#Leo’s part would have been so long if my impulsive thoughts didn’t kick in and I wrote tv girl songs | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fruitcoops · 3 years

Note

could we see coops first big fight when they’re married? (essentially pure angst)

Yes, we can! Don’t worry, I got your follow-up ask about a happy ending as well--there are no sad endings on this blog, just some bittersweet ones, and this is very soft and fluffy. Hope you enjoy!

Combined with prompts for...

1. Another of Coops’ serious talks

2. Remus overworking himself to keep up

3. From @colored-rain: Sirius sleeping at Dumo’s for a night

4. Slow dancing in the kitchen

TW for couples fighting, suppression, and marriage issues

“Do you think we got married too fast?” a quiet voice asked in the darkness.

Remus paused for several heartbeats before opening his eyes and turning over; Sirius was staring at the ceiling, wide awake. “What?”

“Do you think we got married too fast?” Sirius repeated without looking at him.

“Do you?” Remus countered. Something panicky was starting to buzz in the back of his brain and he tried to keep his breaths steady. Sirius wasn’t breaking up with him. They had only been married for a few months. Things were really, really good—as far as he knew, they were both happier than they had ever been.

Sirius sighed through his nose. “I don’t know.”

“What?” Remus sat up against the headboard, wide awake. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“I—” Sirius shifted to sit up as well and crossed his legs. “I don’t know! People usually date for a lot longer than a year and a half before getting married, right?”

“We’ve known each other for seven years, Sirius.”

“Yes, and I love you, and you’re wonderful, but everything happened so fast.”

Remus wasn’t sure if his heart was trying to crawl out of his chest or dissolve into a puddle of pain. “Are you—Sirius, are you breaking up with me?”

“No!” Sirius said immediately. “I just said I love you, what the hell?”

“People can love each other and still break up!”

Sirius grabbed his hands, holding tight even when Remus tried to pull back and let his panic overtake him. Grey eyes locked on his, as solemn as he had ever seen them. “I’m not breaking up with you, Remus.” The clock on the nightstand beeped midnight and Sirius pressed his lips together. “We have early practice.”

“We need to talk.”

“We need to sleep.”

“Promise we’ll talk tomorrow, then.” We need to talk right now, actually.

Sirius squeezed his hands and kissed his cheek. His cheek. “I promise.”

Remus didn’t sleep much that night. His cheek burned with the memory of Sirius’ lips.

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

Their morning routine was stilted and quiet. Practice was awkward, and though neither of them let the previous night’s events influence their performance, he knew the tension was palpable. “Y’all good?” Leo asked under his breath as Remus filled his waterbottle up.

“We’re fine,” he answered, exhausted.

“Loops—”

“Stay in your lane, Knut.” He regretted the words as soon as they escaped his mouth—the kicked-puppy look on Leo’s face was more than enough to make guilt spike up—but he kept on moving down the hall and tried to wash the bitter taste from his mouth.

The ride home was worlds worse than he could have expected. Sirius turned the radio off the moment it started to play and kept his eyes firmly on the windshield the entire time, tapping his thumb against the wheel in the tic that always appeared when he was nervous. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t help us fix whatever’s going on.” Remus wasn’t angry, per say, but he was really fucking frustrated with Sirius’ sudden inability to communicate. “Talk to me. What happened?”

Sirius chewed the edge of his lip. “I was just thinking.”

There was a long stretch of silence between them. “Wow, thank you for that incredibly helpful information,” Remus said sarcastically when it became clear he wasn’t going to continue.

“You don’t have to be mean about it,” Sirius muttered.

“I’m not trying to be mean—”

“Well, you kind of were—”

“Then maybe you should talk about your problems for once!” Remus snapped before he could shove it back down. Sirius’ jaw clenched. “If we’re going to work through this, then you have to tell me what the hell happened to make you so worried and upset. Do you regret getting married to me?”

The response was immediate. “No.”

“Thank you.” He leaned his head back against the seat rest and closed his eyes. “Thank you, that was what I needed to hear.”

“Do you think we moved too fast?”

Remus scrubbed a hand over his face. “I used to. I don’t, anymore. There’s no rulebook for any of this. How long have you been thinking about that?”

Sirius started tapping the wheel again. “A couple weeks.”

He may as well have opened the passenger door and booted Remus from the car. A breath punched out of his lungs. “A couple weeks?” he whispered. The world was spinning, the floor was open, hell itself was coming to swallow him up. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I figured it was normal marriage stuff. That it would pass.”

“Oh my god.”

“I don’t have a clue what I’m doing.”

“And I do?” Remus said incredulously. “News flash: this is the first time I’ve ever been married, too!”

“Please don’t be angry.”

“Being married means you share things, Sirius, not keep them bottled up for two weeks! Especially when they concern the other person!”

Something stormy came over his face. “Oh, really? So when were you planning on talking to me about the fact that you haven’t slept in six days?”

“I literally sleep next to you!”

“You toss and turn all night, and then you get up and run drills for an hour before coming back to bed. Every time I ask how you slept, you lie to my face, Remus. That’s not okay.”

Remus was speechless. He had done everything he could think of to be quiet and careful so Sirius wouldn’t know. “I…”

Sirius glanced over at him, eyebrows raised. “Yeah, I noticed.”

Be an adult. Be an adult. You’re married. Be an adult. “I’m still worried about catching up to the team.”

“I figured. We’ve talked about this before, Re, it’s not safe for you to do that to yourself—”

“You don’t get it!” Sirius pulled into their driveway and turned the car off. “You have no idea how it feels to constantly be catching up to people! I’m fine, it’s not like I’m doing any damage!”

“I’m sorry, did you forget who you’re talking to?”

Remus clenched his teeth and got out of the car, grabbing his duffel from the backseat before slamming the door. He felt a little guilty—the rising memories of hushed confessions of hours of exercise to his father’s whistle meant Sirius understood better than anyone. Then the front door closed behind them both and the indignance on Sirius’ face sent his temper flaring up again. “You never bother to talk to me about anything that’s going on with you, so why should I even try?”

“What happened to ‘marriage is a partnership’?” Sirius followed him into the kitchen. “Have we moved on to the hypocrite stage yet or are we still clearing the air where nothing ever gets solved?”

Remus reeled back like he’d been slapped. “Fucking excuse me?”

“Every time we fight, you start all sarcastic and defensive, and then you get preachy like you’re reading something out of a fucking self-help book!” Sirius ran a hand through his hair. “Christ, Remus, it feels like I’m talking to a therapist instead of my partner!”

“Husband!” The ring on his finger had always been a comfort instead of a lead weight. “You can’t even say it?”

“I don’t regret marrying you!

“Then why are you so upset about us being married young?!”

“Because it’ll fall apart!” Sirius shouted back. “We’re going to be insufferably happy for a while, and then somewhere along the line we’re going to hate each other, and then it’ll be cold looks when we pass and different beds and all our friends will have to pick sides because we can’t stand to be in the same room together!”

“If you’re so sure about that, then why are you trying to fucking hard to keep us together?” Remus’ heart pounded like he’d run a marathon. Hearing his own fears thrown in his face was the most terrifying thing he had ever experienced.

“Because I love you.” Sirius’ voice broke. They were on opposite sides of the kitchen island, but Remus could see the pain on his face. “I love you, and I don’t want some—some impulsive decision to ruin that forever.”

“I love you, too.” Tears clogged the back of Remus’ throat. So stop pushing me away.

“Then I’ll be at Dumo’s.”

Remus nodded silently as Sirius walked past him toward the stairs; the moment he was out of sight, he headed into the downstairs bathroom and sat down with his back to the closed door, burying his face in his forearms. There was a rustle outside, and the front door closed with a click.

It wasn’t until his face itched with drying tears that he remembered Hattie. Guilt and panic stabbed through him and he scrambled back out, sprinting to her bed and then to the backyard. “Hattie?” he called, frantic with worry. “Hattie, c’mere!”

He closed his eyes and thought back to the events of the day. They had left her in the house for practice, and he vaguely remembered hearing her in the other room while they were fighting, and when Sirius left—

“Oh, you bastard,” he said aloud. The rustling of Sirius grabbing his duffel and whatever else he packed had been accompanied by the pattering of Hattie’s paws. “You took our fucking dog.”

Part of him was grateful that at least somebody had remembered their baby. The other part was absolutely furious. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and took a few deep breaths as the tone played. “Hello?”

“Can you pick me up?”

“Re, are you okay?”

“Not really. Can you pick me up?”

Concern dripped from Lily’s voice. “Where are you?”

“At home.”

“…where’s Sirius?”

“At Dumo’s.”

“I’m on my way.”

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

Harry Potter had been alive for less than two years, and he had been cried on by about half the Lions. Finn had started referring to him as ‘therapy baby’, and Remus was inclined to agree—it was hard to feel anything extreme when he was holding the pudgy little angel to his chest.

“So you fought?” Lily asked gently from the armchair across from him. Remus nodded. The whole story had spilled out in a gross mess of sobbing and baby snuggles until he laid down on his back, holding Harry to his chest as he dozed.

“I feel like an idiot,” he said miserably.

“Don’t.”

“It was awful.”

“I bet.”

Remus sniffled and kissed the top of Harry’s head. “Thank you for getting me. I didn’t want to be there alone.”

“I’m glad you called.” She took a sip of tea and gave him a look that he never liked. “Re, can I be honest with you?”

“Always.”

“I was kind of waiting for this to happen.” At his stricken expression, she folded her hands around the sides of her mug. “I don’t think you got married too early, because neither of you do big things like that on impulse and you love each other so much. However, I do think that you have a habit of trying to protect each other from the shit you carry with you. James did the same thing to me, and it sucked.”

“It does suck,” Remus agreed. “I hate the thought that he can’t trust me.”

Lily held her finger up and shook her head. “Nope. It’s not an issue of trust, is it? Why didn’t you tell Sirius that you were having trouble sleeping?”

“Because I didn’t want to worry h—oh.” Harry wiggled around for a moment and Remus adjusted himself so he was leaning on the armrest. “I think I get it now.”

“You guys need to talk about that at some point or it’s going to keep coming up.”

“Is that what you and James did?”

“No, we let it fester for, like, a year and then broke up for two weeks.”

Remus made a sympathetic face. “I forgot about that part. I should call him, huh?”

Lily shrugged. “It’s up to you.”

“I want to apologize,” he said carefully. The sore spot in his heart and chest still twinged. “But I’m still really upset. And hurt. And a little angry? Mostly worried. There’s so much happening, I just want to hold your baby.”

“Go for it, he’s having a blast. Lover?”

There was a shuffling sound from the other room before James appeared in the doorway. “Yes?”

Remus snorted. “Simp.”

“Yes, and? What’s up, darling?”

“Can I have some more tea?” She batted her eyelashes at him with a dimpled smile and he sighed, then took her mug with him into the kitchen.

“You only love me for my kettle!” he called over his shoulder with a grin.

“Maybe!”

Remus turned his head to look at Lily while he ran a hand over Harry’s back. “Lils?”

“Hmm?”

“Am I preachy when I’m upset?”

She frowned. “What?”

“Preachy. Like—like I’m reading out of a self-help book.”

With a heavy sigh, she stood up and walked to the couch, leaning over the armrest to kiss his forehead. “No, Re, you’re not preachy. You like being right, but you’re not preachy.”

“Sirius thinks we’ll end up like his parents.”

“I’m not surprised about that, either.” She brushed his messy hair off his forehead and braided a small strand along the front, then gave it a little tug. “Guest bedroom’s yours for as long as you need it, okay?”

“That might be a while.”

She shook her head and patted his shoulder. “It won’t.”

“Could be.”

“Remus.”

“Sorry. Sleep well, Lils.” He sat up slightly and covered Harry’s ears. “And you, eavesdropper!”

“Love you!” James laughed from the other room. Lily picked the sleepy baby up and ushered Remus into the guest room with a final ‘goodnight’.

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

“Am I an idiot?” Sirius asked.

The bed creaked as Dumo readjusted his legs. “No, mon fils, you’re not an idiot. You are a young man going through his first marriage spat.”

“I hate it. I hate it. I said horrible things to him.”

“It sounds like you’re both to blame.”

“No, I brought it up first.” Dumo huffed, and he let out a slow exhale into the pillow. “Okay, maybe—maybe we were both in the wrong.”

“Fights are rarely one-sided. You have a visitor.”

Something cold prodded Sirius’ ear and he groaned, then curled on his side to let Hattie onto the covers next to him. “Bonjour, sweet girl. Thank you for the cuddles.”

She licked his nose and he smiled, petting the velvety top of her head. “Are you staying here tonight?”

“I was thinking about it. Re’s got the house to himself for a bit, then, and he knows I’m here.”

“I’m glad you’re taking the time to calm down a bit,” Dumo said as he stood with a final ruffle of Sirius’ hair. “That’s a wise decision. Bonne nuit.”

Sirius mumbled a response and made more room for Hattie, then settled in for a restless night. He never wanted to sleep alone again.

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

By some miracle, practice was more bearable the second day. Remus still ached somewhere deep inside, but it wasn’t like he had anything else left to suppress. Seeing Sirius was a relief; it surprised him at first, considering the explosive nature of the previous evening, before sliding into something that soothed him. If he could still find peace in Sirius after all that, they would be okay.

He knocked lightly on the side of Sirius’ stall after he returned from the shower. “Knock, knock. Ca—”

“Who’s there?”

Remus’ heart stuttered as Sirius looked up at him from the bench with an apologetic tilt to his mouth. Something clicked into place. “Can I get a ride?”

“ ‘course you can.” Sirius stood up just as Remus stepped forward, and they met in the middle for a tight hug. He tucked his face into the dip of Sirius’ collarbone and breathed in his shower-fresh smell, as well as the trace of laundry detergent from his shirt.

“Love you,” he murmured.

“Let’s go, mon loup.” Sirius pressed a kiss to his hair and they headed out toward the parking lot together; Remus caught Leo’s eye and saw him smile.

“How’s Dumo doing?” Remus asked as they turned out of the parking lot. Start slow, start easy. “Did you drop Hattie off at home before you came to practice?”

“Yeah, I did. He’s good, and Celeste sent me back with some brownies.”

Remus tentatively reached over and rested his hand on the side of Sirius’ thigh—his chest visibly caught before he relaxed into it and reached down to put his own overtop. “Harry’s doing well. Lily says he’s almost started running.”

“Did you go see them?”

“Stayed at their place last night.” He shrugged one shoulder. “It felt weird being there by myself.”

“Re—”

“I’m so sorry.” The words spilled out in a rush, despite his best efforts to keep it in until they reached home. “I’m sorry for everything I said to you, and especially for how I said it. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about how I was feeling, too. It should never have gotten to that point.”

“Apology accepted.” Sirius sounded a little choked up. “I don’t think we got married too soon, if that means anything.”

“Of course it means something,” Remus half-laughed as he wiped the dampness from the corners of his eyes. “It means everything.”

“I thought it might be too late.”

“Can you pull over for a second?” Sirius obliged, and as soon as he turned the car off, Remus turned to face him. He linked their hands, making sure Sirius was looking into his eyes. “It is never too late to talk to me, okay? I’m sorry if I ever made you think that it was.”

Sirius unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over for a brief kiss that sent bubbling warmth throughout Remus’ entire body. “I’m so, so sorry for yelling at you. And for keeping everything in, even though we both promised to stop doing that. All that shit I said, it—it wasn’t true, Re, and I wasn’t thinking.”

Remus rested their foreheads together and wound his fingers in the short curls fanning Sirius’ face. “Honey, we’re not your parents.”

Sirius swallowed hard. “I know.”

“So you don’t have to be afraid that we’re going to hate each other out of the blue, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“If—” His mouth went a little dry and he faltered. “If you want to take a break, or take things slower, I totally respect—”

“Nope, no, no, no,” Sirius interrupted, grabbing his cheeks and pulling him in for another fervent kiss. “I love you. I’m happy with you. I let my head get away from me, and I’m sorry.”

“All’s forgiven, love.” They sat in silence for a minute longer as Sirius traced his jawline. “Let’s go home.”

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

Sirius woke up in bed alone, which would have scared him if he didn’t know exactly where his husband was. He smiled to himself and got out of bed, grabbing a hoodie off their dresser before heading downstairs.

The kitchen light was on and music played quietly from Remus’ phone over the sound of running water. “You’re up late,” he said casually from the doorway.

Remus almost dropped a pot. “Jesus Christ!”

“Just me.” Sirius wrapped his arms around his waist as he set the pot on the drying rack. “Stressed?”

“A little. I forgot to do these earlier and didn’t want to leave them overnight again.” Sirius hummed his agreement and rocked back and forth, then took Remus’ hand and spun him in a slow circle. “Oh, are we slow dancing to the Billboard Top 100 now?”

“Very romantic, I know,” Sirius laughed.

Remus shook his head with a wide grin as they swayed, much too slow for the actual song but absolutely perfect. He was beautiful in the low light of their kitchen, puffy eyes from and all. “You are ridiculous.”

I’m the luckiest person alive. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Sirius leaned down for a series of quick kisses, pulling him in until their chests pressed together. Remus let go of his hand and draped both arms over his shoulders, tangling his hands in his hair. “I know we can’t exactly control it,” Sirius said against his lips. “But let’s never fight like that again.”

“Deal.”

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arcgeminga · 3 years

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What is the mun's opinion of all the gold saints from TLC?

♚— Oh boi. This is gonna be a mouthful. I know you said "all" , but I can't do saints like Avenir and Sage since I haven't read Shion and the Old Twins' gaiden in English. And I'm not about to act like I know Spanish enough to write a review on those saints.

♚ Aries Shion - Should've been the Hades Arc Shion. Like damn, I really like Shion when he's an angry sheep!! I mean, he yeets the five bronzies in Hades Arc like "Fuck dem kids!".

I really like Specter/Pope Shion. But TLC Shion I do not hate. In fact, I can understand how and why he becomes Pope. I really like TLC Aries Shion! I just wished he was more angry sheep, but TLC Shion is not bad. I especially loved his Gaiden, at least the part where Avenir was shown. I feel like they should have explained more on his thoughts on becoming pope or exploring him having some sort of survivor's guilt but hey. I don't dislike him!

♚ Taurus Aldebaran/Hasgard/Rasgado - Honestly, the only thing I can say about Hasgard is that... I don't hate him. I love his English Voice actor (because I'm a really big fan of Jamieson Price since Tales of Vesperia), but for Hasgard himself... I don't really have an opinion or thought on. His teenage years with Sisyphus and Aspros seemed fun, and I'm kinda... hm... sad that their relationship mellowed out? Or at least, we didn't get his and Sisyphus' opinions or reactions to Aspros' death.

♚ Gemini Defteros & Aspros - OH BOY WHERE DO I START!? ----- Gemini Aspros - I understand why Aspros was the way he was towards everyone and his brother. It's honestly not his fault. I am happy that he doesn't have a "split personality" at all throughout TLC, even though that is something I would never diss Saga for (even if it wasn't really a split personality). He was simply manipulated into behaving cruelly because someone showed him something that he was scared of, and that was akin to his brother not needing him. His Gaiden harks back to that too, during that 'flashback' when he told Defteros that he was going to become pope, Defteros donned the gold cloth and said 'yeah so we can be equals and I won't need you' (paraphrasing). If Aspros is just going to be used and tossed away, might as well harden his own heart before then. And it doesn't help that he saw himself as a Specter and his brother as a Gold Saint when he went to the oracles.

I feel for Aspros because, in the end, he had no idea that he had been manipulated hard enough that his goodest boy personality changed. And honestly, I can relate to that. I've had my personality take a deep dive some years ago after I had a panic attack. So I don't fault him for his actions. He was just trying to make the best with what he knew, understood, and could do, even if that meant doing terrible things. After all, it is his mindset that the weakest people are the ones that don't do anything. ----- Gemini Defteros - I also can't fault him for anything. He was dependent on his brother, and there was no way he could understand what was going on in Aspros' tortured mind since Aspros never spoke about his feelings. But I believe that, contrary to what Aspros thinks, Defteros would have been very dependent on him even after Aspros became pope. After all, he didn't have friends, lacked social skills, and couldn't find it in himself to trust anyone aside from his older brother because of how Sanctuary treated him as they were growing up, so he would have been stuck in like a childish headspace of needing a protector and provider, which was Aspros. You can tell that much because he was asking Asmita what should he do when he was possessed by the DEF.

When Aspros died (or rather, when Defteros killed him [which seriously broke his heart]), it forced Defteros to grow up and look after himself. This isn't a terrible thing--but it was a terrible and such a trauma-inducing way to go about it. But how he died--or rather, the fact that he wanted to sacrifice himself to save his brother... honestly it still makes me cry a lot. You can see in his eyes that he loved his brother even after the very end, and wanted him back. And just IMAGINE how many times Defteros' eyes have shown nothing but the purest love for Aspros, and how Aspros had been manipulated to see those eyes as nothing more than hate. ----- Gemini twins in general - If it wasn't obvious already, I love these two so much. I hate--I ABSOLUTELY HATE--that their brotherhood was RUINED, because these two are so... important to me. I see myself and my sister in the Gemini Twins so much. To the point where it's so personal to me. Even after being manipulated and losing his brother, Aspros still held his little brother very close to his heart and lamented and regretted the fact that he will never get the chance to be the brother he should be. And Defteros... I can't explain why his loyalty and patience for Aspros affect me so much, but it does. It does in a way where it hits me more than just an emotional way. I guess that's because I see my sister in Defteros much more than I should.

I love the twins in such a profound way where I cannot find the right words for it. They obviously still love each other so much, even after all is said and done, and I think that is so important. Having that kind of unconditional love for your sibling is the most important thing in my opinion.

God, look at me, I'm crying over the Gemini twins again for like the 100th time oiwhfowef

♚ Cancer Manigoldo - So, Manigoldo... Honestly, I love him, too. But in a different way. When I see Manigoldo, I remember the private threads that a friend and I used to do on Skype, and I am frankly very enamored with him. But also because of that, I do not see him the same way as everyone else too. Besides, he makes up the second half of my OTP, so ofc I'm going to see him differently. Especially since I single ship!

♚ Leo Regulus - He's another one that I like a lot! Not only because he's adorable, but I also see him in a different way because I'm a single shipper, and I will never say aloud who I ship Regulus with. I won't say that he's a part of a different OTP (since I only have one OTP in all of Saint Seiya) but I do like Regulus a lot because of a friend's interpretation of him in Private threads a very long time ago.

Yeah, he might be kinda OP/Gary Sue, but he's not too hateful in my opinion. I wouldn't say he's the best TLC Saint, since my heart is stolen by the twins, but he's a very amiable character when interacting with the characters of the TLC verse, and I wish I can squish his cheeks one day!! He's so adorable! I will say though that he is impressive to replicate a Big Bang(?) by himself... I don't remember if it's the thing that really killed him, but... huh. To be that unafraid of death, I wouldn't be surprised if he has some sort of mental/personality disorder that made him... like that? Something undiagnosed? Hm... thoughts, thoughts.

♚ Virgo Asmita - Asmita is one of the gold saints that, I honestly, don't know about. It's different from how I feel about Hasgard. For Hasgard, I don't have an opinion for, but for Asmita, I just don't know. I love how Teshirogi drew his hands. Like damn, bruh, can we switch hands? We're both Virgo, and I think we can make it work out... /kicked

♚ Libra Dohko - LOL DOHKOOOO!! My sister's favorite. I feel like he's super impulsive in TLC. I haven't read his gaiden at all, so I can't say much about that, but I do like him! Like with Shion though, I feel like he should have had some sort of heavy Survivor's guilt in the end. I'm also insanely curious about what ability Defteros zonked on him to erase the memory of Athena's blood and cloth. I don't know if it's shown in Dohko's gaiden, but I would love to see how TLC Dohko came across and raised Shiryu.

♚ Scorpio Kardia - As a character, I adore him. He's charming, spontaneous, and, like Aspros, wants to live his life to the fullest. And his fullest means just having fun before his short life is ended. Krest might have made him practically immortal, but he's still suffering. However, Kardia also holds a lot of bad memories for me from days before, and his entire character serves as a painful, but a graceful reminder of who I was back then.

♚ Sagittarius Sisyphus - Honestly, I don't ever think he was qualified to be a candidate for the papal throne. He's so melodramatic. Yeah, he might treat everyone with kindness and all, but I feel like he doesn't have the knowledge part down. Let alone, he's a brawn brain! Bruh!! Shooting an arrow at "hades" is always a bad idea!! What made you-?!

Lmfao, if possible, I feel like he and Aspros should have dual-pope'd Sanctuary. One has the brains, but lacks compassion while the other has the compassion but is "shoot first, ask questions and think about that later".

♚ Capricorn El Cid - I... should love El Cid, but my mind goes blank a lot around him. He's impressive, I give you that, but I don't think I have an opinion on him. And I've read his gaiden in Spanish a LONG time ago, so I'm not going to pretend that I know him enough to talk about him.

♚ Aquarius Degel - hm... I think he's cute. Especially in his gaiden, he's really cute.

♚ Pieces Agatha -

#anoymous #OutofGeminga #As you can tell I word vomited about the gemini twins #also that last one is intentional. You will not get anything more or less.

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sultrysirens · 3 years

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Super pumped for your future Donnie and Leo stories! Can you give us any sneak peaks? 👀 Just a crumb please!

A crumb, is it? ;D

Venture, ye, into the unknown, the hidden, the secret...the forbidden...

“Say I believe you,” Mei offered. “This means I cannot go home, that I must abandon my life and everything in it. What am I to do then?” Hesitant, she glanced down, finishing, “What am I to do now?”

At once, Donnie was caught between sympathy and distraction. His heart went out to her — but he had a hard time focusing on that with her scent in his nose.

This close, he could smell her clearly. Every time the wind kicked up, tossing her hair across her face, another shot of it hit him. And, to be blunt, she smelled fantastic.

But Mei was still in distress, and that overrode whatever Donnie’s instincts were trying to make him do. He reached out to touch her — she jolted, giving his hand a wary look. For a second he almost withdrew, but he pushed through and settled his hand on her shoulder, thinking she needed to feel something solid right then. She watched his hand for a moment then turned her gaze back to him, tense and borderline afraid.

You have nothing to fear from me, he thought. She almost seemed to hear him, her form relaxing just a little.

At that moment, looking down at her, he wanted to kiss her. Tamping down that impulse, he replied, “I can’t tell you what to do with your life, but I can offer you safety. My brothers and I, we have a home, and it’s safe and well-protected. You’re welcome to join us.”

When she remained hesitant, he went on gently, “We want to help you, Mei… I want to help you,” he corrected. “I’ll never betray you or hurt you. I promise.”

She was stuck between believing him and protecting herself, he could see. She looked like she wanted to believe him so badly, but she’d only ever depended on herself. Her entire world had been upended in the last few days, after all; it was crazy to think she’d be capable of trusting anyone so quickly.

And then, as she gazed at him, probably looking for some irrefutable proof of his intentions, she commented, “Green...your eyes are green. I had not noticed.”

Weirdly, that comment gave him a little thrill. Technically he didn’t need his glasses anyway (they’d only ever been useful in magnifying what he was looking it, which had been handy as a kid when he had no microscopes to use — these days it was just a habit to have them on), so he pulled them off to let her get a deeper look, dropping them somewhere to his left. He just couldn’t figure out if he was doing it because he wanted her to trust him...or because he wanted her to see him.

Kiss her, a little voice said. And, god, he wanted to. He brought his hands to her neck, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks. She stiffened but allowed the touch. She was starting to trust him, and it made his stomach do a little flip, made his heart kick up speed.

“Mei...” he started, unsure what he wanted to say. After a hesitant second, he just said what was on his mind — without realizing how he kept leaning in closer and closer. “I know this has to be hard for you...finding out the guy who raised you has been lying to you all along...and I don’t expect you to just trust me. But right now, I promise you, all I want is for you to feel safe.”

Her eyes went watery, emotion welling in them, and her hands lifted to his wrists. She didn’t push him away, though; she just held on, like she needed a lifeline. “You?” she checked, voice quiet but thick. “I held a sword at your neck hours ago.”

Offering her a weak shrug, he retorted, “Not the first time that’s happened, won’t be the last.”

It pulled a laugh from her, the sound making him smile. And she looked surprised, like she hadn’t laughed in years and had forgotten she could. It made him want to make her laugh even more.

Kiss her, that voice said again. This time he was too drawn in to disobey; slow but sure, he lowered his head. They were so close that when the wind blew, her hair brushed his face, the ends stinging his cheeks.

Sure enough, Leo lifted his chin, a little smirk blooming. “Good to know you realize you couldn’t beat me.”

Gaze hard, Mei replied, “I recognize your skill. I admit to nothing more.”

“So you don’t think I’m better than you?” he checked.

Quick as a bullet, she struck; her hand chopped into his side, and Leo had been so relaxed he couldn’t react in time. She wasn’t done there, however. With sharp motions, she disoriented him with a flurry of strikes until she flipped over his shell, arm hooking under his, and tossed him. Leo hit the ground with a harsh exhalation, rolling twice from the force of the throw.

As he recovered she quipped, “No, I do not.”

Mikey chortled and Raph gave a sharp hoot, saying to Leo, “You got served, bro.”

Rather than be irritated, however, Leo got up smirking. To her, he returned, “Tough talk for someone I defeated.”

“You never defeated me,” she countered. Head inclined towards Donatello, she said, “He did.”

To be honest, Donnie wasn’t proud of that. Tasing her had been hard.

“I would have, if you hadn’t diverted your attention,” Leo shot back.

“Would have, could have,” she commented, “but did not.”

“You want to settle this?” he offered. Arms wide, he declared, “I’m down for a rematch.” Mei just looked him up and down, measuring. At length Leo said, “Unless you’re scared, of course...”

She gave a humorless laugh, looking away and shaking her head. “Scared?” she echoed. Doubtful, she arched a brow at him, saying, “Of you?”

Shrugging, he replied, “Prove me wrong.”

She made no move to advance, however, and a part of Donnie was grateful for that.

Speaking up, Donnie interjected, “She doesn’t have to prove herself, Leo.” To Mei, he added, “You don’t have to prove anything.”

But when she met his gaze, her eyes suggested she did. Leo had pricked her ego, and she felt the need to respond to the challenge. He shouldn’t be surprised; a woman of her skill would have been utterly confident — right up until meeting another of equal skill.

A part of her would always be seeking to be the best, and for Mei that meant defeating Leonardo...but that also meant getting closer to him, and that was something Donnie didn’t want.

Bringing her attention back to him, Leo quipped, “Ah, I get it. You’re scared you might actually have fun.”

And she smiled, lips splitting in a wide grin — and then she all but cringed, fighting to smother it back down. Donnie was hit with envy at the sight; he wanted to be the one to wring smiles out of her. His only consolation was the obvious fact that she didn’t want to be smiling.

She hadn’t had a problem with the little smile she’d given him, after all.

“Whoa, hold on, was that a grin?” Leo checked, playing up a measure of disbelief.

Mei scowled.

“I didn’t know you could grin,” he quipped. “You should do it more often; it looks good on you.”

“Are you flirting with me?” she demanded, her voice suggesting she disdained the very idea.

“No, of course not,” he denied. “I wouldn’t expect a woman with such a cold heart to even recognize a flirt if she heard one.”

If that was supposed to amuse her, it had the opposite effect: she glared, snapping, “Perhaps it would be easier for such a woman if anyone had ever flirted with her before. They have not.”

Donnie heard something very specific in that last statement, and when he glanced at Leo, he saw that his brother had, too.

Longing.

I hope this satisfies~

- Nightshade

#the dragon #sneak peek #donatello #leonardo #sfw #a crumb #Anonymous #siren nightshade #ask

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voidendron · 4 years

Text

V’ehsz Legacy (Part 1)

I’ve started getting a lot of characters to keep track of, and I want something for them with really brief info instead of full bios (plus. the last one of these I made was messy and a pain to read through). This’ll help me keep track of everything and off a look at what my OCs are like!

Starting off with my main eight who follow their class storylines

Terrin - Synnda - Qizulth - Liolana - Azan - Jen - Azuma - Varrich

Part 2

(only Terrin, Synnda, Qizulth, and Varrich’s outfits shown above are finalized - other four are not and I’ll try to update this when they are)

For more in-depth information, there’s a link to my SWTOR characters in my bio. Going there will lead to a list, and the list contains links to their Toyhouse files (if they exist yet), and I’m slowly working on putting the detailed info there

This is subject to (likely minor) changes

Ar’eonis’terrinxx (“Terrin”) - She/her - Chiss - Bounty Hunter (Power Tech) & Outlander Random Pointless Fact: She has a headband that Blizz made her to help keep her hair out of her face when she has a helmet on. She always wears it if planning to wear her helmet, but sometimes she’ll wear it in her regular day-to-day to change things up a little. It’s very dear to her and she keeps it stored safely in a drawer when not wearing it.

Reckless, likes a challenge, temper laying at the end of a short fuse, and anyone who’s worked with or for her quickly discovers she isn’t one to sit still for long. She takes great pride in being Mandalorian, but her tendency to take challenges she probably shouldn’t makes her a handful and easily gets her into trouble. When sent on a mission with her, it’s wise to bring a fire extinguisher; she likes to set things ablaze. She’s the type who if told to use her head, would actually headbutt the thing before thinking of a better solution.

Rough around the edges and quick to speak her mind or blast a hole in something, she’s surprised people with how caring she can actually be. Family is extremely important to her, and when the galaxy comes under threat credits become the last thing on her mind. Terrifying Force shit she doesn’t understand threatens an entire planet or the whole damn galaxy? She’ll step between it and the innocent without second thought.

When Marr reached out from Wild Space, Terrin wasn’t the only one he contacted (Varrich and Azan were even en route!), but she was the only one to arrive in time to try and aid him when the Eternal Empire attacked his fleet--much to her frustration, that also meant she was the one to get Valkorian in her head. Upon becoming Alliance Commander, she made the difficult decision to leave behind bounty hunting for good so she could focus on what was really important, and has matured because of it.

...That doesn’t change the fact she’s still Mandalorian, though, and Lana has her work cut out keeping Terrin from trying to fight everything.

Synnda V’ehsz - He/him - Zabrak - Jedi Consular (Shadow) Random Pointless Fact: Broke two horns as a Padawan. His lightsaber had been knocked out of his hand and he was more or less pinned, so he tried to headbutt his opponent... Who was... Wearing armor... It wasn’t his brightest moment.

Always calm, keeping a level head regardless of the situation, able to diffuse even the tensest situations and often finding allies in unexpected places, Synnda could be considered the ideal Jedi and those who know him aren’t surprised he was named Barsen’thor. His seeming emotionless and flat voice can easily make him seem cold or distant or disinterested, however, and he has a hard time really connecting with people as a friend rather than a simple acquaintance. Upon being offered a Council position, he was hesitant to take it, though did accept.

He has great interest in other cultures and--especially--other languages and is always trying to learn what he can of them. So, while his tone may put someone off, his commonplace willingness to speak their language instead of Basic, and that he’ll show respect as is custom of their culture rather than of the Jedi, shows the type of person he really is when his voice has a hard time conveying it. He tries not to form too strong of attachments to others, even if those others happen to be friends, but has definitely become attached to his crew.

When Marr reached out from Wild Space, Synnda had been busy with the rebuilding efforts on Corellia and missed the call until it was already too late. When the Eternal Empire attacked, he helped a few small groups escape to Ossus before attacking the fleet himself. He ended up captured, and was kept in a prison on Zakuul, but broke out during the blackout caused by Terrin’s escape and later joined up with the Alliance.

Qizulth Verryn/Darth Nox - He/him - Twi’lek - Sith Inquisitor (Sorcerer) Random Pointless Fact: He and Talos will totally geek out over ancient temples together. He’d have a hard time admitting it aloud, but Talos is easily his closest/most trusted friend and Key is much more open with him than anyone else.

Impulsive, sarcastic and cocky, yet also always trying to prove himself and his abilities. He doesn’t let it show, but thanks to Harkun and growing up a slave, he feels the need to prove to others that he’s worth something and easily becomes frustrated with himself when he can’t. He has a habit of trying to be better than others, as well, so he makes a lot of enemies and isn’t exactly the best at making allies unless he does it through manipulation.

Before being taken to Korriban to become an acolyte, he’d always dreamed of the stars and exploring unknown places, enjoyed learning anything he could in what little free time he had. As Sith, he found excitement in ancient tombs and texts and artifacts, took great interest in learning about peoples and cultures from long before his time. It made him fitting to head the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge upon his defeat of Thanaton--and also brought him to have his strange little crew he actually cares a lot for but shh. He’s scared to admit it.

When Marr reached out, Key had been exploring a tomb on Hoth, so the message never came through due to atmospheric interference. Upon the Eternal Empire’s attack, he sneaked off to Belsavis without telling anyone, hoping to confide in Ashaa or find something that could help against Arcann’s empire. His wandering led him to accidentally trap himself in one of the many prison chambers deep within the planet, suspended in the air by a force field and more or less frozen in time. It’s not until years later that others find and free him after finding clues of his whereabouts, and he joins the Alliance.

Liolana “Leo” Vetiko - She/her - Cathar - Jedi Knight (Guardian) Random Pointless Fact: Most people don’t know it, but she’s actually pretty good with repairing machines and is even a decent slicer. If an actual mechanic isn’t available, she’s a good replacement.

While she does try to fit the card of the ideal Jedi, her emotions and attachments can get the better of her to make her impulsive - so much so that she risked the entire mission of confronting Vitiate to save Rusk when he’d ended up in trouble. She works hard to feel like she’s worthy of her position of Master, and has a bad habit of comparing her failures to the successes of others, so has been known to push herself too hard to the point she’s fallen ill for it on more than one occasion.

She’s still young and, while honored, didn’t feel like she was even remotely ready to be named Battlemaster and was nervous about it. While she didn’t outright say, she did wish Satele and the Council had reconsidered their choice. However, it didn’t take long for her to love the position, and she took pride in watching the lightsaber skills of those she trained grow with her lessons.

When it came to Ziost, she ended up as one of Theron’s contacts and met with his other three (Havoc, Jen, and Synnda) planetside where they eventually paired up to work with Lana’s contacts. She ended up badly injured by a possessed Sixth Line Jedi, but in the end that’s what saved her life. Because of the severity of her injuries, she was taken off-world to be tended to, so ended up surviving the devastation Vitiate caused. She was still recovering when the Eternal Empire attacked, so had no choice but to follow others fleeing to Ossus, where she stayed until Jedi Under Siege.

Azan Tarnak/Lord Wrath - She/her - Sith Pureblood - Sith Warrior (Juggernaut) Random Pointless Fact: She’s not exactly graceful in a duel. She’s large and incredibly strong, so tends to lean with brute force rather than acrobatics in a fight. She’s even been known to swing her lightsaber more like it’s a club than an elegant weapon. Her fights aren’t pretty and many an opponent have lost limbs to her.

A follower of the light, Azan has learned to be cunning and manipulative just to survive among other Sith. She’s incredibly good at lying and finding ways to cover up things she’s done that would otherwise seem very not-Sith-like. From claiming pragmatism, to simply turning around and threatening someone not to question her choices, rarely using the Force in the presence of others and able to prove she doesn’t have to rely on it to be formidable, or simply covering up her actions altogether, she’s gotten good at wearing her mask.

She wasn’t exactly thrilled to get her apprenticeship to Baras. He irritated her and she had a bad feeling about him from the start--she sassed and disobeyed him every chance she got. Even on the instances he grew tired of her attitude and threatened her, she was one to just cross her arms and wait for him to get to the point. To say she was surprised by his betrayal would be a lie, and she quite enjoyed finally kicking his ass. Becoming Wrath was a different matter, though. She wasn’t pleased and thought she was about the worst possible choice for the position--though having even (most of) the Dark Council itself scared of her was certainly interesting and made things easier for her when she’d no longer be questioned about her actions due to that fear.

When Marr reached out from Wild Space, Azan had been at Ziost. She was on the surface after the destruction, protecting teams from Monoliths while they tried to study what happened. She and Havoc Squad met on Ziost’s space station and opted for a temporary truce to go out to Marr’s location together. By the time they reached the coordinates, the Eternal Fleet had already come and gone, and all that was left was the remains of the fleet and a few escape pods that they rounded up. Azan ended up going into hiding once the Eternal Empire attacked so she could try and figure out what to do about it. She was separated from her team, but met up with an old ally--Master Timmns--and the two worked to survive together until the formation of the Alliance, which they were quick to join.

Jendrush “Jen” Sept - He/him - Cathar - Smuggler (Gunslinger) Random Pointless Fact: Want to lure him into a trap? Don’t bother with anything elaborate. Simple and easy are just fine, and he’s sure to walk right into it without thinking. It’s a wonder how he’s still alive.

Overconfident, aloof, a huge flirt, and boiling over with enough sarcasm he could share, Jen isn’t exactly “friend” material. He has a hard time connecting with people unless he’s flirting, and has an easier time making enemies than allies. He used to run smuggling jobs solely for the money. He didn’t care what the job was or if it harmed anyone, as long as he got paid in the end. Fortunately, he did start to make better decisions after he had to work with others to get his stolen ship back.

It wasn’t until he was hired by the Republic that he really started to change for the better, however. He found that he actually liked helping people and became easier to be around, though still wasn’t the most friendly if you weren’t part of his crew, and even then he could be testy at times. It wasn’t until he hired K’hedif (so his two kids wouldn’t be in the streets; he didn’t trust K’hedif himself at first) that Jen finally started to soften up. Jeva was too little and too much of a sweetheart to be rude to, while Jessi would snap at him to quit being an ass and kinda gave him the reality check he so badly needed. And...yeah, he might have eventually fallen for K’hedif once his heart was good an tenderized after knowing them quite a while. He and his kids were the best things that ever happened to Jen.

Jen wasn’t contacted by Marr, and had instead been running a job when the Eternal Empire struck. He took his crew and his ship and went underground (possibly literally) until he could find a way around the Coruscant blockade. Once he did, his priority became running supplies to worlds that needed it until Hylo Visz got in contact needing smugglers for the newly-formed Alliance.

“Azuma”/Cipher Nine - She/her - Zabrak - Imperial Agent (Operative) Random Pointless Fact: The jewelry attached to her horns are extremely durable. She can (and has) removed them to use to choke someone from behind, and they can also undo/short out handcuffs and shock collars. Just assume that if she looks like she’s wearing something just for looks, it’s there for a reason.

Doggedly loyal to the Empire and severely lacking any form of moral compass, “Azuma” does whatever it takes for the Empire to come out on top. She’s intelligent, cunning, manipulative, and a quick thinker - able to smoothly run with a last-minute plan or come up with one herself on-the-spot, she can prove effective in any situation. She took the “you no longer have a name” very seriously, and went on to only go by whatever her latest disguise was for what her team should call her (with Azuma Kathrak being her current one). Her original name has been purged from all records and no one speaks of it - not even her own husband knows what it was.

While not good in an actual fight, she has a stealth generator and is armed with a multitude of poisons that she can use to do her dirty work for her. From dusts that her target can inhale, to setting off poisonous clouds that affect only certain species, to a toxin hidden in her earrings she can pour into a drink, her collection could make any chemist or assassin jealous. When she joined Intelligence, she very quickly learned it was no place for a moral code and left hers far behind in her old life. Now, she becomes whoever she has to be to get the job done.

Marr didn’t have the time to track down Azuma when he was in Wild Space, as she’d gone under the radar again after Ziost to conduct her own search for the Emperor. As such, she didn’t hear about what was happening until it was far too late. From then on, she parted ways with her companions and went into deep cover on Zakuul to figure out what was going on and strike at Arcann’s empire from within. She joined the Alliance when she was discovered by it for mutual gain: She’d help it by providing information, and it would help the Sith Empire in return.

Varrich Tophrik - He/him - Mirialan - Republic Trooper (Vanguard) Random Pointless Fact: He always wears the same style of helmet, even in different colors to match different armor. It’s become a running joke that he must have a hoard of lookalikes hidden somewhere like they’re some grand treasure. He is not amused by said joke. Because it’s probably true.

Steadfast, loyal, and unflinching in the face of danger, Varrich tries to be the perfect soldier. A teenage resistance fighter on Balmorra who later joined the Academy in the hopes he could better help his planet that way, he never expected to graduate top of his class, nor to be recruited to Havoc because of it. Already having trust issues, his original team’s betrayal only ingrained distrust deeper into him. He doesn’t let himself get close to anyone, trusting only his team and the sister he so rarely gets to see.

Trained in a multitude of weapons and fighting styles, he’s like a living arsenal. Missiles, blasters, grenades, knives, even a generator that lets him give his opponent a shock, he’s armed to the teeth and it’s not just for show. While he does have a strong moral code, he also knows that he can’t always follow it if he needs to get a job done and is willing to do some pretty messed up things in the name of the Republic. It can make him seem callous, and the fact he remains professional and even-toned even as bodies lay at his feet even more so.

When Marr called from Wild Space, Varrich and his team were on Ziost looking for signs of Vitiate. They dropped everything at the call, and when they’d head up to the orbital station, they encountered the Wrath who’d also gotten the call. Deciding it would be in their best interest, Varrich reluctantly agreed to head to his coordinates with her. They arrived too late, however, and Havoc eventually went to Zakuul’s surface to try and fight its empire. They were in over their heads, and Varrich was separated from the rest of his team in an explosion - he was captured by a black market group working out of Breaktown and used as a test subject for cybernetics they planned to sell in the streets. He was there about five years, but was able to escape thanks to Terrin having caused a blackout.

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gvnbreaker · 5 years

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CHARACTER SURVEY || Aja Hyskaris

@yascaret edited/removed some of the questions to make this more FFXIV-friendly. I made a few of my own changes as well.

RULES. Repost, don’t reblog! Tag 10! Good luck!

TAGGED BY. @yascaret and @wood-warder

TAGGING. If you’re reading this, you’re tagged!

BASICS. FULL NAME : Aja Hyskaris

NICKNAME : None (yet?)

AGE : Appears around late 20s/30 by hyur standards

BIRTHDAY : Midsummer

GENDER : Non-binary; she/they

ETHNIC GROUP : Viera (Rava)

NATIONALITY : Ivalician (?)

LANGUAGE / S : Common

SEXUAL ORIENTATION : Homosexual

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION : Homoromantic

RELATIONSHIP STATUS : In a relationship with Lofn Yascaret & Pjel Qoet

HOME TOWN / AREA : The Hyskarian Deepwood, Golmore

CURRENT HOME : A small house in Shirogane.

PROFESSION : Mercenary. Bounty/monster hunter & occasional bodyguard.

PHYSICAL. HAIR : Vibrant red, wild, curly, falling to mid-back; undercut. Sideburns and widow’s peak.

EYES : Amber.

FACE : Square with a sharp jawline. High cheekbones, thick, arched eyebrows, and a prominent, aquiline nose. Often smirking insufferably or flirtatiously, prone to great expressiveness and wide smiles but just as easily brooding. Sharp teeth.

LIPS : Full. Her smiles are crooked to begin with and deadened nerves on the left side of her mouth add to the effect.

COMPLEXION : Deep brown with warm undertones, lighter palms and soles of her feet, a lighter smudge underneath her nose and around her nostrils. Freckling around her shoulders, arm, the tops of her thighs and her lower back.

BLEMISHES : None of note.

SCARS : Covered in scattered scars of varying age, depth, and severity, particularly on her left side and near her prosthetic arm. Ceruleum burns on torso; old, ringed scar around throat; vertical scar on left corner of mouth; small scar across nose; edge of left eyebrow; three scars beneath right eye.

TATTOOS & PIERCINGS : Blackwork tattoos around forearm and legs, among others (design with art to come); white tattoos (curve, three dots) beneath eyes; Several gold rings along outer shells of ears; gold septum ring

HEIGHT : Just under six fulms, not counting her ears.

WEIGHT : Average.

BUILD : Muscular and stocky, with broad shoulders tapering to a strong waist and thighs. [body type reference]

FEATURES : Her left arm, from the start of the bicep, is a mechanical prosthetic, appearing to be of magitek-or-close make.

ALLERGIES : None that she knows of.

USUAL HAIR STYLE : Worn loose and wild, not so much a style as a thick mane.

USUAL FACE LOOK : Bare-faced, wearing tinted red pince nez. Smirking, grinning, flirting--generally looking like a complete asshole.

USUAL CLOTHING : Loose, open shirts, trousers, long coats, heavy, knee-high boots, leather jackets.

PSYCHOLOGY. FEAR / S : Imprisonment, isolation, drowning, Garlean war machina.

ASPIRATION / S : Stability, helping others, belonging. In her younger years, she had romantic visions of knighthood, but those have since quieted with the years.

POSITIVE TRAITS : Adventurous, Passionate, Brave, Charismatic, Strong, Empathic

NEGATIVE TRAITS : Cocky, Bull-headed, Self-destructive, Reckless, Impulsive

MBTI : ESFP

ZODIAC : Leo

TEMPERAMENT : Sanguine

SOUL TYPE / S : Warrior

ANIMALS : Wolf

VICE HABIT / S : Brooding, drinking to excess, recklessness, impulsive decisions, using sex as validation.

FAITH : She spares it little thought.

GHOSTS ? : Yes.

AFTERLIFE ? : Maybe.

REINCARNATION ? : Hopefully.

ALIENS ? : When she met her first hyur man, she knew aliens were real.

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT : Garlemald bad, fuck cops.

EDUCATION LEVEL : Average for a viera of her village. She's taught herself to read between the lines better after being conned out of a full hunt reward once or twice in her early days in Rabanastre.

FAMILY. FATHER : Fleeting contact a lifetime ago.

MOTHERS : Still in the Wood.

SIBLINGS : Several, no contact. She was close with one, but has made peace with never seeing any of them again.

EXTENDED FAMILY : Still in the Wood--as far as she knows.

NAME MEANING / S : Aja, from the Hyskarian Deepwood

HISTORICAL CONNECTION ? : She was born in Golmore, but as far as she knows her name has little meaning.

FAVORITES. BOOK : Adventure stories and romance novels. She’d never admit it, but they can be found hidden in her satchel or underneath or inside other things.

DEITY : She tries not to think about them.

HOLIDAY : Moonfire Faire, ????

MONTH : Summer

SEASON : Summer & Fall

PLACE : A grassy field. The back of a cycle. On top of someone or between someone's legs.

WEATHER : Thunderstorms, rain showers, clear skies and bright sun overhead.

SOUND / S: Rain, thunder in the distance, the soft breathing of a woman asleep.

SCENT / S : Metal, cedar, rain, leather, girlfriend ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

TASTE / S : Meat, whiskey, curry, girlfriend ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

FEEL / S : Furs, leather, grass, rain, girlfriend ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ANIMAL / S : Cats, coeurls, dogs.

NUMBER : 7

COLORS : Red, browns, black, gunmetal

EXTRA. TALENTS : She's a blunt instrument, so beating the shit out of things. Flirting. Fixing things, usually the mechanical variety. Making friends. Diffusing social conflicts as often as she creates them. She's a good cook, but it's suitable really nowhere else but over a fire with a beast's flank in one hand and a metal spit in the other.

BAD AT : Love. Understanding and accepting her feelings. Has a chronic case of Foot-in-Mouth Disease. Has a long fuse, but her temper can spin out of control when pressed. Terrible at restraint and not being reckless and impulsive.

TURN ONS : Stockings, especially with the seam up the back. The nape of a woman's neck. Banter. Compliments. Smiles. Give her a smile and a coquettish eyelash flutter or make her feel strong and she's useless putty in your hands.

TURN OFFS : Flirtatious men, cowards, cruelty, Garleans.

HOBBIES : Fishing, tinkering, gambling, trying new foods, sparring and training, exercise.

TROPES : You Can’t Go Home Again, Badass Longcoat, Dark-Skinned Readhead, Cannot Spit It Out, Hot-Blooded, Scars Are Forever, Everyone Can See It, Artificial Limbs, Berserk Button, Unusual Eyebrows, Dark and Troubled Past, Rage Breaking Point, Cool Bike, Hot-Blooded Sideburns, Fiery Redhead, Red Oni Blue Oni, Gun Blade, La Résistance, Spell Blade, Love Epiphany, Bruiser with a Soft Center, Didn’t Think This Through (Gonna stop now or I’ll be here all night)

QUOTES : “Ah, fuck.”

MUN QUESTIONS. Q1 : If you could write your character your way in their own movie, what would it be called, what style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about?

A1 : John Wick mixed with Final Fantasy VIII mixed with Drive but with Garlean soldiers, turncoats, gay bro content, a sorceress, and also heaps of gay in general.

Q2 : What would their soundtrack/score sound like?

A2 : Chromatic rock, Nightrun, hair metal, a lot of Deftones, Tool, the Weeknd, indie and acoustic rock for angst.

Q3 : Why did you start writing this character?

A3 : When viera were teased at Fanfest, I lost my mind and have been unable to concentrate on any other character since. Aja was actually going to be a hrothgar, but when they genderlocked them and the model and general design didn’t fit her body type, well… plans changed.

Q4 : What first attracted you to this character?

A4 : Much like @yascaret’s answer, getting my gay hands on viera in FFTA and being obsessed since then. I wanted to write a warrior, a little battered but unbroken despite everything. She came out differently than originally planned, but in a good way. She’s just an even bigger himbo now.

Q5 : Describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse.

A5 : I worry about Flanderizing her too hard, because while she is a big flirtatious himbo idiot I also want it to come across that she has depth.

Q6 : What do you have in common with your muse?

A6 : Not a lot. I guess we're both stubborn idiots with very long fuses that nonetheless eventually explode and/or destroy whatever is on the receiving end. Also what's gender precious

Q7 : How does your muse feel about you?

A7 : She probably wouldn’t acknowledge me at all, but we might bond over spicy noodles.

Q8 : What characters does your muse have interesting interactions with ?

A8 : Lofn and Pjel are the obvious choice, but… Lofn and Pjel. I really love writing her alongside and against them because their personality traits both complement and chafe against one another, often in the same scene. Also I love their chemistry and look forward to how that plays out. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Q9 : What gives you inspiration to write your muse ?

A9 : B u n y d e a t h s q u a d. Just in general seeing my RP partners and roleplayers I haven’t interacted with yet writing and posting content for their characters really inspires me. As far as writing Aja, I take a handful of aesthetics, design elements, and themes and smash them together until something clicks. Listening to music and rolling through a prompt generator usually kick starts me into writing a drabble or developing something, and the FFXIV Write challenge has been great for that this month.

Q10 : How long did this take you to complete ?

A10 : About an afternoon and part of an evening. I fell into TV Tropes a little too hard near the end.

#about #character building #memes #ffxiv crystal #ffxiv rp #balmung #furiously formatting this before the oncoming storm knocks out our power and yeets my draft into oblivion #rava viera #viera

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watchforstars · 5 years

Text

Bonding With Red- RotTMNT fanfic

@fanfic-inator795

“For a prompt: What things did Splinter do to bond with his boys when they were turtle tots (what games/activities did he do with them, did he have something special for each of them or did he do the same thing with all of them, etc.)?”

-----

Raphael: Martial Arts

‘This is starting to be a problem,’ the rat mutant thought as he flipped through the pages of a six-month-old, tattered copy of ‘Parenting Today’ magazine.

His assumed oldest son, Raphael, was getting out of hand. Out of all his sons, Red was the biggest and most aggressive—which by default at this age—made him the strongest. It didn’t help that Raphael was snapping turtle either which likely exacerbated his aggressive instincts. Sibling play always seemed to end in one of his younger sons crying or injured from a slap of his muscled tail, a scratch from his sharp claws or spiked shell, or a bite from his powerful jaw. Even if his sons where mutant turtles, this was starting to become excessive and placing a strain on the family dynamic. But the worse part was as a newly single dad, Splinter did know how to stop it.

“WAHHHHHH!”

Splinter straightened his back as he was startled from his thoughts. A high-pitched shriek echoed throughout the tunnels from their sewer home. The rat darted up from the couch he was sitting on, and haphazardly tossed his reading literature to the floor.

‘They were playing fine 20 minutes ago!’ He thought as he rounded the corner to the largest space in the tunnels—likely to become the living room if they remained here permanently.

“What’s wrong, my sons?! Are you injured?!” He practically shouted once he arrived.

His eyes instantly fell to the blue banded turtle, Leonardo, and the aforementioned, Raphael, gnawing on the smaller one's left leg. His other sons, Donatello and Michaelangelo, huddled up next to each other a few feet away watching with wide, worried eyes at the scene before them.

The red-banded turtle looked up expectantly and released his brother’s leg when his father entered the room. He chirped excitedly and wagged his long-spiked tail as the rat approached. Leo, now free from his confines, rolled on his shell and flailed his arms and legs around as a desperate cry for attention and comfort.

“Red One—NO! No biting!” Splinter admonished as he darted to the two turtles and gently lifted the younger in his arms.

He inspected the leg for any injury—luckily there wasn’t a puncture wound, and it didn’t appear it would bruise. At least Red knew to restrain some of that strength when engaging with his brothers. His right ear had been at the mercy of those powerful jaws a few months ago when Red was teething. He had taken a chunk out of the said ear, so he knew firsthand the damage Raphael could cause. Thankfully, Leo was more frightened than hurt.

“There, there...you’re okay, Baby Blue,” he rocked the blue-banded turtle in his arms to give him comfort, “you’re okay. I’m here.” The red-eared slider’s tears slowly subsided as he snuggled closer into his father’s furry grey chest.

Splinter let out a breath of relief he didn’t know he was holding. He kneaded his temples with his available hand. Apparently play would need to be supervised at this point.

He looked down as he felt four other hands latch on to his legs—Orange and Purple. The latter two had quickly scurried over and sought comfort from their mutant father now that the incident had calmed down. Raphael stood off the side isolated, head hanging low and hand in his mouth from being reprimanded.

“Red, stay here,” Splinter said with a clipped tone as he scooped down to gather his other boys in his arms. Purple and Orange chirped happily while Blue slowly started nodding off, drained for an afternoon of play. “I will put your brothers down for their nap, and then we can talk about what you have done.”

Splinter started towards the boy’s shared room but paused with he heard a weak whimper from behind.

“Pa...?”

Looking over his shoulder, the rat noticed the tears threatening to fall from Raphael’s eyes and the tremble of his lower beak. The eldest turtle locked eyes with his father and started shuffling over to the rat and his brothers, arms outreached begging for comfort.

“No, Red One,” Splinter said as he fully turned to the red-banded turtle, “I wish for you to stay here. Away from your brothers...for now. I—”

Red tucked his head down and placed a fist back in his mouth. He turned away from his father and brothers guiltily. He lowered himself to the ground, hugged his knees tightly, and sobbed.

With empathetic eyes, Splinter bowed his head and sighed, turning as he resumed his walk to the bedroom.

He had to act now before things escalated for the worse.

---

After tucking in the younger tots for a much needed afternoon nap, Splinter went to find Red. Perhaps if he could find a way to teach the older boy about restraint, he could learn to play with his brother without harming them. It was clear to the rat—even after several accidental injuries—that Red didn’t understand his own strength and was only wanting to play.

But he didn’t know much about kids or turtles—let alone mutant turtles, so he was at a loss of what could be done. All he knew is acting and martial arts.

Splinter steadied himself on the nearest wall as he made his way back to the living room. His yellow eyes fell right to the turtle in question who was sadly looking over one of his worn teddy bears. The occasional whimper could still be heard from the tot as he tried in vain to independently soothe his loneliness.

“Red One,” Splinter calmly started as he walked over to the turtle in question. He knelt next to the boy so he could be eye level to him—as the parenting magazines had recommended, “I am—”

The rat paused as he looked at the pitiful sight that was his son and let out a light, yet wistful sigh. He reached over and affectionally rubbed his red-banded son’s head. A calming gesture, so his son would be more receptive to his teachings and to hopefully, convey his emotions on the incident to the child.

“I am not mad at you, my son,” he chuckled as Raphael hesitantly giggled at his antics. The rat placed his hand on Red’s shoulder. “We must learn to control your powerful strength and impulses. It is not okay for you to bite your brothers. I know it was not intentional, but—”

Raphael slowly blinked and cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“W-what I’m trying to say,” Splinter backtracked to make the lecture easier for the tot to understand, “is that you must play gently with your brothers, so they do not cry.”

Raphael furrowed his brow as he tried to comprehend his father’s teaching.

“...wlay nice?” He eventually wondered aloud.

“Yes! Very good, my son,” Splinter nodded in confirmation as he stood up “We must play nice with your brothers. I want to teach you to master your strength, so I have decided during your brother’s naptime, we will have our lessons. I will teach you martial arts.”

His son’s blank expression clearly indicated the child did not understand what his father was talking about. Perhaps a demonstration was needed.

The rat took a few steps back and took a deep breath to center himself. It had been several months since he was able to do any heavy physical activity due to his weakened state and mutation by that warrior and psychotic scientist mutant sheep, Barum Draxum. He actually hadn’t done any martial arts—let alone katas, since his mutation. Splinter suddenly doubted he would be able to do any of his skills in this new body, but looking at his son’s question-filled eyes, steeled his resolve once more.

“HOT SOUP!” he exclaimed as he delivered a flurry of punches and kicks to an invisible foe.

Adrenaline rushed through his veins as each practiced move was executed as if he had never lost his human form or had an extended hiatus from the arts. An emotion Splinter hadn’t felt in a while—excitement—bubbled to the surface from his innermost being. A familiar confident grin graced his lips jumped up for a mid-air round-house kick. This was the Lou Jitsu he longed to be again! As he landed, he went for another kick but paused as he heard the gasp from his son, Raphael.

Instantly, all the excitement died down, and he was brought back to the reality of his mutation. He could never go back. This was his life now—parenthood and sewers. He slowly placed his leg down and turned towards his son. When they locked eyes, another emotion replaced his sorrow and disappointment.

“Ooh,” the red-banded tot shouted in amazement. “HOT SOUWP!” he emulated as he punched the air, dropping his forgotten teddy at his feet.

Love. He felt...genuine love and happiness.

“Yes, Raphael,” he chuckled as the tot toppled over attempting the aerial combination. “Come, let us begin our first lesson before your brothers awaken. The rat held out his hand to his son as an invitation.

The red turtle pushed himself off the cold floor and scurried over to his father’s extended hand, grasping it greedily with chubby fingers. He nuzzled his head against father’s robe, releasing a happy chirp at the attention.

His initial hope was that martial arts would quell is eldest son’s instincts and teach him control; however, he didn’t anticipate the bond he would create during this one-on-one time with Red. Perhaps his other sons would be interested in learning this craft in a few years. They didn’t quite have the motor skills or dexterity yet but learning self-defense would likely be beneficial for his mutant children.

“HOT SOUWP!” Raphael shouted again in excitement as they wandered towards the back of the lair.

“Hot Soup!” Splinter echoed a bit softer but with no less zeal.

Looks another trip to the surface was in his future. He’ll have to salvage some supplies for a dojo.

---

Thoughts:

So as I may have mentioned in an earlier post, this was supposed to be just a prompt, but I felt like writing, and it got out of hand. Story of my life. I will be writing for each turtle and will be releasing them in age order, so next up is Donatello.

I have a head canon that Raph was a bit of a handful growing up due to his size and species of turtle. If you have never met a snapping turtle in person, they are mean little shits. I lean more towards sociological ideas—an individual’s personality is formed from environmental interactions such as with family, community, etc. But as children, we are more instinctual and follow our basic needs until we are able to be taught from our environment. Therefore, Raph was a bit more aggressive as a child until he was able to be taught otherwise.

I literally see Raph chewing through furniture and toys while he was teething.

So anyway, he had to learn how to control and reshape his natural instincts so he wouldn’t harm his brothers. And he very clearly has learned this as displayed in RotTMNT. He’s so sweet.

I also head canon the turtles started talking later in childhood that an average human child would as they are mutants—turtle and human DNA. In this case, I imagine around age 4-6 they develop the mental capacity to form words, so Raph is just learning to use his vocal cords. He has a limited vocabulary, but he is able to comprehend. The other boys can’t talk yet but are able to walk.

Splinter was also difficult to write as we still don’t really know much about him. The boys are clearly well cared for and love their dad, but there was a shift in his character when they got older...maybe depression? Anyway, I tried to convey he is struggling to do the right thing by caring for the boys while dealing with his new mutation, etc. etc. In other words, I based him off of other Splinter’s, so yeah...

Hope you enjoyed! Reblogs and comments are always welcome and appreciated. My plan to release the next part of this prompt later tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for your patience, and feel free to leave more turtle tot ideas!

#tmnt #tmnt donatello #tmnt raphael #tmnt mikey #tmnt leonardo #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt #tmnt splinter #fanfic #writing prompt

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farmlandskillrp · 4 years

Photo

Robin Oliver | The Dreamer | FC: Lily Collins | Taken

Personality Traits:

+ Fun-Loving, Free-Spirited, Witty

- Resentful, Impulsive, Escapist

Aesthetic:

Moodboard

Gender and Pronouns:

She/Her

Birthday and Zodiac:

December 17, Sagittarius

Moral Alignment:

True Neutral

Headcanons (past, present, personality, preferences)

all i ever wanted was everything: Robin’s dream for as long as she could remember was to leave her hometown and travel the world, that was, after graduating from University. For all of the time she spent partying and having a good time with friends in school, she spent equal parts at home reading, and hoped to study English at Uni. Both of these goals were put on pause indefinitely when Robin found out she was pregnant during her first term at Uni. She hoped to continue with school once her daughter Hazel was born, but was forced to withdraw and work full-time to support them both. Although she loves Hazel more than anything, she can’t help but resent what she has become- a single Mum at 22, working as a waitress to support Hazel with the help of Jack.

sometimes this world sucks so i go to my own: At a young age, Robin realized that she could lose herself in her daydreams and forget all of the shit that was happening around her. As she got older, she began to experiment with more tangible ways to lose herself- namely drugs and alcohol at parties. It didn’t matter if it was uppers or downers, Robin loved the escape that came with substances, allowing her to forget all of her troubles and just float for awhile. She always felt untouchable, as if nothing bad could reach her, and was unwilling to let any fear of the unknown keep her from having fun. Robin’s world of escape came crashing down the moment she read that positive pregnancy test. She’d contemplated an abortion, but changed her mind the moment she saw her small baby on the ultrasound during the first check up. From that point on, something in Robin shifted, and though she often hates herself for it, she now views the world from a much more practical viewpoint. With her sole focus now being Hazel, Robin has reverted back to simply losing herself in her daydreams once again.

she’s strong but she’s exhausted: Robin’s parents divorced when she was young and her Dad was never a huge part of her life. Because of this, her relationship with her Mum has always been strained. She didn’t approve of Robin’s free spirit and never missed an opportunity to tell her how reckless she was. Robin getting pregnant was the last straw for her Mum, who kicked her out so she would learn to be more responsible. Robin doesn’t have much of a relationship with her Mum now, and has to rely on Jack or her friends to help out with Hazel.

to the moon and never back: Robin has always found peace and comfort in nature. She ventures out into the fields or to the creek with Hazel any chance she gets, wanting to cultivate a love of adventure in her daughter, in hopes that one day she can escape this small town like Robin has always dreamed of doing. Her biggest wish for her daughter is that she’s happy, and feels free to do whatever she wants to when the time comes.

the girl who lost things: Robin couldn’t choose the family she was born into, but she could choose who to surround herself with when not at home. She and Matt gravitated towards one another at a young age, their mutual love of a good time making them quickly inseparable. Their friendship with Jack and Leo soon followed and Robin felt like she had found it, her chosen family. For years, the four of them were unmatched: parties, school, you name it. That was until the end of college when Robin and Jack evolved from occasional hookups to dating exclusively. They hadn’t planned for it to last, but that changed when Robin got pregnant. After that, the group’s dynamic shifted permanently. Matt continued to be the party animal he always was, Leo distanced himself from Jack and Matt, and Jack and Robin were bound forever through an unplanned baby. In Robin’s eyes, the only redeeming quality of this shift, aside from her baby, was her friendship with Leo. Leo had always been a great friend to Robin, but after having Hazel, she was shocked at how Leo stepped in to help her while Jack was away at Uni. Robin was too busy being a new Mum to properly mourn the end of the most important friendship of her life as she knew it; and now that Matt is dead, she is overwhelmed with the loss of both.

IN-CHARACTER

· Which of your scars has the best story behind it? And what’s the story?

The most glamorous scar by far is the massive one I have across my abdomen from my c-section with Hazel. After 10 hours of labor things weren’t progressing and the doctor notified me that they had to cut her out of me. Delightful. Obviously she was well worth it, but seeing your insides get pulled out alongside your beautiful baby while you can’t feel anything is an experience that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. Mothers are badasses.

· What was your first sexual experience if you’ve had one? Do you think back to it fondly or not?

My virginity never felt sacred to me, and I never felt the need to cherish it for the perfect moment or person. To be honest, I was just ready to get it over with. So, when I was 14, I got tipsy at a party and impulsively decided to sleep with a boy in my class that I thought was cute. It was god awful and lasted less than 3 minutes, but I was happy to have the bullshit title of virgin permanently removed from my description. Looking back, I was so young and quick to grow up. I wish I had just allowed myself to be a child. It scares me to think that Hazel could put herself in a similar situation as I did when she’s older, just to try to feel like a grown up a bit faster.

· What were the last three songs you listened to?

Clair de Lune- Debussy

Dance Dance- Fall Out Boy

Come on Eileen- Dexys Midnight Runners

· What would be the title of your autobiography?

Mama’s Tired, The Chronicles of Getting Knocked Up at 19

· Who would you call in an emergency? Why?

If it was an emergency with Hazel, I’d call Jack. But godforbid that happens, because Jack is absolute shit under pressure- hence why we have a child together in the first place.

If it was an emergency with me, I’d call Leo. He is my go to for non-judgmental assistance on most things. And he is the most reliable person in my life, despite not being the father of my child. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

Important Connections:

· Jack Carter - The father of Robin’s three year old daughter. Her daughter stopped her from going to University and getting her degree, but it didn’t stop Jack. She hates that about them, but she loves that they moved back from their swanky job just to be close to their daughter.

· Leo Vitale - The most reliable person in Robin’s life. Leo is one of the only people who never treated her differently when she got pregnant. They are a huge support for her and Hazel, even though they have no obligation to be, and for that she is extremely grateful.

· Jane Oliver - Her little sister embodies everything that Robin wants to have – a life full of freedom and choices.

· Evie Jones - Evie and Robin have never really gotten on, as Robin always thought Matt was fantastic and this grated on Evie.

Information that may/may not be relevant to case:

Robin and Matt could have been described as best friends.

#robin oliver #taken

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lightningmastertrilogy · 5 years

Text

Path of Lightning: Origins chapters 12 & 13: To be like you

Summary: Ryu has a hard time fitting in, even within his family.

Total word count: 4.7k words.

Read on wattpad: 12 & 13.

Read Chapters:

Chapter 12:

Ryu let out a long sigh the moment he stepped out of school.

He gripped his backpack straps tightly, before nervously looking around. His eyes lingered on some of the kids gathering together and laughing, as they headed home together.

His eyes moved back to his shoes, and he proceeded to walk forward, only for a kid to knock him down as he ran in a rush.

He groaned in pain, then pushed himself up. He just wanted to go home and get over with it, so he fastened his pace.

Meanwhile at home, Nosaru stared at intently at a manual then at the device attached to the TV. Her eyebrows moved upwards, as she continued to glance between the two.

"Just how many cables does this thing need?!" She ran a hand through her hair before sighing. She opened her eyes and gave in to her impulsive thoughts, as she threw the book across the room. "I don't need manuals. I'm a professional." She muttered and started working.

When Ryu finally arrived, he was met with a big mess. He looked in surprise at the wires taking over a good part of the living room, along with a manual that he almost stepped on. He yelped when he saw his sister’s head pop up from behind the sofa.

"Welcome home, Ryu!" Nosaru said, still panting from the fight she had with the cables, but what caught his eyes were the console and the cd case next to it. "Is that a playbox U?!" He exclaimed and jumped on the couch before picking a controller. The action made his sister smile fondly.

"C'mon sis! Play with me!"

"I don't know how to play." She replied, shaking her head.

'It's okay! I saw one of my classmates play it! I'll teach you!" After a few rounds, he regretted it. "How did you…?" He stared at the screen in shock. He lost every round.

"It turns out I have skills." Nosaru said, pleased with herself.

"But… but Leo is the coolest character! He can't lose!" Ryu argued, still in disbelief. "Rematch! I want a rematch!"

"No one is perfect, Ryu." His sister said, jabbing him playfully. "What confuses me is that the game is called Final Fatal Round… If it's 'final' then how come it has so many sequels, movies, comics and even an anime…?" She voiced her confusion.

"That's what we call 'milking' a franchise." Aiko said, sitting next to them on the couch. Her sudden appearance made them both jump off their seats.

"Where did you come from?!" Both siblings shouted.

"I was here the whole time." Aiko answered with a shrug, while the two squinted. "By the way, about this mess you made…"

"I was going to clean it." Nosaru said.

"Good. I'm so exhausted!" Aiko said and stood up. "I'm going to take a nap." She said then went upstairs.

Ryu's eyes wandered on her for a moment, before he looked at the younger sister with hesitance. "I've been wondering… you have being kinda weird lately. Do you… want to talk about it?"

"What do you mean by weird?" Nosaru asked, furrowing her eyebrows. She didn't think he would notice. Did she make it too obvious for him?

Ryu stared at her for a while, then shook his head. "Nothing… Anyway! Thanks for the game!" He hugged her than ran to his room.

She sighed and buried her face in her hands. She felt guilty for hiding things from him, but it was for the best. He was better off not knowing their family secret.

Ryu collapsed on his bed and grabbed a comic book. "I'm not blind… I know what's going on." He thought as he stared at pages. "I'm just not good enough like you Leo." He said, staring at a panel of his favorite hero.

-P.O.L:Origins-

The next morning, Liz and Yuki walked together in the hallway.

"I still can't believe that you're paired with her." Yuki said with disbelief, while the blonde was focused on the book in her hands. "How was it?" He asked, trying to take a peek at whatever the blonde was reading, only for her to pull the book away.

"Why is it so important?" Liz asked, then closed the book, knowing that he would keep distracting her. "Everyone is making a big fuss about it and I don't understand why. She’s just like everyone else."

"You're Nosaru Akina's partner! The person who could possibly take charge of Aether in the future! The cold and distant member who avoids everyone! We are talking about the Ice queen!" He explained his point with frantic hand movements as if it would make his point clearer.

"She's not an ice queen, she's just grumpy… and that's ironic coming from an ice user." Liz commented, frowning. "So this whole heiress deal…You know there's Aiko too."

"Well, there is room for debate. Aiko is a genius, but Nosaru is obviously stronger when it comes to a fight." Yuki said. "To be honest, a lot here prefer Aiko for obvious reasons."

"That's hilarious… they should try being her 'favorite subject'" She muttered and shook her head when she remembered the woman's scary smile. "Anyway, the old man is still kicking, so there is no use talking about this." She said, before shoving her hands into her pockets. She didn’t like thinking about someone’s father dying, not when it hit so close to home.

They both passed by the cafeteria and saw the blue haired girl sitting alone looking grumpier than usual. Liz sent her friend a smirk that made him shake his head desperately.

"You won't make me sit next to the ice queen!" Yuki protested but it was in vain since the blonde gripped his arm and dragged him along.

She had a strong grip.

"Hello!" Liz greeted cheerfully. "Mind if we sit with you?"

"Yes." Nosaru said, but of course the blonde ignored her and sat.

"You know maybe we shouldn't…" Yuki was about to leave but the blonde forced him to sit. "…Fine."

"What's up Grumpy?" Liz asked with the book still in hand.

"Is that what I think it is?" Nosaru's eyes focused on the book, her eyebrows moved downwards.

"Oh, and how do you know what it is?" Liz smirked. "Don't tell me you read this stuff,. Never expected that from yo-"

"AIKO reads it…" Nosaru blushed from embarrassment, while Liz's face lost all colors at the mention of the oldest sister. "Should I worry about the fact that my partner is a pervert?"

"Yes." Liz answered immediately which made the blue haired girl snatch the book and hit her on the head with it. "Ouch! I’m joking! I just think this stuff is bad to the point it’s hilarious to be honest." Nosaru just rolled her eyes.

"She's… she's over there!" Yuki exclaimed suddenly when his eyes landed on a brunette in the distance, and he accidently froze the table.

"Hey!" Liz backed away from the frozen table then followed her friend's line of sight. The girl had emerald eyes, and long brown hair. It was hard to make out what clothes she was wearing under her long cloak, but Liz managed to see their black color. "Don't tell me that's the girl you have a crush on." He nodded and kept staring until the blonde turned his head away. "Stop staring or she'll think you're a creep!"

“You mean like you?” Nosaru commented, as she took a sip from her coffee.

“Hey!”

"What am I supposed to do?!" The ice user asked. "I'm too nervous to talk to her!"

"Tara might not be a penergy user, but I assure you she can take you out with one shot." Nosaru joined the conversation, and Yuki sighed.

“Yeah I know- Wait,you know each other?" Yuki asked her, hopeful instead of scared. She shrugged in return.

"We sometimes train at shooting together."

"How about we go talk to her?" Liz suggested and put an arm around Yuki who looked as if he was about to get a heart attack. He violently shook his head.

"Nope, nope, nope…" Yuki said but his protests were ignored once again as Liz dragged him towards his crush.

"I am surrounded by idiots." Nosaru muttered before deciding to follow them. She didn't want the poor sniper to be intimidated by those idiots.

"Hi!" Liz greeted the girl who turned to her, confused. "I'm Liz! I'm new here!"

"Oh, hello!" Tara stuttered and blushed. Liz resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow, questioning the girl’s nervous stance. "I'm Tara. It's a pleasure to… pleasure to meet… to meet you!" She said with a warm smile.

"H-hi!" Yuki said with a large grin that was totally unnatural and the blonde shook her head at her friend's hopelessness. Fortunately, the brunette did not notice.

"Hey Tara, I hope they're not making you uncomfortable." Nosaru smiled at her, a sight that was even more unnatural. She then glared at her and Yuki, much to her relief. “I hope these two aren’t making you uncomfortable.”

"Oh, not at all!" Tara said, tucking her hair behind her ears. She had trouble looking at them in the eye.

"Don't worry partner! We're friendly!" Liz said with a grin and put an arm around Nosaru.

"Can't you keep your hands for yourself?" Nosaru complained only for the blonde to ignore her.

"So, you come here often?" Yuki said, while Tara blinked at him. Nosaru and Liz groaned.

“Tara, this is my partner. Liz, this is Tara. She is an excellent sniper.” Nosaru stepped in, saving him.

“You’re giving me too much credit.” The girl chuckled, still avoiding eye contact. Liz came to the conclusion that the girl was just shy. Not the best combination with a line of work that involves a whole community. “Liz, is that it? Do you have powers?”

“I can summon weapons.” Liz smiled.

“Like Nosaru? That’s cool!”

“Nah, just melee weapons.” She said, then wrapped an arm around Yuki who looked like he was dying from embarrassement. “My friend here, Yuki, is an ice user. He’s the ‘cool’ one.” She winked, and the brunette laughed softly at the pun, while Nosaru gave her an amused look.

"Oh, really? C-can you make something?" Tara asked and her smile widened. He stared at her for a moment, before snapping out of his daze.

"Yeah! Of course!" He joined his hands together and created a rose with his powers. The girl stared at it in awe which made him gain a bit of confidence.

"Aw they're adorable." Liz commented and the blue haired girl nodded. For once they agreed on something.

"So, you’re a sniper?" Yuki asked.

"Yeah! You see, my dad is in the military and he taught me all kind of stuff so I can defend myself, but I just fell in love with the rifle! I can have my distance and still get a critical hit! You see what makes rifles special is that…" Tara kept rambling about her obsession with snipers, and her stuttering and nervousness were suddenly gone. The ice user listened to her and tried to focus on what she was saying but his brain couldn't match the girl's speed. The partners stared at her, surprised by the change of attitude.

"Do you… have any idea what she's talking about?" Liz asked her partner while staring at the girl in disbelief.

"No, but I'm impressed by the sudden change." Nosaru answer.

Out of nowhere, the blonde felt something heavy fall on her, colliding her with the floor. She groaned and pushed away the person who fell on her. She grabbed them by the back of their collar and pulled them up.

The person was a child. He had a blue spiky hair, matched with blue eyes. He stared at her, frightened. She couldn't help but notice that he looked really familiar, but she couldn't figure out why.

"Hey! Whose child is this?" She asked with an annoyed tone.

Nosaru stared at her brother in shock. "Ryu?"

Chapter 13:

Nosaru felt her heart stop as she stared at her brother. Her head was filled with questions.

Why was he here? How did he get here? How is her father going to react?

"Sis?" Ryu turned to her confused, once Liz let him go. "What is this place?"

Yuki and Tara gasped while Liz was still confused about everything. Everyone in the room started glancing at each other and whispering. Those whispers were too distracting for the blue haired girl.

Her mind went blank and she couldn't answer. She was startled when her sister stood between her and Ryu. Aiko was out of breath, she was panting as if she was running.

"To dad's... office" she managed to say between her rushed breaths. She took her brother by the hand. He followed her silently, feeling confused and scared from all the stares he was receiving.

Nosaru ignored them and followed her siblings.

"What was that about?" Liz asked with a frown while Yuki and Tara stared at her wondering how someone could be so clueless.

It wasn't until they reached the hallway, that the blue haired girl found her voice again. "How is he here? How did dad find out?"

"Well he called me and asked why I was late... I told him I didn't find my tablet... And he made the conclusion." Aiko said after finally regaining her breath. She ran a hand through her hair, avoiding eye contact with her sister.

"How could you just forget your tablet?!" Nosaru exclaimed.

Aiko stopped, took a deep breath then turned to her and started counting her fingers. “I go to work, I do the housework, and I also have to come here! Do you seriously expect me to remember anything anymore?"

"Um... Please don't fight!" Ryu intervened, as the two glared at each other. "I... Know everything. I heard you talking about it. I want to have cool powers too. I want to be like you." His expression lit up towards the end, but Nosaru’s only darkened.

"No you don't." Nosaru said with a forceful tone. Her sister touched her arm and nodded towards the door.

Aiko opened the door and the three entered the office. Hiroshi was sitting at his desk, signing some papers. He stopped and looked at them.

Nosaru looked down.

"Ryu." He address the child calmly, but both girls noticed the sternness in his voice. "How did you come here?" He asked, looking back at his work.

"I found this... A-and I clicked on some button that brought me here." Ryu answered, his hands holding into the tips of his shirt. "Can I be like everyone here? Can I be helpful too?" He asked with a bright smile.

Hirsohi didn't smile back. He gave his daughters a look that told them to leave. The blue haired girl wanted to protest but decided against it, and followed Aiko outside.

Once they were alone, she kept pacing around, not bothering to hide her worry while her sister rested against the wall.

"How can you be so calm?" Nosaru asked.

"I'm sure he'll make the right decision." The older sister answered, but her words only made the blue haired girl more upset.

"Is the right decision throwing him into this dangerous life?! Is that his way of protecting him?"

"Aren't you being a hypocrite right now?" Aiko said with the slightest hint of anger which caught Nosaru off guard. "You both think that what you're doing is right and that it's the best for everyone. The truth is that you're not giving Ryu the right to choose. He might be too young to make decisions, but the day he makes one, I'll respect it. I won't hold him back."

Nosaru's eyes widened and she remained silent. Was she really holding him back? She didn't consider his feelings. She only thought about protecting him because she couldn't stand feeling that pain again. The pain of losing someone dear.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, her vision blurred and she no longer looked at the hallway, but at a grave.

She saw people dressed in black, but she couldn't make out their faces, the eyes were hidden, but their lips were moving.

She couldn't hear what they were saying, she didn't want to hear what they saying.

She only focused on the stone that had her mother's name written on it. She only focused on the emptiness that was in her heart.

She felt as if she was suffocating.

She snapped from her daydream –or nightmare- when she heard Aiko call Ryu's name.

Following her line of vision, she noticed Ryu was running in the hallway, ignoring his sister. Nosaru felt someone shaking her. She looked at Aiko who was saying something, but she couldn't focus on the words.

"What...?" She said, dazed.

"Let's go after him!" Aiko repeated and let go of her before running after her brother.

Nosaru's heart skipped as she came back to her senses, and followed her sister.

Ryu ran and ran until he was out of breath, and his legs started to shake. He wiped away the tears and looked around. He was outside, in the garden. He looked down at his feet, feeling sad and deceived.

"It's not fair... I'm not weak like he said. I'm not useless. I can prove it to him, so why won't he give me a chance?!" He said, unaware that someone was watching him. "Why won't anyone give me chance to be more than just a burden?!" He yelled, then sighed.

He sat down on the grass, pulling his knees to his chest and burying his head into them, sobbing quietly.

"Hi there." A guy surprised him. He had two boys following him. His hair was black, and his eyes were brown and mischievous yet, a young boy couldn’t know that."My name is Jun, and I accidently heard you talking. It looks like someone thinks you're not good enough. That's cruel."

"M-my name is Ryu..." Ryu answered, using his sleeves to wipe his tears. He took the hand that Jun offered him, and stood up.

"What if I gave you an easy job that will help you prove yourself to everyone?" Jun said with a kind smile. "I'm sure you're more than meets the eye."

Ryu thought about it. Maybe he had a chance to prove to his family that he wasn't a good for nothing. So he nodded.

Meanwhile, Liz, Yuki, and Tara were walking outside.

"So, now the third member of this crazy family is here... great." Liz complained and put her hands behind her head as she walked.

"Do you… think they’re okay?" Tara looked at them, worried.

"I'm sure they're fine! Don't worry!" Yuki assured her, although he wasn’t too sure of it. He knew their boss was strict, but he wouldn’t be so harsh on his children. At least he hoped he wouldn’t.

“It’s just that, Nosaru is always on edge whenever her father is mentioned.” Tara stated. Liz looked at her in curiosity, before turning her head to the road again.

She stopped when she heard a noise nearby. "Did you guys hear that?"

"What?" The pair asked and the blonde almost slapped herself. She forgot that her demon blood gave her stronger senses that the others.

She walked towards the source of the sound, and she saw Jun giving Ryu some coordinates and sending him away. Tara and Yuki followed her, and saw the scene as well.

"Those Akina kids act all high and mighty, it’s honestly disgusting." Jun said with a smirk to his friends. "Maybe this way they'll learn a lesson."

"Are you sure this is okay? If they find out..." One of the boys said.

"It's fine!"

"I wonder about that." Liz walked towards them. "Where did you send the kid?"

"Oh look, it's the Akina siblings' pet!" Jun said earning a laugh from his friends. "Mind your own business! Besides, what are you going to do? Beat me up?"

Liz stared at them for a moment, before smiled sweetly, and in the blink of an eye, she grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.

Yuki whisteled. “Not so tough now, are you?” He turned the grass beneath the other two to ice, making them slip before they could make a move.

Jun struggled, but he couldn’t escape her grip.

"Oh, right! They said you were a mercenary!” Jun said, and Liz’s eyes widened. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?!”

“Shut up.” She said, tightening her grip, and glaring at him.

He looked at her with fear, but didn’t back down. “You’re… a killer… I might have a grudge against the Akinas but I’m not trusting someone like you with a kid!”

She dropped him, clenching his fists.

She was furious, but she couldn’t deny that he was right. She couldn’t trust herself either. She looked away, hoping to hide her discomfort, but it was replaced with surprise when she felt a hand resting on her shoulder.

She turned to see Tara giving her a gentle smile, to reassure her, as Yuki picked up the tablet, against Jun’s weak protests.

“That’s funny, you send him somewhere dangerous, then you have the nerves to lecture someone.” Yuki glared at him, before handing Liz the tablet. She looked at him in confusion, while Jun gave him a look of surprise.

“What? No! It’s just an abandoned street-” His eyes widened.

“And those streets are where penergy users hide, and more often than not, criminals too.” The sniper said, as he looked down in shame.

“Hey, Liz. You should go. We will keep an eye on them.”

The blonde looked at the two, speechless. She didn’t understand why they acted this way, why they trusted her, but she didn’t dare waste it.

She clicked on the button.

-P.O.L:Origins-

Ryu found himself in an empty and abandoned street. He gulped, scared. He was supposed to get some object from an old building but they all looked the same to him. He felt his resolve getting weaker.

Did the boy trick him? How was he supposed to go back?

He looked at the tablet in his hands, confused. Which button did he press again? He got lucky the first time.

"Is that a child?" He heard a man's voice, which made him turn in a heartbeat.

Three men stood there. Their clothes looked old and dirty. One of them had tattoos all over his body and another had a scar on his face.

They were scary looking, and the boy took a few steps back.

"That thing you're holding looks expensive! How about you give it to us?" One of them said, giving him a fake smile.

The child's legs started shaking and he fell on his back. He was certain that it was all over until he heard her voice.

"Would you kindly leave him alone?" Liz walked towards them with a smile. "It's not nice picking up on children." She picked Ryu up, helping him stand, before moving in front of him.

"Huh?" The one with the tattoos stood before her with a menacing glare. "It's none of your business-" His words were cut out when he felt her fist collide with his face, resulting in an immediate K.O.

She looked at him, unimpressed, before cracking her knuckles and taking a fighting stance.

The two men shared a look before running towards her. The scarred one attacked with his fist. She moved her face to the right, to avoid his punch, then hit his face, which angered him.

The one with the tattoos ran towards her in an attempt to tackle her, but she jumped in the air, before using his back as a booster, resulting into him falling flat on his face.

She turned to other man right as he tried to punch her again, and lowered her head as she moved to the side, dodging his fist and punch his stomach.

She then noticed the third guy gaining consciousness and rushing towards her with a knife in his hand. She jumped to the side, avoiding the blade at the last second, before gripping his arm and hitting it with her elbow, making him drop the knife.

She knocked him out by kicking him in the stomach, sending him to his friends.

Liz looked at the unconscious men, pleased with her work, before turning to Ryu.

"Well, that was easy. You okay there, kid?" She asked him, and raised her eyebrow, while he stared at her with his mouth hanging open. "What? Cat got your tongue?"

After few minutes, he finally calmed down, but he still looked upset.

"Why did you come here?" Liz asked.

He looked at her then at his feet, as if he was ashamed. "I always felt like a burden to my family... They always worry about me, they do a lot for me. But I can't do anything for them. Whenever I try to help them, they just push me away!" He said, and gripped his sleeves. "I want to become someone they can rely on! I want to be a hero!"

The first thing that crossed the blonde's mind was that the thought was childish, then again, he was a child.

"Why don't you tell them how you're feeling?" She suggested, and he looked at her with confusion. "Tell them how you feel, and I'm sure things will work out. And if you think that being a hero is easy, then you're wrong. The world is dangerous. Take your time and think about it, okay?" She offered him a smile, and after considering her words, he smiled back.

“Can I really make that choice?” He asked. “Won’t they just say no?”

“Maybe.” Liz shrugged. “My… dad was always so stubborn about things, but he cared for me deeply, and respected my choices. Maybe, your dad would do the same?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know if he even loves us anymore.” He sighed, and the blonde frowned, wondering what could make a child think that. “Ever since mom died, he came home less and less. Even if he is around, it’s like he’s not with us, you know?” He tried to explain, and looked up to her.

Liz gave him an understanding smile.

“Yeah… I think that he might still be grieving. He probably loves you, and if he doesn’t, well, that’s his loss because you seem like a cool kid.” She hesitated, before ruffling his head, making him chuckle. “I lost my dad too, a few months ago.”

“I’m sorry.” Ryu said, looking at her with a sad expression.

“I’m sorry too, about your mom.” She said, then took a deep breath, before pulling her tablet. “We should go back.”

-P.O.L:Origins-

Nosaru and Aiko stopped by the garden and they witnessed a very strange scene. Jun and his friends were frozen from the bottom to their shoulders. Tara was practicing her sniping on them while Yuki cheered for her.

"What on earth is happening here?" Nosaru asked then shook her head. "No, forget it. Have you seen my brother?"

The pair looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Yuki ended up explaining what happened to the siblings.

"What?!" Nosaru turned to Jun and she equipped one of her guns. "Send me to him right now!" She pointed the gun at him and he only stared at her in fear.

“Look, I didn’t mean to! I just wanted to scare him off!”

Aiko put a hand on her sister's shoulder, calming her down. "Liz went after him, so I'm sure he's fine." She reassured her then glared at the boys. "As for you, I'm going to make sure you regret this. Am I clear?" She said in a sweet yet scary voice.

They were interrupted by the shining light, and two people appearing from it. Ryu ran towards his sisters and threw his arms around them.

"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble." He apologized. Both sisters shared a smile.

"It's okay, we're just glad you're safe." Aiko said, while Nosaru patted his head.

Ryu pulled away and had a big grin on his face. "It's thanks to Lizzie! She was so amazing and she beat the bad guys like it was nothing! Like a hero!" He said while the blonde just stood there awkwardly.

"Thank you." Nosaru said with a grateful smile and her partner smiled back.

"As expected from my beloved pet!" Aiko said and threw an arm around the annoyed blonde.

"I'm not your pet..." Liz muttered, before allowing herself to smile at Yuki and Tara, grateful for their help and trust

Perhaps… things could be okay, for someone like herself.

Somewhere in England, in a library, a phone was ringing. A man picked it up and sat at his desk.

"The author here. How can I help you?" Bob asked. He listened to the caller then sighed. "Am I really needed for this if it's just a meeting? Fine, I'll be there." He hanged the phone and headed towards the exit.

"Is something wrong?" Feng asked. He was putting new books in the empty shelves.

"Pack your things, Feng. We're going to Japan."

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leisurelypanda · 7 years

Text

Here We Go Again chapter 4

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11776227/chapters/27061308

They managed to make an appointment with Michael’s ob-gyn, Dr. Whittaker for the following Thursday. In the next couple days, Craig was a bundle of excitement. He spent some time upstairs, trying to decide whether he should have the new child sleep in River’s room with her or whether they should convert the spare room into a second nursery. Michael thought that it was a bit early to be planning anything until they knew how far along he was, but he honestly loved how ecstatic the idea of having another child made his bro. He remembered his first interaction with Joseph and how he had joked that anyone with more than 2 kids had to be crazy. Now he worried whether he might be crazy himself. They had Amanda, who was in college. They had the twins, who were in elementary school. River would be 2 by the time he gave birth, she’d be starting to walk and talk and everything.

He hoped that it was a boy, honestly. They had 4 girls already. And he loved all of them (especially Amanda, but who could blame him? He raised her himself), but he honestly was curious as to what it would be like to have a son (whether he was born that way or came out later in life). He could imagine Craig teaching him how to play sports the way he taught his daughters how to play softball (he only knew the basics about soccer, which was enough to kick the ball around with the girls). He saw himself and Amanda teaching him to be a rebellious rascal.

They hadn’t told the kids yet. It was still too soon. That said, nearly everyone who saw Craig knew that he was even more happy and boisterous than he usually was. It was infectious, really. His personal apprehension at being pregnant again was mitigated somewhat by his bro’s enthusiasm. He honestly could not have asked for a better partner to have another child with. He knew, of course, that there were lots of people who had children later in life and were completely fine. But he had lived so long with the message that pregnancy was dangerous later in life that he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong. It was a huge help that Craig’s boundless optimism and enthusiasm for the situation was so predominant.

By the time the day of the ob-gyn appointment arrived, Michael was a lot steadier and calmer than he had been when he first received the positive result. Craig went with him, of course. For moral support. The official test echoed the over-the-counter tests and Michael’s doctor, Dr. Whittaker, did a general health assessment to determine the risk of complication during the pregnancy. Michael, it turned out, was about 4 or 5 weeks pregnant.

“You seem much healthier than the last time you scheduled a visit with us,” she remarked. “I’m generally optimistic about your prognosis.”

“So there’s no risk?” Michael asked.

“Well there’s always some risk,” she said. “but I would say that your risk is largely minimal.”

“See, dude?” Craig beamed. “All that running and working out is paying off.”

“Your workout regimen should be scaled back, however,” Dr. Whittaker said. “Don’t overdo it.”

“How much are we talking, here?” Craig asked.

“30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 4 days a week is ideal,” she said. “Avoid heavy lifting. Avoid overheating while working out and saunas, hot tubs, and the like. Yoga sessions for pregnant people would be an excellent option.”

They asked some a few more questions, when around the baby would be born, when they could find out the sex, dieting suggestions to help ensure Michael’s health. When they were done, she handed them a schedule that had visits twice a month every month for the first 6 months and then every week for the last 3 months. As they left the office, Michael felt more optimistic about the situation than he had in days. He was actually a little excited to be pregnant again.

2 weeks after the ob-gyn visit, Michael decided the worst part about being pregnant, aside from the whole throwing up every morning thing, was that he had to limit his intake of caffeine. Which was sort of okay so far, since he hadn’t started feeling tired all the time, but he really hated not being able to drink coffee when he woke up in the morning so he could go into the world without hating literally everyone. The first time Craig said early in the morning that water was better for you anyway, Michael glared groggy, sleepy daggers at him over a mug of said water.

Pregnancy sucks, he thought, sitting at his work desk bitterly wishing he could go get some fucking coffee. He was just tired. All. The. Time. Amanda didn’t give me this much trouble, he tried to telepathically communicate to their little hybrid bro growing in his uterus. Please have mercy on me.

When he was pregnant with Amanda he hadn’t actually been that tired for most of the pregnancy. Just the last month or so. Which was hell, but that was expected. These days, the only way he woke up was by running to the bathroom early in the morning.

He sighed and got back to work. And by work, he meant thinking up baby names for the baby because it was a slow day at the firm and he had finished all the busy work he had for the day. On the sheet of paper in front of him he had a column for boy names and one for girl names. The list of boy names was longer. Bryce. Dakota. Jeremy. Jordan. Aiden. Liam. Julian. Samuel. Landon. Adrian. Brayden. Bryson. Easton. Nolan. Hayden. Leo. Jayce. Chase (the potential for puns would be amazing). Elias. Evan. Asher. Malcolm. Simon. Cameron. Mark. Hunter. Mason. Grayson.

I should really go to human services and tell them that I’m pregnant so no one will be surprised by my frequent need to pee or see my doctor, he thought. That’ll burn, like 30 minutes of my time if I’m lucky. He looked at the clock. 2:30. Maybe I can just leave early to pick up the kids and go home. Yeah, that sounds like a plan.

Craig got home later that night to find no one home. There was evidence of the twins. Their backpacks were on the kitchen table, homework looked done. But they were nowhere to be found. Finally he heard laughing outside from the back yard and he went out to find his bro and tiny bros running around kicking a soccer ball in the dark with the porch lights on. Michael was carrying River around strapped to his chest, going a little more slowly than his girls so he wouldn’t exert himself. Craig just watched them play for a while. He could get used to seeing his bro and tiny bros running around together. It was a beautiful thing.

Eventually one of them looked up and shouted, “Dad’s home!” They ran up to him and he knelt and grabbed them in one big hug, kissing their heads.

“Hey tiny bros,” he said. “How was school, today?”

“Briar ate a bug at recess,” Hazel said. “It was awesome!”

“Nuh-uh!” she protested. “Hazel ate a bug and she’s trying to pin it on me!”

“Hazel…” Craig said. “What have I told you about impersonating your sister?”

“That it was impulsive and rude?” she asked.

“Yes exactly,” Craig replied. “Except the exact phrase I used was, ‘don’t.”

“I’m so proud of you,” Michael said. “Of your dad, not you Hazel. Don’t impersonate your sister.”

Craig let them go and stood up to kiss his bro. “How are you feeling, bro? How was work?”

Michael sighed into the kiss. “It was boring. I’m tired. I miss coffee. I looked up some baby names.”

“Oh yeah, bro?” he asked, grinning. “Gimme a minute to change and get started on dinner. I wanna hear what you got.”

Craig changed out of his business suit. Michael got out the paper with his list of names and read them aloud as he helped Craig cook dinner. And by help, he mostly just chopped vegetables to throw into the spaghetti. Craig listened and occasionally commented on ones he liked (not surprisingly, he liked any and all nature names). When he was done, Craig produced his list of names and they compared notes.

“Craig, bro, babe, I’m not calling my child Forrest,” Michael insisted.

“What’s wrong with Forrest?” Craig asked. “Forests are awesome!”

“Until you get lost in one,” Michael countered, chopping some mushrooms.

“Whatever, bro. Nature is cool. Nature names are cool,” Craig said. “And may I remind you of how we started dating in the first place?”

“I’m not saying I disagree with you, just not with Forrest,” Michael replied. “And if you ask me, that’s all the more reason to not name our child that. Who wants to be named after the place where their parents first had sex? That would scar them.”

“Bro, I think we need a third opinion.”

“YOU’RE PREGNANT????” Amanda said calmly over the video chat thing. “Skype” the twins had called it. “POPS, I DEMAND TO KNOW WHY I WASN’T THE FIRST TO KNOW!!! Or, you know, at least the second. But why am I JUST NOW hearing about this?”

“Well…” Michael said, “I was nervous about the whole thing so I didn’t want to tell you/make a general announcement until we were a few months along.”

“I can respect that,” Amanda replied. “How far are you along, anyway?”

“The doctor figures I’m about 6-7 weeks pregnant,” he said.

Amanda nodded. “Yeah, I can see why you didn’t want to say anything. So what do you need my opinion on? I’m not giving up my room for the new kid.”

“No worries Manda Panda,” Michael said. “We already moved all your stuff back to the old house.”

“Wait, really?” she said. “Then hell yeah the kid can have my room! I’ll have loud, obnoxious parties all summer and adopt, like 6 dogs!”

“Nope, sorry kiddo,” Craig said. “We’re converting the spare room into another nursery. Briar and Hazel will room together.”

“Well, as long as I get my own space, I’m happy,” she said. “What’s the question, now that we’ve gotten off topic?”

“If the kid turns out to be a boy,” Michael said, “Craig wants to name him Forrest.”

“No.” Amanda said. “My little brother will not be named Forrest.”

“What do you two have against Forrest?” Craig demanded.

“It’s kind of a boring name. No offense, Craig” Amanda said.

“Thanks, Manda Panda,” Michael said.

“We have to name him something nature themed,” Craig said. “I got a whole thing going with my kids.”

“Craig, I hate to break it to you,” Michael said, “but most nature names are feminine names.”

“So?”

“So even though I’m all for breaking the gender binary,” he explained, “I also know what it’s like to be misgendered and I don’t want that for my kids, bro.”

Craig thought for a moment. “I get where you’re coming from, bro,” he said. “I didn’t think about that.”

Michael laid a hand on his. “We have plenty of time to figure out a name, bro,” he said. “We’ll figure it out.”

#craig cahn x dadsona #river cahn #hazel cahn #briar cahn #amanda ann #dream daddy #ddadds #Here We Go Again #fanfic

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theawkwardconfusedturtle96 · 7 years

Text

BREAKING NEWS

http://archiveofourown.org/works/9499595/chapters/23121486I FINALLY updated my Kent Parson fic! Next chapter is up. Hope y’all like it! :D

June 27, 2009 Las Vegas, Nevada. Less than twenty-four hours after his world began to shatter into pieces, Kent found himself all alone on a Friday morning in a large, bare, clinically sterile apartment right in the heart of Las Vegas, pressing his hands against the large bay windows as people bustled continuously along the Strip.

After the painfully long four rounds of drafting for the night, Kent had finally been allowed half an hour to say a tearful goodbye to his mother, stepdad, little sister and entire Italian extended family on both sides, and a broey but no less meaningful one to his New York neighbours and teammates before he was ferried away in a tinted, private car to the Montreal-Dorval International Airport and put on a late-night, red-eye flight to McCarran Airport. He was glad of the lack of gushing and the anonymity he got, as despite the fact that he knew that he would have to leave everyone he loved behind for this, he slowly began to realise the distance and lack of contact he would have with his small, loving circle. The images of his mom giving him the tightest hug he’d ever received from her, as tears flowed down both of their faces and wetting both his jersey and her best blazer, and her whispering into his ear in a broken voice ‘Just do your best and be happy, sweetie. That’s all you need to do to make us proud. You’ll always be the best to us no matter what’, before giving him a big kiss, and his stepdad trying but failing to control his tears, and saying ‘Knock ‘em dead, son’ before giving him a huge, manly hug, and his little sister not being able to say anything, but jumping on him and giving him numerous very wet and sloppy kisses, replayed in his mind the whole ride to the airport and the whole flight, interspersed with Bob’s radio silence and the memory of Jack lying, cold and unresponsive on the tiled, generic bathroom.

It was no wonder, then, that he cried silently the entire car ride and the majority of the flight, flicking through the photos and videos on his phone before falling into a fitful sleep.

Gently shaken awake by a sympathetic air hostess, Kent walked off the plane at a truly ridiculous time in the morning and into his new city in a strange, catatonic haze, which was only broken after he stepped out of the airport and was overcome with a searing wave of heat. Looks like we’re not in Kansas, anymore, Dorothy, he said wryly to himself, as he stepped into the taxi pre-hired for him and sped off to the apartment that management had procured for him, as he yawned and stared, wide-eyed at the landscape around him intermittently.

The taxi driver was very nice, and once Kent had reached his apartment block, he was given a pat on the shoulder and a business card pressed into his hand ‘in case you ever need anything, kid. This is a rough place for people as young as you’. Then they sped off, and Kent stared up at the seemingly never-ending high-rise block, wondering which level was level thirty and where his flat was.

After much swearing and walking up and down the corridor because the numbering in this ridiculous place was fucked up, Kent FINALLY found the door to his flat, and with a fair amount of trepidation, opened the door.

It was…..well, exactly what he expected and much better at the same time. Walking through, he noticed that it was a lot larger than he had anticipated. All the appliances were modern and the entire place just gave off the aura of being sleek and modern. The only thing was that it seems very….sterile. Granted, that was probably due to the fact that the place was completely bare, apart from his luggage and his hockey gear, and the larger than average single bed in the master bedroom, but still. It seemed empty, and devoid of any possibility of warmth and comfort. But, it was his, and in the end, that’s all that mattered.

Tired, cold, hungry and utterly spent emotionally from the events of the past day, Kent flopped onto the ledge of his giant living room window, so far one of his favourite parts of the place, and leaned against the glass, watching the . Briefly, he thought about what Zimms would have thought about this place, and about the city. After all, it was him who was supposed to be here, not little Kent, who has supposedly ‘ridden his coattails’ to success. He imagined that he wouldn’t have liked it very much. Or, at least, not more than Kent himself liked it at the moment.

On a sudden impulse, he checked his battered flip phone, which he was informed would soon be replaced with a brand new iPhone, a new invention by Apple. Despite his ten more messages and five more missed calls, there was nothing from Bob or Jack. Only a few texts from his family. Sighing, he quickly sent out a mass message to his family and friends that he was safe in his apartment which was greeted by smileys from his parents and requests for pictures from his friends and sister. He clicked one, and although the quality was, to be honest, utter trash, it received the most excited of reactions from everyone.

Smiling softly despite himself, Kent flopped into his bed and decided to take an untimely nap. He thought he deserved this one joy, at least.

He was awoken about five hours later by his phone blaring Britney at him. Expecting the best, he checked the call log excitedly, but it wasn’t Jack, or even Bob. He deflated, visibly. However, there were at least three or four missed calls from a variety of unknown numbers, followed by texts from these numbers all variations on the same theme of ‘Welcome to the Aces, rookie!’. Kent smiled again, unexpectedly, for the second time that day. This must be his new teammates, getting his number from the manager. Kent had no sooner replied to all of them then he was greeted with a loud knock on his door. Slowly opening it, he was immediately bowled over by at least five large, burly men all towering over Kent’s five-foot-ten frame.

Once he had recovered himself and gotten up off the floor, he was immediately enveloped in a huge group hug by these men before being installed in a circle on the floor, and his hands filled with boxes and boxes of food, toiletries and groceries, which he then methodically placed on his shiny new kitchen counter in a semi-orderly pile.

‘Hey, little Kenny, don’t you have any furniture yet?’, asked the tallest, which he’d previously been told was the captain of the Aces. Andy Dubrovnik, an American-born Russian, and the son of a famous KHL player, was only about thirty, one of the NHL’s youngest captains, and had been so since he was twenty-three. He was fast becoming one of the league’s rising stars, despite his age, and was probably one of the nicest hockey players in the league. But obviously, Kent didn’t know about THAT. Well at least, not yet, although he knew all his other stats.

Although he shuddered just a little bit at the nickname, Kent recovered and answered ‘No, cap. I only got here this morning, you see, and the flat was empty, and I’ve been asleep most of the day….so, yeah’. ‘You poor thing’, said Andy sympathetically. ‘All alone here in this empty flat after what you’ve been through’. Kenny started ‘How do you know about..’ but Andy cut him off, saying ‘Pretty much the whole hockey world knows about that by now. It’s all over the news, social media, everywhere. And of course we know, we were watching the draft online to see who’d we get. That’s why we came here as soon as we were told you got here. I remember how I felt when I first went to Montreal. It was horrible, and it wasn’t even too far away from my family. Anything you need, we’ll help you with. We’re a team, and we’re here for you’.

Kent was so touched by this that he unconsciously started crying again, sniffling suspicious before giving up and just wiping his eyes with his jersey. Luckily, another teammate had wisely brought a packet of tissues in his bag, and quickly got it out, giving it to Kent with a smile and a pat on the head. Kent gave him a weak smile back, before quietly saying, in a shaky voice ‘Thankyou all so much for this. I’m so glad all of you are here. I never expected any of this…I’m just…so grateful’. Andy gave him another quick squeeze, before booming ‘Alright, so now let’s have a proper introduction! Come, on, boys, speak up’, while everyone gave themselves a formal introduction to Kent, along with nicknames. The one who’d given him the tissues was Jeff ‘Swoops’ Troy, who turned out to be only a year older than him, another forward and unreasonably adorable to boot, and the others apart from Andy, who went by Dubs and was again, a forward, were Mischa ‘Kuzzy’ Kuznetsova, a defenseman, Leo ‘Lion’ Durand, the goalie and Oscar ‘Taylor’ Swift, another defenseman. After fairly demolishing much of the food (and soft drinks) that had been brought to Kent’s place, Kent now had a pretty fair working knowledge of the entire Aces roster, including coaching and management staff, and was feeling much less like a kicked puppy and much more like a teenager having a house party. They joked and laughed and gossiped, and at one point, someone put their phone into a docking system and they had a mini-karaoke and dance session, and Kent began to feel more and more like he’d been here forever.

After four hours, it had begun to get dark, and the lights on the Strip began to wink awake. It was a truly beautiful thing, and Kent, fascinated, sat on the floor admiring it for a long, long while before he was tugged along by his teammates on an impromptu Ikea trip since ‘you can’t live like this forever, man, you need to get some shit’. So, after an hour long trip, car filled to the brim and loud music playing the entire time with the windows down, an enjoyable classic Ikea lunch and a three hour shopping trip filled with the ridiculous shenanigans one could expect of five young and fun men, although Dubs tried many times to control their antics, Kent found himself in a cuddle pile on the floor back at home, with a truly ridiculous amount of furniture and cutlery all piled up in a corner of the living room, paid for with Kent’s first ever paycheck, ready to be assembled and placed in their proper places.

It was about ten minutes into this before Lion suddenly announced ‘MOVIE AND TAKEOUT TIME, GUYS!’, and the whole company bustled into ordering food, unpacking some of the cutlery and arguing fiercely over the best hockey movies of all time, while firing up their Netflix queues (how they brought their laptops here, Kent would never know), and within half an hour Kent found himself in a companionable swarm in front of Lion’s MacBook watching The Mighty Ducks, eating a slice of cheese pizza and laughing for what seemed like ages. It filled him with something he never thought he’d have again: hope. Something further compounded when Swoops, suddenly dropping his plate, proclaimed ‘Oh shit, Parson doesn’t have a nickname yet!’, and with the movie hurriedly paused, a loud and vehement discussion ensued, from which Kent was excluded apart from trialling suggestions.

Finally, after fifteen minutes of this, Dubs finally broke free and announced ‘Kent, on behalf of the Las Vegas Aces, we have formally decided that you’ll be henceforth called Parse! Apart from when you’re in trouble’, he said, winking.

Kent, well now Parse, smiled widely and nodded to give his assent, and the whole group erupted into cheers, before previously hidden alcohol was passed around to celebrate this.

Taking a half flute of champagne, Kent toasted, along with his group, to his new life, and as he sipped it, he tilted his head back and released a breath he didn’t realise he was holding.

Maybe things were going to work out for him here after all.

ao3 link:

http://archiveofourown.org/works/9499595/chapters/23121486

#kent parson #omgcheckplease #kent parson vs the homo sapiens agenda #my fic #fanfic #omgcheckplease fanfic #las vegas aces

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iwritewithanaxe · 6 years

Text

The Fire Hunt, Volume One, Chapter 4 - Final

—Welcome to where the stars are in the sky and not among the branches —the hunter said cheerfully.

After waking up, they walked for a few hours in a straight line, surrounded by the trees. As they left the forest, the night welcomed them.

—I think here we part ways —the bard began.

—Are you in such a hurry? —the demon asked him—. I know Cuno smells bad, but it's not that big a deal.

—I know his jokes are boring, but it's not that big a deal —said the huntress to the two young men, pointing at Leofsige.

—That’s not it —the hunter replied—, I just think you will have better luck without us, and that our journeys are not very compatible with yours.

—And we do not want to encounter more demons than the absolutely necessary —added the bard.

—That too.

—We understand perfectly —the dragonslayer told them—. Good luck, and may your adventures become more and more interesting.

—Same to you, and may the demons become easier and easier to defeat —replied the hunter.

After some farewells, the two north men disappeared, heading south. As for them, the huntress, the demon, the dragonslayer and the druid left for the east.

—Where were we going before we got to the enchanted forest? —asked Ellanher.

—Away —Leofsige told him—, that's all I know.

—Before we escaped from Sir Bald… —Emer said, thoughtful—… That’s true, where were we going?

—I think nowhere —Cunobelinos muttered, looking up at the sky.

—I remember that we defeated a demon —the dragonslayer began—, then we camped for a couple of hours in a small grove… I cleaned my armor, we mended some clothes, treated our wounds…

—I slept a bit —added Leofsige.

—Then we left, towards the nearest village —Ellanher continued—. Nightfall was coming, we arrived at the inn.

—I slept again —the demon intervened one more time.

—And at dawn, the two knights were there, asking for the demon that we had already killed. We could not even trade, or seek any quest for which they would pay us, or anything. As soon as we left, they saw us and chased us…

—That’s right —said the huntress—, we hadn't even decided where to go.

—This moment’s as good as any other —said Leofsige.

—Let's continue eastwards —Emer decided—, we've traveled through the western lands enough, let's see what's on the other side.

They had been walking for a few hours when dawn began to break.

—Huntress —the demon suddenly called her—, since you have a better view than all of us, can you tell what that is? —he said, pointing to the horizon.

—Two riders —she replied—, I hadn't noticed they were there. What about them?

—I don't know. They seem weird to me… I mean, for some reason I realized they're there.

—Let's go see.

—Do you think that’s the best decision? —the dragonslayer asked—. It can be risky.

—With our luck, honestly, I don't even care —she replied. The others looked at each other and nodded before they started walking.

A few steps later, they noticed that the two riders were advancing towards them.

—... No one say anything —the demon grunted suddenly, but he wasn't fast enough.

—Damn it, Leo —said the other three in unison.

—Hey, hey, it was the huntress who decided that we should come —he said.

—You were the one who asked about them —replied the dragonslayer.

—You noticed them —added the druid.

—We can continue blaming Leo after surviving —interrupted Emer, tightening her bow—, now try to be ready to fight and run.

The charge of two warhorses was getting louder and louder. The brightness of the inquisitor's zweihänder was visible for kilometers. His great helm and armor were pristine, gleaming as brightly as the enormous sword. The cape that fell from his shoulders was no different, so finely decorated, white as snow and with edges more silver than silver itself, waving like a flag from the speed of his mount.

The paladin stood beside him, with her morning star in her right hand. Her helmet had some wear marks, the kite shield at her side and the bastard sword at her waist had nothing remarkable, but her surcoat announced her clearly, as white and resplendent as sunlight.

In the same second that the huntress released her first arrow, the dragonslayer loaded his crossbow and the demon threw a dagger, with his right hand, stronger than the rest of his whole body. Ellanher shot as Cunobelinos finished shifting shape, the quarrel hitting the inquisitor’s helmet just a blink after Emer’s arrow. The bow could fire a second time, but not the crossbow, charging it was too slow and the enemy was already too close.

—Ellan, raise your spear with both hands, but don't kill the horse —said the huntress, changing weapons.

—Understood —the dragonslayer answered quickly.

—Cuno, fear —she continued.

—Excellent idea —smiled the druid.

The enemy was already over them, but not for long. A bestial roar and the fierce presence of the druid stopped the two animals dry. They got up on two legs, terrified. Then the enormous spear of the dragonslayer, with axe blades at the sides of its head, knocked down the inquisitor from his mount, taking him clattering to the ground.

—I’ll follow you —the demon spat as he saw what his companions were doing, to then leap towards the paladin. He faked a blow from his axe which the woman's mace would have stopped easily, despite her horse’s risky posture, but another weapon was the one that struck. Leofsige’s wrapped claws clutched her helmet with great impulse, taking her to the ground.

—Keep at it —the huntress told him, while Leofsige lifted the woman's head and once again slammed it back to the ground—. Cuno, Ellan! Don't let him get up! —she ordered, throwing a blow with her halberd against the paladin's arm, trying to get her to drop her weapon.

—We're trying! —shouted the dragonslayer, driving the tip of his spear to the ground.

Despite the druid’s brutal strikes, the inquisitor continued to dodge the thrusts, still on the ground and holding his sword. Just as he got a chance, he threw a slash that diverted Ellanher's weapon and cut on one of Cunobelinos’ arms, drawing blood. The enormous man roared and, as his opponent rose quickly, rammed him with head and antlers. The inquisitor went back to the ground, and some of the spikes pierced his armor, but he managed to grab a hold. With the druid's momentum for his next goring, while he didn't even notice the extra weight on his head, the opponent stood up again, still holding his enormous sword in one hand.

In the same seconds, the paladin conducted her mace against the demon's head, to then knock the huntress down with a kick, rising to her feet almost in the same motion.

In a blink, before the four companions could react, their two enemies were back to back. Zweihänder on one flank, morning star and kite shield on the other.

—...Charge —Emer muttered, standing up as quickly as she could. At that very second, Ellanher lifted his spear, Cunobelinos snarled furiously, and Leofsige adjusted his jaw. "We only have one option… it's time” she thought—. Charge!!

The enormous sword deflected the dragonslayer’s spear and blocked one of the druid’s paws, but not the second. The kite shield stopped the axe, and the mace almost reached the huntress, but the demon's claws clung to the shield, causing an ephemeral opening, which was enough for the halberd.

A lunge drove the dragonslayer away, and with the same impulse, a slash from the inquisitor’s weapon reached one of the druid’s shoulders. The demon took one stroke of the paladin’s shield after another, holding with both hands to her mace. But, even if Emer had made the woman bleed, despite her armor, they could not get her to drop the weapon. Then a kick broke the demon's knee. He didn’t fall, but his loss of balance, in addition to the shield hitting his forehead, was enough to force him to release the mace. Then the paladin’s fist, covered in a gauntlet and holding the weapon, reached the huntress’ face.

—Let's move around them —Emer said, speaking German, knowing that only Ellanher would understand it—. Let's move around them —she continued, now in ancient Gaelic, a language only Leofsige understood besides her.

“I hope they won't understand those words”, she thought, trying to remember which languages she had seen the inquisitor or the paladin use. “The only other language I share with Cuno is French, and I've seen these two speaking it, I can't...". Suddenly, she was interrupted by the morning star passing centimeters away from face.

It took the enemies a little to react. “They must not have understood me", Emer wanted to believe, giving a feint, and then another, until she threw a blow with the spearhead of her halberd, towards the head of the paladin. She hit, but only managed to scratch the helmet.

The demon had already moved a few steps, managing to hit the woman’s shoulder with his axe, and then pushing her shield away from her. The opening was enough for Emer to connect a blow.

The druid, for his part, had trapped the zweihänder’s blade in his long jaws, and struggled against the inquisitor for it. Ellanher took the opportunity to encircle the beastly form of his companion and charge, threading the thick and sharp tip of his spear through mail, leather and cloth, reaching up to a bone of the inquisitor's right arm. In the second the druid snatched the sword from him, horse hooves were heard approaching, along with the sound of armor.

—Just what we needed!! —the demon growled furiously, identifying the riders.

—Let's go —they heard the inquisitor say, in Spanish, his voice shadowed by the metal.

The druid roared and charged at him, but, despite his arm wound, he was too fast. He lifted his sword and blocked the antlers, then pushed the wolf head to the ground.

The paladin stepped away from the huntress, turning around, throwing a second kick against the demon's same leg, finishing knocking him down with a crackle of his bones.

—The horses!! —Leofsige roared, falling to one knee.

Cunobelinos reacted immediately. Spitting dirt, he let out a strange howl, as if a bear's voice was trying to resemble that of a moose. The horses of the inquisitor and the paladin, several meters away after escaping from him, then approached the druid.

—Quickly! —Cuno growled.

Emer and Leofsige ran staggeringly towards him. The size and strength of the druid helped them mount.

—Leave those horses now!! —it was the voice of Sir Louis—. You will be tried for theft, plus everything else you have done!!

—Go to France and rot there!! —the demon shouted, getting his mount to start.

The huntress did the same next to him, and the druid, carrying the dragonslayer on his back, ran after them.

—Where did the other two go? —Ellanher asked, after advancing several meters.

—Who knows, who cares —answered the demon, looking back—. Is it me or those two look closer than before?

—The others disappeared, and yes, I can hear them louder and louder… —said the huntress—… I should’ve learned to shoot the bow on the back of a moving horse…

—Worry about that another time —the dragonslayer told her—. Cuno, is there nothing that…?

—I have been trying since this started —the druid interrupted him. Then he growled for a few minutes. They were strange growls, as similar to that of a wolf as they were to the screech of an eagle.

Seconds after he finished, both he and the horses ran faster than before. Soon they had almost doubled in speed, and then even more.

When they reached a small mountain range, and continued to escape upwards, their pursuers stopped. They stepped into the trees of the opportune mountain, and the huntress saw the two knights leaving.

—Excellent trick, Cuno, you got us a pair of horses —the dragonslayer congratulated him, already on the ground, while the druid stood up and returned to his human shape.

—It was Leo's idea —replied the giant.

—Ah? What idea did I have? —the demon asked, carelessly letting himself fall to the ground from his horse—. I mean, besides getting myself a broken leg.

—Let me see that —Emer said, approaching him.

—The one with the horses, remember? —the druid continued, quite curiously.

—That? I was hoping you'd scare the horses that were approaching us, as you had done with those of the Spanish pair. You know, for us to run away or something.

—… Huh —said Cunobelinos, thoughtful.

—Well... excellent trick, you got us a couple of horses —Ellanher repeated enthusiastically.

The huntress quickly finished taking care of her companion's fracture. Although it was not a perfect treatment, the demon blood helped quite a lot with his recovery.

The sunset came, and no threat arose.

—A step closer to the caravan —said the druid, breaking the silence between the four travelers, sitting around a campfire, accompanied by their new mounts.

—Now that we have two horses, we can get saddlebags, and even a tent —the huntress replied, covered with her cloak.

—It will help a lot, for sure… it would be nice to travel more often without this armor on —commented the dragonslayer.

—Before we keep thinking about it, someone answer me a question —the demon intervened—. Why in the whole rotten world did the pair of Spaniards escape when Sir Bald arrived?

—Do you think they are afraid of him? I cannot imagine the French pair defeating the inquisitor or the paladin… —said Ellanher.

—In fact, if they were together, surely the four of them could unite against us —Emer began—. Besides, they all must know something about each other… the inquisitor is respected in many places, he has many contacts, and Sir Bald travels all over the continent, stories are told about him even. Both serve their churches and the kingdoms, persecute criminals, condemn people to die…

—Then... either something strange is going on —answered Leofsige—, or it was all a plan of the Spaniard so the bald would see us stealing horses.

His three companions looked at him in silence.

—Well, it is true that now they have a clear motive to chase us —accepted the dragonslayer.

—They did it before and they would continue to do it, even if they didn't have one, unfortunately —said the huntress—. I’ll stick with the idea that inquisitor’s hiding something.

—Maybe Sir Bald should find out —proposed Cunobelinos.

—We have no proof of anything… we don't even have any idea what really happened. All we know is that, for no reason, this inquisitor and his… his followers want us dead. If the bald man finds out, maybe he could even go and propose an alliance to him… if he hasn't found out yet it or tried it already… —she kept silent for a few moments—... We can't hold on to such fragile ideas.

—You’re right, respectable leader —the demon said to her, wearily—. Personally, I prefer to hold on against the nearest tree and sleep.

—Even if we knew what was going on and had proof, Sir Bald would not even listen to us —the dragonslayer concluded, accommodating his armor on the ground beside him one last time before covering himself with his cloak.

—Let a good day bring a good night, my good friend —said the druid to the hunter.

—So be it, great druid. Thank you for the horses —she answered, smiling.

—Thanks for the tactics. Without you, we would not have half the chances of surviving all that we have survived.

—It all has been the work of all, the four of us, by being together.

—You are right…

—Good night, Cuno.

—Good night, Emer.

End of Chapter 4

End of Volume One

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