#Sera never had a childhood?

[sakurarisen]

Though Sera does her best to show maturity and strength to those she meets, there’s no denying this is born from being forced to grow up far too quickly and early for her own good, and as a result she hides anything that could be deemed ‘childish’ from anyone she doesn’t trust with her very life. Acting like a kid, being bouncy and easily excited, showing how deep her lack of understanding or the world and social situations truly goes, experiencing the childhood she was forced to skip out on... These are all hidden by choice, fearing being a burden or pushing people away. The more freely Sera acts and the more childish and silly she can be, the more she trusts the person she’s with, making for a good indicator of her her comfort and someone’s closeness with her.

Even so, there are certain things that are less hidden and far more easily noticed; light up sneakers, for one, are something she wears off and on while living in Midgar, and it’s incredibly difficult for her to pass by a playground without at least sitting on a swing for a little bit. She’s easily distracted by things that sparkle, and above all else, is incredibly partial to plush toys - Enough so that those who visit the Fair Household, be it in Gongaga or Midgar, are likely to find one of her prized possessions somewhere within the house: A stuffed husky.

About the size of a standard teddy bear, the dog, named Zax by Sera herself, has been both clearly taken care of, but also shows signs of being very much loved; its stitching has been clearly repaired in several places along its seams, and the stuffing is thinner and readjusted around its middle from being hugged countless times since being obtained. Its limbs also move a bit easier and are more akin to being ‘floppy’ compared to one fresh off the store shelf, a result of being carried around by the paw, and the tail has begun to droop despite multiple attempts to re-stuff it by friends.

Though she never takes Zax out of the house in a fear of losing him, Sera is convinced he’s made of magic, and uses the toy as something of a means of keeping herself grounded. A part of her considers his magic connected to Zack, carrying with him the ability to share her emotions and feelings to the other man, but even past that Zax is special - He’s soft and something to fidget with, distract herself by petting him, a toy to hug tight, a sounding board when she’s scared and feels the need to babble... He’s the first toy she’s actually had for herself and her first possession in Midgar, and carries with him a great deal of meaning that resulted in him being one of the items she couldn’t leave Midgar without on her quick dash away from the city.

Even as an adult in Gongaga, Zax continues to serve the same purpose and routinely shifts around the house as needed, helping her to deal with stresses and loneliness she can’t deal with on her own. She’s afraid of showing off her less awkward side to those she doesn’t trust and doesn’t know how they’d react, and understands there’s a time and place for it, but Zax is something she will always happily admit to - And tell you his name and where he came from with a bright smile!

#Colors Of Sakura [Headcanons] #Sera never had a childhood? #Not a typical one anyway - She spent most of it kept to one room with a hand-me-down teddy bear of Ami's and her siblings #And then had to grow up by the time she was 9 and deal with things nobody ever should #She's definitely mature and knows how to be an adult but lacks a lot of understanding and lessons most people would've grown up with? #And thereis definitely still a kid in there that wants to experience being a kid - Which is where this HC comes in #Sera when she's comfortable can be silly and teasing and gonna ask if you'll go to a playground with her? #It takes time to get her to be that loose and comfortable with herself for a lot of reasons but #If you get her like that you know you're really close to her and she considers you a really tight friend #If not part of the family #Zax is an outlier; if you're in the house you're already probably a good friend to start with #And she won't ever hide Zax <3 #He was a gift from (my) Kunsel and has been her (stuffed) support dog since - Since she can't have a real doggo #And just looking at him you can tell he's been loved and cared for <3 #If Zack isn't home she'll sleep with Zax - If Zack IS home he sits on the nightstand #The more lonely and bothered and unsettled she is the more she relies on Zax to keep her grounded? #He's a special doggo <3 #Trauma countering doggo <3 #...Also yes I literally googled 'stuffed husky' for that picture #I can't draw doggos - Let alone stuffed ones XD #But that's pretty much Zax <3

[lettherebemonsters]

Reading Hope in Hell on AO3 (one of many excellent Adam stories I've been reading there lol) brings up something interesting.....that Sera was there when Adam was created.

More than that....she helped MAKE him. To Adam....she is his mother. He desperately wants her to be proud of him yet she keeps her distance.

So maybe a lot if his behavior is him trying to get her to look at him. Give him attention even if it's negative. He acts like a kid because he, in a weird way, IS a kid. He wants his mom to acknowledge him more than just on a professional level.

#It's such a cute moment too that Sera holds Adam as a newborn before he's sped aged into adulthood #Just Adam bonding as a newborn with his mother but then torn away from her #So he never truly had the chance to have a childhood and a family that cared about him #I swear Viv needs to hire some of these writers for Adam because Goddamn it's so good #call me dickmaster! (adam)

[no-one-hears-me]

boutta ask my bro if he has any hot friends to send my way as a distraction

#except that might make things worse bc men annoy me easily lol #but last time i talked to one of his friends i had a great time #until the dude asked me to come over at 2am then stopped talking to me bc i said no #he was a sweetie tho. if you ignore everything else #well ACTUALLY he's a terrible person but never to me. he was always very sweet to me #aside from the 2am thing. but i told him no and he just said okay and that was it #he didn't get upset or pressure me or try to convince me or anything #so. not really upset about that #like upset that this sweet guy just saw me as an object when i thought he was better than that? yes #but i won't say he treated me poorly bc he really didn't #other men have done wayyy worse #should i find some new ones? haven't really gotten a new dude in awhile #unless you count the one I've had for like a month. maybe longer #but I've known him for a little while. we've just gotten closer and he's gotten interested more recently #but I'm not interested in him at all #kinda feel bad bc he's a good dude and he would be good for me. but i just can't #i think i need people with like. bad childhoods or mental problems or whatever or else i don't feel a genuine connection #but unfortunately those relationships tend to be super unhealthy bc those types of people struggle with forming relationships #I'm not dissing anyone bc I'm one of those people too. just speaking from personal experience #but people capable of healthy relationships aren't really capable of deeply understanding me and connecting with me #ugh. he was so perfect for me why did he have to ruin it #Sera

[mournings-stars]

Lute x Charlie’s Best Friend

from this request by @lixanjewel

i may need to make a part two cus i kinda love this little enemies to lovers flirtation-situation-ship

this is a fem reader but i’ll happily write anything else as well!! :)

A meeting in Heaven was never something you expected. And you certainly didn’t expect Charlie to ask you to come with her — sure, you’d known each other since you were kids, and sure, you were the first person to support her ideas before Vaggie, and sure, you did a lot of planning…

Maybe you did have a right to go with them—

“Of course you do!” Charlie snapped you out of your thoughts as she packed her suitcase, yours (a backpack) packed and in your hands as you waited for her while you, apparently, thought out loud. “We’re gonna have so much fun!” She was bouncing in place, shutting her suitcase before she turned to you. “And you are gonna be so proud of yourself when we show them this dream is real! I couldn’t have done this without you!” You gave her a small smile before Vaggie came in. “Either of you!”

The rest of the morning was spent saying goodbye, getting that one wall destroyed, and sending your friends off with the person who destroyed it before you entered the portal to Heaven.

After making it past the gates, meeting Saint Peter, Sera, and Emily, you were touring with Charlie while Vaggie stayed at the hotel, the trip seeming to be taking a toll on her. To put it simply, she was in an awful mood, looking like she was going to be sick.

“Look, look, look!” Charlie squealed, pointing at a very fluffy white animal as she grabbed your arm.

That was how your entire trip to the zoo went before you got lunch with Emily, who was the one showing you around. She got the two of you food and drinks and when you went to sit, you cautiously excused yourself to continue looking around while they talked.

You took your drink with you as you walked the promenade, taking in the environment. It made you wonder what it’d be like if things were different — if you were born in Heaven rather than Hell.

“Enjoying your visit?” You were startled out of your thoughts by a girl dressed in all grey. Even her blunt cut hair was a pale grey. You recognized the uniform as an exorcist’s, but you had half a mind to think you were jumping to conclusions without the horns and X over her eye to prove it, but her eyes were gold — and they look far too warm to be so menacing. “Lute,” she introduced before the silence became awkward, sticking her hand out.

“Pretty,” was the first thing that came to your mind. She raised a very judgmental brow at you. “I meant your name… is pretty — well, actually, no, that’s not what I meant, but it is… pretty — like the instrument.” Her brow relaxed, and you sighed, feeling less like Charlie and her bundle of excited nerves and more like yourself and your internal bundle of excited nerves. You introduced yourself and took her hand, shaking with a smile. “I’m usually not so nervous,” you said.

“New environment,” she shrugged. “Why don’t we walk,” she suggested and brought her hand to your back to turn you in the direction you’d been going before she stopped you. “I thought only two of you were coming.”

“Charlie asked me to go with her for moral support.” Lute nodded along. “Childhood friends and all…”

“You’re Hell-born, then,” it was more of a statement than a question, but you nodded anyway. “Shame,” she muttered. “Maybe her little redemption idea could’ve actually worked with you.”

You paused. Surely, she was insulting you. “I should’ve realized,” you said, taking a second look at this angel. She wasn’t just a pretty girl wearing a uniform that resembled an exorcist uniform; it was an exorcist uniform and their LED light masks came with artificial horns. That meant if she knew about the reason for your visit, she was the one that was there during Charlie’s first meeting. And suddenly, the name, “Lute,” sounded very familiar from one of Charlie’s rants.

“I did introduce myself,” she said haughtily, “not that I expect a low-class demon to pick up context clues—“

“Oh, shut up,” you groaned. Her very pretty eyes, which looked like gold, now looked like… corn — or something — (it was the meanest thing you could think of), and her very pretty name, which sounded like music, now sounded like some kind of crime you would expect from an exorcist angel.

Lute laughed, taking pause for a moment before she did and nearly doubling over as she walked with you.

“Are you insane?” You asked with a sneer that made her laugh harder.

“No one’s ever told me to shut up like that.” She calmed herself down, snickering to herself. “Insane,” she laughed. “You must be, thinking you can speak to an angel like that.”

“Must be.”

And despite that, she kept walking with you. Neither of you knew where you were walking toward, but you kept walking anyway, her with her nose in the air and a pompous smile, and you looking anywhere but at her.

Finally, you broke the silence, “Were you following me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Orders.”

“Why me?”

“Orders,” she emphasized like you were stupid.

“I heard you,” you mocked her tone. “But why the orders to follow me?” Then a very snarky idea popped into your mind as you smirked at her. “Unless you just blindly follow orders like some little bitch on a leash—“

“Do you want to die?”

It was your turn to laugh, shrugging. “You couldn’t hurt me if you tried.”

That, she didn’t respond to. Instead, she rolled her eyes and looked away. “Adam wanted to know why you were actually here, seeing as the hearing only includes the princess and her…” She waved her hand dismissively, a look of disgust on her face.

“Partner?”

She shook her head, scoffing. “That relationship is vile.”

You scoffed the same. “Is that something that keeps people out of Heaven, too?” You asked curiously, thinking of the many sinners you knew who seemed nice enough. “Vile relationships like theirs?” Lute frowned at you, looking confused.

“Oh, right,” she said, like she knew something you didn’t, and laughed. “You think I mean because they’re both girls, but thats not it.”

“It’s not?” You raised a brow and took a very long sip of your drink.

“Of course not. They just disgust me.” You laughed ironically, seeing no other answer for her hatred. “I don’t care how they choose to live their lives,” she insisted.

“You don’t need to convince me. We all have our assumptions of what Heaven thinks of people like us. I’m sure some of the… what do you call them? Winners? Said the same things when they were alive.”

Lute looked very uncomfortable, crossing her arms over her chest and looking down at the floor. “No one who thinks like that would be allowed into Heaven.”

“Doubt it. Did you have orders to talk to me, too?” You moved on quickly, making her chew the inside of her cheek.

“Unfortunately.” She huffed. “You do a lot of the princess’ research, don’t you?” You hummed. “Interviews?”

“I don’t like talking to people—“

“Clearly—“

“—who don’t like talking to me.”

“I can tell.” Her uncomfortable expression dropped and she laughed under her breath. “I’m glad I won't have to see you in court later. I don’t know how I’d respond to your accusatory defense.”

“Good thing Charlie didn’t want to take my advice for this, then.”

And Lute stopped walking very abruptly. She gave you a very kind smile and said, “I enjoyed our chat. Thanks for your time.” She looked very pleased, like she made you admit something to help her case.

“You’re welcome for the information,” you said lamely. “Charlie will achieve what she wants, Lute,” you said as she began to walk away.

“Not without your help,” and when she said your name, you quickly turned away from her golden eyes staring you down and walked back to Charlie and Emily.

There was absolutely no way you were about to (extremely gayly) overthink what was barely a conversation with a girl you didn’t like because of one sentence that wasn’t even a compliment.

Absolutely not. No way. Not happening—

“What girl is it this time?” You nearly shrieked when you heard Charlie, having walked all the way back to her and Emily where they were laughing.

“Charlie told me you have a talent for falling in love,” Emily giggled with Charlie. “Did you meet someone?”

“Or are you just talking to yourself?” Charlie teased, laughing.

Of course, all you could think to say was, “shut up,” which made you think back to the not-conversation you had with Lute. “Don’t we have a hearing to prepare for, or something?!”

#hazbin hotel heaven #hazbin vaggie #hazbin hotel headcanon #hazbin hotel #hazbin adam #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin lute #hazbin hotel lute #lute #lute x reader #hazbin x reader #hazbin charlie #charlie morningstar #charlie hazbin hotel #vaggie #lute hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel charlie #hazbin hotel vaggie #hazbin hotel x you #hazbin hotel x y/n #blurb #drabble #hazbin fanfic

[nixie-writes]

Being Adam's Daughter (both in life and in heaven)

I've run out of ideas someone please send something to my inbox + I need to keep this blog at least semi active somehow. I spent too long researching to write this please clap

-you were the only daughter to Adam and Eve. You were born into sin via Eve. You spent your entire childhood wishing you could visit the garden of Eden and see what was so bad about it that your mother had to eat the fruit of knowledge after God specifically told her not to.

-you were also very suspicious of your brother, Cain. Though you didn't know it, he showed wrath, envy and gluttony towards your brother, Abel. You, being born a woman, were raised to never question a man, especially not one older than you, so you never got in between their fights.

-then the day came that Cain killed Abel, the brother you were closer to. You witnessed the murder but your parents did not; you did as you were raised to do and didn't speak a word of what you saw. Cain threatened your life if you told them he had killed Abel, so you kept your mouth shut.

-as you lived your life you grew closer to God, closer even than Adam. You spent your days worshiping him, thanking him for every meal you ate, preaching to your parents about how good he was. Adam would always respond with something along the lines of, "hell yeah he's good, he made me!" and Eve would just smile.

-it was late one night when you saw your mother fall victim to the worst sin of all-debauchery with Lucifer himself. You caught her and Lucifer together, doing things you could never describe as the sweet little girl you were. You didn't understand the severity of it at the time but you ran back home and told your father that his wife and your mother was, in your words, "making friends" with the fallen angel who stole Adam's first wife, though you'd yet to have been told the story about Lilith yet.

-Adam stormed out and took you with him, you pointing him in the direction of Lucifer and Eve. He told you to wait behind a bush and he confronted Eve for sleeping with Lucifer. She wouldn't admit how many times she had done so. You were innocent and didn't understand the concept of "sleeping together", you were unsure why your father was so mad. He told Eve she was no better than Lilith, who you'd never heard of before and you suddenly had a lot of questions. Adam bid Eve his final goodbye and told her that if she ever came to him again he would kill her. You were stunned to hear this but seeing how you were raised, you didn't question it. It terrified you however.

-following your father home you asked him who Lilith was. Adam briefly explained that Lilith was his first wife, who refused to submit to him, and she fell in love with Lucifer and resided in Hell. In a rare moment of kindness he knelt to your level and placed his hands on your shoulders. "[Y/N], you're my only daughter and the only woman left in my life. Promise me, you'll never fall into the follies of sin," he spoke in a wavering voice. You understood how serious this was and nodded your head in agreement. He took you back to his hut, his hand in yours.

-you spent the remainder of Adam's life comforting him over the loss of Abel and Eve. You told him about how you saw Cain kill Abel and Adam sentenced Cain to live alone somewhere else, leaving only you and him. Throughout Adam's life on earth he always told you how much he loved you and how he expected to see you in Heaven when your time came.

-as time went by you never had any children, leaving that to other women God created. After learning the harsh reality of what your mother did you never wanted to risk falling in love with the wrong person, so you kept to yourself and became a traveling healer, helping those who were sick and hurt through God's will. You did this until you were around your middle ages, and God called you to Heaven. It was time for you to be with Adam.

-you were met by Sera, the high Seraphim. She told you your time had come, and you had been good enough to come to Heaven. You had done what your mother and brother failed to do, you lived a good and justified life and worked in God's mysterious ways. She brought your soul to Heaven.

-once you arrived in Heaven you saw how much of a dick Adam had become. He was proud, he was gluttonous and he was a jerk. He was always flaunting to the women in Heaven about how he was the first human soul to arrive there, likely to get them in bed with him. You were disgusted by it.

-when Sera brought Adam to the side and introduced you, his daughter, to him he was so stoked. "[Y/N]! You made it at last! That's daddy's little girl!" He rubbed your hair with his first and hugged you. He encouraged you to tell him what earned you a place in Heaven and you were proud to tell him of your years as a traveling healer and of how close you became to God. He was smiling the entire time.

-fast forward a little while, and the ranks of Hell were growing. Adam kept the extermination a secret from you, knowing it would break your sensitive heart to hear that countless souls who could have very well been your mother or brother, were being killed. His little secret was that he killed them both in the first extermination.

-as time went by you remained oblivious to the extermination, Adam never wanting you to know. But that fateful day came, when Adam told you he had to "take care of business", and promised you he'd be back later. He left with Lute, who you considered your true mother, and that was the last time you saw him.

-when Lute arrived back in heaven you rushed to her with glee in your eyes, asking where your father was. You were so excited to know what his business had been and if he'd carried out God's will. Your smile faltered when you noticed Lute clutching Adam's halo in her hand, her other arm missing entirely. Whatever had happened, had been serious. You begged her to let you heal her the best you could but she refused.

-with shame in her eyes she told you Adam died fighting and the last word he spoke was your name. She told you in detail about how she saw the light die in his eyes, his smile slowly falling as he bled out. She admitted to you about the yearly extermination and how he had made the decision to go back twice as fast to stop the hotel, which you had only heard whispers of.

-before Lute left to confront Lilith, she hugged you with her remaining arm and promised to take care of you the way Adam would have wanted her to, and that even though she could never replace him, she would do everything in her power to make you feel loved, wanted and accepted no matter what. She finished by telling you she had an errand to run, but when she was back she would give you Adam's halo to remember him by.

-you were in tears, clutching her remaining arm by the time she had finished speaking. All you could do is nod your head, too choked on tears to give a real response. You couldn't believe your father was dead and gone for good. Sniffling, all you could say at the end was, "thank you mom". Lute kissed your forehead and promised she would be back very shortly to give you his halo.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel adam #hazbin hotel adam x reader #hazbin hotel adam x daughter reader #hazbin hotel adam x child reader #hazbin hotel x child reader #hazbin hotel x daughter reader

[ch3rryfunk]

Do you perchance have any headcanons for Luis? No one writes for him, and as much as I love Leon, I love my sassy ladies man Luis even more 😭❤️

i LOVE you for requesting this. Hell yes, I love my sassy man so so much.

Crushing on Luis Sera headcannons

☆*:.｡.

★ First things first, let’s elaborate on the type of man he is. He’s a romantic one, that’s for sure. He loves flirty one-liners and sappy quotes.

★ Being flirty and a self-proclaimed “ladies’ man” doesn’t mean he won’t be loyal, he is MORE than loyal if that’s possible. He’s the definition of a true gentleman.

★ Luis is well-experienced, he’s been in a few relationships, but most of them ended badly. Mainly because of his involvement with Umbrella and lack of quality time. His job consumed his life.

★ That being said:

★ You met when you got assigned to his team, both of you were researching the same parasite, so you had to transfer to his laboratory.

★ Anyway, as soon as he saw you, he internally fell to his knees.

★ He wasn’t going to tell you that, though. #proudman

★ Luis had never met someone who matched his energy so well, who ACTUALLY flirted back and cracked jokes at inappropriate times. He was so fond of you.

★ “So, you come here often?” He asked with a dumb smirk.

★ “Oh yeah, all the time. I just LOVE operating on disgusting parasites. Y’know what? I think I was born to do this. Right here, at your laboratory. It’s heaven.”

★ “Can’t help it, cariño. I’m one good lookin’ angel. So are you though, so are you.”

★ He loved your dry humor and your ability to sound so deadpan while cracking the most hilarious jokes.

★ You loved spending time with him, especially when you weren’t researching plagues and stuff you thought was gross. He was actually fascinating.

★ You were intrigued at first, but then you were full-on crushing on him.

★ You weren’t going to tell him that, though.

★ But yes, the more you got to know him, the closer you wanted to be. You started taking note of his likes and dislikes.

★ He liked smoking. Loved, even. And being the clingiest man you had ever met.

★ He disliked getting told to shut up and getting called “doctor”. He wasn’t a doctor, but a biologist. Yet, you liked annoying him with that title.

★ The moment he realized he was in love was when both of you went on a coffee break, and you pulled out a cigarette. It surprised him, he swore you didn’t smoke.

★ “Ay, you smoke too?”

★ “Nah, bought them just for you, Dr. Sera.”

★ The fact that you carried cigarettes for him (because he always managed to forget or lose his) almost sent him into oblivion. He felt like he was going to cry his heart out and fall to his knees once again.

★ Since you gave him cigarettes (all the time) he wanted to do something for you too, and you just happened to love books. So, he was committed to finding out what your favorite book was.

★ It was Don Quixote.

★ Oh god, was it life-changing for him. He had read the book before, being one of his favorites since it reminded him of his childhood. He decided to re-read it just for you. He wanted to be able to talk about all sorts of stuff, especially stuff you liked.

★ But maybe it got a little out of hand because he would NOT stop referencing the book every chance he got. You found it rather funny. And they say romance is dead.

★ Luis did numerous things to get your attention, he was a master at multitasking. He had you on his mind even when he was busy working with plagas. Which wasn’t very pleasant actually.

★ The closer you both became, the flirtier you both got. You started calling him handsome, and he called you “Mi amor”

★ It was a mutual inside joke at this point, but both of you wanted it to be very much real and not just some jest.

★ One time, you called him handsome too many times in a day. He couldn’t stop smiling.

★ “Keep calling me handsome, and I’ll start believing you got a little crush on me.” He said.

★ “Yeah, well, keep calling me mi amor and I might just kiss you.” You replied.

★ That caught him off guard but it shut him up, yet he couldn’t stop thinking about it, maybe if he thought about it long enough you’d read his mind and kiss him. After all, Luis was head over heels for you, as you were for him.

★ As your research came to an end, Luis knew he was losing time. He needed to ask you out or at least tell you how he felt, but he was never really the best at confessing his feelings, even in past relationships. He’d never felt this way about someone, you were so different, it had to be different with you. He desperately needed to be with you.

★ “Guess this is where we part ways, handsome.” You told him when you finished packing your stuff, you were being transferred back to your laboratory soon.

★ “Don’t go, corazón. Let’s uh, let’s elope.” He joked, earning a sweet laugh from you. He would sure miss your laugh. “We make a good team.”

★ Everything he said made your heart skip a beat. You wished you could’ve stayed longer, but your boss was too demanding. Not only that, but Luis didn’t want you to go. He felt so happy when you were around, and he wished he had met you earlier.

★ But in the end, he swallowed his pride and asked you out right there. Now or never was his motto, he needed to be true to himself for once. “Know what cariño? I’ve been thinking and maybe we should-”

★ “Yes cariño, I’ll go on a date with you. But first I need to turn this in. See you later, guapo.” He was flabbergasted, took him a few minutes to process what had just happened. It was safe to say he left his laboratory with the biggest smile ever and more swooned than he already was.

☆*:.｡.

sorry i took so long omg anyway hope u like it!! I love him sooo much im gonna start writing more luis content 😭 i also hope more people start writing for him!! Pls!!

#luis sera #headcannons #luis serra x reader #luis serra #luis serra navarro #resident evil #resident evil 4 #resident evil 4 remake #resident evil luis #luis sera re4 #re4r luis #luis sera x reader #resident evil remake #re4r #re4 remake #resident evil luis sera #x reader #gender neutral reader #re2 #leon kennedy #gaming #biohazard #leon s kennedy #resident evil vendetta #resident evil infinite darkness #re4 #re4 luis #luis re4 #luis sera re4r #luis serra re4r

[dragonagecompanions]

DAI Companions reactions to repeatedly being mistaken for a young/teen Inquisitor's parent or older sibling.

Cassandra: At times it feels like she is, and yet it is never something the seeker begrudges. This young person has stepped into a role no one their age should have to fulfill, and with so many relying on them to save the world at least one person should be standing in the role of guardian and protector of their interests. She only wishes it could be her sole priority.

And if, in quiet moments, to have a sibling again is a balm then it a truth no one else need know.

Varric: He was a lousy brother, though is was not as if Bertrand was winning any awards either. But he never really understood the pressures his older brother was under until stepping into part of that role— and Varric never had the strain of ailing mother or the loss of Orzammar on his shoulders. No, he is not sibling material.

But no father could be prouder of a child than he is, watching their young leader stitch the world back together. Kid needs looking after, and Varric Tethras is honored in the burden.

Solas: If the Inquisitor is elven, no matter his plans for the future, the rift mage feels a sort of obligatory kinship to the da’len so far from clan or kin. Children have always been precious, especially to the Elvhen who did not conceive so easily as humans.

For any other inquisitor he does not correct those who make the mistake, and will turn it into a familiar joke later that the herald must be the most attractive of thei species to be mistaken for an elf. It hides how little he cares for the comparison.

Kin slaying is a terrible crime. Best not to build the relationship from the start.

Blackwall: In another life Thom Rainier had scorend the idea of children, and taken pains to ensure that his dalliances would not conceive a bastard he had no intention of claiming. Now his family name is hardly worth the claiming, and he is grateful his only sister took her husband’s name long ago and is free of his legacy.

But as a warden, true or otherwise, Blackwall is honored by such a comparison. If his presence has had any small benefit to the young person upon whom such a task is laid then he is honored by the comparison. And while he would be the first to argue that no one is better off in his care or keeping, Blackwall would be the first to lay down his life to protect theirs, and will do everything he can to make sure they are well.

Vivienne: For the sake of his grown children- and the wife who had done her duty in the bearing- Bastian could not have given her a child. Even if he could have protected it from the clawing hands of the Circle, whose laws had forbidden such a gift. To be a mother was not in her future, and in her youth Vivienne had taken steps to ensure such an accidental fate could never befall her.

But she could have been. In the quiet moments through out the years she had imagined how such a child might grow, might flourish under the love and guidance of two parents who so deeply wanted it. And while the Inquisitor is neither replacement nor surrogate for that dream, in this young person Madame de Fer can see a reflection of what might have been.

If she takes care to guard their appearance, coach their behavior and prepare them as best she can for the great game, it is easily couched in the truth that it benefits the Inquisition to do so. The truth of her affection is hidden away, no further burden on shoulders already heavy with titles and too few years.

But she can dream.

Sera: When she does think about her childhood, the few times it has to be examined, Sera would not have minded another small person to have run about with. It might have made the lessons and the lies less lonely, to know someone else was there to ride through it with.

But there wasn’t. And she didn’t. And she likes the Inquisitor, is happy to have them as both friend and Friend. But family is a sore spot in the tapestry of her life, and adding patches to warped thread does not fix the faulty loom.

Dorian: It is the worst nightmare of most high born alti, that one’s parents might conceive a second child to rival them for the familiar seat in the magisterium. Never a risk for Halward and Aquinea, whose duties to each other and the marriage bed ended w it the birth of a living and magically inclined son.

And yet Dorian would not have minded a younger Pavus knocking about when he had been a boy, someone to share the duties and adventures of Minrathious in those few years before duty locked away simpler pleasures. But when he is first mistaken for the Inquisitor’s father, first mistakenly assigned that guardianship and all it brings?

It staggers him, how deeply the role could fit. For all that their creation is anathema to them, Dorian Pavus would never scorn a child of his blood. Of any blood, in truth. If their herald is young enough and without guardianship, without a future once Corypheus is defeated…

It is a thought for later.

The Iron Bull: Where is the lie? Was he any less worthy of the imereki than those who had left them behind? The feelings that well up when the mistaken role is given do not surprise him, and Bull is perhaps the easiest of any besides Cassandra with taking on that burden. The Chargers are his family, and if they survive the Storm Coast the little Herald is gathered up into that fold without question.

And even with one eye he can see the second Dorian accepts and even relishes the idea. The Iron Bull didn’t come South looking for a family, but one may well be within his grasp regardless.

Cole: “Shared name, shared memories, tied together by all the things that matter. Even when we don’t agree there is still love and trust, striving for something greater than we are. Yes! We are a family. That makes sense.”

Mod Fereldone

#cassandra pentaghast #solas #varric tethras #warden blackwall #vivienne de fer #sera #dorian pavus #the iron bull #cole #dragon age inquisition #reaction #found family

[khuzena]

Que sera, sera

♡ˋ°•*⁀➷Rin itoshi x reader

Summary: the story which dives in the beginning and the end of you and rin. He doesn't believe in miracles, though he thinks you are one. He's thankful that what will be, will be. And its you and him.

Warnings: none, fluff to angst, angst to fluff. Childhood friends to strangers to lovers. Slow burn, maybe not i dont know. Happy ending.

A/n: GAAAHHHHHH SORRY I WAS SO TIRED I COULDN'T FINISH THIS ON VALENTINES DAY AWWW MANNN. Its also been a long time since i wrote fics so bear with me with this one and it ain't proofread plss.

For the longest time, Itoshi Rin treated you like shit. Muttering how everything about you is lukewarm and how everything you say is nonsense.

You still remember when you two first met in the playground, at that time Sae never left him yet, Rin still having those chubby cheeks as he runs around in the playground, happily dribbling the ball when the ball suddenly hits your knee.

"O-ow!" You groaned in pain, before you burst into tears as your left knee reddens.

The boy at the swing runs towards you, "Are you okay?" He asks you, he looks concerned for you as guilt creeps up as he doesn't know what to do when sees you cry.

You were a sobbing mess on the floor as the aching got worse, Rin kept a distance before grabbing the playground sand and pouring it at your ankle, "sorry…"

The little boy trying to help you up when you two heard footsteps coming closer, Rin panicking as he realizes it's his brother walking towards them.

Rin stares at the ground when Sae scolds him for being too careless, the little boy now crying with you.

"You two should make up before the adults hear about this, Rin you go and get the first-aid kit and candy, I'll watch after them." The red-head yells as Rin bolts to their house. Later coming back with the first-aid kit and candy, watching his older brother do the work and rub medicine on your scraped knee. As the older boy treated your knee, your eyes met the culprit's gaze, he turned away in shame as tiny sobs left his lips from Sae scolding him earlier.

After that incident, you get a scraped knee, some candy and two new friends. Let's just say Rin's parents weren't too happy when they found out what happened.

The next day, Rin rings your doorbell as he asks your parents where you were, calling you downstairs as you excitedly run towards the gate.

"Oh you're back! What's that in your hand?" Younger you asked Rin as he fiddles a tiny bag in his hands; clearly anxious from yesterday.

The boy gulps before taking a deep breath and awkwardly handing you a bag full of chocolates, "I'm sorry for yesterday.."

Rin closes his eyes as he waits for some sort of punishment until he feels you hug him.

"Heh! No worries, these are my favorite chocolates so you're forgiven."

"Really?" His eyes beam in joy.

"Yup! This chocolate tastes good! Where'd ya get it?" You ask while munching away happily.

"My brother actually has a bowl of candy… you can come over and you can eat more chocolate there."

Your lips curled into a smile before you shook his hand, "what's your name again?"

"Rin."

"Awesome! I'm [name] by the way!"

As you sweep the floor, your broom brushes an old polaroid; it was from 18 years ago. You and Rin were cuddling in Sae's bed, not knowing Sae sneaked in a picture.

Smiling at the picture you reminisce again.

It was summer at that time. Luckily Rin's parents weren't home so you two had the whole house to yourselves.

"Mmm!" Stretching your limbs as you two lie on the couch, playing some mario kart while Sae prepares lunch for the three of you.

The aggressive pressing of the controllers and smell of fruits in the kitchen; you can remember it all perfectly.

"I'm gonna beat you, just you wait—! Hey!" Rin yells when you start tickling him and successfully taking the lead, making Rin's character fall off the map.

Rin's demise eliciting a loud giggle from your lips as you beat his ass after a whole hour of trying to one up each other.

Rin is fuming with anger as he complains to Sae, "No fair! You're cheating! Sae don't give her any chocolates! You're a cheater!"

"Bleh! You're just bad!"

Sae groans in annoyance as he prepares the table, "You two get over here and stop fighting or else I won't let you two play."

You two pout and start glaring at each other.

"That's right midget." You tease him before sitting right next to him, grabbing a plate of spaghetti.

"Shut up! I'm gonna be taller than you, just you wait!" Rin sticks his tongue out, teasing you with confidence but Sae gives you two an icy-glare, indicating that you two should just stop fighting.

"Rin, [name]."

"Y-yes!" Both of you stop fighting, at least not In Front of Sae. Hours go by and the night sky settles in.

Plopping in his bed while staring at all his trophies, "damn rin you won all these?"

Rin doesn't reply, fixing the bed sheets before lying next to you; letting out a small hmph.

You sigh, and make him turn around to face you. "Rin. Sorry for earlier."

Rin rolls his eyes, "lukewarm" he mutters under his breath.

After that you two look away and fall asleep. When Sae comes in however, he sees you two cuddling like kittens. Sae smirks to himself before grabbing his phone, taking a picture— close ups even so he can use this as blackmail later on. Let's just say you both did not enjoy waking up in each other's arms; spoiler alert: Rin actually did.

A few years pass by and you two find each other laying on the park, star gazing. These days Rin gets too lonely, his brother moving to Spain to chase after his career.

"S-so… Rin are you okay?"

The boy right next to you stares at the stars, ignoring your voice calling out for him.

Sighing in defeat, knowing Rin isn't in the mood to talk right now.

"I'm nervous actually, about the future." You say before clearing your throat.

Rin turns around and looks at you, "and?"

The stars were lovely, lovelier than anything you've ever seen.

"It just feels like time flies by so quickly, all of the sudden Sae is in Spain and now we're just- ya know… here."

Rin doesn't say a word again, only listening to the rustling of the leaves as it sways with the wind.

"I just wish we had more time. What if something bad happens in the future and we're not friends anymore?"

Rin sits up before flicking your forehead, "Hey what was that for?!"

"To stop your lukewarm talking, stop worrying about the future— I started learning some Spanish so when Sae comes back I can greet him and.."

He looks back at you, nervous and shaking; tears welling up in his eyes. He misses Sae too much.

You tap his shoulder lightly, pushing him to continue what he wants to say.

"Que sera, sera I think? I searched it up and it means whatever will be, will be. So stop worrying too much, you idiot" he rolls his eyes, trying to stop the tears from leaving his eyes.

The world felt peaceful like this, only you and him; the moon and stars as your witness.

A few years later Sae comes back though it didn't go as expected. You two were ecstatic when Sae came back but he changed. After that Rin and Sae were no longer 'Rin and Sae'; now they were just strangers.

Sae was a catalyst for what Rin would become. Rin stopped eating chocolates. Rin would overexert his body from practice and when you two talk it's nothing more than just 'hello'.

Needless to say you were hurt. This wasn't the Rin you knew, the new him is now an empty shell of what he used to be; no— the old Rin died when Sae came back and now you're left to mourn alone for the old him.

You don't watch Rin's practice anymore; you couldn't bear to see that bitter expression written on his face as he tries and tries to practice more just to catch up to his brother.

Months later, Rin was accepted to blue lock. He was gone again for months.

Staring at the small tv screen when you watch the U20 vs Blue lock match.

The camera pans over to Rin disheveled, on his knees when Sae comes over to him. You wonder what happened between them when they met again on the field that caused Rin to be beyond irritated even though his team won.

A week later, Rin comes back to the neighborhood park, kicking the football with tears in his eyes. Pouring all his anger on the ball, almost deflating the ball in the process.

A gust of wind blows on your face before you utter a weak 'hi'. It was like a teen romcom cliche but the thing is there was no chemistry anymore.

At Least… that you thought that there wasn't.

"Go away." He groans, fixing his shoe tie and running off to get the ball.

"I saw the game." You yell trying to get his attention. He kicks the ball again but this time with more force, the ball ricocheting and bouncing on the fences. "You did great."

Two words almost fell from your lips but cleared your throat, trying to make sure the 'Im proud' doesn't spill from your lips as maybe your tears will too.

Rin quirks his face into an expression you can't describe. Anger? Hatred? But when you stare longer at his eyes, watch how his chest heaves up and down shakily you can see a hint of sadness— as if he was a ripped doll, his heart torn apart, left to rot. He would never admit it but the way you stare at him with such pity, angers him. It makes his torn heart beat rapidly and his lungs bruise more, waiting for you to sew him up again; fixing him.

But he would never admit it, his ego warped mind and his dying heart. He doesn't notice it but he feels alive when he sees you again.

He doesn't know what to do when you stare at him with pity. The small child locked away a long time ago in the corners of his soul begging him to let it all out and cry in your arms; maybe you could see how he's hurting and maybe you'll stitch him up again.

But you don't. At least not now.

He shivers from the cold air, he's glad it's winter as the cold weather could freeze his tears away before you even see it. But it's not cold enough to turn his tears into icicles as he sheds a tiny tear, he swears if he could just open up to you, you would catch it.

His ragged breathing, his worried expression, the tears threatening to leak from his eyes all of it. You ingrain all of it in your mind, burning this memory into your brain.

You want to run towards him, hug him, comfort him like you did as a child. Your arms aching to hold his trembling figure but you don't, fearing it might ignite more tension between you two. So you just watch as he tries to hold back his tears right in front of you.

You say nothing and hand over a piece of chocolate. Watching him accept it and eating one for the first time, oh how he's forgotten the taste of this treat.

There was a silent agreement with you two. A simple nod and you two go back to your own paths now, wondering how the other one is doing right now.

Months pass by again and this time Rin won the world cup but you notice a change in him, a spark reignited in him. The same old spark when he first started playing football.

You couldn't afford to go to the actual world cup so you watch the match on your tv screen. Seeing him in person is better but never seeing him at all even on a screen is worse.

Months ago Rin would be red in anger, you don't know why but it feels like you should've done something. But now, even on the screen you could see him smile for the first time as he shakes hands with Sae.

Letting out a sigh of relief, maybe Rin is fixed, maybe he was the same rin back then. Maybe, just maybe you two could be on good terms again.

Then it happened.

You see Rin again at the park. The neighbors were talking about how the itoshi brothers were going back to the neighbor so you went to the park; this is where Rin has always been.

A leaf falls to your side and at that moment Rin notices your presence. Anxiety bubbling in his chest, he knows what he's done to you. He's scared that you'll never forgive him for how he treated you.

"I'm uh.." you stutter, the words stuck in your throat. Looking down in shame, if you only said this back then maybe you had a chance to fix him. He looks at you, he doesn't look as broken as before. His eyes no longer bear hatred, only melancholy and guilt.

"I'm proud. I'm proud of you." You've finally let the words out, the ones that have been dying to be said.

Silence.

Rin has never been good with words and neither have you. Rin doesn't say anything, he stands up and kicks the football to the tree. That tree has been there for as long as you remember. It was the sign of your pact, your friendship.

He shoves his hand in his pocket, trying to find something. It takes him a while and he pulls out a tiny treat.

It was that same chocolate he first gave you as a child.

Que sera, sera right?

What will be, will be.

From the beginning it was you and Rin. In the end it will always be you and Rin.

You stretch your back after finishing sweeping and dusting the living room. Your shared house should get some renovations by now but oh well, Rin's schedule has never been that generous to give you both enough time.

The warm sun hits your skin as you walk to the garden and tend to the flowers. After you and Rin hit it off he started to plant your favorite flowers in your garden, so even if it weren't valentines day, he'd still have enough flowers to give you every day.

"I'm home." That familiar voice echoes in the room, the door creaking open.

You chuckle as you place the broom away, "Hard day?"

He nods and hugs you, his wedding ring hitting your back as he hugs too tightly. He lets out a small giggle when you pepper his face with kisses.

You threw the curtain at his chest as he raised an eyebrow, "Rin, we should really renovate and shop for new stuff— these things are getting a little too wonky don't you think?"

He lets out a sigh, he barely notices the condition of the house when he's out for months. "Fine, fine. We're going out later"

Your lips quirk into a smile. Oh how lucky you are to be with him. The way he treated you like a deity, praising the floor you step foot on. Caring for you and treating you kindly, gently even as a way to pay back what you did for him. You stitched his torn heart back up, sure the scars will stay forever but he learnt how to cherish it because it brought him to you.

"Rin, help me with this thing— it's too heavy!"

He rushes to your side and hastily carries all the heavy luggage and boxes, helping you out as you two laugh and talk about your day.

He was an idiot, he forgot it was valentines day, no wonder why you were so pouty. Rin will just make it up to you later.

Que sera, sera.

Whatever will be, will be.

It will always be You and Rin. Nothing more, nothing less.

- La fin♡

Note: so so sorry if this has so many mistakes, i just started writing again and this is just practice. English is not my first language. ♡

#rin itoshi x reader #itoshi rin x reader #itoshi rin fluff #blue lock x reader #bllk x reader #blue lock angst #blue lock fluff #itoshi rin angst #blue lock fanfic #what have i done #blue lock #bllk angst #bllk fluff

[powerofelvis]

Love Without Shame

Pairing: Austin Butler x f!reader

Word Count: 3.5K

Summary: Your life was always lived with humiliation until someone crosses paths with you and shows you your worth.

Warning(s): ANGST, mental abuse, familial trauma, night terrors, SMUT, oral (f. receiving), unprotected sex, fluff (Austin literally worships the reader’s existence)

A/N: I wasn’t planning on posting this but I took part of @foreverdolly’s Secret Santa exchange over on her wonderful discord! You should join, it’s really warming. The person that this is written for is @randomwriter888 ( @austinsmutler )! Surprise, Sera! I hope you like this and I hope that I captured your dream fic! Mwah, sweetheart! 💗

masterlist.

You had issues, you knew that. You had baggage that even a higher power couldn’t fix but you were okay with it, or so you thought. You used to dream of being a princess at your wedding, your father giving you away to the man of your dreams while your mother watched proudly. But that’s all that it was, dreams. Your parents had long abandoned you, leaving you fend for yourself, taking odd jobs that you weren’t happy to have, all while they traveled the world at their own pace. You were only their daughter who wandered off to do her own thing, while your older sister was the apple of their eye.

It was no secret that she had always been the favorite, getting everything that she wanted while you were given less. The irony of it all was that you didn’t ask for anything from them, only for them to tell you that you were ungrateful for not taking advantage of their wealth that they threw around like the selfish people they were. Then the emotional abuse began. They would tell you that you were never going to amount to anything, while also telling you in the same breath that they loved you but wanted you to be better. It was so unfair. Not long after leaving their household, you met Austin, who was a breath of fresh air.

Austin was so sweet, always waiting on your every need, while also encouraging you to strive for better for your life. Your parents didn’t like Austin, often forgetting to invite him to gatherings that they had as they believed that he wasn’t good enough for you. He didn’t care though, he loved you just the same. Sometimes, you felt so alone that you would have bouts of depression that would leave you crippled for weeks, but Austin was there every step of the way. Your issues were becoming out of hand that you would find yourself sucked into a hole of despair that even your boyfriend couldn’t get you out.

Austin decided that enough was enough, so he convinced you to move away from your family, moving across the world to New York City. New York was a different ball field, the amount of people who moved about was somewhat overwhelming for you. “It will be good for you, baby. Just try it out, for me.” Austin would tell you on multiple occasions, leaving you to try to be a better person for him. The night terrors that came with the move was also overwhelming you, leaving Austin to console you until dusk came, the amount of tears that you shed not even being enough to show you that things were getting any better.

“How could you move away from your family, you ungrateful bitch!” You woke up in your childhood room, seeing your mother holding you down against the mattress. “You think that your Austin could keep you away from us? You think that you’re so independent that you can make it without us? You’re stupider than I thought. I should have aborted you.” She slapped your cheek, tears falling down your face as you begged for her to stop. Suddenly, your mother disappeared from in front of you. You were sitting in the middle of a forest, the peace being unsettling as you realized that you had escaped. Your eyes couldn’t make out the silhouettes that were far out in the forest, but you noticed the hair anywhere.

It was Austin. He looked so happy, so content where he was standing. He was holding a woman by the hand, whispering things that you couldn’t make out before turning back to face you. Although you could hardly see his features, you knew he was there. “I can’t do this anymore, Y/N. Your family is too much. YOU are too much, the abuse, the night terrors, the continuous reassurance that I won’t leave you alone. You have to grow up. Go back to your family, fix your issues. I can’t do this anymore.” You teared up with pain building in your heart as you stood on your feet. You began running to him, but as you ran towards him, he moved further away.

Behind you, you could hear the evil laughter of your parents and your older sister as they were pulling at your clothes. Their faces became distorted, almost grotesque as their face lit up with acrimony as they sucked you back into their world, almost suffocating you with their deprecation as you tried to reach out to Austin. Their chants of ‘you can’t leave’ became the only thing that you could hear as you kept your eyes forward, sinking into the ground. Suddenly, you were in quicksand, fighting against the pressure as it sucked you down. Your family watched with glee as you screamed at the top of your lungs, watching as Austin disappeared from your sight.

The water that you found yourself in as you sunk deeper became too much for you. You had to get out, you had to get out, you had to get-

Austin. His hand pulled you out of the endless darkness, pulling you into his arms as he whispered in your ear things that you couldn’t make out. “You have to wake up, baby. You have to wake up and get away from your family. I’m waiting for you. I’m waiting for you.” Your eyes shot open as you sat up in bed, covered in a cold sweat. You had never had a dream like this before, suddenly as if it was a premonition that you had to get away from your family for good. Austin was sitting in the bed next to you, a script for a new film that he was shooting in his hand as he looked over at you.

“What’s wrong, baby? Did you have another dream?” He laid the script down on the bedside table before wrapping his arms around you. “I have to get away from my family. I’m going home to confront them and cut my ties with them for good.” Austin could only nod as he rubbed your arms, your eyes looking out of the window of your shared condo with him. You decided that since it was almost Christmas, you could make the trip back home. It was time for them to let you go.

The trip back home was uneventful, Austin deciding that he would allow you to travel alone as much as he didn’t want you to. Here you stood in front of your childhood home, a look of fear covering your face as you slowly walked up to the door. You can do this, Y/N. Austin knows you can. You need to rip the bandaid off. The door opened before you could knock, the face of your mother showing in front of you. She looked oddly happy, her smile lit up to her eyes. You thought that maybe you were dreaming, she never looked so happy to see you and yet she was. “My darling! Merry Christmas! I’m so glad that you’re here. Come in.”

As you stepped over the threshold, you could smell her cookies that were freshly out of the oven. As a kid, you would look forward to waking up on Christmas Eve because she would always have cookies in the oven, something that you always held with you as you grew older. The memories of Christmas always made life worth living, your family forced to get along for the sake of the holiday season. It didn’t change that you weren’t here for the jolly front that your family put on. “Where’s Austin? Is he busy?” Your father entered the room, followed by your sister who looked less than pleased to see your face.

“He went home with his family, but he sent his holiday greetings.” You politely smiled, nodding your head at your sister, who rolled her eyes at you. You gulped in displeasure, putting your bag down by the door as you followed your mother who had gone back into the kitchen. She turned around to face you, the tray of cookies looking very appetizing but you didn’t feel like eating. It didn’t make it much better that you were here on a different agenda, keeping your script that you had rehearsed the entire trip in the back of your mind. “So, I heard Austin got the role of Elvis Presley. I wonder how he will pull that off.” Your sister rudely retorted as she stood behind you.

“He will do great, he’s been preparing for about a year now. He already sounds like him.” You kept your response short and sweet, ignoring the rest of the things she would say as the day went on. It was dinner time, you had decided that you were going to lay it all out for them then, speaking with Austin before as he gave you the pep talk that you didn’t know that you needed. “When you get home, I’ll show you just how better you’ll feel once you get rid of them. They are still your family, but they are ruining your life. You can do this, honey.” You were indeed lucky to have him in your life.

As everyone sat at the table, no words were being spoken as you took a sip of your wine, making a face at the choice. “So, Y/N,” your mother started as she was on her second glass for the evening, her icy eyes watching you with a look of caution before she continued. “You told me earlier that you had something to tell us. What was it?” You could hear your sister snort, before she was hushed by your father. “She must have something important to tell us. She did move off all of a sudden with that Austin boy.” Your eyes moved up to where your father sat, a sly smirk crossed his lips as he cut into his steak.

You slammed down your fork, catching your family by surprise as you cleared your throat. “I did not move all of a sudden. You all ran me away. Ever since I could remember, you’ve hated me for no fucking reason other than to appease your snooty country club friends. You don’t think I know how you all feel about me? About Austin?” You took a deep breath, the fire that you held back burning within you as you turned to face your sister. “Let’s start with you, Jessica. You think you’re so high and mighty, better than me, when you got pregnant by that college frat guy but you didn’t want me to tell mom or dad because they would disown you. How did that work out for you?”

Your mother gasped as her eyes moved from you to your sister, a look of anger crossing her features as she put her fork down. “Mom, she’s lying! I was never-,” your sister tried to explain, only to be interrupted by your father. “We will talk about this later, Jessica. Y/N, you can’t talk to your sister that way.” Your father spoke with such sternness that would usually make you shut down, but you were already balls deep in your words that you placed your hand up to silent him. “And you, you have a lot of nerve to tell me that I need to lose weight and that I need to stop being such a cow. But didn’t the secretary that you used to sneak into the house when mom was at work tell you that she couldn’t lay with a man who had bigger breasts than her?”

Your sister laughed out as your mother spit out the wine that she was sipping, the look of embarrassment and shame crippled her from saying anything. “And you, mother. I’m not gonna even dish out all of your issues but you see how dysfunctional this family is. All because we all truly hate each other but you all take it out on me. I’m fucking done. After this holiday, you all will never see me again. And, Austin has more success in his pinky finger than all three of you combined. Wealth doesn’t mean shit if you’re a fucking cunt of a family.” You put down your napkin as you stood up from the table, ignoring your family as they screamed for you to come back.

“You aren’t done with us, Y/N. You hear me? Austin will leave you and you will have no one, but we won’t be here! We are disowning you!” Your mother screamed as she walked up to you, grabbing at your arm. You shoved her off of you, leaning over to pick up the bag that was sitting at the door, still untouched. You took off away from your family, walking until you stood in front of Austin’s parents home. They didn’t stay too far from your parents, yet it took you about an hour of sobbing and shaking that you were there.

Austin opened the front door to his dad’s home, noticing how you were sobbing and shaking with grief. “Baby, what happened? Did they do something?” You shook your head, giving him a smile as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. Austin sighed with relief as he nuzzled his head into your neck. “I knew you could do it. It’s over, my family is now your family. Let’s get inside.” He led you inside where his father and sister, Ashley stood waiting for you with smiles on their faces. Ashley wrapped her arms around you, kissing your cheek as she whispered that she was always one call away.

His father followed suit as he hugged you tightly. “You’re more than welcomed here. I don’t know what’s going on with your family, but we are welcoming you with open arms.” You smiled, nodding your head. “Thank you.” Austin led you away from his family, tugging you up to his room. He took your bag, placing it on the ground by the door as he turned around to face you. “I let it all out, Austin. I was so scared. But once I started, I couldn’t stop.” You whimpered as he wrapped his arms around you once again.

“It’s alright, darling. It’s over. From now on, we can move forward with our lives. You can move on with your life without the night terrors, the depression, and the arguments.” He placed his lips against yours, holding you against his body. You melted into his embrace, wrapping your arms around his shoulders as your lips moved passionately against his. He pulled away, his eyes glinting with desire as he rubbed your arms. “You’re the most incredible woman I have ever met. You’re nothing I’ve ever seen before. Let me show you.” You nodded as he led you to the bed, sitting you down.

You sat on the bed, shivering with excitement as you watched Austin push you down on the bed. Your eyes locked with his, watching intently as he pulled his shirt over his head. He was chiseled, muscles in every part of his body which sent a shiver through your body. Your heart was beating so fast that you felt that it would jump from your chest. He kissed along your jawline, whispering how much he would kiss the ground that you walked and how much he wanted you. “Aus, please.” You whimpered as you reached down to pull your shirt over your head.

“You’re so beautiful. In every way. Your family don’t realize how much they lost out.” You shook your head, eyes begging him to not speak but to take you. He crawled back over to you, pressing his lips back to yours as his hands caressed your body. He pulled away from you once more, his lips glistening from your mouth before he pulls your pants off of your lower body, revealing your half naked body to him. He knew how beautiful you were naked, this wasn’t the first time that you both had sex. However, you had a new glow about you.

You were finally free from your personal hell, the brightness that shined over your body was so attractive to him and yet he didn’t know what to say, so instead of speaking, his mouth would continue kissing over your body. Your moans were uncontrollable, your hands hurriedly pulling his pants off of him. “I need you, please.” You were a mess, rubbing your thighs together for some feeling of friction as you snapped open your bra, freeing your breasts. Austin immediately took them in his hands, kneading and kissing at them as he whispered filthy words.

Both of your underwear followed suit, Austin laid you back on the bed as he kissed down your body again. He spread your thighs, kissing the supple skin around your glistening cunt before he kicked a stripe up to your clit. You gasped, your breath becoming labored and shaken as he ate your pussy like he was a starved man. The thoughts of your family vanished from your mind, you were in a bubble of pleasure, waiting for it to pop and fill you. “You taste so good, baby. You are made just for me.” His finger said into you, curving up as he continued eating you.

The slurping noises that were being made turned you on more than the feeling of his tongue, toes curling into the sheets as you chanted his name repeatedly. “Austin, please. I need you inside of me. Now.” He looked up at you from his position in front of your vagina, nodding his head as he removed his finger from you and stood up on his feet. He was standing at attention, the moaning that he heard from you being unlike something he had ever heard. He crawled over you, taking his cock in his hands as he slid in between your folds.

Your back arched off of the bed, pulling him closer to you as he slid into you fully, bottoming out completely as he groaned into your ear. “God, you’re so perfect. So perfect for me.” He moved his hips slowly as he laced his fingers with yours. Your legs wrapped around his waist, both of your bodies rubbing against one another. The breathing between you was so close together, it seemed that you were sharing the same breath. His eyes locked to yours, softening with love as he pumped into you slowly. “Austin, baby. Please.” You begged for more, moving your hips against him faster which gave him the opportunity to speed up his movements.

Your eyes closed as tears fell from your eyes, the dam finally breaking after years and years of torment and sadness. You didn’t care that you were never going to see your family again, you only wanted to be with Austin. Austin was your light and he brought you out of the darkness. His thrusts continued as he leaned down to press a kiss to your cheeks, removing the tears that had fallen as he whispered sweet words that made you cry more. Your stomach began twisting, the coil within you burning as you clenched around him.

“Fuck, baby. You’re so beautiful.” He moaned as he laid his head on your chest, nuzzling between your breasts. Your orgasm crashed over you moments later as you shivered in pleasure as Austin continued fucking into you, his moans pulling you further and further into ecstasy. Austin followed moments later, grunting deeply as he covered your walls with his cum, repeatedly saying that he loved you. “I love you too, Aus.” You whimpered, sniffling as you held on to him as he finished inside of you. You were happy, truly happy to have him in your life. As he sat up in the bed and over you, his eyes shined with love and you were sure yours did the same.

He pulled out of you slowly, kissing your lips once again. “You’re home now, baby. You never have to worry about being alone again. I’ll make sure of it.” He spoke as he laid next to you, pulling you into his arms. You snuggled up to him, closing your eyes and for the first time in years, you fell asleep in his arms with no nightmare plaguing your life and no words of hate being spoken your way. This has turned into one of the memorable Christmases that you have ever had and you were happy that it had come to be this way.

Taglist: @lindszeppelin @aconflagrationofmyown @elvisabutler @ab4eva @infatuatedharleys @burninlovebutler @oh-my-front-door @oh-kurva @lovininapinkcadillac @loving-elvis @flwrs4aust @foreverdolly @austinsmutler @austinbutler-91 @cryingabtab @plasticfantasticl0ver @rosaminny @woundmetender @austin-butler-library @thatbanditqueen @troubleinapinksuit @wonka-gifs @ccab

#austin butler x reader #austin butler #austin butler smut #austin butler fluff #austin butler x you #daisy writes

[seramilla]

Wait wait...imagine heavily pregnant Sera on bed rest at Carmillas place and suddenly Odette and Clara are there at the bedside peering up at her and are like "So you're our other mommy? Mama tells us about you!" And Sera...had no clue and now she's staring at these two little girls and then slowly looking at Carmilla feeling horrible that she never knew she got the other woman pregnant. Never knew they had two older daughters.

Odette and Clara were definitely a surprise initially. I mean, honestly, this entire situation was a whirlwind for everyone. Sera gets pushed out of Heaven, shows up with Zestial at Carmilla's door about ready to pop, and Carmilla has to put a halt to everything in her life to take care of her expecting partner so she can give birth safely. She hadn't seen Sera in almost 9 months to begin with, so the entire thing is giving her whiplash, initially.

But Carmilla is not anything, if not a mother at heart. She is on autopilot from the word "go". She's got two toddlers/small children of her own, so she knows more or less what to expect. Thankfully, she had horded all of Odette and Clara's childhood things, so she doesn't need to purchase anything beyond diapers and formula. Lucifer also contributes some things, since Charlie isn't much younger than Clara.

The main thing Sera hadn't been prepared for was the existence of Odette and Clara. Carmilla had hidden the two of them from Sera, even while they were still meeting in private in Heaven. Their rendezvous were only once or twice a year, so it was relatively easy. She hadn't wanted to burden Sera with such things; that was the last thing the High Seraphim needed at the time.

Sera doesn't really have time to be angry or mad about it; she's got her own child on the way, and her own issues to deal with. They will have a chance to address it later. By the time Emily is born, and Sera is recovering, Odette and Clara have just become permanent fixtures in her daily routine already. She spends a lot of time watching and observing them. Getting angry and fighting with Carmilla about it would only stress her out, and most importantly, stress Emily out. So Sera sort of forgets to be angry about it, and just accepts it. It's reality, nothing is going to change, and frankly, Carmilla is an excellent mother. What more is there to be angry about?

#hazbin hotel #carmilla carmine #sera hazbin hotel #emily hazbin hotel #odette hazbin hotel #clara hazbin hotel #lucifer morningstar #zestial hazbin hotel #ask #anon #fan theories #charlie morningstar #biological kids au

[unknownlemoneater]

Hellsing oc lmao ((more abt her under cut))

Part 1 ⚬ ⚬ ⚬ Part 1½ ᶻ 𝘇 𐰁

((side note; Before I start, I dunno anything about skinbenders if it’s an actual thing, I just got the name from a comic book character and then just freestyling the rest, and my writing is horrible.))

//ability//

Calico can shapeshift into much more than just animals or human. she can shapeshift her whole, or part of her body into whatever she wants, objects, weapons, animal-like, anything she wants. for an average skinbender, it’s easy to spot them through their disguises, they always look deranged, or something’s just off and inhuman about them. but not Calico, She’s always flawless with her shapeshifting ability and that fact does give her a bit of an ego. Calico has to wear one’s skin in order to shift into what she wants, so does that also mean she consumes scraps in order to shapeshift into an object? Maybe…

\\Likes \ hobbies\\

⟡ Using her shifting ability, Calico loves to terrify the soldiers around Hellsing with her body horror, and Seras is definitely her favorite to scare, she would stand in dark corners and just stare. But unfortunately ((or fortunately ?)) the only people that wouldn’t fall for her antics is Alucard and Integra, makes sense because Integra had to deal with Alucard within the second half of her childhood so she should be used to it at this point. and I’m sure Alucard vampire senses would know Calico is there before she even get to do anything.

⟡ shifting into a cat and pretty much doing whatever the fuck she wants.

⟡ joining Hellsing was just like a retirement for Calico, doing random activities around the mansion while also becoming a vampire Hunter to satisfy her animalistic nature to kill. crocheting, bone collecting, gardening, just to name a few of her random activities, but her favorite out of all is baking, and sharing her baked goods to hellsing while they’re completely oblivious rather or not if she ever put anything in the food they’re eating, and she haven’t... yet.

⟡ Women. ((Not in that way))

((ok maybe a little in that way..))

//Dislikes//

⟡ Bald people.

((k here some concept))

\\The character\\

⟡ relaxed, serene, insensitive, sadomasochistic, two-faced, extremely kind when she feels like it, can be manipulative at times, and a challenge to provoke.

⟡ Calico speaks with a lot of hand gestures, and even touch the person she’s talking to, she does not acknowledge personal space, or possibly doesn’t even care. Her voice is usually soft, calm and almost robotic in someway, with a Chinese Mandarin accent, but her voice does change when she’s in her original form, it’s like a raspy, loud whisper. Calico has no filter, she would announce how ugly a baby is, in public, in front of the parents.. or casually ask a person why are they ugly, or bald. in other words she will say shit that probably shouldn’t be said out loud, or say what everybody in the room is thinking out loud in an awkward situation as another example and all with a small smile remaining on her face.

⟡ and there’s other times she’ll just stand there like a statue if anyone isn’t Interacting with her or just doesn’t have anything else to do.

//more random stuff abt this character//

⟡ Skinbenders aren’t exactly born with a pacific sex or gender, all their genitals pretty much the same and can be used the same way as both human male and female genitals, in other words, you could breed or be bred by them. ((WTF DID I JUST TYPE IN BRO 😭)) what I’m trying to get at is Calico is technically a trans woman if you think about it.

⟡ Calico forgets to blink sometimes, just putting that there.

⟡ ((I have this weird obsession with what a character bedroom would look like, so best believe I’m gonna explain what her bedroom looks like,)) most of her room is completely normal, a dresser she never felt the need to use, a vanity and shelves occupied with her small animal skull collection but what sticks out the most is instead of having a bed she has a nest in the size of an average king size bed made from majority of blankets and pillows she have stolen around the mansion all occupying in the corner of her room, she could be very protective of her nest, only allowing the people she trust the most to even be near, aka Seras, Calico has tried inviting her master Integra into her nest, but was always rejected.. so that’s why Calico has taken upon herself to settle for claiming her master's bed instead.

⟡ Most of her clothing is made of her flesh.

⟡ Calico is not completely emotionless she can make other facial expressions, a small smile is just her default / resting face. 

⟡ If Calico actually labeled her identity, she would be an aromantic, pansexual, trans woman. but she doesn’t feel the need to label it, so you would never catch her calling herself these things.

⟡ Calico doesn’t really see people as, well.. people. So this is how she view the main four !!

Integra ((But Calico personally calls her ‘my master’))- Calico actually respects her authority and probably the only persons boundaries she would take into consideration. Also silly British hehehehe.

Alucard - Calico sees him as some vampiric Manwhore. But they’re civil with each other, they like to have conversations and even sometimes play chess together.

Seras ((but Calico insist on calling her by her last name, Victoria.)) - ah she absolutely adore her, Calico would have her attend with her hobbies if available. Calico treats Seras as like she’s a new puppy for her. So in case you haven’t noticed she’s obviously the favorite.

Walter - twink.

((that’s all for now!! this may have some edits since I’m never satisfied with any writing I do, and I will be making a part two lololololo.))

((Did I choose this silly cat video in particular because it’s a Calico? Yes, yes I did exactly that.))

#cw mild gore #hellsing #oc: calico #hellsing oc #hellsing ultimate #hellsing fanfiction #sir integra #hellsing fanart #hellsing headcanons #fanfiction #headcanons #hellsing fandom #digital art #lemons.art #lemons.oc dump

[wheregoodthingsthrive]

Hellsing Headcanon Mass Post

I had been wanting to make one of these for a long while. Compiling a lot of my overly fleshed out ideas for the Hellsing five especially is a fixation for me and a lot of these are 8+ years in the making. This is long and covers Seras, Integra, Pip, and Walter. Alucard isn't in here cause I want the others to get more love lmao. I'll do Iscariot and Alucard eventually. I just want to try this out-- I want to make more Hellsing friends, especially one's willing to build on the lush free real estate we have here :3

Seras Victoria 

Born February 9th 1979* 

I refuse to believe she was 19 and a cop. *I don’t know how old I want her to be exactly but part of me thinks she’s either Integra’s age (22) or younger by a few months. I refuse. 

Her middle name is Marie, which is her mother’s name, 

Speaking of her parents -- her parents, Marie and John-Mark Victoria, were an elementary teacher and a cop (duh) respectively. 

They were a pretty chill middle class family, known in their community pretty well as they were often involved in a lot. 

So the brutal breaking and entering double homicide of the family and the orphaning of Seras was a big deal. It was in the local news. Definitely contributes to Seras having an intense need to NOT stand out. 

Her time at the orphanage is a seriously blocked out time period for her and for good reason -- it was a very emotionally and mentally isolating place. And she was disciplined. A lot. As canon explores, she was very violent, aggressive, and apprehensive of relations. She never truly got the therapy she needed and she surely thought the orphanage’s religious predisposition would not help. 

Protestant turned skeptical agnostic. She never understands religion all that well after her traumatic childhood. 

She went to a private school until her graduation. She had a massive passion in the law and enforcement, leading her to become a cop for emotional reasons she could never really place (traumatic memory blocking lmao) 

Despite being picked on and being seen as a little lesser, Seras really did enjoy her job as a cop and hoped to one day become a sergeant or a head of the office. Her fellow coworkers really wanted to see her succeed… 

In/Beyond Hellsing

The TV show was onto something with having Seras and Integra have quite the strained relationship. Seras just wanted to be liked and definitely understood that she was seen as an ‘invader’ into this strange little found family. 

I don’t have much more on this in terms of Seras’ side because Integra’s side has more potential for nuance. See Integra section. <3 

Overall, Seras has a very skittish relationship with everyone. She does get close to Walter though, as he’s the most merciful with her regarding her development as a Hellsing agent and vampire alike. She gets on the tradition of being up early enough to enjoy morning tea with him. (She can’t drink it but it helps her feel normal)

Her vampiric arm CAN formulate into a normal, fleshy arm but she prefers it not to as it reminds her of her strength. She can equally dissipate a lot of her body, mainly her eyes and back alongside her arm, but she can’t go full shadow like Alucard can on a whim. 

Vampires of different classes have different arrays of abilities. Seras learns a lot of hers is illusionary and omnipresence. Shadow work, shape shifting, illusions, and expert third-eye vision are her specialties. 

Miscellaneous 

Her favorite drink was London fog or a classic pint of beer. Her sweet tooth was unbeatable. 

She has a nice list of hobbies and interests! She loves dancing, can crochet, learning calligraphy for fun, 

Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing 

Born June 17th 1977

It’s van Helsing but whatever. Hellsing is the popularized version of the surname but if you ever ask her to sign a document or write her name, she always fills it out as ‘van Helsing’ because it is “correct”. 

Childhood and Parents

Integra is conceived out of wedlock between Arthur and Ahalya. They met in 1975 and Integra was born three months after their official wedding. Both of her parents were on the older side.  

Her ‘bastard’ status was a big issue in her inheritance and caused, frankly, a lot of tension between Arthur and Richard and more so doubts among the Round Table. 

Arthur defended his decision till the day he died. Integra was the best thing that ever happened to him. 

I AM TIRED OF SEEING NEGLIGENT FATHER ARTHURS. WAKE UP GUYS. 

Arthur was a devoted, very loving, very gracious father. Meeting Ahalya and really taking the Hellsing position seriously since his 30s helped prepare him to be an engaging father and dedicated spouse. While he was busy and often away, any moment he got with Integra was intentional and held his undivided attention. 

Integra’s mother was present until she was ten. Her mother was a little less emotional but equally loving. She was very adamant on Integra’s education and development into a young, respectable lady. She was very against Integra becoming the next head of Hellsing but Arthur was insistent. 

While not always perfect, Integra and her mother got along. Her mother passed away in the spring of 1987 due to terminal illness. 

She was basically raised by Walter whenever neither of her parents were around. They were the best of friends and could read each other like books. Where Arthur taught her the occult and leadership, her mother etiquette and poise, Walter taught her self-reliance and strong headedness. 

Their relationship was not always perfect and definitely hit a rocky patch when Alucard returned. She still never understood what their deal was. 

Early adult years - Integra is the most socially inept but poised individual. Talking to men? Talking to women? It’s near impossible. She’s a brick wall. She’s real fun at parties when she is either obligated or strongly convinced to go to them. 

Definitely earns herself a Elizabeth I reputation. The only time she ever dated was when she was 15 and she had a picnic with a guy her age once. Never again. 

Hellsing Era

Integra’s ascent into the head of the organization was agonizingly painful. Walter served as her legal guardian and Alucard was her…strange project. 

This is truly when she adopted her more masculine persona and this…closed off nature. It was the only way she saw herself being protected from all the prying, doubting, and slander of the bureaucracies. Was this damaging to her? Absolutely. 

Despite this, she grew very close with her father’s trusted friends. Penwood is more at an arm's length while surprisingly, despite his intensity, Irons is her closest among the RTC. 

Irons definitely sees Integra as his daughter as well, not even as Arthur’s child. 

Her relationship with Alucard at this time is very odd. Mentor/mentee, master/servant, Hellsing/vampire. She didn’t quite know how to appreciate him at this time 

A major contributor to their relationship growing was her discovery of Hellsing experiments and frankly more shameful works. While not inherently positive to their dynamic, it definitely changed the way she viewed Alucard forever. 

Adding onto the Seras/Integra segment here from Integra’s perspective. Integra can not afford to lose her ‘normal’. She is a creature of habit and stability. She would never admit it but the upheaval of her life via the death of her father, the absenteeism of Walter, the introduction of Alucard, her first kill, etc. ruined her perceived safety and it took her many years to regain it. 

She had a new, safe, constant normal with Walter and Alucard. So when Seras is introduced, Integra feels threatened. Her vampire acted irrationally and now she has to pay for it (literally and socially). Seras was an unfactored element to her that invaded her life and threw her into disarray. Obviously, this feeling does not last forever, but she detests Seras at first. 

I could also make a point about Integra having no real positive feminine influences in her life after her mother dies. She lives in such a masculine bubble that when Seras is introduced, she frankly does not know how to respond to a positive, feminine presence. That’s a whole other bag of marshmallows for another time.   

Post-Hellsing

She dies fifteen years after the time skip finale from natural causes. 

Miscellaneous 

Operas are her favorite. Her favorite is Tosca. Her favorite activity with Arthur in her youth was to attend the opera and ballets and the likes.

She pulls just as much as Arthur did. :)   

She is fluent in Dutch and English, and knows a decent handful of French and German from her governess days.

Pip Bernadotte 

Born March 27th 1972. Left handed. 

His full name is Pierre Andre. ‘Pip’ stuck in his youth. 

I have an unhealthy loyalty to believing he is French-Belgian-Columbian. Why Columbian? Because I said so. 

His father served on a mercenary job in Columbia where he met Pip’s mother and he brought her back to Europe with him. Pip was born in Belgium and his parents split up shortly after his birth but they never married. He was left with his dad as his mother returned to the Americas. 

He was primarily raised by her grandfather due to his father’s pretty constant absenteeism but whenever his father was around, it was very pleasant and he has a good, positive recollection of his father. 

His grandfather though? It was complicated. He was a stern disciplinarian.    

His father passed away in Pip’s 20s. They hadn’t seen each other for a few years leading up to his death, not in a negative way…just…kinda went down their own paths. 

Pip skipped Belgium and backpacked all around Europe for a long time after his basic level education. He used to have aspirations of being an actor but well we all saw what he actually is so say goodbye to the dream. 

He was engaged at least three times. Absolute dumbass heartbreaker. 

This is a running joke with the Wild Geese and definitely contributed to his dedication to Seras. She really made him want to settle and stop and be still. Sobs.  

Leading up to Hellsing/Hellsing

He was dumb, young, and had both eyes when he joined his first mercenary group. It was not the Wild Geese but there were some guys in there he met who would soon coagulate into the WG. 

That being said, he found he could make more money if he ran the show, so entered the formation of the Wild Geese. 

When he lost his eye, he temporarily considered getting a fake glass eye but (thank you cocolacola &lt;3) Seras gave him the eyepatch as a “welcome to Hellsing sorry for flicking you” offering. 

He’s got some unsorted trauma from losing his eye but he’s an adamant “it’s not that bad I don’t need to talk about it” kind of guy. Toxic masculinity or whatever. 

In general. He’s got a lot of unresolved/undiscussed trauma. Will he ever discuss it? No. 

Y’know. I feel he and Walter clicked too. They’re both a pair of war dogs who refuse to talk about being said war dogs. Pip is also under the illusion that Walter is pretty normal too until he soon realizes he is NOT. Pip and Walter worked together a lot in creating training drills, tweaking defense systems, and Pip ran the whole “this is our new defense plan” by the latter and both were maybe too excited to bond over insane artillery. 

Pip is not allowed in the gunshop though.

 When it comes to Integra, this man has mad respect for her and after the first greeting, he would never dare to disrespect her to her face or without good humor. 

Alucard is another…can of worms. Pip and Alucard have this odd ‘bro code’ honor between them but not much else. Really Pip only talks to Alucard because Seras serves as some type of liaison. 

As Seras’ familiar, I feel he develops ‘powers’- in a non-traditional sense. 

Memory barricades, psychic blocks/links, a minor form of omnipresence, and an adaptation of Seras’ skills when he branches out of her arm. 

He can materialize fully but not for long and is tethered to Seras via her shadow, so if that is cut, he dissipates. 

Miscellaneous 

He is a polyglot! French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, English fluently. Arabic, German, and Greek intermittently. 

He's a pescetarian. A failing one. 

Pip is a practicing Protestant but you’d never hear him be too open about it and he’s not a calendar Christian either. He’s pretty devoted. 

Walter C. Dornez 

Born September 30th, 1930. Left handed. 

The ‘C’ stands for Christaan: yes that’s how it’s spelled, it’s Dutch. 

This is my small blip on anon about his parents 

Tldr; Walter is maternally a Seward. His mother is Seward’s daughter and served as a nurse in WWI. She’s also the original holder of the monofilament wires, a vampire hunting weapon devised by the Sewards and their assistance to Hellsing in the early 1890s-1910-20s.

His father is from the Netherlands and served in the war.

He grew up in Rotterdam, Netherlands, until May 1940 when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands. 

In their exit from continent Europe, his parents parted ways. Mother took him to England, father stayed behind to aid resistance. He never came back. 

His mother left him in the stead of Hellsing as they are technically family friends and also left him with her precious wires. 

Started as a hall-boy, moved to a footman in 1941 and then was conscripted into Hellsing full-time forces in 1942, earning the moniker the same year. 

A 14 year old being a butler is ridiculous. As a history major, one who has an area of study in grand-house culture (staff and aristocracy) and hierarchy, it would be UNFOUNDED to have someone so young and seemingly inexperienced serving in a role like that. 

Now when he’s older? Plausible. Especially given the decline in house staff necessity, especially after the war. So anyways, his official title is butler to the Hellsing family and valet to Sir Hellsing. 

Dawn Era and Further 

He was the Hellsing infantry’s lil guy. His only friends were grown men who were either scared of him or thought he was puny. He definitely had to work for his respect and favor, with lots of blood, sweat, and tears. 

A big credit to his success in the ranks was his aptitude with gunsmithing. Making Hellsing’s literal arms makes you a valuable player. 

If he wasn’t using wires, he was using his own handcrafted sniper rifle: Pandora. 

This will be indulgent. 

Warsaw, Poland 1944. Kid can not remember any of it save for emotions, blurry recollection, and now his neck hurts on occasion. 

That Captain fight left him unrecognizable, even to himself, and absolutely shattered the early camaraderie he TRIED to have Alucard. 

He struggled to reconcile that Hellsing was any different than Millennium given he felt they were both out for him, just in different ways. 

Sometimes it’s best he doesn't remember.  

Poland definitely changed him for the worse - intense conditioning to violence made it near impossible for him to adapt back to the real world and being so pivotal in Hellsing forces so early on gave him quite the ego. 

He attended Balliol Harvard to study politics and economics. It was a fine time. Definitely awoke something in him. GAY. HE’S GAY. College was in general not too kind to him in the regard that trying to go back to a strange calm after his tumultuous teen years was……..immensely damaging to his psyche. 

Alucard. God where do I start. They had a…rivals to friends to no-contact to rivals to coworkers to friends to lovers (?) to amorous thoughts to haters to rivals to classy exes to…vampire fights in leather. It’s complicated. 

Integra is his absolute darling. He loves her so much despite being a ‘I hate kids’ individual leading up to that. He loved her as the daughter he never had/never will have and also because it evened Arthur out completely. 

Speaking of Arthur. Walter and Arthur have a complicated relationship- not quite father/son, not quite employer/employee, not quite sir/valet. Arthur was almost too casual with Walter early on but later, they developed a strange, taut but friendly mutual respect. 

Events of Hellsing

He died in ep5. He looked like a shattered jam jar on the streets of London when the Captain was done with him. I refuse to accept otherwise. 

Vampirism obviously saved him- for better or for worse is up to you. 

This is another bag of marshmallows but I like to think his vampire form is. Uncanny. He’s got some strange new features that distinctly set him apart from natural vampires, a common trait with Millennium engineered vampires.

Miscellaneous

Woman magnet. This man pulled from his 20s to his 40s. Crazy thing though? This man is not into women. Lmao. He has the ‘single attractive bachelor who is single for a reason’ vibe. 

Despite not being a fan of Arthur’s…colorful liveliness…he did some fun, maybe wild things in his youth too. He was no stranger to drinking, going to clubs, dancing, and has perhaps tried a substance or two. Anything to cope. 

Not even he knows how the wires work…he only knows they listen to him. 

They also function like web shooters or hooks if he controls the tension correctly. 

He is decked in scars from monofilament training. Has almost lost fingers MANY TIMES

#hellsing #hellsing ultimate #hellsing the dawn #long post #long text #headcanons #seras victoria #integra fairbrook wingates hellsing #integra hellsing #pip bernadotte #walter dornez #walter c dornez #character building and lore building #my own ideas in long form #please interact with this i am begging #go zero notes go!!

[contrivedchaos]

I like to imagine that sera and Emily are becoming attached to Clara and Odette, they just haven’t noticed. But Carmilla definitely has noticed how her girlfriend seems to almost mother the three girls whenever they do something they weren’t supposed to and she has definitely noticed how Emily seems to be absentmindedly picking up on Clara and Odette mannerisms and speech.

Carmilla mourns the fact that Clara and Odette didn’t have the childhood that Emily had. But Emily is a good influence on them. They have a lot of Sinner friends, but have never met anyone their age like Emily. Emily absorbs a lot of their mannerisms and slang, because she’s like a social sponge that way. Emily is also a hugger. She is affectionate with everyone, including Clara and Odette, who aren’t used to it at first. And the first time Emily hugs Carmilla, that’s like a big bonding moment for them. A part of that icicle around Carmilla’s heart starts to melt.

Similar with Sera. While Carmilla is affectionate with her girls and doesn’t deprive them of anything, Sera is very Soft™️ with them. They often pretend like stuff doesn’t bother them, and keep their feelings bottled up, because that’s just how you survive in Hell. But if Clara or Odette are really upset, Sera will do what she does with Emily in those situations — she’ll talk them through it. If they’re crying, she’ll wrap them up in her wings and just let her feathers absorb their tears. The first time Carmilla really ever saw her girls cry since they were little was during one of those moments with Sera.

#hazbin hotel #carmilla carmine #carmilla hazbin hotel #sera hazbin hotel #clara hazbin hotel #odette hazbin hotel #emily hazbin hotel #ask #anon #fan theories #carmilla x sera #sera x carmilla

[livmadart]

I have a few questions and personal ideas about the Only Takagi knows AU,

1.How is Takagi and Conan's relationship with each other.Would Conan refer to Takagi as 'Takagi nii' or 'Takagi-kun'?

2.Does Takagi end up being the one who finds Haibara since Professor Agasa doesn't know if so,how would her relationship with Takagi be?

3.Would Takagi treat them like normal kids or teenagers?(Includes Haibara)

4.Would Takagi's life be at more risk since he has a death magnet crime obsessed child living with him?How will Conan react to this?

5.Is Takagi stressed out?

6.Would Heiji,Sera and the other people who know about Conan's true identity in the canon find out as well or not?Also if that happens what will Conan do and how will Takagi react?

Personal thoughts n ideas,

I think it would make more sense if Conan wears more kid-like clothes instead of his iconic suit cus I feel like Takagi would still treat him like a kid,also it's kinda ironic that he has an outfit that literally looks like canon Conan's outfit.

I also think it would be nice if Takagi tries to give Conan a normal-ish childhood and ends up acting as a father figure to Conan.(And it would be funny if Conan accidentally calls Takagi 'dad' instead of 'Takagi-nii' or 'Takagi-kun')

If Takagi does end up finding Haibara I think he'll say she is Conan's twin or another cousin.He would probably treat Haibara as a normal kid and give her the childhood she never had.

I have two ideas for Haibara's bond with Takagi.She sees him as a father figure or instead of seeing him as a father figure she sees him as her dead sister.

Hi!! I’m so happy you like this au!! I can answer you by paragraph:

At first, I think they’re like begrudging roommates, with takagi slipping up and trying to treat Conan like a little kid frequently.

I had a different plan for Haibara—she is gonna be found outside the Kudo mansion by Ran! Even though Ran won’t know the whole story of APTX, she knows Haibara is a kid in need and takes her in. Suddenly, Haibara has a big sister again

Like I said, Takagi frequently forgets that Conan isn’t a real six year old. This makes Conan very irritable, of course

I don’t think his life would be in particular danger? Any more than it normally is, at least. He would be on the same level of danger as Kogoro, I guess—he’s being put into lots of situations

Yes!!! Always

Heiji will figure it out of course, as will Sera. I think the only one who won’t find out is Agasa. Takagi will be exponentially more stressed by all of the reckless teen detectives who are suddenly hanging around him

As for the extra thoughts…

I actually have a little comic planned about how Conan gets his suit! Stay tuned :)

Also, I think it’s gonna be the opposite—because of Conan’s influence, takagi is gonna be getting his life together (remember that episode where all the detective boys make fun of him? He won’t be able to live his bachelor lifestyle while taking care of a kid!)

Thank you for your ask, and have this sketch!

#dcmk #ran mouri #ai haibara #only takagi knows au #asks!

[laurenairay]

I never thought - P. Grubauer

Summary: Meeting Philipp Grubauer was the last thing Sera expected.

This is my entry for @wyattjohnston’s winter fic exchange 2024. I had the joy of writing for @knifeshoeboys – I really hope you like this Philipp Grubauer story, Nicole! I had a lot of fun creating this sweet piece from all of your prompts.

Words: 1.7k

Warnings: fluff, slight anxiety, mildly secret romance

Title from On Purpose by Sabrina Carpenter

~

Sera liked her routine. Monday to Friday she worked from 8.30am to 5pm as the receptionist in one of the biggest law firms in Seattle. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, she went straight to the gym after work, cycling from the office, rotating her workouts between legs, arms, and core. Saturday mornings were back to the gym for a yoga class at 8am, before driving her car to the grocery store on the loop back to her apartment. It was predictable. It was safe. It was boring.

But at least she always knew what to expect.

It was just her luck that she couldn’t control the weather, really. Even more her luck that she’d left her umbrella in her car in stead of putting it in her gym bag – and that she’d parked on the other side of the parking lot. As Sera left the gym after her Saturday yoga class at the beginning of November, the rain was pouring down in sheets, and she knew without a doubt that she would get soaked to the bone, unable to shake the chill for hours. She could only imagine how badly the waves in her dark hair would be tangled after traipsing through this downpour.

But just as she was steeling herself to step out of the gym doors, she heard a groan of disbelief from behind her.

“Oh man, it’s really coming down, isn’t it?”

The light accent – definitely European – caught her attention, and she turned her head to see a tall handsome man smiling wryly at her. As her blue eyes locked with his hazel ones, she felt her breath hitch in her throat, and she couldn’t help herself from smiling back at him.

“Not a great start to the weekend, no,” she mused.

He barked out a laugh, making her stomach flutter with butterflies, even more so when he flashed a grin at her while he rooted in her his own gym bag. After only a breath, the sweetly-smiling man pulled out an umbrella with a triumphant ‘hah!’, making her laugh, earning another grin.

“I was not looking forward to walking all the way across the parking lot in this,” he said, grimacing as he wiggled the umbrella at the deluge outside.

“Yeah, I’m still trying to psych myself up to do that,” she said, grimacing in turn.

“Oh damn, I thought you were waiting for someone,” he admitted, “Did you want to share my umbrella with me?”

That sweet simple gesture, innocent and genuine, set her heart racing like nothing she could ever remember. How could she turn down such a kind offer from a gentleman?

“I’d like that, if it’s not too much trouble,” she said, smiling softly, “It’s not like I’ll take up much room.”

The man just laughed as she waved her hand between them, him clearly towering over her 5ft self.

“I’m Philipp, by the way,” he grinned.

Philipp. It suited him.

“Sera.”

~

Sera had never been one for surprises, or going with the flow. After most of her childhood spent watching her mother – her beloved hippie artist mother – drift along with no real direction, just seeing where the wind took the two of them, Sera had always craved control. Now that she was 30 years old and living on her own, Sera finally had it. True, she had mellowed out over the past few years, not needing everything to be excruciatingly perfect anymore, but that routine had always helped ease her anxieties.

Philipp Grubauer had been the biggest surprise she never knew she needed.

After that fateful meeting at the gym six weeks ago, the two of them having exchanged phone numbers with shy smiles as they stopped by her car, they’d spoke nearly every single day – and not just text messages either. Full-on phone calls, even down to facetiming each other while they each cooked dinner just to spend that low-maintenance time together, their schedules not always allowing face to face time so early on in getting to know each other.

And then there were the dates.

A dinner every week. Several coffee dates telling stories and giggling over lattes. Even a night out at the ballet, Sera never having seen The Nutcracker and Philipp insisting that he took her to enjoy the Christmas magic. She didn’t know where this man had been all her life, but if being single this long meant waiting for him? Well, the wait was definitely worth it.

Philipp was so easygoing, adapting to her obvious anxieties with ease as he went, but not just coasting along. He slotted into her routine perfectly, timings calls and dates around her typical timings and his own hockey schedule – even joining her in the gym for a yoga class, showcasing his extraordinary flexibility – but still encouraging her to try new things. He was funny, sweet, and genuinely interesting, and Sera found herself eagerly anticipating every moment they spent together. There was just one thing though – he had never ventured further than kissing her cheek and holding her hand.

Maybe it was just her anxieties talking. Maybe it was a European thing. Maybe he really was just that much of a gentleman. But if she didn’t say something soon, she felt like she was going to burst. Sera just liked him so much, and she didn’t want to ruin their blossoming relationship by stewing in her own head.

If only she could find the right moment.

Mid-December rolled around before Sera even realised it, her office Christmas party making her realise just how close to the holidays the year had come. Philipp had even woken her up with fresh pastries and coffee from the bakery down the street from her apartment, the two of them making plans for him to come over to hers for the first time for a chilled day, Sera knowing she would most likely have some form of hangover (and she had been right in that fact), but still wanting to see him while he had a free Saturday. She’d even forgone her usual Saturday yoga class, which, if nothing else, told her exactly her fast she was falling for him.

“You are a godsend, Philipp Grubauer,” she groaned, accepting the almond croissant from him with a smile.

He just grinned, sitting down next to her on the sofa in silence. Not only was this the first time that he was at her apartment, it was also the first time that they’d seen each other in loungewear, both in a sweatpants and sweater combination, something that made Sera smile at the direction their relationship was taking. It just felt right.

They talked about her office Christmas party, about his upcoming game in Nashville, about his teammates new babies, about her looking forward to a week’s break between Christmas and the New Year, all while eating their pastries and drinking their coffee. It was easy, and comfortable, and domestic, and yet it still sent electricity running through her veins like nothing ever had. What was it about Philipp that sent her into such a tizzy? Whatever it was though, she liked it. She really liked it.

“There was something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Philipp said, putting down his plate after a short silence.

“Oh?” Sera asked, putting down her own plate on the coffee table too.

“Would you come to my team christmas party with me?”

She inhaled sharply, lips parting in surprise, and Philipp quickly barrelled onwards with a wince.

“I know we’ve only known each other six weeks, but things have been going really well, right? And…I see a future between us, and normally I wouldn’t bring anyone to meet my teammates and their partners so soon, but…well, not that I’ve brought anyone in the years I’ve been in Seattle, but I would really like you to meet them? It's an informal thing really, at Belly's house, but all the guys will be there. Burky’s mostly house-trained now, and Larss will keep Dunner on a leash, and Yanni’s wife is an absolutely sweetheart, you’ll love her, and…”

“Yes.”

Philipp startled slightly at her interruption, before her simple answer registered, a wide smile spreading across his lips at Sera’s shy smile.

How could she not want to? The very fact that he wanted to bring her into such an important part of his life meant everything, she knew that. And he saw a future for them, just like she did? How could she want anything other than to meet his friends and colleagues?

Well, there was one thing she wanted too.

“You’ll come with me? You’ll meet them?” he asked hopefully, “I’m pretty sure they think I’m making you up at this point, with the amount that I talk about you but haven’t brought you to a game.”

At least he wasn’t keeping her a secret on purpose. That eased her nerves a little.

“I’d love to,” she said, laughing a little at his confession, “On one condition.”

“Of course, anything,” he nodded immediately.

A dangerous promise. But she needed to say something, just as her gut had been nagging her, or she really was going to explode.

“Kiss me?” she blurted, her heart racing.

Oh damn it.

That was not the way she wanted to say that.

What if he thought she was too forward? What if he thought she was being too much?

But Philipp didn’t even answer her with words. His hands reached out to cup her face gently, his eyes never leaving hers as he leaned in to kiss her as she asked. The moment that his lips touched hers, Sera let out a soft sigh, all but melting into his body, hands clutching at his biceps. His hands felt rough against her cheeks, hockey hands she knew, and the feeling of his beard brushing her skin only added to that. He smelled solely of a woodsy cologne, sharp in her nose and yet comforting all the same, suiting him perfectly. All she could taste was coffee and flaky pastry between their closed lips, her senses completely overwhelmed in the best way.

The moment lasted only seconds before he pulled away, cheeks as flushed as his mouth. She knew her own cheeks were flushed as well with the heat she felt, even more so as all she could think of was wanting more.

“I've been wanting to kiss you for weeks,” he said, voice uncharacteristically rough.

Sera made a noise she’d never heard before, a cross between a sigh and a moan, before she leaned in to kiss him again. How could she not?

#my writing #philipp grubauer fic #winter fic exchange 2k24 #philipp grubauer fanfic #philipp grubauer imagine #hockey fic #hockey fanfic #hockey imagine #nhl fic #nhl fanfic #nhl imagine

[undiscovered-horizon]

"The Just and the Wicked" - Morpheus x Wisdom!Reader

[TW: blood, violence, suicide, explicit language]

A/N: Watched Sweetbitter (2018) and honestly it was more of angry binging. Those people were ✨frustrating✨ me. I have already made up so much lore about Pillars of Eternity I keep a separate file in Evernote.

[Check out 'Pillars of Eternity'!] | [Next part: 'Que sera, sera'] | [Sandman-inspired playlist]

SUMMARY: Your idyllic life with Morpheus is interrupted by the visit of your brother, Decay, who informs you that one of Karma's agents, a Palace of Justice, had died. The mystery becomes only stranger when an ancient, unholy fraction seems to be involved - the same one that surely helped Rodrick Burgess in capturing you.

WORDCOUNT: ~ 9k

We meet again, dear student! Have you met Hermes again? Well, perhaps he's grown fond of you. I know I have. You are such a great listener, always asking brilliant questions and never interrupting. But enough about you.

You know why you're here, there's no need for me to ask such a rhetorical question. It is also the reason we keep on meeting again and again. Last time we spoke of dreams, wisdom and the strange gift of divinity their union provided. Today, I'd like to tell you a story that my mother used to tell me. In fact, I've heard it from her so many times during my childhood that I'd grow furious any time I heard the word 'karma'. It is only in my old age that I finally understand the importance of this tale. Tell me, when you think of justice, what comes to your mind?

Themis? A great choice! Curiously, she does appear in the story I'm about to tell you. But let me start from the beginning. The coexistence of Decay and Wisdom created Karma. She's not a Pillar of Eternity and neither is she one of the Endless, therefore she falls into the grey area, a truly bottomless sack of wonders, commonly called the Sacra. When humans came into existence, Karma began to have more work than she could possibly handle, so she asked the Pillars to give her something to help her. That's how Themis was created. Her sole purpose was to make sure that justice reigns in the human realm but even justice is a very complex phenomenon. Themis decided to ask Karma for messengers that will deliver different kinds of justice to people. Those messengers are the Palaces of Justice. There are seven of them, well, there used to be seven of them and the circumstances of the death of one of them, the Lion, are the subject of this tale. Everything began when my uncle, Decay, visited my parents in the Dreaming:

The branches of the hazel tree quietly rustled above you as a gentle breeze shyly swayed them in a primaeval dance. A murder of crows sat in the tree but not even Mother Nature could force those ominous birds to interrupt your meditation with their cawing. They were quietly perched on the branches, prepared to take flight into other realms should you ask them to or scare away any distraction that might come your way. The world around was silent but never empty. With each deep breath, your nostrils were filled with the pleasant fragrance of wet soil and hazelnuts but not for too long:

You knew he came and you were sure he was well aware of that. The air in Dreaming suddenly became unbearably sweet as if the unnaturally strong aroma was supposed to cloud senses, distract anyone in the vicinity from something else, something much darker and bleak. The crows above you began cawing nervously as if trying to scare away a mare they couldn't see or inform you of a danger they couldn't name as though the air itself became some eldritch evil. Out of the Pillars of Eternity, Decay had always been the most social one but even he made sure to notify beforehand of his nigh arrival. It was strange for him to show up unannounced - strange enough that you began to suspect something terrible had taken place.

As you stood up, the murder of crows took flight, each one of them travelling to different parts of Dreaming or entirely foreign realms but they will be back the moment you sit down under the hazel tree again - they always are. Their nervous caws filled the air, announcing to each world in this universe that Wisdom watches and listens. Your rushed footsteps echoed through the empty marble palace creating an impression of an entire army following you into the lion's den. Somewhere halfway through your march, you run into Lucienne who, without a doubt, was looking for you to spread the news of Decay's unexpected arrival.

"My lady-" she began.

"I know, Lucienne," you cut her off. "Thank you, nonetheless."

Her surprised stare only followed you as you walked past her and disappeared around the closest corner. But Lucienne had many other affairs to tend to, so she simply carried on with whatever needed her attention next.

Aside from Morpheus, there was someone else in the throne room: he seemed a little too mature to be called a boy but definitely too youthful to be titled a man. His lightly tanned body looked soft and pudgy, conjuring thoughts of warm summer afternoons filled with ripe fruit, laughter and carelessness. Angel-like golden locks fell down his shoulders, glistening in the bright light that crept through the tall stained glass windows in the back of the hall. The guest was talking about one of his adventures in a very animated manner and judging by Morpheus's exhausted face, it surely wasn't the first story he was forced to listen to on that day. Hearing your approaching footsteps, both of them looked in your direction:

"Dear sister!" the young man exclaimed. He was dressed in a white robe that could hardly be called 'decent'. The fairly high-pitched voice, in which he spoke, painted him as even younger than his already quite childish appearance. To your dismay, that tacky seashell necklace was still around his neck. "My heart swells at the sight of you! I apologize for not notifying you about my visit but I'm afraid I'm not here to ponder our relationship and the lovely memories we share."

"Then what is it, Decay?" you asked as you made your way towards him. Being so close to him felt like a mouthful of rose syrup. "The longer you stay in Dreaming, the more its genius loci shall rot towards oblivion. Speak fast, brother."

Decay leaned in towards you. His indigo eyes were bright and his smile as lovely as it was wide, making it a truly ridiculous idea that he was the one making flowers wilt and flesh dissolve. Yes, he was, in fact, akin to the Trojan horse. "I know the spear is in here, Wisdom. My presence will not make a cloud disappear underneath your sky," he whispered. "Speaking of your sky, I'm quite... underwhelmed with your choice of a husband. Is he always this grumpy? You could have gone for someone more, well, similar to you. I'm sure Odin wouldn't think twice before accepting an offer."

The mere mention of that entitled one-eyed man made your head ache. Each day he did not try to strike a deal with you was a blessing. "Abyss shall grow eyes before I consider Odin as something more than an annoyance."

"Now that would be a day, dear sister." Decay could barely contain his excitement. "Do you think having eyes would make him look a little less, you know, empty?"

The thought elicited a quiet chuckle from both of you. Although it was nice to talk to Decay and carelessly joke around like you had done many times before, he was still yet to explain his unforeseen appearance.

"Really, Decay, why did you come here?" you coaxed once the laughter subsided. "To jest? To insult?"

For a moment, he stared at you with a strangely triumphant expression that seemed like genuine happiness only superficially - there was mischief, viciousness in his eyes as though he was gloating at possessing knowledge you did not share with him. After he got his presumed satisfaction, Decay stepped away from you to resume his monologue. You noticed that Morpheus's stern gaze never left your brother's physique as he casually strolled through the throne room. Was Dream expecting trouble? A sudden offence? "I came to inform you about a strange occurrence that needs your insight. I visited Karma not too long ago but not out of my own will. One of the Palaces died."

"Palaces of Justice?" Morpheus repeated slowly. His eyebrows furrowed instantaneously and it was a quite understandable reaction to anyone who knew a thing or two about those strange creatures. "How can a Palace of Justice die?"

"Not by a mortal hand nor by the hand of the Endless," you answered in quiet thoughtfulness. "Is there anything more you've learned, Decay? Tell me, what barbarity preceded this act of treason?"

"Truthfully, I do not know any more than Karma does. Unlike Death," Decay paused to look meaningfully in Dream's direction, "I do not gossip with my subjects, therefore Lion himself did not tell me about his passing. But I did, however, come into possession of something that you might find attractive. It is also, I believe, the very trail at which your insight begins, dear sister."

From the scarce folds of his revealing robe, Decay took out a torn piece of material. It was silvery white, glistening in the diffused rays that lit up Morpheus's palace. There seemed to be something embroidered in a dark thread but the tear run in the middle of the design, making it impossible to tell with utmost certainty what it had once presented. Extrapolating from the remaining lines, one could assume that the silvery, silky material once had an open eye inside a triquetra embroidered on it. There was only one unholy fraction that proudly wore such a sigil:

"Brothers of the Final Truth," you whispered to yourself while still examining the torn material. Finding it on your path, however, posed as many questions as it did answers, dissipating the unpenetrated mists of ignorance. "Without a doubt, the ones that told Rodrick Burgess of Metatron's Cube."

"Well then, I should leave you to it. There are still flowers to wilt and empires to fall. I'd hate to make them wait. Farewell, dear sister." Decay politely bowed his head towards you before looking at Morpheus with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk. "Dream of the Endless."

As Decay disappeared, so did the suffocatingly sweet rose smell. You pondered his words - he knew the Spear of Ages was in the Dreaming, at least part of it. The only way for him to know that was if he had tried to make something rot, that sly old fox...

When your brother was finally gone, you swore you could hear Morpheus sigh to himself. He was still sitting on one of the last steps, as he usually did. Dream had a habit of sitting in a quite not noble fashion with his shoulders slouched, back hunched but Decay's leave made his shoulders fall further down as if the visit was a physical burden on him. Perhaps, despite the presence of the Spear of Ages, Morpheus felt a strange heaviness weighing him down, a sudden and inexplicable urge to lie down and close his eyes, even for a moment. "Is your brother usually like this?" he asked in a low voice.

"Funny you should ask. He said the same thing about you."

Perhaps at another time and in another place, they could even be friends.

Entering Karma's residence, the very first thing that grabbed the visitor's attention was the floor or rather a generous interpretation of that term. Underneath a guest's feet was not marble tiling but polished glass that revealed a... pond. Pleasantly fat koi fish leisurely swam in the water of a shade a little too blue to be considered a natural wonder. The carps as if used to anthropomorphic giants walking across their sky, seemed unbothered by another pair of feet stepping over them. Seeing them, a pang of envy erupted in the onlooker's chest: to have no care in the world and a full stomach! What a wonderful fate that was.

Leading away from the throne room were granite corridors with high ceilings and greek pillars. Similarly to Dream's palace, Karma's castle appeared completely empty, deserted even, but given the Hellenistic architecture, there was something poetic to these halls as though they were a forgotten museum or, perhaps, the museum of the forgotten.

"Look above you, Morpheus," you spoke softly as you nudged his shoulder. "I'm honoured to present to you the Palaces of Justice."

There, on the great dome of Karma's castle was a beautiful renaissance fresco. The scene presented a meadow or fields filled with tall grass and neatly trimmed thujas. Among the greenery, however, lurked seven animals: lion, hawk, camel, snake, tiger, jaguar and ox. They each seemed to be aggressive towards all the others but none of them was actually attacking. Curiously, all of them were painted with golden crowns on their heads. It would have been an otherworldly fresco in its grandeur if it wasn't for a strange detail: where the heads of the snake and lion once were, pieces of the ceiling had fallen off. In the middle of the fresco, surrounded by the animals as though they were a wreath, was a scale with a human skull on one side and a decorative globe on the other. In fact, the scale and the mysterious artefacts were identical to the ones standing at the centre of Karma's throne room.

"It's... impressive," he said in an absent voice as he continued to admire the painting.

"Because it's quite far from the truth, I suppose," you answered before walking further into the palace.

In the back of the spacious hall, on the throne which looked more like a decorative park bench to be fair, sat Karma herself. The silky, purple material of her exceptionally long chakkraphat pooled at her feet, falling in cascades down the steep stairs leading up to her exalted seat. The tiny peacocks embroidered on the material looked nearly alive with the amount of detail and vivid colours the unnamed tailor had put into them. Karma’s right arm might not have been covered by her shimmering dress but the densely done mehndi made it impossible to see her olive skin anyway. Red and white paint was covering her face, which wasn't exactly easy to see as she had a habit to fan herself excessively.

Noticing Morpheus and you, Karma hurriedly got up from her throne and bowed so low she nearly sat cross-legged on the floor. Perhaps she did but got up so effortlessly it was hard to tell. In any case, she stayed standing instead of sitting down once more, although it wouldn't be considered impolite as they were guests in her realm.

"My lady Wisdom!" she exclaimed in a nervous voice. "Forgive me but I was not aware of your nigh visit. I'm afraid I can not welcome you as I should."

"Do not fret, Karma," you assured her. "I am here because Decay told me of Lion's passing. I was hoping you could tell me more about this tragedy."

Her eyebrows slanted and she fell down on her throne despite her desire to show you the utmost respect. Considering the amount of paint she wore, her face resembled more of a noh mask rather than something organic. Should one of her muscles twitch a little too intensely, the layers of dried makeup would probably peel right off.

"I do not know much, at least not enough to solve this gut-wrenching mystery," Karma spoke in a plaintive voice. The lability of her emotions seemed surprising at best when one considered that she was the effect of your and Decay's coexistence - neither of you was exceptionally sensitive. "I learned of Lion's passing only when master Decay arrived at my palace. Not an alarm was raised before that, not even a worried whisper reached my ears."

Having experienced unrest among his subjects himself, Morpheus furrowed his eyebrows at Karma's statement of genuine obliviousness. How could she not know that one of her people died? "Have you not noticed anything strange?" he asked.

"The scale remains balanced, Lord Morpheus." She gestured towards the scale with a skull and a globe that stood behind you. "As it has been for the past thousands of years."

"What of Lion?" you continued the inquiry. "Did he appear out of the ordinary?"

"I do not believe so. Had anything happened to him, I'm sure Themis would have told me."

Considering different possible scenarios of Lion's last moments, you found yourself looking at the fresco again. The teeth and sheer scale of the animals painted beamed with might and pride. Alas, two of them were no longer part of this exalted fellowship and one could only wonder whether such losses had something in common.

"I remember the day Viper was exiled," you spoke up after a moment of thoughtful silence. "Human hearts began to tremble and never stopped, even to this day. Feelings of guilt haunt them both when they're awake and in their dreams..." drawing out your monologue, you looked at the mistress of the palace again. "Has she returned ever since?"

"She remains exiled," Karma answered with certainty. Nervous, she seemed to fan herself more frantically. "If Viper had returned, I would be immediately notified, my lady."

"I do not doubt the loyalty or competence of your subjects, Karma. What I'm suggesting is that Viper can make others believe quite literally anything with her silver tongue and poisonous words. It is not beyond her power to make your guards believe they had never seen her."

Your words echoed through the empty palace like a brass bell that tolls to announce someone's passing. Karma left her mouth open agape. Even her experienced wrist stopped fanning her for a moment. Those big, violet and theatrically teary eyes stared at you with unspeakable horror and woe as though you had said something completely unthinkable. Even the peacocks on her fan seemed to have their dead, vacant gaze set on you.

"Those are dreadful words, your worship," she quietly stated. Had her voice been any lower, one might have assumed it was but a gust of wind, chiming and whistling as it travelled through the empty granite halls.

"That they are, my dear," you continued. One might have wondered how come such a frail, sensitive creature had to overlook something so important like the balance of the universe? "But that doesn't make them any less true. Would Viper have any reason to kill Lion?"

"Barbarity is in her nature, I'm afraid." Karma resumed the fanning motion. For a moment, her gaze fell to the floor, admiring the careless koi fish underneath your feet. "Themis should be more acquainted with any possible grudges the Palaces might hold against one another. Should I call for her, my lady?"

"It would prove very helpful."

In a sharp, echoing thud, Karma folded her fan giving all the prying eyes an exceptionally rare possibility of seeing her entire face. Holding the wooden accessory in her hand, she hit the gong standing beside her throne. The low but bright sound resounded through the palace, bouncing off the walls in a cacophony that brought pain to your head and vibration to your bones.

From one of the long, empty halls emerged a tall, muscular woman. Her dark, wavy hair danced on the wind as she walked but not as wildly as it, probably, wanted to - a piece of thick material wrapped around her eyes was restraining its frolicking. The textile was originally white, starting to grey with time and grime, but that was not the change in colour one should have been paying attention to: there were two brown, circular stains where her eyes presumably were. The woman walked barefoot with her arms stretched out far in front of her. On top of them, she carried a steel sword. As water underneath her feet reflected bright light coming through the tall windows, it created beautiful, dancing meanders on the floor-facing side of the blade. Something about her appearance made Morpheus flex the muscles of his back and shoulders as if he was checking whether he's standing straight enough.

"I have arrived, my lady Karma," the woman spoke in a low voice. Although she didn't speak very loudly, her words seemed to be carried especially well through the domed throne room. It was as if the sound of her voice was not heard by your ears but by the very fibre of your body. "How can I be of assistance?"

"Themis, whatever my guests ask you, you must answer."

"Of course, my lady Karma."

Turning to face Morpheus and you, Themis grabbed the handle of the sword and putting both of her hands around it, shoved the tip of the blade into the glass flooring. Thankfully, it did not break. The fish seemed greatly unmoved by the almost catastrophe. Humans could learn a thing or two from them.

Closely watching the deity, you strolled around Themis, taking in her form from all angles. Morpheus, on the other hand, stood beside the two of you and simply stared at your strange method of interrogation. "Since her exile, did Viper return to this palace?" you asked

"I have not seen Viper, the Palace of Justice, since my lady Karma decided to exile her," Themis answered in an official tone. Her voice remained unwavering.

"You did not answer the question, Themis," Morpheus stated. The goddess of justice, however, remained unmoved at this accusation and simply awaited your further inquiry.

"Do you know what happened to Lion?"

"I do not know how Lion, the Palace of Justice, died."

You stopped your bizarre activity to look at Themis's face. Like a marble statue, it remained unmoved but not in the same way Morpheus refused to be open about his emotions. Although she was a lot closer creation-wise to humans than him, not a speck of humanity seemed to reside under her skin. But that observation could hardly be surprising, not to you at least - it was your own design, all of it. A shiver of suspicion danced along your spine. She wasn't lying but she wasn't truthful either. Perhaps there must come the day when children turn on their parents, even metaphorically.

Morpheus inconspicuously leaned in to voice your own thoughts: "She knows what happened but refuses to tell."

"We have to trust that her silence is meaningful and not an omen of ill will," you whispered back but never let Themis out of your sight. "Perhaps by not telling us the truth, proper justice can be delivered." Only then did you speak up: "You are dismissed, Themis."

"Thank you, your worship," she answered.

Effortlessly, Themis pulled her shining sword from the glass floor. The rift where the blade once resided sealed itself, leaving absolutely no indication that even a scratch fell on the glass. Once again holding her sword in a strangely offering manner, the goddess of justice bowed low in front of you. Then, she turned around and left the throne room, disappearing around one of the antique, granite pillars decorating Karma's castle.

"We shall take our leave, Karma. You have been most helpful. Until this lonely path unites us again, my dear."

"I will await that day, your worship," she answered. By the sound of her voice, you could tell she was smiling, although the frantically moving fan was in the way of confirming your suspicion.

Having exchanged your farewells, you turned around and marched towards the entrance. Koi carps still swam under your feet without a care in the world, while the mighty Palaces of Justice stared at your back from the ceiling. Despite having no face on the fresco, you felt the eyes of Viper and Lion burning into your skin - one stalking and one pleading but both equally furious. Out of the corner of your eye, you looked at Morpheus's sharp features, so serious and regal but he couldn't fool you even if he tried. Dream of the Endless was dealing with things well above his 'paygrade', forces that were beyond him in the great scheme of creation. His blood, should he shed even a drop during this strange investigation, will stain your skin through all the cycles that are yet to happen. For the first time in long aeons, you were responsible for someone's life. By the warmth with which you had welcomed such a burden, you could tell that you'd aged.

The doors separating Karma's palace from the rest of her realm had a scene carved into each of the wings: one side presented a pack of wolves hunting a hare while the other showed a group of men aiming their rifles at a wolf. That's what Karma really stood for - an eye for an eye, a life for a life. When they were forced to open or close, the mechanism moving the door let out a rhythmic ticking, easily confused with the sound of a clock. Perhaps it was a silly coincidence or Karma wanted to remind each and every person that crossed the threshold of her land, that nothing in the universe is static. If you're hunting the hare, beware of the men with rifles because they will come. They always find you just like you always find the hare.

"Sad thing what happened to dear Lion," a male voice spoke up. He had a rough accent, vividly pronouncing his Rs. "He was a good lad, always bravely taking on whatever Themis threw at him. Honestly, I kind of felt bad for him after the last... perplexity. In his defence, he really thought he had it."

The man had dark skin roughly the colour of a brick. His luscious black hair was braided into a complex coiffure decorated with various feathers, each belonging to a different bird and only some of them came from earthly animals. He was dressed in a hand-weaved vest with nothing underneath it. Despite his strong, handsome features, his face looked somehow mischievous and vicious but that could easily be accredited to the white, long scar running straight down his face. Around him, the air smelled of musk and pine needles as though he was a forest beast only pretending to be a young man. In a quite defying manner, considering who he was speaking to, the stranger was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed on his chest.

"What perplexity do you mean, Hawk?" you coaxed him but, truthfully, you had hardly any hope to learn anything significant from him. If Hawk had any relatives, he'd sell them just to strike a personal deal with someone - that's the kind of creature he was. Despite such... affliction, he was proficient at his duties as a Palace of Justice, therefore everyone simply went along with his aggravating business model.

"Now that is a really good question, your worship: what do I mean?" he continued in a thrilled voice. A mischievous smile appeared on his face revealing his strangely sharp teeth. "I suppose I could tell you, I probably even should, but I'm a beast of business, not charity."

"You are in no place to make demands," Morpheus warned him.

"And you are in no place to dismiss my offer," he answered without the smallest falter in his smile. "Desperation is a sweet, sweet thing, Dream of the Endless."

Perhaps it was beneath you to submit to an egotistic agent of a Sacra's servant but the possibility of someone capable of killing Palaces of Justice simply running around unaccounted for was far worse. "What do you want?"

"I may have the best sight in this cycle but there is one place even my sight can not reach," Hawk spoke as he leaned towards you in a secretive manner, "Dreaming, the universe's unconscious. Bring me a feather from the tail of his raven," Hawk motioned towards Morpheus standing right next to you, "and I will tell you what I know."

You simply stared at him for a moment, pondering the consequences of your choice. But this... this you can just as freely take away as you give it. Out of thin air, with a graceful flick of your wrist, you conjured a black feather. It had a slight golden shimmer to it. "You will find this one sufficient," you stated as you handed the feather to Hawk.

Hawk studied the feather for a moment. His delicate hand brushed against the softness of the gift. "Yes, it should work just fine..." Examining it from all angles, Hawk finally reached into his long hair and threaded the new feather into one of his small braids. "Now, the case of our dear Lion. All of it is a real tear-jerker, your worship. Have you heard of the butterfly effect? You know, one small thing leading to a series of horrible events that only a person with more than one brain cell could predict? So, our little lion cub was deceived one time. Black magic that even made me shudder, no doubt the work of one of the Brothers of the Final Truth. It's funny that they claim to be this ancient, exclusive cult but if you can prove you're deranged enough they will let you in on a secret or two. In any case, someone got a hold of a Serpent Lock sigil, effectively locking Lion away from a considerable part of the truth. Everything was pointing at the teenage girl, so he did this heavenly duty of executing justice. Get it? Executing? Anyway, it turned out that it was the girl that put the Serpent Lock on the grimoire or some dairy and only after her untimely death did Lion learn what had actually happened. Long story short, he dealt with the wrong person and it should have been the mother. For the first time in this cycle, justice was served wrong and on top of that, the funniest part of this shit, it was the poster boy that did it."

"So Viper had nothing to do with this?" Morpheus asked. You caught his quick stern gaze as though the two of you were exchanging thoughts and theories.

"Quite the contrary. You need to learn to keep up, Lordy Morphy. She's the sole reason I'm telling you this story. Think about this: Lion, the symbol of power, family, strength, bravery and fuck knows what else, kills himself. It even sounds weird, doesn't it? That's when my slithering sister comes in with her guilt-tripping and intrusive thoughts. She whispers a thing or two, Lion stupidly listens, scratches his face off and scene!"

"I was under the impression that Viper and you don't cross paths as a rule," you questioned Hawk's honesty. Whenever these two were in each other's field of vision, catastrophes liked to stroll by but no one could tell anymore why they were like that. "Why change your mind now?"

"Lion's gone and, just like when that slimy serpent was exiled, the ones who are left have to clean up their mess. Doing my own load was enough but taking on theirs? That's ridiculous. I want Viper to get her own decisions to bite her in the ass, finally. You know, my lady, it's quite funny how she always manages to get out of every mess just fine."

"You're a Palace of Justice, Hawk," you reminded him. Somehow, in all those long centuries, he had forgotten the splendour of his own title or, perhaps, got too comfortable with it. "Vengeance is beneath you." The contempt in your voice made Morpheus slightly shift his body in discomfort.

"And what is justice if not lawful vengeance?" Hawk answered you. Clearly, he wasn't there to listen to your preaching. He was done with the drama he had to be part of. "Anyway, there are no rules regarding violence among Palaces, so I trust that you're the one who's going to make a judgement in this case. Themis's sword can't call Viper anymore but it shouldn't be a problem. Here." From the pocket of his saggy, sand-coloured pants, Hawk pulled out a handful of scales that had a strange glisten to them. "Toodles."

With such a perfect summary of his careless disrespect, he changed from his human form into an actual hawk and flew away. In truly comedic timing, both you and Morpheus let out a tired sigh. Dealing with Hawk may have been infuriating but you had Viper's scales - and that meant you could summon her.

"What manner of a feather was that?" Morpheus asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"If you're asking whether I pluck a feather from your beloved Jessamy's tail, I did not. Think, dear Morpheus, who could have allowed your messenger to effortlessly travel between realms?"

His gaze lingered on you as though at first he didn't quite believe the implication. Then, a small smile crept unto his face as his expression beamed with wonder. The more he knew about you, the stronger he felt that all of him and Dreaming were a dollhouse you carved with your own hand. Left alone for a day too long, the dolls of the house began living on their own but the mark of their creator remained.

But that sense of wonder and awe washed away in favour of his ever-broad ego. "Was it truly necessary to succumb to Hawk's fractious demands?"

"Do not be mistaken, Morpheus, I did not want to give in to Hawk but there is not much else we can do at this point. This is one of those choices humanity always fails: pride or progress? Whether I complete his request or not, he will remain only a Palace of Justice and I will remain the Pillar of Eternity."

One day he was bound to learn from you that confidence was silent, it neither boasts nor demands but remains humble as it makes the right choice; a head unbowed is a head that favours clout over its true worth.

"What now, Wisdom? We have no way of knowing where Viper resides. As much as I dislike this, we could ask the three Graces."

Truthfully, they were only slightly more likeable compared to Odin. "That will not be necessary. The scales Hawk gave me will summon Viper but only if they're burnt in the same realm she's in. For now, I'm afraid I have to agree with you: there is no way for us to know where she is. You, dear Morpheus, should scour the dreams in search of the cult's sigil. They have to sleep at some point and if they are anything but dead, they must be somewhere."

"They taught Rodrick Burgess how to imprison you," his voice wavered with anger. It was a strange thing to be the subject of someone's worry. Even stranger when that subject was incomparably more powerful that the worrier. Perhaps love's voice was a little louder than reason's. "It's dangerous to seek them out."

You looked into Morpheus's blue eyes. Most of the time, they were quite vacant with something odd lingering inside them. Having spent so much time with him, you learned that their odd glint was sadness. But not the kind of melancholy one feels after hearing harsh words, no, it was the sadness of knowledge - a melancholic gaze of someone who saw and heard all there was to know about humanity and that knowledge left them disappointed, underwhelmed. "While they're dreaming, they are in your realm. You are the lord of them, do not forget that."

"What happens now that one of the Palaces is gone?"

For a moment, you looked away. A small shrug raised your shoulders and your gaze returned to Morpheus's face. "Truthfully, I can only speculate. This isn't the first time some Sacra's agent died but all of the Palaces are already deeply woven into the fabric of this cycle that it's virtually impossible to say with certainty whether the balance will remain. We can only hope that the other five Palaces will take over his duties and no more damage will be done. I'll be by the hazel tree."

Walking through the strangest dreams, Morpheus found himself inside a small, bare bedroom. The walls and floor were made out of stone. There was no glass in the windows but it wouldn't make much difference - the hot air stood in place. A wooden bed, a table, a chair and three woven baskets were the only pieces of furniture and although it wasn't much by any means, the room already felt cluttered. Looking around, Morpheus couldn't notice anything remarkable. The room looked so unimpressive, it could literally be in any country in the world. Although, why was someone dreaming of their own, empty bedroom?

Morpheus looked through one of the windows which was more of a hole in the wall, really. Out there, somewhere in the distance above hay roofs, he noticed a flag. There was no wind blowing, therefore he couldn't see all of it but he was fairly sure he could make out something like a spiral and part of an eye. He had found himself in the right place but where exactly he was, Morpheus couldn't tell. On the windowsill, if one could even call it that, was placed a gilded statuette of an animal (a panther, perhaps?) with three cubs. Morpheus reached his hand out towards the strange and enigmatic decoration.

"We meet, at last, Dream of the Endless," a voice called out to him.

Turning around, Morpheus's gaze fell on a man in a silvery robe. Contrary to the room they had found themselves in, the monk's clothing looked expensive, though it did not escape Dream's attention that the long belt tied around his waist was torn at the bottom, leaving brown threads in a dismembered pattern that represented nothing in particular anymore. Bright afternoon sunlight glided off his bald head. "Darius."

"To what do I owe this honour?"

Morpheus knew that Darius must be an exceptional man. Most of the time, Lord of Dreams was but an overlooked passenger in people's nighttime fantasies, never noticed until he wanted to be. Lucid dreaming was, indeed, a complex craft and not many could achieve it even with proper training. Even fewer people could treat it as second consciousness, wandering on Dreaming's soil with the awareness of wakefulness. "What happened to the Palaces of Justice?" Morpheus asked.

"Irony, Dream King," Darius answered. There was a polite smile on his face. His hands were clasped together in front of him as though he was mindful of his etiquette even in the world of dreams. How considerate. "The Palaces of Justice received justice."

Darius's lack of shame or regret, certain recklessness maybe, made Morpheus's skin crawl. Did that man truly not ponder the consequences of such an act? What madness inspired him to ever think that he could make such a decision? "Have you any idea what you've done?"

"Contrary to you, I do." Darius remained relaxed. He was either bluffing or he had an ace up his sleeve and was smart enough to not reveal all of his cards just yet. "Is this not why you sought me out? To learn about Lion and his final moments? With great satisfaction, I assure you, that it wasn't me who delivered his fate. If you knew what he had done, you'd be thrilled, too."

"I know what he had done," Dream answered in a cold done. "Tell me what you know."

"Why would I? You're only going to bring Wisdom to our doorstep. As much as the Brothers of the Final Truth wish for that to happen, the time is not right yet. Preparations are in order."

The next moment happened so fast that it was a mere blink of an unsuspecting eye. From his long sleeve, Darius revealed a dagger with a hilt sculpted into a dragon's head. As if he had no fear or had done something just as mad countless times before, Darius stabbed himself right in his heart - the quickest way to wake up.

Darius sat up in his bed panting. Without thinking about anything else, he threw away the thin cover he was sleeping under and run out of his bedroom barely dressed. He continued his maniacal rush through the cold, stone halls of the temple. Guards, wearing headdresses made from jaguar skulls, tried to stop him and ask what was wrong but Darius never let them - he simply run, his head whipping around as if he was looking for someone. Nearly tripping over his own feet, he left the temple.

"Brother Lorarii!" he yelled out to the familiar man. The monk looked Middle Eastern, with a thick beard covering nearly half of his face. "Brother Lorarii," Darius repeated between pants.

"Darius, dear Lords above and beyond, what is the matter?"

"It's Wisdom." He still couldn't catch his breath. "Dream of the Endless had trespassed my dreams. We need to warn Viper, send her off."

"If you say so, we shall do so at once. But you, dear brother, do not look good. It is still very early, even field workers haven't yet woken up. Go back to sleep, rest, and I'll fetch Viper."

"Yes, brother Lorarii. I will."

Suddenly feeling unimaginably tired, Darius dragged his feet back inside the temple. Instead of Dream and Wisdom, his thoughts were filled with memories of the pleasantly cool and comfortable bed. Yes, he could get some more sleep...

Brother Lorarii watched Darius disappear around the corner of the stone temple. Then, he simply turned around and walked away but instead of walking through a village with houses made of stone, he was suddenly walking through the palace in Dreaming. Brother Lorarii's tanned skin was exchanged for a pasty white complexion and dark, unkempt hair. Morpheus was marching through the marble halls of his manor. The gold figurine weighed in his hand.

Darius was still asleep, never having left his bed.

Morpheus was stalling. He came to tell you about his discovery but something about your calm yet focused demeanour made him want to watch. Throughout most of his life, he thought that the Pillars of Eternity were distant, cold, unwelcoming. None of the Endless was important enough to gain their interest. It was frustrating, truly - the almighty creatures of this universe couldn't care less. But now, having learned just how wrong he was, it was a comforting thought that there existed something bigger than him, that the pains and hopes of this world weren't entirely his burden to carry. Next to you, he happened to feel small, not as important as he always thought of himself. Somewhere in the depth of his pride, he found it endearing. The crows in the tree watched him closely with their burning green eyes and unintelligible markings. "Any news in the universe?"

"Standing here, what can you hear, my love?" you asked back.

"Leaves rustling."

"Imagine that each of those leaves is a separate world in this cycle. You hear them rustling as one, the soft hum of the current universe, but I listen to each of them separately. In fact, I'm listening to an entire forest rustling its leaves. There is no news in the universe, Morpheus, the universe is the news. It is constantly changing, moving, whispering. The universe is alive and so are its components. Have you any news about the Brothers of the Final Truth?"

Only then did you open your eyes to look at him. There was that glint of mischief or fascination in his irises that urged you to reveal to him the most deranged secrets of creation. Aside from your siblings, he was probably the only entity that wouldn't go completely mad the moment they even began to understand.

"I have spoken to one of them by the name of Darius. He was lucid in his dream, trying to escape me and my realm. Wherever Darius is, Viper is there, too. I brought something from his dream that might yet help us."

Although the statuette must have spent some time in Morpheus's hand, it was cold to the touch. It glistened but not as it should in the faint light of the palace - it appeared to have its own source of light. There were no inscriptions on the figurine, not even a year or a monogram of the sculptor.

"A gold jaguar," you said to yourself as if it wasn't already obvious. To be fair, considering the lack of proper details in the sculpted cubs, guessing 'bear' or 'hyena' should be equally expected. "Mother or father? Father jaguar..." your voice drifted away, travelling through times and places in a single thought. Yes, it wasn't the first time you've stumbled upon such an expression. "They're in Paititi, 'Motherland of the jaguar father'."

"That is where Viper is hiding."

"Precisely. But Brothers of the Final Truth are a cunning kind, they will know of our arrival. We must be swift, dear Morpheus."

The crows let out a deafening cacophony of caws when they took flight after you had stood up. One could only wonder what strange worlds they were going to see.

"It's hardly changed," you confessed as you looked at the stone houses, rice fields and llamas. "I remember showing Inkarri this valley. I haven't visited since then... Apparently, Paititi is stuck in time. I am yet to decide whether that is good or bad. For now, I suppose it simply is."

The village was quiet but not silent: a soft hum of a faraway waterfall created a comforting, almost sleepy, ambience. Torches made the moonless night a little brighter and easier to navigate. The air felt a low warmer as no breeze was blowing. Once in a while, a llama or a goat would call out. Streets were empty and there was no light inside the huts. For all you knew, Paititi was asleep.

The scales in your hand were strangely slimy and hard to grasp as if they once belonged to a fish rather than a reptile. With a flick of your wrist, you threw them in the air and in a truly mesmerizing fashion, they burst into giant, green flames. Not even ashes fell to the ground.

"The Brothers know you're here. Leave while you can," a quiet voice hissed.

You didn't even have to snap your fingers or flick your wrist to make Viper sink to her knees. It was child's play, really - to think her submission into existence. Despite genuine attempts, she couldn't stand up or even raise her arms. Viper's head was forced to look at you. She had thin black hair that clumped in greasy strands. Her skin looked painfully dry. Those slit pupils stared at you with nothing short of contempt.

"I am Wisdom," you began in an official tone, "the Pillar of Eternity, the Master of the Arcane Arts." Something about those words made the wind blow harder, the ground beneath your feet trembled nervously. "You owe me respect."

"Look at her," Viper demanded of Morpheus. His vacant eyes remained fixed on her. "Look at her!" She spat out specks of venom as she yelled. Hitting the sand beneath your feet, the substance sizzled, turning into sour-smelling smoke. "When you're finally gone, do you honestly think she'll mourn you? How could someone like her shed a tear over an insect like you? You are nothing beyond a lap dog to her, an accessory."

Unwilling to hear any more of her words, you revealed one of the blades belonging to the Spear of Ages that you had kept hidden in the triangular sleeves of your robes. The golden blade would surely glisten in the silver light of the moon but that night's sky was empty - stars blinked anxiously as they waited for their mother to begin another cycle, grow into the silent talar of whispered secrets once again.

With confidence befitting pure rage, your arm swung through the warm air. Viper closed her eyes and attempted to wince but the magic holding her in place didn't quite allow that. A loud sound of metal clashing and something hard being broken resounded through the otherwise silent night.

The blade belonging to the Spear of Ages was lodged into the stone pavement on which Viper was kneeling. Judging by the distance between the weapon and her body, it had missed her face by less than half of an inch. It was, quite clearly, a throw practised many times before. One could only wonder how many times the blade did not miss its mark...

But Viper did not have much time to enjoy the missed offence. Your hand tightly wrapped around her throat. Truthfully, you had little care for the strength of your grip - it took a little more than strangulation to kill a Palace. Holding her throat, you slightly lifted her entire body to bring Viper's face closer to yours.

"Given what role you must fulfil in this cycle, killing you is unwise," you spoke in a quiet, calm voice. "Another punishment must take place to pay for your treacherous fratricide. Viper, Palace of the Justice, you shall speak no more words. Instead, you will hiss and slither and live in the shadows as serpents do. So mote it be."

Pushing Viper away, you let go of her neck. She fell on the white stones beneath her feet and tried to scramble back up, stand up and face you but she couldn't - physically, she was incapable of doing so. Her legs as if suddenly stripped of bones or muscles became completely useless. Viper had no control over them. Propping her torso up on her arms, she tried to say something but your words were already changing reality: a golden thread swiftly piercing Viper's lips, wiring them shut until the end of this cycle. In muffled whimpers, she undoubtedly attempted to scream something at you - certainly something quite sultry.

"Between forgiveness and vengeance, one should choose to be just," you announced in an official tone. "And what is just may not always be right," you added a little quieter. It was good that those decisions belonged to Palaces of Justice and not yourself.

Dream's gaze lingered on the pathetic sight that was Viper. He knew not to believe her words but some part of him, strange particles in his bones that recognized your superiority to all of creation, pondered the Palace's judgement. What if his purpose truly was to pass the time? He felt your hand gently grabbing his before Paititi turned into Dreaming and the air around him was filled with shimmering, green powder.

Part of him expected you to let go of his hand and do whatever it is a creature of your sort does in their free time - in his experience, it was mostly sitting underneath a hazel tree or walking through the farthest places in Dreaming, taking in the specific genius loci of the Dream World. But your touch lingered. "Something is troubling you, my dear," you said in a mild tone.

Sometimes he wondered whether you could read minds but it was fairly obvious that you were just excellent at reading him. You pulled him in the direction of the balcony next to your bedroom and he let you.

"There will come a day when my existence comes to an end," he began. Your hand gripped his a little tighter but it wasn't uncomfortable - it was reassuring, a silent promise that he was being heard and his fears were treated with utmost seriousness. "Strange times when even Death will die. What shall become of you then?"

"Whatever must," you answered shortly. There was no point in sweet words and lies. Both of you were a little too old and smart for that. "I will take on the face of the next cycle's dominant species, answer to the name they will give me. And one day there will come another cycle in which another Dream of the Endless shall live. I think I ought to seek him out when the time comes. Perhaps his sky will be littered with gargantuan jellyfish."

A cawing resounded in the air. Flying straight towards the two of you was a crow - undoubtedly one of the residents of the hazel tree judging by its flaming emerald eyes and marking along its body. It landed on the ledge of the balcony, right between Morpheus and you. The bird's talons tapped against the stone. The crow cocked its head, the flaming eye stared into yours in a manner too intelligent and conscious to truly belong to an animal. A hoarse caw, a sound more akin to a screech than a bird's call, resounded in the crow's chest.

"Time would like us to visit him out on the Seas of Oblivion," you explained to Morpheus. Before he could think it odd that you clearly understand a crow's caw, he noticed the shade of green burning inside the bird's skull was nearly identical to the colour of your dress with embroidered ibises; he and Jessamy were in no way different than you and that crow. "Hermes, tell Time that we'll be honoured to meet with him."

The crow cawed again before taking flight and disappearing into the horizon.

I fear the day is growing shorter yet again, dear student, and the darkness in the absence of the sun is filled with terrors even I am yet to learn about. As much as it pains me to say so, I do not know when we'll see each other again. Telling you this story, I have come to realize that an entire century had gone by since the last time I saw my mother. With the break of dawn, I shall be off to Shangri-La. Should you grow weary of my absence, borrow one of my books. Who knows, maybe between their pages you'd find a story of your own?

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