#these kids are more than just alright

[nat-ter]

Bruce had never met Superman face to face but he still hated the alien and thought of him as a threat and he was convinced his boys did too— except his kids are traitors. They each met Superman individually and found him really friendly and nice. At first, they were all hiding the fact that they were friends with Superman from each other, and especially from Bruce. So while Bruce was obsessed with coming up with contingency plan after contingency plan to take down Superman— even though he didn't try to kill the alien yet since Superman was still doing good for the people and Bruce couldn't just attack someone who hadn't done any wrong yet— the kids were making excuses to go meet Superman in secret and Bruce just went on oblivious to the fact that his kids are backstabbing demons.

Of course they lied to Superman too, about Batman's opinions of the Man of Steel, and the various plans he had made to kill said man. They always came up with reason after reason why Superman shouldn't or couldn't meet Batman, sometimes it's getting so ridiculous they were sure even Superman would call their buff. But sweet, ol' Kal never did.

Eventually, they found out that none of them held a grudge against Superman like Batman did, so they all teamed up together and cover for each other whenever one of them spend time with Superman, or cover the fact that Superman came to Gotham one too many time than he should. And it was the one thing that all of them could work together on without fighting or insulting each other. At one point, to keep their secret friendship with Superman, Dick even went so far to wear Batman's costume and meet Superman as Batman because Superman had wanted to meet Batman really bad and they were running dry on why Batman couldn't make time to meet the neighboring hero, and it wasn't like they could just ask Bruce to meet him considering the large collection of Kryptonite in the Cave. And they didn't exactly want their mentor to find out they had went behind his back and formed a friendship with who he swore was his mortal enemy (B's dramatic like that).

They tried to broach the subject of partnership with Superman to Bruce once in a while, of course, but every single time they were either shot down immediately and called ridiculous for even thinking about it or they had to sit through a dramatic monologue about how Superman couldn't be trusted and why they should stay away from him.

But Superman could fly and had superspeed so of course they couldn't stop him if he were to randomly come to Gotham and speak with Batman as if they were friends. Which was what exactly happened. Dick, as Batman, had warned Superman to never, ever come to Gotham without prior notice and to make sure no one notice his presence while he was in the city ("but you can totally see my kids. I'm cool with that." "Oh? Thanks, Batman. But... you know you sound younger than I thought you would." "Uh... yeah, I. Ehem. I'm very in touch with the modern lingo."), and Superman had readily agreed citing about respecting each other's boundaries and all, so the kids thought they were in the clear. But of course, there would be an emergency when even Superman wouldn't have the time to page first before coming right into Batman's turf and ask for his help.

So on a relatively quiet night, Batman was perching on a gargoyle while the newest Robin was scouting out the alleyways for any trouble. And Superman decided to touch down on the roof behind the crouching Batman and said, as if they had met before, as if they were close friends who hang out every once in a while, "Good evening, Batman. It's nice to see you again. Sorry I couldn't page first, and I hope you're not too busy because I have an emergency and I could really use your help."

Batman had gone rigid in a second and through gritted teeth, said, "Superman."

Upon hearing the name through the comm, Damian panicked and immediately sent out an emergency alert to his brothers before grappling to the building where sweet, clueless Superman with his sweet heart was facing the big bad Bat of Gotham who had been stockpiling on kryptonite for years, waiting for the day he would fight Superman. Which was the first mistake.

Because of course Superman, friendly Superman, with heart the size of the Sun, immediately recognised Robin. And of course, clueless Superman with his dumb, harmless 1000 megawatt smile was waving at Robin as if they were friends, as if they knew each other, as if Robin didn't hear Bruce grumbling about each piece written about the good deeds the Superman did every other day.

The others arrived at the scene faster than they would have at any night. Panic stricken and scared shitless of Bruce's wrath. And of course Superman immediately greeted them as soon as they got there.

Batman had merely narrowed his eyes when Superman had waved at Robin, and barked, sharper than he had before, "What the hell are you doing in my city?"

Superman looked taken aback but he was quick to recover. Seems like whatever emergency he got was more prominent than figuring out why his sort-of-not-really-friend was behaving weirdly. "Like I said, I have an emergency and I could really use your help, Batman."

Batman scoffed but with the voice modulator it sounded garbled and hard for the ears. "And what makes you think I would help you?"

Superman blinked. "What do you mean— Why wouldn't you help me?"

"First you encroach into my city without even asking for permission, talking to me as if we are— friends. And then you ask for my help as if I would just drop everything on my plate and follow you. Who do you think—"

But Batman's rant was cut off by the arrival of the other three heroes who stood at the edge of the roof, looking sheepish and guilty, breathing heavily in the quiet night. Superman looked at them, bewildered and surprised to see all the Batfamily in one place but smiling wide nonetheless because he was happy to see his little friends together. It had always been two kids or one. Never three, never all of them and certainly not with Batman in the mix.

"Oh, hey, Red Robin, Nightwing and Red Hood...?" Superman waved awkwardly by the end of his greetings, looking unsure. "Sorry," he said and actually curled in on himself a little as if he's self-conscious. "Are you guys on a big case? I didn't hear anything so I thought you weren't busy. I guess I could try to contact Wonder Woman if you have your hands full."

Superman turned to Batman but Batman was slowly turning his head towards where his kids stood at the edge of the roof. He was eerily silent and motionless making the kids take a step back nervously. Superman watched the scene with a frown, pulling his eyebrows together so tightly they almost meet in the middle. He was starting to detect that something wasn't quite right.

"Explain." Batman barked.

And Superman's face scrunched up even further. Clearly the man was deep in thought. "You know," he said slowly before none of the kids could speak. "Batman. You sound really different than the last time we met. Or any other time, actually. It's as if you're..." he trailed off, staring at Batman's feet, lost in his thoughts again.

"What." Batman shifted slightly. "We've never met before."

"Oh," Superman breathed out, his face going slack. He turned to Nightwing and the young hero immediately stood up straighter. "It was you."

Batman's head snapped towards where Dick was standing with his hands literally clasped behind his back like a soldier. "Nightwing," growled Batman. "Explain."

"Uhh..." said Dick eloquently.

"Red Robin." Bruce barked when Dick fell into silence, unable to come up with a plausible excuse, or to tell the truth.

"Err..." said Tim, swaying a little on his feet. He hadn't had enough sleep or coffee in him to live through the situation.

Batman did not sigh but Bruce Wayne did. A lot. And the kids had a knack of bringing out the dad side in him so Batman sighed through the voice modulator before he could think better. He had always suspected that his kids were up to something but he was so consumed with the thought of the alien— who was now standing in front of him with the world's greatest kicked puppy eyes in the world for some reason— he had stupidly thought whatever shenanigans his sons were up to, he would be able to deal with it later. Of course, he had never thought that his kids were dirty, backstabbing demons.

"Father," Damian finally said, but only because Jason had been signing at him to do so, telling him to use his puppy eyes since it still seemed to work on Bruce. "This is a misunderstanding."

But apparently they were dealing with the full Bat tonight, despite the involuntary sigh, because Batman did not slumped down his shoulders like he always did when Damian turn on his pleading eyes, instead he stood up straight as ever and met Damian's eye straight on. Jason was sure he could hear thunderstorm coming their way.

"A misunderstanding." He repeated flatly.

"Yes." Dick quickly said and Jason gave him a side eye. Dude, he thought, I just convinced the demon child to throw himself under the bus, why are you still talking.

"How is this a misunderstanding." His tone was so flat it didn't even come out as a question.

"I don't understand," Superman said instead, before anyone could reply Batman. He turned to the kids, his face set in disappointment so similar to Bruce's the kids actually flinched back. "You told me Batman was okay with me hanging out with you guys... And he told me— Oh. Nightwing. Right."

Batman's shoulders went impossibly more rigid. "You have been... hanging out."

"Err," said Nightwing, Red Robin and Robin simultaneously. Jason wisely kept his mouth shut. But Bruce's eyes still landed on him. Jason groaned in his head. So much for staying undetected.

"Red Hood," Bruce said slowly, very pointedly. "I thought you hate Superman."

"Yeah, well." Jason shrugged with nonchalance he didn't feel. "Turns out, he's a pretty great guy. So, kudos to him. Yay...?"

"You hated me?" Superman asked, looking dejected. Like someone kicked his dog and Jason knew he had a dog so the expression was even more daunting. And Jason wasn't having any of it, okay. Kal-El had literally given Red Hood his Ma's secret recipe for the perfect cinnamon roll. Which tasted like heaven (sorry Alfred). They had a bond, okay. No way he would let Superman see him as some cynical asshole. No way.

"Not fucking fair. It was the old man who went on and on about how you can't be trusted while making weapons to kill you. So, in my defense, it was hard to like you when all your flaws and possible weaknesses are pointed out in an alphabetical order." He threw a quick glance at the old man he just threw under the bus. Bruce looked unimpressed as ever. "But that was before I met you and found out that you're actually a chill dude. With a mother who's, like, the God of Baking."

"Superman doesn't have a mother!" Batman, honest to god, spluttered.

"Yes, he does." The young heroes said in unison.

"His world is dead. His parents are dead." Batman needlessly emphasised the word 'dead', for which he got four pairs of unimpressed eyes.

"B, have you ever heard of adoption." Dick said, emphasising the last word just to spite Bruce. Because of course Bruce did, if not, three of them wouldn't be there.

"You have Earth parents!" Batman exclaimed quite unlike himself, pointing a finger at Superman as if that's an accusation.

"You want to kill me." Kal whispered, his puppy eyes back on full effect.

Batman shifted uncomfortably. It was one thing to plan ways to kill someone, even if they're alien, it's completely different when said someone you wanted to kill was confronting you about the very thing.

"Yes." Damian reaffirmed. Ever the literal. "Father has been producing a variety of weapons to weaken you, hurt you and eventually kill you with the material called Kryptonite."

"Robin." Tim hissed.

Damian was still a growing child, emotionally and physically. But even he knew that when his any of his brothers said his name like that, it meant he had crossed a line he shouldn't have without realising he did.

"But you have nothing to worry about, Kal." Damian quickly amended. "Should father try to use these weapons under unwarranted circumstances, he will find the stock empty. We have contingency plans for father's contingencies—"

"Damian." It was Dick this time, who quickly moved and put a hand over Robin's mouth. He didn't even realise his mistake, not any of them did, actually.

"What." Batman said. Mostly confused. He couldn't even find it in himself to be furious at the moment. He was just flummoxed.

"Oh. Uh." Superman stammered. "Thank you? That's really nice of you."

An awkward silence befall the rooftop as each hero stood awkwardly where they were, barely breathing, motionless, not knowing what action to take next. Eventually Batman shifted an inch.

Oh no, thought the boys, he's going to go on another rant.

"You went behind my back," Batman started with a dark voice. "I warned you about the danger and you dismissed it. You went and made an alliance with my enemy." Here, Superman let out a protesting noise which could also he offended because, really? Enemy? Batman ignored it. "Not only that, you made plans to go against me. Instead of talking to me, you decided to oppose me. I have trained you and taught you everything you need to know. I take care of you and make sure to meet each of your needs. And this is what I get in return. Betrayal. You did not listen to me and—"

But he was cut off by a sardonic voice. "Master Wayne," said a voice from the batcomm each Bat was wearing, and Superman with his superhearing could hear it loud and clear too. "Considering your history of doing what you were told not to do, are you sure that you should be giving this speech?"

"Alfred," Batman said, sounding almost petulant.

"It is your fault, afterall, that you did not seek out Superman first before deciding who he is and what he is like. It is a good thing, if I may be so bold to say, that the kids see past the mask and befriend Superman in spite of what you have to say about him." Batman looked at Superman who was standing there awkwardly, staring at Batman. Bruce sneered, unable to help himself.

"Quit that," Alfred admonished. Bruce immediately dropped it. Superman blinked. "Now, Master Bruce. I agree that Master Dick, Master Jason, Master Tim and Master Damian should have come forward with their established friendship with Superman but considering your opinion on him, I believe it is understandable that they hesitated to do so." The aforementioned young boys nodded their head at Bruce. "That is not to say, however, that their behaviour shall go unpunish." Now they were groaning and Bruce had a little smile of triumph. "Perhaps, a few days off petrol and reflecting on our behaviours would do us some good. Including you, Master Bruce." Bruce immediately dropped his smile. Why him, too? Alfred answered right away. "I believe you realise now that you have been acting brashly the past few years. Now, we know that Superman is not as aloof and alien as we had previously thought. He is more earthbound than we believed him to be. If he were to go, he will have someone to miss him."

The kids nodded again. Superman just stared at Bruce with wide eyes and an expression Bruce couldn't put together. Whatever, Bruce had no time to care about him. He turned slightly away to whisper to the comm.

"But Alfred—"

"None of that now. I suggest you send the young lads home and we put this discussion off for the future."

In the ensuing silence, Superman softly breathed out: "Wayne."

Batman immediately went rigid, and so did the other young vigilantes. How the hell—

"Bruce... Wayne...?" Superman searched Batman's covered face as if he was trying to see if he was actually coming to a concrete conclusion.

"Oh," Alfred said, surprised and guilty. "The supersenses have slipped my mind. My apologies, Master Bruce."

For the first time in his life, Bruce didn't know what to do. Of course his immediate response should be deflection. But how could you lie to Superman about the very thing he just heard. The kids didn't seem to know what else to do either.

"Perhaps, you should ask Superman to come over for tea if his emergency is not an emergency anymore and we could talk about this in a more secure place." Alfred smoothly continued. No point in lying now. Superman had heard what he had heard and it was unlikely that he could be convinced that his superhearing was faulty.

Superman blinked a few times as if to clear his thoughts before he cleared his throat. "Yes, uhm. I was going to ask Batman to help me take a look at some data about a shipment from Gotham to Metropolis that was to happen tonight. I have reasons to believe that Luthor is involved and when Luthor is involved—"

"Kryptonite is involved." Bruce finished it for him.

Superman looked at him, seemingly a bit surprised. "Erm, yes. That. But I think it has already happened so... I'd have to follow it up tomorrow. So. Uh. I have... time?"

Batman narrowed his eyes and stayed silent.

"Bruce." Alfred said.

"C'mon B," Dick piped up. "The worst has already happened."

"I concur, Father. Kal-El now knows who you are, it is only best that the matter of discretion be properly discussed." Damian nodded sagely.

"The fuck, old man, are you still contemplating this?" Jason raised his arms in disbelief. He's so done with this family.

"Language, Master Jason."

"Uhh..." Tim swayed on his feet.

Batman sighed again. Dammit. Instead of showing his discomfort, however, he growled out a mean, "Fine." And then he grappled towards where he parked the Batmobile. Those brats could find their own way home and Superman? He could fly anyway.

Turned out, Superman could fly with four more passengers and Red Robin's bike that the kids used to get to that building. Although Bruce later gave Kal a piece of his mind about safety and the standard amount of people Superman should carry during flight without putting anyone in danger.

[kineticallyanywhere]

"I shouldn't take up all the emotional space"

Normal I am BEGGING you to take up emotional space

[dhmis-autism]

ID LOVE TO SEE YOUR HUMAN RED GUY BTW

well gosh if you're gonna be so enthusiastic about it sure. here's a drawing i did of him a while back. if you really want i'll show you the others but ah, im shy.

[b4kuch1n]

OOOUGGHAAAAAAA I DID IT I MANAGED TO DO INK WITH A DIP PEN

NEXT COMICS MEDIUM IS FUCKING SETTLED. YUUTO YOU WILL BE FED

[morethanwonderful-archive]

Thinking about the cycles of dysfunction in MDZS, and the different brands of misguided that crop up in every clan.

The Nie family curse is single-mindedness. Nie Mingjue is too black and white in his view of the world, which makes him cruel to Wei Wuxian and unable to cope with the truth of Meng Yao. Nie Huaisang is relentless in his quest to avenge his brother's death, willing to endanger anyone and everyone in order to get his way. Once a Nie has decided what is right, he will do anything, hurt anyone, to achieve his view of justice.

The Lan family curse is too much love for people they cannot stomach. The Twin Jades' father falls in love with the woman who kills his teacher, and he can neither accept her deeds nor let her go, so he chooses to lock her away. Lan Xichen swears brotherhood to a man who does not hesitate to commit heinous acts to get his way, but he chooses to brush aside those heinous acts and assume they are justified, because he cannot bear to look at them more closely. Lan Zhan falls in love with a man who would rather die than follow a rule he disagrees with, and it takes him years—takes him until it's too late to save his life—to learn to accept Wei Ying on his own terms.

The Jin family curse is self-centeredness in the extreme. Jin Guangshan assaults countless women, abandons countless children, all for the sake of his own pleasure, but refuses to help out an old flame because it's "too much trouble." Jin Guangyao lies constantly and kills countless people, including his own young son, all for the sake of furthering his ambitions. Jin Zixuan is famously arrogant as a young man, rejecting his fiancé because he feels she doesn't deserve him. Jin Ling, even as a teenage boy, sets up countless nets that ruin others' night hunts, feeling no sympathy when confronted with how unfair this is.

And the Jiang family curse. The Jiang family curse is the inability to suffer without taking it out on those around them, even when it is deeply undeserved. Jiang Fengmian and his wife both act out their frustration with each other via their treatment of Jiang Cheng. Madame Yu also takes out her anger toward her husband and her situation in life via the abuse of Wei Wuxian. Jiang Cheng clings to his brother as a scapegoat when he's desperate, blaming him for the deaths of his parents and sister (and helping kill him for his crimes), and he raises Jin Ling to do the very same thing. And even Wei Wuxian, when he's pushed, comes to assume malice from everyone around him, lashing out at people like Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan that genuinely want to help.

[lab-gr0wn-lambs]

Gee that's a tough call. The family he's had for 12 years including the two kids he's been raising, or the strangers he's known for maybe a few weeks just using him as a bodyguard in fucking France where he has a bounty on his head

[nonuggetshere]

I need to draw something with PK and Hornet there's not enough of these two together in my art

[devotedlystrangewizard]

totk really is one of those games that make me go "ok thanks for the characters, setting, and general plot, but ill take it from here <3" because the entire historical timeline had so much potential for interesting and nuanced story telling but they just went with the old zelda story formula and YES thats how theyve always done it but botw was such a reset in terms of gameplay that they couldve overhauled how they handle story in totk. but they didnt

[littlewigglers]

Do you plan on getting any non millipede friends

I do! I’d love to get some more isopods and raise some beetles from larva again. I’d also LOVE to get back into fish keeping my faves are bettas, shrimps, corydoras and kuhli loaches! Maybe a snake or gecko further down the line? But those are what I know the least about and would be most hesitant to get as I want any creatures I get to have the best care I can give them.

I’d say the only creatures on my never list are spiders, roaches, centipede, anything else that moves overly fast or has a bad bite/is venomous/poisonous. Probably turtles too just due to their life spans.

But millipedes and isopods are what I’m able to keep right now as I’d have to get some new tanks for anything else, as well as all the research I’d need to do to be comfortable keeping them.

Oh also I do have two cats I just don’t post about them here, and I plan to possibly get a third next year but we’ll see :3

[eggmeralda]

I need a massive sudden hyperfixation shock to happen again

[yeonban]

CHRISTMAS GIFTS 2023 : Mihai & Hinata, @beastincidents

Gore Vidal - A letter to Anaïs Nin | S. Bear Bergman - Butch is a Noun | Hushed-Words (Tumblr) | Albert Camus - A letter to María Casares | Midsighted (Tumblr) | Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day | FadingOutFast (Tumblr)

[aromanticasterisms]

women 👍

[brown-little-robin]

oh, I vividly remembered that last scene from HxH, what the heck

[todayisafridaynight]

would you guys still like me if i rambled about my cringe crackship

[bredforloyalty]

blocked by op of this gifset i wanted to reblog

[lazlolullaby]

Immortal King Edmund AU

(aka the secret 10th option of the Dark Prince Eugene poll that I just thought of today.)

tl:dr. Edmund is the chill selfless immortal to foil with Gothel’s controlling selfish immortal. Eugene isn’t his son he’s his second cousin yada yada times removed.

He’s lived in his Castle for a long time, giving Rapunzel an opportunity to help someone like her. He’s loyal to his job like Cassandra is, which causes her to rethink her life choices. He’s actually responsible but also still has his quirks, which shows Lance that he doesn’t have to shy away from his obligations to live a happy life

you know. just overthinking things and mushing them into an emotional arc that could have worked in the show.

here’s a ficlet for an immortal who’s just “some guy.” under the cut. Never had a plan in his head or wanted to hurt nobody, just wanted to do his family proud.

The Moonstone can grant people immortality; making their aging stop, their skin as hard as the Black Rocks, and keep their minds clear as moonlight. Edmund’s father had discovered the Moonstone and shared it’s power with his entire village.

The immortal villagers build a Castle to live in together, to protect themselves and the Moonstone from those who would want to use it for evil.

But immortal doesn’t really mean unkillable. After some well-meaning and not well-meaning magic hunters, people who leave the light of the Moonstone, and just plain accidents, the Castle becomes silent, the mortal people having left to their own relatively safer villages.

The only ones that remain immortal are Edmund, Adira, Hector, and Quirin.

They decided to paint the Moonstone as a powerful artifact that’s too dangerous to use. They are still in contact with their mortal subjects, but in a few generations, the full truth is lost.

Edmund had a plan in place where in 50 or so years he would “die” and make Quirin the next King, then swap to someone else. That happened a few times, and Edmund even let himself be an “advisor” for a new bloodline for a few decades before faking his death and moving to a nearby village. Rinse and repeat if needed.

No one really recognizes him until someone finds the old paintings in the Castle. (to be fair, they don’t have instant cameras, just paintings that could take hours, if not days, filled with symbolism even and no one really comes to the Castle to look at the paintings, really!)

There’s a whole revolution to get “the rightful heir” back on the throne. It’s a comedy of errors almost. If he wasn’t concerned about people dying in the pointless fight, he’d find it very funny. (He’ll laugh about it one day. one day, in an empty Castle with only caws answering back.)

Edmund is back in the spotlight, with guards and people and the ever present knowledge that he won’t age like them. He caught the eye of some lovely women and thought about children, not for the first or last time in his long life.

But what legacy could he leave - if he doesn’t ever leave?

That’s what drove him to attack the Moonstone, to remove the blessing-curse-blessing. The truth, as always, was hidden from his advisors, hidden from the mortals with their short lives and vivid minds. The Moonstone is out of control - he would say.

Quirin called him out on his fears. Took the people he swore to protect away. Adira left after always leaving to go search here and there. Hector - he actually thinks Hector believes he died.

It doesn’t matter. The village - his home, it’s gone. It was buried underneath the Castle, the wood decayed a hundred times over. He can’t go back to a full Castle, or even a half-full one. It was just him.

(Despite how certain he was alone, he was wrong. People sent letters. He wrote back, when he didn’t feel like time was slipping through his fingers.)

The next 50 years were agonizing yet brief. Lonesomeness and grief and guilt swirled in his head. If he swears he writes it all down, maybe he can rest. (he barely rests.)

People break in for shelter. He attracts a village again. Gets a horse. Some people believe he's a ghost. (He lets them think it until they try to banish him.) He doesn't really talk to them. Doesn't reach out with the only hand he has left. There's a deluge of letters - a Princess of Corona and a merry band of friends. Requests to not attack.

(Of course he attacks, that’s half the fun!)

The one that stayed behind on the gondola was almost expected. A sacrifice play. Edmund paused, waiting for him to speak. People tend to fall into a few camps when pleading for their lives. He wondered what this - dashing rogue as he read about - would do.

“Oh, thank heavens you’re okay.” Sarcasm. Then. "What are you waiting for?"

Ah. Resignation. Contrition. Most aren't sorry to be searching for a powerful magical item, just sorry to be caught. He was good company for a Princess.

“Oh. You know. Fate. Destiny.” Edmund says. “You look familiar...oh!” he pulls out his reminder. An old, crinkled wanted poster with a teenager on it.

(Some villagers give him moral quandaries, like say a young boy who can’t survive without thieving. Keeps his mind sharp.)

“What. That’s the perfect poster!” the man cries.

And thus begins his relationship with a Eugene Fitzherbert.

He invites him inside, and gives his friends the whole tour. His speech that he’s given time and time again, tweaked for the ages. They stay, and when night falls and he settles his bedroll against the door to the Moonstone.

The Moonstone talks. whispers and says that her counterpart is here - that she’ll be leaving soon. Edmund gets up and does his rounds.

(he’s not sure, but the Stones hold onto words, things that others say.)

Eugene’s voice echoes.

“I’ve got an idea - the Minister said that his mind fades with the moon, right? His memories come and go. It’ll take two months, tops. I can get him and the Moonstone out of here.”

“two months?”

“He’s been here for over 300 years. that we know of. He’s not you, it’s not going to take 2 days and a lantern festival.” a sigh, “but I’m not going to do it if you don’t agree to it.”

Edmund gets context for what it is in the morning.

Eugene finds him looking up at the stained glass windows. “You know - meeting you, kind of feels like destiny brought me here.” and he spins a tale of orphan Eugene, with a charm from his world-traveling mother. Something he recognized, vaguely, as a graduation gift for his trainees. The supposition that - he, Edmund, was Eugene’s long lost father.

(there were no children born after the Moonstone was used. only people brought into the fold, adopted or married, bonds forged by familiarity, not blood. it - was acceptable. But he would never see a face like his father’s ever again.)

But fate must have intervened, because in that moment, Eugene did look much like his favorite cousin Levi.

So with Eugene reaching out - Edmund reached back. Gently prodded to come back into the world. They opened up to each other much like the Moonstone would open up to Rapunzel.

(then it was stolen, which - he supposed was a whole other kettle of fish. Cassandra - wanted to be a guard, right? Let her play, try on his clothes. She was mortal, he was not. He could wait until she was done.)

Traveling was as difficult and rewarding as he remembered. Corona was just as strange as he thought it was.

Unlike the Moonstone, the Sundrop Flower was embedded in the water cycle. It's magic passively infecting the land of Corona. The rivers - never poisoned or diseased. The animals - strangely intelligent. The people - content, pleasant and energetic even in old age. Quirin, who had been drinking it - suddenly sporting grey hairs and a new son. (He keeps calling the child Jordan despite his protests - it's not his fault that he shared a face of an uncle from centuries ago.)

Eugene - King of Corona in all but name - looks at him. "I talked to Quirin. You knew.” his face hardens. “Why are you here?”

"Feels like destiny brought me here." Edmund says wistfully.

“That was a horse you rode across an entire continent.” and his mouth curls into a smile. “Dad.”