#these are like 6 mo old now. at least the first two

[cptnbeefheart]

this old world may never change and sometimes i wonder: do you ever think of me?

[just-ornstein]

WHAT THE FUCK IS THE BEAKER CASTLE EVEN - A SimPE Deep Dive

Alright, so after stumbling upon some of the Beta pics on the Russian TheSims.cc site and this analysis post about the Beaker mansion, I became deeply curious if some of this would be reflected in the lot relationships. After all, some characters like Viola, Kelly, on top of several others could be found when digging through the raw and somewhat encrypted code of lots.

By now it's pretty clear that the Beaker home once belonged to this dude and his army of girlfriends (definitely check out the post I mentioned earlier). On top of that Loki (and possibly Circe) seems to have gone through at least two iterations before eventually settling on their final forms.

And on top of that whenever you scan the mansion in a completely new game, you will find fingerprints of primarily deceased Sims everywhere!

Now to get to the Sim relationships on the lot...

712 freaking Sim Relationships, all of which are unknown. Some of which still have stats set such as married, friends, relationship scores, etc. I tried comparing this to other lots in their neighborhood and NONE even come close. Both Olive and the Smiths have around 400. The other lots have below. And the only lots that are even a tad higher in this number are the Capps and the Summerdreams which makes sense when you realise that hood went through at least one other iteration before turning into Veronaville.

Now I wondered if the encrypted code (despite being very hard to read due to being partially encrypted) had any old Sim remnants left in there. And yep, several even. Many of which even have information such as their gender, hair, clothes and age in there. So lemme go over some of them:

1. First one, a guy who's name is partially encrypted so it will never fully be visible. It's not Johnny cause Johnny also has his character file on this lot.

A male teen with brown hair who used to wear the "tmbodyhoodedsweatshirtboardshorts" + the "tmhairhatcap" hairstyle.

2. Second is another teen, this time by the name of Zeeshan. He had black hair, the bucket hat hairstyle and wore the hooded sweatshirt, except with pants this time around (and grey apparently?).

3. The third was an adult male Sim by the name of Kenneth with black hair. Based on his info he was likely meant to be a Gardener Sim.

4. The fourth was one named Kana... Possibly a longer name cause once again the code becomes a bit shambled here. She too was meant to be a Gardener as seen by her outfit and hair data. Her hair would have been brown.

5. Elle, another female Gardener Sim, this one having red hair.

6. Vasyl, an adult male Sim who wore the busdriver outfit. Sadly his hair data seems to be blocked behind the code. For funsies I like to give the name to Bald Beta Loki, since he gives off that vibe. BUT, I think this was an NPC busdriver due to the outfit.

7. Joanne, an adult female Sim with an unknown hair colour in corn rows style and the classy afbodyjacketturtlesweaterdressboots. Sadly her ID is hidden behind the encrypted code, so it's hard to fully make out.

All of these Sims appear to be NPC/Townie Sims. None of them match ANYONE in the Beta pictures. And the current Townies/NPCs seem to have replaced them. Interestingly enough, those that were NPCs are still NPCs and those that were Townies are still Townies. Making me wonder if this is a thing that translates to other Sim IDs too. That Sims that were Townies in earlier iterations are still Townies in their new form. Same for NPCs and yep, Playables. This is merely an assumption I'm making on what I'm finding here, but if anyone can help research this further, that would be greatly appreciated, especially as this could mean the Viola ID may not belong to Viola Monty.

Viola is an odd case cause no outfit, hair or other data can be found in the lot file and she's only ever mentioned once in the context of lines filled with "sleep in pyjamas". But for now I cannot say anything with certainty unless more remnants of these old Sims could be found somewhere. OR, if these files could be read in its entirety which is quite difficult.

It's very hard to get a Sim ID attached to a lot (believe me I tried) and often times seems to rather happen accidentally than intentionally. Moving a Sim out or having a Sim die usually removes the data they once held to that lot. Good example is Loki in my current Strangetown who lived on this lot all of his life and when he died he had no remnants left on this lot.

REGARDLESS! The Beaker lot is ancient and seems to have been ground for a ton of testing, Sims and many more things. No wonder the Beakers got this home with its incredibly shady history. Half of the beta town was partying here!

[kerryweaverlesbian]

The Bunker kitchen is always cold, but it's at its coldest at the crack of dawn. Staring down into his creamed coffee, Dean wonders if 45 is old enough to slough off the habit of a lifetime and start sleeping in til at least 8, but then he remembers the nightmares he got the last time he tried messing with his sleep cycle. Maybe what he really needs is an extra pair of socks.

"I have something for you."

Dean looks up from his cup and smiles sleepily at Cas, who'd paused to get dressed when Dean had slumped directly to the kitchen in his pjs. He still wears his suit, tie and trench coat ensemble, thoroughly overdressed for 6.30 in the morning, but he still hadn't bothered to brush his hair. Mr Contrarian. He's adorable.

"I thought gifts were later," Dean says, instead of fawning. He has some dignity left. Somewhere.

"Big ones are."

"2 o' clock? No surprises?" Dean challenges - after his 40th, when he'd knocked Sam out thinking he'd been possessed with how shifty he'd been acting trying to hide the big party, Dean's (quite reasonably, he thinks) insisted on a strict birthday itinerary of his own devising.

"No surprises," Cas promises. He pulls his hand out of his coat pocket and puts a tape down on the table, flat, and slides it across to Dean with two fingers.

It's simply labeled in Cas’s looping cursive: For Dean. Dean picks it up and flips it over, no more information on the back.

"I wasn't sure if you'd like it," Cas explains needlessly, and Dean can see him fidgeting in his periphery. Cute. "I know you like to 'pick the music' but I thought you might appreciate knowing some that make me think of you."

"I like it," Dean assures him, glancing up to grin at him, and he's glad to see Cas’s shoulders relax.

"Good. It would have been very awkward if you didn't."

"Yeah, and you're never awkward," Dean teases, and gets a suspicious squint for it that pivots quickly into a fond eyeroll. "Can I play it now?"

"Oh," Cas says, sounding surprised, "Yes."

He vanishes for a second and then blinks back with one of their cassette players, one of those flat, black, functional things that star in 70s cop shows. There was a little puffy sticker of a stegosaurus on it from Jack's sticker phase.

"Ever heard of goodbye?" Dean complains unseriously, and happily accepts the sweet kiss Cas offers as he passes the player over.

Cas doesn't dignify him with a response, but he does stay close, hovering over Dean’s like a warm shadow as he sets the tape in and hits Play. There's a few seconds of staticky silence, and then, surprisingly, a recording of Cas’s voice comes rumbling out of the speaker.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus. Adiuramus te, cessa decipere humanas creaturas-"

"Cas," Dean says, hitting Pause, "why am I listening to you doing an exorcism? Where's the rock'n'roll?"

"You like things that are practical. You're welcome." He says it with such sincere, smug certainty that he'd gotten it completely right that Dean can't help but laugh.

"So you made me an exorcism mix-tape?"

"It's helpful."

"Sentimentality, thy name is Castiel." Dean kisses Cas’s knuckles, delighted with him, "I thought you said there were songs on here."

"They're on the other side."

"This whole side is just you chanting?"

"Not all of it," Cas says, and leans over Dean's shoulder to skim through with the fast-forward. He lands expertly near the end, which should not be as sexy to Dean as it is. The Cas recording finishes his latin, then there's a long pause, and then:

"I expect you saved them by now. Or they died." A smaller pause, then Cas adds, at an afterthought, "Hopefully the former. Dean, I love you."

Click. End of the tape. It's only when Cas’s hand comes up gently to his cheek that he realises he'd shed a tear.

"Dean," Cas says, with his infinite tenderness, half wonder, half exasperation.

"Just caught me off guard," Dean protests weakly, swiping under his eye roughly (but careful not to dislodge Cas’s hand).

For around the first 6 months after Cas’s return, Dean couldn't hear an "I love you" without bursting into tears. He'd gotten better with it in the years following, but but sometimes it still hit. Like now. Cas knew that he'd only be using this side of the tape in an all the way fucked up situation, and he'd given him a small, unnecessary kindness. Another one - a charming little kiss is pressed to his forehead.

"What'd I do to get you, Cas?" Dean marvels out loud, and Cas leans back to frown at him, still holding his face in his wide hands.

"Quite a lot," Cas deadpans, and that sets Dean off laughing again.

He grabs Cas’s wrist to smack a kiss to his palm, and then to pull himself upright, his other hand blindly flipping the tape over and starting up the music side. As the opening Auoooghs of Gin Wigmore's Black Sheep starts up, Dean tugs Cas to dance with him to it, uncoordinated and unrestrained.

"Dancing wasn't in the plan" Cas notes dryly, but he lets Dean sing to his tie like it's a microphone anyway, and Dean can tell he's biting back a smile.

"Screw the plan! It's my birthday!"

"It's your birthday plan."

"Exactly, so I get to change it." Dean stops Cas arguing back by kissing him, which only works about 40% of the time, but this, it seems, is one of those times. "I love you, man."

"I love you too. Happy birthday, Dean."

The affection in Cas’s gaze warms Dean all the way down to the very tips of his toes. It is a happy birthday. Almost as good as all the ones after it.

[the-arcade-doctor]

[[ STOP KOSA ]]

[[ RULES ]]

[[ GAMES AND GAME RULES ]] [[ PRIZE CORNER ]]

Some context: Text Doctors are a collection of Tumblr-based RP blogs featuring plague doctors made out of ASCII symbols with their own unique lore, they're mostly variants of the first one to don the title, Doctor Screech, a eldritch monster who hails from the abyss and landed in a world of violet occupied by walking fungal-infected-corpses and other such nasties.

HEY YOU! ARE YOU BORED? WHO AM I KIDDING, YOU FOUND THIS BLOG SO OF COURSE YOU ARE, LUCKILY FOR YOU, THIS IS AN BLOG FOR THE MOST… INTERESTING PLACE ON THE WEB!

WELCOME, LADIES, GENTS, AND EVERYONE ELSE TO

A PLACE OF INTRIGUE AND DANGER, MYSTERY AND WONDER! WHERE GAMES FEEL ALMOST ALIVE AND THE OWNER IS OVERJOYED TO MEET NEW FRIENDS!

ARCADE SCHEDULE

OPEN - 9:00 OR 11:00 AM

CLOSE 11:00 PM AFTER HOURS - 12:00 PM TO 6:00 AM MORE INFO BELOW, ENJOY YOUR STAY!

ENTRY #1: THE DENIZENS J:\\ THE MAKER \\\\

>> Jay. a 5’8, 17 (now 18) year old boy (when he feels like) with tan skin, wearing a black hoodie with a green “87” on it, grey sweatpants, and black shoes, under his hood lies a led visor displaying green animated eyes. He runs an arcade, overseen by a plague doctor suit made out of keyboard symbols, it has a parasitic relationship with his soul that enhances his ego. he runs an arcade as a front to gain more power to cut the strings of fate the gods have cast upon him.

[ jay speaks like this. ]

Jay, he found his way into a mysterious world occupied by a lone plague doctor, a beast who wore a mask of violet, the first ever "text doctor", at least, that's what he called himself, the plague doctor made out of... ASCII symbols? His name was Screech (@the-text-doctor), they got to know each other, the beast was wiser, older, had a family and most of all? POWER. Jay eventually stumbled onto a stray portal, and found a dimension with a lone arcade in it. It was empty, abandoned. It was quiet at first. Then the trials began with new technology Jay founded. His suit. A green, distorted form of the plague doctor made of symbols he met from days before. it was a beast forever crying emerald tears.. It took over the dimension. Slowly at first, but then rapidly, the floors turned black, the walls turned a dark shade of green, the arcade grew, seemingly floating. It was all falling into place. J:\\ THE SUIT \\\\ A green plague doctor made out of ASCII symbols, slashes make up his limbs and torso, and tear streaks fall down his mask. His left arm is corrupted heavily, with claws made of black triangles. He also has one corrupted wing made out of corrupted textures and glitch artifacts, on his chest lies a dark green mantle with two mirroring "J"s. His belt is made of square brackets and equal signs. This suit was made a host of the place it is now known for, but also to fight, and fight it does, it would be unwise to pick a fight with it in it's unnatural habitat.

thanks to @just-hyper-active for jotette's neck fluff [ J:\\ JOTA SPEAKS LIKE THIS. ] [ ♀J:\\ JOTETTE SPEAKS LIKE THIS. ]

The suit, when worn, made him agitated, angry, violent, egotistical, envious, and any other sense of the words, so much so that it took over his very soul, encasing it in a green hue, and wings, ever since, everyone wanted that exotic, digitized soul for themselves. The Jotette side grade makes Jay feels as if he's the prettiest thing on two legs, still as pyschopathic.

It was perfect for what he needed. He's been researching other worlds for a while, so they were next, but until then? He needed somewhere to cover up his research... the arcade would do just fine. He'd get to lounge around all day, and work on gaining more strength by night. Eventually, he opened the arcade, and attracted quite a crowd. He didn't feel much for them, just lambs to the slaughter, he thought. but eventually he grew fond of some of his visitors, some he loved seeing, some less so. his power grew... but he needed more. He eventually found other worlds, more creatures like his suit, “text doctors” as he calls them, more forms to take, more things to assimilate into his growing matrix of code and hate. J:\\ THE LESSER GODS \\\ In the world of digital evils known only by "EXEs", there lie creatures who couldn't get their hands on the vessels everybody knows them for, Sonic, Mario, Pac-Man, the like. These creatures have been festering inside unknown and uncared for video games, i.e one-off titles or edutainment games. They all think the ranks of Sonic.EXE have it too easy since they have more recognizable vessels, so they've decided to form in gangs of sorts, Jay has felt pity for them, and built a refuge for some of them called Circuitboard City. ENTRY #2: THE DIMENSION, THE BOARDER BETWEEN THE PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL REALMS

J:\\ OUTSIDE \\\\ A vast, black expanse, adorned with grid-patterned green lines and shrouded mountains that conceal Circuitboard City. Green floating stairs serve as the arcade entrance, the space under the arcade leading to an underground subway entry point for access to Circuitboard City.

J:\\ SUBWAY \\\\ The Subway, a dark green and somewhat dirty underground passage, links the arcade to the wonders of Circuitboard City, some Lesser Gods have taken refuge here as opposed to Circuitboard City.

J:\\ CIRCUITBOARD CITY \\\\

helped by @just-hyper-active The cyber-city sprawls beyond the mountains, initially visible like a distant skybox. However, the true nature of this place is revealed when you journey there through the Subway, unlocking Circuitboard City in it's fullest. Jay shelters Lesser Gods amidst the skyscrapers, surrounded by advertisements for JOTA's Arcade.

J:\\ ARCADE INTERIOR \\\\ Inside the arcade, a surreal extension of JOTA's twisted yet whimsical persona unfolds with moving wall patterns and nonsensical floors. Rows of cabinets, a prize corner, and a maintenance room entrance mark the journey. As one ascends towards JOTA's office, the rooms defy Euclidean logic, with unconventional door placements, and other such glitchy mishaps.

J:\\ HALLWAY \\\\ A simple hallway stretching to both the left and right of the office. J:\\ MYSTICS ROOM \\\\ A room where Jay's been studying various deities and other such creatures, such as Zalgo, Screech, and more. This room is to the left of the office hallway.

J:\\ JOTA'S OFFICE \\\\ JOTA's office, a dark green room adorned with silver accents. A faux bird rug lies in the center, and a dark green desk bears a lunatic's scribbles. Nearby stands a simple polygon statue of a pixelated emerald-textured plague doctor. Wall sketches depict a green heart with expansive wings and stylized plague doctors drawn from simple lines and shapes. Above, a mounted skull with a "GAME OVER - JOTAPHOBIA" plaque completes the room.

J:\\ JAY'S BEDROOM \\\\ Jay's bedroom, features a beanbag bed, the sole Sega Genesis in the arcade ever since a run-in with Sonic.EXE himself, Sonic posters, and invisible ink-laden posters of the other text doctors, the Cade Crew, and Jay himself. The dark green room houses a simple stand with drawers, holding obscure games, and a basic TV. This room is to the right of the office hallway.

J:\\ JOTA'S THRONE \\\\ On the main floor, JOTA's throne, a giant green chair, stands amidst corrupted textures and computer parts, adorned with a "GAME OVER" banner. J:\\ SUIT JUNGLE \\\\ Behind the curtains of the throne room lies the enigmatic Suit Jungle, featuring towering, unreachable arcade cabinets and one of them stands far above the rest, displaying myriad copies of JOTA's suit, glaring at whoever roams by, amid twisted metal trees and digital leaves, static falls like water and error messages are the closest thing to clouds, more copies of the suit are found crawling around, acting as birds, glitching green messages, seemingly written by Jay himself adorn the place's floors and walls.

the voices I have for all of my anons unless said otherwise: https://tts.cyzon.us EXE

Jay first encountered Sonic.EXE, also known as "X," during an event called Incident X. This voidspawn manifested itself as Sonic and attempted to claim Jay's soul. The encounter took place fashionably late at JOTA's arcade, following the Halloween EXE Takeover in 2023. Since then, X has been engaging in periodic battles with Jay's suit.

X derives pleasure from toying with human souls, leaving Jay concerned about how long he can keep the entity amused before facing potential death. In the aftermath of the incident, Jay discovered the existence of other entities similar to X, collectively referred to as The Lesser Gods or The X Underlings.

[drifting-pieces-blog-blog]

Nothing and Everything - Part 6

Summary: Certain times of the year are harder than others. This is the first year where they have all been present to face the memories of all the trauma. How can they come together when they each have their own traumas to face?

Pairings: Gen fic (they love Layla and she loves them)

Warnings: Heavy dissociation, Mentions of child abuse, some mentions of violence, Depression, mentions of self harm, PTSD, mentions of hospitalization.

Word Count: 2357

Part six: Damage control is Steven's middle name. How does he even begin to try to fix the gap that now lays between them all?

Previous Chapter HERE

Steven woke up slowly, warm and in his own bed for a change. If there had been nightmares, he didn’t remember them and perhaps the body had been too tired to have them anyways. 

All was quiet inside. He was fine with that. 

Steven yawned and felt resistance as he tried to sit up. The arm across him tightened and clung harder with any movement he made. 

Rolling over, Steven gazed into Layla’s face. Her eyes were closed but he got the sense she was only lightly dozing. 

“Whichever one of you it is, please just stay here a moment longer.” She mumbled. “I’m too tired to chase you around and I really don’t want to cuff you to the bed.” 

Steven immediately looked down at his legs and was relieved to find his old shackles were nowhere in sight. 

“It’s Steven.” He leaned in and gently kissed her on the cheek. “Did you sleep at all, love?” 

“Not even a little.” Layla smiled at the kiss and at last opened her eyes. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you.” 

Steven sighed. “I can imagine.” He sat up and looked around. 

A man was laying on the couch, bundled up under a blanket and reading one of his books. 

Steven lay back down next to Layla and lowered his voice. “Who is that?” 

“Jean-Paul Duchamp.” Layla nuzzled into him, her hair tickling his nose a little. “Marc calls him Frenchie.” 

“Frenchie? Seems a bit on the nose, don’t you think?” He sat up again and looked across the room at the man. 

“He calls me Frenchie because he lacks imagination.” The man glanced up from his book at the two. “Good morning. Afternoon, really. Are you hungry?” 

Steven offered a cautious smile and slowly slid out of bed. “I didn’t know Marc had any friends.” 

Jean-Paul laughed. “He doesn’t have friends. He has one friend.” He got up and headed to the kitchen. 

“I’m vegetarian. There’s real meat and stuff in the back if you like it. You don’t have to do anything fancy. I’m happy with tea and toast.” Steven smiled and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. 

Once the door closed, Steven felt the night slowly come back to him. What bits and pieces he could remember fell into place like a scattered puzzle that was missing half the pieces. 

Once finished, he moved to the window and closed it. There was a powerful emotion that grazed past him as he locked the window. Something he could remember feeling but couldn’t place. 

He stepped back out and found a cup of tea waiting for him on the counter. 

Layla was slowly shuffling across the floor to sit at the table and Jean-Paul was in the kitchen making something. 

Steven took the tea and sipped it slowly. “I don’t want to talk about last night.” Steven at last sighed as he set the cup down. “We’re still… not right. I really… I don’t think we can handle it right now.” 

Layla looked down. “Can I at least ask how you’re doing? If you’re okay?” 

Steven thought about it a moment then nodded. “I feel terrible. Everything hurts. I don’t remember a lot of it anyways and… I think I know him but I can’t remember from where.” 

Jean-Paul smiled and set a plate before Steven. There was toast with butter and jam, and a side of what looked like scrambled egg. Steven eyed them suspiciously then noticed an open tofu package on the counter by the sink. 

“Tofu scramble. Tastes just like the real thing.” He grinned. “You don’t get to be as French as I am without knowing at least the basics on how to make food more than just edible.” 

Layla made a sound. “Better than English food, anyway. Jean-Paul said he had lunch with you once a long time ago. Marc was on some mission and stopped in London.” 

Steven recalled some vague memory from long ago of some tourist chatting with him once. It was a little fuzzy, but it felt like a nice memory. 

“Huh. I wonder if I ever met any of Marc’s other people before. A lot of my memories are… Not real. I never know which ones are mine or which ones were just put there to make sense of situations.” He gave Jean-Paul an apologetic smile. 

“It’s okay.” Jean-Paul waved a hand and went back to the stove. “Gives us a chance to start over.” 

Steven ate the tofu scramble, delighted at how wonderful it tasted. Warm food in his belly being washed down with a perfect English tea, it was almost enough to make him feel real and human again. 

He looked at Layla and smiled brightly. “You really should get some rest. You both look exhausted.” 

Layla gave him a wary look. “I’m fine, really. Just need some caffeine.” 

Steven looked from Layla to Jean-Paul and suddenly understood. “I’m on house arrest, aren’t I?” 

“Of course not! No! You can leave any time you want! I just… Would feel better if someone was with you. Or… You didn’t go out at all. For a while.” Layla flushed. “It’s not because of you, Steven.” 

“Of the three of you, one of you can be trusted right now.” Jean-Paul shrugged. “It isn’t personal.” 

Steven felt that emotion flair up again from before. He didn’t understand it or where it was coming from. It felt hot and far too heavy for him to hold. 

He reached inside and felt for the others. They were nowhere to be found, which meat it was all him. This was his emotion. 

“Steven?” Layla looked antsy as he blinked and glanced around. 

“I’m alright. Just… Checking.” He gave a smile and pointed to his head. His smile faltered as he continued in a mumble. “Maybe I’ll put them on house arrest. Only one that can be trusted, after all…” 

The thought circled in his mind. Could he? Was it possible for him to keep hold and keep the others away? If they couldn’t be trusted not to hurt them, what right did they have to step out and demand a piece of the life? 

Steven sighed and suddenly felt very alone. He rubbed his hands over his face for a moment then got up and grabbed a thick book from the shelf and moved to sit at his desk. “I like being at home. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got things I meant to do anyways. You guys really don’t have to stick around.” 

Jean-Paul sighed. “We can take shifts for today. I’m going to go out and refresh myself at the hotel. My phone is on if you need anything.” 

“Thanks for the meal.” Steven smiled at him and waved from his desk as Layla walked Jean-Paul to the door. 

They stood whispering softly for a moment then the door closed and Layla sighed heavily. “Just you and me. Do you need anything?” 

Steven shook his head and opened the book. “You should really get some rest. I promise nothing will happen. I’m not going to let them do anything.” He pointed to his book. “I’m starting a new chapter.” 

Layla grabbed her laptop and curled up on the couch where she could watch him. “I’m alright. I can do some work from here.” 

They sat in silence for an hour, each working on their own thing. Before last night, they would have worked in a very comfortable silence. Now, he could feel Layla looking up at him every few minutes as if checking to make sure he was still there or that it was him that was really there. 

Steven blinked and realized he’d been staring at the same paragraph for twenty minutes. He also wasn’t alone. 

Are we okay?

Steven glanced at Layla then nodded. Marc had settled at a distance. He didn’t want to be out. 

There was relief radiating from Marc and Steven suddenly felt a sense of comradery. He reached out to let Marc come closer. It’s okay. I’ve got us now.

Marc stepped back, afraid of the front. 

Please. Steven pleaded. I’ll be right here. She needs to know you’re okay.

Marc still hesitated. 

Steven looked up at Layla and made a small sound to get her attention. When she looked up he suddenly felt awkward. “I’m not going anywhere.” He flushed. “I’m just putting it out there. I’m still going to be present. But… Do you think you could… Marc could use a nudge.” 

Layla looked at him for a moment and he saw the hesitation in her too. 

Steven nodded as he realized that last night had not only hurt them, but Layla and her trust in them. 

He took a moment as he made peace with the work he needed to do now with all of them. 

Steven was first and foremost the emotional protector. He made sure they were all happy, healthy, comfortable, and felt safe and secure. He was also in charge of maintaining their relationships and keeping the peace. 

In all this, somewhere he had missed what was happening and now the damage was everywhere. 

He got up and walked to the couch, tapping Layla’s legs till she shifted and made room for them. Flopping down next to her he slowly squirmed and wriggled until he had successfully pulled her into his arms and they were stretched out across the couch together. 

She settled in, resting her head against his chest. Breathing deeply, he took in the scent of her shampoo and hand cream. 

It was slower than normal. It felt like taking a scared kid by the hand and leading them out of the dark. 

Marc inhaled slowly and deeply. Arguments and fresh fights still lingered in the air between them. Concern and fear and hurt feelings stretched like miles. 

Layla lay still, listening to his heart rate and feeling the heat radiating off of him. 

It was always easier with Steven. It was easier to talk about what was wrong and what hurt. It was easier to apologize. 

Last night sat between them like a barricade now. The vulnerability that had overflowed and bled out of him. 

Tell her you love her. Tell her how pretty she is. Kiss her! Steven, ever the romantic with grand notions of how things should be. 

“I don’t know why you put up with this shit.” Marc sighed as he did what he did best. “You’re better than this.” 

She shifted and looked up at him. Reaching up, she ran her fingers through his hair, pushing his messy locks back out of his face.

“I’m never more angry at you than when you don’t give yourself a chance.” She let her fingers linger as they slid over his temple. “You tried to start a fight with me and then you hid from me.” She let her other hand rest on his chest, feeling his pulse. “You never tell me how you feel or why you’re hurting.” 

“It’s not what I do. You know that.” Marc started to protest. 

She shushed him and sat up just enough to look down into his face. “Last night… I have never been more afraid of losing you. The first time you left I was angry and hurt. The time you died, I knew you were gone and did not have time to mourn. Last night… Last night I was afraid.” 

Marc tensed up. He was prepared to take it all. To take the blame and be told how selfish and unforgiving it was. He wasn’t the one that had run but he knew it was all because of him. 

“You called me.” She looked into his eyes and let him hold the gaze as long as he wanted. When he looked away, she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. “My precious husband… You called me because you trusted me. You were afraid and you asked for help.” 

“I don’t know who called you.” He grumbled. “It was probably Steven.” 

Layla laughed softly and nuzzled her forehead to his, letting her hair fall around them. “You think I don’t know you from Steven?” 

“I think that last night is a fucking blur and I don’t know who did what.” Marc reached up and brushed her hair back. 

Wasn’t me, mate. Steven supplied helpfully. Tell her you love her! 

“What’s Steven saying?” She looked his face over curiously. “You always get that look on your face when Steven’s talking to you.” 

Marc rolled his eyes. “Steven needs to learn to not backseat drive.” 

She smiled and kissed him softly. “You don’t always have to talk to me. You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong, though I wish you would. I know you can’t. I know that it’s physically impossible for Marc Spector to open up sometimes.” 

Marc frowned. “I-”

She shushed him again and settled back down, resting her head on his chest. “But you can always call me, Marc. If you’re lost in the next country over, you can always call me. If you told me to go to hell and stormed out right now, you can still call me from China and I’ll come get you. I will always be there to take you home again.” 

Marc nodded and she could feel how tense he was. She could feel him clenching his jaw in an effort to swallow down his emotions like always. 

“Thank you…” He at last got out. “For coming to get us. I don’t… I…” 

“I love you, Marc.” She relaxed into him fully and felt the tension she had been holding for days start to melt away. “I love you.”  

“I love you too.” He whispered. 

Steven settled back inside, letting them cuddle. He cautiously turned his gaze to the inside, letting Marc have full front. They needed this. They needed to reconnect and rebuild their trust. 

But there was someone else who was broken that needed help. 

Steven reached out gently and felt only closed doors and nothing. He didn’t know how to help him. 

This would not be an easy fix. 

Next Part HERE

[in-the-shadow-of-the-blog]

The Pains We Endure | Chapter Two

Masterlist | Ao3 | Chapter One

Chapter Summary: Through a series of encounters, Edith and Aesop come to know each other a little better. Perhaps their first impressions of each other were wrong. (Aesop Sharp x OC)

Chapter Rating: PG

Chapter Warnings: None! (Darker stuff is coming. Also smut.)

Word count: 3.2k

A/N: I'm trying to practice pining, how am I doing? 2 of 6.

—

Edith regretted walking into the Great Hall the moment the roar of voices reached her ears. A mask of impassivity smoothed her features as she joined the other teachers at the staff tables. One hand rubbed little circles into her temple while she sipped her tea.

“Not recovered from your headache, Miss Pryce?” Professor Sharp asked, eyeing her.

“Not quite, Professor Sharp. The solace of the library will do me good.” Edith sipped her tea, refusing to look at him.

He didn’t want her imagined pity, and Edith had no use for his assumptions about her headache. Edith wasn’t sure how they had gotten off on the wrong foot, but she was in no mood to set things right this morning.

“There are draughts that can offer relief.”

Given their conversation the previous night, Edith expected a patronizing lilt to his tone. There was none, but she was still affronted by his behavior last night, and her headache made it impossible to entertain civility.

“Thank you, professor, but there is no need. I have yet to encounter a pain I could not endure.”

He fell silent, and Edith inwardly celebrated her victory. She was in no mood for his quiet superiority. It was satisfying to put a man like that in his place, even in the smallest of ways.

Over the course of the next week, Edith settled into her role as assistant librarian quite well. She got on well with most of the staff and found plenty of work to keep her busy in the library. Edith was a woman who appreciated routine, though spending all day in the library felt stifling sometimes.

Today, Scribner had tasked her with retiring some old potions textbooks to a storage room. At least it gets me out of the library for a while. I’ve forgotten what the rest of the castle looks like.

Twelve books, neatly arranged in two stacks of six, floated beside Edith as she took the steps down to the dungeons. The room in question was easy to find, around the corner from the potions classroom. Edith stepped inside, books following, and surveyed the dusty room. A cabinet stood against one wall, potentially empty, according to Scribner.

“Perfect,” Edith said to herself. Organized and out of sight, just how she liked things.

Edith opened the cabinet.

And screamed.

Books toppled to the floor as her charm slipped away. Before her was a face that she had desperately hoped never to see again. The face of all her nightmares. Now, here he stood, in the one place Edith thought she would find safety.

He advanced, silent, wand pointed at her, hazel eyes filled with disdain. She could hear the spell in her mind, the memory of his voice echoing in her ears. Edith staggered back, shuffling away from him, hands scrabbling against the stone floor. This can’t be happening.

“No.” A timid sob escaped her lips as her back met the wall. Edith stared up at him, waiting for the inevitable.

-

Aesop had not heard a sound that sent a chill down his spine in quite some time, but he heard it now. He stood from his desk, auror instincts alight, his wand in his hand. It had not been a scream of surprise or dismay; it was a sound of abject terror.

He made his way down the hall, caution tempering his urgency. “Who’s there?” He called out.

“No! Please, no!” Sobs wrenched from a place of desperate despair led him down the corridor and into a storeroom. The door was open, and Aesop was taken aback at the scene that greeted him.

Edith was on the floor, backed against a wall, in tears. Books littered the surrounding ground. Standing over her was a man Aesop had never seen before, wand raised threateningly. Cold hazel eyes partially hidden under an unruly mop of shaggy dark hair, sharp features many would call handsome, and a menacing smile curving his lips. He reminded Aesop of the kinds of wizards he had tracked down as an auror.

Catching sight of Aesop’s arrival, the figure changed. It was partially the same man, partially the dead-eyed figure of his late partner. Aesop grimaced, gritting his teeth. “Ridikulus!”

The figure vanished in a puff of smoke.

He turned to Edith, still staring wide-eyed at the place where the man had stood. He reached down, offering her a hand up. “Miss Pryce?”

Edith gasped, turning her fearful gaze on him. She blinked, snapping out of whatever dark place in which her mind had trapped her. She accepted the hand up and leaned against the stone wall, catching her breath.

“It was only a boggart.” His tone was unusually gentle.

“Yes, I see that now.” Edith’s breath was shallow, her hands shaky as she wiped at the tears on her cheek.

Unsure of what to say, Aesop allowed her a moment to compose herself. The things that could make a woman so terrified of a man were not things he liked to think about. Edith looked at him, feeling small under his scrutiny.

“Thank you for your assistance, Professor Sharp. I’m afraid I would have been in terrible trouble without your intervention. As you can see, I am rather inept when it comes to these things.”

“Being caught off guard is never pleasant.”

Edith hummed in agreement. She waved her wand and the books on the floor stacked themselves neatly in the open cabinet. She pressed her fingers to her temple. “If you’ll excuse me, I must…” Edith trailed off, not bothering to find an end to her sentence.

She felt Aesop’s eyes on her as she fled the room as quickly as her unsteady legs would allow her. Edith’s headache had returned with a vengeance, and a tingling in her fingertips suggested she might be on her way to fainting. She needed air.

Walking without intention, Edith was neither surprised nor dismayed when she realized her instincts had taken her to the greenhouses. Where else would she find the peace and calm she needed if not among the fresh earth and sweet smells of growing plants? She leaned against an ivy-covered wall, eyes closed to the warmth of the sun, breathing deeply. Home.

“Miss Pryce? Are you all right?” Professor Garlick’s lilting tone interrupted her thoughts. She looked at Edith warily.

“Apologies, Professor Garlick. I just had a run-in with a boggart in the dungeons and I thought I would come out here for some fresh air.”

“How dreadful!” Mirabel exclaimed. The redhead considered Edith for a moment. “You look like you could use a cup of tea.”

—

The first Quidditch game of the season was an exciting day for students and teachers alike. The stands were full, and the faculty filed into the tower reserved for their use. Aesop took his time with the stairs, wondering if he should resort to using his cane for this particular task in the future. Matilda sat alone, and a plan formed in Aesop’s mind. He took the seat next to her, hiding a grimace.

“Good day, Matilda,” he greeted her. His nonchalance was not enough to fool the shrewd headmistress.

“Something on your mind, Aesop?” Matilda asked.

“Ha, nothing gets past you, I see.” Aesop leaned in, not wanting to be overheard. “How well do you know Miss Pryce?”

Matilda looked at him, her face a little more serious than he was expecting. “Does this have anything to do with the boggart incident?”

“She told you?” It had been over a week since that day in the storeroom. Aesop had not dared bring it up, and he felt Edith had been avoiding him.

“To answer both your questions, I have known Edith since she was a girl. Long enough for her to confide in me about what happened.” Matilda folded her hands in her lap. “What is it you want to know, Aesop?”

Well, Aesop appreciate getting to the point. “We both know that Scribner can manage perfectly well without an assistant. You have an ulterior motive for getting Edith this job. Does it have something to do with that man?”

Matilda clicked her tongue. “Aesop, you are not an auror, and Edith is not trafficking magical artifacts. You’ve no need to be wary.”

“I will always be wary if I have cause to believe someone is hiding dangerous secrets.” Aesop’s voice was low, though he was becoming a little heated.

“I hope you are not suggesting that I would allow anyone’s business - private business, I might add - to jeopardize the safety of the school.”

Aesop straightened in his chair. “Of course not, Matilda.”

The woman sighed. “Edith’s situation is delicate. She needs support, not suspicion. I’m surprised you’ve taken such a keen interest, to be honest.”

Two cheerful voices rose behind them, and Aesop was grateful the excuse to end the conversation. Matilda’s answers sated his questions for now, but gave him new ones to ponder. Why had he taken such an interest?

He glanced over his shoulder to see Edith and Mirabel taking seats. Edith sported a worn Hufflepuff scarf, no doubt hers from her time as a student. No surprises there. Out of the corner of his eye, Aesop watched as Edith adjusted the thin scarf, the black striped stark against her pale skin.

Since that afternoon in the greenhouse, Edith and Mirabel had grown close. Bonding over their shared love of plants and tea, Edith had found a sorely needed female companion in the young professor.

The Quidditch match, Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff, was a rousing affair. The game was close at first, but the Hufflepuff team soon gained the upper hand. They were ahead by forty points before the yellow-clad seeker caught the snitch. The eruption of applause and cheers was thunderous, Edith and Mirabel loudest among the teachers.

Spectators filed out of the stands, joining their teams to celebrate on the pitch or heading back to the castle. Sitting near the front of the teacher’s box, Edith waited for the crowd to thin a little before making her way toward the stairs.

The sun beating down on them during the match had left Edith feeling a little too warm. A little too fuzzy. Halfway down the steps, everything started to go a little blurry. Her vision, her hearing, even her fingertips, as a familiar tingling sensation pricked at her skin. She barely made it down the rest of the steps. Oh no. Not now!

Edith had fought off these fainting spells before, and she would do so again. She just needed to focus.

Edith paused, bracing herself against the wall with one hand, the other clutched over her chest. She forced herself to breathe, slowly counting to five. When it didn’t help, she counted again. The blurring at the edge of her senses faded.

“Miss Pryce?” The voice was forceful, as if this was not the first time it called her name.

Edith looked up with a small gasp of surprise, realizing she was no longer alone. Professor Sharp stared at her, a curious expression on his face. “I didn’t see you there, professor.”

“Is everything all right?” Aesop eyed her warily. “You were… counting.”

Edith schooled her features. Why was this man always present in her moments of weakness? “Nothing to be concerned about, professor. I will be along in a moment.”

Aesop took in her pale face, the way her hand pressed against the wall. “Are you certain? You look faint.”

“I am just taking a moment to catch my breath. It’s rather warm today, don’t you think?”

One.

Aesop raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps a little.” He did not sound convinced.

Edith swayed on her feet, drawing a shaky breath. Aesop laid a stabilizing hand on her arm, his hand warm through the fabric of her dress. “Are you sure you are all right?”

Two.

With a weak gesture of her hand, Edith waved him away. “I just need a moment. You need not worry.”

Three.

“I’m not going to leave you in such a state,” Aesop objected firmly. “What sort of man would that make me?”

Four.

“An obedient one.” A wry smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Five.

With one last deep breath, the tingle in her fingers subsided. Edith straightened, her hand leaving the wall. Her serene smile slid back onto her features. “There. Right as rain.”

Aesop gestured for her to lead the way, his features still tight with concern. “Ladies first.”

Edith was not well versed in small talk, but she had no use for awkward silences. “That was an exciting Quidditch match. Can I expect the same energy in the future, or is it simply the excitement of a new season?”

“Quite common, actually,” Aesop said. “Our students are passionate players.”

“Well, I’m glad to see the Hufflepuff team has improved since I was in school.”

“The Ravenclaw team is hardly a threat. They won’t stand a chance against Slytherin.”

She responded with a raised eyebrow. “Someone sounds confident.”

“You can’t argue with history. Slytherin has won the cup for the last 4 years.”

“Sounds like a lucky streak due to end.” Edith delivered the retort playfully.

“Professor Sharp!” A Ravenclaw boy, Thakkar, if Edith remembered correctly, met them between the castle and the pitch. He had run all the way, it seemed, breathless and a little panicked. “The potions classroom. Something’s happened.”

Aesop’s brow furrowed in concern and alarm. He quickened his steps to his classroom, Edith following close behind.

An overflowing cauldron was ruining one of the potion stations. The muddy orange liquid that spilled over its edge warped whatever it touched, steaming and burning away part of the desk. The thick, acidic sludge kept pouring, creeping across the floor.

Standing before it, luckily unscathed, was a young redhead boy.

“Weasley!” Aesop shouted.

With a wave of his wand, Aesop froze the liquid’s advance before it could reach the boy’s shoes.

Garreth looked down in shame. “Sorry, Professor Sharp. I only looked away for a moment.”

Aesop heaved a sigh. “Have I taught you nothing? Brewing potions is a careful business. A cauldron should never be left unattended.”

“Yes, professor.”

“Detention. And points from Gryffindor. Dismissed.”

The look on Garreth’s face suggested he expected as much.

Edith watched Aesop discipline Weasley, noting his reaction. His irritation clearly stemmed from a place of concern, not anger. Not that it was her place to comment, but Edith felt he handled it rather well.

With Garreth out of the room, Edith took out her wand to help clean up the mess. She was rather decent at cleaning and repairing charms, and between the two of them they quickly had the floor clean and unmarked.

“What the devil was that boy trying to do this time?” He muttered as he looked down into the cauldron.

Aesop leaned against the desk, his hand landing atop a stray drop of the caustic brew. Aesop hissed and drew his hand back, looking down to see the substance leaving angry red skin where it had smeared over his palm.

“Professor Sharp?” Edith asked, striding over to him. She held her hand out. “Let me see.”

Her palm was soft against the back of his hand as she studied the blistery mark. Edith tutted softly.

“I suppose a trip to the hospital wing is in order,” Aesop said, though he made no move to remove his hand from Edith’s.

“No need to bother Nurse Blainey. Come with me.” Edith’s voice was gentle, but her tone brooked no argument.

“It isn’t very serious,” Aesop protested, even as he followed her up the stairs.

“It still needs attention. Or do you plan on brewing one-handed for the rest of the week?”

Aesop was silent.

“I’ve seen burns like this before. This treatment has never failed me.”

Edith opened the door to her chambers and ushered Aesop inside, directing him to sit on a sofa in front of the fireplace. Her living area was tidy, as he expected. A tall bookshelf stood to one wall, filled with various tomes. Scattered about the room were plants of varying sizes in equally varying states of growth. A few had enchanted orbs hovering above them, simulating their needed sunlight, while others were being watered by miniature rain clouds.

He continued to observe her surroundings - the soft colors, muted light, floral patterns - while Edith set the kettle over the fire.

“Did you bring me here for tea?” Aesop asked, his lips curving into a smile.

“No, that’s for me. I’m desperate for a cup.” She grinned, picking up a pair of miniature scissors. “But I need the water for something else as well.”

“Seems I always see you drinking tea,” Aesop mused, watching Edith as she approached one of her plants.

“Well, give me a good cup of tea and I can conquer anything.”

Snip. Snip.

A comfortable silence blanketed the room as Aesop watched her work. He recognized the smell of dittany, which she ground in a mortar. A splash of hot water - she paused to add some to her teapot, of course - a sprinkle of a powder from a vial, and her concoction was complete.

Edith knelt beside the sofa, gesturing for Aesop to give her his hand again, and she gently smeared the poultice onto his palm. She glanced up at his face for signs of discomfort, but he remained stoic.

“How would this differ from the dittany salves in the hospital wing?” Aesop asked. He wasn’t harsh, simply curious.

“Freshly cut leaves increase the efficacy,” Edith said softly. “It won’t keep, like the ones Nurse Blainey has, but it is more potent.”

Her explanation was met with silence. Aesop was too distracted by the warmth of her hand on his. He kept catching whiffs of her perfume - violets?

“Hmm… no bandages. This will suffice.” Edith opened the drawer of her side table and took out a handkerchief. A decorative embroidered edge, and her initials in the corner, were stitched into the white cotton with lavender thread.

His gaze remained on Edith’s deft fingers as she folded it into a suitable strip. She pressed it against the dittany mixture on the burn, tying it off on the side of his hand.

Edith nodded in satisfaction. “That should do it.”

“I shall return this,” Aesop, examining her handiwork.

Edith shrugged, giving an indifferent shake of her head. Her voice grew quiet as her eyes met his. “It’s of little importance. I have others.”

Edith cleared her throat softly and stood, sweeping over to her teapot. “Care for a cup?”

Clearing his throat, Aesop rose from the sofa. “I’m afraid I can’t stay. I’ll need to go back to the classroom, make sure Weasley has left no other mischief behind.”

“Well, be careful with that hand,” she told him, lifting the steaming cup to her lips.

Edith stared at Aesop’s retreating form as he left her quarters. She sat in silence for a moment, listening to the crackling of the fire, wrestling with a question.

Why was she so disappointed that he had not stayed for tea?

—

Aesop sighed as he sat down on his bed. He lay back, grateful for a chance to rest his aching leg. It had been quite a stressful day for a Saturday.

Orange flames blazing in the hearth cast shadows on his palm as he held his hand aloft. The neatness of the folds in the handkerchief, the knot holding it in place neither too tight nor too loose. The way Edith’s fingers had danced over his skin, careful and diligent…

Aesop closed his eyes, laying his bandaged hand against his chest. Violet-scented dreams awaited him.

[foxgirl95]

Back Into the Fray Ch.6: Traversing the Dune Sea

Chapter Description: It’s the return to everyone’s favorite dust ball! Now on course to find this mysterious Mandalorian. Tensions are rising and hearts are racing, at this point the baby is the only one with a clear head on his shoulders.

AO3 Link

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First Chapter

Well, here they were again, right back where it all started. Mando went through the landing process as they came into orbit of Tatooine. “Well this trip might be a bust but Peli will be happy to see us again.” Anai’s voice rang out causing him to sigh heavily “We don’t know if it’s a bust yet.” His helmet looked over his pauldron to her seat as he spoke “Try to be positive.” She was sitting slumped in her chair with her arms crossed and a huffines in her tone “How can I do that when a dead man is sending us on a wild bantha chase? I’ve been coming to this dust ball for years and I’ve never heard of Mos Pelgo.”

“That’s because you’re not a local.” He turned back to the controls flipping switches as they started descending into the sky “From what I can tell you never even left Mos Eisley before so we’re going down to check it out.” Anai sighed behind him in a way that told him he was right. “I’m just saying a waste of a trip and fuel is the last thing we need.”

He sighed again, mumbling under his breath “Your attitude is the last thing I need.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

She didn’t seem to buy that due to the swift kick he felt to the back of his seat. The kid and the droid both laughing at their antics, at least someone was entertained. He didn’t know what had crawled up Anai’s ass today but it was starting to get on his nerves. When they finally landed in hangar 3-5 Mando turned to face her “Before we step off this ship tell me what your problem is.”

“I don’t have a problem.” She scoffed

“Obviously you do, now tell me.”

The mechanic audibly sighed “Look as much as I love Peli, the last few times I’ve been on Tatooine bad things have happened.”

“Like your x-wing being stolen.”

“Yes, and getting jumped by that kid among other things, it’s like this whole planet is out to get me or something.”

“It’s just a rough place, and you’re here with me now.” He leaned in using his most reassuring tone “Nothing bad’s gonna happen while I have a say about it.”

“I hope so.”

He sighed yet again before standing and scooping up his foundling “C’mon Peli’s waiting.”

The group made their way down to the hull, racket being the last as he had to use his rocket boosters to drift him slowing down. Mando grabbed his bag off the wall putting it on his shoulder before gently placing the child inside “What no pram?” Anai asked with a quirked eyebrow, he simply shrugged. "We'll probably end up traveling a lot today, might as well get him used to it.” She nodded thinking about the practicality of it before turning to her own backpack “I’ll meet you out there.” There were no words of acknowledgment before he punched at a panel of controls getting a door to open. “Alright. Hey, hey, hey! Sorry, gang. Come on. You know he doesn’t like droids.” Peli’s voice shrieked just outside the ship as Mando walked out the service door of the Razor Crest down to the hangar floor. “May as well let them have at it.”  He huffed  “The Crest needs a good once-over.” Anai couldn’t help rolling her eyes. ‘Of course, the droids can come on now but he had a problem with me poking around his ship.’

“Oh! So he likes droids now. Well, you heard him. Give it a once-over.” Peli shouted orders as the pit droids started going to work. The younger woman pulled her bag onto her back hearing her old friend cooing over the little one outside. She motioned for Racket to follow her lead as she came to the opening casually leaning against it “Oh wow, didn’t realize we were chopped bantha meat to you now.” A smirk painted her features as the wild-haired woman turned in confusion before her eyes lit up “Well what the hell are you two doing in there?!” Peli shouted in surprise, Racket trilled happily as he made his way down the ramp to drive in happy circles around her. The older woman reached out giving him a hearty pat on the head “Don’t tell me Mando decided to keep you guys too.” Anai shrugged as she came closer “Let’s just say we share a common interest, right Bachsu na?” The pink-haired woman reached a finger out to the little one in Peli’s arms who giggled as he wrapped his clawed hand around it.

“We’re here on business. We need your help.” The Mandalorian gruffly interrupted. “Oh, then, business, you shall have.” Peli scoffed “Care for me to watch this wrinkled critter while the adults seek out adventure?” She turned back to Anai giving her a playful wink which earned a quick but soft jab from her friend whose face lit up red like one of the sun's overhead. The armored man sighed, shaking his head before continuing “I’ve been quested to bring this one back to its kind.” He gestures to the child in her arms as he speaks. “Oh, wow.” The older mechanic chuckled “I can’t help you there. I’ve never seen any like it. And trust me, I’ve seen all shapes and sizes in this town.”

“A Mandalorian Armorer has set me on my path. If we can locate another of my kind, we can chart a path through the network of coverts.”

Peli gave him a sympathetic look “You’ve been the only Mando here for years from what I can tell.”

“Where is Mos Pelgo? I’m told there’s one there.”

“Oh. Boy, I haven’t heard that name in a while.” She put a hand on her free hip as she spoke.

“It’s not on any of the maps.”

“Because it was wiped out by bandits. Once the Empire fell, it was a free-for-all. Anai and I didn’t dare leave the city walls.” The two women shared a look between them “Still don’t.”

“Can you tell us where it used to be?”

“Depends who’s asking. You want to see it?” Peli smirked before loudly calling out into the hangar “R-five! Bring the map of Tatooine.” an astromech against the wall slowly made its way over much to Peli’s irritation. Racket to the chance to leap into action quickly peeling through the sand and ramming right into the older mech forcing the poor thing to be tossed right into the middle of their group “Racket!” Anai warned as said droid tried to beep out an excuse before she cut him off with a look “Be nice.” The child made a low cooing sound seemingly making fun of the droid for getting into trouble. Meanwhile, R-5 completed his task by pulling up a horribly outdated holo map. “Okay.” Peli starts “This is a map of Tatooine before the war.” She moves the map pointing to each region as she mentions them “You got Mos Eisley, Mos Espa, and up around this region, Mos Pelgo.”

There was a pause as both Anai and Mando tilted their heads curiously turning to each other and confirming the same thought before moving their gazes to Peli, Mando spoke the thought “I don’t see anything.”

“Well, it’s there. Or at least, it used to be.” She explained “Not much to speak of, it’s an old mining settlement.” The older mechanics gaze drifted back to the RazorCrest “They’re going to see that big hunk o’ metal long before you land.”

“You still have that speeder bike?” The Mandalorian quickly asked.

Peli nodded “Sure do. It’s a little rusty, but I got it.”

As they were getting ready to leave, Anai and Mando started strapping down their things to the speeder whispering to one another. Racket had the designated job of entertaining the child, he watched them from the sidelines curiously not being able to pick up what they were saying. As lost in thought as a droid could be, Racket let out a surprised yelp when a little green hand waved itself over his optic lens. There was a gleeful giggle from overhead and Racket realized that somehow the little bugger had pulled himself onto the astromech’s head. He knew enough about organics at this point that he had to be careful with the little one’s, they were much more fragile. This one was supposedly strong though and had saved his dear friend, for that he was grateful. He’d even grown to care for him as much, as his programming would allow, the little one’s designated caretaker though… Aside from the night he tried to warn the man of Anai’s violent outburst during nightmares, they hadn’t interacted much. The Mandalorian, even though he claimed to have a better understanding of droids now, always seemed eager to vacate any space they both ended up occupying. Racket wasn’t sure if he particularly liked the man, he for one starred way too much at Anai for the astromech’s liking. He had learned that men like that only wanted unsavory things to do with his friend, another purpose he didn’t truly understand. He watched them closely and when Mando turned to walk back into the ship for a moment Racket rolled himself on over careful not to knock the child from his perch. He trilled loudly once he was next to Anai grabbing her attention. She turned and smiled softly looking down at both of them “Well well well…” She giggled “What do we have here, looks like Racket brought me a little present. Come here you.” The mechanic scooped the child up into the air making him giggle before she brought him down to smother his little green face with kisses. The droid was a little miffed seeing Anai act so giddily in the presence of a child. Jealousy had crept into his circuitry a time or two in the past due to some past relationships but those never lasted too long and that was usually only one other person. Now there were two beings he had to share her affection with and her attention on him was becoming less and less.

The droid interrupted their moment by asking just exactly where he was going strapped onto the speeder with their bags taking up a majority of the cargo space. Anai all of a sudden became nervous as her eyes darted to the side and her lips opened and closed slightly trying to find the words “About that…” She settled the child on her hip before continuing “Mando and I decided that it’s probably best for you to stay here with the ship, y’know just in case.” Racket couldn’t believe it and started angrily prompting her for an explanation “C’mon buddy you know this planet is nothing but a ball of bad luck, I mean you do remember why we were stranded here right? Besides…” She gestured to the speeder as she spoke “This piece of scrap can’t hold all of us. There’s barely enough room for me and Mando.” He beeped up at her as he hopped from each foot before activating his rocket boosters and flying himself over the speeder before cutting them off and dropping right behind the seat. Racket made a quick quip to a shocked Anai feeling like he won before gravity pulled his heavy body to one side making him drop onto the sandy ground below. There was a long silent pause where the astromech internally thanked the maker of droids for not granting the ability to cry of embarrassment. His organic friend sighed as she set the little one down on the seat of the speeder before leaning over him to ask “Are you done?” Racket refused to look at her as she struggled to pull him back up on both legs “Look, I know it doesn’t seem fair but we’re gonna be out in the open with who knows what, and traveling with a Mandalorian already attracts enough attention.” His only response was a series of beeps which saddened Anai “What? No that’s not what’s happen- Racket!” He cut her off by rolling away into a dark corner of the hangar. The woman sighed, running her hand through her mess of curls as she watched her droid go. “What did he say?” The sudden modulated voice from behind nearly made her jump out of her skin “Maker, don’t do that.” She sighed again, catching her breath before turning toward her armored companion. “Don’t worry about it, he's just…throwing a tantrum.” That didn’t seem to convince Mando as he took a step closer “Tell me, maybe I can help.” She eyed him curiously “He said that…” she was a little embarrassed to repeat it “That you’re stealing me away.”

“Oh?” Mando looked away towards where Racket had gone. “I’ll uh…I’ll talk to him.” He turned to walk away as Anai called after him “He won’t wanna listen to anything you have to say.” His mind was already made up though.

He followed the treads of the astromech before coming up on the pitiful thing full on pouting in a corner kicking small metal scraps into the sand “Hey.” Mando called out, catching the droid's attention before it quickly turned away. The man sighed, stepping further in and leaning against some sort of machinery covered by a cloth. “Anai told me what you said, I’m not trying to steal her away.” No response, no movement, he was being ignored “I’ll admit, your presence on my ship is off-putting. Trusting droids of all things is…still new to me.” Still nothing, Mando took a different approach bending his knees to squat down to Racket’s level “You’re not happy being left behind and I understand that, but you also mean a lot to Anai.” The head of the astromech swiveled til the viewfinder landed on the T of his visor, now he was getting through “The dune sea is dangerous if something happened, if you were ripped apart by Jawa’s or stolen by smugglers it would destroy her.” The viewfinder moved to his feet and a sad ‘woo’ was heard “I’m willing to put my apprehension aside to make sure that doesn't happen and I’m trusting you with the safekeeping of the Crest.” He leaned forward catching the viewfinder on his own, making the droid look at him “Would you honor me with the same courtesy of trusting me with your master's safety and wellbeing?” There was another pause as he gave Racket a moment to think before the astromech straightened up and the color of his processor turned green. Mando didn’t know what that meant but he assumed that it wasn’t a no “Alright.” Standing to his full height he made his way back to the speeder where Anai stood to one side watching him intently before her gaze went to Racket who had decided to follow. He didn’t say anything as he flipped open the lid of a bag grabbing the child to slip him inside while Anai walked past him towards her droid “Listen,” She started but was quickly cut off by the rambled beeps of an apology making her raise an eyebrow “Really? So you’re okay now?” He trilled an affirmative “Okay…” The mechanic keeled down into the sand placing a hand on his head “Listen, I’m not gonna keep you in the dark I promise to update you just keep your coms open. Alright?” She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Mando holding her visor out to her “Time to go.” Anai nodded as she stood, slipping it over her eyes and climbing onto the speeder to sit behind Mando. She fumbled with the placement of her hands for a moment before deciding to just hold onto his shoulders “What did you say to him?” She asked, leaning closer to Mando who shook his head “Don't worry about it.” He took off before she could press him for answers.

They drove through the endless desert for hours on end. The only indicator they had even moved at all was the fast passing of different rock formations that protruded from the sand. Anai peeked back now and again at the child to make sure he was still giggling happily as his ears were blown back by the wind, at least someone was enjoying themselves. They stopped for short moments to stretch and take a sip of water from the canteens. Mando was quick to turn away from the group to lift his helmet the slightest to drink before dropping it again. Anai wouldn’t deny that she was curious to know what he looked like but at the same time, it didn’t matter. Knowing what he looked like wasn’t going to change who he was, he’d still be the same stoic Mandalorian so she rationalized early on that all she needed to see was what he had provided. The last time they stopped for the day as the sun’s set she stood a few paces from Mando drenching her dry throat with the swirl of lukewarm water. Mando leaned against the speeder keeping his eyes on the horizon behind her, “We’ll probably have to make camp right? The temperature drops dramatically after dark.” She looked around taking in their surroundings “I don’t see any good shelter out here, no telling what might come creeping up on us in the night.” Mando turned his attention back to her “Not much to be worried about.” She smirked back at him “Why cause you’re a big bad Mandalorian.”

“Something like that .” He shrugged “You’re not worried about Tuskens, are you?”

“I mean shouldn’t we be?”

“What do you know about their people?”

She shrugged this time “Not much, just what I hear from locals. I know it’s hard to live out here and hey you gotta be a little rough to surv-“ She stopped abruptly noticing the reflection of movement in Mando’s shiny armor and becoming noticeably rigid she asked “They’re behind me aren’t they?”

“Mhmm.”

“Ah…” Slowly she turned to look over her shoulder where a small group of sand people gathered behind her. Anai smiled at them nervously raising her hand in a small wave “Heh…Hello.” The leader lifted his weapon roaring in the mechanic's face causing her to quickly shuffle herself behind Mando who now stood holding his hands up to calm the situation. Anai turned back, watching curiously as Mando made several hand gestures and copied their throat sounds. *He's communicating with them…?* In the middle of the conversation the leader raised his hand pointing to her, she might not speak their language but she knew they were not happy she was there.

After a few more signs in discussion, their group started up one of the dunes and Mando finally walked back to the speeder pulling the kid from his bag and letting him stand in the sand. Anai came to his side feeling as though sticking as close to him was her best option right now “What’d they say?” She asked as he grabbed the handlebars of the speeder and followed up the dune “They invited us to camp with them for the night.” She raised an eyebrow at that “Wait really? Why?” He stopped and turned back to her “Their people trade goods and services for passage on their lands, I told them you’re a good storyteller.” Anai stared at him astonished. “Wait, why me?” He shrugged before walking again, the little one tottering after him “It was that or hand over your visor.” She threw her head back and groaned as she followed them. Once over the dune, they came down to the camp where the Tuskens had already made themselves comfortable around a fire. Mando and Anai settled themselves among them and the child climbed into Anai’s lap staring at their hosts “What kind of story should I tell them?” She asked timidly turning to Mando, the last thing she wanted was to start a brawl “Why don’t you start there?” He pointed to the metal pendant around her neck “Tell them about the rebellion.” Mando couldn’t see her eyes through the visor but from the way her hand came up to wrap around the dog tag he could tell the spark had been lit “Okay.”

Anai once again told her stories of victory in the rebellion as the Mandalorian translated to the best of his abilities. The wrapped-up beings in front of them ‘oohed’ and ‘awed’ completely enamored by her embellishments and ferocity in her storytelling. Of course, these were all things Mando had heard before so it had less of an effect on him though it was still interesting to hear. Even the kid was enjoying the moment as his big dark eyes sparkled in the firelight. It was hours later when she finally finished the tale behind the destruction of the second Death Star and the “banger of a party” on Endor. Though she did add a bit this time about a pair of Ewoks who tried to put a stormtrooper on a spit-roast over a roaring fire, they seemed to enjoy that. “Whew.” She had herself propped up on her hands looking exhausted “That’s it I’m all tapped out.” Mando dropped his hands indicating the end of the story “You did well, you should rest.” She smiled sleepily “Y’know I’d usually fight you on that but I’m inclined to agree.” Her eyes traveled down to her lap where the child let out a big yawn rubbing his eyes “C’mere Bachsu na, you can snuggle up with me.” She placed him into the crook of her arm before laying back on the sand wiggling a bit to make herself comfortable before stilling into sleep. Mando looked around the group, seeing the others settling down as well, he’d stand watch tonight, he had more than enough to think about keeping him awake anyways. He sat in vigil keeping the fire going until a noticeable golden hue began to color the horizon, lighting up the sky and hiding away the stars until the next night. The group was beginning to rouse as mumbled groans signaled their movement as they pulled themselves up from the sand. There was a jumble of gurgles and movement next to him and he turned to see Anai sit up stretching her arms as her joints popped and cracked. Lifting her visor onto her head she looked up at Mando and smiled “Good Morning Merichetara.” Maker… He thought feeling like his heart and stomach were competing for how many flips they could do. The way the morning sunlight fell upon her currently messy frame and the dewy look of her bright green pupils could make a flower hang its head in shame, she was beautiful, just utterly gorgeous. She sniffled running a hand through her messy mop of pink waves, eyes still opening and closing in their battle to wake fully. “G-Good morning.” He finally choked out when his son popped up from his spot rubbing sleep from his eyes. Anai pulled herself up to stand brushing sand from her sides. “We should get a move on soon.” She said, putting her hands on her hips, “I’ll drive today.” Mando shook his head from his seated position “You don’t have to do that.” She gave him a look before bending down to his level “You’ve been up all night, you’re not a droid you need rest. I’m driving today.” She used the same tone as when she had insisted on fixing the ship, she wasn’t gonna budge on this either. “Fine.” He relented before standing, making her take a few steps back. The sand people now all stood opposite them ready to leave as well as they signed a goodbye before quickly disappearing into the dunes. Anai smiled as she watched them leave as she patted Mando on the arm “C’mon, let’s get out of here.” She pulled her visor down once more turning to the speeder and throwing a leg over it before making herself comfortable on the front of the seat. The Mandalorian sighed, bending down to grab the little one to secure him in his pack then settling on the back of the seat. Like his companion had before he couldn’t decide where to put his hands. He took so long that Anai got tired of waiting, grabbing his wrists she pulled his arms around her. The armored man sat there in shock “What about your rule?” He asked, “I think I can make an exception for this.” The mechanic scoffed as if it was obvious “If I waited for you to decide we’d be here all day.” She revved up the bike speeding off forcing him to wrap his other arm around her as well to steady himself.

By midday, the silhouette of a small collection of buildings could be seen in the distance. It was a real blink and you’ll miss it little town nestled in between the dunes. Anai brought the bike to a stop as they approached the edge of the street. If it wasn’t for the one or two people standing out on the raised wooden porches and a bantha tied up at the other end of the street she would’ve thought this place was a ghost town. Mando pulled himself from the speeder making Anai shiver when his arms freed themselves from her. The whole ride he had rested against her back and while it had been heavy it was a comforting weight that kept her calm despite the blush she had felt creep up her face. She stood from the bike as well feeling the stiffness in her knees from their prolonged sitting position. As Mando stepped towards a small set of stairs Anai scooped up the little one holding him close to her chest as she followed after his Dad. The only open building in the whole settlement was a bar tucked between what was assumed to be homes. As they walked in the barkeep, a Weequay male, stopped what he had been working on and approached the bar as Mando came to stand across from him. “Can I help you?” The barkeep asked in a gruff accented voice. Anai stood by the door taking a page out of her companion's book to stand there quiet and menacing. Well as menacing as you can be holding a cute little green baby in front of you. “I’m looking for a Mandalorian.” The armored man disclosed.

“Well, we don’t get many visitors in these parts. Can you describe him?” Anai and Mando’s gazes both snapped to the man, either this guy really was suffering from the town's isolation or just playing dumb. “Someone who looks like me.”

“Mmm… You mean the Marshal?”

“Your Marshal wears Mandalorian armor?”

Anai heard the clink of spurs on wood approaching and turned just in time to see a figure stand in the doorway the barkeep turned to the door as well “See for yourself.” The woman finally found her voice as she called to her companion “Merichetara.” Mando quickly turned and standing right there in the sunslight was who he had come searching for. A Mandalorian decked out in scuffed green-painted armor. It made him look rough, like a man who had been to hell and back. Anai felt like something was off about this man though, the armor didn’t fit just right. Like it wasn’t made for him, wrong, a loth wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The pretender Mandalorian sauntered his way into the bar, his back now to Anai and the child as he stood in front of Mando “What brings you here, stranger?” Even his voice through the modulator sounded wrong. The mechanic’s eyes kept looking between the two men waiting to see what would happen. “I’ve been searching for you for many parsecs.” Mando sounded reserved but relieved as he spoke, now he could truly begin his quest, he could reunite his child with the Jedi.

“Well, now, you found me. Weequay, three snorts of spotchka.” The pretender ordered to which the barkeep quickly produced a bottle of blue liquid and three glasses which the one in green armor snatched up walking towards a table “Why don’t y’all join me for a drink?” Anai watched as Mando stiffly turned to watch the man; he moved to follow but stopped short when the pretender removed his helmet. The air turned thick with a red-hot rage and the true Mandalorian visibly stiffened. Anai didn’t move, not a single step watching as Mando’s hands tightened into fists. “I’ve never met a real Mandalorian.” The grey haired mustachioed marshal chuckled, but Anai could hear the nervousness behind it “Heard stories. I know you’re good at killing.” He knew he was a dead man, even as he filled the shot glasses. “And probably none too happy to see me wearing this hardware.” Most definitely not “So… I figure only one of us is walking out of here. But then I see the little guy” The child cooed in Anai’s arms “And your lady friend there.” That earned him a scowl from her “And I think, maybe I pegged you wrong.” He finished his speech setting one of the drinks across the table as a peace offering. “Who are you?” Mando was angry and he wasn’t in the mood to play around with this pretender. “I’m Cobb Vanth, Marshal of Mos Pelgo.” He brought the glass to his lips but was interrupted before he could drink. “Where did you get the armor?”

“Bought it off some Jawas.” He finally drank his spotchka sigh with satisfaction. “Hand it over.” The real Mandalorian coldly demanded and the other man smirked “Look, pal, I’m sure you call the shots where you come from, but around here, I’m the one who tells folks what to do.”

“Take it off. Or I will.” If this was a different situation Anai might’ve blushed, she didn’t know he could talk like that. Now was not the time though as Mando seemed to be itching to start this firefight. “We gonna do this in front of the kid?” He gestured towards the two behind Mando and the little one cooed nervously “He’s seen worse.”

“Right here, then?”

“Right here.”

Cobb sighed as he stood kicking his chair back behind him. The two men stared each other down, both urging the other to dare reach for their blaster. Give them a reason to shoot. The weequey behind the bar and Anai shared a look as both began to back away to the nearest exit.

This was between them and Anai’s priority was to keep the child safe. Just as her heel touched the doorway though there was a massive rumbling and the whole place shook violently. The child in her arms let out a scared shriek and turned to bury his face in her chest. She patted his back trying to hush the little one’s cries and stay on her feet. Mando seemed just as perplexed as they were but Cobb merely lifted a finger putting a pin in their fight as he made a b-line to the wooden porch outside and his barkeep friend ran out the back. Mando and Anai looked at each other before quickly joining Cobb outside. The tremors suddenly brought the sleepy little town to life, alarms were blaring, mothers ushered their children inside, and everyone made a run for higher ground. Even the little critters that poked around the sand were quick to run for cover. Something was coming, they could see it in the distance as sand clouds billowed up from the ground. They watched as it traveled up the road and passed them letting out a cry of warning to all who dared step in its path, then for a moment, it stopped just long enough for you to think it was over. Then suddenly there was a crack in the ground and an unsuspecting bantha was devoured whole by a gigantic creature. Anai let out a gasp, stepping back into Mando who quickly raised his hand to the small of her back, keeping her steady. The creature must have burrowed down further after his meal because the rumbling finally stopped. Anai and Mando stood there stunned in silence when Cobb finally spoke up “Maybe we can work something out.”

Author's Note: We're slowly catching up with where I left off on AO3 hopefully this helps drive me to work on chapter 10 a little faster.

[hnnyoongs]

Kudo Yukiko Headcanons

the first few headcanons are from my post on my incorrect dcmk quotes twitter account so check that out if you want

She's half japanese and half white.

Her hair is all natural, since her eyebrows are also the same color as her hair, even in the flashback from high school so unless she's been dying her eyebrows for 20 or so years...yeah she's got natural reddish-brown hair.

It's not like she was adopted or moved to Japan because her birth name, Fujimine Yukiko, is still completely in Japanese. There are two different reasons for way he name cold be this way. Either she's a bastard/unwanted child of a white man so she adopts her mother's last name or she's got a japanese father and a white mother and she just uses her father's last name like most people.

Yukiko being half white with what seems to be canonically some euro-centric features would have helped her career boost a bunch on the international level. It's fucked up but people of color, especially asians, have a very hard time entering the international acting scene. Detective Conan tells us she's picked up awards from all around the globe and she's got connections throughout Hollywood and Broadway.

Her success in the United States would be easier for the western media to stomach if she had a white parent and could speak English. Unless Detective Conan suddenly doesn't have xenophobia and racism, she would have faced hurdles.

She bonds with Ai about the discrimination they face because of how they look both in Japan and in the US.

Shinichi used to demand Yukiko to read him the original Sherlock Holmes books written by Arthur Conan Doyle in English as bedtime stories, which she did

Yukiko was a child actor.

Now I know canon says that she debuted at 18 but that really does not make any sense what so ever for her to get like every single godamn award at that age. I think that she started out as a small time child actor in Japan but then her talent catapulted her into national fame by the time she started junior high.

The movies she was in Japan became hits internationally once she became a teenager, kind of like how Parasite blew up despite the language barrier. Some of the shows she starred in were dubbed into English because they became so popular but fans outside of Japan wanted her to star in something bigger.

Once she got into high school she began her international career, starring in Hollywood blockbuster after Hollywood blockbuster. She guest starred in some American TV shows and was so popular her characters became recurring characters. Yukiko even took part in a Broadway musical for the funsies, she was on American talk shows and the general population of the USA loved her.

Yukiko built herself up from the ground, from as young as the age of four she was handling her paperwork when it came to acting. This may seem unrealistic but at least in the real life American acting industry, child actors are instructed to take care of everything themselves. Producers don't want your parents on set, they expect 6 year olds to be able to have everything in order.

Yukiko had to travel a lot for her job and in doing so she started thinking that Japan was too small for her, that she wanted to see the world, all the interesting things outside of her boring neighborhood where the same things happen day in and day out. It didn't help that her parents would travel with the money Yukiko had made, so when she had her own son she began to do what her parents did and also what she had wanted to do since a young child. Little did she realize that her son was not her, that her travels would hurt him in a different way than it hurt her.

Teitan was a really accommodating school and took her absences in stride. Yukiko was on good terms with everyone there and was pretty good friends with Kogoro and therefore friends with Eri by extension since wherever one of those two went the other would follow behind trying start up some shit. This is why Teitan is so okay with Shinichi missing school for months, because his mother was similar. This is also why the school is so good at hiding info about Shinichi coming and going, since they had to hide stuff about Yukiko from the media back in the day.

Yukiko can hold a tune but she's not phenomenal at singing either.

She's not as bad as her son, she a little above average to be honest but her acting skills made up for her pretty normal singing when she starred in a Broadway musical. The only reason the musical did so well was because of her popularity.

She helped a lot of other people in broadway with their acting skills which is why even though she's nothing remarkable when it comes to her voice, she's still well loved by the industry.

Yukiko is bisexual.

Her first love was Yusaku and she never had a crush before him. all she really cared about was her career but she loved Yusaku so much she quit. Sometimes she regrets quitting because she misses being on the stage or the big screen or even the small screen but she never lets her husband or son know about these doubts because she's terrified of what their reactions would be.

Shinichi was not planned and Yukiko knew that if she were to raise him that would mean leaving her job at the height of her career but Yukiko felt like the baby inside of her was the light of her life and for him she would destroy the world, yusaku and herself if her child desired such a thing.

Yukiko knew Sharon (who we know as Vermouth) since Yukiko started to trickle into Hollywood but she only started to feel attracted to the woman long after she'd gotten married and had Shinichi. She never voiced her feelings but Yusaku found out anyway and they talked about it. They decided that the healthiest option was for Yukiko to tell Sharon about it in order to get it off her chest when they got the news that the actress had died. When Yukiko found out that Sharon was actually Vermouth it took a real toll on her mental health, not that anyone except Yusaku knew about how hard she took it.

Yukiko and Yusaku both partook in polyamory in the very early stages of their relationship though once they had Shinichi they stopped until they decided Shinichi would be able to chose because they valued his opinion and if their son wasn't okay with the idea that one day the media might unveil that the kudo couple were part of the Hollywood sex scene then they'd decide not to go back into the whole mess. At age 14 Shinichi told them they could do whatever as long as he didn't have to hear the details.

Yukiko wanted to pull Shuichi into a relationship with her and Yusaku, citing that the couple and the FBI agent only had a 5 year age gap Shuichi said he wasn't interested in anything romantic or sexual after Akemi died so the Kudo couple respected his wishes

Yukiko would spend time asking Shuichi questions about the FBI and about himself and observing the man in general whenever she came to check up on his disguise and once she got back to the US she would give Yusaku her notes who in turn wrote the screenplay for "The Scarlet Investigator". Yukiko suggested adding a side couple that owns the house that the main character rents, based off of Yusaku and Yukiko, which Yusaku does by inverting their genders and changing their nationalities to suit a western audience.

Yukiko breaks several laws to make sure that Conan's identity is not outed.

She has Jii and Kaito to mess with security footage, she pays off witness who see him and makes them sign NDAs, and Yusaku does this as well though he does it to a much lesser extent because Shinichi's more likely to get angry at Yusaku for sticking his nose into Shinichi's case than Shinichi would be angry at Yukiko

If Ai ever needs some banned substances that Agasa can't get in order to create the antidote, Yukiko sends her what she needs in bulk

Yukiko will forever hate herself for not realizing Shinichi had gone missing for 2 weeks. If apotoxin worked properly Shinichi would have died and Yukiko wouldn't know because her and Yusaku had turned their phones off for a month straight and only came back to Japan when they turned their phones on again to see that Agasa had left them a message about Shinichi turning into Conan, Ran had texted them asking if they knew where Shinichi was and the school wanted to know why Shinichi was absent

Yukiko continues to bribe Kogoro throughout Conan's stay at the Mouri Detective Agency but it comes to her surprise that Kogoro had saved almost all of it into a college fund for Conan, implying that Kogoro does not plan to give Conan back to his original parents if they ever decide to show up again.

sorry for this word vomit lol

[numbugwritingblog]

The Miracle Mind of Serene: the Tale of a Girl and a Ghost (Chapter 2)

Previous Chapter

Index

---

18/01/2018

Serene swung back in her chair as she turned to face her phone, her telekinesis typing away at the computer without her even looking. “So! First of all, Mortis, I’m going to need you to gather up all of the information you can think of about Richard.”

“Well,” the phone blared out in that deep, distorted voice that it had whenever Mortis was talking through it. “He’s a bitch.”

Serene shook her head. “No, no, I mean anything that can help identify him. Stuff like surname, species, address, age at the time you, er… died.”

“Well…” Mortis paused for a moment, the only sound being that of Serene’s keyboard going clickety clackety on its own. “He was around 20, 30 years old, and… well I don’t know what his address was, but the people he brought into the United Federation arrived by boat on the South-East coast, and he’s a rat - that’s both literal and an insult.”

“Mortis, you can’t just call someone a rat like that.”

“... He’s a bitch. Is that there.”

“That’s… I suppose…” Serene turned back to the screen as the keyboard finished typing, her initial search starting. “Say, when did you die again?”

“1967.”

Serene stopped entirely, slowly turning in her seat to look at the phone. “... The 60s? Do-... Do you know how old he’d be then?”

“Yeah, yeah, he’d be like 50 or something.”

“No, he’s going to be 70 at the very least, maybe even 80.”

“... Fuck me.”

“He’ll be an old man who’s lived through most of his life by now,” Serene explained. “You sure you still want to find him? And not, I don’t know, find something else to do?”

“No. Finding him and drinking milk are the only two things I want now.”

“But-” Serene blinked in surprise at that last statement. “Wait, milk? I-”

“Milk is fucking delicious.”

She shrugged. “Alright, fair enough… But, well, what are you really going to do once you’ve found him and you’ve given him a piece of your mind?”

Mortis was quiet for a moment, before speaking up. “I assume I’d just fade away on the spot, like this is that unfinished business kind of deal.”

“You assume?” Serene asked aloud, staring at Mortis for longer. “Don’t you know what being a ghost even means? Maybe from other ghosts or-”

“Nah,” Mortis interrupted her outright. “I’m the only one I’ve ever known of, so I have to guess at what’s going on.’

That was when the doorbell suddenly rang, Serene flicking her head over to the approximate entrance.

“Eugh,” Serene grunted out as she rolled her eyes. “Just a moment, Mortis.”

“Why? What is it?”

“Oh, probably just a fan wanting to meet me,” she explained. “I always get some from time to time. Hard not to be famous when you’re the only psychic in the world.”

Mortis let out a huff, dropping out of the phone and following along behind Serene.

Serene immediately put on a smile moments before opening up the front door.

What she wasn’t expecting to see was a male buffalo in a suit, his I.D. labelling him as a government agent. “Serene Cirillo, you’re under arrest.”

Serene paused, her eyes slowly going wide as her smile faded very quickly. “Wh… Under what charges?” she mumbled out. Already her body was getting tense, hand clenching the door handle tightly.

“You violated your official agreement and went off surveillance”. The officer moved aside to escort Serene out.

Serene cleared her throat, holding out her hand. “Let me get my lawyer, because there’s clearly been a mistake-”

“At 9:01 PM last night you went off surveillance without approval.”

Serene glared at him, her eyes starting to have a faint white glow. “... I got approval. You can check the voice logs at 6:13 PM yesterday, the 17th.” She didn’t question how she knew the exact time down to the minute, right at this moment she knew something was wrong. Afterall, how could they forget? They never forgot.

The officer didn’t react beyond speaking further. “It likely is a misunderstanding, then, but until it’s cleared up you’re coming with us.” He then moved aside to give Serene the chance to walk out peacefully.

Serene hesitated, before seeing Mortis pass by and possess the agent right in front of her. “Mortis, no!” She held him in place, Mortis unable to even check the agent for any weapons. “Get out of him, now!”

“You know it’s bullshit,” Mortis hissed out in the officer’s voice. “There’s no way that they just-”

“Just stop,” Serene cut him off without pausing. “This is just going to make things worse. I’ll just get this misunderstanding sorted out, it won’t be long at all. Please.”

There was a long pause. Before finally Serene could see Mortis leave.

Serene then let the agent go, watching him drop to his knees as he hacked and coughed.

“I am following you now,” she explained immediately. “I am exercising my right to remain silent.”

The officer glared at her, but said nothing else as he let her lock the front door before cuffing her and bringing her along.

---

“Name?”

“Serene Cirillo.” God, even in interrogations Serene was still being asked the same routine.

“Age?”

“21.” Not a single thing had changed, despite the fact that it was a police officer instead of a neuroscientist.

“Occupation?”

“Can we just skip to the actual interrogations please?” Serene complained, getting to her feet. “It’s me, the psychic girl, and I can prove I’m the psychic girl real quick by using my psychic powers.”

With that she lifted herself off the ground, hovering for a few seconds before she landed back down. “Is that good? Do you believe that I’m the psychic girl now?”

The officer looked to Serene with a raised brow, but sat down in his chair all the same. “My apologies, miss Cirillo, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Serene dropped back down onto the chair, putting her hand on her forehead. “Thank you, it’s just… It’s been stressful. Today and yesterday.”

The officer nodded. “I understand why it’s so stressful, but hopefully we can resolve this swiftly. It says here that you’re under supervision due to your unique psychic powers.”

Serene didn’t say a word, instead nodding.

“And it says here you’re under arrest for endangering others via illegally interrupting that supervision-”

“6:03 PM yesterday, I rang up to organise my given week of no surveillance,” Serene repeated. “It’s in the logs.”

“I’m sorry, miss Cirillo,” the officer said with what seemed to be a genuine look of disappointment. “But the logs have already been provided, and there was no call from you yesterday.”

Serene’s eyes began glowing white again, silent as she processed this information. “... It must have been tampered with, then. I can provide evidence, too.”

The officer raised his brow again, looking back to Serene. “And what evidence is that?”

“Oh, it’s-” she paused, cogs turning in her head. They couldn’t have forgotten. And… And Mortis had to turn the surveillance off on her end… Why is she only realising now? They’re doing this on purpose. “... Actually, can I speak with Mortis first, please? He’s the ghost that’s been following around.”

The officer was very clearly trying to hold back a laugh, every fibre in his being telling him that laughter was a very poor action to take. Despite all of that, he still failed, a quick chuckle escaping his lips. “R-right,” he said, trying to regain composure - but it was already too late.

Serene blinked, looking over to the ball of fire that only she could see. “Mortis, can you hear me?”

Mortis obliged and flew into the officer, his posture abruptly changing. “Yeah, yeah, the sooner you’re done with this the sooner we can get back to business.”

Serene gave a nod. “Right. Before you even answer me, just ASAP, can you fly back home and into my phone, please? Guard it, just in case-”

She saw Mortis leave the officer’s body as he flew directly up.

At that same moment, the officer was hacking and coughing intensely, almost falling off of his seat. He slowly sat back up, eyes wide in realisation that he was just possessed for nothing more than a brief conversation. “You- the ghost- I-”

Serene nodded. “I haven’t been lying at any point in this interrogation, I promise.”

The officer let out a heavy sigh, getting to his feet. “Well for your sake, I hope you’re right. Don’t worry about Mortis, we’ll make sure the phone stays locked up in evidence until it’s time for the court case.”

With that, the officer turned and left the interrogation room, leaving Serene sitting there alone.

He turned to an officer that was waiting just outside, whispering into his ear. “There’s evidence in her phone, wipe it immediately. Don’t bring any weapons, and stick to a group of three or larger at all times. We don’t know what this ghost is willing to do, but he is real.”

---

Mortis had made his way back to Serene’s home (knowing full well in the back of his head that Serene’s bleeding heart was going to make him make it up for the unfortunate driver he used to get here).

The door was still locked, but that was no trouble, as he just phased through the door to get to the other side.

Guarding the phone… was going to be boring. As Mortis prepared himself for the dull task, he noticed something.

Serene’s computer was still on. And it was on a webpage. He slowly moved into the computer monitor right away, looking to see what he could.

…

He couldn’t scroll.

After a few awkward moments of moving between the monitor and the mouse, he managed to see what was on this webpage. Information on Richard. It looked like he founded a restaurant called the Delicious Den.

He could just go there, and linger until he found the little rat and-

Oh, he loved it so much.

… But they knew he’d be searching for Richard now, surely. Now it’s only a matter of Richard changing restaurants and he’d be back at square one. He couldn’t have that.

At least now he was getting help from that naive little girl, at least now he had a back-up if things went back to square one. So when he left the monitor, he made his way into the phone. He then lifted the phone up all the way to the roof. Might as well make it impossible to spot while he waited.

…

He might be able to make the machine do whatever he wanted, but that didn’t mean he knew how to navigate the web. Maybe now was the time to practice, while he’s stuck inside.

He tried to use this fancy schmancy search bar to find something to watch.

a… c… t… i… o… n… space… m… o… v… i… e… s…

…

Enter?

Ahah, that worked!

… What is all of this rubbish? Why does it look so fake? And why’s this one called volume 2? Guess they just can’t make movies anymore…

---

25/01/2018

Serene was confident that she’d come out of this court case with a success. Her lawyer was unusually incompetent, and the prosecutor was a clear expert, expertly weaving his words into compelling nothings. By all accounts, anyone would think this was a complete disaster.

But thanks to Mortis, she knew that her phone was safe.

And right she was, as when it came time to present that phone to court, the evidence that she had made the call was right in there, time and everything. Even despite the prosecutor trying to argue that the audio was faked, there was nothing he could say to throw it away as evidence.

So she was rather pleased with herself as she walked out of court as they pronounced her innocent, even managing to successfully argue for a full month of no surveillance. It was while she was walking out that a grizzly bear stepped out, wearing a government suit. It was the person in charge of her experimentation, General Thomas.

“Congratulations on the court case,” he spoke warmly, extending a hand. “I hope there’s no hard feelings, miss Cirillo.”

Oh, there were plenty of hard feelings. But Serene didn’t share any of them as she shook his hand. His grip was unusually fierce, her hand even hurting a little from it. “It’s okay, General. But I will be making sure the surveillance is actually off from now on. Hope you understand.”

He looked her right in the eyes with his good eye as he ended the handshake. Behind the smile Serene could see something focused, calculating.

“Of course, you can never be too careful. I’ll likewise be making sure that this embarrassment doesn’t happen again.”

Serene nodded, stepping to the side. “Well then, I’ll be seeing you for your next scheduled experiment in a month. Might even ask for two hours in exchange. Bye bye~” As she continued walking, she briefly twirled around in order to wave at him, smiling wide. Now it was a simple case of making her way to the bus stop.

An ear piercing, high pitched screech rang out from her phone, immediately followed by an annoyed huff from Mortis’s hellish voice.

“Wait for me, why don’t you?”

Serene let out a small giggle, turning the voice speaker off before putting the phone to her ear, as if she was making a phone call rather than talking with her ghost friend. “I did, I was talking with the man who was probably behind all of that. The big grizzly bear.”

“Oh him? He was angry as fuck, definitely trying not to swear in public.”

Serene let out a sigh, slowly shaking his head. “I really can’t believe they’d do this. I spent my whole life trusting them, and… eugh. I’m so glad I can trust you to help me out when I need it, I don’t know what I would’ve done with somebody.”

There was a small silence before Mortis answered. “Of course you can trust me.”

Serene smiled wide. She knew she could trust him, she had made the right call. It was then that the bus arrived. “Just a sec,” she said before lowering the phone.

Once she was on and seated, she brought the phone back to her ear. “And back.”

“Thank god, I was dying of boredom.”

Serene rolled her eyes. “Now that that’s dealt with, we’re going to continue looking into your reunion, aren’t we?”

“Sure am, while nobody was at your house I quickly checked what you left open on your computer. Richard was apparently the founder of some Delicious Den place.”

“Right, but…” Serene briefly pauses to look around, noting that around half of the bus has noticed her, some giving occasional looks, some trying to avoid eye contact entirely, and the few kids that are on the bus staring at her in awe. “... I can’t go as Serene. And besides, I’ve just gotten a big success, I really want to spend the night celebrating.”

She heard the long, drawn out groan from Mortis. “Fine, fine. But we’re going there tomorrow, no matter what.”

---

General Thomas was slumped in his office chair, his grip on his mug unusually tight. He was glaring at the files, just knowing what the week’s papers were going to say.

Psychic Girl Found Innocent Thanks to Supernatural Intervention!

All of his plans with experimentation on this psychic girl, ruined because of this stupid little ghost! This was going to set him back years if he can’t find a way to control the situation! Where did he even come from?!

No, no, he couldn’t let failure distract him, no matter how much it humiliated him. He had to figure out why Serene had searched up information about this ‘Richard’ individual, and why this ghost is helping her. Hopefully his employees have already-

“Sir.” He didn’t move, but his eyes glancing up to the agent that entered his office told that he was paying attention. “We’re in touch with Mr. Richard, and he’s asking for our protection in exchange for his information.”

At this, Thomas looked up to the agent, a brow raising. “Protection? From what?”

“From Mortis, sir. Claims that they knew each other.”

General Thomas paused, his frown slowly fading away. This could be the key to solving this little setback. “Very well. Let’s hear him out.”

---

Next Chapter

[calyxaomphalos]

The Ghosts of Windy Ridge

Turn #51, four components

location #4 - Great Hall - 5 neighbor #5 - Hank - 5 item #20 - player's choice event #6 - find an item!!! #10 - item that someone else needs

Turn #52 is here as well. It's a short summary of the previous three turns.

13 April 2022, Wednesday Evening

So I had a total brain fart and thought it was Thursday already. I didn't figure it out until I got to the Great Hall and didn't see anyone else around except for Hank, who was puttering around doing this and that getting ready for the gathering. At least now I knew what tomorrow night's thing is going to be about. The town is honoring Memaw Parker with an awards ceremony.

"Everyone calls her 'Memaw'," Hank explained. "She's almost 100 years old and still sharp as a tack. Ol' Memaw can take one look at ya and will then give you a special brew of tea which suddenly clears up the fog in your mind, or eases the ache of that one painful knee, or all manner of cures."

The name 'Parker' stuck out in my mind. One of the men killed in the mine accident was a Parker, born in the late 1950s. He was likely Memaw's son.

"I found Mo's headstone out at the Red Pine Cemetery," I began gently. "Poured out a little rum for him. Had a nice walk around. Didn't get rattled by any strangers with shotguns this time."

Hank looked up from what he was doing and asked, "Shotguns?"

I confessed to Hank about my first visit to the cemetery, late Sunday night.

"Yeah, that'd be Stan McCallen. He's a straight shooter in more ways than one. Don't never ask him anything if you don't want to hear the straight up truth about it," Hank explained.

"Good to know, and I'm glad I trusted my instinct and told him exactly who I am and why I'm here. The name Maurice Forrester didn't seem to mean anything to him, though."

"Hey, can you help me find the hall decorations? I'm supposed to be tacking up some ribbon or something for tomorrow night, along with general tidying up," Hank asked.

"Sure thing. I can even stay and help a while," I agreed. "Where haven't you looked yet, and what exactly am I looking for?"

"There's a couple different storage areas on either side of the kitchen. I've already been through the linen closets and crafting supplies. We're looking for a translucent plastic bin, the colored streamers should be pretty obvious through the sides of the bin."

"Rock on," I said and bustled off to the back and through the kitchen. Hank was right behind me.

"You take the left side, I'll take the right," Hank said.

"Sure thing."

Through a door was a small hallway like space with two sets of double accordion doors. It's like you can't put anything in the space, because you need the room to open these doors. "Silly design," I thought. My experience with these kinds of doors hasn't been very positive, so I was pleasantly surprised when I pulled the handle on the right-hand pair and they smoothly slid out and together, the upper rail gliding easily and holding the doors in the correct relative positions.

Hank said it'd be easy to spot, and he wasn't kidding. The riotous colors were apparent even through the milky white plastic. "GOT IT!" I called out, hefting the bin down from its shelf. We spent the next half hour hanging up a few ribbons, not talking about much.

13 April 2022, Wednesday Night

Back at the cabin, I took a few minutes to note what I've done today. I had an awesome breakfast with Tina at Timmy's Diner and learned a lot about the Academy. Then I went out to Red Pine Cemetery and eventually found Mo's headstone. I found the headstones of Hank's brother who died in the mine tragedy, and of Memaw's son, also taken by that event. I learned who Memaw Parker is, and that she'll be honored with an award ceremony tomorrow evening for the community's weekly gathering. And Hank was able to tell me about the guy with the shotgun from Sunday night at the cemetery, Stan McCallen. I helped Hank decorate for tomorrow.

[cartoonygothopossum]

Lightyear

Like most Pixar movies, I was interested in seeing this movie after seeing a trailer for it. I admit, though, that I forgot about it over the months, until I saw that there were some YouTubers who reviewed the movie. I found out that it got released in theaters in June of this year. As much as I would like to go to movie theaters again, I don't know when I will get that opportunity anymore, since I now live in the countryside and am completely dependent on family for transportation. I also found out that the movie wouldn't be available on Disney+ until August, so I gladly waited.

Well, now that I finally got the chance to see the movie, I can definitely say I enjoyed it. I admit that I never had much interest in the Buzz Lightyear cartoon that aired in the early 2000s, but when it comes to actual Disney movies, I tend to give them at least one watch. I liked that when Buzz was first describing the hostile planet, he stated the exact phrases that the toy from Toy Story stated. I don't know about anyone else, but at times, I swore Buzz's voice sounded like Woody from Toy Story, even though he was voiced by the actor who is famous for playing Captain America. He was a classic example of the protagonist who insists he knows what he's doing and on working alone. For most of the movie, I did want Buzz to eventually figure out how to get everyone off of that planet, even after human civilization was established on it. The montage with Alisha Hawthorne and her family kinda reminded me of the montage from Up that showed Carl and his wife Ellie, seeing the family age as the years passed. It was sad that Alisha died before she got to be a space ranger again. Sox was a cute kitty; he was, like, the cat version of Baymax from Big Hero 6. Sure, Alisha's granddaughter Izzy; Darby, the old lady who was on parole; and Mo, the nervous guy, weren't the most experienced crew members for Buzz's mission. Izzy was clearly feeling pressured to be just like her late grandmother. It was sweet, though, that Buzz warmed up to them and eventually accepted them as his crew. I initially believed that Commander Burnside would be the antagonist of the movie, since he opposed Buzz's mission to get everyone off the planet. I expected that the person operating Zurg would be Buzz's dad, but no, it turned out to be... an older Buzz. That moment where the older Buzz mentioned wanting to go back in time felt relatable. There are still moments where I wish I could go back in time and prevent certain things from happening in my life, though there would be some degree of risk and sacrifice. I know that if I didn't attend the Art Institute, I probably wouldn't have met my friend Justin. I didn't quite understand how there could be two versions of Buzz, though I now feel reminded of the moment from The Lego Movie 2, where Emmett realized that Rex Dangervest is really a hardened future version of himself. I guess it was for the best when Buzz ultimately decided it was more worth it for everyone to stay on the planet. He still got to be a space ranger in the end.

[thecoleopterawithana]

From Rolling Stone no less! —>

“Paul is such a Beatle fan, he writes his own fan fiction. While playing “Two of Us,” he notes how these songs add up to a concept album. “It’s like, after ‘Get Back,’ we’re ‘on our way home.’ There’s a story! And there’s another one, ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ — ‘Oh darling, I’ll never let you down.’”John: “Yeah, it’s like you and me are lovers.”Paul: “Yeah.”Aaaah, yeah. As they say this, John and Paul do a bit of flirty mirroring — they both nervously push their hair out of their face. George and Ringo do a terrible job of pretending not to notice this chat, but at least they try.I will think about this scene more than now and then for the rest of my life.”

Ah, my dear, thanks for sending this along!

And of course, who could have written this but Rob Sheffield himself? Here's the link to the full article:

24 Reasons We’ll Keep Watching the Beatles’ ‘Get Back’ Forever

Other gems include:

1. The highlight of the rooftop concert: the joy of seeing Maureen Starkey, Ringo’s wife, bop her head to “Get Back.” Nobody on the roof is a bigger fan than Mo. She was a screaming girl back at the Cavern Club — she’s the only person here who ever stood in line and paid money to hear this band. (The first time she met Ringo, she was asking for his autograph.) She’s waited years for this gig. At the end, Paul looks over and says, “Thanks, Mo” — a beautiful moment that sums up what the Beatles were all about, but also sums up what they are about, even now, which is why this story refuses to fade into the past.

6. When exactly did George get into the lace bow-tie thing? Never noticed before, but he’s really committed for a few days. The man’s taste in boots and wizard hats is flawless. But since he’s George in January 1969, he can wear anything and look hot.

10. One of my favorite moments is just a couple of seconds: Ringo gets teased by the others when he orders mashed potatoes for lunch, so he makes a sad face for the camera, then breaks into a good-morning-sunshine of a smile. I will think about this smile now and then for the rest of my life.

19. Ringo plunks out “Octopus’ Garden” at the piano. Everybody chuckles. But George comes over with his guitar and helps Ringo turn it into a real song, asking for zero credit, even though he’s having enough trouble getting the band to consider his own tunes. The generosity here says so much about these two. On his 80th birthday TV special last year, Ringo explained how George helped him write: “I can write it all, but I can’t end it, so he’d end my songs for me!’”

20. Late in Episode 2, John, George, and Ringo play “I Lost My Little Girl” — the first song Paul ever wrote, at 14, about his mother dying. (“Fairly obvious,” he admitted later.) A heavy moment, but a discreet one — nobody else in the room could have any idea what this song was, or what it meant. As always, they communicate in “Beatle code,” as John called it — a private language only these four friends can share.

-

And a curious statement:

7. Talk about a bombshell: After George quits, John and Paul sneak off to the cafeteria for a top-secret talk, just the two of them. They have no idea the flowerpot on the table is bugged. I screamed, alone in my apartment, like I just saw the waiter’s bowtie on The Sopranos. Ethically dubious, but wow. So here we are listening in on this private chat. John mourns that their disrespect for George created a “festering wound,” and “we didn’t give him any bandages.”A week ago, nobody knew this conversation existed, and nobody could have imagined how raw, honest, empathetic it is. This is how these two talked? Yes it is, it’s true. Yes it is, it’s true.It’s intense, especially when Paul speculates on a future they all deserved to see come true. “Probably when we’re all very old, we’ll all agree with each other. And we’ll all sing together.”

Guess we here on tumblr dot com are blessed with access to information the wider Beatles authorship can only dream of... :/

[lostinthewiind]

Piss Off Your Parents - Part 5

Ukai Keishin - Haikyuu

Synopsis: freshly turned 18, you want to prove to your parents that you aren’t a child for them to push around anymore. First, get a job at the local corner store. Second, use the store owner’s 26-year-old son with piercings and a cigarette addiction to piss your parents off. Third, accidentally fall in love.

Rating: PG13

Warnings: arguing with parents, stereotyping?, reader's parents just being generally horrible people, angst

Song → 18 by Anarbor

Previous → Part 4

Next → Part 6

"This is a horrible idea," you whispered to yourself as you got ready in your bedroom mirror, unable to concentrate for more than five minutes without a small panic attack taking over.

Your eyes flicked over to your clock every few seconds. Keishin was due to arrive at your family house for dinner in about thirty minutes and with every minute that passed, you asked yourself over and over again why you ever agreed to this.

Originally, when your parents had insisted on meeting your 'boyfriend' over a family dinner, your heart had dropped into the pit of your stomach; it was the worst feeling you had ever experienced . . . until you told Keishin about it jokingly and he actually agreed. Never before had you felt so sick to your stomach. Dinner was the last thing you wanted, and to make it worse, it was going to be dinner with your parents and fake boyfriend.

Shit.

More than once you had contemplated pretending to be sick or throwing yourself down the stairs, but you just couldn't go through with it. Every time you got close to backing out, a small part of your brain reminded you that this dinner might be the thing that changed your parents mind, and even though the odds of that actually happening were close to none, you couldn't give up without even trying.

So, with knots in your stomach and your palms sweating like never before, you continued getting ready for the evening and prayed that everything went as smoothly as possible.

If only you had known then that it would take much more than a prayer to save this evening.

When you heard the doorbell ring approximately thirty minutes later, your whole body froze and the thought of jumping out your second story window was starting to sound really appealing. But then, you remembered that it would be way worse if your mom or dad answered the door before you could so you rushed out of your room and down the stairs.

"I've got the door!" you shouted throughout the house, almost as if you were marking the front door as your territory and trying to scare anyone else away from it.

Standing in front of the door, you drew in a few deep, calming breaths before plastering a forced smile across your face and pulling the door open. Let the night of hell begin.

As soon as your eyes settled on Keishin, your smile faltered and you gasped. His dyed blonde hair was slicked back like usual, but instead of a headband, it was clear he had used gel. He had every hole in his ear stuffed with a black earring, and to top things off, he had showed up in jeans, a black t-shirt, and a leather jacket.

"What?" Keishin took a step back and examined his outfit. "You said to go all out. I did."

"I know, I know . . . I just . . ." You took a moment to compose yourself. "I didn't even know you owned a leather jacket."

"Yeah, well, you don't know everything about me," Keishin smirked devilishly, proud that he still had a few secrets to himself. "Well, are you going to let me in? I kind of want to get this dinner over with."

Opening the door wider, you stepped to the side and let Keishin inside your house. "You and me both," you agreed. "You sure you want to do this? We could both make a run for it right now if we act fast."

Shrugging the jacket off of his shoulders, Keishin shook his head. "Come on, at least give your parents a chance to change their minds."

Just then, your father's heavy footsteps could be heard exiting the kitchen and approaching the front door where you and Keishin stood together. Swallowing hard, you wiped the sweat from your palms on your clothes and sent one last pleading thought up to the heavens above, hoping that if there was a great being up there, they could be on your side tonight.

This was it. No turning back now.

"If your boyfriend has arrived, Y/N, please don't keep your mother and I waiting. Introduce us." Your father rounded the corner, stopping in his tracks when he set eyes on Keishin. Sure, you had told your parents all about your 'boyfriend', which was why they had insisted on this dinner in the first place, but Keishin was a man that words couldn't quite capture. "Oh. Hello." Your father reluctantly held out his hand to greet Keishin.

"Hello, sir." Keishin shook your father's hand without hesitation. "I'm Ukai Keishin. Keishin is fine though."

Seconds later, your mother joined the three of you. She had a similar reaction as your father had and was not subtle about it in the least. "So this is the man you've been seeing?" Your mother gave you an almost pleading look, like she was silently begging you to come clean and admit that you were joking.

Right off of the bat, things were not going well.

"Well, let me take your jacket and hang it up in the closet." Your mother stepped toward Keishin with the fakest smile you had ever seen on her face.

"Oh, there's no need." Keishin hung his jacket on the banister of the stairs. "I'll just end up taking it out in a little while anyway when I go out for a smoke. It's easier this way, but thank you."

You watched your mother's eye twitch and the smile she had forced threaten to crack. "You smoke?" You could tell that both of your parents were on the brink of snapping right then and there, but they had promised to actually get to know Keishin, and despite all the horrible things your parents did, breaking promises was not one of them.

"I do." Keishin grinned. "I know, I know, it's not good for me. Y/N tells me to quit all the time so I'm trying."

You let out a nervous chuckle as both your parents turned to face you. "Shall we head into the living room?" You started ushering everyone into the other room, hoping to change the subject as quickly as possible.

"Yes, let's have a seat." Your father nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Keishin, watching him like a hawk. "Can I get you anything to drink, Keishin?"

"Just a water is fine, thanks." Keishin had obviously decided not to push his luck too hard because you had been fully expecting him to ask for a beer.

With that, both your mother and father disappeared into the kitchen; your mother to finish dinner and your father to collect the drinks.

Taking the brief moment of reprieve to breathe, you looked up at Keishin. "I've never seen my parents struggle between their flawless hospitality and kicking someone out of their house so much in my life," you chuckled lightly.

"I'm a bit of a shock." Keishin placed his hand on your lower back and led you toward the couch. "I brought out all the stops in the beginning so they could have the whole night to get used to me."

"How kind of you." You sat down, slightly caught off guard when Keishin sat down right next to you and slung his arm over your shoulders. You were about to ask him what he was doing, but then you remembered that the two of you were supposed to be an actual couple and this is what couples did.

As soon as you felt his touch on you, however, your mind flashed back to that night in the park a few weeks ago. Since then, neither one of you had spoken about what had happened on that bench; a wordless agreement between the two of you that you would just move on and pretend it didn't happen.

But as much as you pretended to forget, you never actually could. The feeling of Keishin's hands on your sides and his warm breath on your lips kept you up at night. As much as you tried not to think of him like that, you just couldn't help yourself.

"You seem really nervous," Keishin leaned closer to you a whispered. "You okay?"

Snapping out of your thoughts, you nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just trying not to freak out is all."

"Hey." Keishin tilted your head toward him so he could look you in your eyes. "You're their daughter. No matter what happens, they will always love you. Remember that."

You flashed a smile. Somehow, Keishin knew exactly what to say to help you relax. "Yeah . . . thanks."

Just then, your father returned with two glasses of water in hand. Handing one each to you and Keishin, you didn't miss the way his gaze settled on the sight of Keishin's arm around you.

"Thank you." Keishin grabbed his glass right away and took a sip. You, on the other hand, let your glass sit on the coaster on the table. Despite how dry your mouth was, you didn't trust your shaky hands to pick up the glass.

"Dinner should be ready soon," your father said as he sat down in his armchair across from you and Keishin. "So, Keishin, tell me about yourself. What do you do for a living?"

"Well, currently, I spend most of my time coaching the boys' volleyball team at Karasuno high school," Keishin answered, his eyes lighting up a little when he spoke about the team he coached; you could tell he really enjoyed it. "And my family owns Sakanoshita Market and I work there sometimes."

"Sakanoshita Market," your father repeated. "That sounds familiar."

You rolled your eyes, not surprised in the slightest that your father had forgotten the name of the place you had been working at for the past few months. "That's where I work, Dad," you told him. "That's how Keishin and I met."

"I see." Your father eyed Keishin and you were surprised that Keishin didn't shrink under the cold, hard gaze like you usually did. "So do you go after all the young women who work at your family store or just my daughter?"

"Dad!" you gasped, unsure whether to tell him off or apologize to Keishin on behalf of your father.

"It's okay," Keishin told you calmly before answering your father's question. "Actually, the store hasn't seen a new employee in years. For the longest time, it was just my mother and me. We are both very grateful for all the hard work Y/N puts in to help us with the store. She is a wonderful employee."

You couldn't help the blush that tinted your cheeks at the compliment. "Thanks."

"No need to thank me. It's the truth," Keishin said before leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to your lips. "And good thing you took the job too, or else we would have never met."

Keishin then shot a sparkling grin your father's way, completely blinding him and distracting him from the shocked expression on your face. You knew you told Keishin to act like the two of you were really a couple, but you never expected him to play the part so thoroughly.

Your father opened his mouth to no doubt interrogate Keishin some more, but before he could, your mother began setting the table and announced that dinner was ready.

Moving over to the table, you took a seat across from Keishin while your parents sat at the ends of the table. As your mother brought the dishes of food over, you took the chance to drink some water and parch your dry throat.

The thought of having to keep this awkward conversation up gave you a headache, but thankfully, Keishin seemed to be handling everything quite well. Just as you had expected, he took everything with a grain of salt and refused to let your parents get under his skin.

You wished you were able to do that.

After the four of you bowed your heads and said thank you for the food, you dug in. At first, everyone was too busy eating to say anything. Somehow, the silence was worse than when your dad had been firing off questions rapid fire.

"This is delicious," Keishin was the first to speak. "Thank you again for inviting me for dinner."

"Yes, o-of course," your mother wavered a little but somehow managed to voice her fake pleasure nonetheless. "Y/N has never dated anyone before so we were curious as to what kind of . . . person . . . had caught her eye."

Keishin nodded, letting the not-so-subtle rude comment roll right off his back. "Well, here I am."

"Yes, here you are indeed," your father muttered under his breath. Thankfully, it didn't seem as though Keishin had heard it, but you certainly had. "So, you said you coach high school volleyball. Is this a long-term thing or?"

Keishin thought for a moment before shrugging. "I'm not sure, honestly. I do enjoy it but I've never given much thought as to if I want to do it long-term. I started coaching because of special circumstances and just haven't stopped yet."

"Well, plenty of people coach and teach," your mother said. "You seem to enjoy working with kids, so have you ever considered becoming a teacher?"

"That doesn't sound like the worst job, but that would require me to have a teaching degree, which I don't have," Keishin responded.

"What degree did you get in university?"

Keishin chuckled. "I didn't go to university."

Oh God. Your jaw dropped and you wished that a black hole could just open up underneath you and suck you in. Out of all the things your parents hated most, people who didn't go to university were at the top of the list. They always told you that 'people who didn't go to university had no interest in investing in their future.'

Hence why they always pushed so hard for you to go the university they wanted so you could study what they thought would be best for you.

You watched your mother's face go red as she reached for her glass of wine a take a particularly large sip. "Community college, then?" she squeaked out.

"Nope, afraid not," Keishin answered, completely unashamed and even proud. "I started working for the family store right after high school."

The looks on your parents' faces that they didn't even try to hide filled you with a deep sense of shame. You didn't know how they could be so blatantly rude to someone they barely knew . . . well, actually, you did know, and that was the worst part. As much as you wished you could deny it, you had thought the same things about Keishin when you had first met him.

Hanging your head in shame, you let the suffocating silence of the dining room take over.

Feeling something brush against your leg, you looked up to see Keishin smiling at you from across the table. 'It's okay' he mouthed to you. You thought back to the time Keishin had told you he was a big boy who could take a little verbal ribbing and exhaled through your nose sharply, your mood lifting ever-so-slightly.

Keishin brushed his foot against your leg a few more times to remind you that you weren't alone at this dinner before he attempted to restart the conversation. "So what do you two do for a living?" he asked, looking to your parents.

"We are both lawyers," your father said.

You nodded and sighed. "Hence why they want me to go to law school."

"Oh, honestly, Y/N, you say that like paying for you to go to law school is abuse." Your mother shook her head disapprovingly. "Do you know how many children would kill for the opportunities you have been given and yet you want to throw them away just like that? You should be grateful."

You were about to retort but stopped yourself before you did, knowing that it would only serve to start the same argument that you had lost over and over again. No matter what you said on the matter, your parents refused to try and see things from your perspective.

It never once occurred to them that you might actually not want to be a lawyer.

"Tell me, Keishin, if you had a child who you could pay for to go to law school and they told you they wanted to pursue their dream of playing soccer, what would you do?" Your father turned to Keishin, suddenly interested in what he had to say on the issue.

"Dad, let's not talk about that now," you spoke softly, hoping to get him to change the subject.

"No, no, let's hear what Keishin has to say." Your father insisted.

Keishin thought for a moment before answering. "Well, I think I would just want my child to be happy," he said, his eyes leaving your father to look at you. "I made the mistake of not following my dreams after high school and I regret it every day, so I would tell my child to follow their dreams and try my hardest to be there to support them."

You smiled wide, surprised by how emotional Keishin's words made you feel. For a moment, it was just you and him, and he was saying everything you had ever wanted to hear. All you ever wanted for was someone to be in your corner . . . someone to support you whether your choice was a mistake or not.

"Congratulations, Y/N, you've found a dreamer just like yourself," your father scoffed, breaking you out of your happy trance. "Too bad dreams don't pay the bills."

"Well, when your future is working at a family-run corner store, dreams are all you have," your mother cackled, not even trying to be quiet about it.

Your father laughed as well. "Too true, honey."

"Mom!" you shouted at her, your anger taking over before you even had the chance to think about your actions.

"It's okay," Keishin told you again, reaching across the table for your hand.

You shook your head and tugged your hand out of his reach. "No, it's not okay!" You rose to your feet, finally having had enough. "This dinner was a terrible idea. I cannot believe you!"

"If you've finally come to your senses, darling, we can send Keishin on his way and-" your mother reached for you as well but you shrugged her off.

"I'm not talking about Keishin! I'm talking about the two of you!" You slammed your hands down onto the table, shaking the dishes of food. "The whole night you have been making offhanded remarks and rude comments about Keishin while he has been nothing but the perfect guest. I'm sorry, Keishin, but I can't sit here and let you take their abuse anymore. I've dealt with it my whole life and I won't let them do the same thing to you. You don't deserve that."

"Y/N, you're being a bit dramatic, don't you think?" your father asked, sipping his wine as if nothing was happening, which only made you angrier.

"No, father, I don't think so," you snapped back. "I think that you and Mom are being horrible and I cannot believe that this is how you're acting when meeting someone for the first time. What makes you think that you have the right to treat someone so poorly just because they don't live the same life or have the same ideals as you? You think you know what is best for me but you don't even know me, so how could you?! I would rather work at the corner store for the rest of my life if it meant being genuinely happy over being a snobby, emotionless lawyer any day."

While you vented in front of your parents, Keishin just stared at you wide-eyed, completely floored by how quickly your demeanor had changed from shy and uncomfortable to enraged and animated in mere seconds. The last time he had seen you like this was when you were going off on him and he was grateful your rage wasn't directed at him this time.

Aside from relieved, Keishin felt proud; proud of you for standing your ground.

An embarrassed look flashed across your mother's face. "Y/N, please-"

"No, just don't," you lowered your voice and took a few deep breaths. "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pretending that I'm going to put up with your plans for me just so I can have a roof over my head. Mom, Dad, I'm not going to law school. I'm not letting you dictate my life anymore. I'm done."

Stepping away from the table, completely emotionally drained, you looked over your shoulder at Keishin. "Come on, let's go." You waved for him to follow.

Without a word, Keishin stood from the table and followed you to the front door where the two of you grabbed your jackets and got ready to leave.

"If you walk out that door, don't bother coming back!" You heard your father call after you as you left the house, but his threat didn't phase you in the least. If anything, never having to return to that house sounded like bliss right then.

Wrapping your jacket tight around your body to fight the cool evening wind, you sighed. "I'm sorry about that," you told Keishin as he walked silently beside you. "I should never have dragged you into my mess. You don't deserve to be treated the way my parents treated you."

"You don't need to apologize." He wrapped his arm around you once more and held you close, both to comfort you and to keep you warm. "I'm just worried about you. Are you okay?"

You felt tears begin to well in your eyes and frantically wiped them away. "I . . . I don't know," you answered truthfully. "I suppose I should just worry about one thing at a time, and since I've apparently got nowhere to spend the night now . . ."

"You'll spend the night at my place," Keishin stated plainly, not even bothering to ask if you wanted to or not. It was more like an order, but right then, you had nothing against him making decisions for you. As long as the choices weren't made by your parents, you didn't care who they came from.

"Okay," you exhaled. "Thank you."

As the two of you walked through the quiet night in the direction of the store, Keishin pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. Without thinking, you wrapped your arm around his waist and leaned into him, the warmth he radiated bringing you some semblance of peace.

"I'm sorry tonight went so shit," Keishin spoke as he exhaled, smoke spilling from his lips.

"It's not your fault," you told him. "In fact . . . I don't think tonight could have gone any better. In the end, this is how it was always going to turn out. It's better I realize that sooner rather than later."

Keishin stopped and looked down at you. "That's not-"

"It's okay," you said those two magic words this time. "You remember when you told me that no matter what happened they would always love me because I'm their daughter?"

Keishin nodded.

"I wish you could have been right."

[obeymeluv]

The Baby Assignment [Beel]

Not gonna lie, I wanted to do Mammon next but I love this big guy, so... The names for his sons (again, from “The Boys as Dads” post) were pulled from Wikipedia after a bit of research. I wanted to see what other names and history were tied to Beelzebub and I found Hesperus and Baal.

Apparently “Baal” was used to refer to Beelzebub in the Hebrew Bible. It was technically a title meaning “Lord” but could be used to reference specific demons. “Hesperus” comes from Testament of Solomon where Beelzebul (not Beelzebub; at some points throughout history these two were separate entities and at other times they were the same figure with different names) talked about his old high-ranking status in heaven and how he was tied to the star Hesperus.

Mammon’s probably going to be next, but I have to do more name hunting.

Beel is secretly excited to be partnered with you. He’s kind of curious about how the kid will look. More human? More demon-like? The two of you stand in the circle and not one but two babies explode in little clouds

Unfortunately, they’re already crying. Whether they’re hungry or the flash of light hurt them, you don’t know. Beel’s already giving this low, comforting purr and shrugging out of his jacket to swoop them up like some little papoose. This quiets them a little.

He can’t help but giggle because they feel like little hams in his arms. Tiny roasted Devilbirds. They look on the bigger side for Devil babies but they’ve got cute round faces and big sparkly eyes already tinging with that orange glow he gets at nighttime. They are carbon copies of Beel and he’s a little sad he doesn’t see the ‘you’ in them.

They wiggle a bit in the temporary papoose but settle when one arm breaches to grab a tiny, pudgy fistful of his shirt. There’s a few moments of ‘open, close, open, close’ where you think the baby is making biscuits against his chest but he finishes up with a firm grab.

Beel ties the papoose around you so he can carry the magic trunk back to the house. You take great care in keeping the light away from them and don’t know quite how to feel yet about that orange tint to their eyes. They observe you with much interest. They’re still cute though.

You’re walking back to the house with Beel and the others when the jacket blob starts to move. You think they’re getting restless (maybe need air?) and peel it open just enough to see what’s going on. They’re trying to tear a hole in your uniform to latch. They want skin-to-skin contact. One of them has their arm down your uniform top.  The other is trying to jam their hand in there, too.

You just hold them close as you walk to the House of Lamentation. You bet by the time you get there, you’ll be missing a few buttons.

Beel sets up the trunk in his and Belphie’s room (Belphie’s seriously considering relocating to the attic for about a week) and helps you sit down. He undoes the papoose to find they’ve ripped a decent chunk out of your school uniform and are trying to hide between the fabric and your body. They’re holding hands, their other one either tucked under them or latching onto you somewhere else. It’s really cute and Beel goes beet red.

If you’re female, this gets Beel extra flustered because--for some reason? Demon brain and baby hormones?--he’s thinking about you breastfeeding two kids and being pregnant with another one.

Is he gonna be one of those guys that wants lots of kids? Probably.

He opens the trunk in search of jumpers or something that will help them keep their heat and is surprised to see insulated bags of squeeze-type baby food. All KINDS of food, actually!

He’ll have to try some for quality assurance. Does it actually have substance?

Those kids get it honest because they’re literally only an hour old and they KNOW what food packages sound like. Your uniform tears a little more because suddenly two little ginger-headed babies are watching his every mood like a hawk, heads thrust out of the little hole they made.

Beel is not a fan of opening tiny baby food portions. His hands are very big and this is a problem. He ends up puncturing the cap with a fang and squeezing some out. It works, so he hands it over.

These kids snatch food like Mammon taking a grim, okay? Watch your fingers.

Suddenly there’s a little fussy fight breaking out in your top because one baby has one and one baby has nothing. Beel can’t get the second one fast enough. He just shakes it outside the hole and hopes the empty-handed one takes it.

You tell Beel to help you out of your uniform since it’s basically ruined. Boy heats up real bad, touching your skin and everything. Big boy has it BAD!

The kids hiss and growl and cry until you set them in his jacket and make a nest. Then they’re back to being content little angels, gumming and sucking on the little pouches

“I hope all this eating means they grow fast,” Beel smiles as he takes the empty pouches and looks in the trunk again. It’s imbued with magic that only lets the ‘parents’ open it so there’s no accidents. He’s looking for other flavors as you hug the jacket nest.

Somehow you end up with a tiny little hand tangled in your hair as they try to pull you into the nest. You just lay in the middle and they lounge on you. They are BIIIIG on contact. Like to touch all the time. Very snuggly.

You’re kind of shocked but Beel is big into photography. He never answers you when you ask why, but he’s very diligent about taking pictures. They’re not always the best quality but boy never misses a moment.

After about three pouches apiece, they’ve moved onto Beel. They like to snuggle around his stomach and you joke about his ‘baby bump’. You take the pictures now. 

By the end of the night your name has a sound. They are grabbing at you and Beel at the dark, giving calls and trying to wake you up. They want to eat again.

This goes on for days 2 and 3. The twins are more active at night since their eyes don’t hurt and yours and Beel’s sleep schedule are officially messed up. Day 2 they are very vocal with their demon vocal chords, so you basically need a translator. Day 3, you’re used to their nightly disappearances and sneak down sometime after them to see Beel digging through the fridge.

“Apple? See? Apple. Ap-ple.” Beel apparently like smothering them in forehead kisses. He’s passing the food between them and suddenly it’s just three demons cooing over a piece of fruit. They’ve inherited the biting instinct because all three of them bite it at the same time.

He was fixing to wake the house with a happy yeowl about the fangs but had some sense that someone was behind him, so you’re gifted with the sight of three demons still holding onto an apple. “They go’ fanfs,” is what you think you here. Beel technically got the first purr with that one.

When the fangs come out, the food fights start. If you feed them with a spoon or fork it is LITERAL begging for them to let go so you can get more food for them.

Feeding them is a two person job, not because there are two of them, but because one of them needs to attract the biter with a different food so they let go of the utensil. 

They get teary and screechy when they’re not fed fast enough. Hesperus’ first word was “MO’!” (more) as he’s slamming his little fists on the feeding chair and puts a crack in it. Baal takes full advantage of the surprise and latches onto the spoon Beel almost drops. Another struggle ensues.

Between Day 3 and Day 4 they have the muscle strength and build to fully walk themselves. Half of the time they “skitter”. For some reason they don’t like walking upright.

Previously, you could only tell them apart with the brothers’ help (demons can differentiate demons). Now you and Beel have a color-coordinated system to tell the twins apart.

They seem to take after their Uncle Belphie and hide in unusual places. The only way you and Beel find them are by walking around the house and shaking various packages of food. You think this is a joint effort to eat more. 

Baal says ‘thank you first’ and is the gentle teether. He likes to cuddle like that. Hesperus is an avid climber that prefers to latch

Half the time you don’t know if the twins are cuddling and scenting or play fighting. They’re more energetic than you expected.

Ironically, there favorite person is Mammon. He runs fast when Lucifer scares him and they like to chase him. When they want to sleep, they go to Uncle Belphie. He’s just not energetic enough to play with. 

They’ll grab anyone’s leg and sit on them. They like to be carried like this. 

Asmo only managed to get a blurry picture of it, but somehow the twins managed to get Lucifer to drag them around by sitting on his cape. It was very cute.

They’re pretty much Beel’s shadow. They like to follow him and he regularly uses them as extra weights in his routine. Sometimes they run around the yard together. Beel tries to teach them how to play Fangol but they end up trying to gnaw the ball to death and end up wrestling for it. “At least they’re active,” he mumbles as he picks you up to keep you out of harms way

They fall asleep in the grass, fangs still trying to dig into the ball.

Day 5 and 6 they become strong talkers and always insist on going long walks. They want to look at alll the stuff! They’re probably at the age of four or five (maybe six) and Beel deems them behaved enough to see some of his favorite restaurants in the Devildom.

You eat so much you think you’ll be sick. You have three boys who will gladly help you with the rest. They fight over an extra-hard crunchy baguette and don’t seem to have the concept of sharing at this point. They’re fussing and butting heads and Beel notices their horns are breaching.

You bag everything to go and Beel offers to fly you all home since you’re absolutely stuffed. He barely hears it, but a tiny little whine is trying to harmonize with his wings. One of them has grown wings (it was Baal).

That evening is spent with Beel and Belphie gently bumping them with their horns to coax them out.

You’re constantly portioning food and trying to make it fair. Beel is a good mediator. He won’t let his kids starve by any means but if they won’t share after he’s explained (and re-explained) why it’s nice to do so, he just eats the thing so they have nothing to fight over 

They learn that lesson in the dead of night when they sneak down for their own raid and use each other (and the cabinets/drawers) like a jungle gym to get to the good stuff. Whatever they grab, they split. When Beel catches them, some kind of chocolate thing over his face, Baal looks unapologetic and Hesperus just asks if he wants a bite

Beel is not a disciplinarian. You will have to do that. 

Overall the boys are very helpful. They will help bring in groceries and clean up the yard with their uncles. They really love doing the latter because the find all kinds of bugs. They try to give them to Mammon and Lucifer but both of them hate them. A lot.

Belphie notices them and pays them in food to put bugs in Lucifer’s office and bed. No regrets. Satan joins in on this with fancy foods from his foodie connections. They are the unofficial mascots of the Lucifer Sucks Club

Day 7 involves visiting some of Beel’s club activities and the members being absolutely in love with the kids. They get them tiny Fangol jerseys and they run around with the ball. It’s a good day with lots of cute pictures.

They try to hype of the twins and put them on their shoulders but it was here you learned Baal doesn’t like Hesperus getting too far from him and DEFINITELY doesn’t like him being around a bunch of strangers. You don’t know if he thought they were taking him away, but they definitely got dive-bombed by a tiny flying ginger.

Beel has to console him and keep them together for a few hours until he calms down. Simeon overheard the commotion (actually: heard it from Solomon, who was told by Asmo) and offered to make some Celestial Treats to “share the heritage” since Beel is technically an angel.

The twins also love Luke TO DEATH and he is extremely stressed out. They’re cute but very strong and accidentally kind of rough. They chase him too. They want to climb on him; one is enough to knock him off guard and two practically smother him. Send help. 

Simeon is absolutely in love with them and the boys cuddle him and shake him down for sweets as nicely as they can. 

Diavolo may not be as close to Beelzebub as he is Lucifer, but he still wants to see the children. Demon children are a beautiful thing (and he wants an excuse to get out of work)! On Day 8, Barbatos whips up a very fancy meal which the kids are all for. They like playing hide and seek with Diavolo. You and Lucifer both about shit a brick when they take to climbing on chandeliers and up into the crevices of the castle. Hesperus learned to fly that day, and refused to come down for Lucifer.

Day 9, Barbatos and Simeon invite them to a garden-style orchard to pick fruits and vegetables. They boys are covered in dirt and have leaves in their hair but they are very proud of what they picked and can’t wait to make things to eat (they look very cute in overalls). 

Somewhere between Day 8 and 9 both boys have gotten into the habit of shucking off their shirts to let their wings stretch out. When they don’t feel like talking, they sound off with their wings. Beel has adopted this habit and can usually be seen shirtless or in one of those muscle tees with the holes in the side.

On Day 9 the boys decide they want to make a big buffet for the class since Beel took a lot of pictures. They know basic knife skills and have special protective gloves and things like that. Beel bought you all matching aprons. The whole thing goes relatively smoothly; you have a family tray ‘for sampling’, and a bigger portion that will be taken to the class

All bets are off when it comes to making desserts. It’s hard to get the batter into the pan before they’re trying to “lick the bowl clean” (it’s not even empty). You end up with two chocolate-smeared demons that Asmo very reluctantly lets into his bath. You help wash. Beel supervises and is prepared to catch these crafty, sweet gremlins in towels.

Day 10, you make your way to the classroom. The boys want to dig into the buffet (”But your friends are doing it!”) and they almost forget to do the report. They talk for a little bit, pause for a snack. It’s pure bribery. They are finished and rewarded with more food. Beel strings up all his photos at the front of the classroom as the boys sit in your lap and eat.

They make their way to the summoning circle and the teacher has a hard time determining their age. These two are built like brick houses. Are they in the upper percentile for everything or actually older? They’re either very tall eight-year-olds or the age limit goes above 10. Results are inconclusive. 

You get a B that is argued to an A on Satan and Lucifer’s behalf. The teacher tried to argue that they were a little unruly and showed a lack of discipline but duh, they’re kids!

Hesperus growled something out in pure demon and you’re not sure what it was. Judging by Belphie and Satan’s expression, it’s probably something a parent wouldn’t want their kid to say. Who knows where they picked it up from?! 

Baal just looked like he wanted to bite the guy’s nose off, and has taken a protective mantling stance on Beel’s shoulder.

You walk them to the summoning circle and the twins are just as sad as Beel. They want to stay. Baal is crying silently and can only manage to bring his horns out and bump heads. Hesperus makes you promise to cook lots of food ‘for when we come back’ and that he’ll even wash dishes if you promise.

You give them kisses and wipe Baal’s tears away, to which he gently teethes on you. Hesperus just hugs his brother from behind, the two disappearing in thick clouds of smoke.

The class goes on casually as people pick at food and gush about the twins. You stay behind with Beel to pack up the uneaten food. He’s very solemn as he’s taking all the photos off the board, handling them with care. 

“So, uh...why the photos?” you’ve tied up the last bag and have it sitting on the big catering trays Simeon lent you.

“I didn’t want to forget them like I did Lilith...not that I ever really forgot her. Sometimes it’s just...hard to remember her clearly. You know, to remember everything from before. It happens when you’re over five thousand years old.” he’s trying to smile sweetly for you but you can see the pain in it, “I just wanted to keep them with me. I didn’t get that option with her.”

Ooh boy have the floodgates opened for both of you! You hold this big six-something demon boy like he’s one of your babies and he’s never been more grateful. He feels your tears in his hair and you both have a cathartic cry. There’s no where comfortable to snuggle so you opt to heal quietly at the House of Lamentation with some of the leftover food.

It’s a quiet affair, hiding in Beel’s room. You catch him constantly touching your stomach but don’t say anything. His hand is warm and large over your stomach. You’re on the edge of a food coma when you hear him mutter, “Maybe one day.” as he gives it a little pat.                    

[earnestly-endlessly]

I love your fic recs! Do you have any with Protective!Erik?

Protective! Erik is one of my favourite tropes so I have a TON of fics to share with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Protective! Erik fic recs

Erik Lehnsherr's Guide to Saving the Universe By Meeting Your Soul-Mate and Falling in Love in Less than 72 Hours – madneto, Pangea

Summary: Army Pilot Erik Lehnsherr is just trying to enjoy his day off when a mostly naked person crashes through the roof of his car. Even more alarming, the strange falling naked person—who goes by Charles Xavier when he's not speaking an ancient dead language—brings tidings of the apparent potential end of the world, and begs Erik to help him put a stop to it.

Well. His mother has been nagging at him to go out and meet new people.

In Sound and Silence – endingthemes

Summary: Erik is assigned to care for the special patient in room 301.

How Not To Meet Your Future Boyfriend – ikeracity

Summary: Erik punches Charles in the face the first time they meet. There isn't anywhere their relationship can go from there but up.

Forgotten – FuryRed

Summary: Charles is having a really bad day. Not only has he woken up in the middle of the afternoon with no idea where he is or how he got there, but when he returns home he’s confronted by a stranger with intense eyes, who insists that he knows Charles rather more intimately than Charles remembers…

Thou Shalt Not Eat Stones – valancysnaith

Summary: Two months after Washington, Raven found Erik in a skeevy motel off the Florida interstate.

“They have Charles, Erik,” she said.

The bedframe shrieked. In the bathroom, the showerhead snapped in half and clattered into the tub.

Demoted – JayPendragon

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a detective-specialist with the NYPD Mutant Tactical Unit, ready to help out where his skills are needed. Or he would be, if he and his partner hadn’t been demoted. For the next four months, he is patrolling the Lenox Hill precinct with Azazel – if he doesn’t die of boredom first. One night they are called in to investigate a potential case of domestic violence, yet the tenant assures them he is both alone and unharmed. However, there is something about this Charles Xavier that compels Erik to follow up.

Warning: Sensitive material, domestic abuse and dubious consent

Watch Your Back – swoopswoop

Summary: Bodyguard AU where Erik is overly protective and things aren't as simple as they seem.

If We Met Differently – swoopswoop

Summary: Erik wasn't the only mutant 'taken in' by Shaw, Erik learns this the hard way when a new mutant is dropped into his cell. They manage to escape together, but things aren't all roses after that. Erik has a score to settle and needs to make sure Charles is safe.

The Color of Love (Character Swap Remix) – BadLuckBlueEyes

Summary: Nobody sees in color until they meet their soulmates. When your soulmate dies, your vision returns to black and white. What happens when your soulmate only dies for a few minutes?

Omega Online – miss_aphelion

Summary: Newly imprinted Charles is having trouble dealing with his overly protective alpha—so in desperation he seeks advice in an omega chat room. Emma Frost is more than happy to help, Raven isn't helping at all, and Erik can't stand to be out of touch with Charles for more than five minutes at a time.

Cannot be Contained in Words – wallhaditcoming (uvcatastrophe) 

Summary: Crime syndicate head Erik Lehnsherr travels to London on business, where he meets oxford student Charles Xavier. Their liaison spawns into a years long transatlantic affair, kept apart by Erik's work and Charles' studies,which Erik chronicles in photographs. When distance ceases to be an issue after four long years, the overlap between Charles' past and Erik's work create a whole new set of complications.

A Pertinent Reminder – ikeracity, Pangea

Summary: Sometimes it's easy to forget that getting involved in Erik's mob business isn't all fine dining and sex on yachts. There's nothing like taking a couple of bullets to remind Charles of the reality.

Part 3 of the Associates series

A Dangerous Game – ikeracity, pangea

Summary: When a familiar enemy of Erik's returns to the city for some old-fashioned revenge, Charles is sucked deeper into the world of the mob than ever before.

Part 6 of the Associates series

You don’t choose the thug life (except when you do) – Anonymous

Summary: Charles is kidnapped and discovers that Erik, the Alpha he has been dating for the past few months and is head-over-heels for, is not just a wealthy businessman but actually the head of a syndicate.

He is rather unhappy about this discovery and Erik gets an earful for lying to him. Then Charles is kidnapped again and really, he hopes mating Erik won't result in weekly kidnapping because he has a thesis to finish and papers to grade.

Marrying a Mob – Ook

Summary: Charles is a teacher at a very exclusive school. When armed men burst in on the trail of two children, of course he stands up to them and gets hurt. The children are Erik Lehnsherr's children (of course); a "prominent businessman" or, less politely, "mobster".

Erik is grateful to Charles for saving his children's lives at the cost of his kneecap. So very grateful.

Naturally he tries to reward Charles for his actions. Equally naturally, Charles will be having none of that.

Azazel finds the whole thing unspeakably hilarious. Naturally.

Rumor Has It – blueink3

Summary: "Did I hear the doorbell earlier?"

"Yeah, but I'd steer clear if I were you. It seemed a little tense. I don't know what's going on, but there's a kid out there who looks freakily like the prof."

Nearly six months after Cuba, Charles' life is turned upside down for the second time. Though he's slowly learning to adapt to the first, he's not sure he can handle the second. Luckily for him, there are a few people out there more than willing to help.

Forward Momentum – AsYouWish

Summary: Six months after Cuba, Charles and Erik find themselves thrown fifty years into the future, where they meet their older selves, the Avengers, and a world that's very different from their own. Faced with the pieces of their broken relationship, an unparalleled adversary, and dealing with Tony Stark on a daily basis, Charles and Erik do their best to adapt while trying to find a way back home -- and to each other.

Runs in the Family – Anonysquirrel (chibirisuchan)

Summary: Alex knew his own reputation. Hell, he'd started some of his own reputation, because it kept some of the smarter thugs off his back. Everyone knew Alex's reputation. There was no way Hank didn't know his reputation, but he'd brought Alex into a house with some really expensive things and a lot of innocent little kids and his too-friendly, too-harmless dad.

But clearly Hank hadn't told his family anything about Alex, just like he hadn't told Alex anything about his family. At least, not about the brain-breaking parts of his family.

"I didn't know where to start," Hank said, for the dozenth time.

Featuring mpreg!Charles in a Kiss The Cook apron, overprotective!Erik in wet black leather, and baked goods. Lots and lots of baked goods.

Round the Corner Waiting – swoopswoop

Summary: When things go so spectacularly wrong during a relationship, Charles - now a single dad - almost makes a big mistake, only to be stopped by a mysterious man who just might turn his life back around.

Hide Your Fires – swoopswoop

Summary: As the sole heir, Prince Charles, had no problem with the roles and responsibility that would come with ruling a kingdom. Though he was the only one who did not see a problem. After years of being shuttled back and forth between kingdoms, his Regent hoping he would find a match more suitable to being King, he is finally sent to Genosha. Though the path has never been less clear than the one to a foreign kingdom with no ties to his native land.

Shaw’s Captive – swoopswoop

Summary: Magneto killed Shaw, it had to be done for the sake of mutant-kind but what he wasn't expecting to find hidden deep with Shaw's complex was a man held captive, obviously tortured, that somehow made Magneto turn into Erik.

Erik now has a potential human in his citadel as he continues the war with the human's.

Mind’s Eye Blind – Sperare 

Summary: As far as Erik is concerned, if you want to scare a person into talking, you have to present him with something more compelling than what he stands to lose...

And there is nothing in the world more compelling than Charles.

Chipped – Rosawyn 

Summary: Magneto's fledgling Brotherhood find Charles Xavier in a mutations research lab as an apparently willing subject for an experimental suppression device.

Okay, I Feel Better Now – Harleydoll

Summary: The AU in which Erik is sent to a mental health facility after being convicted for Shaw's murder and pleads insanity, and Charles is his paranoid schizophrenic of a roommate. Powers, Hellfire conspiracies, protective!Erik, and of course the inevitable angst.

Five Nights in Nuremberg – FuryRed

Summary: When Charles escapes from the mutant prison he has been held in for the last two years he knows that he’s going to need help to avoid being recaptured.

What he doesn’t expect is that help will come in the form of a mysterious German man who rescues Charles and takes him to his home; a handsome stranger who, frustratingly, doesn’t speak a single word of English…

Five Bullet Points – Sperare

Summary: It was supposed to be Erik locked away in a prison one hundred stories below the ground.

Charles was never supposed to be there with him.

Notes: Unfinished but an excellent read. Highly recommend it.

Stolen – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is a miserable, grumpy, cantankerous bastard, and he has every fucking right to be. He drew the short end of the stick when he got the Underworld as his domain, and there isn't very much fun to be had in judging and governing dead souls who would rather be anywhere else but with Erik in the depths of Hell.

So when he meets Charles, brilliant and lovely Charles who is more popularly known amongst the mortals as Persephone, and feels the promise of something wonderful that could make his eternally doomed existence infinitely more bearable... you can bet all your drachmas Erik's not going to let Charles go any fucking time soon.

My Barbaric Darling – baehj2915

Summary: Erik is revivified caveman. Charles is the anthropologist(?) taking care of him. This is as ridiculous as it sounds. Romcom misunderstandings and prehistoric wooing ensues.

Swimming with Sharks – Not_You

Summary: Erik used to be a shark. Now he's not, and has to figure out how to be a good human father to his twins. Charles is willing to help.

Eucalyptus leaf of my soul - kageillusionz, ourgirlfriday

Summary: Zookeeper Raven at Taronga Zoo keeps having ideas on how to capitalize on interest in the zoo mascots, Koala Charles and Drop Bear Erik (the only drop bear in captivity!), who have captured the hearts and minds of the public. First it was to introduce prospective mates (It’ll generate attention, Hank. People are perverts. They’d love to see koala porn.). This idea was not effective the first through fifth attempts, as Erik and Charles seemed to show at best polite interest in the newcomer before resuming whatever marsupial debate they had going. However, the resulting lesbian koala orgies did indeed generate interest. Then Raven unveiled the Hug-A-Koala program, which was successful, as the public showed great interest in hugging Charles, and Charles seemed to enjoy being hugged.

Then Raven unveiled the Hug-A-Drop Bear program, and Hank, not for the first time, wished he had a flask handy.

Notes: Yes, they’re Koalas, yes they’re adorable, and yes, Erik is super protective even as a Drop Bear.

[translations-by-aiimee]

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Chapter 6

Original Title:  二哈和他的白猫师尊

Genres: Drama, Romance, Tragedy, Xianxia, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 6 - This Venerable One's Shizun

Xue Meng had lived on Life-Death Peak since he was a child. He was familiar with shortcuts and terrain so he had no problem catching up with Mo Ran

He escorted him all the way to the back of the mountain. The back mountain of Life-Death Peak was the closest place to the ghost realm in the whole world, separated by an enchantment, behind it is the netherworld.

Looking at the miserable situation in the back mountain, Mo Ran immediately understood why that person was clearly at home, but still needed Madam Wang to treat guests in the front hall.

It wasn't that the man didn’t want to help, but he couldn’t step away--

The barrier of the ghost world was broken.

At this moment, the entire back mountain was filled with a heavy spiritual resentment. The ghosts that hadn't taken on a body howled and hovered bitterly in the air. At the entrance of the mountain gate, there was a giant breach ripping through the sky. Behind the breach was the ghost realm, and a tall, bluestone staircase stretching thousand of steps escaped from the barrier cracks. Seeing out from the staircase, the fierce spirits that had regained a flesh body were climbing down this step disorderly and chaotically, rushing from the underworld to the human world.

Any ordinary person would be terrified at the scene unfolding. The first time Mo Ran saw it, he was shocked to the bone, but he was used to it now.

The barrier between the human and ghost realms was set by Emperor Fuxi in ancient times. Today, it was very weak. It would grow weak spots every now and again, which need to be repaired by immortal cultivators. However, this kind of thing not only does little to improve one's cultivation but is thankless with how much spiritual energy it consumes. It was a real drudgery, so few immortals in the upper cultivation world were willing to take this job.

When a fierce spirit was born, the people of the Lower Cultivation Realm were the first to come under attack. As the protectors of the Lower Cultivation Realm, Life-Death Peak was forced to undertake the task of repairing the barrier. The back mountains of the sect faced the weakest point in the barrier all to ensure they could be repaired swiftly.

There would be breaks in the barrier about four or five times a year. It was just like an old, chipped pot; useless.

Now, at the entrance of the ghost world, on the long bluestone stairs, a man stood there with snow-coloured clothes and wide sleeves flowing in the wind. He was surrounded by the aura of his sword, the golden light shimmering. Using his own power to clear out the evil spirits and ghosts, he repaired the small holes appearing in the barrier.

The man had a slender waist and an elegant appearance, with a holy aura and a handsome face. From a distance, it was easy to imagine he was a scholar reading an ancient scroll under a flowering tree. However, looking closely, he had sharp eyebrows, phoenix eyes slanted upwards, and the bridge of his nose was straight and narrow. While he seemed to be gentle and elegant, his eyes were mean and seemingly unkind.

Mo Ran glanced at him from a distance. Although he thought he had prepared himself, when he saw this man appear in front of him alive and healthy again, it made him tremble down to his smallest bones.

Half fear, half. . . excitement.

His Shizun.

Chu Wanning.

This was the person that Xue Meng had cried and begged to see when he arrived at Wushan Hall in the previous life.

It was this man that ruined Mo Ran's ambition, ruined his plans, and was finally imprisoned and tortured to death by Mo Ran because of it.

Logically speaking, if Mo Ran had the chance to avenge himself and defeat the enemy that had blocked his progress.

The sea is wide and free for fish to swim in, the sky is high and the birds could fly endlessly, no one could reign him back anymore. At least, that's what Mo Ran thought.

However, that doesn't seem to be the case.

After his Shizun died, something else seemed to have been buried along with his hatred.

Mo Ran was not a man of culture and didn't recognize any other feeling than being evenly matched with a worthy opponent.

He only knows that here on out, he had no archenemies.

When Shizun was alive, he had been afraid, paranoid, and anxious. When he saw the willow vine in Shizun's hand, the hair on the back of his neck stood on up. He became just like a beaten mutt, just the sound of a wooden club slap caused his teeth to ache and legs to give out. Even his calf muscles would spasm from fear.

Later, when Shizun died, the person Mo Ran had feared the most was finally gone. Mo Ran felt that he had grown and matured, being able to finally commit this act of murdering his teacher.

Afterwards, when looking at the mortal realm, no one dared force him to kneel down, and no longer slapped himself in the face.

To celebrate, he opened the pear blossom white wine, sat on the roof, and drank wine all night.

That night, under the influence of alcohol, the scars that Shizun had inflicted on his back when he was a teenager seemed to feel hot and painful again.

At this moment, when he saw Shizun reappear in front of him, Mo Ran started, filled with hate and anger, but there was also a slight twinge of ecstasy.

Such an opponent, lost and now regained, how can he not please?

Chu Wanning ignored the two apprentices who broke into the back mountains and continued concentrating on fighting the scattered undead.

His facial features were elegant, his eyebrows are evenly long. His phoenix eyes were cast downwards, his cool demeanour powerful. Amidst the demonic air and blood rain, his expression had not changed. His face remained calm, as though he might sit down and burn incense or play the guqin at the moment.

However, such a gentle and beautiful man, at that moment, was holding an icy exorcism long sword dripping with red blood droplets. With a flick of his wide sleeve, the sword's energy sliced through the bluestone steps in an explosion. Crushed stones and bricks rolled down, cracking an immeasurable chasm from the gate all the way to the bottom of the mountain, splitting the staircase and its thousands of steps!

So ferocious.

How many years had it been since he had seen his Shizun's power?

This familiar and powerful dominance made Mo Ran lose all his strength. Shakily, he fell onto his knees with a thump.

It didn't take long for Chu Wanning to kill all the ghosts, and neatly fill in the holes in the barrier to the ghost world. After doing all this, he fell from mid-air and went over to Mo Ran and Xue Meng.

He first glanced at Mo Ran kneeling on the ground, and then raised his eyes to look at Xue Meng, his phoenix eyes holding a powerful chill.

"Causing trouble again?"

Mo Ran sucked in a breath.

Shizun had the ability to always correctly assume any situation.

Xue Meng: "Shizun, Mo Ran went down the mountain, committing the two crimes of stealing and prostitution. Please punish him accordingly, Shizun."

Chu Wanning was silent for a while, expressionless. He coldly remarked: "I know."

Mo Ran: ". . ."

Xue Meng: ". . ."

Both of them were a little confused. Then? Is that it?

However, just when Mo Ran thought tat he had gotten off lucky, he looked up at Chu Wanning and caught a a glimpse of a sharp golden light suddenly cutting through the air. There was a lightening-like crackling sound that slashed across Mo Ran's cheek!!

Drops of blood splashed everywhere!

The speed of that golden light was so fast, Mo Ran didn't even have a moment to close his eyes, let alone dodge it. The skin on his face was flayed open with a fierce pain.

Chu Wanning stood with his hands clasped behind his back, standing coldly in the chilling breeze of teh night air. The air was still filled with the foul aura of fierce spirits and ghosts mixed with the smell of human blood. It made the forbidden area of the back mountains appear even more eerie and terrifying.

In Chu Wanning's hand was a willow vine that had whipped Mo Ran. The vine was narrow and long, with green leaves sprouting from it, hanging down near the edge of his boots.

It was clearly sucha graceful object. Looking at it would have made people think of poems such as "Pliant is the the willow branch I gift to my beloved".

It's a pity that Chu Wanning was neither pliant or had a beloved.

The willow vine in his hand was actually a magic weapon named Tianwen. At this moment, Tianwen was glimmering with golden red light, piercing through the surrounding darkness, and also reflecting in the bottomless depths of Chu Wanning's eyes.

Chu Wanning pursed his lips, and said sensibly: "Mo Weiyu, you are so bold. Should I really not do something to discipline you?"

If this really was the fifteen-year old Mo Ran, he might not have taken this exclamation seriously, thinking that Shizun was just trying to scare him.

But after being reborn, Mo Weiyu had thoroughly experienced Shizun’s "control" with his blood in his previous life. He immediately felt the roots of his teeth ache and blood rushing to his head. His mouth was already moving, ready to deny everything and clear his name

"Shizun. . ." His cheek still bleeding, Mo Ran raised his eyes, staining them with a thin veil of tears. He knew that his current appearance must look extremely pitiful. "This disciple has never stolen. . . has never laid with a prostitute. . . why did Shizun listen to Xue Meng's words and strike me without even listening to my side of the story?"

". . ."

Mo Ran had two tricks to get out of trouble with his uncle. First, act cute. Second, pretend to be pitiful. Now he tried these out on Chu Wanning, trying to look so pitiful that tears almost fell from his eyes: "Is the disciple really so worthless in your eyes? Why doesn't Shizun even give me a chance to defend myself?"

Xue Meng stomped angrily next to him: "Mo Ran! You, you piece of shit! You truly are shameless! Sizun, don't listen to him, don't be fooled by this bastard! He really did steal! All the stolen goods are still on him!"

Chu Wanning looked through his eyelashes, his expression cold: "Mo Ran, you truly never stole?"

"Never."

". . . You should know the consequences of lying to me."

Mo Ran's arms were covered in goosebumps. How could he not know? But he still foolishly persisted: "Shizun, please!"

Chu Wanning raised his hand, and the shiny golden vine waved again, but this time he did not draw it on the face of Mo Ran. Instead, he used it to tightly bind Mo Ran.

This feeling was all too familiar. In addition to whipping people on the regular, the willow vine "Tianwen" has another function——

Chu Wanning stared at Mo Ran, who was held tightly in Tianwen's grasp, and asked again: "Have you never stolen?"

Suddenly, there was a familiar stabbing pain straight in Mo Ran's heart, as if a sharp fanged small snake had slid its way into his chest and was playing with his organs.

Accompanied by the severe pain was an irresistible temptation. Mo Ran couldn't help but open his mouth, his voice hoarse: "I. . . never. . . ah. . . !!!"

Tianwen's golden light seemed to pick up on his lies, glowing harder. The pain caused Mo Ran to break out in a cold sweat, but he still desperately resisted such torture.

This was Tianwen's second function: interrogation.

Once tied up by Tianwen, no one could lie. Whether it was a person or a ghost, dead or alive, Tianwen had a way of forcing them to speak and reveal the answer that Chu Wanning wanted to know.

In his last life, by relying on a strong cultivation base, there was only one person who had finally managed to keep a secret under Tianwen's influence.

That person was the person who had become the emperor of the mortal realm, Mo Weiyu.

After being reborn, Mo Ran had hoped he'd have a bit of luck, thinking that he would still be able to resist the forced interrogation of Tianwen. But after biting his lip for what felt like forever, with big beads of sweat dripping down over his dark eyebrows and full-body trembles, he finally bowed before Chu Wanning's boots in pain, gasping for breath.

"I. . . I. . . stole. . ."

The pain abruptly disappeared.

Mo Ran hadn't even caught his breath before Chu Wanning asked another question, his voice even colder than before.

"Did you commit debauchery?"

Smart people don't do stupid things. Since he hadn't been able to resist before, it was even more impossible now. This time, Mo Ran didn't even resist, and when the pain struck, he went so far to even shout: "Yes yes I did!!!! Shizun please! No more!"

Xue Meng's face turned blue at his side. He exclaimed with shock: "You, how can you. . . That Rong Jiu is a man, you actually. . ."

No one paid attention to him. As the golden light of Tianwen slowly dimmed, Mo Ran gasped for breath, his whole body was drenched as if he had just been fished from the water. His face was as white as paper, his lips still trembling, and he collapsed on the ground, unable to move.

Through sweaty eyelashes, he looked up at Chu Wanning's elegant figure, wearing a green jade crown and wide sleeves that fell to the floor.

A strong hatred suddenly surged into his heart - Chu Wanning! This Venerable One wasn't wrong in is treatment of you in his past life, that much is true!! Even after being reborn, the hatred still burns strong! Fuck all eighteen generations of your ancestors!!

Chu Wanning didn't know that this crafty disciple was going to fuck all eighteen generations of his ancestors. He stood there for a while with a sullen expression, and then said.

"Xue Meng."

Although Xue Meng knows that men were the popular choice among rich businessmen and wealthy households, and many people play with male prostitutes just for something new and not really because they liked men, he still couldn't digest it. After a while, he said: "Shizun, this disciple is here."

"Mo Ran went against the three mandates on corruption, debauchery, and deception. Take him to the Yan Luo Hall so he can repent. Bring him to the Platform of Righteousness and Evil tomorrow morning so that he receive a public punishment."

Xue Meng was startled: "What. . .? Public punishment?"

Public punishment means taking the disciples who have committed severe transgressions in front of the disciples of the whole school, in front of everyone, even the ladies in the dining hall, and punishing them for the crowd.

Utterly shameful.

It should be known that Mo Ran was a disciple of Life-Death Peak. Although the disciplinary measures in the school were strict, because of Mo Ran's special status - his uncle pitied him for losing his parents so young and was scavenging outside for fourteen years - he couldn't bear to punish Mo Ran. No matter what Mo Ran did, he would just get a small lecture in private, and he would be beaten.

But Shizun wouldn't even save the face of the sect leader. He wanted to take his precious nephew to the Platform of Righteousness and Evil and publicly punish and shame Young Master Mo in front of the entire sect. This was something even Xue Meng hadn't expected.

Mo Ran, however, wasn't surprised.

He lay on the ground with a sneer at the corner of his mouth.

How great and selfless his Shizun was.

Chu Wanning was truly cold-blooded. In his previous life, when Shi Mei died in front of him, Mo Ran cried and pleading, pulling on his clothes, kneeling on the ground and begging him for help.

But Chu Wanning turned a deaf ear.

And so his disciple had breathed his last breath before him, and even with Mo Ran crying his heart out next to him, Chu Wanning simply stood there and ignored his sobs.

Now all he was doing was putting him on the Platform of Righteousness and Evil to be dealt with before the public. There was nothing strange about this.

Mo Ran could only resent how weak his cultivation base was now. He couldn't peel off Chu Wanning's skin, rip out his nerves, drink his blood, can’t pull his hair back, can't insult him, can’t torture him and destroy his dignity, make him desire nothing but death. . .

He hadn't been able to hide the beast-like hatred in his eyes, and Chu Wanning picked up on it.

He faintly glanced at Mo Ran's face, a stoic expression on a gentle and elegant face.

"What are you thinking about?"

Fuck!

Tianwen hadn't been removed yet!

Mo Ran once again felt the vines tying him up, and his internal organs felt like they were about to be squeezed into mush. He yelled in pain, panting and roaring out the thoughts in his head——

"Chu Wanning, you think you're so refined! Watch me fuck you to death!"

No one made a sound.

Chu Wanning: ". . ."

Even Xue Meng was stunned: ". . ."

Tianwen suddenly retracted Chu Wanning's palm, turning into a small speck of golden light before disappearing altogether. Tianwen was made from the bones and blood of Chu Wanning and could appear when summoned and vanished at will.

Xue Meng's face was pale and he stuttered: "Shi-Shizun. . ."

Chu Wanning didn't say a word. His delicate black and slender eyelashes lowered, examining his palms for a while. Then, he raised his eyes, his face even, but his complexion even colder. He glared at Mo Ran with a gaze saying "this disciple deserves death", then said in a low voice:

"Tianwen is broken, I am going to go fix it."

Chu Wanning threw down these words, turned and left.

Xue Meng was kind of slow: "How could an immortal weapon like Tianwen be broken?"

Chu Wanning heard it, and glanced back at him with a look of "this disciple deserves death" as well. Xue Meng shuddered.

Mo Ran lay on the ground, half-dead, with a blank expression.

What he had been thinking really was looking for a way to fuck Chu Wanning to death. He knew that the Master Chu, who held titles like "Yuheng of the Night Sky, Beidou Immortal", had always paid attention to elegance and correctness, and he couldn't stand being stepped on by others, defiling him.

But he didn't want Chu Wanning to know that he was thinking that!

Mo Ran whimpered like a stray dog, covering his face.

Thinking of the look in Chu Wanning's eyes when he was leaving, he felt that he probably did not have long to wait until his death.

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