoretically live forever if they choose not to reproduce, those who do reproduce are quietly revered, and little shrines are built in their honor along commonly-traveled routes. it is good luck to leave a trinket of respect at any shrine one should happen to pass. 

the actual act of reproduction is a private, intimate affair; afterwards, the father will swiftly wither away and die in a matter of days, and the mother will ritually consume his body. then she will retreat into a secluded den or cave to lay a clutch of eggs—anywhere from four to twelve—and enter the long fast, a period of six to ten months during which she does nothing but zealously guard and tend to her eggs. once the eggs begin to hatch, she, too, will quickly die, and her body will sustain her children until they are large enough to venture from the den and make their way in the world.

as you can probably imagine, the other marine people find this entire production exceptionally disturbing, and frightened, wildly exaggerated rumors of cannibalistic cecaelian death magic abound.

[mevekagvain]

Nobles and how they work (3/?)

4. The Siriana

-Used to be dragons, and very few the European types. Rather the ones that are commonly seen in Asia. In other words they have long serpentine bodies and were basically snakes. Magic flying snakes but yes. They accepted the offer to become nobles about 2.6 billion years ago. Very few of the European dragons accepted the offer and though they aren't extinct there are very few left just like with the other dragons (Asian and others) that never accepted the offer (they reside in the same realm as the fae).

-Hair colour isn't definite though browns, whites, and blues are all common. Furthermore they tend to be tall and have markings on their face, usually around the eyes (including the eyelids) or mouth, though some have them on or around the ears. Their body temperature remains the same (large body mass as reptiles does that) though it is affected somewhat by higher temperatures and they have an extremely wide range where they can function normally, from ???°C to ???°C (...yeah they're very impressive). Genitals... well the males have two of those... but slits are also a thing. Search up lizards yourself please.

-Quite a few of the Siriana have no interest in children. Some with no interest in romance, and a few with no interest in both. Regardless, the clan is still of an average size because those that do have children tend to have more.

-The Siriana are an example of those who consider knowledge power and it shows. Among the nobles they are the most curious ones who want to know the most about everything, including humans. They also tend to specialise in what they're interested in personally. Yet, even generally, they have the most extensive knowledge on most topics. As mentioned before, they were the first of the nobles to start recording history and have records of their own species even before they became nobles, as well as records of other various things. The only other nobles who have this are the Kravei and the Agvains.

-They are hoarders and treasure their material possessions. These range from their books (which is a clan hoard) to jewellery, plants, toys, anything. You need their permission before you touch their hoard.

-They don't care much for fighting (doesn't mean they're bad at it) but like the Ru they have an affinity for electricity and can call down lightning. This makes the Ru pester them often.

-Eyes glow in the dark, starting from dim light (cloudy days, dusk, fog, etc)

-They have an aura that makes them feel untouchable as if they are so very far away from you.

-Their accent is pretty light so they are easily understood. Their speech is slightly faster than average and they are somewhat soft-spoken. Vowels in the middle of words are sometimes not pronounced, like elephant becoming el'phant.

-Most often researchers and scientists. If they can't have the information they want they'll get it themselves. If this means downing two litres of hydrochloric acid and bleach, so be it.

-Distributuon of sexes is equal.

5. The Kravei

-Leviathans/Sea dragons. They lived deep on the depths of the oceans and rarely ever came out. Yet, due to their extremely low fertility (even lower than that of nobles), the reduced in number every year so they seeked the nobles out and became as such 2.4 billion years ago. Some still live in oceans of the fae realm.

-Hair colour ranges from black to silver to blue. Pretty much anything really. They're pretty tall and their body temperature changes according to the environment as nobles. The function normally in the range ???°C to 100°C. Genitals would be the same situation as the Siriana.

-The Kravei invoke a sense of fear due to their aura. This is because depths of the ocean = scary.

-Can breathe under water. Furthermore they have an affinity for water and those who train properly even have control over it, the extent of which varies.

-Eyes glow in the dark just like the Siriana but they also glow underwater regardless of the light level.

-Have a very thick, very seductive (generally with all species but type 1 nobles don't find it to be as such. the Siriana and the Agvains are also the most affected) accent so they learn to speak without it. It is slower than average speech and sounds closer to singing or humming than speaking. It is also very smooth and enjoyable to the ear.

-They don't particularly have much interest in anything other than just living out their lives so the clan isn't specifically biased for anything. Central Knights, scientists, etc, are all here.

-Were the ones who first suggested that Lukedonia (the island) be their home.

-Also the one who actually made the Lukedonian written language and caused everyone to be more organised. The Siriana were extremely grateful because before they, the Kravei, and the Agvains were recording things and just writing things in general in three different languages, plus even the other nobles started writing things down after it was made.

-Pretty apathetic to other nobles in general.

-Clan distribution is equal.

6. The Agvains

-Hydras. They were going extinct due to low fertility and their extreme social tendencies + pack bonding (being carnivores definitely did not help) so they were offered to become nobles around 2.6 billion years ago. They refused at first and only accepted after the Siriana did. Non noble hydras are extinct in the present.

-Their hair tends to either be very thick and wild. Hair colours come in pretty much every colour. If nobles reproduce sexually then it's the same as the Siriana except for one thing, they're hermaphrodites (...I honestly just thought it would be funny initially quite a few months ago but now I'm all for it). The women tend to be quite tall and have higher muscle mass while the men are of average height (if hermaphrodites than it's based on femininity, or in other words which hormones they produce more of, rather than the sexes). Their body temperature stays constant (and has to stay constant) at around 45°C. They can stand temperatures from 15°C to ???°C but need outside help if it is outside those ranges (warm clothing, heaters, if cold.).

-The reason their temperature stays constant is due to the 'fire' burning within them. This fire is needed for them to live and must remain at 45°C though dropping to 43°C and rising to 47°C briefly is fine. If it drops lower than that for a long period of time the body cannot maintain itself (enzymes will stop working, chemical processes will slow down, etc) and they will go into eternal sleep. If the opposite occurs than their body will burn up due to the fire becoming uncontrollable and moving out of the body. Fortunately the fire lives only while the noble does so it disappears once they are burnt up, otherwise it would end up causing major fires.

-Agvain children are around 40°C when born and have at most 20 years to reach 45°C, however this is not an easy task, and most of the time nothing can be done but hope for it to happen naturally. 3/4 times this does not occur so Agvains tend to have many children but generally only one surviving. There are also cases of fires advancing too fast in children so the go into eternal sleep due to that. Luckily twins (or more but that's almost impossible) will usually have the same fate so if one survives so will the other. Due to this Agvains only officially introduce their children when they are 20 years old (they're still toddlers...) so that other nobles won't know of their numerous dead children. It also means they have a pretty small clan compared to other nobles.

-Hair colour and fire colour are the same so if a fire is getting weaker or stronger you can tell. Especially so with those that have white hair normally because as it gets weaker it will fade to some other colour.

-Their blood is affected by their fire and is imbued with its magic (which is not fire. just magic), however it is not that strong. This is pretty useless in small quantities but when it is poured onto dirt in moderate to large quantities it will morph into a plant (the ancestors of roses! so they don't look anything like all the ones we have now) due to the magic crystallising which grows pretty quickly. It is extremely thorny. The blood can also be used to provide nutrients for roses (all of them) in small quantities and to accelerate their growth in larger ones (all nobles have this kind of weird stuff. I just haven't thought of what the others might have).

-Their blood also comes out of their body bubbing/boiling.

-Eyes glow in the dark.

-Can breathe fire and spit acid but do neither because it would harm them too. Very few can do these two things due to how as nobles they rarely have the slimy coating in their throats and mouth which prevents damage. They do however heal more quickly than other nobles (since hydras grow two heads when one is sliced off...) so some are stupid enough to still do it.

-The most social of the nobles, so social to the point that they seem to follow a human's schedule of normal (perhaps a more introverted one) rather than a noble's. This also leads to them having pets despite being distraught when they die shortly after (which is why they should look into greenland sharks and immortal jellyfish).

-Most Agvains are pretty normal, around 95% to be exact. The remaining 5% are what would have been considered 'broodmothers' if they were still hydras, but here are instead just called insane. They are predominantly women and their characteristic is that they are somewhat morally lacking. This is due to hydras adapting to their low fertility and broodmothers appearing to prioritise their own species above all else. As such this 5% will do anything for the Agvains, and for any Agvain, even those they are not at all acquainted with. Anything means exactly that. The most fucked up things you can think of all come here. This does include them allowing those things to occur to them as well though, not just them doing those things. Despite all of that, they are still pretty social and respectable, aka they come off as a normal Agvain. The lineage of the gaju is higher in producing these 'insane' nobles due to them being responsible for the clan.

-All Agvains are loyal to their clan and will generally follow the gaju even of they personally don't agree with what's going on.

-Have an extremely thick accent so they learn to speak without it. They speak much faster than than the average talking speed. It is also very rough (lmao can be seductive to those who are into those kinda voices) and can sound more like growling than speech at times.

-Are more inclined to science than to fighting.

-Equally distributed between males and females (unless they're hermaphrodites lol).

Relationships between clans

-All type 2 nobles generally get along better with each other than with type 1 nobles. Same goes for the other way around.

-The Agvains, the Siriana, and the Kravei are extremely tight knit because they're all just dragons. Plus they were all pretty familiar with each other even before they were nobles. As such it's normal to see them together and romantic relations amongst the three clans are very common.

-The Agvains and the Loyards get along pretty well. Something about opposites attracting, though it's more to do with their body temperatures rather than other things. Once again romantic relations are pretty common here.

-The Loyards and the Landegre are close (as per canon). They don't tend to have many romantic relations though.

-The ???, the Ru, and the Drosia are close. This is because they're all very eager to fight and train. Romantic relations are so-so.

-The Siriana aren't too fond of type 1 nobles in general.

-Elenors and Agvains are very distant but they don't hate each other. It's more like there was a time in the past where they weren't allowed to be close and it still affects then to this day.

-The Mergas are extremely close to the lords and their line with the Kertias being second. However the Kertias aren't involved romantically often the way the Mergas are.

-The Drosia and the Noblesse have a close relationship. It's somewhat like the Kertias with the lords except the Drosia have morals and are nice.

-The Loyards and the Ru have never liked each other too much at first glance and that's because of their conflicting morals and ideologies due to their previous species.

-The Tradio and the Elenors are somewhat close since they're always interacting.

-The Kravei interact with nobody unless they really like them. Being a Siriana or an Agvain also gives you interactions with them.

Soul Weapons

-The soul weapons contain the souls of all those in the gaju's lineage, even if they weren't the gaju.

-It passes on to a living relative that has reached around 200 (give or take like 10 years around that point) or is older (typically the closest one but not necessarily), or to the person it is willed to by the previous wielder. This is where 200 being 'maturity' comes from. If the wielder is under that point they cannot summon or use it because their bodies are simply not developed enough to do so. In other words they simply cannot do it.

-Soul weapons are influenced by the souls in them and come to have their own tangible and distinct personalities. These are not the souls of those in eternal sleep. They are the emotions that have gathered, become stronger and stronger, and eventually gained a mind of it's own. How far developed this mind is depends on the emotions and the states of the souls that had those emotions.

-As in canon they adjust to each gaju accordingly.

-They cannot be broken. They are simply materialisations after all.

-They typically only take on one form for a person and that is the only form they can be summoned in. They cannot appear in humanoid forms or other such appearances as that would be disrespectful to the souls they are made up of.

-They do not communicate by words. The only time they do is when they first arrive to the wielder. At all other times it is by emotions and aura.

1. Ragnarok

-The strongest emotion here is fatigue (lmao is that an emotion? But y'all understand yea). This is from the duties that they have, their obligations, how they must lead nobles well, etc.

-Definitely female. Swords are not male.

-Ragnarok does not want attention or company or anything of that sort. She just wants to sleep. As such when she isn't summoned she's almost invisible to the lord. Almost as if she doesn't exist. However they can still feel her heaviness even as she rests.

-Summoning and using her is hard because Ragnarok uses the energy of the lord. Moreso than other soul weapons. Every moment she is materialised she siphons energy even if she is doing nothing.

2. Izarok

-There are two personalities here. Both parts are female. The first (usually a sword) is shaped by the love the Mergas have towards all and the wish to enjoy the comforts in life while the second (typically a shield) is the loyalty they have to the lord.

-They both are very sentient and active, going as far as to watching over what occurs in everyday life. They will even let their feelings be known when they aren't materialised in attempts to comfort the gaju, show their happiness, etc.

-Most of the time the two work in tandem but at point the first will want the gaju to seek their own pleasure while the second will insist that she is wrong and they must keep to their duties. As such they will argue by displaying emotions and vibrating which the gaju has to be privy to. Since they get along well, these arguments never last long.

-Quite kind and sweet, even guiding the gaju in how to fight. Beginners are guided by them. The experienced fight on their own using them. Experts fight with them as a team.

-If you aren't talking to sword and shield lesbian mothers often than why are you here.

3. Kartas/Grandia

-The emotions in Kartas are obsession, loyalty and mania. These are in both of the parts who can be considered twins. They're both males too.

-Extremely passive as they don't have opinions on anything. As such using Kartas is like using two bricks. Heavy and very, very taxing. As such each gaju has to mold Kartas to themself and convince the two to listen to them.

-On the other hand Grandia is a blank slate. Splitting the soul weapon caused it to have power but no emotions so it doesn't have a personality. Even when Kartas joins with it there is no personality since Grandia is the dominant one. Therefore it'll probably take quite a while till it develops.

4. Regasus

-Doesn't have extremely strong emotions here honestly. Though he does have a caring attitude to his gaju and children.

-Regasus will treat the gaju like a child and take it upon himself to teach them how to use him. Perfect for children to play with, if they could play with him.

-Can be somewhat difficult in fights because he thinks he knows better what to do than the gaju so they don't work in sync.

5. Blood Witch

-An extreme desire for knowledge. She wants to know everything so she can help everyone in, however that includes testing out harmful things just to see if they really are bad.

-Blood Witch talks (not by words haha. soul weapons don't communicate like that) to her gaju 24/7 and they will have to learn to ignore her. There are cases of Elenors going somewhat crazy or having breakdowns due to her and it is not good.

-When she's out she's somewhat quieter as she must be respectable but in fights her curiosity has to be worked against because testing things out randomly in life threatening situations is not always a good idea.

6. Zulfiqar (Drosia soul weapon)

-A male and female personality who are so in sync they might as well just be a single part rather than two. The lady is colder and moreso with duty, wanting to serve and carry out her role. The gentleman is more caring and wishes to protect those that the gaju cares for. He is also very forgiving while the lady isn't.

-Despite the two views they never argue. They will only step in and help when the gaju needs their advice, same goes for normal everyday life. They will talk with the gaju if it is wanted but otherwise will stay quiet.

-They can be too hands-off though, and might not work with the gaju because they don't realise that they are needed.

7. Amore

-Amore is female and her strongest emotions are loyalty, and rage. It isn't love but rather the unceasing loyalty they have to those that they care for, while the anger is from a few individuals who have been shown that those they loved didn't deserve it.

-She is extremely skeptical due to her rage and will constantly tell her gaju to be vigilant. As such it can be draining to keep her in check emotionally because of how she has no trust in others, even those she serves with all if her heart. Her only trusted person is her gaju because they can't hide anything from her, even if they are completely evil, an asshole, etc.

-She's physically draining too because she wants to eradicate the enemies right away and will constantly try to siphon away power to do so. As such the gaju will have to not only fight, but also control her immaculately and keep themself clear mentally.

8. Messad

-Despite popular belief this lady is not here to fight. Nah. She is lusty. Oh sure she'll get her gaju to fight by encouraging them, but it's not out of bloodthirst. She wants to go into their bodies to feel them since it's the closest she'll ever have to 'romance'. Yeah. Totally.

-Works pretty well in tandem with her gaju because she prioritises their feelings over hers. As such there aren't any problems during fighting.

-Will tease her gaju all the time. She does know when to stop though, and doesn't bother her gaju when she shouldn't. Surprisingly the best soul weapon honestly.

9. Death Scythe

-Does not have strong emotions at all so its personality doesn't really exist either. It is developing but will take much longer before there is something concrete there.

-Basically just a strong weapon and not much else. However, without a personality the gaju must keep it's power in check even when it isn't summoned so they are actually working 24/7.

[narukuwrites]

002. Part 4

Words: 2,558 Tags: Merman AU, Mild Angst, Implied Incest, Questionable Parenting, Fluff, Flashbacks Summary: Connor and Ralph find a place to have a short rest and we get a little more insight on their friendship and Connors memories, Markus and Simon talk about Lucy and try to figure out what her prophetic message could mean.

Authors Note: Alright the way this story is progressing it seems that Markus and Connor won’t meet until probably part 5 or 6. This will definitely be a lot longer than my first piece for this ship. If you may or may not know I am currently in the middle of organizing everything to facilitate, the smooth transition of moving with my husband to another country.

I will try to update frequently but should anything change regarding the above mentioned. I will, of course, let all of my readers know.

When Connor thought it was safe enough for the two of them to take a brief respite, they had managed to come across a small cave which would provide shelter and keep them hidden whilst they took a rest. His kind, the mer was a species capable of traveling great distances but neither Ralph or he had eaten anything yet and that was starting to have a detrimental effect on the both of them.

They were most definitely far away from the safety of the reef's protection and border now, their realm the one his father and he would rule over - although whether that would be the case remained to be seen. He and Ralph had explored this far our but never beyond it, there was a lot of hidden and wonderful places they had found. And he was always stuck at how lucky and profoundly beautiful their world was, perhaps it was like that on the surface also. "Ralph made sure to pack some food..." the blonde mer said to him pulling the alluring brunette mer from his thoughts.

"Thank you, Ralph. I don't know if I could have gotten this far without you - by my side.." he said to his friend before settling down on the soft, sand that had settled in this little cavern they had happened upon and taking the cod that given to him, which tore apart and devoured in a inelegant manner, his sharp teeth making short work of the fish. It was peaceful the quietness that fell over Ralph and they ate, his friend it seemed was just as hungry as he was. The diet of a mer was varied but consisted primarily of fish, squid, cuttlefish as well as larger predators like sharks, whales and of course humans.

Their flesh was the most delicious and it was something Connor and his family had a good supply of - and although it had struck him as odd, he hadn't really given too much thought as to how his father had managed to acquire it. He would have to adapt to not having as much of that out here, away from his home and the support of his father but he couldn't go back - he just couldn't.

"Ralph wants you to know that Ralph will be here when you are ready to talk. Ralph can see you are upset, but Ralph is right here.." the blonde mer told with a blinding smile which even with the scarring to his face - held so much emotion and unwavering support.

"Thank you for understanding Ralph. I can't talk about it right, but soon maybe once we're in Jericho.," he replied before wrapping his arms around himself and taking a moment to steady himself. He could still feel the ghosting touches of his father on his skin and he fought the urge to scrub at his skin - with dead coral which the cavern they were in held some of.

"Ralph wants you to take a short rest. Ralph will keep watch.." his friend said in a quiet voice before carefully guiding Connor, into a bed of kelp that was nearby.

"Ralph will be right here.." his friend and although Connor didn't want to rest - he knew that his friend was right - and it wouldn't hurt to take a nap before they continued on. And so he curled himself into a ball and pulled some of the kelp around him and letting his eyes close and quickly succumbing to a slumber.

It hurt to see his friend like this, Connor and he had been the closest of friends, they were brothers in a sense and he did wonder what exactly what happened to cause Connor to do something this drastic. It was something bad and that was something he wished he could have helped with. But the king was someone that scared Ralph, unlike the Queen who had been so caring and kind - there was a darkness in Connor's father that his friend was blind to. But he was not. Quietly he took out the map once more, opening it and seeing that the pink glow hadn't faded, it actually seemed to be brighter.

Maybe perhaps because they were getting steadily closer and he glanced over the map trying to figure out their exact location - they were still in the somewhat familiar territory but soon they wouldn't be. There seemed to be somewhere near to where they were and if Ralph was correct it was somewhere, that had dolphins they could hire. And well it seemed strange that it was called "Hank's place" perhaps that was the name of the owner?

Folding the map away and carefully putting it back into the bag, Ralph glanced at the brunette crown prince, who seemed to rest peacefully enough and he decided to take this reprieve to craft something which would help hide the mark that identified Connor as a prince of the Kamski kingdom and look like an unassuming accessory. He knew that his friend didn't wear a lot of it, so he would keep it simple and elegant, and taking out the tools he began to work on a jeweled and shell decorated waist beads - with colors that would accent and compliment his friend's beauty.

He cared for Connor of course but only as a friend and he owed the other mer so much - as such he would do all that he could to assist the crown prince as needed.

--

Lucy's words had lingered in his thoughts as Simon and he had made their way back from the darkest reaches of Jericho and he nodded and acknowledged the many mer whom they passed as they navigated their way through Jericho’s many levels. He could tell Simon had been affected also, unlike the previous prophecies that had all come true - this one for some reason was important and perhaps because it pertained to Markus in particular.

"I'm glad to know you're not mad at me for helping Lucy, with her project.," Simon said causing him to pull from his thoughts and sending his friend a glance, as they swam up further in a slow, relaxed manner leaving them time to converse as needed.

"Of course I'm not, I think North is going to hold it against you, at least for a while though. But please know that I don't blame you for keeping it quiet, although I wish you had told me.."

It wasn't that Markus had felt betrayed far from it but he still wanted to be kept in the loop about everything that happened within Jericho. He was the leader of course and wanted to make sure everything and everyone lived as harmoniously as possible. Simon could sense that his friend was disappointed in him, in fact, he could feel it but he only had himself to blame for that. All of this would pass through and North, well that was not something he looked forward to having to deal with - but he was sure he could make her understand.

"I am sorry Markus, I was going to tell you about it though, I just needed to find the right moment and I know as of late you've been pre-occupied and worrying about things. I didn't think you needed any more of a burden put on your shoulders.." his friend said imploringly and Markus couldn't stay mad at Simon for that.

"That was thoughtful of you, but next time regardless I would like to know these things. I am curious though how exactly did she make the potion, I am not familiar with mer witchery and magick - I got a sense that it was very powerful and that glow.."

The blonde mer nodded, he had spent a lot of his time when he was free from the responsibilities of overseeing and making sure Jericho was thriving and he had taken a great interest in the art that Lucy practiced. It was fascinating to watch and he had learned a little himself but nowhere near to the same competency as Lucy - but the Siren had it in her blood, the affinity to that realm was closely tied to it. And so blood magick was something she primarily worked in.

"Its a mixture of her blood, and a various assortment of plants and fish organs and embed with a guiding spell and a death one..." Simon said quietly making sure to not have curious ears pick up on something which technically he shouldn't have given to Markus but he couldn't lie or hide anything from his friend. Markus' face was a picture and he wished there was a way to capture the sight of Markus going a bit green at the mention of the fact blood was being used.

"I wish I hadn't asked now.." Markus replied still feeling a little bit uncomfortable a knowing something which most probably a closely guarded secret. But he was happy to see that Simon had taken time and found a hobby.

"What do you think she meant with that prophecy...?" he asked the blonde mer as they carefully swam through the main area where many mer resided, in the small cabins that Jericho comprised of.

"I haven't the slightest idea Markus, but perhaps we need to maybe oversee any new people that come to Jericho, personally and go from there...?" Simon replied. He was just as confused and puzzled by Lucy's words as he was - but they need to let Josh and North know also. This was something important and if everyone was aware of it - then it would perhaps make figuring out who this "mer" was.

--

Connor let out a yawn and opened his eyes and he glanced around for a moment before realizing where he was and he felt the presence of Ralph close by which was a comfort. It had gotten a little darker, the sun now probably past its highest point just how long had he been sleeping? Unfurling with the graceful, alluring elegance that came naturally to Connor he made his way out of the kelp bed and swam to where Ralph was, his friend it seemed was closely focusing on something that looked like a long necklace - or belt that was beautifully decorated.

"Ralph hopes you slept well.." his friend said with a smile glancing up as he tied the beads off and cut the excess with a large, very sharp shark tooth, which he had fashioned into a knife, that he used too many things it was very utilitarian in that respect.

"I did think you, I feel a lot better. But how long was I asleep for and what did you make whilst I was, its very beautiful Ralph. I didn't know you made jewelry.." he told his friend as he let out a yawn and listened to his friend as the blonde mer spoke. "Ralph thinks you slept for at least four hours, yes Ralph made this for you - to disguise your royal mark. Ralph learned from the kind neighbour.."

Connor was surprised truly at the fact that Ralph had learned a skill in his spare time, and that made sense he hadn't really thought much about what his best friend did when they weren't spending time together. The blonde mer was always so thoughtful and the brunette knew that Ralph was the reason why he had made it this far. And it was good to know that even if his friend’s home life wasn’t the best, there were others who showed Ralph the love and affection all mer craved.

"It's beautiful truly Ralph, I wish I had something to give you in return and it gladdens me to know that you learned such a wonderful skill. It will no doubt be very useful in the future.." Connor replied and he hadn't really thought too far ahead. Once they were at Jericho though, he would be able to figure things out and maybe find help in helping him disappear forever. And when Ralph handed him the waist beads it carefully took them and carefully put it on, his figure thankfully was slender and lithe enough to ensure that was a perfect fit and that the seashell charm that was attached to it covered his mark and that also matched the rest of his jewelry ensemble.

"Ralph hopes that it will help later on. Ralph saw a place nearby on the map - Ralph thinks its a place that we can hire dolphins. Ralph knows its known on the map and to the locals as “Hank’s Place”. Ralph thinks that's a strange name it though.."

It would seem that during his nap, Ralph had taken the opportunity to look over the map and had taken initiative, something he was grateful for. There was so much that his friend and brother from another mother had done for him and he would ensure that Ralph he would return all of it tenfold.

"I’m sure we’ll find out why it is called that soon enough Ralph, you’ve done so much. But we've traveled some distance and it would It would make me feel at more ease - if you too took a short rest.," he told the blonde mer who took a moment to think about it before nodding in acquiesce to his request.

"Ralph will take a nap then..." his friend said reaffirming his agreement and making his way into the kelp bed that Connor had rested in earlier. Ralph it would seem was tired too and had fallen into a light sleep relatively fast and in that quiet moment, Connor took a moment to reflect on things.

They were still some distance beneath the surface of the ocean and although the area they were currently in wasn't as colourful as most reefs it was still very pretty and he felt the urge to reach his hand out and touch the surface of the ocean, doing so would mean leaving Ralph unguarded though and he didn't want to so that, and his soulful brown eyes landed on the bracelet, the matching set that was still on his wrists. A gift from his father and he hurriedly pulled them off and threw them some distance away in an uncaring fashion.

They were something he had been given on his thirteenth nameday, and he remembered that day with fondness. His father had told him that they were made specially, just for him. By a close and dear friend of his, someone he hadn't ever met or heard of until now but if it was his father’s friend, they meant well and the bracelets were truly very beautiful and matched his aesthetic beautifully. “You are my dearest treasure...”  was what his father had said when he had put them both on and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

He felt himself gag but he made sure to do so quietly as the memory came flooding back and he had at that moment enjoyed his father’s affections. The bracelets were supposedly enchanted to ensure he would always be safe and protected. But for it to work his father would need to kiss both bracelets wanted to forget now, he didn't want anything to remind him of his father...