#prelude to revenge

[beevean]

"Don't get close, you're bothering the lady." "It's fine, I'm used to it. Maybe you could have become a good shepherd..."

Having thoughts about Hector's affinity with animals - the dark, creepy, unwanted animals that humans chase away.

Having thoughts about Rosaly commenting that he'd be a good shepherd.

Having thoughts about Hector being meant to be a general "good" Dracula.

Having thoughts about Dracula welcoming two young boys in his castle - dark, creepy, unwanted boys that humans chased away.

Having thoughts about Dracula being, before humanity's enemy, God's enemy.

Having thoughts about Dracula being a christic figure to Hector and Isaac: the generous, all-powerful savior who forgave them the sin of being born and gave them new life. Or is he? Can Christ be selfish in his kindness? Is it kindness if you are turned into a weapon as the price for the right to live and the right to be loved? For how long can one cling on to?

(Hector's affinity for animals has been honed into affinity for Devils. A warped, blasphemous kind of life and love. Hector is kinder to his creations than Dracula is to his own: he refuses to force them to sin.)

Having thoughts about Hector turning away from both Gods, knowing that he will die but wanting to die in complete freedom. Refusing to bow to anyone.

Having thoughts about Hector using his blasphemous powers for good - despite his fears, he can be accepted as himself among humans.

Having thoughts about how this happiness doesn't last. Hector is constantly forbidden from finding happiness, because he gets dragged towards the darkness, the blasphemy, the sin, until he's no longer himself, but Dracula, the Devil, his God.

But, at least, Hector goes to reject his former Christ and mirror with new resolve, having had proof that everything he used to know was all a lie. They are not the same. He's stronger than his God. Because he's kinder, and more forgiving, and knows who he is, and he refuses to spread his misery.

Hector would be a good shepherd to his lambs, and no one can take that from him.

There is an untold story here, and I so desperately want to put the pieces together.

[jieanette]

I found this and I noticed something...

Is that... Hector's name???? Is Isaac wearing shoes with Hector's name in it????

[hecula-propaganda]

Yeah, I guess that after a period of denial I'm now fully on board with the realization that they look suspiciously alike. Mostly in the hair and the cold stare :)

There are some interesting implications in the idea that Dracula would grow attached and attracted to what is essentially a younger version of his vampire self... Perhaps what he wishes he could have started as...

(bonus: a very good fanart of Dracula that put this thought in my head)

[turtlycute]

My Top 10 Anime Watched in 2022:

Kotaro Lives Alone (2022) episodes: 10 started: 5-2-22 finished: 5-5-22 rating: 9.5/10

Moriarty the Patriot (2020) episodes: 24 started: 8-8-22 finished 8-11-22 rating: 9.5/10

Tokyo Revengers (2021) episodes: 24 started: 9-1-22 finished: 9-3-22 rating: 9.5/10

Chihayafuru 3 (2019) episodes: 24 started: 1-19-22 finished: 1-20-22 rating: 9.5/10

Sasaki and Miyano (2022) episodes: 12 started: 6-1-22 finished: 6-2-22 rating: 9.5/10

Blue Period (2021) episodes: 12 started: 10-15-21 finished: 1-25-22 rating: 9/10

Spy x Family (2022) episodes: 12 started: 8-1-22 finished: 8-3-22 rating: 9/10

Romantic Killer (2022) episodes: 12 started: 11-1-22 finished 11-2-22 rating: 9/10

Run with the Wind (2018) episodes: 23 started: 4-19-22 finished: 4-21-22 rating: 9/10

Ya Boy Kongming! (2022) episodes: 12 started: 12-1-22 finished: 12-2-22 rating: 9/10

Honorable Mentions:

Life Lessons With Uramichi-Oniisan (2021) episodes: 13 started: 1-4-22 finished: 1-6-22 rating: 9/10

Fruits Basket: Prelude (2022) film watched 12-28-22 rating: 9.5/10

Given Movie (2020) and Given: Uragawa no Sonzai n films watch: 6-6-22 rating: 9/10

Tamako Market (2013) episodes: 12 started: 11-3-22 finished: 11-4-22 rating: 8.5/10

Vanitas no Karte (The Case Study of Vanitas)(2021) episodes: 24 started: 10-1-22 finished: 10-3-22 rating: 8.5/10

[cosmicproserpina]

the end

They cover her body with her own robes — a crude shroud. It's done not for tradition but because someone says her naked body looks immodest. It's the eyes they hate the most. None among them can meet her dead gaze and not one carries the courage to touch her now, let alone pull her eyelids shut. A grave is out of the question and pyres are a labor to build, so they leave her for the worms and the rot. She isn't the first girl to die to sate the appetite of men; she won't be the last.

It's three hours before she's found. It's three more before her soul's pulled from the gentle Underworld and returned to her irrevocably altered body.

She awakes in an arcane circle surrounded by three blind crones with haggard faces and crooked spines. One laughs, gleeful at their own magical might. Another prattles on with a quick tongue about a better incantation for the 'next one' they find. The last says nothing, and only watches Proserpina with a single red eye.

They do not care for her, but they do not secret away all their ancient and forbidden knowledge. When offered crumbs, she feasts like a king.

the beginning

Just as she is not the first girl to die to lecherous men, she is not the first the crones have resurrected, either. Proserpina is the ninth and when the crones cast her out, these otherworldly "sisters" welcome her with open arms.

Fearful of mortals — both for their violence and their orderly destruction of the disordered — the sisters remain far from the glittering streets of Amaurot. They take residence in an old temple, one thought to be from a more primitive time when magic was still mystic.

[apomaro-mellow]

Every Baby Needs a Daddy 4

Part 3

"And you said yes?", Robin said, her voice impressively even.

"I did", Steve said, phone on speaker as he got ready for work. "I figure, if he's going to have a sugar baby, might as well be me, right? I think this is the universe giving me a break."

"Okay, yeah, sure, until he takes you out and gets you involved in like drugs or something, or takes his anger out on you when he doesn't win a Grammy or something. Or worse, you're a mistress and his actual spouse comes for revenge. OR you actually get really involved with him, help him get even more famous, have very talented children, but then his drug running gets you arrested and when you get out of jail he acts like he doesn't know you and estranges your children!"

Steve paused in putting on his shoes, grinning. "You've been watching Empire."

"Terrence did Taraji so dirty Steve."

"But not enough to learn their characters' names. I need you to catch up so we can watch season 2 together." It hurt being away from her. Before, whenever one of them started obsessing over a show, they could literally sit down and put aside one of their days off to binge a bunch of episodes.

"Sorry, let's get back to you dating a rockstar? Steve? Steve."

"We're not dating. He's just gonna text me whenever he wants to fuck. That's it. He might buy me something nice from time to time." Steve grabbed his keys and went out the door, nearly stepping on something left on the floor in front of it.

"Okay, yeah, sure, but isn't this the reason you cut your parents out? Did they want this exact life for you?", Robin asked.

"No, this is totally different. For one thing, Eddie doesn't want commitment. He doesn't want kids out of me. And even if I attend events with him, I'm just arm candy, but you know, in a good way."

"There's a bad way to be arm candy?"

Steve thought back to the functions he had to go to when still under his parents' thumb. There was definitely a bad way to hang off someone's arm like a decoration. He looked to the little box in his hand. No note, but it had clearly been placed in front of his apartment.

He opened it and found an expensive looking watching inside. The face was a cool navy blue color. He didn't need a card to know who it was from.

"Eddie's different from the guys my parents wanted", Steve said. "And when it's over, I'll at least have something to show for it."

"Just don't be stupid about this, dingus. If this goes sideways, I won't be close by to save your ass."

"Noted", Steve said as he closed the box and continued on his way to work.

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

The next time Eddie texted him, it was to go to lunch. It was a more casual setting than before, but still a pretty high end sushi restaurant.

"I must admit, I called you here under false pretenses, Steve", Eddie said as they sat in a booth.

Steve smiled at his serious tone. "I gathered, given our whole arrangement." Being taken out somewhere was typically a prelude for something intimate later, even in a normal relationship. When Eddie asked him out, Steve full expected sex. He wasn't complaining, last time had been very nice. He wondered how long until Eddie sent a simple 'u up?' booty call.

"I have to attend some fancy lunch meeting in a couple days and they're taking us to a sushi place", Eddie started to explain. "Problem is, I hate sushi."

"...Did you...are we here to train your taste buds or something?", Steve asked.

Eddie nodded. "These are some pretty important people and I can't sit there and tell them my favorite fish is whatever they use for fish sticks."

"Pretty sure it's cod."

"What? Nevermind. I just need to get one of everything and force myself to acquire a taste for it", Eddie said, eyes narrowing in focus at the menu.

Steve smiled. It was cute how serious he was being. He thought back to previous gatherings when some alpha would try and force a drink on him or when the hors d'oeuvres being served weren't to his liking.

"Want some advice?", he offered, continuing when Eddie nodded with his big Bambi eyes, "Instead of forcing yourself to like something, you should be able to say why you don't like something."

"Sounds like complaining", Eddie said, putting the menu down.

"No, you sound cultured", Steve clarified. "Watch." He cleared his throat and held up his glass of water. "Thank you for offering, but I only drink water from a natural spring. I prefer Canadian or Icelandic, but I'll take Swedish if you have it. Nothing from Switzerland though, it has this horrid mineral after taste to it." He set the glass down, adjusting under Eddie's wide eyed gaze.

"I don't know if that was bullshit or not but it sounded legit."

"It's legit what some girl said at a party once. I've never sourced where my water came from, but it works for just about anything. If you can articulate why you don't like something, it comes off better than just saying you don't like it."

"What kind of parties did you go to?", Eddie smirked.

Steve shrunk a little. "Just, you know, parties. So what's your experience with sushi?"

"Supermarket stuff", Eddie said simply.

"....You're kidding. How long have you been a rockstar?"

"I didn't realize this was an interview."

Steve tapped the table as he considered something. He looked to the other part of the restaurant. The bar where chefs were preparing the food. He almost asked Eddie a question directly, but remembered his role as a sugar baby. It wasn't his job to ask how much something would cost or even to ask Eddie to spend the money. All he needed to do was ask for what he wanted.

So he moved over to Eddie's side of the booth and leaned in close to his space. "I think you need something a little more...fresh."

"Fresh?", Eddie echoed as Steve led him to stand.

"And flavorful."

"Uh-huh."

"And satisfying", Steve whispered the last part before sitting down at the bar.

Eddie didn't know when Steve got him here but he did and he ordered something called 'omakase' and suddenly the chef's hands got really busy. He put a little filet of something on rice and then took a blow torch to it.

"I didn't know you could cook the fish..."

It was placed in front of him, but Eddie was still skeptical, which Steve noticed.

"'Omakase' means you're trusting the chef to pick out the best for you", he said. Then Steve took his chopsticks and picked up his piece. He ate it in one bite and Eddie subconsciously swallowed as he watched it pass his beautiful lips and then slide down that gorgeous throat. He wasn't even eating sexily, that was just how far gone he was.

Then Steve picked up Eddie's piece and held it to his lips. Eddie didn't even hesitate to open up and let it in. Tender rice, delicate fish, a total opposite to the sushi he'd experienced before. And it didn't stop there. The chef served cut after cut and each time, Steve asked him what he liked or didn't like.

Eddie was no slouch when it came to language. So he was able to come up with that on his own. He had just never considered respectfully refusing food and to do so with a haughty air deserving of a celebrity.

"Mmm, great choice on the shrimp", Eddie praised the chef. "Texture is superb. Sweet on the tongue too. Nice one, Tatsuro-san."

"Better than the crab?", Steve asked.

"I'm sorry, but nothin' beats an old fashioned crab boil for me. It's the only way I can eat crab."

"You've got opinions and you know how to voice them. I never imagined that be an issue for you, but I think you're ready now."

"Oh I've got opinions out the wazoo. I was just taught to never complain about food."

"Good boy", Tatsuro commented as he prepared something else.

"Very good", Steve agreed as an oyster on a half shell was put in front of him and Eddie.

Tatsuro winked at Eddie and he tried not to think about it as they finished up the course. He was absolutely not thinking about how oysters were an aphrodisiac, or how he'd had a great time, or how this felt like a date and not an outing with a hot piece. He wasn't doing a good job of being a sugar daddy, was he?

Time to fix that up right away. He paid for the meal, leaving a generous tip and led Steve out the restaurant, arm around his waist.

"You were extremely helpful. I can honestly say I like sushi now", he beamed. "And I think excellent service deserves a reward."

"You gonna give me a tip too?", Steve teased. And there was certainly a tip Eddie wanted to give him. Really the whole thing, but he had another idea in mind. And thankfully the appropriate place wasn't too far from here.

"You're buying me a suit?", Steve realized as they walked into a tailor's.

"I've got an eye for these kind of things. And you need something to match your new watch", Eddie said. He had a feeling Steve knew what to do, so he let him free.

Steve gave him a look and Eddie made a 'go on' motion. So Steve went, picking out different pieces for himself to assemble a new suit. There was a man awaiting any need of assistance and did so once Steve came out of the dressing room and stood in front of the mirrors.

Eddie was sitting before him, watching as Steve appraised his reflection and the tailor took some of his measurements. The suit was in silver, with a black shirt underneath. He finished of the look with a dark blue handkerchief in the chest pocket. It already looked great. Eddie knew he'd be breathtaking once it was bespoke. He ached to put his hands on him but public decency kept him from doing so.

"You look good enough to show off", Eddie praised.

"You look like you have somewhere in mind", Steve said, looking at the other man through the mirror.

"There's a shindig goin' down that I wouldn't mind having a date to."

Eddie put in the order for the suit to be done the day before the event. "Let's head back to my place."

This time, as they traveled, Steve was the one who couldn't keep his hands to himself. His hand stroked Eddie's thigh, getting close to where he wanted but never actually touching.

"What're you thinking about?", he asked when he noticed how hard Eddie was holding the wheel.

"Oysters. And you." And how he really should get a personal driver on hand.

Steve laughed softly and let a finger do circles on his crotch. "I think our chef was trying to be subtle. But I know what oysters are supposed to do."

"Oh?"

"And I don't need any culinary suggestion to get me in the mood." Honestly, he kind of felt like blowing Eddie now and probably would have chanced it if it wasn't still light out. "Can you be a good boy like he said?"

Eddie nodded.

"Good. Because we still have to take the elevator."

They didn't get as far as they did the first time they took this elevator but Eddie did attach himself to Steve's back and kissed at his neck. Once again, Steve could see their reflection in the wall. Eddie's eyes roamed his torso, wanting to go further but holding back. He only got bold enough to pinch a nipple through his shirt when the doors opened to their floor.

Steve only moved because of Eddie's prompting, finding it very easy to melt in his hold. They got about two steps out of the elevator before Eddie pushed him against the wall, kissing his lips and running his hands up under his shirt.

"Saw you lookin' at yourself in the elevator. Pretty baby likes how he looks?"

Steve's only response was to moan against his lips and rub against his leg. The closest camera was all the way at the end of the hall, though they'd be screwed if anyone opened up their door. He knew he looked good and liked looking good. And he'd seen the way Eddie's eyes were glued to him at the tailor's. That was a good feeling too.

Eddie took out his key card to open up his door and pulled Steve inside. They migrated to the couch, just needing to get horizontal. Steve lied underneath, Eddie's leg in between his again and providing friction as he rutted up against it. It was so hot, Eddie wanted to watch him get off just like this. If he got his pants off he could watch that sweet pussy drag-

Steve nearly jolted off the couch when a loud guitar riff sounded from Eddie's back pocket.

"Shit", Eddie hissed when he realized who was calling. He could ignore it, but he knew they'd just keep it up until they got to his door.

"You need to take that?", Steve asked, voice a little breathless.

"Just-just gimme a moment, it'll be quick." Eddie answered and Steve could be patient. He just couldn't be good and patient. He rubbed at Eddie's arm before taking his hand in his own. He brought it to his lips and swirled his tongue around his index finger, keeping his gaze down at first and then looking up at Eddie.

The man above him was speechless, up until whoever he was talking to shouted at him from the other end and got his attention again. Well, half of it anyway. The other half was on Steve sucking down two of his fingers now. Eddie groaned both in frustration and the beautiful man under him. Steve was only half following the conversation but it sounded like their time together might be cut short.

Eddie hung up with a sigh. "Baby...baby I gotta go."

"Right now?", Steve asked.

"Yeah but...but if you could, I mean you can stay here until I get done. It'll be quick, just a couple of hours tops. And I can take you out to dinner too."

"You want me to stay?"

Eddie's hair shook as he nodded. He stood up, glad he had a bit of time to calm his boner down. Then he saw Steve lying there on the couch, lips kissed wet and certain his lips farther down were just as glistening. He leaned over to cup him between the legs, feeling the warmth through his clothes.

"Don't forget who this belongs to", he growled when Steve whimpered.

"Okay." And because this man was sent from above, he whispered, "Daddy."

Eddie couldn't hold back then, kissing him hard, tongue marking his insides while rubbing Steve through his pants. He unzipped them, thinking he could just get him off quick when the ringtone sounded again. Pulling back was the hardest thing to do.

"Keep it nice and warm for me", Eddie said before fully removing himself.

"Hurry back."

And then Steve was alone. In a rockstar's hotel room. He thought about what a sugar baby might do when their daddy went off for what must be a very important but impromptu meeting, especially when it stopped such a heated moment. It became very obvious what he needed to do and so he headed straight for the bedroom.

Part 5

I need you to know that when I first envisioned this fic it was literally just supposed to be smut with connecting scenes but it somehow turned to "don't catch feelings" and "oops we're accidentally dating" the fic so here we are.

Tag Team

@awkotaco24 @lingeringmirth @littlewildflowerkitten @estrellami-1 @tartarusknight @velocitytimes2 @mrsjellymunson @trashcanniballecter @marklee-blackmore @dragonmama76 @paintsplatteredandimperfect @a-little-unsteddie @sllooney @starman-jpg @oxidantdreamboat @xxbottlecapx @chaosgremlinmunson @newtstabber @tiny-enthusiast @desidrarry-wolfstarshipper @y4r3luv @hello-fellow-nerds @anonymousbandgirl @alyelf @potato-of-the-lord @beckkthewreck @greatwerewolfbeliever @croatoan-like-its-hot @pluto-pepsi

[the-daydreaming-show]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞 — “I am, I have been, and I was born hungry.”

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: An abandoned son makes a decision. The cared for son is taken away.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫(𝐬): Bruce Wayne X ScarletWitch!Reader; Jason Todd x Batmom!ScarletWitch!Reader; Tim Drake x Batmom!ScarletWitch!Reader; Jason Todd x Tim Drake.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: kidnapping, mention of PTSD, weapons, threats (silent), drugs and forced drug use, death of Janet Drake, and mention of Jack Drake in the hospital, Jason is mansplaining, manipulating and manslaughter his way through this sequel.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: This took a while because I had a precise plan for this sequel, but writing this chapter, something possessed me and changed everything. So, now I'm not sure what's going to happen, it's all in destiny hands now on!!!

Thanks to our beta reader, the wonderful @igotmessymind for her work, as always, I appreciate you very much!!

Now, I would like to make a special mention of @andieperrie18, who made a playlist base on the Batmom Scarlet Witch.

And I need you to admire this masterpiece, because this playlist doesn't just include songs. NOO, It also has dialogue between Batmom and Bruce at the beginning, and it's just gold. Also go to check the other playlist in her channel, they have some good stuff. The small talks and slow dancing with Bruce Wayne is one of my favorites!!!

So, thank you very much to you @andieperrie18 for your love and the dedication it took to make this playlist. I don't have enough words to show my adoration and gratitude for this playlist. So everyone, please go give them love to the playlist while reading this chapter!!

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐬 / Prelude / Next Part

Jason knew he was not walking on good ground. He hadn't been since he was revived in the Lazarus Pit. He hadn't been when he had killed criminals to try to control Gotham's crime. Nor when he had to escape from Arkham Asylum after Batman had locked him there, under the excuse that it was best for him.

Lies. 

All were lies.

He knew it now more than ever as he looked at his wall.

Jason was sitting in an old chair facing the wall, where a variety of photos, newspaper clippings, maps, and notes were displayed. 

Seeing that wall told him that he was definitely slipping into a new territory of madness. 

But-he-couldn't-stop. It was like he was on a slide, and he couldn't dig his heels in to stop. A part of him didn't want to stop. 

Just as he hadn't wanted to soften the news of his return to Bruce, that part of Jason wanted revenge with every atom of his true self. And now it was pushing him towards that wall. 

Another part of him, though, didn't want to do this. It was the part that still made him want to put his hands in his mouth to eat his cuticles, like he had done as a child. That part wanted to approach you on the street, and calmly let you explain why you hadn't sought him out. So that he could move on somehow, in a way that would make you proud of how Jason had handled everything.

But you had abandoned him.

After Bruce found out he was alive, Jason had hoped that once he told you all of it, you'd show up at his door. Jason had been ready to listen to your logical arguments and leave the whole killing thing behind. 

¿Who cared about revenge and Gotham if there was a chance to get back with his mom? 

Not to Jason.

You didn't; you never showed up. 

And now the part that wanted revenge was screaming too loud for him to hear anything else.

So there he was, sitting in a chair, arms crossed, as he carefully admired the wall he had created.

There were pictures of you picking up Timothy Drake from school, taking him shopping, hugging him at galas, and chatting with him at fashion events. Events that you had probably only been invited to, but you had convinced the team to let you take someone else, the same way you did with Jason when he was young. You probably took him to eat at your favorite restaurant every Friday after school, like they did with him. You probably also turned off the light in his room every night after saying goodnight, like you did with Jason.

No shame; you had given everything that was Jason's to that boy. 

That's why you weren't looking for him when you found out he was alive. You had replaced him with that kid, the same way Bruce had, and you deserved the same kind of punishment.

You deserved his revenge. And you will receive it.

You were in your office, in your brand's office building, a few blocks from Wayne Tower, where your entire clothing brand has done most of its business since you married Bruce. The official and original store of your brand is still in Metropolis, where it all started, but you moved the main offices to Gotham when you got married. So all of your children spent time between Wayne Tower and your building.

Usually, that was where they ended up after school.

Tim was supposed to go there after school. Typically, you would go pick him up. But that day he was staying a few extra hours at school for his Debate Club, and he would walk with his friends to their houses and meet you before you left the office that afternoon. So you were surprised when, as you were evaluating some new designs, your phone lit up with your youngest son's phone number.

“Mom,” Tim’s voice immediately sounded on the other end of the phone when you answered. He sounded nervous.

“Tim, honey,” you said, looking up at the clock. “Did I forget to pick you up?”, and immediately, your mind goes into paranoia, convinced that Tim had asked you to go look for him, and that's why he was calling you, and you had forgotten.

“No, no. Mom, it's fine,” he assured you quickly. You could hear chatter in the background, like someone was encouraging him to talk. “Mom, do you know today is Friday, right?”

Obviously, you remembered that it was Friday. On Fridays, when Tim came home from school, the two of you would go out to dinner at your favorite restaurant as a traditional mother-son activity.

“Yes, I've noticed,” you said, closing the sketchbook to give the boy your full attention.

“And we always go to eat at Julián's on Fridays after school, without fail,” he continues explaining. You assumed he was going somewhere, so you murmured an affirmation. “Well, you saw Dylan, my chemistry classmate. He and others are going to eat at a pizzeria near the school, and they invited me. After eating, we are all going to go to his house to play video games. If you're okay with that, I would like to go. Or I'll just go eat and go back home early. I-” Tim was already in babbling territory; you could barely contain your laughter when you interrupted him.

“It's okay, Tim. I don’t mind a change of plans, darling,” you assured him, and you could see his shoulders relax even from your building. “I'll take advantage and visit your father's office; I'll ask him to accompany me on an impromptu date.”

“Okay, okay. Yes, that sounds good.” Tim was smiling as big as he could, while around him, his classmates were singing victory for the afternoon they had organized. “I'll let you know where we are and call you when it's time to come home. I love you.”

Before you could tell him that he didn't need to tell you exactly where to be and at what time, Tim hung up the call, too excited about the whole thing. To which you inevitably laughed, happy that Tim had an activity, say a boy his age, and that he was so excited about it. You had met Dylan a couple of times; he was a good kid, so you were sure everything would be fine.

Jason watched Tim walk with his friends all night.

After observing him for weeks, he realized that the chic lived based on a fairly consistent routine. One that repeated itself almost around the clock for some reason, but Jason suspected that it had to do with the post-traumatic stress the boy must have had after the Joker's attack on his biological parents the year before. The boy's mother was six meters underground, and his father was on medical care for life because of all this. Jason almost felt bad for him. Almost.

This also meant that you and Bruce were very aware of the boy's routine, so if Tim were to disappear for even a couple of hours, it would ruin your plan. So he chanced it, waiting for the ideal moment to feed his need for revenge.

So when the sixteen-year-old decided to leave school one afternoon in the company of a group of other kids his age, he was clearly not on his way to your office like he usually did.

Jason took the phone out of his pocket and gave the order to start.

The group of friends went into a hidden, but sufficiently crowded, pizzeria a few blocks from the house of the boy Dylan, to whom Tim seemed closest in the group.

Jason had quickly discovered that Tim was a smart kid. He was too smart for Jay to trick him or accidentally cause him to fall into a trap of some kind.

But he had also discovered that Tim was, like Bruce, an idiot for justice.

He had watched him risk his life more than necessary for civilians while he ran around as Robin, when Jason from afar could have found about five ways to save the civilians without getting in the way. Tim jumped in to save them with his own hands every time there was a lethal risk. It could be that the weight of not having helped his parents was still eating him alive too.

But one way or another, Jason would use that to his advantage.

Jason walked into the pizzeria, followed by five other men he knew Tim would recognize. It was because he had gotten them out of jail, especially because Robin had dragged them and put them there, with the aim of getting them to help him. The proposed men didn't know he was there for that reason; they were just doing their job for the money, unaware of the mental games Jason was playing with the teenager.

And Tim Drake understood what was going to happen the moment he saw Jason. She looked him in the eyes and smiled as she casually glanced at the table of the group of friends, who were still wearing their school uniforms.

“Timothy, little one,” Jason greeted casually, putting his hands in his pockets and watching as Tim's eyes went to the way that movement revealed the reflection of a gun on his hip. “I've been looking for you!!”

Jason knew exactly how Tim would react and looked at the situation. They had both been trained by the same man at the end of the day. They were a reflection of each other, and that is why it was a dangerous game. “Are you hungry, Timothy? Because I am starving.”

Jason wasn't talking about the pizzas, and Tim knew it quickly. But he couldn't do anything, not with Jason so armed and clearly accompanied. Both were surrounded by so many civilians, and Tim's friends. His new friends, who had been patient with him and had accepted him into his group, which he had been joining since they were children. But they still tried to integrate him and invited him to things, again and again, until that day he accepted for the first time in months.

The table had fallen silent at the extra situation, but Tim seemed to know the stranger who had sat down, so they didn't say anything. But Dylan, as kind and caring as he was, saw the way the color had drained from Tim's face. So he spoke.

“Don't worry, Dylan,” Jason told him, which took Dylan by surprise since he had never told the stager his name, and he got genuinely worried now. “He just needs something to drink; he's just dehydrated. Timmy works a lot and doesn’t take care of himself.”

While talking to Dylan, Tim watched as Jason grabbed his glass of soda that he had been drinking while they waited for the pizzas. Without anyone else noticing, Tim watched as Jason dropped a pill into the drink, which was probably intended to knock him out, or at least drug him enough to make it manageable for Jason.

All without anyone else noticing, just so he could see it and know what was going on. He was faced with the reality that he couldn't do anything, and he couldn't fight, not at such a potential price. He was trapped. 

It made Tim feel alarmingly alone, despite being surrounded by people.

“Here, drink something.” Jason handed him the glass, where the gas from the soda easily hid the bubbles that the pill made as it dissolved. “It will do you good.”

The two stood face-to-face for a moment as the older brother offered the glass, and Jason didn't need to make the threat for Tim to understand. 

Or Tim drank the soda and voluntarily sedated himself. Or he would get him out of there in a much more aggressive way. And some bullets could be lost in that situation, so Jason could make sure that his friends were the ones who received them.

Tim could see the decapitated bodies of Black Mask's lieutenants, found shortly after Red Hood appeared in Gotham, before Bruce discovered his identity.

So he grabbed the glass and brought it to his mouth. Tim gave Jason a last pleading look, to which the boy just smiled sweetly. And your youngest son just wanted to scream for you, but you didn't know Jason was alive, and you suspected that's exactly what Jason wanted.

He wouldn't put you in danger.

Bruce would handle everything; Tim trusted that.

Tim downed the glass of soda in four gulps and didn't remember anything else after that.

𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭: @some-lovely-day @simonsbluee @yuki-chan23 @miyakana @myst3batz @otchae @d3m0n8ch1ld @marsenbie @mynameisnotlaura @andieperrie18 @totallynotme420 @igotmessymind @amarawayne @calsjack @kodzukenmaaa @mellowdiy @noah-uhhh-what @blarba-girl @dead-sane-stuff @huhuhhuhh @ashlynnmalfoy @kimmis-stuff @undecided-shipper @justafanficsreader @poppyalice2001 @holdyuhmuda @jiabae @mara-moon @avitute @lafrone

[chumpovodir]

i don't have it in me at the moment to make a long, detailed rant about this but r/castlevania's insistence that games!Isaac is a lesser character for being a "self-harm obsessed, shallow BDSM playboy that only serves as an inciting incident" compared to N!Isaac?

first of all, i think y'all are letting anime stereotypes from the early 2000s massively color your opinion and it's really obvious you didn't bother looking at his character any deeper than that. edit: i'm putting this under a cut because it was actually, in hindsight, a pretty long post lmao

"BDSM playboy"? my man was sitting in the ruins of his home for 3 goddamn years letting the clothes rot off his back, in no condition to care about his appearance and with precious little materials to forge something new. you could also argue that his skimpy look is a mark of his arrogance (already well-established by his fight with Hector previously, and feeling so cocksure he sends his Devil away and even arms Hector with a sword, confident he could easily take him in a fair fight), going into battle barely clothed as a show of faith in his own skill after playing Hector like a fiddle. or even as a radical show of his devotion, the Devil Forgemasters crest embedded in his skin for the world to see; the fact that the physical marks of his position may fade away, but it goes so much deeper than that - it's seared into his very flesh, and will only die when he and his corporeal form finally leave this earth. also, it just speaks to a really shallow understanding of BDSM in general to associate "skimpy strappy outfit = kinky"

"self-harm obsessed"? first of all, where is ANYONE getting this notion from the game itself?? (considering there's a very low chance these people even know about the mangas) there is literally no scene in-game where he self-harms - further proof people are grafting a grab bag of stereotyped character traits onto him when the canon doesn't support it. if this is about his tattoos, i consider this a bit of a reach, but then i don't regularly associate tattoos with masochism.

there is of course this one, singular panel from Prelude to Revenge where we see him slitting his wrists:

but the context here makes it clear: 1) he's doing this as a morbid way to mark the passage of time and 2) most likely in response to the sheer contrast between him and Hector's respective situations - how would you feel seeing the guy who was at least partially responsible for your predicament living a happy life, while you're forced to live in the abandoned ruins of your home, constantly surrounded by all that you've lost? this is an act being shown when he's at his very lowest.

and this is the only instance we actually see - there is no other official material that implies this is something he does on the regular, although it's a popular headcanon considering the general fandom consensus that he most likely had a very rough start to life.

shitting on him for being "merely an inciting incident"? i don't even know what to say to this - do you understand how characters and stories work...? the narrative lives and dies on the push and pull of characters taking actions and other characters responding!

but it sure is curious (read: hypocritical) that this is a negative in these people's eyes when you point out the similarities between Lisa's and Rosaly's deaths.

sure, there is a bigger story about the cruelty of humanity as a whole that Lisa was executed, unprompted while Rosaly's execution was deliberately manipulated by Isaac - but that also adds to Isaac's character, the fact that both he and his younger sister were persecuted for being bonafide magic practitioners, and the sheer hypocrisy of and underhandedness of knowing that pain firsthand, and choosing to inflict it on an innocent woman anyway. it really shows how much his morals, if he ever had any, has truly eroded to the point he only cares about causing maximum damage.

i don't even want to waste my words on the ways N!Isaac is a worse character, comparatively, if you actually take into account the themes of the Devil Forgemasters' respective stories as presented in the games. but it does chap my asshole that, from this angle, both N!Isaac and N!Hector end up for the worse since now their stories are completely decoupled and it ruins the symbolism and duality that their game counterparts had.

[agentrouka-blog]

Hello! As a person who hasn’t read the books, how true is it that Arya avenges her family like she did in the show? ‘tell them the north remembers’ because a while ago I read that the Lannisters and Freys had difficulties as a result of the red wedding, they were seen as traitors of guest rights, if Arya plays them with the same coin, wouldn’t she be staining the reputation of the north and affecting it more than helping? From what I know, Arya’s arc is about what justice is, but taking revenge isn’t so...

Hi there!

In the books, 11-year-old Arya is still firmly entrenched on another continent as a Faceless Men apprentice, while the character of Lady Stoneheart (resurrected zombie Catelyn) is commiting vengeful atrocities in the Riverlands. So we cannot make full canon statements on the subject. Yet.

(Arya is very much also engaging in vengeful murder, though, so her vengance-v-justice arc is very much a work in progress!)

The show, unfathomably, erased Lady Stoneheart and thereby a big chunk of Arya's storyline upon her return to the continent of Westeros. Because between the two of them, Catelyn and Arya have plenty of foreshadowing in the books for a confrontation with House Frey, cooking-related twists and surprises and serious examinations of what marks a way forward: vengeful destruction or mercy.

Considering her mom is already a murderous revenant, Arya is likely the one to a) give her peace, b) turn her back on destruction, and c) choose life and cooperation, even if it feels less satisfying. Basically, the opposite of what the show presented.

Since the show erased that entire arc and also had neither motivation nor imagination enough to create an alternative path toward the same conclusion, they instead went ahead and gave Arya a mix of Wyman Manderly's Frey Pies and Lady Stoneheart's vengeance rampage - and decided to make it look like a badass cool move.

Her reunion with her mother and contemplation of alternatives to killing got a subtle nod through her interactions with the actess Lady Crane in her Braavos arc before she escapes the Faceless Men. But that, too, ultimately only served as a prelude to Arya's doing parcour through the city and then fighting the Waif and winning. Because her arc was all about fighting skills and none of that boring internal struggle stuff.

I... harbor a lot of latent rage for a lot of things the show did.

I am a hater.

Sorry.

[gffa]

what order would you recommend reading the batman comics in? also where do you find the comics?

"What order would you recommend reading the Batman comics in?" only has one answer and that answer is for me to immediately burst into tears. Okay, this list is designed around what I think is most likely to get you into comics and having a good time, if you're enjoying the kind of posts that appear on this blog: - Nightwing 2016, you can start from issue #1 and just keep reading (well, once you hit the Ric Grayson arc, you can skim if you want) because it's a fun, light-hearted series that's just very easy to read and is my comfort series in a lot of ways. I enjoy Dick Grayson's character, it does a lot of work to establish him in his own city, but also touches on his relationships with his family, and I think is a great starting place. You can start with Better Than Batman, Back to Bludhaven, Nightwing Must Die, Blockbuster, Raptor's Revenge, The Untouchable, The Bleeding Edge, Knight Terrors (not to be confused with the 2023 event of the same name!), Burnback, The Gray Son Legacy, The Joker War, Fear State Then there's something of a 'soft reboot' where the volume numbering starts over (but issue #s keep going) with: Leaping into the Light, Get Grayson, The Battle for Blüdhaven's Heart - Robin & Batman (2022), a beautifully illustrated series from the early days of Bruce and Dick, where Bruce is not exactly the world's greatest parent, but he's trying, there's an amazingly emotionally satisfying hug, and it shows what a delightful hurricane child Dick Grayson was. - "The Murder Club" is just one story out of many in Batman: Urban Legends but it's a fantastic one, with beautiful art and a story that's about Thomas and Martha Wayne traveling forward in time to see what's become of their son, and they don't necessarily approve--until Dick and Damian are basically impossible to ignore and they see what Bruce is fighting for. For more general Batman stories (rather than ones focused on my Blorbo), I'm enjoying: - The Court of Owls [vol. 1][vol. 2] by Scott Snyder, which is a solid case story and introduces the Court of Owls, which I genuinely like as a relatively recent addition to Batman's rogues gallery! - Batman 2016 is a bit of a controversial pick, because not everyone enjoys the authors writing for this series, but I've had a blast with a lot of Tom King's writing, personally. I especially enjoyed a lot of the run-up to the Bruce/Selina wedding with Rebirth book 3 (there's a double date with Bruce/Selina and Clark/Lois that's just a silly, fun good time!), The Rules of Engagement, Bride or Burglar, The Wedding, and Cold Days. I wasn't really a big Bruce/Selina shipper before those issues, but they really won me over because I love a good hot mess of a couple that have a bunch of thorny issues between them, that Selina loves Bruce not as some mythic figure but as the dumbass guy she loves, and then some bonus quality content with Bruce's kids, especially once the wedding falls apart and he's in such a bad place and Dick Grayson is so good at stabilizing Bruce that it's unreal. (You can also read Preludes to the Wedding in around here, if nothing else the Dick + Hush one was really, really fun! Clark and Dick take Bruce to Batburger for his bachelor's party because they're horrible people who think they're funny, and it's DELIGHTFUL.) - Batman/Superman: World's Finest (2022) by Mark Waid is also more light-hearted, but is so much fun, the characters banter with each other, but you can see their genuine friendship and how it became to be one of foundational relationships in both their lives, and plus Dan Mora's art is always TOP NOTCH. (Plus, volume 2 is out as well.)

I limited myself to anything from the 2016 reboot ("Rebirth") because I think that's easiest to draw someone in and these are the starting places that I would enjoy, though, they do assume a fair amount of pre-knowledge about Batman characters, like personally I enjoyed Batman & Robin Eternal but I don't think it's a good starting point for what the comics are actually like. As always, if someone has a good suggestion for a newer fan, I'd love to hear them! Especially since I tend to be Nightwing-focused, that's where my area of expertise is, if you have some good Tim or Jason or Damian recs, feel free! Though, in general, I think you can pick up almost any trade paperback and it'll be designed to be read without too much confusion, so just find a character you think you'll like and jump in! :D (p.s. I'm linking to Hoopla pages because, if you have a library card with your local library, you can use it to sign in to Hoopla!)

[beevean]

It's not that world... It's the first time... I've seen such a flower... out of the mud...

Who will set you free, I wonder… there was something… now…

"Such a flower" is a lotus.

Taken from this Reddit thread, which also has many explanations for all the flowers Ayami Kojima inserted in her artwork.

In short, the lotus, important to Buddhism which gets often referenced in PtR, symbolizes "spritual enlightment, detatchment, resurrection and new beginnings, purity, and remaining true to yourself"

Hector couldn't have spotted a more appropriate flower after being thrown off the castle, after rebelling against his Lord to stay true to his humanity, and shortly before starting a new life free from the cruel rule of the vampire.

I love Hector and Prelude to Revenge so much 💖

As a smaller note: the flower is referred to as anata, the same polite pronoun Isaac calls Dracula with, which I find very cute. Unless that is Hector himself. Japanese is funny like that :)

(strangely enough, 開放 written like this means "opening", like opening a door or something to the public. But it's likely the word meant to be used was 解放, which means "release, liberation". Both of them are pronounced kaihou. Unless there's a word play I don't understand)

[monsterfuckerconfessions]

A cursed werecreature lover forced to change every night into a terrifying beast, and who is completely different with you when they change, one careful and gentle the other feral and unrelenting - but not the ones you'd think at first

In human form your lover is devastated by the thought of the curse, hellbent on finding a cure or at least revenge for it and becomes harsher, more distant. They are conflicted, torn between their need for your affections and the sense that they should probably scare you away for your own good. As a result, they only fuck you when their self restraint snaps; you always did like it a little rough but now they drink too much or get frustrated and bend you over the nearest piece of furniture to slam into you without prelude, drag you by your hair to your knees to use your mouth while you grind helplessly at their boot for some kind of release because you know they will avoid you as soon as they are done. Now they say scornful things during, and do not hold you after.

As a creature your lover is pleasantly unburdened by such concerns and troubled emotions, though clearly intelligent and self-aware. As far as they are concerned it is simple: you are their mate, and they must protect you and provide for you. They hunt mid-sized animals and drop their carcasses near you proudly waiting for you to eat, they stalk alert by your side when strangers are near and they whimper sadly and lick at you when you are hurt, entirely unaware that some of those bruises they put there themselves. You are not sure whether they want that until they hump your leg overexcitedly while you are petting them and immediately stop, looking nervous.

You think about it for days before you decide. It... it is still them. You want this. So, you wait until they slip up and hump against your leg again and then pull away just far enough to strip off your clothes. Naked you let your legs fall open and lean back, propped up on your elbows and coaxing them towards you with soft words and gestures. Slowly, carefully, your lover in creature form moves to loom over you. They gingerly lower their great, furred body down and you bite your lip at the size of their cock in you, ridged and unlike anything you have ever had. They begin to move but it's cautious, hesitant; you reach up and run your fingers through their fur, praising them and encouraging them. You scratch behind their ears as they thrust into you and moan out loud when they finally sink deep enough you feel the swell of the knot in you, clenching around it with a jolt of pleasure. They let out a contented, almost purring rumble that just keeps going and settle themselves to lay outstretched on top of you until the knot subsides, licking and nuzzling at your face and neck.

When your lover finds out you laid with them in their other form they react at first with such anger and disgust you flinch, bracing yourself for vicious words or worse. Nothing comes, their eyes flickering an animal gold for just a moment before they stare at you stunned. They tell you they felt it, fighting to come through even though those aren't the rules. Because you were scared. They admit they were scared themselves and look so genuinely sorry that you reach for them and assure them that your devotion was not swayed by them suddenly growing fangs and fur, it won't easily be swayed by their temper. You love them whatever form they are in. You are theirs, whatever form they are in.

And so the difference eases a little as they return to being as they were before - stern, but not cruel - while the fundamental truth remains the same: you have a lover, who takes you rough when they are a person and soft when they are a beast, and you love both sides of them in equal measure and very, very much.

.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Villain: Madoc Marhand, He who  Bled the World

“ I did only what was in my power to save the innocents in my care, the gods have deemed that I shall never be forgiven for the sin of my compassion

Remember that, hero, next time they call your name.”

Once a mage in service to the crown of a besieged kingdom, Madoc ripped out his soul and unleashed an army of demons in the hopes of saving his home. For this selfless blasphemy he was damned by the gods and imprisoned within a fortress high in the mountains, unable to die or pass on and forced to endure over a century of frigid agony.

Things have changed however: a new evil has broken the locks on Madoc’s cage, and promised the wizard revenge against the gods in exchange for the creation of a new army, an army that will descend from the peaks to raze villages and temples as they carry out the old man’s spite.

Adventure Hooks:

The party are likely to hear about Madoc long before actually encouring him, as the infamy of his crimes lives on in sorrowful songs and the many memorials to the causalities of those he summoned. Stragglers from this fiendish warband are likely lingering in dark places of the world, occupying ruined fortresses and other defensible locations as they protect the spoils they reaved during their hayday. These locales are heavily fortified, and frequently bear murals of some storm-laden hell that the fiends see in their dreams.

Blood shed in violence is the medium by which Marhand summons his fiends, working rites over a cursed cauldron bubbling with cruor to give shape to new warriors corresponding with the strength of the blood given. His own has long turned to dust, so he starts with animals and when one of his first models escapes the party are called to stop the rampage of a fiendish ram terrorizing the mountain’s foothills. The beast is said to  grow in size and strength each time it is killed, and is already the size of a cottage by the time the heroes face it. They must be careful in their hunt, lest they create a creature too great to contain. 

Few give heed to the mountain tribes, considering them savages and cattle thieves, so few will be paying attention when the folk of the peaks begin to circulate rumours that their people are disappearing, hunters and trailfinders being taken in the night. This is one of the only preludes to Madoc’s army rising once again, and the party might only hear about it in mawkish tavern talk or if they lend an ear to a shunned outlander.

The climb to reach the Worldbleeder’s prison is perilous, with steep slopes giving way to blizzards and sheer cliff faces that could spell disaster no matter how cautious the party might be. They’d be better off seeking a means of flight, perhaps carming a wind-elemental to lift them aloft or seeking aid from an isolationist eyrie of aarakokra who live in the region, and could be convinced to see that Madoc filling the peaks with demons is just as much a threat to them as the lowlanders.

[yuurei20]

Malleus Info Compilation part 13: Halloween

Malleus has a difficult time during Halloween when, in trying to encourage campus visitors to be respectful of school’s rules, he learns of “the Draconia Challenge”, where people photograph themselves touching him for Magicam. The experience upsets Malleus extremely—Silver describes him as “furious”—and we learn from Sebek that someone had also been grabbing onto his horns.

Cater diffuses the situation via Magicam, and Malleus concedes that he “almost caused an interspecies conflict over a mere school event…I need to get better control over my emotions”. He also insists on taking responsibility for bringing trouble to Ramshackle Dorm.

The Magicam Monster incident bothers Malleus so much he refuses to attend a meeting of Halloween committee members, with Lilia explaining that "He asked to have some time alone to cool his head". Kalim reflects, "It's Halloween, and he's spending it alone. That must be so sad for him."

Malleus gets his revenge towards the end of the “Terror is Trending” event, and thanks the members of his dorm that made it possible. This Halloween was Malleus’ first time selecting the costumes for Diasomnia Dorm, which is a task that usually falls to Lilia.

Lilia asked him to take it on “if the heir to Briar Valley’s royal throne himself were to select the theme, it would pique the students’ interest”. Malleus accepts the task and, with Ortho’s help, designs costumes to represent “the ghost of a long”.

In Spectral Soiree, Malleus takes pity on a group of ghosts who had traveled to attend NRC’s Halloween party but did not arrive until after the festivities had ended.

Deciding to throw a new Halloween party, Malleus says, “The school has long maintained a durable barrier around its premises. Combine that with enough power from ghosts, and it would be possible. And if that’s still not enough, I’ll lend you my power”.

Malleus then stops time.

The students are unaware that Malleus is behind the problem and assume that both he and Lilia were kidnapped along with the rest of the student body.

At one point Cater remembers Malleus saying, “How could I of all people struggle so?”, which they all interpret to mean that “THE Malleus Draconia was fighting a losing battle”. It is later revealed that he was actually struggling with a piece of music for the pipe organ.

Spectral Soiree involves Malleus announcing that he will “turn every one of (the students) into ghosts” and “perform the finest of requiems over your cold, fallen bodies”, but Silver realizes that Lilia has not actually been possessed and that it was all an act.

Malleus is surprised when the students react with bafflement, having assumed that they were all aware that it was a prelude to a party, and apologizes for causing them grief.

We do not see Malleus suffer any particular consequences for kidnapping 600 students and stopping time, but Ace does tell him that the entire situation was “not cool”. Malleus explains, “It was to keep you entertained until the party was ready. Wasn’t it fun?”

Ace begs him to “PLEASE try to show some awareness of how overwhelmingly powerful you are”. Malleus agrees to take Ace’s words “into consideration” for “next time”, to which Ace responds, “There’s gonna be a NEXT TIME? Shouldn’t you learn something from this?!”

Lilia expresses surprise that Ace has complained to Malleus directly, and Malleus agrees, as “most students at school keep their distance. And rather a few of them flee at the sight of me. But not you. You spoke your mind openly and honestly, and without the aid of others”.

・Malleus Info Compilation part 1: Fright, True Form and Phones ・Malleus Info Compilation part 2: Malleus' Power ・Malleus Info Compilation part 3: Malleus Alone ・Malleus Info Compilation part 4: Malleus and Emotion ・Malleus Info Compilation part 5: Malleus and Lilia (1/2) ・Malleus Info Compilation part 6: Malleus and Lilia (2/2) ・Malleus Info Compilation part 7: Malleus, Technology and Music ・Malleus Info Compilation part 8: Malleus, Invitations and Rook ・Malleus Info Compilation part 9: Malleus, Leona and Vil ・Malleus Info Compilation part 10: Vil and the Main Story ・Malleus Info Compilation part 11: Malleus, Magic, Time and being a prince ・Malleus Info Compilation part 12: Malleus, Deuce and Riddle

[ramblingoak]

Imagine sleeping on Brizios stomach while next to a crackling little fire that keeps you warm as the stars above you twirl and dance, the sand being carried through the wind in the middle of the Desert of Nothingness. Nothing can harm you because it chooses not to. You are just there. To just be. To live and to sleep and to hear your own voice echo through the miles you’ve walked in the boots you bought with your own money.

Sleep and be forever rested, friend.

Thank you so much my friend! This was so sweet to send me. But it also got me thinking about Copia before The Cardinal's Bride begins...

The Cardinal’s Bride Prelude

~ Copia needs to escape for a bit and enjoy a few calm nights on his own before he has to leave and go after Saltarian's fiancé ~

He needed to get away.

Copia has started to feel cooped up at The Ministry.  Too many people, too much noise.  He hasn’t been sleeping very well.  The nightmare about the night his life changed keeping him up more than usual.  So early one morning he packs up his bags, enough supplies to last him a few days.  He needs to get away, needs to be on his own.  Even his Ghouls are too much to be around at the moment.

All he needs is Brizio and the stars shining above him.

It takes him almost a day before he finds a spot he likes.  He picks a somewhere close to a river, watches Brizio as he wanders over and takes a drink.  Everything else is routine, actions he’s done hundreds of times over the years now.  He gets his little camp set up quickly.  A small dinner cooked over a fire and a few apples held out for his companion.  

Copia sighs and lays back on his bedroll in the grass. Brizio starts to root around in the saddlebags Copia dumped on the ground, probably hoping for one more apple. It isn't long before he gives up, snorting in disgust at his lack of treats and probably glaring over at his master. Copia smiles, his eyes staying on the stars. Brizio was predictable but the horse probably felt the same way about him.

He let his eyes close briefly, clearing his mind of everything else but right here, right now. Copia didn't want to think about his brothers. He didn't want to think about Saltarian and revenge. There was a brief flash of a girl in his mind. Of a pretty face and a soft smile. He reached into his pocket and fingered the folded up piece of paper he had stuffed in there. A sketch of a woman he would be seeing in person soon, as long as everything went to plan. Brizio snorting directly into his face interrupted his thoughts and he laughed as he shoved the horse's snout away.

"You're right, now's not the time to be thinking about pretty city girls." Copia watched as Brizio lowered himself to the ground. The both of them grunted as they moved around, Brizio finally just laying on his side and Copia leaning back against his stomach. "We should enjoy the quiet while we can, eh?"

Life would definitely be interesting in the coming weeks. All his work over the last ten years finally coming together. The notice in the paper gave him the perfect opportunity to finish things once and for all. It wasn't going to be easy dealing with Saltarian's fiancé for a few weeks, but it would be worth it to finally get the revenge he'd desired for so long. After it was done he would just send the girl back home.

"What do you think Briz? You think this girl will have had enough of cowboys and outlaws by the time we're done with her?" Brizio's only answer was a heavy sigh and Copia found himself smiling again. "You're right, she'll be begging to go home."

An old outlaw like him didn't have room in his life for a city girl anyway.

My Masterlist ~ My Archive of our Own ~ My Ko-Fi Tip Jar

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

Prelude • The Hazards Of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle The Thistles Undone) • A Bower Scene • Won't Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga) • The Hazards Of Love 2 (Wager All) • The Queen's Approach • Isn't It A Lovely Night? • The Wanting Comes In Waves / Repaid • An Interlude • The Rake's Song • The Abduction Of Margaret • The Queen's Rebuke / The Crossing • Annan Water • Margaret In Captivity • The Hazards Of Love 3 (Revenge!) • The Wanting Comes In Waves (Reprise) • The Hazards Of Love 4 (The Drowned)

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