#they would Remind Me how my grandma on dads side used to threaten him with

[horce-divorce]

I was too tired to get worked up last night but now that Im awake again I am sooo fucking agitated rn. We HAVE to be at my parent's right now (car camping in the yard) bc I desperately need whatever help they can give me, my dad is getting the car checked and we've been here using the shower and the stove and whatnot. But my dad's bday was also this weekend so my WHOOOOOLE family was here, and Bel and I stayed inside specifically to avoid everyone, but then my fucking horrible grandpa (who was queerphobic and an asshole long before he had dementia) comes in and tries to make chit chat with us, and then my dad comes in laughing saying how grandpa went outside and announced to everyone that "there's two girls with mustaches in there," and dad just thought that was funny. And we had JUST come back from the store where some rando also fucking commented on Bel's mustache and I HAD a comeback but I was too fucking SLOW and I didn't fucking defend him

So anyway we like have absolutely no choice but to be here and Bel especially can't just leave and like it's weird bc yes they are letting us stay here, feeding us etc and I feel like I'm not allowed to explain why this is so hurtful bc if I do that's somehow going against all my dad is doing for me here. Like I'm being ungrateful spitting in his face and only focusing on what he's doing wrong.

Probably bc they spent my whole life reinforcing this idea that I only was allowed to need things if they agreed that I was lacking. When I became suicidal it wasn't "oh yeah you need help let's get you to a doctor." It was a litany of "here's all the things I did for you, I sacrificed my body for you, I ate healthy and quit smoking and I did everything right and I gave you a PERFECT body and brain, so no, you don't need help." And she stood by that until I was out of the house and went and got help myself, and she STILL tried to talk me out of it.

And especially with my mom being the terf-adjacent 2nd wave Michfest Feminist that she is, she only ever has shit to say about my gender when it's disparaging. The first time she saw me shirtless after top surgery she said "embrace the patriarchy" in this bitter fucking tone. She only ever calls me a guy if I'm acting so stupid that I need help or correction. But yeah it's so super funny and cute that my demented grandpa can't fucking tell I'm a guy and it's sooo funny and cute how he's disrespecting me and my boyfriend to my whole family and they're all just out there laughing. That's sooooo fucking funny and silly and ha ha and yeah people like my asshole grandpa, who was NEVER even part of my actual fucking life, is totally allowed to just walk into your home and talk about your loved ones like that, unchallenged, cus he's just such a silly little guy. Family is so fucking special am I right.

It's wild having the least normie and most functional family of all my friends bc when it comes to things like politics and gay rights and witchcraft and even topics like feminism and reproductive rights! my parents are always the most chill, understanding, easygoing, have the most reasonable responses out of anyone else's parents... But then they still have these very unchallenged ideals that come out at the worst time, and when i try to explain to them how they are hurting me and making me feel unsafe and making MY BOYFRIEND feel unsafe, and this is why I don't hang out with them, they pull the "dont make me feel bad when i do so much for you" card.

They also don't defend other trans ppl. They "love" Eddie Izzard, she is "their favorite comedian," but they can't gender her correctly to save their lives. One time my mom tried to show her cis gay friend one of Eddie's Dress to Kill bits and he started disparaging her outfit and calling her buffalo fucking bill and my mom just sat there and TOOK IT. I WAS HOME!!! I COULD HEAR HIM!!!!!!!!!

I also cannot threaten the help they're giving me w the car and the house bc my dad is currently still paying the insurance bc I can't even afford gas to go job hunting. So I did not sit my dad down and explain Why That Wasn't Funny. My stupid ass got up early and put the dishes away instead. Because if I criticize my dad, on his birthday, in his own home that we are staying at for free, AND Im leaving a mess (that I didn't make, but that I saw and walked away from regardless), they will kick us both out and never let us come back! Or maybe they won't! But they've kicked me out before and I can't let that happen to Bel again right now!!!

And unfortunately I need to stay connected to dementia grandpa too bc we may be living in his cabin part time this winter. I'm not super optimistic about finding housing before it gets cold. Especially not after yesterday. We were both already lamenting needing our names changed, but trying to do it while homeless and Looking Like Girls With Mustaches in Bumfuck Nowhere is gonna be even more fun!!!

[anjumzm]

Midsummer Night

A Legacy of Gods Fanfic

JerCes Daughter x LanMia Son

Chapter 5

Aanya Volkov

On reaching home from the airport I'm met with utter chaos that has erupted at my house, the Volkov Mansion. My grandparents are here too, I saw my Grandpa's guard Yan around. As soon as my Grandma, Lia sees me she rushes to my side and hugs me tightly,

"Oh my beautiful angel, I'm glad that you guys reached here safely, it's utterly important that our family stays together given the current circumstances"

"Where's Grandpa,Aaron,and Dad Nonna?"

"They're in the office discussing the next course of action sweetie, your brothers been acting like a mad bear, all the while threatening the guards and helpers.Now that the damage's done, your Grandpa's discussing what needs to be done next along with your Dad, god forbid if someone from the Bratva catches air of this...it'll be very difficult for us to save our family" Nonna says in a trembling voice, her face depicting her dread.

Not on my watch, I'd burn Theo King before he lays a hand on my family, I'll personally drag him through hell if I have to.

I can hear Aaron's voice angry and loud from the end of the staircase. Once I enter the room all the eyes are on me, my dad covers the distance between us and takes me in his warm embrace,

"Angel, How have you been?"

"I'm good Dad, but I'm really scared, isn't there anything that can be done, maybe we can talk to Uncle Vaughn, he's been friends with you since your college days, you already have Uncle Niko's support and I'm sure the rest will follow"

"I wish it was all this easy, babochka, even if our friends would want to support us they can't, the existence of the Black Book goes against Bratva's principles, it remained in our possession for our selfish needs" My Grandpa adds in his warm yet authorative tone, and for the first time in my life, I hear worry in his voice.

"Trust me Dad, let's do it my way, it'll be easier, we just need names and I'm done sitting around like a lost buffoon, I need something, anything to get started"

Hearing Aaron reminds me of the message from earlier, even though I know the one behind this mess, I cannot give his name to my brother before exhausting my other options, not when Aunt Annika is still related to the Kings, this will definitely put a strain on our already taut relations with the Kings.

Why didn't that idiot think about this, how can he treat everything like a bloody game without caring about the effect his actions can have on the people around us.

"We cannot go around torturing our guards on mear suspicions, Aaron. These are men who've been serving us since ages, doubting their loyalty to us would be equivalent to killing them in their eyes" Dad replies.

"Then Pray tell me Dad, How do we find the bastard, and that too before he decides to leak the information and screw us all"

"For now Aaron, I'd like you to calm down, your hotheadedness would cloud your judgement and thinking process, I know that you've always prioritized our family ,it's wellbeing and security over everything else and this in no way depicts weakness, it's just a lapse in our judgement, a wrong choice which anyone could have made, no one's blaming or judging you, Take a break and breathe, Son. We'll get through this like we always do" Dad offers my brother a small smile

"Your Dad's right, Son. For now let's keep together, and prioritize our safety, I have my men in place and have increased the security around our house, I've put some men on alert around Annika's house in UK as well, just in case."

That's when I realise that I need to go back to the UK to meet the vermin and try to bring him back to his senses so that he stops whatever madness this is.

I'll get back at you, Theo King, one way or the other.

"Dad, I need to get back to the UK, for my practicals and exams which are due next week"

"Absolutely Not, you know how dangerous the situation right now is, Angel. I promise you I'll make the arrangements so that you do not loose your marks"

"But you know that I hate to be treated as a privileged kid Dad"

"Dad's right angel, we cannot afford to focus on our emotions, rather think through this practically" Aaron Adds.

I look at Caleb for help, putting up my best puppy eyes on display.

"I think we should let Aanya attend her classes, we need to act normal and not out of character. If someone suspects somethings different or a change in our behavior, they'll surely report it back to the Pakhan, for now let's stick to our roles" Caleb says

"Yes, let's not give the Pakhan reasons to plant spys in our network" Grandpa says supporting Caleb.

Thank goodness.

Dad thinks for a while, before saying "OK, but Ilya and his men will come with you, and you'll stay with Caleb till this mess is sorted"

"But Dad.."

"No Buts Aanya, If you want to go back, it'll be at my conditions or you don't go back at all" My Dad says sternly.

"Fine"

As soon as I leave the room, I'm greeted by my Mom's serene and beautiful face. My Dad and brothers might call me 'Angel' ,but Mom's been the literal personification of the word for me. She's the reason that me and my siblings grew up with a sense of humbleness, gratitude and kindness, even though we're surrounded by people who wouldn't think twice before eliminating someone who they deem as threat. My mother balances out my father's ruthlessness and they are the perfect couple. I dream of a marriage like theirs.

"My Baby is back, Oh how I missed you" Mom says hugging me.

"I'm good Mom, I missed you so much, I wish we could go back together to the UK, Aunt Anni, Aunt Ava and Aunt Mia miss you too, Aunt Ava says that you've become like the blue moon and if they're lucky they'll get to see you once in a while"

"I miss them too, it feels so long since the last time I met them, even though me and Ava talk on phone everyday for hours"

"Hey Mom" Caleb greets my Mom, hugging her sideways.

"Hey chipmunk" Mom says ruffling his hair.

"Stop calling me that Mom, I'm not a kid anymore" Caleb says fixing his hair.

"You all will always remain kids for me"

After a stretched silence she adds "Caleb, I'd really appreciate it if you keep an eye on your brother, he's deeply affected by all that's going on, things had already been...tough for him, I don't want him to do anything rash, even though your father already has guards following him but it's only so much they can do without fearing his wrath"

"Sure thing Mom, don't you worry, I'll be back as soon as Aanya's exams are done next week"

I'm about to reply them when my phone rings "Excuse me" I ask my Mom's permission and head to my room

As soon as I enter the room, the voice on the other end is enough to test the patience on my last nerves

"Hello little bird, miss me?"

"Theo, you...you vermin"

"Vermin? Seriously? All those colorful words and you chose to call me that, what are you, a Grandma from the 80s?"

"Well unlike you some people have decency and dignity"

There's a silence on the other end before he adds "Judging by the way you'd reacted to the loss of the pendrive, I'd expected you to come running to me once you learned about the black book which is capable of doing 10 times more damage than the pendrive, but guess I was wrong, should I go ahead and release the information in the media, do some good for the society while I'm at it?"

Chills run down my spine "What do you want Theo, why start this madness, why mess with my family, just why? Don't you know that your Aunt Annika is a Volkov and the strain it could put on our relations?"

"I don't do emotions, sweetheart, what I do know and expertise is in bringing people to their knees, and luckily for me your family's found yourself on my radar, I like this feeling of having the Mighty Volkovs at my mercy, feels euphoric"

"You're a monster"

"Tell me something I don't know"

"Cut thr crap and get to the point, why do you want to meet me, do you even plan to give back the Black Book, or is this another game of yours, whatever it is, know one thing King, I'm a Volkov I would die before I become another source of entertainment for you"

"Never say never, baby"

God give me patience or I'll catch the first flight to UK and kill this man.

"Please, please stop this madness Theo" I add hopelessly.

"Come back and meet me at Flamington cafe and we'll talk about it. I'll sent my driver to your college around 1 pm to pick you up, you have your lunch break during that time right?"

"Wait, how do you know my schedule?"

"I have my ways, let's dicuss this tomorrow, it's been a pleasure talking to you, Ms. Volkov"

I throw my phone on the table and lie down on my bed and stare at my ceiling.

What have I gotten myself into.

[dark-and-kawaii]

𝓟𝓪𝓲𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 : Sukuna x Reader - Nanami x Reader - Itadori x Reader - Gojo x Reader - Fushiguro x Reader

𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 : None - Degrading Pet Names - Fluff - Gojo being Gojo - Itadori being Itadori - Sukuna being Sukuna LOL

𝓐𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓼 𝓝𝓸𝓽𝓮 : I’m just going to go ahead and add a few more characters to this since i find it fun <3 thank you for the compliment babe :3 yes i am taking questions for jujutsu!!! I really enjoy all the characters from jujutsu xoxo so im excited as well <3 @sukunaspet

Sukuna isn’t going to be calling you anything cute whatsoever so if you’re looking for that when it comes to this guy just do yourself a favor and don’t fall down the rabbit hole more. You won’t ever hear him call you babe, sweetheart, cute animal nicknames, just no... None of that. 

Pet

Little One -If he really likes you-

Whore

Onna (woman)

Play Thing

Pretty little fuck toy -If he really likes you-

CockSleeve

Bitch In Heat

Any degrading/every degrading name in the book 

Expect these and nothing else. If he doesn’t like you or he’s just using your tight cunny for his own pleasure he’ll never call you, little one. 

If he really likes you and wishes to keep you around longer than a day -a couple years- you might hear him slipup and call you darling, but that’s a very rare slipup and he will immediately threaten you or ignore it. 

If he’s deemed you important/ his lover then he will call you little one. You’re so small compared to him. Sometimes when he calls you by this little name his lips will curl into a malicious smile, you’re so damn weak and small... he could easily crush you or pierce your heart with his sharp nails... yet you stay by his side. Damn. He wishes he could kill you right now, but sadly he can’t bring himself to do that... He’ll just make you cry instead! “Onna! Where are you!?” Smiling like the devil, Sukuna waits for his pretty little thing to run up to him. 

Nanami Kento is a MAN, he isn’t a boy nor is he Sukuna. He respects you, loves you, cherishes you and would do absolutely anything for you. 

His nicknames are simple, basic, but hold so much love and UGH you just can’t get enough of him honestly. 

Darling

Sweetheart

Love

Beloved

Beautiful

Every night before bed he will always cup your face and rest his forehead on your very own and call you by one of the nicknames he’s given you. And just as he pulls away from you he will tell you to stop worrying so much about him when he’s at work. That he will always come back to you at the end of the day to hold you in his arms. *sobbing* 

Whenever you brew him coffee in the morning or make him a sandwich you can’t help but get all giddy because you know the moment he comes into the room and see’s you’ve thought of him he will say, “Thank you, love.” or “Thank you sweetheart” while grabbing his cup of coffee and pulling your back into his chest. 

Nanami is a smart man who keeps an eye on you, he knows when you’re worried or something is on your mind, “Darling, what is it? Tell me please.”

He’s just a good guy ya know, he doesn’t want to call you sexy because he finds it to be quite douchey. He doesn't want you to feel like he’s objectifying you because you’re so much more than that. You’re beautiful, stunning, a goddess.

Itadori... Oh... Oh Itadori how i love and cherish that breathtaking smile of yours, but omg... Don’t ever call someone pumpkin again... please.

He’s new okay, he’s not used to this whole nickname thing. You’re his first serious relationship/first person he’s ever taken interest in...

So *facepalm* when you walked out of your house one day in the cutest dress with your hair all done and makeup he just got all red and blurted out “You look so good pumpkin!” Where yes, you thought it was cute but it also reminded you of when your parents would call you that or your grandma... It kinda made you feel like he was your dad... and not in the daddy kind of way.

He actually really likes the nickname. why? No one knows, but oh well you do let him say it here and there since you’ve grown accustomed to it. And honestly you find it so endearing when he says it now, he's found a way to not make it so cringe.

Peach / Peaches -He loves your ass-

Babe

Princess

Bunny

Beautiful 

Baby

Butt -He loves your ass-

You can’t lie to yourself, whenever Itadori calls you any of these your heart absolutely skips a beat. Sometimes you swear its stops completely because that big genuine smile he holds on his face is just for you, the nickname is just for you, all his love is just for you. 

Princess, bunny, and butt are three of his favorites. Princess and Bunny because he calls you them when he’s jerking his hips into you. Butt because he can’t ever keep his hands off your ass and well he just likes the way it sounds when he says it to you. “Hi butt!” or “Why’re you so short butt” -if you’re shorter than him-. Nuzzling into you Itadori always says, “Goodnight, butt. I love you.” and there it is again, that puppy dog smile of his. He’s such a good boy.

Gojo Satoru... This man, WHO’S MAN IS THIS!? I- *sigh* The nicknames/pet names are freaking endless... Like, you’ve even learned new words because of this.

But his favorites are:

Kitten

Bunny

Princess 

Naughty

Stink -Yup he calls you stink-

Wifey -Even if you aren’t married-

Babe

Darling

Meanie 

Sweetie Pie

Snookums -He’s cringe-

Like Sukuna, Gojo will call you so many degrading names and i just can’t type all that out unless people really want me to but the list is ENDLESS.

You’re probably wondering, why stink? Right? Well one day you had terrible morning breath and thus, “Stink” was added to Gojo’s nickname list for you. He says it A LOT, especially in the mornings... Always in the mornings... Sorry reader.

Before even being married Gojo was calling you “wifey” sometimes you found it endearing, other times you wanted to punch him. “~Ohhhh! Look at these mochi, should we get some wifey? We could bring some to the kiddos!” Holding the strawberry one up to you he whispers, “Or i could put it on your nipples and ea-” Kicking him in the head you shut him up before the old woman can hear him... Cause let’s face it, he wasn’t being all that quiet on purpose.

During more serious moments with him he calls you darling, he knows you need to hear genuine names and this is one he finds to be genuine. “Darling, come sit in my lap. Please?” Skipping up to him you bounce all cutesy into his lap, “Look at my cute bunny get all excited to sit in daddy’s la-” “Satoru!” “Meanie!!!”

Fushiguro Megumi is on par with Nanami when it comes to nicknames. He’s not going to be calling you sexy or cocksleeve or anything much like that unless you bring it up and say you want him to. Even if you bring it up he’s going to feel a bit awkward and debate on whether he should actually do it or not.

He respects you and wants to treat you like a queen, but at the same time nicknames just really aren’t his thing. 

You’ll be lucky to hear him say Sweetheart. Fushiguro mainly sticks to your actual name...

I’m sorry but you’re going to have to be the one to push him into nicknames and try to get him to be more comfortable with them. 

There is one though, one he holds dear to his heart because you’re what helps keep his heart beating. Besides his friends, you’re someone who makes him want to live a long life.

My Love

“Thank you, my love. For everything.”

~ 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓚𝓲𝔀𝓲 𝔁𝓸𝔁𝓸

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios University

Theo watched in terror as the silhouettes of his parents materialized before his eyes. His newest friend Alexis had insisted on their appearance, even though Theo had begged her not to call them. She simply didn’t believe that they weren’t interested in taking him home with them, while Theo knew differently. His parents would show up, act concerned and then immediately ground him. Theo would stand his ground though. He hadn’t realized that living on his own would be so complicated, but he could figure it out. As long as he stayed in control of his abilities, he’d be fine. He would figure out where he would live and what he would eat when he needed to. He’d almost made it through two whole days on his own, how hard could the rest of the three hundred and sixty-three days be?

At least a nicer witch than the ones who had threatened him was there to support him. She claimed to know his parents, but promised not to take sides when they arrived. Theo stood as close to her as he could without clinging to her jacket. He just knew that his parents were going to be mad at him for leaving. At least now he had the promise of Alexis that they couldn’t shout his full embarrassing name in public anymore. Surely she would punish them for putting him in danger if they did.

The instant Roman and Abe materialized, their eyes began frantically searching the area for their son. Once they’d seen him for themselves, it was nearly impossible for them to hold back from scooping him in their arms and never letting go. He was clearly still upset by what he had overheard them say, and as much as they wanted to rush to hold him, they didn’t want to overwhelm him.

“Theo! You’re okay! We’re so glad that we found you, we missed you so much.”

Roman had never seen anything in his life as wonderful as the sight of his unharmed son standing in front of him. The woman he had spoken with on the phone hadn’t told him or Abe much, only that Theo had been found, and that they were required to meet for a private meeting with the demon sovereign. Neither man cared about the invitation with someone even Lucy tried to avoid. The only thing that mattered was getting their son back. Silent tears streamed down Abe’s face beside Roman. Their son was safe and they were never going to lose him again.

“We love you Theo, more than anything,” Abe promised, crouching beside his fiance to meet his son’s eyes. “We could never ever want you out of our lives, no matter what happens. Sometimes grownups say silly things when they get frustrated. Just like you sometimes shout bad things at your sisters when you get mad. Daddy and I felt frustrated when we fought earlier, and we both said some bad things to each other. But we didn’t mean them anymore than you do when you tell your sisters that you hate them when you’re mad. We love you so much and always have since the day you were born. We’ll never stop loving you, no matter what.”

“B-but I ruined your life,” Theo said quietly. It was hard to resist the urge to run into his parents’ waiting arms, but this was exactly what he knew they’d say to him. “I made you give up what you wanted to do. I’m a mistake that you’re afraid of. I’m dangerous, everyone says so.”

“You could never be too dangerous for us,” Roman replied, still gesturing for Theo to come embrace him. “Trust me, long before you were born, I was the dangerous one in Arkhelios. Grandma likes me now, but when your dad and I started dating, she absolutely hated me. Your Aunt Ulyssa too. She hated my guts. I know what it’s like to be different, and have people whisper about me. Your father and I promise that we’ll do everything in our power to make your life easier from now on, however we can. You’re nowhere near as dangerous as your father and I are when we’re angry. It’s time we reminded those bullies that no one messes with the Bellamys. We can all be dangerous together, as a family.”

“And it doesn't matter how you came into this family. You're here and that's all that matters. Your father was born just to seal a curse, and I don't think Grandma even remembers having Uncle Nathan. You're a Helios-Chun-Bellamy, Theo and you always will be. There's no escaping this family, even if you wanted to. We're a family forever and we help each other. We’ll find you another school to go to, even if it’s expensive,” Abe continued. “You don’t belong at a school where you’re not learning the skills you need to succeed in life. You have a gift that the other kids don’t and it makes you special, Theo. I don’t understand it, but I’m going to learn about your gift right along with you. We’ll all learn. We’re a family, and we’re a team.”

“I don’t have to go back to school?” Theo repeated carefully. It sounded too good to be true, but he had a witch beside him who had heard the promise too. There was no way his parents could change their minds about changing schools when someone else had witnessed the promise.

“Whatever you need Theo,” Abe assured him. “We’ll find a way to make it work, even if we have to ask Grandma to help. We don’t ever want you to feel like you were a mistake, or to hear people tease you about how you were born. You were a surprise, but you’re the best surprise we’ve ever had. Sometimes the best things in life are a surprise. We can have a talk about how you came into the world someday when you’re older and might understand things a little better. All you need to know right now is how much we love you.”

Theo couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He could see the toll his absence had taken on his parents, and they really did seem like they missed him. Theo couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his fathers wearing sweatpants with messy hair. Daddy always said that you had to be well dressed for anyone to take you seriously in life, and Aunt Lucy had teased him relentlessly for wearing a formal jacket once to their family barbecue. To be meeting an important demon without showering, his parents had to have been worried sick about him.

“I missed you so much,” Roman cried, squeezing Theo tight enough to be uncomfortable. Just when Theo thought he could escape the clutches of his father, Abe joined in with a hug of his own. Though he struggled half-heartedly against their joint embrace, Theo had never been happier to have his parents hug him in public.

“I missed you too,” he exclaimed honestly. When he thought about the idea of trying to live on his own, it didn’t seem as fun as it did before he’d seen his parents. He’d much rather go home and be with his sisters and pets again than eating moldy sandwiches by himself.. “I want to go home.”

There was still one more matter that needed to be taken care of before the Bellamy family could return home. After some sympathetic witches practically pried Theo out of his parents’ grasp, a strange woman beckoned Abe and Roman to follow her. Roman didn’t know much about the formal hierarchy of demons, or anything really about how the law Lucy practiced had been formed, but he did know enough not to address this woman as the devil. Lucy had smacked him pretty hard the last time he’d said it. Abe and Roman hadn’t really seen the sovereign when she’d last visited Arkhelios, as they had been a little busy talking deals with Malika at the time. She had definitely left an impression on Ulyssa though, and she might just be the only authority Lucy didn’t feel like challenging. Lucy often spoke in hushed tones at the dinner table about her, regaling her family with horror stories about the twisted punishments the sovereign had dealt those who broke demonic law. The topic really seemed to irritate Nathan for some reason, so Lucy made sure that she brought it up whenever she heard a new story.

Theo happily trotted after the mysterious woman, dancing around her excitedly now that he’d been reunited with his parents. To her credit, the woman tolerated Theo’s celebrations better than Roman would have expected, especially since he’d gone to school with her daughter.

Because Theo had been sent to the Pleasantview witches by some malevolent force, and she had rescued them, the sovereign had assumed some level of control over the witches’ building. Who were they to argue if she wanted to speak privately in their council chambers? She had diffused a potentially lethal bomb for them. They owed her.

“Romanus Bellamy. Abraham Helios,” she began once she’d settled into a comfortable chair. “I’ve read a lot about you two recently. Everywhere you go, you seem to invite trouble. It’s becoming something of a pattern with your families.”

“I’m sorry, Your Honour,” Abe said quickly, shooting a quick glance at Roman. “We don’t mean to cause trouble. We were manipulated into a wrongful deal and I didn’t know you could warp something like that and Lucy said it wasn’t my fault, but then there was this spark between us and it didn’t feel like something I should ignore and-”

“We’re sorry if we inconvenienced you in any way, Your Majesty” Roman cut in so Abe could catch his breath. “Truthfully, I didn’t know about my heritage until I was a teenager, and my mother never raised me to learn about her people. She barely raised me at all.”

“Inconveniencing me is something of a tradition in your family,” the sovereign sighed. “I feared that nothing could redeem your miserable bloodline. That is until I encountered your son. He’s something remarkable. Something our kind hasn’t seen in generations. Something your grandfather swore he’d accomplish long ago. It seems I underestimated him.”

“My grandfather?” Roman repeated in confusion. “Dorhack? What does he have to do with Theo? I don’t even remember ever meeting the guy. Trust me, no one influenced us to make Theo. We did that completely on our own. Which we’re very glad we did.” He finished his sentence with quick smile to his son, just in case Theo got the wrong idea again.

“And yet his intended goal is sitting beside me,” she replied. “A blood demon, just as powerful as the old stories would have you believe. A demon born infused with the power of blood magic. Long ago when the great families were still young, an order of these blood demons existed. They were ruthless and cruel, and powerful beyond measure. Truly creatures deserving of their fearsome reputation.”

“If they were so powerful, why aren’t there more blood demons around?” Abe asked, already fearing the answer. Nothing he had to ask a demon for clarification on ever turned out to be good.

“They went mad with power,” the sovereign stated simply. “Blood magic is deep and primal and raw. It’s uncontrollable and unpredictable. Beings forged in its power eventually lose themselves to it. It consumes them entirely. The ones that somehow survived the madness were eliminated by the great families before they could regain their incredible strength. All of their secrets have been lost to time. Every century or so, some misguided fool tries their hand at producing a stable blood demon, only to lose their life in the attempt. A stable blood demon is a fool’s dream.”

“But Theo’s stable, right?” Abe asked, looking fearfully at the son he’d just been reunited with. His life would be unbearable if he ever had to bury his son.

“That’s unclear,” the sovereign replied. Her reaction did little to settle Abe’s sudden anxiety. “Perhaps this is Dorhack’s solution. Your son isn’t fully demonic, and as a child of a hybrid, he should be incapable of even the most basic demonic magic. Yet here he is, nearly exploding with power, holding off three adult witches on his own. I believe that he may have perished today without my direct intervention, but he has promise. Where full demons take on power beyond our comprehension, a hybrid blood demon might only possess the same amount of power as one of the members of our great families. If your son can possess the power he does, and somehow maintain control over himself, then Dorhack has truly opened the door to enticing new ideas. I can promise you that your son is being watched with interest by a great number of demons, myself included. His continued existence may tip the balance of power in our society. If he can wield the power of a full blooded demon while enjoying the privileges of a more human biology, the great families won’t hesitate to raise armies of hybrids like him.”

“You think that he’ll be harder to trap with a more human biology,” Roman reasoned, running through several possibilities in his mind. “He can survive shallow exposures to demonic voids, we already know that.”

“We don’t know how deep of a void he can survive. That remains to be seen.”

Abe didn’t like this woman’s excited tone when she thought of plunging his baby into a possibly deadly environment.

“I don’t think we need to worry about that,” he interrupted worriedly. “He’s still just a kid.”

“You think Theo processes energy closer to a human,” Roman gasped, ignoring Abe’s interruption. “A full blooded demon needs energy to survive, to provide any scrap of warmth it can find. Theo can process energy, but he doesn’t need it. He has all of the power of a demon and none of the weaknesses.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but yes,” the sovereign stated coldly. She didn’t seem thrilled to admit that her people had any exploitable weaknesses. “There are limitations of course. He may not live as long as a proper demon, or survive as far in a void, or be able to possess a host. His power does merit closer study before other demons get ideas of their own about his potential.”

“Because of your son’s great potential, I’d like you to enroll him in this magical academy. He likely was summoned here to be used as a weapon, but I can’t think of a more fitting place for him to study and be studied in return. This academy teaches magic, traditionally to witches, but I can supply a curriculum on blood magic for him to be tutored in. There are no schools that teach the subject anymore, but it remains a popular hobby among certain demonic sects, and demons like your mother. Even a less skilled hybrid like yourself should be capable of using basic blood wards even without the power of a blood demon.”

“You want Theo to go to school here?” Abe asked, taking a more focused look at the room around him. If he had to guess, the tuition there might be lower than the school Roman attended, but he’d still likely need to ask his mother to help pay for it.

“Since it was my suggestion, and I will be providing the supplemental materials on blood magic, I’m willing to subsidize some portion of the tuition,” the woman replied, catching Abe’s worried gaze around the room. “Of course, I would be informed of his progress and abilities in return for this investment. It is in your interest to teach your son to contain his power, and in my interest to learn what Dorhack’s little project is capable of. I think that’s a fair deal, wouldn’t you agree?”

Roman looked at the excited face of his son, who was practically bouncing in his seat with excitement and then stole a glance at Abe’s face. He looked just as torn as Roman did about trusting a woman even Lucy was afraid of, but what choice did they have? They’d almost lost their son because he couldn’t control himself, and he was miserable in Arkhelios’ narrow minded public school. They had promised to find a better school for him, no  matter what the cost.

“Okay,” Roman answered, holding out his hand to seal the deal. “Theo, is this what you want?”

Theo nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! This place is amazing, and I saw one of my friends from Aunt Ulyssa’s wedding here and we’re going to hang out together after and he promised to show me-”

“Then it’s a deal,” Abe interjected quickly. “I’ll call your old school tomorrow to let them know. What does he need to buy for class? Are there dorm rooms available and is there a proper meal plan that I can approve?”

“How would I know?” the sovereign asked, her eyes narrowing slightly at the thought of her needing to know anything as mundane as school schedules. “They will accept your son on my request. Aside from that, I care very little about this place.”

“Just how subsidized are we talking about for tuition?” Abe said, ignoring his better instincts to limit the time he spoke to this fearsome demon. He was his mother’s son, and he needed to draw up a budget knowing all of the costs upfront.

Roman shot him a confused look. This was the moment Abe chose to be an overbearing parent? Maybe losing Theo for so long had changed his perspective on certain things.

“Talk to the school, and send me a quote,” the sovereign sighed. “I’ll have someone address the matter.”

She grabbed Roman’s outstretched hand and shook it slowly to conclude their business. Roman was about to begin drawing his hand away when she suddenly increased her grip on him.

“Another thing Romanus,” she added, watching his expression for signs of deception.

“You can really just call me Roman,” Roman insisted, giving Abe a panicked look. “We’re not speaking in Latin, or making any official demonic deals...right?”

“I have a condition for our agreement, and a gift,” the sovereign said carefully, ignoring Roman’s question.

Beside her, Abe groaned. A condition? He was getting serious flashbacks to dealing with Malika. A deal could never just be a deal without last minute conditions. Both Abe and Roman braced themselves for the worst.

“I will strike down the agreement that limits your ability to hold a deal for five years,” she said at last. “It’s a trivial thing and well within my power. Call it a wedding gift.”

“And?” Roman could barely manage the enthusiasm to ask what horrible catch there would obviously be. This was all to make his son happy, so he would agree to anything, but he didn’t have to like it.

“When you get married, I’d like it to be a demonic ceremony,” she stated. “Or if you must, have two separate ceremonies. I would like you two to make a wedding contract. A contract that will bind you together for all eternity, in accordance with our ancient traditions. It should be a contract that you are capable of containing, Romanus. It’s much simpler than the other deals you’ve held.”

For once Roman found himself speechless. Not only was this condition something reasonable, but it was something he’d been longing for since finding out that Abe was pregnant. They could just go back to the way they’d been, before Abe warped their unstable deal. They could feel the connection they mourned again. He could feel the very instant Abe was in danger and rush to his side to protect him. This was too perfect to be true.

“We agree,” Roman replied quickly. He looked at Abe, who nodded his agreement. “Just tell us what we need and we’ll get it.”

“You’ll need a demon to seal your contract,” the sovereign answered. “You don’t have the power to seal a contract that deep and binding yourself. In order to accept my offer, you must make a wedding contract, and I ask that Theo be the demon who seals it.”

“Theo?”

Theo’s parents looked at their young son with apprehension.

“Can he do that?” Abe asked worriedly. “If Roman can’t, how can-” He stopped mid sentence, finally realizing what the catch to this deal was. “You want to test him. To see the limits of his power.”

“He’ll be well trained,” the sovereign promised. “If he can perform the binding, we’ll know that he has the abilities of a full demon. He could even bind it with blood magic if he wanted, since he does share your blood. If he has the ability, nothing bad will come of this test.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Abe whispered anxiously to Roman, who shrugged helplessly in reply.

“I get to be more important than the ring bearer?” Theo gasped excitedly. “Okay!”

Roman reached for his fiance’s hand and held it tightly. They didn’t have much choice in the matter if they wanted their son to be happy. Getting the chance to protect Abe with another contract certainly sounded appealing...if his small son could successfully bind a deal that only full blooded demons could do. Well, if they were going to do this, they would do it as a team.

“We accept.”

[adhd-disaster-willie]

March 16th

ok so maybe I hyperfixated on writing this and maybe it's 2:30 am but like, whatever.

summary: "Bobby used to like birthdays. But now birthdays taste less of spring and vanilla and more of salty tears and an aching emptiness in his chest"

word count: 1,388

warnings: allusions to death (take a wild guess as to whose)

---

Bobby was born on a March evening that was just too cold to be so close to spring. He was never too full of energy, preferred to curl up in the corner with a poetry book thicker than the fluffy vanilla cake his grandma would make for his birthday every year. He’d stand on his tip toes to see the top of the counter, sneaking bits of half mixed cake batter and listening intently as his grandma explained the baking process in words that were too big for him to comprehend. But the cake always tasted like spring evenings and lemon frosting and laughter as Luke tackled him to the ground in what he called the “birthday hug” that was probably closer to a wrestling match. The night always smelled of wrapping paper and Reggie’s weird lotion and the oatmeal raisin cookies Alex’s mother always insist he bring but nobody would eat. Birthday’s were good, Bobby liked birthdays.

“Robert, your friends are here!” His gran peeked into Bobby’s room with a crinkly smile and a flour-dusted apron; the faded yellow one she never seemed to take off.

Bobby didn’t even have time to shut his book before Luke came bounding into his room, shrieking something that sounded like “you’re a teenager, dude!” but could’ve been just about anything else, as it was said with his face buried in Bobby’s t-shirt. Alex came trailing in after him, scowling at the plate of cookies in his hands while Reggie bounced up beside him, hastily wrapped gift clutched to his chest.

“My mom put extra raisins in this year,” Alex grumbled apologetically.

Reggie peeked over his shoulder at the platter and wrinkled his nose. “Dude, I think she’s trying to poison us.”

“Wouldn’t put it past her,” Bobby quipped, shoving Luke off of him and hopping up. His gran swatted him over the head sternly but Alex only shrugged, pointedly not defending his mother. Mrs. Mercer was utterly terrifying for her stature, Alex got his height from his dad, but his mom was probably comparable to a bolt of lightning.

Like always, the boys were ushered out to the backyard with promises that cake would be ready by 5 and dinner by 6. Bobby got to eat dessert first on his birthday only, though he’d certainly tried changing that rule a number of times.

There was a slightly wobbly treehouse wedged in between the branches of the tree in Bobby’s backyard, it’d been built the previous summer, mostly by Alex and Reggie while he and Luke all but drowned each other in the above ground pool tucked into the corner of the yard. But he did make the door, so he thinks he deserves some credit

Reggie bounded up the swinging ladder, yelping when he almost lost his footing. He stuck his head out the window, pouting like a wounded puppy until the others came tumbling in after him in a tangle of limbs and shouts of “you did not win, you’re slower than Millie’s turtle” and “Did too! Right Lexi?” Alex informed them that his sister’s turtle was actually faster than the both of them and that he won, which couldn’t really be argued considering Alex had always been the fastest runner.

Bobby’s 13th birthday was dusted with the beginnings of spring and a certain feeling of home. Reggie gave him that one stuffed penguin he’d been eyeing for weeks, stumbling over his apologies of “sorry it’s so small, my parents forgot to take me shop-” Bobby had thrown an arm around his shoulder, ruffling his hair and telling him to shut up because the gift was perfect.

Alex handed him a neatly wrapped box complete with a bright red bow; a stack of books and the tattered t shirt Bobby kept stealing from him. Luke emptied his pockets to reveal about 50 different guitar picks and a leather-bound journal already full of movie ticket stubs and hurriedly written poems that Bobby would probably never be able to decipher.

Birthdays were good. Birthdays were sitting in the tree house past dark despite it being a school night. Birthdays were Reggie forcing him to wear a pointy party hat, and Luke smearing frosting across his face well aware it’d end in disaster, and Alex making up a horrendous rendition of the happy birthday song and proceeding to sing it like he’d just written a masterpiece akin to Bohemian Rhapsody. Bobby liked birthdays. For a while.

---

The treehouse wilted the summer before junior year, boards worn from years of harsh sunshine and thunderstorms. Bobby’s 17th birthday wasn’t… it wasn’t bad per se; but it’s bittersweet. It’s bittersweet in the way Luke scratches his neck apologetically and says that he couldn’t scrounge up enough money for a gift, like that’s what matters. It doesn’t. It’s bittersweet because Reggie, Luke, and Alex didn’t have to be driven to Bobby’s house. They woke up tangled together on the flimsy mattress in the loft and spent the morning practicing a bit too passionately with a few too many tears.

Bobby’s 17th birthday tasted of tight hugs and mint ice cream that dripped down his hands, held out to the sky because Luke kept threatening to lick them. It smelled of old pennies and the garbage cans Alex reluctantly used as drums as they played out on the pier in hopes to earn some petty cash.

“I bet we’ll be living in a mansion on your 18th birthday,” Reggie said, swinging his legs and splashing at the water. They were sitting on the edge of the pier, instruments off to the side and hands sticky with ice cream.

“If the Orpheum works out, we will,” Alex replied with a grin, bumping his shoulders with Bobby’s.

Bobby tilted his head in consideration. “Maybe we’ll get a giant house up in Malibu.”

“It’s not about the money,” Luke grumbled. Although considering the whole living in Bobby’s garage thing, Bobby thinks Luke should start thinking about the money.

“You’re absolutely right.” Alex sighed dramatically. “It’s about the music.” He clutched Luke’s shoulder and nodded sarcastically.

“The connections,” Bobby chimed in with a woeful nod. “The audience.”

Luke kicked his ankle and Bobby snickered. “No kicking the birthday boy,” he cried with mock offense.

“Kicking the birthday boy is like stealing candy from a baby,” Reggie said mournfully.

“That’s not how that… okay.” Alex exhaled in defeat, something Bobby calls his ‘Reggie sigh.’

They stayed out on the pier until the sun tucked itself behind the ocean and they tossed their instruments over their shoulders, walking back to the studio and singing happy birthday to the sparkling sky, steps bouncier than they had been in the morning. So, Bobby’s 17th birthday was bittersweet with the taste of music and hope and a desperate beginning.

---

Bobby spends his 18th birthday alone, staring down at the rug and hugging his own shoulders, desperately wishing he didn’t have to, because they were always so affectionate so he shouldn’t have to hold himself.

The studio is far too cold for and much too empty. A sharp breeze whistles through the crack in the door, brushing at the pages of Lukes still-open songwriting book. Bobby reaches to smooth them out, because maybe if he leaves everything how it’d been that night 7 months ago, he can pretend they’re just inside chattering over his gran’s spaghetti and debating lyrics. And he’ll go inside and join them and Luke will toss an arm over his shoulder and Alex will remind him to drink some water, he probably hasn’t today, and Reggie will tell him that “your grandma is so much cooler than you, Bobbers.”

But the lights are shut off and his dinner is cold and untouched and he can’t bring himself to even light the candle on the thick slice of cake on the table. Because he can close his eyes and wish with his entire soul but nothing will bring them back.

Bobby used to like birthdays. But now birthdays taste less of spring and vanilla and more of salty tears and an aching emptiness in his chest. He falls asleep on Luke’s couch, practically swimming in Alex’s blue sweatshirt, the shabby stuffed penguin clutched to his chest like a lifeline. He falls asleep to a quiet studio and birthday that feels like numbness and longing.

---

@sunset-bobby@azzieisthebestcat

[mediocre--writing]

after starcourt billy and el get closer, and he introduces her to the things that make him happy (rock music, basketball, etc, etc)

and el isn’t quite sure what to give back. billy has shown her so much new stuff about the world, she wants something to give to him.

she finds his mom. she goes into her little trance and finds the blonde woman she’s seen in billy’s memories. she’s living alone, has a cat or two, and is in a small apartment... in new york.

so she talks to steve. he recons they can find her in the phone book, but when asked for a name, el blanks. she doesn’t have a name to put with the face.

so she goes back into her head, waiting for someone to say it or something, then something catches her eye.

piles and piles and piles of papers on the dining table and all the chairs but one. there are even some discarded on the floor.

el walked to them, reading the best she could (she’s gotten pretty decent at it over the months she was at hoppers cabin and billy has been helping her, too)

‘Custody Agreement,’ one reads. a californian address is in the middle of a few letters, addressed to a ‘Neil Hargrove.’ a half written letter reads:

‘Sorry, ma’am, but we’ve just bought this house and don’t know a Neil, but we’re sorry for your situation.’

there’s bills and payments overdue to the apartment complex, as well as an attorney. letters dating back to 1978 that are worn and read over and over.

there’s pictures in one binder, opened to approximately the middle, showing a boy and the woman—billy and his mother— on a beach eating ice cream. it’s dated 1976.

there’s another picture of billy—cowboy hat on and a funny sheriff pin on his shirt—dancing around a small, but homey, living room.

the final picture on the page, blurry and sideways, shows the woman smiling, a cut on her cheek that was still bruised, but the caption (written in a sloppy, childish font) read: ‘taken by w.t.h. 1975’

the woman is sleeping on the couch, a journal open on her stomach and pen still in her hand, breathing slowly.

the journal is open to a page, one of the last in the book, and has a scribbly font to match the other writings in the kitchen.

they’re addressed to billy, and signed with a heart. there’s ink smeared in some spots, presumably from tears, and el thinks that this is one of the saddest things she’s ever had to see.

but she looks to the woman once more, eyes trailing along the diner costume she has on, a hideous blue/green color (that faintly resembles billy’s eyes) and sees a name tag.

she has a name for steve.

Carrie

she’s not positive of a last name, but she assumes hargrove is a good bet, and, low and behold, there she is.

Carrie Hargrove and her phone number are listed right there in the phone book, and as lucky as that is, el doesn’t know what to say.

this doesn’t feel like a quick-phone call situation. this is a big deal.

carrie has been looking for billy for years, since the week she left, it looks like, and she’s been writing to him, the billy she remembers, and tells him about things in the city he would love. little thinks people she waits on say that remind her of him. how she imagines he looks and acts now. how she wants to murder a son of a bitch named neil hargrove.

(oh, don’t we all)

the hard part starts now, though, because how do you tell a broken mother over the phone that you know her son and, somehow, know her phone number?

you can’t. it’s just not right.

so steve does it. he takes a short, weekend trip out to new york. tells the party he’s going to see his parents since they’re in nyc for the week and he’s gone.

el doesn’t know what happens between the friday steve leaves and the sunday he gets back, but he returns no different than how he left.

el hasn’t been able to ask him about it yet, she hasn’t seen him and she can’t exactly pull him to the side during party outings because that would be a little strange to to without questions.

plus, billy and max are always around. like always.

but it seems that el won’t have to ask steve any questions, she finds the next weekend, when the party rides their bikes over to steve’s house and see a car, ratty and old, sitting in the driveway.

it’s a familiar shade of blue and has a new york license plate hung on the back.

the kids assess the car but el makes her way to a window, peaking in to see steve quietly talking to a woman, the beautiful woman who is still wearing that atrocious diner costume with her hair a mess, and they seem to be arguing quietly.

not long after el peeks in, the boys come around her to look through the window, and that’s when steve sees them. they try to duck but they’re caught.

the boys are asking steve who this lady is and all other million questions they have and the woman—carrie—is still sitting at the dining table, looking ready to bolt back to her car and drive all the way back to new york.

their conversation (interrogation) is interrupted by the roar of an engine—max and billy are here.

billy is here.

max comes through the (open) door first.

“who’s car is in the drive way? steve, i thought your parents were rich?”

but she stills in the doorway when she sees steve looking more guilty than usual, the boys irritated at their lack of answers, and el, standing near a woman, who max remembers from photos—albeit a few years younger.

“woah, that’s—“

billy’s footsteps are heard before he’s seen, and he bumps into max, still standing in the door, while he’s trying to put his cigarettes in his jacket pocket.

“the fuck,” he murmurs as he grabs max’s shoulders to keep her upright

“steve won’t tell us who the lady is!” dustin yells, because of course dustin had to open his big mouth.

“lady?” billy asks before looking around the room, analyzing steve’s face (guilty), the boys (irritated and confused), then els face (hopeful and worried).

his eyes move to behind el, to the dining room, where a mop of blonde hair, not dissimilar to his own, is sitting there, staring at him.

the same eyes connect across the room and both their hearts drop to the floor.

billy takes a small step foreward. stands still for another moment, then walks quickly towards her.

she’s scrambling to get out of the chair and, for a second, this looks like a threatening scene, but then they’re going towards each other and embracing so tightly you couldn’t tell where one started and the other ended.

her name tag was poking into billy’s chest and his boot was partially over her foot, but they had their eyes closed as they breathed in and out, simultaneously calling down and getting excited from the others presence.

el didn’t realize before, when she’d seen carrie in the void, but they had all the same features. their curly, dirty blond hair, their bright blue eyes surrounded by darkness, their hands that kept readjusting and grabbing tighter onto the things they didn’t want to lose.

the way they both had their noses scrunched up while trying not to cry, the way they both didn’t move much as if that would break the trance they got drawn into.

“so who is she?” dustin asked, not so quietly.

“why don’t all you brats go outside for a few minutes?” they didn’t look happy with that idea, but followed steve outside like little ducklings, leaving carrie and billy alone.

they still didn’t break from the hug, not even when the sliding door slammed and the kids’ voices were muffled.

as carrie started moving her arm, rubbing gently across billy’s back, he finally let go of the tears that had welled in his eyes.

“i missed you, my boy,” she croaked out, leaving billy to choke out a sob, holding her tighter—if that was possible.

“missed you too, momma,” billy mumbled into her shoulder, feeling her hug him back tighter as well.

they pulled away, only when billy’s back was beginning to ache from bending down a bit just to feel small in her arms. and maybe it was because he was a kid, but he always thought he remembered her taller.

“i’m so, so sorry, it—“

“why did you leave?”

“i didn’t. no—i mean, i did, but you were gonna come with me, billy. i moved our stuff, in small amounts, to my sister’s place, maggie, you remember her? right?” billy nodded “i was gonna slowly get us out of there, but neil realized, he knew what i was doing and i—i couldn’t stand it and i—“

her throat was burning with anguish as she tried to explain, to the best of her ability, how she could have done something so despicable.

“i didn’t leave for long, i didn’t know he knew, but i was moving some stuff to maggie’s, was gonna stay the weekend, it was after that one big fight, and it was the last load of stuff i had to bring, but i came back sunday night and everything, the whole house, it was empty, i—“

billy remembered that weekend. he noticed how things around the house had been moved or were missing, then how his mom left for two days, his dad told him she wasn’t coming back.

billy didn’t believe him. didn’t want to believe him. neil promised that everything would be ok, that they would stay with grandma and grandpa for a week or two, just to get back on their feet, since they wouldn’t be able to afford the house with only one income.

billy believed his dad. believed the lies he was fed about how his mom didn’t care, left him for crap, got out while she could, stole from his dad just to get out.

in the back of his head, he always knew neil was lying, but if that were true, why did she never come back for him?

he remembers one night, while they were sitting outside, billy and neil and his grandparents, the phone rang, and billy offered to answer it.

and the voice on the other line was his mom, and he begged her to come get him and cried for her to love him again, not realizing that she’d never stopped.

neil had heard the tail end of the conversation. they moved out of billy’s grandparents within the week.

billy wanted his mom back, knew that someone had made a mistake when she’d left, that someone as pure and amazing and loving as she was couldn’t just leave a kid like that.

it all made sense now. why they moved so much. why neil was always angry and going over papers from lawyers or shredding letters that never got opened.

why they moved so far away, all the way to hicktown, indiana (among other reasons).

“neil is a piece of shit,”

carrie choked out a laugh at the off handed comment that came from billy—her boy. she nodded, though.

“that he is,”

they were both a little uncomfortable, but held an underlying relief of seeing one another.

“you know,” billy’s head turned to her, “my apartment, in new york, is filled with pictures of you and i. i was going to bring them, but i couldn’t take all of them and i wasn’t sure which ones were my favorite. but—“

she walked back over to where she had been sitting at the table, reaching into her satchel and pulling out a worn leather book, handing it to billy.

“i thought you should have this.” billy opened the book, the spin cracking with movement, and noted how every single page was filled to the brim with words. “i wrote to you, at least once a week. things that made me think of you, on your birthday and holidays, other occasions. times when i missed you a lot and times when i knew you might need me.”

billy, both listening to her words and reading the first page, was dissolving into a mixed state of joy and sadness.

his mother had thought of him just as he’d thought of her. every day and holiday and situation was filled with thoughts of the other. she didn’t leave him in the dust and start a new family.

she was still searching for the one that was taken from her.

[just-my-fandom]

One After Another (Cisco Ramon x Allen! Reader)

Chapter 1

Table of Contents

Part 1; Reader and Cisco meet their son from the future. Nora and their son admit to why they can’t go back to the future.

Request; Hi yes! Can I request a story? Or two long parts? Where the reader (Barry’s twin sister) and Cisco are married and reader is actually pregnant, and Nora shows up with a boy couple years older than her, and they reveal to be Barry and Iris’ daughter and the boy is reader and Cisco’s son, Dante? You don’t have to if you don’t want! Not forcing!

Tag list; None currently.

. . .

“Are you sure you dont want to know the gender?”

“I’m positive, Ralph,” You nod your head slowly, once, hands at your stomach and holding up your glass cup of (Favorite/Drink), “I mean, it’s not a big deal to me. We’ve already decided on names, Dante for a boy and Nora for a girl, simple,”

“But you guys could have a huge gender reveal party!” Ralph pleas, when Barry gets up to answer the door that was knocked on twice, “You could have party poppers, or have Joe dress up in a diaper!”

“I’ll kill you,” Joe threatens, and you snort, looking over your shoulder when two figures step into the living room, both darting their eyes around the living room as to scan each member of team Flash,

“I’m sorry,” Your brother rubs the back of his neck, brows pinched together as Cisco shifts in his spot beside you, arm along the back of the couch as his free hand held his wine glass- lucky, “Who are you guys?”

“I’m Nora,” The girl hesitates, hands wringing together, “Nora West-Allen,”

Before anyone can question on her last name, the boy next to her shifts, his eyes flicking to you, “I’m Dante,” You feel your chest tighten strangely, “Dante Henry Ramon,”

You feel Cisco cough on his wine, his hand behind you covering his mouth as he looks up at the young male, his brows pinched as his eyes then flicked to yours, “What?”

“I know this sounds super weird!” Nora tosses her hands in front of her, watching as her aunt and uncle stared at each other, before looking back up to her and Dante, “But we need your help,”

“I thought we were done with time traveling,” You sigh, tiredly, Cisco cocking his head in a “seriously?” motion, so you shrugged,

“What-what can we help you with?” Barry stammers, eyes narrowing slightly in thought,

“Dante and I were able to come to the past,” Nora explains, “Which is where we helped you destroy that satellite,”

“Wait, you’re a speedster?” Cisco points to Dante, your son forcing out a nervous laugh and a nod of his head,

“Great,” You murmur, so everyone looked to you, “I lose my speed and my son gains them,”

“Uh, you actually get your speed back after you give birth, Aunt Y/N,” Nora smiles, and watches as your lips pull upwards,

“Seriously?” You punch the air, free hand on your stomach, “Yes!”

“Okay,” Cisco shakes his head, standing up, “You’re telling me that the baby inside her right now,” He points to your bump, then raises his finger to Dante, “Is you?”

“Exactly,” Dante nods, “But I’m from 25 years in the future,”

“So you’re saying,” Barry runs a hand down his face, hand resting at his chin, “You’re my-our daughter,” He gestures to Iris, “And you’re my nephew?” Dante nods,

“I was named after both dads brother and Grandpa Henry,” He explains, looking to Nora, “Nora was named after Grandma Nora,”

“I see it as a win-win,” You grin, Cisco gesturing a hand out to you in disbelief,

“How are you so calm?”

“We’ve seen weirder things than this,” You remind, grasping the edge of the couch to stand, “Get me up, I can’t stand watching you drink wine while I’m stuck with (favorite/fruit) juice,”

“Why don’t we go to STAR Labs,” Iris speaks up, watching Cisco take your hand and raise you to your feet, allowing you to fully get a look at Dante, “We can figure all this out there, let you guys explain,”

. . .

“This is...”

“Weird,” Cisco finishes Barry’s sentence, looking to his brother in law who nods, both watching the two speedsters race around the speed lab, a mix of purple and yellow lightning blending with (favorite/color),

“Man I really miss my powers,” Your lips purse in a pout, hands curled under your stomach as your eyes easily kept up with the two speedsters,

“Can you really believe that’s our son up there?” Cisco murmurs, your eyes flicking to him, smiling at the grin on his face, “No matter how weird this is, it’s cool as hell,”

“I just can’t believe that we have a son,” You glance up to the running speedsters, “I was pretty sure Baby Ramon would be a girl,”

“Okay, we both know I was routing for a boy,” Cisco reminds, and you laugh, head tilting back with a grin.

“We need to be responsible with this,” Barry speaks up, your smile faltering as you look to him, “We need to find a way to send Dante and Nora back, and fast,”

“Yeah, I kind of agree,” Cisco purses his lips, “Even though this did ruin the “find out the gender at birth” scheme we were going for,”

Two figures speed to a stop behind you, your body turning to look to Nora and Dante both grinning at each other, them then looking to their parents in front of them,

“Okay guys,” Caitlin steps up, ordering the two to give her a hand, where she pierces their finger with a needle, “This is gonna link us up with your biometrics,”

“And these scrunchy things,” Cisco nods, moving in front of Dante to clasp the device around his wrist, “Is gonna analyze your connect with the Speed Force,”

Both teenagers nod as they both in sync look at their devices, grinning at each other before sprinting back around the speed lab,

“And what does it say?” Barry asks Caitlin, who types up the screen in front of her,

“A quick analysis of their DNAs show patterns that are familiar to all of you,”

“I knew it,” You nod, pursing your lips, “They’re our kids,”

“Well of course, Dante’s got my amazing hair,” Cisco twirls a lock of his hair, grinning when you shake your head.

“What about them being stuck here?” Barry continues, watching the quick interaction between his sister and best friend,

“Everything’s normal,” Cisco mutters, his own eyes on his screen as you move next to him, “They both have the speed force in their systems, they’re just... not going fast enough to open up the portal back to their timeline,”

Barry nods as his phone vibrates, glancing down with a short huff, “Damn, I was supposed to meet Singh at CCPD an hour ago,”

“Be safe,” You demand, your brother nodding before he speeds off, allowing you to look back up at the two speedsters, smiling lightly before looking back down to Cisco, his eyes looking up to meet yours before his hand presses to your bump, winking,

. . .

“I can’t believe I’m wearing the same tachyon enhancer my dad used to meet Supergirl for the first time,” Nora grins in excitement to her cousin next to her, who allowed Cisco to make adjustments to the same advice on his chest,

“I know, right?” Dante nods, gesturing to the device, “Mom had one too. But just the thought of them meeting Supergirl- cool as hell,”

“Alright,” Caitlin laughs, stepping back from Nora, “You’re both all set,”

“Did all these suits shrink?” The team looks up to Barry pulling at the bottom of his old Flash suit, your nose scrunching, “And why does it smell so bad?”

“Because it’s the one you used when you swam against King Shark, Uncle Barry,” Dante snickers, Barry nodding in realization,

“We should get going,” Barry presses his lips together as Dante and Nora frown to each other, Nora nodding in agreement, sadly,

“Then this is goodbye,” Dante says, clapping his gloved hands together as he glances to you, where you smile, softly, “It’s good to see you again, mom. I guess I’ll see you in a minute,”

“It was great meeting you,” You nod, “Even if it was six weeks too early,”

Dante laughs, glancing to Cisco, who holds up a pointed finger, “Answer this for me. Do I keep my long gorgeous locks even when I’m in my fifties?”

Dante holds up a finger to his lips, Cisco’s eyes widening in terror as he looks to his wife, where you laugh and snort against your hand, watching as Dante moved to the side of Barry Nora wasn’t at.

You wait, patiently, when the three speedsters rush off, looking over when Wally speeds up next to you, his hand at your arm, warningly, “Did they already leave?”

“Yeah, why? What’s up?” Iris asks, Wally shaking his head as he releases you,

“We have to stop them,”

Your eyes flick in alert to Cisco, flinching in alert to the explosion heard from behind the doors,

. . .

“Sorry I was too late,” Wally leans forward on his elbows, looking up to Nora on the labs bed, Dante and Barry both holding ice packs to their heads, “We got their Gideon to scan Nora and Dante’s blood samples,”

“Whatd she find?”

“Negative tachyons,” Wally sighs, your brows pinching as you glance to Cisco next to your chair,

“Negative tachyons?” Cisco questions, “So what, instead of speeding you up they slow you down?”

Wally nods, warily, Cisco frowning and huffing, “Well damn I was just joking, that’s a real thing?”

“Yeah. Ava and her team at the time bureau have encountered them before, but no one knows where they come from or how they’re generated.”

“Like Dark Matter for the space time continuum,” Barry nods,

“Exactly. They’re keeping Nora and Dante from entering the Speedforce,”

“Okay. I’ll work on this, you guys go help Ralph with the Gridlock crime scene,” Barry demands, ordering Dante and Nora to stay at the labs,

. . .

“We have to tell him,” Dante leans against Cisco’s desk as he watches Nora stare at the group photo of their family, his eyes staring down at the floor, “Uncle Barry at least deserves to know,”

“Nora,” Barry speaks up, so both Dante and Nora looked up at him, “What happens to me? In the future?”

Nora, Dante and Barry all stand in front of Gideon’s screen, the bright words, “FLASH VANISHES IN CRISIS,” shining in their faces,

“How long?” Barry orders, Nora tapping the screen so a new news article shined, saying, “25 YEARS LATER- FLASH STILL MISSING,”

Barry clenches his jaw, Dante clearing his throat, “You never come back,”

Barry glances back to look at him, then Nora, “How old were you when it happened?”

“I was born a few years before you vanished, I was at the age where I don’t have memories, but Dante, was,” Nora answers, shortly,

“Youre not stuck here, are you guys?” Barry realizes, Dante glancing down at his feet before looking up at his uncle,

. . .

“So you’re not stuck here,”

“No, we’re not,” Nora glances up to look at Iris, who sits in the seat in the corner of the West living room,

“So the reverse tachyons in your systems?”

Dante looks to Caitlin, “Were put there because of us,”

“Are you kidding?” Cisco asks, leaning on the couch beside Ralph, “Do you know how many credit card points I just blew just trying to get rid of those negative tachyons? I just bought a brand new spectral tachyeometer when I could’ve taken Y/N on our Fiji get away,”

“Why didn’t you guys tell us about this before?” Iris asks, “And why tell us when Y/Ns not here? She will be thrilled to know Dante gets to stay longer,”

“We can’t tell Y/N,” Barry instructs, Cisco looking up at him with pinched brows,

“And why not?”

Nora lifts her wrist to show the hologram of the same news letter from earlier, Cisco sitting up to read it more clearly,

“Barry never returns?” Cecile gasps, looking over to Cisco,

“Y/N doesn’t even know I disappear,” Barry explains, “And she can’t know. Not now,”

“And why not?” Cisco repeats, “You just want to throw it at her last minute as if we don’t know it’ll happen years in advance?”

“We don’t know what the news will do to her,” Barry reasons, gesturing to Dante, “She could go into early labor, complications can happen due to stress,”

“When uncle Barry does vanish later, mom falls into depression,” Dante tries, Cisco looking to him, “The realization of her losing not only Grandma Nora and Grandpa Henry, but uncle Barry disappearing, it takes a huge effect to her,”

“That’s why you came here,” Joe points to Nora, “To see your father,” Then Dante, “And your mothers brother before he vanished,”

“Well,” Iris stands up, Nora glancing up to her, “Looks like Dante and Nora will be able to train some more, after all,”

Dante and Nora look to grin at one another, Barry announcing to meet at STAR Labs in the next hour, “We’ll make an excuse as to why Dante and Nora are able to stay longer,”

. . .

“Babe? We’re home,”

You look up from the stove with pinched brows, stepping in the entrance of the kitchen so you see not only Cisco, but Dante,

“We?” You question, Dante pressing his lips together with a wave, “Were you not able to get him and Nora home?”

“Actually, yes,” Cisco nods, setting down his jacket, “But, Barry has decided to let them stay longer, train them more on their powers,”

“Will it not affect the future?” You ask, glancing up at Cisco when he moves up to you,

“Barry’s got it all under control,” Cisco nods, “Dont worry,”

“Okay,” You sigh, hands at his torso as you look to Dante, “Well. Welcome home I suppose. Why don’t you go get settled in the guest room, since, you know. Your bedroom is still a nursery,”

Your son laughs, nodding, “Yeah. Thanks mom,” You watch as he disappears down the hall, glancing up at your husband of three years,

“Mom,” You repeat, Cisco smiling as your eyes flash with warmth, “I’m never gonna get used to it,”

“Two more months,” Cisco reminds, hands slipping from your waist to your stomach, hands under your shirt, “And we get to meet baby Dante,”

You laugh, nodding, hands sliding around his neck to tangle in his hair, “I love you,”

“Mm, not as much as I do,” Your husband teases, leaning forward so his lips met yours, hand sliding to your back to pull you closer, so your stomach pressed to his,

You release a sigh against his mouth, smiling as you lean back, “C’mon, I made your favorite,”

[mavda]

Beast Tamers

Ch.1 |  Ch.2 | Ch.3 | Ch.4(1) | Ch.4(2) | Ch.5(1) | Ch.5(2) | Ch.5(3) | Ch.5(4) | Ch.6(1) | Ch.6(2) | Ch.6(3) | Ch.7(1) | Ch.7(2) | Ch.7(3) | Ch.7(4) | Ch.7(5) | Ch.8(1) | Ch.8(2) | Ch.8(3) |

Ch.9: No lies (1)

Naruto’s body gets better with time, but it is a slow process. His father doesn’t show it in front of others, but whenever they are alone, his worry seeps out of him in waves that make Naruto feel guilty. 

But saying sorry only makes his father look more anguished, so he stops soon after. 

“Jiraiya should be arriving soon. The last time he contacted me he was two weeks away from here… that was a while ago, though.”

Naruto nods as his father presses his hand along his bare torso, and thinks of his godfather hurrying but getting distracted along the way. He smirks. His grandfather loves him and cares about him, but he also trusts Minato’s ability and his own research. 

Naruto has long stopped believing an answer will arrive with Jiraiya, nevermind a cure. His father has always been the one with hope, so he always gets disappointed when Jiraiya arrives with research and information that’s helpful but not the end-it-all kind of panacea his father still believes to be out there… waiting to be found.

Naruto trusts his body and his training and the hours he has spent honing his every fiber and being into being resilient. He trusts the hours his father has spent reading every book available and his godfather travelling far and wide to get his hands on any type of knowledge that looks promising. If he has made it this far, it has been thanks to them.

But there is no cure for him. Because he’s not sick. 

And although it has been hard for him to come to terms with it, he understands where he stands in all of this now. What he can and can not do. He wakes and meditates, then meditates again before sleeping, and each time he reminds himself of who he is, of what being himself means. 

He has a duty and a purpose and a debt with his father, with his family, with his clan and with his people. And he will see it through. 

But nowadays, at night, when Hinata makes sure that Neji goes through with the releasing of his chakras and then they cuddle before they go to sleep. Naruto is able to feel a new kind of desperation sitting at the pit of his stomach. 

“Does Hinata know about Neji and… her father?”

“Yes.”

And yet she says nothing. He owes her another apology, and somehow he thinks that she won’t like to hear it. 

“Grandma Mito…”

“Working herself ragged… as well as Shikamaru and everyone else, really.”

“Have they been able to share what I told you about?”

“Yes. Lord Gaara said the same thing, but you know… not much to go off with.”

Naruto remembers the red eyes staring back at him and the black dots around the pupil. The sharingan. A technique unique to the Uchiha, a terribly powerful clan that threatened the world with their ability to control the Beasts without the need for a vessel… which meant their demise at the hands of every other clan alive that saw them as a threat. 

A murdered clan that had been lost to history. A power that meant their complete destruction… or so they thought. 

What do you look for when the records have no more information about their abilities or their history?

The only thing they can know for sure is that they have a motive for wanting the Beast Tamers dead. But now they can only wait for whatever these remnants of the past have planned for them. 

At least until they regain their footing and start the hunt back. 

So a truce is in place and like never before, the Beast Tamers’ clans seem to be working together. And this seeming camaraderie only makes Naruto shudder with unease.

Minato rises before the door opens and Hinata stands there, looking at Naruto like he could be gone any second now. He smiles. 

His father walks to Hinata and whispers things Naruto can’t catch, but by the time he has put his kimono back on Hinata is by his side. 

Neji is not with her today and Sai sits outside their room, Minato exchanges whispers with him, too. 

“Ready for our walk?” Naruto asks with a tone dripping with energy, but his body is slow, and although he is now able to move on his own, he still has to mask the pain that courses through him. 

“Yes.” And Hinata is next to him, supporting him as he stands.

He has been regaining his strength and he has been adamant on moving his muscles on his own. Sakura shrugged at his request and told everyone that Naruto had always been the person that knew himself best. Everyone still worries over him, and having Hinata by his side, anxiously glancing towards him does make him feel somewhat guilty of forcing himself to get better at an accelerated rate, but…

Shikamaru has shared with him the current state of affairs and now is the prime time for the Beast Tamers’ clans to be attacked. Naruto and Shikamaru can only hope that the first clans to be targeted are those worse than them, but there are little guarantees of anything at this point. 

So he bites down the pain. He has felt worse, that’s for sure, and that’s the energy he tries to channel through him. He hasn’t tried to use the Beast’s chakra yet, but he knows his body wouldn't be able to channel the energy correctly anyways. He needs to reach a point in which using that is an option, an option that will not leave him on the ground gasping for air and writhing in pain. 

Hinata always accompanies him with the calmest of airs, although her eyes washing over Naruto every once in a while are enough to give her away. What else has Naruto lost thinking that her body language is enough of a tell tale? 

“Hey,” she knows and she hasn’t talked to him about her father, and he wonders… whether she would rather not talk about it to spare him the worry. Much like himself when he tried to deal with this without her knowledge. “I’m sorry about the letters with your father.”

Hinata stops for a second and then keeps on walking as if nothing happened, “Please, d-don’t worry about it.”

But he does. “I wanted to tell you, but… have you read them?”

Hinata nods her head once, a short movement that Naruto can tell comes from her being embarrassed about the contents of said letters. It’s not like she wrote them, though. 

Hiashi just wanted a source of information and since his own daughter was in the heart of a clan that prized privacy over many other things… it stood to reason that he would want to get something out of this. But Naruto couldn’t bring himself to put Hinata in such a position, even less as he got to know her and realized that she was not like her father at all. 

So Neji took over with only a nod. Nothing ever got out of that room and Neji listened and shared all he knew without reservation. Naruto had to say he had been surprised at his attitude. 

“I know it would put you in a tight spot, so that’s why… well, I got help from Neji. He wrote the letters in your stead, the same way you would with your own penmanship. I… wavered about this whole thing once, shared with him my insecurities about hiding this from you, but he told me that I was right in doing this and that he thought you would be better off without contacting your father again, and well, seeing as he never contacted you to know about… you, made it feel like he was right. If he would have ever asked about you or made an attempt to talk to you, I would have told you immediately, I want you to know that.”

Hinata stares at their intertwined arms and then looks up at him. “I know,” she whispers. She also knows her father wouldn’t do that. Neji was right- is right, she is better off not knowing about her father, and if Neji is the one writing the letters, then at least, “Neji d-doesn’t give him any v-vital i-information, right?”

“No. He does a pretty good job with the reports Shikamaru gives him regarding the clan’s standing with the outside, so- well, no, there is nothing in the letters that your father couldn’t know just poking his nose around.”

“Good.”

“I don’t want to lie to you ever again- rather, I don’t want to hide things from you ever again. I promise that. I owe you that.”

There is a strained silence before Hinata asks, with a tremble in her voice, “Will you be a-all right?” 

And Naruto’s first reaction is to smile and nod, reassure her that he will be fine and this is only temporary. But he senses her question is a little more nuanced than that. “I will. I will recover from this, it hurts and it sucks but it has improved greatly and we are already making preparations to prevent this from ever happening again, so yes, I will be all right.”

“H-how will this a-affect you?”

“We don’t know yet. It most likely had an impact on my body. None of the seals and training I go through are made to withstand a forceful tearing of the Beast, but they did help me withstand this whole thing. If I am here now it’s because of my dad and my training… as for what comes after this, well, we are waiting for me to recover and be able to perform as usual before my dad performs a deeper check on the seal. He’s actually hoping my godfather brings some sort of help that will enhance my seal or whatever, but…” Naruto sighs and battles with himself whether he should even share this with Hinata, seeing as he can’t even bring himself to discuss this sort of thing with his own father. But he did just tell her he didn’t want to hide anything from her, so. “I don’t think my godfather will bring anything that could change my current situation, Hinata. I don’t think there is anything out there that can give me a normal life span.”

Naruto feels himself be dragged to a stop, and Hinata doesn’t look him in the eyes, “What does th-that mean?”

“It means… I don't think there is a cure to having the Nine-Tails inside of me.”

She says nothing, but this time her eyes find his and she stares, something bubbling up inside her.

And somehow Naruto panics, “That- That doesn’t mean I will give up on trying any new thing that comes to my attention. Nor does it mean I will, I don’t know, stop undergoing my chakra release sessions, or doing my meditations or anything like that, okay? I will still try to-”

“I’m pregnant.”

It takes him a moment to process the words that leave his wife’s mouth. His eyes seem unable to tear themselves from her face, trying to make sense of her words. 

"Excuse me?"

"I'm p-pregnant."

There is a rush of feelings Naruto can't seem to recognize. There is the strangled feeling of desperation first, overwhelmed after by anxiousness and worry, but they all disappear in an instant as he realizes that he is going to be a father. 

A father. Him. 

His child. 

His arms find Hinata's waist and he envelops her in a tight hug, buries his face in her hair and breathes her in. 

Their child. 

"Congratulations," he says, voice full of emotion, and Hinata's arms find his body and slowly hugs him back. 

"Congratulations," he says again, and his chest starts to rumble, as a laugh starts to find its way outside. He puts distance between them and cups Hinata's face with his hands. Her eyes shine under the setting sun and Naruto can't control the smile on his face. 

He forgets everything in that moment.

His struggles, the future, his anxiousness, his role as clan leader, his role as vessel. For the first time in forever, his brain forgets to remind him that his body hurts, the pain fog that floats around him disappears. 

He is just a soon to be father with the woman he loves in his arms and the news of a baby coming is all he can think about. 

And this moment he treasures. Even after they reach their room, even after he presses his ear to Hinata’s stomach -who laughs at his antics-, even after they go to sleep and Hinata's soft breath washes over his chest. 

The room gets dark and his mind reels everything he dared to forget in a rush. His smile doesn't falter, and his heart still feels full of happiness. But he cries. 

He is euphoric at the news, and can now gather what all those whispered conversations were about. He brings Hinata closer to him, kisses the top of her head. 

He smiles still, but his eyes are wide open, and he just stares into the darkness of their room. 

[caitlyn-winchester]

Pilot (Part 3)

Cordell Walker x daughter!reader

word count: 1,667

warnings: mention of dead parent, abandonment issues?

masterlist

»»————-　★　————-««

It was the next morning and I got ready for school. I went toward the kitchen and saw grandma making breakfast and August sitting on the kitchen island.

"Goodmorning." I greeted my family and hopped up on a stool.

"Mornin' Y/N, eat up!" Grams said while putting some eggs and toast in front of me. I poured myself a glass of juice and started to eat my breakfast.

"Is dad almost ready to take us to school?" I asked August but he shook his head which caused me to frown a bit.

"He got a call, he had to go into work." He replied and Uncle Liam entered the kitchen while fixing his tie.

"Of course." I grumbled, "Can't even greet his kids in the morning" I sighed.

"Come on Y/N/N. We got a good morning routine going anyways." Uncle Liam reminded

"I know but I just wish he'd be here with us, you know, to parent and do family like things together." I pointed out.

"He can't just not do his job, Y/N. It has always been like this. I don't know why you're being so annoying about this now." August seethed

"Really August? You're telling me you didn't want dad to be here these past eleven months? To go through this tough time together, lean on each other like we've always done, have him by our side when we went through these life adjusting changes. You really didn't need him at all?" I asked and August was quiet. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"That's enough, Y/N." Grams chimed in. "You're dad is here now."

"No he's not!" I raged. "I don't think you understand, yes he is here in Austin but he is not here spending time with us." I ran a hand through my hair and got up from the island. "I-I'm sorry, I'm just going to walk to school today." I apologized, grabbed my backpack and left the house.

                               »»————-　★　————-««

I left school after my morning classes. Every little thing started to aggravate me, especially after this morning. I decided to go to the gazebo at Lady Bird Lake to clear my head. I just don't understand why dad wanted to jump back into work so quickly. Why couldn't he just take a second to get to know his family again. I miss him.

As I sat on the floor of the gazebo I heard a truck pull up. I turned my head to see who it was and it was dad. He climbed out of the car and we made eye contact. I turned my head away and sighed.

"Do you know who worried we've been?" he asked.

"Well you actually showed up, so this must be a super big deal for you." I quipped.

"Did you forget the part where I picked you up at the police station last night? And now you're here?" He motioned to the lake. "What are you playing at Y/N?" he demanded.

"It's not a game." I stood up from where I was sitting and faced him.

"Then tell me what the hell this is so we can end it," he began, "I'm telling you right now, we can't keep going on like this. Trying to figure out where you'll be next, scaring the crap out of everyone. I'm in the middle of a case!" he ranted.

"When aren't you?" I challenged him to cross my arms. Right his precious case that's always way more important than his family. He sighed and was left speechless for a second. I could see in his eyes he was searching for something to say.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked. "What do you want me to do? I am here and I am trying."

"Yeah," I scoffed, "when you're forced too."

"I just got back and I am trying to make this work. Be here for you, protect you and yes, do my job. I can't just do it all." he tried to reason.

"She did." I dared. "But what? You're somehow more important?" I asked.

"Of course not" he said as I started to walk away. "Y/N...Listen, stop!" he called and I turned around to face him again. "You think it sucks just having me, I know but it's not just me. You have Gramps and Grams and Liam-"

"I needed you! August and I needed you!" I shouted and I can feel tears pressing against my eyes.

"Ok well we need to find a way to have a balance because when I get a call I have to go." he stated.

"Do you?" I challenged him. "Do you just have too? You can't just call up your boss and say 'oh oops i have to actually pay attention to my kids now'. We lost mom, then you left. I-I felt like I lost you too." I choked up at the end. A tear threatened to slide down my face but I quickly wiped it and looked away from dad.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked. I rolled my eyes and started to walk away "How can I fix this?"

"I don't know, the only person that could have fixed anything is gone!" I exclaimed. Dad swallowed and looked at me with a half angry, half sad expression.

"Get in the truck." he commanded and I did so slamming the car door behind me.

                                  »»————-　★　————-««

I heard dad and grandma talking right outside my room so I decided to stand by my door frame and listen in. They were talking about August and I and Grams basically reiterated what I said this morning about dad being in Austin but not at home with us. She also mentioned the farmhouse that could be our new home.

"You already arranged the whole thing, didn't you?" dad asked grandma.

"Well I wanted you to put your own personal touches on it first" she responded and my dad chuckled.

"Mama," dad began, "It's a tricky time for me. I-I mean there's a task force I've been recommended for. It's down south and it's really important-" dad was cut off by August walking into the room. I entered my room and slammed the door. He's probably leaving again, I can't say I'm surprised though. He always put work over family.

                               »»————-　★　————-««

It was much later when someone knocked on my door.

"Come in" I said. I sat at my desk and doodled in my sketchbook. I never really liked doing very detailed art, just basic doodles. My door opened and August entered my room.

"Dad and I are sleeping in the farmhouse. Would you like to join?" he asked me

"No thank you." I grumbled and I heard August let out a sigh.

"You're so confusing." he huffed

"What do you mean?" I asked as I concentrated on my drawing.

"You always say Dad's never here but when he actually is, you're the one that avoids him."

"Well sorry if I don't want to get attached just to have him leave again."

"He's not leaving."

"Did you not hear him earlier? He got offered another case away from us." I started tracing the same circle over and over again on my paper. I concentrated on the circle getting darker to distract me from the tears trying to escape.

"He isn't taking the job." August insisted.

"Ok so say maybe he isn't taking this job, but he will take one eventually and leave us again, just like he always does." I pressed too hard on my paper that it tore. I ripped the page out of my sketchbook and tossed it in the trash can. I sniffed and started a new page.

"You alright?" he questioned.

"Yea," I lied, "Augie just go spend time with dad. Let it be a father son thing." I forced a smile and August nodded and left the room.

                                »»————-　★　————-««

I walked up to the farmhouse holding a blanket grandma gave me to bring up to Dad and August. I know what she's actually up to. She wants dad and I to talk. I opened the door and entered the house.

"Hey." Dad greets while looking towards me. August was sleeping on my couch next to him.

"Mawline told me to bring you this, which was super subtle." I said and dad offered up a smile. He took the blanket from me and draped it over August. "I heard you earlier." I told him referring to his conversation with Mawline about his job offer down south.

"Come on" he motioned for me to sit next to him on the couch. I sat on the floor beside the couch instead. I'm trying to not get too used to him being around because there will always be that fear of him leaving us for good in the back of my mind. I bit my lip nervously, not knowing if he is going to take that job makes me anxious.

"I am not going to that job." he affirmed.

"You might feel different in the morning." I said sadly.

"I am not going to feel different about you, and being here." He vowed which made me smile a bit.

"For now." I scoffed. Sometimes I feel like I am to blame for mom's death and that's the reason dad went away.

"I'm learning. Now's all we got." he said and I took a deep breath

"Do you think I could have saved mom?" I dared to ask "I mean when I heard the gunshot, If I went back, would have I been able to save her?" Dad was silent which had me terrified.

"Y/N, I can't tell you if you could or couldn't have saved her but I think," he paused for a moment, " you did everything you were supposed to that night. You did exactly what mom told you to do, which was always our number one rule for when you went out with her. If you went back, you'd probably have died too" he informed me. I sniffed, leaning further down the floor and resting my head on the couch cushion.

                                      »»————-　★　————-««

[oneoftheextras]

Big Brother

All Might x Pregnant!Reader

Prompt:

masterlist | tip jar

Prompt: You’re pregnant with All Might’s baby and to tell him about it you get some kind of cheesy big brother t shirt for Midorya 

A/N: I adore everything about this, how could I not?

Drifting your hand across the multiple different type of fabrics, you had found yourself in the baby isle at the store, your other hand subconsciously placed on your slightly rounded stomach.

You were 16 weeks pregnant, 4 months, and Toshi had no idea. He’d been away for important Hero work for the last 3 months, ironic that the one time you needed him he wasn’t there. You couldn’t blame him, he was the number one Hero, and the people needed their Symbol of Peace.

Every time you spoke to him on the phone you wanted to tell him, but he was so stress all the time with the League of Villains on the rise that you didn’t want to put any additional stress on him.

You also wanted to make sure that you hadn’t just eaten a lot of bread.

Unknowingly, you were staring down at your tummy - stroking it lightly with your thumb. Today he was coming home. He’d send you a text yesterday night, letting you know that he would be home about 7pm.

And here you were, 4pm, supposed to be buying groceries for your home made Ramen that you had an insane craving for; like, someone is going to die kind of craving. But instead you were staring at baby clothes with happy tears in your eyes.

Turning your body away from the extremely soft blankets, you mentally reminded yourself of the ingredients you needed to get. You stopped walking. Directly in front of you was a beautiful baby grow onesie that was a lovely colour of violet and had ‘Baby Bear’ written on it.

Being 16 weeks pregnant, you didn’t know the gender of your and Toshinori’s baby, so it was hard to buy anything that wasn’t gendered or sectioned off to be either pink or blue. It was refreshing to see something that you could buy without knowing yet.

As you grabbed the baby grow and took them off the hanger, almost like a slow reveal from a cheesy game show, you saw a matching set. In a slightly darker shade of purple was another top reading “Brother Bear” and next to that was “Sister Bear”. Honestly, you were expecting to see one saying Daddy Bear, Mummy Bear maybe even a Grandpa and Grandma Bear at this rate.

Then an idea struck you, you hurried along almost forgetting to buy the ingredients that had made you leave your comfortable blanket nest on the couch, and drove home as quickly as you could.

It was a waiting game now.

7:14pm and your stomach was turning, and not in the ‘there’s a tiny human in my stomach’ kind of way. Dinner was simmering and ready to be served at any moment, you started to over think things. “What if he’s already eaten? What if he doesn’t like my Ramen anymore?” you thought inside your own mind, you were crazy, but not crazy enough to start talking to yourself.

Pulling your jumper down, you inspected yourself in the mirror - you weren’t showing that much but if you had worn a smaller top like you normally would, your little bump would pull on your top and make it extremely obvious. Instead you opted for an oversize jumper and a pair of gym shorts that were stretchy enough to not put too much pressure on your tummy.

Your phone pinged, it was Izuku replying to your last text message, “He will love it” is all that he’d said, you saw the preview and clicked your phone to lock again. He wouldn’t mind if you didn’t reply immediately.

Settling for watching your favourite TV show to keep your mind off of things, you snuggled up on the couch again. Almost as soon as your butt touched the soft fabric, you heard the doorbell ring. It took you twice as long to get up recently, but you jumped out of your seat as quickly as you could.

As soon as you’d lowered the handle and pulled the door open slightly, you felt huge muscular arms wrap around your frame. Toshi picked you up off of the floor and squeezed you into a hug, “I’ve missed you!” he yelled through the house.

He was still in his muscle form so his embrace was extremely tight, “Careful!” you smacked his arms and he immediately loosened his grip on you, looking at your face with concern. 

“What’s the matter? Are you hurt? Sorry if I hurt you, I didn’t mean to” he started to ramble, a habit that he’d picked up from Midoriya. “No, no, no” you panicked, not wanting him to find out like this, “You’re just very strong” you chuckled, rubbing the back of your neck and looking down to your huge boyfriend, who was still holding you in the air.

“Oh, sorry” he apologised again, letting your feet touch the floor and loosening his grip on you even more, “I guess I’ve forgotten to use restraint with One for All” he smiled down at you.

“Come on then, you big idiot, dinner is ready” you laughed, walking back into your home. Toshinori started to walk through your small doorway until you tutted and turned back to face him. “What did we say about Muscle Form and being in the house?” you scolded him, sounding like a mother already, “Not to do it in the house” he replied in a sing-song type voice, definitely sounding like a toddler.

If the public could see their Symbol of Peace now, you thought.

He reduced himself down to his normal, quirkless size with a puff of steam and closed the door behind him, following you through the house like a lost puppy dog.

After you’d both thoroughly cleaned your bowls of Ramen, you sat shyly opposite Toshi,”God, I’ve missed your cooking” he said, unknowing to him you were stroking the bottom of your tummy again. ‘I hope you enjoyed that too little one’, you thought and smiled both at your boyfriend and your stomach.

“Toshi” you started, not sure where you were going with this, he looked up at you with adoration and nodded for you to carry on. “Come with me, I have something to show you” you smiled, getting up out of your seat and walking to your shared bedroom.

You waited until he’d followed you into the room before you started to rummage into your closet, “I got a present for Izuku and I wanted to know your opinion on it” you explained while you reached for the green present bag.

“My opinion? Why do you need my opinion?” Toshi asked, slightly confused, “I want to make sure it’s the right size” you handed him the bag and then carried on looking through the closet.

You watched out of the corner of your eye as he opened the bag up, took out the top, put the bag on the floor and then unfolded the top with both of his hands. You’d found what you were searching for so you closed the closet door and watched him.

“Brother Bear?” Toshi read aloud, “I don’t understand, why ‘Brother Bear’“ he asked lowering the top to glance towards you and hopefully receive an explanation.

When is eyes focused, he saw what you were holding. His eyes stared at the top, then at you, then back at the top again. “Wait..” he said, looking back at the piece of fabric in his hand, you could see the little calculator in his brain adding everything together.

“Y/N... are you?” was all he asked, you nodded at him, your eyes threatening to leak with happy tears again, “Uh-huh” was all you could manage. “No I need you to say it Y/N” he said, putting the top back into the bag and walking towards you.

“I’m pregnant Toshi” you smiled at him, slightly shaking with excitement.”You’re pregnant?!” he repeated, “I’m pregnant” you shouted, hoping that it would get into his head finally.

“Oh my.. Goodness!” he shouted and in a puff of white steam he transformed into what people know as The Symbol of Peace, smacking his head on the ceiling and making a few particles of plaster onto your freshly vacuumed rub. “What did I say about Muscle Form?!” you laughed, scolding him again.

“But...” he continued, ignoring your lecture, “Why the present for Young Midoriya?” he questioned. You rolled your eyes, “He’s basically your adoptive son, and I’ve already texted him so he’s excited” you laughed.

“Wait, Midoriya knew” he looked off to the side and walked towards you, “And didn’t tell me” he finished, snaking one arm around your waist, and placing a large hand on your swollen belly.

You knew he was going to be a great dad.

[whatamidoingwithmylifeman]

MK 11 Nozomi vs Canon intro fight dialogues part 2

I FINALLY GOT EM FINISHED!

TW/CW for: Trauma, kidnapping, hints of abuse

Nozomi, Melantha, Shariah, Nyx, Michiko, and Fuyuka all belong to me

the rest belong to midway/NRS

ENJOY

Nozomi: Shariah is nearly done healing if you would like to see her.

Baraka: I will believe that when I see her myself Goddess!

Nozomi: What did I just say?

-

Nozomi: Hey, does it ever occur to you that I have a mother?

Baraka: You’re still Quan Chi’s spawn.

Nozomi: Yeah but I’m also Fuyuka’s spawn!

-

Nozomi: I am here to help!

Baraka: We don’t need your help!

Nozomi: That’s not what Kitana said.

---

Nozomi: I appreciate your gratitude Ms. Cage.

Cassie: Don’t sweat it. Just call me Cassie.

Nozomi: Oh? So who’s the humble one now?

-

Nozomi: Out of my way Cassandra!

Cassie: What has Raiden ever done to you!?

Nozomi: Didn’t he get your mother killed?

-

Nozomi: I am a mother trying to help her daughter. Move please!

Cassie: And I’m a daughter trying to save her mother!

Nozomi: I promise you, Sonya won’t be hurt.

---

Nozomi: Go home aunt Cetrion.

Cetrion: Nozomi, please don’t do this.

Nozomi: I said, go home!

-

Nozomi: Did you know the truth too?

Cetrion: Only the One Being knew the soul you harbored

Nozomi: But did you know of his plan to contact that soul?

-

Nozomi: Aunt Cetrion trust me, Rain would never hurt me.

Cetrion: He has a lot to prove before I believe that.

Nozomi: And here I thought Mom’s judgment was enough for you.

---

Nozomi: My mom isn’t weak!

D’Vorah: Then why does Kronika want her erased?

Nozomi: Cause my mom poses a threat to her!

-

Nozomi: Tell your new master that if she touches my world, I’ll erase her instead.

D’Vorah: This one would like to see you try.

Nozomi: Watch me!

-

Nozomi: Want to know a secret D’Vorah?

D’Vorah: And what would that be, Nozomi?

Nozomi: I’m not scared of you either.

---

Nozomi: I’m more than a demi-goddess, Erron.

Erron: Well what in tarnation are you?

Nozomi: A whole mess

-

Nozomi: Erron I’m not good at anything

Erron: Who hurt you?

Nozomi: A lot of people.

-

Nozomi: I have it in for a lot of people Black.

Erron: Would those happen to be the same people who hurt you?

Nozomi: Yes. And no.

---

Nozomi: You seek revenge?

Frost: Give me the ideas grandma!

Nozomi: First, who are we going against?

-

Nozomi: In all seriousness, your mom said you do have a temper.

Frost: A temper that’s saved me!

Nozomi: A temper that has also hurt you.

-

Nozomi: I am ageless, yes.

Frost: Then you must be older than Kronika herself!

Nozomi: Do you not know how agelessness works?

---

Nozomi: Don’t worry about me uncle Fujin. I’m fine.

Fujin: I am sorry we didn’t get to Gae before he got to you.

Nozomi: He’s dead. We don’t talk about him.

-

Nozomi: You wanna know what my other goal is?

Fujin: Yes! Please, talk to me.

Nozomi: There is no other goal. There is only revenge.

-

Nozomi: I must admit, I will miss some people when I go.

Fujin: What is stopping you from staying?

Nozomi: A lot of things Uncle Fujin. A lot.

---

Nozomi: Then you can oppose him?

Geras: You. You are his mother.

Nozomi: I may harbor her soul, but I am not Khaos!

-

Nozomi: If I have three daughters, I won’t let them be eaten.

Geras: You might not be able to avoid that fate, Nozomi.

Nozomi: That will be one fate I won’t repeat!

-

Nozomi: Tell me Geras, does Kronika mess with my memories?

Geras: It is the back and forth from your world to ours.

Nozomi: That’s impossible!

---

Nozomi: I never answered your question did I?

Jacqui: What question?

Nozomi: The one of my disappearance after seeing my dad get decapitated.

-

Nozomi: The family matters my mother is attending is not one I wish to go to

Jacqui: Why not?

Nozomi: I might see him again.

-

Nozomi: Not my mom, but the sword she wields.

Jacqui: The famed Reaper of Nebulas?

Nozomi: The very same!

---

Nozomi: You made sure to put the books back right?

Jade: I am borrowing one right now

Nozomi: Nobody takes books from mother’s temple!

-

Nozomi: Platonically means out of friendship

Jade: Oh! What strange language you gods have.

Nozomi: That’s actually an Earthrealm term.

-

Nozomi: I suggest Melantha. The Goddess of Death herself.

Jade: There is more than one Death deity?

Nozomi: Yes there is.

---

Nozomi: Bold of you to assume we have family get-togethers in the first place, Briggs.

Jax: You’re right. My bad.

Nozomi: No worries Briggs.

-

Nozomi: Oh yeah? Name one other time I lost my shit!

Jax: When your daddy got his chopped off.

Nozomi: Name another time!

-

Nozomi: I don’t think Rain wants to go with me

Jax: Long distance relationships can be hard.

Nozomi: Long distance?

---

Nozomi: No. No. Cage, Quan Chi is my dad by birth.

Johnny: What about Raiden?

Nozomi: He’s my dad in spirit.

-

Nozomi: If you think me controlling lighting is weird just wait til you see the other elements I control.

Johnny: Are you the Avatar?

Nozomi: I need to watch that with Lao again.

-

Nozomi: You don’t get enough recognition in Hollywood Cage?

Johnny: Not anymore.

Nozomi: Ouch!

---

Nozomi: There are variants to my name depending on the characters used

Kabal: The what?

Nozomi: At least according to Earthrealm customs.

-

Nozomi: I’m not saying Kristy lied! I’m saying, did she say it was me?

Kabal: Well, not exactly.

Nozomi: So why am I the first person you went to?

-

Nozomi: No I do not make em revenants like my dad.

Kabal: Then what do you do?

Nozomi: Have you met Michiko and Reiki?

---

Nozomi: Why does my potential union to Rain interest you?

Kano: Bloke owes me a lot of money

Nozomi: And you think I’ll help pay for that? How cute.

-

Nozomi: I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!

Kano: Eh sorry teach. School’s out for the summer.

Nozomi: Welcome to summer school Kano!

-

Nozomi: A Devil, a Goddess, or a Titan.

Kano: What do all those have to do with me?

Nozomi: Pick whichever you want to call me, but you’re still paying your debt

---

Nozomi: I’m gonna miss you.

Kitana: Won’t you stay?

Nozomi: I’ve stayed long enough

-

Nozomi: Your friend Jade cares a great deal for you

Kitana: Her, Mileena, and Nyx are like my sisters.

Nozomi: Nyx says hi by the way.

-

Nozomi: Mileena is worried you don’t care for her

Kitana: What!? I need to invite her over.

Nozomi: Better do it fast

---

Nozomi: Nyx wouldn’t hurt Shariah, Kollector.

Kollector: And you believe that?

Nozomi: I’ve witnessed that

-

Nozomi: My debts aren’t always of the monetary kind, Kollector.

Kollector: What do you mean by that?

Nozomi: It depends what they offer.

-

Nozomi: Look, whatever went on between you two is none of my business.

Kollector: Could you atleast talk to her for me?

Nozomi: Fine. But you owe me.

---

Nozomi: He is my dad in spirit

Kotal Kahn: Then who was your dad in birth?

Nozomi: Quan Chi.

-

Nozomi: If you must no, Shariah has made a full recovery

Kotal Kahn: I’m glad to hear this

Nozomi: So are several others

-

Nozomi: Do you still wanna see that card trick?

Kotal Kahn: I would actually.

Nozomi: Great! You won’t be disappointed!

---

Nozomi: Ok wise one! Then who would be a better match for me?

Kung Lao: Liu and I are still going over the list.

Nozomi: You two made a list!?

-

Nozomi: Does Jin want a magic trick done for his birthday?

Kung Lao: He said, and I quote, “If she could poof me up a boyfriend that would be great”

Nozomi: Unfortunately, I am not that talented.

-

Nozomi: I’ll miss you so much Lao

Kung Lao: Why do you have to leave?

Nozomi: I can’t stand being hurt anymore

---

Nozomi: You and Lao made a list!?

Liu Kang: Ah. Has he told you who’s on that list?

Nozomi: No, but now I wanna know.

-

Nozomi: Liu, how could I forget the little boy who insisted on holding my hand all the time?

Liu Kang: I really wish you hadn’t reminded me about that.

Nozomi: Why not? It was cute!

-

Nozomi: I’ll miss you a whole lot Liu.

Liu Kang: Please don’t go!

Nozomi: I have to protect myself somehow.

---

Nozomi: Good news! She’s made a full recovery!

Mileena: Then I’ll throw a celebration for her!

Nozomi: Be careful. She needs to take it easy.

-

Nozomi: Didn’t think you cared for his happiness

Mileena: Rain’s been a good friend.

Nozomi: Well color me shocked.

-

Nozomi: Have you been over to Outworld to see your sister?

Mileena: I’m scared she’ll send me away

Nozomi: She won’t. Trust me.

---

Nozomi: I may harbor her soul, but I am not Khaos!

Nightwolf: Deny as you might, she made her home in you.

Nozomi: I didn’t ask her to!

-

Nozomi: Bad things happen to me a lot, Nightwolf. It’s nothing new.

Nightwolf: Why are you so comfortable with it?

Nozomi: I’m not. That’s why I’m leaving!

-

Nozomi: Raiden is a good dad.

Nightwolf: He cares a lot about you.

Nozomi: I know he does.

---

Nozomi: Please. What is there for him to brag about?

Noob Saibot: Your ability to fully restore a life.

Nozomi: I forgot he was there for that.

-

Nozomi: There is a difference between rage and hate.

Noob Saibot: Not for Michiko.

Nozomi: Perhaps she hasn’t had the chance to fully express that.

-

Nozomi: I am aware where my cousin has chosen to stay.

Noob Saibot: So you’ll take over the Brotherhood of Shadow right?

Nozomi: I thought you wanted to do that.

---

Nozomi: Tell me, why does everyone forget that I am also Goddess of revenge?

Raiden: Cause we’re not used to that side of you.

Nozomi: There are a lot of sides to me you aren’t used to.

-

Nozomi: Trust me, Rain will be a good husband

Raiden: For his safety, he better be the best

Nozomi: Hey! Enough with threatening my fiance.

-

Nozomi: I will miss you the most, dad.

Raiden: I promise you, I will do a better job protecting you!

Nozomi: You’re Earthrealm’s protector dad. Not mine.

---

Nozomi: If you don’t want to come with me then maybe we can try long distance?

Rain: But my darling, I would be too hurt without you by my side.

Nozomi: Then join me! Please.

-

Nozomi: Yeah, I don’t trust Hotaru either. He might get stab happy again.

Rain: Then let me go with you Nozomi.

Nozomi: I don’t wanna risk your health my love.

-

Nozomi: Rain, I don’t want worshipers or followers.

Rain: But you deserve them.

Nozomi: Not really.

---

Nozomi: What impression do I give Hanzo?

Scorpion: You give off a kind and caring one Nozomi.

Nozomi: Didn’t think I did.

-

Nozomi: By that description you gave, I say you like Michiko too!

Scorpion: Ahem. No!

Nozomi: I see you blushing Hasashi.

-

Nozomi: I’m still mad at you for killing my dad!

Scorpion: But wasn’t he found hiding in the void?

Nozomi: You’re lucky he was!

---

Nozomi: Rain won’t hurt me Shang.

Shang Tsung: I will trust your word for now Nozomi.

Nozomi: And I thought we were friends.

-

Nozomi: But being elusive is like second nature to you.

Shang Tsung: Not with you my dear friend.

Nozomi: Have I had that great of an effect on you?

-

Nozomi: How could you help her!?

Shang Tsung: Nozomi please. I did not know the One Being had you.

Nozomi: But she did! And you helped her!

---

Nozomi: Touch the sword and I will take your soul!

Shao Kahn: So the little welp wants to follow in daddy’s footsteps?

Nozomi: Follow? I perfect steps not follow them, Shao.

-

Nozomi: Brainwashing someone isn’t loving them Shao!

Shao Kahn: And what would you know of love?

Nozomi: A lot fucking more than you!

-

Nozomi: First you snap Lao’s neck and now you wound Shariah?

Shao Kahn: Is the short one gonna do something about it?

Nozomi: I’m gonna kill you over and over again!

---

Nozomi: Surprisingly, not a lot of people are in my debt.

Sheeva: That is a relief to hear.

Nozomi: In fact I collected my last debt a few hours ago.

-

Nozomi: Good news! Shariah is fully healed!

Sheeva: Then we shall celebrate her recovery!

Nozomi: She does need to take it easy.

-

Nozomi: Is there anyone you want me to bring back?

Sheeva: I have healed from their deaths. I’m alright.

Nozomi: If you change your mind, you know where to find me.

---

Nozomi: I don’t think there will be a wedding

Sindel: By the gods, what happened?

Nozomi: Rain doesn’t want to come with and he doesn’t seem up for long distance

-

Nozomi: Shairah has healed completely!

Sindel: Good. Shao Kahn is still paying for what he done

Nozomi: Done and done!

-

Nozomi: Do me a favor, and don’t get corrupted again.

Sindel: Trust me. I am sticking to Edenia.

Nozomi: Good. Pulling you out of the corruption was a nightmare

---

Nozomi: Shariah is now fully healed.

Skarlet: Tanya and I thank you.

Nozomi: No need to thank me.

-

Nozomi: I’m taking you up on that offer!

Skarlet: Where is he?

Nozomi: Probably loitering around Raiden’s Sky Temple.

-

Nozomi: Consider us be-friended.

Skarlet: This is perfect!

Nozomi: Let’s start blood-bending!

---

Nozomi: I am not a sadist. I don’t enjoy torturing people.

Sonya: So just killing them?

Nozomi: Precisely.

-

Nozomi: I’m not sticking around for anyone, Blade.

Sonya: Why not?

Nozomi: I have been hurt too much.

-

Nozomi: There are a lot of things you don’t know about Kronika.

Sonya: I’m betting there’s a lot I don’t want to know.

Nozomi: According to mom, yeah.

---

Nozomi: She was still processing what happened.

Sub-Zero: The old grandmaster was a fool to allow Shen to train her.

Nozomi: Had he really not known what Shen was doing?

-

Nozomi: I’m a titan by origin of my birth Kuai.

Sub-Zero: Then you could’ve taken down Kronika!

Nozomi: Well I wasn’t able to!

---

Nozomi: I can’t risk being hurt again.

Shinnok: I promise you, I will up the guards in the Netherrealm.

Nozomi: I’m not staying.

-

Nozomi: Uncle Shinnok, Rain’s not gonna hurt me.

Shinnok: I have a torture room with his name if he does.

Nozomi: Uncle Shinnok!

-

Nozomi: If I don’t get to, tell aunt Charu I’ll miss her

Shinnok: This is like losing my sister all over again.

Nozomi: Hey, I’m not gonna be trapped anywhere.

---

Nozomi: Dad, I can’t stay.

Quan Chi: Isaac won’t hurt you again.

Nozomi: It’s not just Isaac!

-

Nozomi: I don’t think there’s gonna be a wedding.

Quan Chi: Ah so death is the flavor of cake Rain wants.

Nozomi: Dad!

-

Nozomi: I know seeing loved ones go is hard, but I’m not dying.

Quan Chi: But I’m afraid you will.

Nozomi: My heart’s not as bad as it was.

---

Nozomi: You can try, but you’ll die before you even reach me.

Hotaru: Don’t underestimate my tracking abilities, Nozomi.

Nozomi: I’m doubting your attentiveness Hotaru.

-

Nozomi: I still haven’t thanked you.

Hotaru: For what?

Nozomi: For helping Rain find me when you did.

-

Nozomi: If you make my cousin upset one more time, I’m taking your head.

Hotaru: Not if I take yours first!

Nozomi: Oh it’s on!

---

Nozomi: My sword is sharp too.

Reiko: I prefer your tongue.

Nozomi: Well you won’t be keeping yours!

-

Nozomi: Out!

Reiko: I didn’t even get a chance to speak.

Nozomi: I don’t care. Go!

-

Nozomi: You being told you were a blood God ain’t impressive.

Reiko: Aww darn.

Nozomi: Besides, what’s a God to a Titan?

---

Nozomi: My son. I am so sorry.

Meat: Why do you have to leave?

Nozomi: I can’t stand being hurt again.

-

Nozomi: You won’t get flesh. I will make sure nobody gives you any

Meat: You can’t do that if you leave.

Nozomi: I can’t heal if I stay.

-

Nozomi: Hey good news son. Shariah is fully healed.

Meat: Oh good. I was worried for my friend.

Nozomi: She was worried about you too.

@deepinthefog @yuvononik @merplderpl @tora-lotus @ls-double-spoiler @irrelevant-subjects @toomanyf4ndoms7 @starneko123 @loverofthewindgod @dontunderestimatemypoison @feistyfandomthings @harrissa-hoe @catornek @doodlewagonbug @calcium1790 @daddydestrey

[lukealvezhimboextraordinaire]

Daphne+ simon

okay this took me way too long and i apologize! i could seem to find the right theme for them but must admit i had fun writing this one.

so here it goes, a little snippet into simon and daphne's life

As most things in Daphne’s life, it all started with a conversation with her siblings. While she didn’t exactly have many complaints regarding her life as a married woman, she had to admit that she missed the loud family at Bridgerton House. The multiple conversations going at once, the having to make sure Colin was the last one to get to the food or else no one after him would get to indulge in that dish, the ongoing antagonizing game between her youngest siblings, the yelling from across the table, the savage teasing paired with the sarcastic and always on point snarky comments coming from Francesca and Eloise’s witty remarks.

Speaking of Eloise, she was the sole culprit. Well, her and Hyacinth.

Ever since Amelia had been born she had been the centre of every conversation around the dinner table whenever the Bassets had enough energy to put on semi-decent clothes and drive all the way down to Violet’s house. Having a baby was exhausting. Daphne was slightly surprised she had never quite realized how much work babies were considering she had seen her parents go through the same four times. But Amelia was older enough for the hype to have died now and the Bridgerton brand of chaos was slowly returning to the table.

It had started innocently enough. A casual comment about how they barely saw Daphne anymore. Then someone had mentioned that she was probably too busy with the baby. And then it happened. Eloise had leaned back in her seat with a huff, shrugging one shoulder before very solemnly looking at her sister.

“Daphne is no longer fun.”

That seemed to catch everyone’s attention as all conversations died down and the room suddenly grew quiet. Eight pairs of heads turned to look at her. Daphne raised her eyes from her plate, stared at the eight pairs of wide, expectant eyes and pulled her shoulders up into a casual shrug. A dismissive wave of her hand before focusing back on her food sealed her half-decent performance at pretending to not be bothered by it.

“Hey leave Daff alone, she is busy!” Between mouthful and mouthful of food, Colin tried his best to defend his sister. He had a special bond with Daphne and had decided a long time ago that the only person allowed to tease her was, in fact, him.

“Busy being boring,” added one of the younger voices from across the table. Eloise chuckled, pleased, and high-fived the youngest of the clan.

Colin tsked his tongue. “At least she is doing something with her life!”

“I am eleven, Colin.” There was so much resignation in her voice that the room erupted in laughter.

“You are one to talk about wasting your life away,” Anthony mumbled pointedly, biting down a smile.

With an air of resignation to it, Colin let his fork fall against the wooden surface of the very old, very expensive family’s table. The action earned him a cautious look from his mother. “I have a career! I have fans!” At this point he was waving his hands in the air with indignation. “You just love to antagonize me!! Why are you not telling Benedict to go take a shower? He hasn’t showered in three days. He stinks!”

“Me and my body odor would very much like to be left out of this conversation, thank you.”

“Suspicious that you know that, Colin,” Francesca interjected, leaning on her elbows as she looked intently at him.

“Yeah, Colin. Do you keep track of our hygiene routines?” Unable to resist having a go at the easiest to rile up Bridgerton, Eloise joined in the fun.

“I bet that’s why he has so many journals....” Of course, Hyacinth had to get her revenge.

Colin’s ears turned red. He tossed his head to the side and then, in what could be described as the most immature move in men’s recent history, stuck his tongue out at his younger sisters while making funny faces.

The rest of the night went by without any other major conflicts. No one seemed to notice that Daphne had remained quiet for the rest of the evening. Or if they did, nobody dared point it out.

Simon, however, noticed.

He always paid attention to her. Even when seemingly he was entranced by some other activity, a part of him was always watching over her. Not in a creepy or possessive way, no. Just in a… in a need her around way. Daphne was his anchor. Her presence brought him a peace and calm he had never known were possible let alone imagine himself craving. She and Amelia were his whole world and it was only fair to take care of the two more important people in his life. He watched over her to make sure she was okay, to give back a bit of all she had given him.

Simon knew his wife. And knew that when she was silent for so long it could only mean a thing; something was bothering her.

“Princess.” His hand found her thigh and gave the softest of squeezes to it when she didn’t address him. Hopefully, it would make her turn to look at him. There was only so much he could do when his whole attention was supposed to be on the road.

“Huh?” Daphne seemed a little startled to hear his voice, as if she had just been shaken out of a reverie. On any other occasion, the look of bewilderment on her soft features would have made him chuckle. But the worry was starting to set at the bottom of his stomach.

“What is going on in that mind of yours?” His voice was cautious, soft, as if he was taking to a wounded animal.

Daphne pulled her shoulders up only to let them fall back into place. “Nothing.”

Simon opened his mouth to talk but Daphne beat him to it.

“Do you think we are boring?” The despair in her eyes made his stomach churn. He had to ponder it a second before giving her an answer.

“We are not boring,” he sent her a quick glance before returning to the road. “I know we have barely left the house since Amelia was born but that doesn’t make us boring.” It sounded bad even to his own ears. The groan his wife produced confirmed his suspicions. He chuckled. “Okay, maybe we are a bit boring.” She huffed and he laughed loud. Amelia protested in the back and he was reminded that his baby didn’t appreciate noise when she slept. “But we can change that, okay? Let’s go out this weekend. I’m sure your mom won’t mind keeping Lia for a couple hours.”

Daphne’s whole face lit up. “Really?”

He nodded. “Really.”

Violet was delighted to spend some quality alone time with her first grandbaby. But it turned out Daphne and Simon were a bit more hesitant about leaving their baby with her grandmother than either of them had anticipated. As excited as Simon had been all week about the prospect of going on a date with Daphne, as soon as he woke up that morning a strange pressure had settled in his chest. And as the time to leave came closer, it became more and more suffocating. His whole world had revolved around Amelia for months. She was his last thought before falling asleep and the first thought in the morning. He had taken paternity leave under the premise that Daphne needed help but the truth was that he could not fathom being away from his baby. And now that was exactly what he was about to do; willingly spend time away from his daughter.

“I don’t want to see you before midnight,” Violet warned, practically pushing them out of the door of their very own house, Amelia secluded to her hip, happily sucking on her thumb. “Amelia and I will be fine. I raised eight babies and most of them turned out fine.”

Simon sighed. His mother in law was right. They could do this. They had to do this. They needed time for themselves.

“Be good to your grandma, eh,” he placed a sweet kiss on the top of the baby’s head, taking in her scent before moving to kiss Violet on the cheek. “Thank you so much, Violet.” With his arm wrapped around his wife’s waist, Simon watched as she said her own goodbyes to their baby before gently dragging her away when it became evident they would miss their reservation if they didn’t get going soon.

Daphne’s eyes were clouded with tears by the time they got to their car.

“She is going to be just fine,” he tried to reassure her even if he himself wasn’t very convinced.

Daphne nodded, sniffing her nose loudly. “But will we?”

Simon didn’t have an answer for that but he really hoped it was a yes.

Ten minutes into their date and they had already called Violet twice. It was funny how they had become those parents. Especially Simon, who had never cared to picture himself as a dad. Prior to Daphne the life that waited ahead of him was pretty lonely. Hedonistic, yes, but lonely. Filled with parties and luxuries but always an empty house and cold bed awaiting him once his bacchanals were over. Ever since his wife had prompted him the question of if they were bored, Simon had not been able to stop thinking about it. A few months ago no one would have dared call Simon Basset any variant of the word boring and now all he wanted to do was spend his afternoons cuddling his wife and baby on their blue couch. The long nights out, getting drunk and taking strangers back home seemed like something a different man had enjoyed. The thrill he used to feel now turned to disbelief that he had convinced himself that life was enough for him. Now, he looked forward to bath time, to nap time, to any and all those special moments he planned on sharing with his baby. Because he was going to be present in every step. He refused to be half a dad. He refused to only be there for the good, easy parts of fatherhood and let Daphne bear with the weight of raising their children. And oddly enough, he was fine with that. He was content with his life, happy, enraptured. Even if that meant having to endure being called a bore by his new found family.

They called Violet one last time before being escorted to their table. She hung on them, threatening to turn her phone off if she received one more call before they were done with dessert. They looked at each other surprised and then laughed.

“This is weird,” Daphne commented, hiding her face behind the glass of wine for a brief moment. “We are here without Amelia and I miss her but I am also having fun.” As if suddenly a thought had struck her, she froze in place, furrowed her brows and frowned. “Are we terrible parents?”

Simon laughed, shaking his head. He reached for her hand across the table and laced their fingers. “We are great parents. Great parents also enjoy some adult fun.” That mischievous expression she had come to know so well framing his features.

Daphne sighed, feeling the thrill of the unknown starting to bubble up in her stomach. “Adult fun?”

Slowly, Simon nodded, eyes burning into hers.

“Wh-what are you thinking?”

He looked around them and then leaned forward, urging her to do the same. “Do you want to do something bold?”

Daphne nodded. Simon grinned.

“On the count of three, we run.”

Her eyes grew wide with shock but a devilish grin spread across her face. She nodded, eyes shining with excitement. The wine in her veins making her bold.

“One, two...three!!!”

Simon held his hand out to her grinning like an idiot, Daphne took it with a smile so big it rivaled the sun and together they stormed off the elegant restaurant, laughing and screaming, the manager hot on their heels. They ran and ran and ran until they were sure no one was chasing them. Breathless, they took refuge in a deserted alley.

“I can’t believe we just did that!”

Adrenaline rushing down their bodies, they looked at each other for a long second before their mouths crashed one against the other in a hungry kiss.

The next morning Simon dropped by the restaurant to pay for their food. He left a very generous tip.

Nine months later, they welcomed Belinda Basset into the world.

[criminalminds4days]

Family Matters | Chapter 3: Trivia

Hello People!

I hope you have had an amazing week and are going to have an ever better weekend. I am so done with this week. It was really crappy and I just can't wait for the beginning of next, hoping it will be better. The only positive side is that I was able to get over my writer's block and have finished about 3 new chapters.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter of Family Matters and let me know what you think!

Warnings: Swearing, sexual references, violence and murder references, public embarrassment, and very bad jokes!

Word Count: 3.6k

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Tag list: @mcntsee @lets-be-gay-for-the-angel @evelyncade @haylaansmi @paulaern @myfandomlife-blog

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(This gif is not mine)

Chapter 3: Trivia

She closed the blinds and made sure for the fifth time the door was locked. Her breath caught in her throat and the fear and adrenaline that had rushed through her body made even Spencer Reid nervous.

"What's going on?"

"This is bad, I didn't realize the consequences of this until it was too late. I am so sorry I got you all tangled up in this mess."

"What are you talking about? What happened?"

"I-" She turned and took a peek through the blinds, ensuring there was no one around. "I did not think things through. I think it's best if you go home, that way you might be spared."

"You are seriously starting to make me nervous, please tell me what's going on, how can I help?"

"There is nothing you can do; I am basically a dead woman."

"Why? Who's after you?"

"Anna Hemingway."

"Your cousin is after you? Did she threaten you or something?"

"No, she didn't have to." She walked towards the bed and sat on the edge, still glancing every now and then, making sure the coast was clear.

After her and Spencer's victory, they had both decided to go to bed, and while the rest of her family insisted on having another dinner dedicated to the couple, they had both decided best to eat and head back to their cabin. He had finished first and decided to head back, and as soon as he was gone, the memory hit her making her mistake obvious. And the main reason she had resorted to a passive competition with the world's worst cousin was clear once again. In a hurry she had returned to their cabin, ensuring she was not being followed, and locked the door, startling the doctor.

"The last time I beat Anna at something was when I twelve. We were both auditioning for the same role in our school musical. They gave me the part." He smiled, truly excited for her accomplishment, as well as happy to learn this new fact about her. "Don't get too peppy. On opening night, at Grandma's celebration for the play, I fell down the stairs."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because, Dr. Spencer Reid, as hard as it is to believe, me falling down the stairs was not due to my immense clumsiness."

"Wait, your cousin pushed you down the stairs?!" He exclaimed, truly horrified. How are children so cute and so evil at the same time?

"More like, she set her foot for me to trip on, but you get the idea." She glanced back at the door and then at the man in front of her. "I was lucky, I didn't break anything, but I have a feeling that might not be the case the next time. I also would prefer not to drown or anything like that."

"But we're federal agents, doing something to you or me would be unwise."

"You're speaking of the girl that tripped me down the stairs and thought that stealing my boyfriend and marrying him was wise."

"I'm gonna double-check the door is locked."

After hours of attempting to stay vigilant, her body had given in and she had fallen asleep. Although Spencer knew the danger, to him it was as simple as closing his eyes. She knew they were trained to deal with a lot of sick people, but he didn't understand the limits his cousin would go to destroy those who she felt wronged by. Although her main target had always been her, she once had basically ended a girl's life by getting her banned from pretty much any respectable college or job position because this one had made fun of her prom dress. Anna Hemingway was one to be cautious with, and they had both just embarrassed her in front of the people whose attention she had snatched years ago. It was worse than she realized.

"Spencer, Spencer." She spoke as she slightly moved him. He growled and moved away from her, attempting to continue his slumber. "Spencer."

"No, let me sleep." He complained.

"Spence, get up, please." After minutes of silence, she devised a new plan. "Spencer!" she screamed, making him jump, falling off the bed and landing between the edge of this first one and the door of the closet. "Oh good, you're awake."

He didn't say a word, for what seemed like centuries, and she wondered if screaming him awake was not the best decision, especially as her next request would not be something he would be inclined to.

"Sorry for that, I just needed you to wake up."

"Is there a fire I don't know about?"

"No, I just thought we could go for a run." There it was, the look Spencer had only given the unsubs he despised the most. She had earned it, but that didn't mean she liked it. "Sorry, I just, Nicole had to leave, and since I have a target on my back and there's safety in numbers... I also didn't want to leave you here alone, and vulnerable. I just felt like, despite your muscles, I am concerned you haven't yet mastered the use of your body."

"I will have you know that by all accounts I definitely know how to use my body. Quite effectively if I do say so myself, and others."

After his words, her mind went to a thought she never imagined having. She wondered if he meant it that way or she was just losing it. "Good, then you can come with me." That sentence following her thoughts was probably not ideal.

"No thank you, you can do it by yourself." She needed to change the direction her thoughts were going; they were definitely not helpful.

"Spencer, please. I am honestly a little terrified, and you should be too."

"Well, I'm not. She isn't worse than any unidentified subject we've dealt with before."

"Oh but she is. She's the worst type of unsub you could think of, but ten times worse."

"What's the worse she could do?"

"Let's not find out."

After whining from him and pleads by her, they both made their way out of the cabin. The shorts he had avoided yesterday were now covering almost nothing as they jogged. This was not a good reminder of their earlier conversation, so she simply focused on something easier: her cousin's imminent revenge. She thought it would come in the form of her accidentally pushing her into the lake, or a repeat of her falling down the stairs. She was even worried this time Spencer would be the victim since he had been the one to embarrass her. Her thoughts were interrupted by deep breaths and a yelp.

"Are you okay?"

"We've been running for hours, how dare you ask me such a question?"

She looked at her watch, "We've been running for exactly three and a half minutes. Actually, we haven't been running, more like jogging."

"How long do you usually do this for?"

"Depends on the day, but from thirty minutes to two hours."

"You need help."

"It won't be as bad, come on."

"You can go on, I am just gonna sit here and have a heart attack real quick."

"How on earth did you pass your physical?"

"I got it waved."

"Cheater."

"If it isn't it the 'it' couple of the weekend!" Suddenly the one having a heart attack was not Spencer, but her. "I didn't know you guys ran together, that's so cute!"

"Yeah, truly the reason I love her," Spencer said, a pinch of sarcasm in his voice.

"How adorable." It's coming, she could feel it. "Anyway, I was thinking, since love seems to be in the air this weekend, why don't we celebrate it by wrapping up the family retreat with a trivia night!"

"What does trivia have to do with love?" She regretted the words as soon as they came out, as Anna looked at her like she might as well be six feet under.

"Silly, the trivia would be about your significant other, of course!"

"Well, that's just-"

"Wonderful, I know!" The blonde smiled, delighted by her idea. "The family has already been briefed and they are all on board, I have started taking in questions and designed the cards, so we'll all meet around the campfire for dinner, and then we'll have trivia night!" She smiled brightly and began to leave, stopping by to appreciate Spencer's figure and palming his behind as she left.

"Did she just-?"

"Yes, yes she did."

"I need a shower."

After both had showered and changed they made their way to grandmas house, alert as to anyone following them. Most of her family had moved on from spying on them, but she knew Anna and Uncle Ernie were not that normal.

"So, what did your grandma do?"

"No one really knows, I mean it had to be good to make her so rich, but by the time my uncle Ernie was born, the eldest, she was already rich enough to sell whatever business she had and become a full-time parent."

"What about your grandpa?"

"He died before I was born."

"Oh."

They sat at the same table he had been at the day before; the chessboard was still in place. She began messing with the pieces, creating the game that always made her win, courtesy of her grandma.

"I didn't know you played."

"I too began at a very young age. I haven't really played since grandma died; she was my game partner. The only one that treated me like I was a human being." She sat down, remembering the hours she spent here when Nicole wasn't around, and everyone pretty much ignored her. "She was the only one that ever consoled me for losing my dad. Losing her was just one more box to check."

"I am sorry for your loss." He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently, hoping to convey his sympathy.

"Yeah well, by how calm Anna looks right now I guess it won't be long before I join her, so we don't have to worry about that anymore."

He rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips. "So, what should we expect during this trivia night?"

"To lose, that's our safest bet."

"I don't really do losing."

"And all I do is lose, so I will be your guide this time."

The family had made their way inside, their excitement overflowing the room. She couldn't help but wish she could simply run for the hills. She knew the chances of them winning were null, because a) she needed to lose and b) Spencer and her hadn't known each other, really known each other long enough to be able to answer these questions. She wondered if that was the plan all along, that Anna somehow had found out about their lie and was using this as a means to expose it.

"Okay everybody, let's get started." Said, uncle Ernie. He wore the same clothes as their first day here. "Let us start with the competition. Since we have the newlyweds as well as the new couple in the family, I think they should make the honors."

She looked at Spencer and he smiled at her, she leaned closed and whispered. "Remember, to ease the monster, we need to lose, which shouldn't be hard, we're not even a real couple, there is no way we know enough about each other, right?"

He nodded and they both moved to the sofa that was designated as their spot, her uncle who now apparently served as the show host, handed Spencer and Tyler a buzzer, explaining whichever sounded first would get to answer the question. She mentally prepared herself, hoping she could answer enough questions to not raise suspicion but not enough to win the game, what a grand world that would be.

"Ready everybody?" everyone cheered in approval and she prepared herself. "This round is for the guys, once we finish you will pass the buzzer to your partner and at the end, we will have one round where either of you can answer. Now, the first question, what is your partner's Starbucks order?"

Spencer's buzzer went off as Tyler attempted to recall the memory. "It depends on the season. During winter and for as long as she can get it, it will be a Grande Peppermint Hot Chocolate, during the summer it will be no-coffee Double chocolate chip cookie crumble Grande Frappuccino with extra whipped cream, and no straw." She looked at him completely taken aback by his answer, how specific it was, and the fact that he knew she was a seasonal drinks person.

"Yeah, that's it." She spoke.

"Point for team FBI!" Her uncle cheered. "Next question, what is your partner's favorite color?"

His buzzer went off and the doctor spoke again, "Blue."

Ten questions later the scoreboard was 8-2, Spencer's lead, and the two questions he hadn't answered were because he decided that would be enough to lose. She didn't understand how he knew these things, or the fact that she knew what her answer for him would be, but what she did know, was that she had to be really bad in order to allow Anna to take the lead back, what she wasn't sure about anymore, was whether she wanted to let her cousin win.

"Ladies, you're up." Spencer handed her the buzzer and she smiled at him. "First question, how does your partner drink his coffee."

"That's easy. He doesn't drink coffee." She said soon after her buzzer went off. "He drinks sugar with a side of coffee, no creamer. Eighty percent sugar, twenty percent coffee."

"That is so mean to say! But it's true." Spencer agreed.

"How are you a doctor and drink so much sugar?"

"Not that kind of doctor." He clarified to the man.

"I have no idea what that means! Next question, what is the thing your partner is most proud of?"

"His job. Spencer loves helping people and using his knowledge to reunite families, he's the bravest guy I know." She smiled at him and he returned the gesture.

It was no surprise Anna was not content with the results, as the end was a 23-4 in favor of Spencer and her. As soon as the game was finished she knew that she had basically carved her own grave.

"That is not fair, they are not even really dating!" Her cousin screamed, "it's all a lie!"

"What?"

"Yeah, I know your little secret, I overheard you and Nicole talking about how Spencer was not really your boyfriend and how he didn't actually have dyslexia!"

"I-" She didn't know what to say, how had she not seen her? How could she let this happen?

"First of all, I think it is very inconsiderate of you to suggest that my dyslexia is not real. I have fought so hard for such a long time to ensure my condition didn't prevent me from succeeding, going as far as getting a Ph.D. in mathematics, for someone to simply come and question my hard work." Spencer said, seemingly very upset. "Second of all, this woman right here is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I will not sit here and tolerate you calling her a liar. We are in love with each other, and you as her cousin should be happy about it. Yet you seem so upset about her finding someone, it seems to me you're jealous, but what do I know, it's not like I can understand human behavior or anything. Oh, wait." He said, he took her hand and pulled her as close to him as she could. "Just leave my girlfriend alone, you took her sloppy second and married him, so what more can you want from her?"

The room fell silent, everyone eyed Spencer and Anna, trying to grasp what had just happened. "You and I both know you're lying, you two are not a real couple, you are just trying to ruin this weekend for me."

"Really, not a real couple? Then how did we end up destroying you at trivia? You made the questions Anna, I had no idea what was on them, you did. And I am not the one wearing a wedding ring. So my question is, how do you marry someone without knowing their proudest moment, or their Starbucks order?"

"Well, how come no one has ever seen you two kiss? You can learn facts about each other but that doesn't really make you a couple."

"You want to see a kiss? Fine." She turned and pulled Spencer's lips to hers. She let herself enjoy the moment, really enjoy Spencer's kissing skills, not because she wanted to or anything, but rather because that is how she should kiss him, there was no way anyone would have any doubt about them if the kiss looked authentic. Which it did, it also might have felt a little more authentic than it should but now was no the time to dwell on that.

Spencer kissed her back, creating an atmosphere in which her cousin's word didn't matter any longer, in which the humiliation her family had put her through was nothing worth thinking of, and the fact that both of them had such deep knowledge about each other only fueled it, melting her a little in her spot, she felt his teeth on her lower lip applying slight pressure and she couldn't help but wish they were by themselves right then and there.

"We get it! You guys want to take your clothes off, now please stop." Tyler's voice echoed, and the two doctors left each other's lips reluctantly, looking at him. "Now, can we please move on?"

"No! Not until they admit they are not really dating, and all this was a plot to humiliate me!" Anna screamed.

"You know what? I am not going to stand here and tolerate this behavior any longer. Bitchy Anna, you can whine all you want, but that will not change that I am with a man I love, and that loves me. I have let this family make me feel like less for long enough and I am done doing so. You can all go fuck yourselves because I am done with each and every single one of you. You allowed this crazy brat to humiliate me and treat me like I was less for long enough. Let's go home, Spencer." She grabbed him by the hand and exited the house, giving her family the middle finger before she banged the door. She walked to their cabin and gathered her stuff, him following suit. As soon as they were in the car and far enough away, she pulled over and sighed, coming down from her adrenaline rush.

"In the wise words of Penelope Garcia, that was hot," Spencer said.

"What was?"

"Everything." They laughed for a couple of minutes, the scene she had just created replaying in her mind. "I am so proud of you."

"Why? Because I gave my uncle Ernie the middle finger?"

"Because you stood up for yourself."

"Yeah, well even if she was right, I tend to get a little too angry when people call me a liar or get in my way."

"Yeah, I know." He chuckled, "How did it go, oh yes, 'Nu-uh bruh, I know you didn't just interrupt me mid-sentence.' And then you commented how a man who wore sweaters in the middle of July was not going to cut you off."

"I am so sorry about that; I was just so used to being cut off I didn't want it to be a thing at work."

"It's okay, I understand. I began cutting people off because that's what most people did to me when I spoke."

"Well, that's dumb. I love hearing your facts, you have all this knowledge, and you chose to share it, people should be grateful for it."

"Thank you, I appreciate that." He smiled, "Speaking of facts, our chances of getting murdered will increase by the minute if we continue to sit on the side of the road."

"Right, forgot about that!" She turned the car back on. "Let's go home, Spencer." As his apartment complex became clear, she slowed down, making a stop right in front of it. "Thank you for coming with me this weekend, I really appreciate it."

"No problem, that's what friends are for." Before he moved to get out of the car, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "What was that for?"

"For being the best fake boyfriend and real friend a girl could ask for." She smiled at him, so grateful for his existence. "I will see you tomorrow morning at 5:45 am sharp. Goodnight Spencer."

"Goodnight. See you tomorrow." He opened the door and walked out, waving to her before he entered his building. She sat there for a couple of minutes, taking in the past weekend. She knew her mother wouldn't let her get away with her actions, but right now that didn't matter, Spencer Reid had told her he was proud of her, he had even used the term hot which in itself was hot because she never even imagined he used that type of vocabulary.

Regardless, she stood up for herself, she let Anna have it, and Spencer was proud of her. It seemed like a win-win. She drove home, a smile on her face.

[randomly-a-fan]

Father’s Day Prep

WARNING: Small act of violence

At Camp Crystal Lake, it was nighttime and Malon was already put into bed. So MJ and Jason have a little time by themselves in their room; Jason wanted to go out on a perimeter check, but it’s been awhile since they finally have some time for themselves, so he decided to let that past... for now. “Now Jason, you do remember that me and Malon are going out with Eric to get a few things, right?” MJ reminded. Jason nodded slowly and he remembered; a while ago, MJ needed to get some things for Father’s Day, and Eric offered to take her and Malon to the mall. Jason didn’t like the idea on trusting Eric with his special girls, especially from the time Eric have brainwashed her into making her want to runaway since he told her that she has Stockholm Syndrome. It took awhile to persuade Jason... Strangely enough, Malon talked her dad into letting her and mom go out with Eric; how can Jason say ‘no’ to a cute little face?

Jason is still a little worried at first, until MJ crawled onto Jason’s lap and kissed him passionately; Jason was suppose to go out on a perimeter check, but then he thought to himself before he passes out in lust, ‘just one night... sorry mom...’ Jason praised before removing her shorts... 

*** 

When morning came, Malon woke up excitedly and rushed into her parent’s room and climbed onto their bed with excitement. “Mommy mommy mommy, it’s morning, wake up!” Malon jumped excitedly. MJ and Jason woke up slowly and smiled a little. “Malon, I know you’re excited to go out to the city with me and Eric, but it’s still early, we still have a few hours before Eric gets here.” MJ explained. Malon relaxes and crawls up between her parents. “Sorry about the wake up call, I’m just so excited; it’ll be my first time EVER to go out to the mall... The last time I went out shopping is when Archie and I went out to buy you that drawing book... Then I got grounded...” Malon said before she turned her head towards her dad. Jason nodded as he remembered that day; it really scared him to see Malon disappeared. Of course it’s long over now and Malon knows better than to run off without permission. “Well... apparently I feel wide awake, so I guess I’ll make us a big breakfast.” MJ said as she got out of bed and put on her robe.

MJ couldn’t make a hearty breakfast by herself so Jason offered to make the half portions by making the bacon while MJ does the scrambled eggs, hash browns and toast. “Thanks for the help Jason, what can I ever do without you?” MJ thanked. Jason rubbed her back as a response before he finished cooking the bacon. “Just in time, the eggs and hash browns are ready.” Then the toaster popped. MJ and Jason high-fived each other before Jason dished them out while MJ fetches her daughter, who is still working on a picture for her dad for Father’s day. “Alright sweetie, it’s time for breakfast, now please go wash up.” MJ instructed calmly.

***

After breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen, MJ was getting herself dressed and washed up and then helped Malon get ready. Jason was waiting for Eric to get here, until he heard the car horn. Jason knocked on Malon’s door to let his wife know that Eric’s here. “We’ll be right out, give us about two minutes.” MJ called out to the other side.

Eric was waiting patiently and no one came out, so he honked his horn again. A second later, Jason knocked on Eric’s window... a little roughly and caused a crack on the window. “Oh dear God!” That’s all Eric can say. He was too petrified of Jason, after they have encountered a confusing fight between them while MJ was gone. Jason wanted to give Eric a sheet of paper; telling him what not to do or say, and what will happen if something tragic happens to his special girls. He also made a diagram of MJ’s silhouette body with the red slashes; telling him where he’s not aloud to touch MJ. 

Eric looked at the red slashes, he can simply understand about the body parts that was covered by a bathing suit, and the upper legs and stomach. Eric may have an idea on why the neck area was slashed; probably because it’s her most sensitive area, but he was confused about the left wrist and head though. “Why not the wrist and head--” Eric jolted when Jason lifted his machete with the sound of his fist and knuckles crack. “Okay okay… ixnay on the head and wrist-nay.” Eric said quickly. 

Jason then looked over Eric’s car and saw MJ and Malon coming out with their purses. He walked over to them before gave them a loving hug and a kiss. MJ noticed Jason gripping her hand, as he was nervous. “Malon, you go on ahead and get into the car, Eric will help you with the seatbelt.” MJ said to Malon, “okay... *to Jason* See you later daddy!” Malon said excitedly before she lets Eric help her into his car. While MJ tries to comfort Jason, then she came up with an idea. “Jason, I understand that you’re worried about me and Malon, especially after what happened a few weeks ago...” MJ said awkwardly while twirling her hair. “...So I thought of an idea...” MJ took off her special ring that her grandmother gave her for her birthday a long time ago.

It had two stars with little diamonds in it and two little gold stars on each end. “As you may remember back when you and I started dating that I’m so attached to my Enchanted Disney Ring that my grandma bought for me for my birthday a long time ago...” MJ placed her ring in Jason’s hand and closed it. “I do not want to leave without my special ring, so I’m putting you in charge in guarding my ring with your life... That just proves to you that me and Malon will return home safely... Would you take care of my ring for me?” MJ asked with a smile. Jason looked at the ring; he knew how much MJ loves the ring and never want anything to happen to her precious ring; he was surprised that MJ wanted to give him the ring to protect it. Jason crossed his heart with his hand before kissing his wife passionately as he knew that she would never leave him for good.

***

When they made it to the mall, Malon was amazed, this was her first time being at the mall, it was huge. Of course, she has been told multiple times everyday ‘til this day that she has to be on her best behavior and not get the ‘gimmies’ and not wander off alone since she can easily get lost.

MJ was window shopping as she was trying to look from a distance on what would be right for her husband, until something caught Malon’s eye. “Mommy look!” MJ looked over at where she was pointing. She noticed that Malon was looking at the Grizzly Bear slippers for men. As a matter of fact, they’re at a store for big men, since Jason is big and built, she realized that the store called ‘Big’n Built’ would be the best place to look for Jason’s gift. “Hmm... I think your dad would love these, especially when his feet are usually cold, and you know what will go good with these slippers?” MJ walked over to the aisle where they have housecoats and PJs, she noticed a forest-green housecoat; it was so soft and warm and it will fit Jason perfectly. “How about I pay for this housecoat, and you can pay for the slippers? it’s half-price which is good.” MJ suggested. Malon grew excited and agreed on the idea.

After MJ and Malon paid for the gifts for Malon’s dad. MJ thought it was time for a snack, so they went over to the food court where they meet Eric. “I see you’ve found something for your dad.” Eric assumed to Malon. “I got daddy Bear Slippers, they’re so cool, they look like real bears!” Malon said excitedly. MJ chuckled, “lower your voices Malon, there’s people here who are trying to eat.” MJ said. Malon sat quietly as she eats her doughnut that she picked out while her mom eats her warm cinnamon roll.  

***

Just before they were going to leave for home, Malon needed to make a pit stop, so they waited for Malon near the bathroom. Which gives Eric a chance to talk to MJ in private without Malon hearing it. “You know... MJ... I feel really bad for making you feel stressed and confused...” Eric confessed. “I rather that we don’t discuss about this critical mess...” MJ snapped in a calm way. 

While Eric explains about what Jason did to Eric about a week ago, and how he threatened him today, the shadow demon slowly submerges into Eric’s soul to manipulate him to do and say whatever it wants him to. “Eric, I know Jason can be pushy, he was like that with my daughter’s friend’s dad as well--” “You need to leave him! Look what he did to my FACE” Eric exclaimed, as he was being possess, but MJ didn’t know that. “Eric, what’s happened to you? you’re not The Eric I remembered--” “THEN YOUR ON YOUR OWN” Eric exclaimed all demon like before he slapped her in the face. Remember, Eric would never do or say such a thing to MJ, the shadow demon was manipulating poor Eric and could not control himself. 

After Malon came out, MJ grabbed Malon and her things and carried her away from Eric, as she thought that Eric was being mentally ill and acted violently onto her. Malon looked over her mom’s shoulder and noticed the dark shadow escaping Eric’s body, Malon could not believe her eyes, she wanted to tell her mom, but she wasn’t paying attention as she was trying to run as fast as she could. 

Eric finally snapped out from whatever has been controlling him. “MJ?” before he had the chance to look for MJ and Malon, he was being stopped by the mall cop. “Sir, you’re coming with me until the authorities arrive to take you away.” the mall cop said. Eric was shocked, “what did I do?” Eric asked in confusion.

***

Meanwhile, after a few minutes from running away from the mall, she exhaustively puts Malon down and decided to walk towards the nearest store. They were at the ‘Bass Pro Shoppe’ which was connected to ‘Star Bucks’. MJ and Malon were about to enter the shop until they bumped into Aquarius who just came out from shopping for camping gears. “MJ, is that you?” Aquarius asked with a smile and excitement. “Aquarius, I didn’t expect to see you here! What are you doing here?” MJ asked as they both share a hug. “I was just buying some important camping gear for my husband and son, they were going on a camping trip on a Father’s Day weekend. What about you?” Aquarius asked. Malon answered Aquarius’s question, “we went and bought my dad a new pair of Bear Slippers and a Housecoat!” Malon exclaimed excitedly. 

Aquarius smiled until she noticed MJ tearing up with her lips quivering. “MJ... Are you okay, what’s wrong?” Aquarius asked in concern. “It’s kind of a long depressing story...” MJ said trying to hold back the tears. “How about we talk it over with some hot chocolate, my treat.” Aquarius offered.

***

After MJ explained to Aquarius about what happened, Aquarius nodded as she has been through the same situation. “I can imagine how stressful that could be, dealing with sick-minded people. I’ve been through dreadful times like this... What surprises me is that he told you that you have Stockholm Syndrome... Maybe one of these days you should make an appointment with my cousin and talk to her about your problem; Cassandra is the person to trust, I should know, she received a high diploma on her PhD.” Aquarius offered. MJ thought about what Aquarius said. She would like someone to talk to, but only to the ones she can trust, she considered Aquarius as a friend and Cassandra was a Graduate Physician so maybe a nice conversation is what MJ needs, so she accepts the offer. “When my cousin is free, I’ll be sure to ask her for you and then I can set you up with her in private.” Aquarius offered. “Thanks Aquarius, you’re a sweetheart.” MJ complimented. 

Aquarius noticed Malon is getting sleepy, it was almost time for her nap too, so Aquarius made another offer. “If you want, MJ, I’d be more than obliged to drive you and Malon back to Crystal Lake, after all I am heading that way anyway.” Aquarius offered. “Oh my God Aquarius, you’re a life saver.” MJ teared up.

***

As Aquarius drove MJ and Malon home, Malon fell asleep through the rest of the ride. When they got back, MJ grabbed her things over her shoulder and carried Malon out of the car feeling exhausted. Jason was watching from inside the cabin and sighed in relief, he’s happy to see that MJ and Malon were back home. However, he didn’t understand why Aquarius drove the girls home; what happen to Eric? 

Jason went out and immediately helped MJ by taking Malon into his grasp and put her to bed. MJ didn’t seem to notice that Jason noticed a blackeye, he wanted an explanation, but now wasn’t the time, so he waved to Aquarius before she drives away.

MJ walked into her and Jason’s room and plopped onto the bed feeling exhausted and went to sleep. After Jason puts Malon to bed for her nap, he was going to see MJ and get some explanations; about the blackeye that she wasn’t aware of and about why Aquarius drove her and Malon home instead of Eric. Until he sees that MJ was very tired and doze off, so he carefully tucked her in and kissed her hand that was hanging off the bed before putting her ring on her finger. 

Jason will have to ask her later when she wakes up. Right now he’s just happy that his family is back home safely.   

[ninja-go-to-therapy]

Febuwhump 3: Imprisonment

I’ve been bugging my friends about how excited I am to post this one for so long awlkjfasdlkjf

Summary: Louie makes friends with the richest kid in Duckburg: Doofus Drake. But he quickly realizes his new friend isn’t entirely sane. Especially when he kidnaps him. The problem? His family doesn’t know where he is. He hates Only Child Day.

Trigger Warnings: kidnapping, forced feeding, beating, torture, light dehumanization, I’ve been told Doofus deserves his own warning, mentions of trauma, possessive whumper, imprisonment, strangling

3423 words

Louie had been a captive of Doofus Drake for no more than half an hour, and he was still failing to come up with a plan.

He had to get out of here.

He just... he had to think. Sure, he wasn’t smart, like Huey, or daring to a borderline crazy degree, like Dewey, but he was... uh... he was definitely... shit.

He was nothing without his brothers. 

He’d known this stupid only child thing was a bad idea, but Dewey had insisted. He, for all his siblings drove him crazy, actually liked being a triplet. Dewey, on the other hand… didn’t.

That kind of hurt.

But he didn’t have time for that, because what hurt worse than that was being stuck in some psycho’s house.

Some psycho who might hurt him if he didn’t get out fast. 

Louie should have ran the second Doofus had pulled a box out of his pants.

That had been so incredibly weird, enough to have him somewhat frantically spamming the down button on the elevator, but then he’d held out the box to him with nothing more than an easygoing “friend present!” and, well… the gold had enticed him instantly. He hated that it had been so easy to catch his attention.

Louie would admit it: he could be shallow sometimes. He liked money. But honestly, after growing up practically dirt-poor, he sort of thought he deserved to.

He knew how miserable a lack of money could be.

“Oh… for me?” Louie had asked.

“I like to play with my friends,” was all he’d gotten in return.

He’d slipped the bracelet easily over his wrist, admiring it. He’d almost forgotten that there had been a time when it wasn’t so tight. So disgusting.

“Alright, friend. Let’s play!”

Things had gone smoothly, for the most part, after that.

He’d been weirded out when Doofus aggressively sniffed his hair… multiple times… but he’d gotten over it so fast when he distracted him with pretty things.

Well, in this case, it was more the breaking of pretty things, but the point remained.

Surprisingly, tearing apart priceless items was actually a really good stress reliever, and Louie had quickly forgotten all his troubles.

Until he went to slash at a portrait of an old woman and was promptly tackled to the floor. 

And then, if he thought it couldn’t have gotten any more concerning, Doofus was throwing a full on fit, screaming and tearing shit up to an even greater degree than before.

Louie, so incredibly uncomfortable, had attempted to make small talk with Doofus’s “servants”, as he’d called them. 

“My butler’s a ghost,” Louie had said, “yup, he’s dead.”

“We’re dead inside. We’re Doofus’s parents,” the maid had revealed.

That… that was not good.

“The money and power changed him. Go. Before it’s too late!” His mother had urged.

Louie had backed towards the door, deciding that having rich friends really wasn’t worth… whatever this was. 

“What’s next friendy-friend?”

He’d stumbled slightly, but continued making his way to the door. It was just too much. It had been getting beyond weird and into straight-up freaky.

“Oh, well, you know, I just noticed it’s getting a little late. Uh, so I’m just gonna head home, and fondly remember all the good times we had. Cool? Cool, alright bye!”

He’d made to step out the door, heart pounding. He’d been so sure than in just a moment, this nightmare would be over.

But before he could even move, the bracelet had tightened until it dug into his wrist painfully, and then, if that hadn’t been bad enough, all at once it had gained this odd weight to it. He was on the floor in less than a second.

He’d gasped, tugging frantically, but the bracelet — cuff? — wouldn’t budge.

Drake had just smiled down at him innocently, but it had only made Louie feel sick to his stomach. “You are home, friend-present!”

He’d slammed the door before Louie could even begin to hope he could escape.

Only then was when he’d been starting to realize that this kid was fucking deranged. Like, absolutely out of his mind.

Why had Louie even wanted to be friends with him in the first place? He could have found other rich kids, ones who were just stuck-up and bitchy, instead of the absolute maniac who was standing above him! 

“Let me out!” Louie had demanded. “This isn’t funny!”

“Of course not,” he’d agreed, “it’s quite serious.”

“You do realize who my family is, right? In fact, you should probably just let me go right now, so you don’t have to deal with them.”

Doofus had laughed. “You are funny, friend-present.”

Louie had scowled at the nickname, if you could even call it that. “Why are you doing this?”

“It’s rare that I meet a friend as lovely as you,” he hummed. “I couldn’t just let you slip through my fingers, now could I?”

That had been… creepy. He probably should have expected, at that point, that it would only get worse. But the only thing he’d known right then was that he needed to get out of here. This kid was seriously disturbed.

“My family will come looking for me! And they won’t be happy!” He’d insisted. But that was also when he’d realized that there was one massive roadblock to the plan of waiting it out for his family to come. It was that stupid Only Child Day. Which meant that his brothers were still off doing their own thing, and likely wouldn’t even realize Louie had disappeared until late that night. Worse, he hadn’t opted to actually tell anyone where he was going.

They had no idea he was here. They didn’t even know who Doofus Drake was.

And now, he was stuck on some creepy platform thing. There were three of them. One for Doofus’s mom, one for his dad, and one for him.

Louie tried to ignore the fact that the third one was a clear indication that Doofus had been waiting for something like this. Louie had walked right into his open arms.

“The sooner you give up, the better,” Doofus’s dad was saying, “hope only makes it worse.” The poor guy looked… kind of traumatized. What had that man been through?

Louie was terrified to find out.

“No! If the three of us work together, we might just be able to get out of here!” he insisted, hope blossoming as a vague plan began to form in his mind. “Are you with me?”

The other two shared a look, before nodding their agreement.

And not a moment too soon, because just then, the door opened, and in came Doofus Drake. As he approached Louie, he could only look at him, attempting a poker face. It probably wasn’t working very well.

“The new one’s a traitor!” Doofus’s dad shouted within an instant. “But I stopped him out of loyalty. Because I love you, Doofus.” 

“You’re pathetic,” Doofus’s mom grumbled, glaring at him.

“No, he’s lying! I would never do that!” Louie cried, panic spiking through him. “I’m your friend!” he said with a forced smile. “...Present,” he tacked on, suppressing a disgusted shudder to the best of his ability. “Oh, gross…”

“I don’t think I like you anymore, new friend,” Doofus said, glaring at him. Before Louie could get his hopes up that maybe that meant that he was going to be let go, Doofus reached into a plastic bag he’d dragged in with him when he’d entered the room. “Maybe you need a lesson in friendship.”

“Wait,” Louie said as Doofus pulled out an umbrella, “What’s that for?”

Doofus didn’t answer him, reaching into the bag again and pulling out a smaller bag of walnuts. Louie had never thought such an action could be threatening, but oh boy… it sure was now.

“What is he gonna do with the umbrella and walnuts?” he asked desperately, frantically pushing himself as far back on his platform as the bracelet would allow.

Doofus approached him slowly and deliberately, eyes narrowed.

Louie couldn’t get any further away than he already was. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to prepare himself for whatever was about to come.

But then nothing came.

The silence was so loud. He could hear four sets of breathing, and that was it. Breathe in, two, three, him. Breathe out, two, three, him. Hesitantly, he peaked his eyes open.

Doofus stood directly in front of him, and, to Louie’s surprise, he’d set the umbrella to the side. It had seemed important just a moment ago, why had it been discarded already? Something wasn’t right about that.

“Here,” he said, holding out his hand. Louie glanced at it, confused. He was holding a handful of the walnuts.

He glanced at Doofus’s parents. “What exactly is going on right now?”

“Eyes on me!” Doofus yelled, his tone reminding Louie of earlier, when he’d been screaming about his dead grandma. Louie complied in an instant, terrified. Doofus took a breath, a calm smile slipping back onto his face. “That’s better.”

Louie just laughed nervously.

“Now,” he said, offering a handful of the walnuts in Louie’s direction again. “Eat them.”

“I — what?” Louie asked, another uncomfortable laugh spilling out. “You realize we can’t eat nuts, right?”

“Eat. Them.”

“I literally can’t, those things mess you up—”

“You’re going to eat them, Llewellyn,” Doofus said, threateningly. “I suggest you do it now.” 

As far as being taught a lesson went, this seemed too… tame. Louie didn’t understand it. Doofus was totally unhinged, and while Louie absolutely did not want to eat something that his body couldn’t handle, it just felt like a punishment that was far too sane.

Louie had always prided himself on being able to read people pretty well, but right now, he was just confused.

Still, despite the lacking severity of the threat, he was still afraid. He’d be concerned for anyone who wasn’t afraid of some kid who’d kidnapped them, to be perfectly honest.

When Louie didn’t respond, Doofus glared at him. “Alright,” he said, dropping the nuts back into the bag and grabbing for the umbrella again. “If that’s how you want to be.”

“I don’t — I mean — we can talk this out, can’t we?” Louie said, panic gripping his heart even harder as he realized that he had no idea how to manipulate him. He couldn’t talk his way out of this one, could he?

The metal (and sharp) tip of the umbrella came up harshly against his chin, jerking his entire head up along with it and effectively cutting off whatever else Louie could have possibly tried to say. The point dug slightly into his neck in a painful manner, but that was the least of his problems, right now.

“You’re a real bratty child,” Doofus said, considering him for another moment. Too fast for Louie to keep up, the umbrella had been yanked away from him, and then slammed against his stomach.

He doubled over with a pained shout, wheezing as breath left his body.

The other end of the umbrella — the curved handle bit, this time — was practically shoved into his mouth, prying his beak open.

One of the walnuts was pushed into his mouth, and Louie immediately gagged. He couldn’t do anything to get away, so he could only do his best to swallow it, trying not to choke.

Doofus smiled that stupid little bastard smile.

That look was probably going to be burned into Louie’s nightmares when he got out of here.

Another of the stupid nuts was shoved into his mouth. He gagged again, he swallowed again. His mouth was already getting uncomfortably dry.

If ever he’d had the urge to eat a nut (he hadn’t, because he didn’t have a death wish), this experience alone would have been enough to get him to swear them off forever. He didn’t even like the flavor, not that he had much time to give thought to that.

Doofus didn’t stop until the bag was empty, and by that point, Louie was beginning to feel cramps churning in his stomach. He knew it would only get worse from here.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Doofus asked as he finally took back the umbrella. Louie just worked his jaw, trying to lessen the stiffness in it. He didn’t have it in him to reply.

His lack of response only seemed to make Doofus angry again, and before he knew it, the umbrella was bashed against him.

Louie yelped at the pain it brought, using his one free arm in an attempt to block the next blow. It didn’t do much. 

“You will answer me when spoken to!” Doofus shrieked, practically stabbing him with the force of the next hit.

“I’m sorry!” Louie cried. “Please stop!”

Doofus did not, in fact, stop. He just kept hitting him mercilessly. 

Louie had been given his fair share of injuries in the months he’d spent adventuring, but regardless, this hurt something awful. He supposed being assaulted with an umbrella would do that to a guy.

But no matter what he was saying, Doofus wouldn’t cease. He just kept attacking him.

At some point, Louie remembered that Doofus’s parents were there. “Help,” he begged, his voice cracking slightly.

“Doofus, stop,” his mom demanded. “This has gone far enough!”

“Are you questioning me?” Doofus shouted, finally stopping with the umbrella so he could storm over to his mother. “How dare you!”

He screamed, throwing down the umbrella so hard it could have broken. Louie flinched away from him, though the bracelet wouldn’t let him get far.

“That’s it. That’s it!” Doofus said, growling. He stomped towards the door, leaving without another word.

“Why would you do that?” Mr. Drake asked nervously, glancing towards the door.

“I’m not just going to sit by and watch him torture an innocent young boy!” Mrs. Drake snapped. “Are you alright, dear?”

“I’m… fine,” Louie said, smiling semi-convincingly. They weren’t the worst injuries he’d ever received. He’d be fine. Probably. Though it certainly hadn’t helped the nausea he was already feeling from the walnuts. He was worried he’d end up vomiting them up pretty soon…

Something in his pocket buzzed.

Something in his… he had his phone. He could call for help! He could get out of here!

Frantically, he pulled his phone from the pocket of his suit, fumbling with it slightly.

“What are you doing?” Mr. Drake cried.

“I’m calling for help!” Louie said, cursing to himself as the screen remained unresponsive for a moment. It had a few cracks on it from his beating. “Come on, you stupid piece of junk! Work with me!” he begged.

He didn’t have long until Doofus returned, that much was clear. He had to be fast.

The phone nearly fell from his grasp multiple times with how bad he was shaking, but he managed to hold onto it, pulling up his contacts app. Before he could dial anyone, he could hear approaching footsteps.

Louie stuffed the phone back in his pocket, doing his best to look unsuspicious. 

“I’m back!” Doofus declared, already in a significantly better mood. He met Louie’s eyes, then frowned. He took a few steps closer, refusing to break eye contact.

Louie held his breath, doing his best to win the staring contest. He didn’t like the look he was being given.

In the corner of his eye, Louie could see Mr. Drake fidgeting anxiously. Oh god, if he ratted him out again, he didn’t know what Doofus would do.

“Servant!” Doofus snapped. “Is there anything I should know?”

Louie met the man’s eyes, pleading with him silently. Surely he wouldn’t do it. Surely he would see reason.

“The new one has a phone!” he cried. “He tried to contact someone.”

Doofus glared at Louie, storming forward and pulling the phone directly from his pocket. Louie cried out in panic, reaching for it against his better judgement.

“I was willing to forgive you for your earlier behavior,” Doofus said, “but this? This is unacceptable.” he pocketed Louie’s phone, then pulled out another golden bracelet.

“What’s that for?” Louie asked, eyeing it nervously. “I — uh — I already have one of those!”

Doofus laughed, standing face to face with his captive. “Not quite, my friend present.” Before Louie could do anything to stop him, he’d clasped the thing around his neck.

For a moment, he didn’t even process it. He just stared at his captor in confusion, then slowly felt the bracelet around his neck with his free hand.

“What?” he squeaked.

Doofus clicked something on the remote, and suddenly Louie — could move his arm? What the hell?

Before he could get any ideas about running away, however, Doofus grabbed him roughly and dragged him away from the front door and further back into the house. They took several twists and turns, Louie struggling the whole way, before eventually, he was pulled into a room just as fancy as the other rooms here. The main difference was that, in the very middle of the room, as if it was just another piece of furniture, was a large crystal cage.

“Wait, wait wait, you can’t just—”

His last ditch effort wasn’t worth anything, and he was thrown into the cage anyway.

Immediately, he was prying at the bars, but they wouldn’t give. There was enough spacing that he could get his arm through, but he was nowhere near being able to squeeze between them. On the “bright” side, the cage itself wasn’t really cramped, per se. He could sit up fully, though he wouldn’t be able to stand. The floor of it was big enough that he could sprawl out, at least.

“You’ll be staying in here until you learn to respect me,” he said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some servants to tend to.”

He turned on his heel, leaving Louie all alone in the cage.

He put all of his strength into fighting against the bars, but for the life of him, they wouldn’t fucking budge. Shit.

When that didn’t work, he began to claw at his neck desperately in a poor attempt to get the newer band off. It was bad enough when it was just a bracelet, but now, with another piece of jewelry (this one seemingly functioning a little too much like a dog collar), it was only getting worse. And if the bracelet could prevent him from getting anywhere, who knew what this did?

He wasn’t making any progress.

“I hate only child day,” he declared to himself, trying to distract himself from his impending doom. “I’m never letting them do this again.” Assuming he had the chance to be angry with his brothers, that is.

No, no, he had to think positively. He was related to Scrooge McDuck! Not to mention his Uncle Donald. They wouldn’t let him rot here.

He hoped.

Some time later, Doofus returned.

Louie decided to try his luck one last time. “Please,” he said, “let me go. I just want to go home!”

“Oh, Llewellyn,” Doofus laughed, grabbing him by the tie and jerking him forward, his body slamming against the bars of the cage. He grinned darkly, taking another handful of the fabric in his fist until Louie couldn’t breathe.

He barely managed to get out a few choked sounds, unable to say anything coherent. 

“You need to learn your place,” he said, in the type of condescending way you’d speak to a pet that tried to bite you.

Louie decided he didn’t like that analogy. “Please,” he choked, his voice so raspy it could barely be understood.

“I do like when you beg me, friend-present.”

If there had been any oxygen actually going to his brain, Louie would have been disgusted. But he couldn’t breathe, and his vision was going fuzzy, and he didn’t have the energy to think about how psychotic this kid was.

He needed to breathe.

With the hand that didn’t have a hellish bracelet stuck around it, he weakly reached up, trying to push Doofus away. It only served to choke him further.

“I don’t quite think you understand,” Doofus said, jerking him forward again, the little bit of slack he’d managed to acquire now only working against him. “I own you. I wanted you the moment I saw you, and as I’m sure you’ve noticed by now — I always get what I want.”

And with those words, Louie had a horrible feeling that his fate was sealed.

[cordonian-literature]

The Aftermath - Ch. 4

Emotions and Confrontations

Summary: Eleanor has a difficult week with her mother in the hospital, and Bastien asks Riley’s mother for some information

A/N: this one’s a bit of a long one

Word Count: ~5.0k

Warning: Mention of character death

*All characters belong to Pixelberry, except those that are unique to my story (I’ve also used some characters and fictional instances from Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch”)*

Catch up here!

Tags: @captain-kingliamsqueen​​ @marshmallowsaremyfavorite​​ @gkittylove99​​ @lovablegranny​​ @loudbluebirdlover​​ @mom2000aggie​​ @kingliam2019​​ @queenrileyrose​​ @shanzay44​​ @cordonianroyalty​​ @hopefulmoonobject​​ @hopelessromanticmonie​​ @cinnamonspongecake​​ @queenjilian​​ @kuladekiwi​​ @twinkle-320​​ @iaminlovewithtrr​​

- Eleanor -

Grandma had work on Sunday, which was the same day that the city was re-opened, so we went to the hospital before we went home. She put us in the care of a friendly nurse, Cheryl, who told us we had to sit in the ICU waiting room until Mama came back from her surgery. I was scared that she was gonna look different when she came out, like an ugly Frankenstein or Coraline’s Other Mother, but when her bed was wheeled back into the ICU, she only had a bandage wrapped around her head, covering her hairline. Besides the bandages and a bruise on her cheek, she was still my Mama.

Grandma had left us some cash in case we got hungry and wanted a snack or something from the cafeteria. I didn’t have an appetite, but I constantly asked Gabe to bring me to the vending machine (it was a little far from the ICU, and Grandma didn’t want us going by ourselves, so I had to go with him) and I would purposefully drag behind and take forever to choose something.

I could tell it annoyed him, but that wasn’t really what I was doing. I just hated being in the ICU. It wasn’t boring — we had our phones to play games on, there was a TV which the other people waiting let us have the remote for, and the nurses and doctors who passed by us would always try to start a conversation or give us sad smiles, which made me feel bad because I didn’t have the energy to smile back — it was just that sometimes the ICU felt a little scary. Looking at some of the other patients who were sick made me afraid that this was just a place they were storing Mama before she was going to go join Daddy. I didn’t want to be reminded to think about that, so every time I could I would ask Gabe to bring me to get a snack. I never ate them, and he would only take a bite before leaving it, so very soon the tables next to Mama’s bed were filled with junk food.

Grandma was upset about that. She said that if we didn’t like something we shouldn’t have gotten it. Thankfully, Gabe didn’t rat me out and say that I had made him bring me twelve times, so Grandma thought we just got twelve things at once. She talked to us about it in a gentle voice, but I still started crying and said that I hated it here. I had an audience, which made me nervous, so I hid my face in Grandma’s stomach. We said goodbye to Mama, even though she was still asleep, and went home.

When we got to our door, there was a man and a woman wearing dark suits waiting for us. Grandma told us to go to our rooms while she talked to them, and afterwards called us into the kitchen for dinner, where she told us that they wanted to remind us we would have to stay with her until Mama got better, and that Daddy's funeral was on Friday.

Grandma called our principal and told her that we weren’t going to be going to school for the rest of the week. I wasn’t upset about school, but what I didn’t like was that I would also have to miss my ballet classes and I wouldn’t be able to take piano lessons for the rest of the week, either.

I cried about it. I wanted to go. I wanted something to happen that was normal, something that I used to do before all of this. At least when I was dancing I would be able to pretend like Mama and Daddy were gonna pick me up together from the lobby. At least when I was in front of the piano with my teacher, Molly, next to me, I could pretend that Mama and Daddy were sitting somewhere behind me listening to me play.

On Monday, Mama was still unconscious, but the doctor said she was doing much better. Grandma’s shift was shorter that day, so she told us we would be visiting Daddy’s work to make sure everything was alright.

We walked into the office building through the revolving door. Gabe and I got into one section while Grandma was in the one behind us. When it was time for us to jump off, Gabe wouldn’t let me pass and began running to make the doors turn faster. It made me a little dizzy, but when Grandma told us to come out, Gabe and I tumbled out together and laughed. I realized it had been a while since I had seen him smile, and that made me sad again.

The receptionist says hello to Grandma and one of Daddy’s workers brought us towards the elevator and up to his office.

As soon as we step out of the elevator, I can see the inside of Daddy’s office through the room’s glass walls.

We pass through cubicles before reaching Daddy’s assistant’s desk, who looks at us with a smile.

“Mrs. Brooks! It’s nice to see you,” she says to Grandma. She looks down at Gabe and I and goes, “Hey there, kids! How are you two holding up?”

“We’re fine,” Gabe says and I manage a small smile.

“I would like a word with you, Ashley,” Grandma demands.

“Oh,” she exclaims. Though Ashley’s skin is dark, a deep pink appears on her cheeks, which I didn’t expect, and she begins to look around her desk nervously. “Yes, of course. Give me a moment.”

After she collects a few documents and folders, Ashley looks at my brother and I to say, “A co-worker’s birthday was today. There’s cake, donuts, and some juice over there. Why don’t you guys take a look?”

We nod our heads and walk off in the direction that Ashley pointed towards while her and Grandma walk into Daddy’s office.

In the room, people are talking to each other and they don’t notice us when we each grab a donut. Gabe pours himself some juice and asks me if I want any.

“Could you also give me a slice of cake, please?” I request.

“The knife for the cake is already there,” he tells me.

“Mama told me no knives. Remember what happened last Thanksgiving?” I laugh to myself.

“I wish I could forget what happened last Thanksgiving, but this knife is different, Ella, it’s more blunt. Just cut how big you want your slice and pull it out.”

He puts my apple juice on my plate, goes to grab his own plate and walk off, but I whine, “Pleaseeee?”

“Ella, I swear. Look, the pieces are already cut up! You can just grab it with your hands!”

“But....” I give a sad pout.

“Oh, God,” Gabe sighs and uses his fingers to grab a piece and put it on my plate. I look at it distastefully.

There’s frosting on his fingers. He licks it off, thinks for a second, and then grabs another piece to put on his own plate. Grabbing two forks he leads me to a couple chairs against the wall.

We sit down and eat. I finish my cake and my donut, and then ask Gabe to get us seconds while I get more apple juice. The table with all the food on it is near the door, and while I pour my drink I can see Grandma talking to Ashley. Ashley pulls out some papers from the pile she brought in and hands them to Grandma. She then goes into Daddy’s desk and pulls out some more papers. Grandma examines everything with a frown. She turns back towards Ashely and nods. She walks towards the door, but at the last second says something else to Ashley, who looks down at her feet. She replies, and Grandma seems disappointed.

“I wonder what they’re talking about,” I say.

“Grandma looks mad,” Gabe notices. “Do you know why?”

I shrug and go back to our seats.

Once Grandma finishes talking to Ashley, she comes over to us and tells us to eat quickly. Every worker in the room turns to give her a “Good afternoon, Mrs. Brooks,” or a polite nod.

On Tuesday, Grandma calls Molly, my piano teacher, and asks her to come in to give me a lesson. The night before I cried to my grandmother about how I wanted something to go back to normal, so I guess this was her way of giving me that.

When Molly came in, she gave me a long hug, then hugged Grandma and Gabe, too. After she had a short conversation with Grandma, she sat down in a chair next to my stool. Looking through my folder of music sheets, she couldn't decide what to give me.

“I know,” she says at last. “Why don’t you play your dad’s favorite piece? Remember how proud of you he was when you mastered it?”

I nod my head, but there are tears threatening to fall. I had never cried in front of Molly before. I didn’t want her to think that I was a baby who couldn’t get over anything. I wanted her to think that I was the girl who wanted to make her father proud, so I was determined to play it.

My fingers are stiff when I hit the first note. Molly doesn’t say anything. When I bring my right hand to play along, my fingers don’t flow — they just jab at the keys. I can tell my wrists are too stiff. Molly still doesn’t correct me.

Daddy wouldn’t have liked that. He would have wanted you to play better. And you can play better. So why aren’t you? Why can’t you do it for Daddy? Do you want him to be disappointed in you?

I stop playing and my hands hover over the keys. They’re cold and shaking.

“Ella?” Molly tries to get my attention.

My shoulders drop, and my arms fall to my sides. I shake my head, staring down at the keys, at the instrument I loved so much. I don’t cry, but Molly still brings me in for a hug.

Grandma has work again on Wednesday, but I wasn’t looking forward to going back to the ICU. I asked her if I could go with her to the part of the hospital that she was working at and be away from the ICU for a little bit, but Grandma convinces me: “When Mama wakes up, don’t you want to see her right away, instead of later, after Gabriel gets a chance to come and get you?”

Thankfully we didn’t have to go into the waiting room, but whenever a doctor or Cheryl wanted to check in on Mama, they’d ask us to stand on the other side of the curtain for a few moments.

Gabe and I don’t cry as much as we had been the past couple days, and I was proud of us for it. A while after we had been sitting there, Gabe gets out of his seat and sits on the edge of Mama’s bed, putting his head on her stomach. He doesn’t cry — just looks at her. I go to the other side of her bed and hold the palm of her hand. I begin to tell her about how the first half of this week has gone, and how much I miss talking to her and hearing her laugh at the jokes Gabe always said weren’t funny.

He sits up and laces his hand through her fingers. We both sit silently.

I turn my head around in surprise at the sound of the curtain moving. Mama’s doctor holds the curtain open for a tall man who stares at us. His blond hair was messy, like how Gabe’s got sometimes when he’d forget to brush it. He stands there and looks between Mama and us. The doctor motions for him to take a seat, and he walks towards it, but doesn’t sit down.

He’s too quiet. It made me nervous. The area under his eyes were dark, and I knew he hadn’t slept for at least two days. Daddy’s eyes did that sometimes, too.

I didn’t like him staring at us. I wanted to ask him what he was there for, but I try to be nice and say, “Hi. I’m Ella. This is Gabe. Are you here to see our mom?”

Finally he starts moving towards me, but his eyes were locked on Mama, so I move away and stand near Gabe.

He holds her hand. I hear him start crying. He kisses Mama’s knuckles in between his cries.

I’m almost mad. No one kissed Mama except for Daddy. And who was this man anyway? But seeing a grown man cry, waterfalls falling out of his eyes and his face scrunched, I start crying, too.

Gabe tries to comfort me, but my head jolts up when I hear the sheets moving. Mama shook her head around and finally looked at the man. She pulls her hand back and I think, “Ha!”.

He stands up straight and looks a little intimidating. “Hello, Riley,” he says.

Mama frowns at him. She then looks at us, her eyes wide. I want to jump and give her all the hugs and kisses in the world, but she looks so shocked I’m almost scared to move.

“Do I...,” she takes another look around the room. “Do I know you people?”

We all stare at Mama in shock. My heart thunders in my chest.

“Riley...,” the man starts. “It’s me... Liam.”

“Who? I don’t... I don’t know you....”

“Mom, what do you mean?” Gabe asks, he reaches for her hand, but she pulls it back. Gabe’s face falls, defeated.

The curtain moves again, and Grandma walks in. Immediately, I rush to her and cry, “Mama doesn’t remember us, Grandma, Mama doesn’t know us!”

Cheryl was right behind her, and once she hears me, she turns back and calls the doctor in. Grandma pulls me out, calling for Gabe, and the doctor asks the man to step out as well.

We stand at a distance from the curtain for a few moments. I can hear the doctor talking inside, but I don’t know what she’s saying. The man who said he was Liam turns to Grandma and asks in a small voice, “Has her condition improved since the incident?”

“Not significantly,” Grandma responds. “She’s been unconscious ever since the surgery on Sunday. This is the first time she’s woken up.”

Another man, this one with dark hair, walks up to us and goes, “Surgery?”

Grandma looks at him. “Yes. She suffered a head injury.”

“Are you the nurse assigned to her?” Liam questions.

“No,” she answers. “I am her mother.”

“Ah,” Liam holds out his hand. “Liam Rys. A pleasure to meet you.”

Grandma shakes his hand, not breaking eye contact. Liam regards Gabe and I.

“These two are...?”

“My grandchildren. Riley’s children. Eleanor and Gabriel.”

Both men stare at Grandma, their mouths slightly agape. “I see.” Liam clears his throat. He looks down at us and forces a smile. “It’s nice to meet you two.”

The doctor finally comes out from the curtain and says something to a couple of nurses. She then comes to us and says, “We’re going to take her in for another CT scan. See if there’s anything we didn’t notice before.”

“Of course,” Liam goes.

The doctor motions the two men towards the waiting room, and then comes back to us.

“Will you let me know what happens?” Grandma asks. “I have to take these two home.”

“Of course,” the doctor promises.

We leave the hospital, not saying anything to one another.

Once we’re in the elevator of our building, Gabe turns to Grandma and questions her, “Grandma did you know who those men were?”

“I knew the blond one. Liam,” she answers, continuing to stare at the elevator doors. “I could guess who the second one was. Your Mama told me about them some time ago.”

“Why are they here? I’ve never seen them before.”

“Because now they know where your Mama is.”

“They didn’t know before?” I ask.

“No,” Grandma says curtly.

“Why?” Gabe continues. I almost tell him to stop. Grandma looks annoyed, but I want to know why, too.

“Because they didn’t know Mama’s last name was Blaise.”

Gabe scoffs. “What did they think it was?”

“Brooks.” She still doesn’t look at us. My anxiety increases, and I want to almost yell at her to just be direct with us.

“Why did they think she had your last name?” I question.

“Because that’s what Mama’s last name was before she got married.”

“So they didn’t know where she was because...,” Gabe starts, but he doesn’t know what to say next.

“Because her name changed?” I continue for him.

“Yes. And no one knew what your Mama looked like. Your Daddy told people he was married. People only knew his wife’s name, not her face. Now people know her face, so they used her old name.”

“Did Daddy do that on purpose?” I wonder aloud.

“Yes,” Grandma says.

Gabe looks at me, frowning. He’s confused, just as I am. I can see he still wants to ask questions. I want to ask some, too, but the fact that Grandma hadn't looked at us when she spoke made me think she was mad. I didn’t want her to get angrier.

For dinner we have some leftover pasta from the night before. We eat in silence, scared that we would agitate Grandma. But once she finishes her plate, she looks up at us. “I don’t want you both talking to those men, okay?”

“Yes, Grandma,” we say, but I want to ask more questions. I decide against it, and go to sleep confused.

The next day, they finally move Mama into a regular hospital room. There are two more men who came to see Mama. Today was the day that they were going to ask her questions. First the doctors and Grandma asked questions, and they found out that she knew her own name and she knew who Grandma was. Mama also knew the names of every school she had gone to.

Next, they asked us if we wanted to go ask questions. We walked in, but once we looked at Mama, and Mama’s empty, emotionless face looked back at us, Gabe and I couldn’t say anything, so we shook our heads.

They let us sit in the little room with her. Cheryl stayed, too, in the corner of the room. Liam was the next person. He stood at a distance from her this time. He looked like he had done enough crying for everyone in the room. He gently asked her about a bar who’s name I had never heard of, then about the Statue of Liberty, then about some place called Corndania, I think it was. I thought it was the name of a town, and wanted to tell him that she had never been there. Then he asked if she remembered anything about a social season or a tour. I could tell that he had to stop himself from asking her more questions. With every sentence, Mama looked more distressed, and the same distress was mirrored on Liam's face. She looked like she was going to cry, and I thought it was interesting that she didn’t.

Then the other man that was here yesterday walked in after Liam left.

“Do you recognize me?” he asked.

“No,” she stated.

“Name’s Drake.” He lifted his eyebrows.

She nods.

For a couple moments, they just stare at each other. Mama looks like she’s trying to memorize his face. 

He doesn't look like he has much to say. Drake catches his breath and starts again: “Do... do you remember what I said to you, at Applewood Manor, or what happened when the court was there?”

“...Where?”

“You don’t... remember anything about Applewood?”

“No. At least, I don’t think so....”

“Well... then do you remember when you helped me pick an engagement gift for Liam?”

“For who?”

He paused. “Liam.... The guy that was just in here.”

“Oh. No, I don’t. Did you end up with a nice gift?”

“I did, thanks to you.”

“That’s nice.”

“Yeah...,” Drake trails off. He sniffles and wipes at his eyes. “Well, I don’t have anything else to ask you, really. There are two guys who are gonna come in next, Maxwell and Bertrand. After that some detectives are gonna ask some questions.”

“Okay.”

He opens his mouth to say something more, but decides against it and walks out.

While we wait for Maxwell and Bertrand, Gabe asks her a question: “Do you remember us? Or know who we are?”

She examines us for a second. “No.”

“What about our dad? Do you remember him?” Gabe continues.

“What’s your dad’s name?” she asks.

“Theodore. Theodore Blaise.”

“Oh, yeah. I've known him since we were both kids. I think we went to high school together? Maybe it was elementary. It might have been both.”

Gabe and I look at each other. Mama and Daddy had never told us how long they had known one another, so we didn’t know how to react.

Two men walk in, and I assume that they’re Maxwell and Bertrand. The one in the vest notices us, and gapes. “Who are you? What are you doing in here?” The second man turns to look as well.

“We’re Ella and Gabe. That’s our Mama.” I point at my mother.

The men look at each other for so long I imagine they’ve turned into statues. “Baby blossoms?” one of them breathes. The other one scoffs at him.

“Aren’t you here to ask her some questions?” Cheryl asks. I almost forgot she was in the room.

The man in the vest clears his throat. “Yes.”

They walk up to the foot of the bed. The second man goes, “Do you remember us, little blossom?”

Mama shakes her head.

“Duke Bertrand Beaumont of Ramsford,” says the one with the vest. “Does that ring a bell?”

“No,” she answers.

“I’m Maxwell,” the second one continues. “Do you remember our Beaumont Bash? Or our investigation on the Engagement Tour?”

“I... don’t know what that is...,” she states.

The men look at each other hopelessly.

We see people in suits at the door to her room. They knock and come in, and ask the two men to step out. “You too, kiddos,” one of them commands, almost as an afterthought.

Gabe and I follow behind Maxwell and Bertrand. Near the door, Liam and Drake are waiting for them. I look around for Grandma.

“Any luck?” Drake asks.

The two men shake their heads.

“What about you two?” Liam asks us in a gentle voice. We look at each other, wondering if Grandma would be mad if we answered a simple question. “Did you get to ask her anything?”

“We asked her if she knew us,” Gabe starts, turning back towards the man, “but she said no. She remembers our dad, though, but from when she was a kid.”

“Ah,” Liam breathes. “Were you both at the museum when... everything happened?”

I don’t really like him, so I stay quiet. Gabe answers, simply saying, “No.”

“You two didn’t have school today?” Maxwell asks.

“Grandma got us time off.”

“That must be nice.”

Gabe shrugs. “I guess.”

After a few moments, the third man, whose name I assume is Bertrand, asks us, “How old are you two?”

“I just turned ten. Ella’s seven.”

He makes a “humph?” sound, as if he’s confused, and frowns. Grandma calls to us from the other side of the room, talking to another nurse. We wave goodbye.

“Will you both be coming back tomorrow?” Liam asks.

“No. Tomorrow’s our dad’s funeral,” Gabe answers. I grab his arm and try to pull him away. I don’t want Grandma to see us talking to them.

“Maybe we’ll see you guys on Saturday?” Maxwell inquires cheerfully.

“Maybe. I don’t know.” We wave again and walk next to Grandma. Once she sees that we’re at her side, she grabs our hands and leads us out. I wonder if she’s going to reprimand us for talking to those men, but for the rest of the night she talks to us about something that one of her patients did, and doesn’t mention any of the four men or Mama.

- Bastien -

After paying the taxi cab driver, Bastien stands to regard the modern building in front of him. The doorman eyes him, smiling. Bastien gives him a curt nod and the man holds the door open for him. There’s another staff member in similar uniform at the reception desk. “Excuse me, sir?” he calls out to Bastien. “Can I help you?”

“No, thank you,” Bastien doesn’t look at him. “I know where I’m going.”

Theodore Blaise’s funeral should have ended more than five hours ago. He knew that Riley’s children and her mother would be back in their penthouse by now.

He walks into the elevator and presses the number he memorized.

A woman walks in and reaches over Bastien to click her button. When they reach his floor, she watches him silently step out and walk down the short hall way.

Once Bastien gets to the end of said hallway, he knocks on the last door.

When the door doesn’t open, he knocks again.

Eleanor is the one to open it. Her short, curly hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail. She wears a white leotard and pointe shoes. Sweat drips from the corner of her brow, but her breathing is even.

“Hi,” she says.

“Hello,” Bastien looks behind her. “Is your grandmother nearby?”

“Yes.”

“Could you go get her, please?”

“Okay.” She closes the door.

A few moments pass, in which Bastien thinks that the girl left him just to pull on his strings. But the door opens again, this time by Charlotte Brooks.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Brooks. May I come in?”

The woman stares at Bastien for a moment. He can tell she’s contemplating whether to close the door in his face or not.

“Yes,” she allows, stepping aside.

Bastien takes a step in and regards the entryway. To his right he can see a doorway to a kitchen, and to his left are stairs going down.

Mrs. Brooks walks straight ahead, leading him into the living room with wall-length mirrors. Before she reaches the couches, she turns around. “Would you like to sit down?” she asks.

“No, thank you, ma’am.”

“Tea? Coffee?”

“I’m alright.”

“Then what are you here for? To spy on me again?”

“Sorry?” He frowns.

“Don’t you remember? A couple years ago you sent out a team to spy on my house. I saw you come and leave sometimes. It was around when my daughter left your king.”

Bastien holds up a hand. “I apologize for that, but I am here for something else.”

“What more do you want from my family?”

Bastien sighs. “Do you remember seeing Duke Bertrand yesterday? Him and his brother were there to see Lady Riley.”

“Yes, I remember. The one with the sweater vest.”

“Precisely. Your grandchildren spoke to him momentarily yesterday.”

Mrs. Brooks takes a deep breath. “And?”

“This morning the Duke alerted me that he believes Gabriel Blaise is His Majesty’s and Lady Riley’s son.”

She crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Do you have proof?”

“No,” he begins, “which is why I am here. If you have followed Cordonian news after His Majesty broke off his engagement with Countess Madeleine, you’ll know that he has had a lot of pressure to produce an heir to the throne.”

“So?”

“Some of his advisors and his step-mother have tried to convince him for years to marry or to begin attempts for a child who could later rule Cordonia. He continuously refuses, and his close friends know that he hasn't gotten over Lady Riley. Since there has been no chance of them marrying or His Majesty having children, other countries have been quite... unfriendly, you could say, and some have even tried to begin hostile occupations in Cordonia, in an attempt to attack our king and our already weakened monarchy. If Gabriel is his heir, Cordonia would have stability, which is what the country and its people desperately need.”

“Did Liam tell you to come here?”

“No, ma’am. His friends simply helped me piece together the puzzle.”

“Does your king even know you’re here?”

Bastien sighs. “No, ma’am. I wished to speak to you first. I still believe His Majesty is oblivious to the fact that he may be a father, and wanted to make sure that you would be alright with us taking a DNA sample of your grandson.”

“So you asked me before talking to him about it because you wanted to finish the difficult task first?”

“...Yes.”

“Do you really think I would subject my family to the same type of pain that your king made my daughter suffer through? Do you really think I’m going to let my daughter, who was shamed by a foreign country, have her child be put to the same, if not similar, subjection?” Her voice breaks.

“I understand, ma’am—.”

“Do you now?” she interrupts, laughing.

“I am not asking you to do this for Cordonia. I am asking you to do this for a man. Wouldn’t you agree that every father has the right to meet his son?”

Mrs. Brooks takes a moment to absorb Bastien’s words. He can hear music playing from another room.

In a soft voice, quieter than a gentle summer breeze, Mrs. Brooks agrees, saying, “Alright. I’ll be bringing him and his sister to the hospital tomorrow. Tell the king before then.” At the last second she adds, “I’ll bring his birth certificate as well. Hopefully it'll all be enough to prove paternity.”