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#but the other version took such /joy/ in killing his brother.
i-am-become-a-name · 4 months
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ohohohohoho early gallifrey audios. queen, beloved queen, bastard and other bastard times. also k9.
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i-cant-sing · 10 months
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What happens to Teen Fushiguro in the Shibuya Arc after Kenjaku & Mahito kidnap her?
Ah yes, I forgot about this one. Okay, so I imagine that they take you underground or wherever their lair is and like idk... cast spells on you to keep you from using your powers against them. You continue to threaten them, hurl insults at them and they find it amusing because 1. You're a child 2. You don't even know how easily they could kill you. 3. You're a child, why are you trying to fight the boss fights??💀
Anyways, you grow on them and they do end up becoming yanderes for you too. I mean, Kenjaku is like grandfather/guardian figure to you, and if like Getou is still alive/concious inside him, then he's like an uncle/godfather figure to you. They're bothe very protective, Getou more than Kenjaku, while Kenjaku is more like those veteran granddads who want you to become the best version of yourself and be independent, so they don't help you unless they absolutely do need to step in, but nevertheless love you. And once you do learn whatever skill/lesson he wanted you to, or actually become independent, he does not want you to use those new skills or become independent and stop relying on him for "protection" (even if u don't want it in the first place) or leave him/try to replace him. Nuh uh.
Same goes for Getou too, only he's far more gentle with you. Of course he wants you to be stronger and independent too, but he's far more likely too jump in to help you way before any true harm befalls you. He's softer in his lessons, always has that gentle smile on his face as he dodges whatever attack you launch on him. Encouraging words as he pats your head while you're on the ground trying to catch your breath.
As for Mahito, he's much more like an annoying older brother who bullies you for shits and giggles but God forbid if anyone else hurts you. I mean he'd still make fun of you for getting hurt, but rest assured whoever harmed you is now obliterated.
Your time with them is spent with Kenjaku provoking you and finding whatever it is that makes you tick and then having you spar with curses or with Mahito (who takes great joy in being a jerk). And sure, compared to all of their other victims, you're in "paradise," but in reality, your mental is taking a plunge very fast. Because Kenjaku and Mahito have realised your trigger point-
Abandonment issues.
So they use that against you. Everyday, they tell you that your father left you, that Megumi never fought hard enough for you because he didn't like you, that Gojo knew Megumi had a sister but he didn't take you in with him, and that the Zenin clan did consider you a nuisance which is why they let Gojo take you to Jujutsu High, just so that Gojo can use you as a weapon.
And sure, you'd argue that none of it is true but when a lie is told enough times, it starts to feel like the truth. So with the constant feed of negative words and being cut off from the outside world, reader couldn't help but believe all those lies, and that's how her self esteem and mental health took a turn for worse. She becomes more isolated, more quiet, more... dead. She lacks the energy to fight off those curses, not even fazed as they come a little too close to actually killing you (obv Kenjaku or Mahito step in before they can). And this is the point where they think that now that they have broken you down, they can start building you up again... and have you join their side of the battle. Of course, you're still against that, just not putting any actual effort into reacting to them, but then... they bring Megumi.
Or well, Sukuna occupying Megumi's body.
You instantly recognised them both- recognised the shift in the energy, recognised the monster who was disguised as your brother and you broke down. Fell to your knees, sobbed hard enough for your body to shake until Sukuna gathered you in his arms and moved to a private space, away from prying eyes.
You cried and cried, and Sukuna didn't need you to actually say anything for him to understand. You were mourning for your brother, who you knew has a target on his back now that he was Sukuna's vessel, who wouldnt be leaving him so easily. He just patted your back and assured you that everything will be alright if you just listen to him, made you remember how he promised that he'd always be there for you, made you promise to stick by his side and nothing bad will ever happen to you.
"Sukuna?" Your teary voice croaked, the curse king hummed in response. "Promise you won't hurt Megumi? Won't let anyone else hurt Megumi?"
Despite everything, you still cared for your brother. You didn't really need him, but the way you begged... Sukuna didn't have the heart to say no.
"Okay. Only if you listen to me." You nodded, sniffling as you rested your head against his shoulder.
From there on, I think that Kenjaku will continue to help you weild your powers to become the perfect vessel for Sukuna (who has actually no intention of using you as a vessel, no he just wants you by his side for eternity, all for him to spoil and pamper). You follow Sukuna's rules, stay indoors and only come out when he let's you accompany him, sometimes he'd let you enter his domain expansion so that you could meet Megumi, who tries to convince you run for your life and don't worry about him.
Now, I like to think that a point comes when Gojo is finally free from the prison realm and is now ready to beat everyone's asses, and that's when Sukuna mentions how he has been having a good time with you, which only provokes Gojo to fucking murder him and even Megumi, before he finally decides to just beat his ass and look for you (probably when you stop Gojo from killing Megumi) and that's how Gojo ends up snatching you away as you scream for Sukuna to not kill Megumi, beg Gojo to let you go because Sukuna would kill Megumi if you're not there. And all of this sounds like Stockholm syndrome to Gojo and the gang, who again, keep you under lock and key.
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ecoamerica · 2 months
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youtube
Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared
The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!
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homomenhommes · 3 months
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THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY
based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … February 14
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c.2000 B.C. - 1200 B.C. – Ganymede, a beuatiful shepherd boy, was abducted by Zeus , king of the Gods, from Mount Ida, near Troy. Ganymede had been tending sheep, a rustic or humble pursuit characteristic of a hero's boyhood before his privileged status is revealed. Zeus either sent an eagle or turned himself to an eagle to transport the youth to Mount Olympus.
In the Iliad, Zeus is said to have compensated Ganymede's father Tros by the gift of fine horses, "the same that carry the immortals", delivered by the messenger god Hermes.
In Olympus, Zeus granted Ganymede eternal youth and immortality and the office of cupbearer to the gods, supplanting Hebe. All the gods were filled with joy to see the youth, except for Hera, Zeus's consort, who regarded Ganymede as a rival for her husband's affection. Zeus later put Ganymede in the sky as the constellation Aquarius.
Plato accounts for the pederastic aspect of the myth by attributing its origin to Crete, where the social custom of paiderastía was supposed to have originated. He has Socrates deny that Ganymede was the "catamite" of Zeus, and say the god loved him non-sexually for his psychē, "mind" or "soul," giving the etymology of his name as ganu-, "taking pleasure," and mēd-, "mind." Ganymede, he points out, was the only one of Zeus's lovers who was granted immortality.
In poetry, Ganymede became a symbol for the beautiful young male who attracted homosexual desire and love.
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c.2000 B.C. - 1200 B.C. – In Classical myth, Hyacinth was a beautiful boy and lover of the god Apollo, though he was also admired by the West Wind, Zephyr. Apollo and Hyacinth took turns throwing the discus one day. Hyacinth ran to catch it to impress Apollo, was struck by the discus as it fell to the ground, and died.
In one telling of the tale, the wind god Zephyrus was responsible for the death of Hyacinth. His beauty caused a feud between Zephyrus and Apollo. Jealous that Hyacinth preferred the radiant archery god Apollo, Zephyrus blew Apollo's discus off course, so as to injure and kill Hyacinth.
When he died, Apollo didn't allow Hades to claim the boy; rather, he made a flower, the hyacinth, from his spilled blood. It's a very moving story that has been the basis of many works of art over the centuries.
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According to Ovid's account, the tears of Apollo stained the newly formed flower's petals with the words ai ai, the Greek cry of grief. The flower of the mythological Hyacinth has been identified with a number of plants other than the true hyacinth, such as the iris.
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c.1200 B.C. – In Greek mythology, Patroclus, or Patroklos, was the son of Menoetius, was Achilles' beloved comrade and brother-in-arms.
In his youth, Patroclus accidentally killed his friend, Clysonymus, during an argument over a game of dice. His father fled with Patroclus into exile to evade revenge, and they took shelter at the palace of their kinsman King Peleus of Phthia. There Patroclus apparently first met Peleus' son Achilles. Peleus sent the boys to live in the wilderness and be raised by Chiron, the cave-dwelling wise King of the Centaurs.
In a post-Homeric version, he is listed among the unsuccessful suitors of Helen of Sparta, all of whom took a solemn oath to defend the chosen husband against whoever should quarrel with him, which brought both the young men into the battle against Troy.
In the Iliad, the two heroes have a deep and meaningful friendship. Achilles is tender towards Patroclus, while he is callous and arrogant towards others. In Athens during the 5th century BC, the relationship was often viewed in light of the Greek custom of paiderasteia (man-boy love).
When the tide of war turned away from the Grreks, and the Trojans threatened their ships, Patroclus convinced Achilles to let him don Achilles' armor and lead the their troops into combat. In his lust for combat, Patroclus pursued the Trojans all the way back to the gates of Troy, defying Achilles' order to break off combat once the ships were saved. Patroclus was stunned by Apollo, then finished off by Hector, hero of the Trojans.
After retrieving Patroclus' body, Achilles returned to battle and avenged his companion's death by killing Hector. Achilles then desecrated Hector's body by dragging it behind his chariot instead of allowing the Trojans to honorably dispose of it by burning it. Achilles' grief was great and for some time, he refused to dispose of Patroclus' body; but he was persuaded to do so by an apparition of Patroclus, who told Achilles he could not enter Hades without a proper cremation. Achilles sheared off his hair, and sacrificed horses, dogs, and twelve Trojan captives before placing his lover's body on the funeral pyre.
While the lIiad never explicitly stated as such, in later Greek writings, such as Plato's Symposium, the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles is held up as a model of romantic love. In the 5th and 4th centuries, the relationship with Patroclus was portrayed as same-sex love in the works of Aeschylus, Plato and Aeschines.
From the times of Classical Greece, and especially in Hellenism, to the time of the Romans, the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus was presented as loving and pederastic, although these roles are anachronistic for the Iliad. Achilles is the most dominant, and among the warriors in the Trojan War he has the most fame; Patroclus performs duties such as cooking, feeding and grooming the horses, and nursing yet is older than Achilles. Both also sleep with women.
In the 5th century BC, in Aeschylus' lost tragedy the Myrmidons, Aeschylus regarded the relationship as a sexual one and assigned Achilles the role of erastes(older lover or protector), since he avenged his lover's death even though the gods told him it would cost him his own life), and Patroclus the role of eromenos (boy lover). He tells of Achilles visiting Patroclus' dead body and criticizing him for letting himself be killed. In a surviving fragment of the play, Achilles speaks of their "devout union of the thighs".
Plato presented Achilles and Patroclus as lovers in the Symposium, written around 385 BC. The speaker Phaedrus holds the two up as an example of divinely approved lovers. He also argues that Aeschylus erred in saying that Achilles was the erastes, "for he excelled in beauty not Patroclus alone but assuredly all the other heroes, being still beardless and, moreover, much the younger, by Homer's account."
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c.1040 B.C. – Jonathan, Son of Saul, born; No one knows exactly when the biblical Jonathan was born, of course. But let's just assign this date to this sweet young man, whose presence in "Holy Writ" has always been an embarrassment to fundamentalist preachers everywhere.
The story of David and Jonathan is well known from the Hebrew bible. It is not explicitly stated that there was a sexual relationship between them but the passionate language is certainly that of lovers.
"And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soulof Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. "
The love of Jonathan for David, a love so deep that he foreswore his father out of loyalty to his beloved, has provided literature with both a powerful trope for male love and one of the most oft-quoted lines of Scripture, spoken by David at the death of his friend: "My brother, Jonathan, thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women" (2 Samuel 1:26).
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a modern view of David and Jonathan
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c.940 B.C. – Asher was a son of Solomon, Caleh a shepherd. By some accounts these were the two lovers in the frankly erotic love poem, the 'Song of Songs', widely used as a metaphor for the love between God and humanity. Usually presented as conventional heterosexual love, there is increasing recognition that the lovers were probably both men.
A translation by Dr Paul R Johnson directly from early texts includes the frankly homoerotic:
"How delightful you are Caleh, My lover-man, my other half. Your pleasing masculine love is better than wine. The smell of your body is better than perfume. Your moustache is waxed with honeycomb. Honey and milk are under your tongue. The scent of your clothing is like the smell of Lebanon."
A review of this book, posted on the Wild Reed, notes that:
"It gets to the heart of the question of whether the Hebrews and early Christians were fundamentally homophobic, or whether, as John Boswell has maintained, homophobia was a later addition. Johnson has consulted with many Hebrew scholars, who reluctantly concede the validity of his revolutionary word-for-word translation."
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270 – St. Valentine. No no no...Don't jump to any conclusions. St. Valentine was not Gay, but neither did he have anything to do with the holiday for lovers that bears his name. That St. Valentine, one of the more boring Christian martyrs, is the patron saint of lovers is a mere fluke. You see, the Norman word galatin, meaning a lover, was often mispronounced valentin, and through a natural confusion of names, St. Valentine became associated with love.
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Bishop Peter Ball with Prince Charles (now sick King Charles III)
1932 – Peter Ball (d.2019) was a British bishop in the Church of England and convicted sex offender. In 1960 he and his twin brother (Michael Ball) established a monastic community, the Community of the Glorious Ascension, through which Ball came into contact with many boys and young men.
He was the suffragan Bishop of Lewes from 1977 to 1992 and the diocesan Bishop of Gloucester from 1992 to 1993, when he resigned after being cautioned for sexual abuse; he continued to officiate at several churches after that.
In October 2015, Ball was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment for misconduct in public office and indecent assault after admitting the abuse of 18 young men over a period of 15 years from 1977 to 1992. Further charges of indecently assaulting two boys, aged 13 and 15, were allowed to lie on file in a contentious decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). He was released on licence in February 2017 and died two years later.
Peter Ball was the first Anglican bishop to be sent to prison since 1688, when King James II committed seven bishops to the Tower for their opposition to his Declaration of Indulgence.
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1962 – Kevyn Aucoin, the American cosmetologist born (d.2002); a make-up artist and photographer who was well known for catering to the laywoman's need to feel beautiful. He worked with hundreds of A-list celebrities like Cher, Janet Jackson, Tina Turner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Courtney Love and Vanessa Williams. He became a highly in-demand makeup artist, often acquiring $10,000 per session for photo shoots or award shows. As a published author (The Art of Makeup, Making Faces, and Face Forward), he was fond of taking celebrities (and various other men & women, including his mother) and using makeup and costume (and sometimes prosthetics) to make them look like other celebrities, or like other people entirely. He transformed Tori Amos into Mary Queen of Scots, Liza Minnelli into Marilyn Monroe, Christina Ricci into Édith Piaf, Hilary Swank into Raquel Welch, Winona Ryder into Elizabeth Taylor, and Martha Stewart into Veronica Lake, among others.
Aucoin was interested in makeup from the time he was a child,and frequently did his sisters' makeup and photographed the results with a Polaroid camera—something he'd do throughout his career. Afraid to buy makeup, he would shoplift it. The guilt of stealing and fear of getting caught made him stop.
He realized he was gay at age six, and was frequently bullied at school. His parents were initially in denial of their son's emerging sexual orientation; his mother later said, "I didn't think Kevyn was a sissy; I just thought he was a gentle child." In one instance, he had a teacher spank his bare buttocks in class, which Aucoin later regarded as sexual abuse. The bullying continued in high school, and he dropped out after being chased by several classmates in a truck. He enrolled in beauty school and had hoped to learn more about applying makeup, but ended up teaching the class instead.
Aucoin lived with his partner, Jeremy Antunes, whom he married in an unofficial ceremony in Hawaii in 2000 and thereafter referred to as his husband. He had also previously been romantically involved with Eric Sakas, who, after their breakup, remained close friends with him and became president and creative director of Kevyn Aucoin Beauty.
In October 2001, just one month after launching his own cosmetics line, Aucoin was diagnosed with a rare pituitary tumour. He had been suffering from acromegaly resulting from the tumour for much of his life, but it had gone undiagnosed. He died in May 2002 of kidney and liver failure due to Tylenol toxicity, due to an addiction to prescription painkillers used to treat the extreme pain from his condition. A musical homage, called Taxi Ride, was written for him by longtime friend Tori Amos.
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Sucsy (L) with husband Sgourakis
1973 – Michael Sucsy is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for creating the HBO film Grey Gardens.
Sucsy was raised in Connecticut and New York City and is a graduate of Deerfield Academy, Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (where he earned a degree in International Relations, Law & Organization), and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA (Masters in Fine Arts.)
Sucsy segued from studying international relations to film production via the advertising industry, where he worked for the award-winning agency Cliff Freeman & Partners on the first-ever Staples t.v. ads. Sucsy then pursued work as a production assistant, an art department coordinator, a production secretary, and an assistant director on feature films, commercials, and music videos in Washington DC, New York City, and Los Angeles.
In 2003, Sucsy was inspired to write and direct a narrative feature film about the famous true story of Jackie O's eccentric relatives "Big Edie" Bouvier Beale and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale called Grey Gardens after viewing the well-known documentary of the same name. The day after he first watched the documentary, Sucsy embarked on what was to become a six-year process to get Grey Gardens made. He used primary sources including Little Edie's personal correspondence, private journals, and poetry as well as interviews with family members and friends as the basis of his original script which traced the Beales' tragic descent from riches to rags over some forty years. With Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange attached to star as the reclusive mother-daughter duo, the project made its way to HBO who, in 2006, announced that Grey Gardens was moving into production with Sucsy as its director. Principal photography on Grey Gardens began in October 2007, and it debuted on HBO in April 2009 to great acclaim from critics and audiences, both new and old to the Grey Gardens phenomenon.
Sucsy became engaged to his boyfriend, interior designer Demitri Sgourakis, on February 14, 2012, Sucsy's 39th birthday. They were married on August 15, 2015, aboard the Midnight Rambler, a sailboat, off the coast of Montauk, N.Y.
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1984 – Elton John marries a woman having earlier said he was bi.
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2010 – On this date the Mexican newspaper La Jornada reported that different LGBT rights organizations from Jalisco, Colima and Guanajuato marched down the streets of Guadalajara to demand equal partnership rights. The group, mostly made up of Lesbian and Gay members from different regional university student groups, carried signs and expressed a desire for having similar rights granted to Gays and Lesbians in Mexico City. The group gathered outside the University of Guadalajara and made their way to the city's main plaza where they staged a kiss-in as the shadow of the city's Metropolitan Cathedral fell on them.
The scene outside the Cathedral gave a better sense of how large the march was, an estimated crowd of 350. In addition to the kiss-in, eleven Gay and Lesbian couples also participated in a symbolic wedding ceremony. There were reports of homophobic insults and obscenities being hurled at marchers even as organizers expressed relief that there were no outbursts of violence.
As in Argentina, marriage equality is a red-hot topic in Mexico ever since the Mexico City legislature passed a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in Mexico's capital city. The measure, which also explicitly would allow same-sex couples to adopt, has run into vehement opposition from right wing politicians and religious  leaders - and will also be heading to the country's Supreme Court for review later in the year.
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Today's Gay Wisdom
From the King James Version:
1 Samuel 18
1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 Samuel 1
17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son .... 19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. 22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. 24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. 25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. 26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. 27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
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Flame of Autumn - Chapter 11
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Part 12/26 | Ao3
[A little NSFW towards the end]
Tilly
Even after months of waking up with Eris by her side, the novelty never seemed to wear off. If she woke first, she would typically trace her fingers lightly over his freckled face, letting them ghost over his perfect skin and into his scarlet curls, scratching his scalp until his sleepy eyes opened and a smile lit his face. If Eris woke first, he usually liked to wake her by placing soft kisses across her face–cheeks, eyelids, brow, nose–until she cracked an eye to look at him. But sometimes, when Tilly woke up first, she would slide her hands down, down, down, gripping him softly in her hands and stroking him awake as he groaned into her neck. And sometimes, when Eris woke first, his deft, elegant fingers would slip into her, drawing her breathlessly into the land of the living with him.
In the weeks since the first time they’d been together, there wasn’t an inch of their rooms that they hadn’t defiled. The dogs had taken to skulking out of the rooms they entered with annoyance in their eyes, huffing at again being disturbed from their beds at the antics of their owners. They couldn’t help it–once they’d touched, it was as though they couldn’t get enough of each other. A sidelong gaze here, an errant touch there, and clothes would be flying without any words exchanged, breaths hot and sharp on each other as lips skated over skin.
Tilly was enamored with him–words couldn’t do it justice. She had never in her wildest dreams dared to imagine an arranged marriage could turn out this way, let alone one to the heir of Autumn. But every time his eyes met hers, her heart felt as though it grew wings and exploded into the sky. His smile set her on fire, knowing that it was for her and only her. This version of him, the true version of himself, was hers and hers alone. She had taken a leap and trusted him with her guarded heart, and he had held it with a tenderness that she didn’t believe was possible. She couldn’t help but adore him with every piece of her.
He’d never once held her back from the things she wanted, and the fact that he’d encouraged her training was one of the many things she loved about him. The times when she was able to train with Cormac and his brothers were, without fail, the most she’d ever felt embraced by anyone outside of her father. They’d grown so comfortable with each other over the weeks that there was true joy in these training sessions of theirs. Though they were all familiar with archery, she was able to teach them a litany of trick shots and techniques that they were all comfortable using now, though none of them could even come close to outshooting her. She loved training hand-to-hand with Cormac, despite how he goaded her into cheap shots. Which is where she found herself today, laying on the pitch, staring at the cloudless sky and catching her breath.
“If you weren’t so focused on smart ass comments, Tilly, you might be able to land a punch.”
“Now, Cormac, what fun would I be if I didn’t call you on your absolute shit fashion sense at least once a day.” She heard Bray’s laugh from the side of the ring as she took a stab at an element of surprise to sweep his feet. She’d almost caught him, but he jumped at the last minute as she twirled and rose, meeting her practice sword with his mid-downswing. “You might find yourself a nice female if you put a little effort into your looks.” She threw a punch at his gut, but missed by mere centimeters. “Or a male.” She added, a brow up and a wicked smile on her face, and the second his eyes widened she planted a kick to his ribs that sent him sprawling.
“Cauldron, Til. Don’t kill him!” She heard Callum guffaw from the sides as Cormac coughed.
“Should have seen that coming,” he laughed from his back.
“What was that you were saying about my smart ass comments being unhelpful?” She extended a hand to him, which he took and pulled to his feet.
“Yeah, yeah. You win.” He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. “Eris, your turn. She’s kicking our asses today.” Tilly felt her heart leap into her throat as she turned to see Eris closing in across the field. Eris’ smile filled her with glee and a feral need to have her hands on him again. As he joined them in the ring, she bounced on the balls of her feet, wrists up.
“What do you say, love?” The gleam reflected in his eyes and she could tell the challenge was accepted.
Eris
Sparring with Tilly was a battle of wills in and of itself. Eris already could barely contain himself around her, a blazing inferno always simply seconds away from consuming him whole when he found himself around her. The smell of her in his nose drove him to near madness if he couldn’t get his hands on her, and the thought of her sweaty against his chest or beneath him or on top of him or wrapped around him…
He grit his teeth as she landed a punch to his shoulder and he grabbed her wrist, spinning her back to his front and letting his hand wander across her abdomen.
“Losing focus, dear?” He whispered into her ear, the smell of her arousal slapping him in the face with the force of a gale. She wriggled against him and he heard Bray’s voice ring out across the pitch.
“We’ll be leaving! Have fun!” He heard her giggle, the sound rolling through him like the chime of bells and loosening his grip for just a moment, exactly as she’d intended. She threw the entirety of her body weight down and forward as she kneeled, tossing him off her the second he lost balance. Eris rolled, ready to tackle her into the pitch and take her right then and there as she shot him a feral grin.
He was about to lunge when he stopped short, pulling upright. Tilly could tell immediately something was wrong. Eris did tackle her then, but it was into an immediate winnow. They resurfaced behind the weapons barracks, not thirty yards from where they’d been. Eris pressed a finger to her lips and pulled her close to him. Beron and Aradnus emerged from the treeline, not even feet from where they’d just been training, seeming to be deep in discussion about something.
Eris felt Tilly tense in his arms, so he pressed a kiss to the back of her head. Aradnus was nodding, looking particularly excited about whatever information was being passed to him. Beron, while serious, seemed to be explaining something with more energy than Eris was used to. Aradnus was Beron’s right hand; he knew each and every plan that Beron attempted to carry out, and instinct told Eris that whatever he was detailing currently was not a small matter.
With a last nod, Beron winnowed off, Aradnus stalking back towards the Forest House, and Eris felt Tilly let out the breath she’d been holding in. His hands went to her shoulders immediately, squeezing tightly to show he was there, grounding her but also himself.
“What do you think that was about?” Her voice no higher than a whisper, even though they were already long gone.
“I don’t know, but it wasn’t good.” Eris had a feeling of dread creeping into his very bones. It was rare Beron ever looked so invested in a conversation. And despite him still keeping some things from Eris, he was typically let in on the larger plans as heir. Nothing about this sat well with him, and he felt a great sweeping sense of doom beginning to build. Her rubbed his hands on her shoulders once more, all sense of fun and arousal seemed miles behind them now. “Come, let’s get back to the house.”
Tilly
Over the past few weeks, Eris and Tilly had begun efforts in earnest to hatch a plan. This new development of a potential overarching plot by Beron had them doubling down. Tilly had been spending more time in the library, switching the covers of books from simple history texts to books on botany and flora. She and Eris hoped they might find something in the way of poison that would help them achieve an end to all this sooner rather than later.
Today, she’d grabbed two new tomes on the local flora of Autumn, hoping she might accidentally stumble upon something useful. She’d snuck them into History of Autumn Rulers VII and IX covers, and also grabbed a book on etiquette to throw off any potential suspicion. She was balancing the heavy books as she pulled the library doors shut behind her, preparing to make her way down the dark hall she still hated so much, when she slammed into a hard body, falling backwards and hitting the ground with an inelegant grunt.
“Watch where you’re going, bitch.” Her eyes shot up at the cold voice, finding Beron’s cruel eyes staring down at her. He let his eyes gaze over the books she had dropped and her heart jumped into her throat. Blessed Mother, they’d all stayed closed in the tumble, the covers tight. But Beron’s eyes did not leave them. “Studying up on our history, hmm? Shouldn’t you already be familiar?”
She shot her eyes to the ground in a move of submission, willing her voice into that quiet, demure bleating that she used in his presence. “Yes, High Lord. I have just been brushing up to keep myself occupied. That, and etiquette lessons. A lady can never be too polite.” He snorted derisively at her.
“You could certainly benefit from them, girl.” She nodded, keeping her eyes downcast as she gathered the books in her arms. His gaze lingered on her longer than she was comfortable with, eyeing her chest for quite a few beats longer than was necessary. The creeping cold swept through her, disgust crawling through her veins and she heard him sniff the air. “Perhaps you can find a book on how to produce an heir, since it seems you’re failing in that still,” he sneered down at her coldly, then turned on his heel to walk into the library. Looking over his shoulder he said, tauntingly, “Time ticks away,” and then he was gone.
Tilly gritted her teeth as she walked the rest of the way back to their rooms. Of course there’d been no heirs sired yet, despite the fact that she and Eris were on each other constantly. They’d procured contraceptive tonic on one of their trips to another court. They brewed it in their rooms and each took it every morning, ensuring that there would be no heirs any time soon. There was zero chance they’d be bringing a child into the current situation with Beron intentionally, and it wasn’t like it was uncommon for fae actively trying to conceive a child to take years. Still, they wouldn’t dare risk it.
She took the wards down, setting the books within the door and then stepping back out. Perhaps she would go to the garden and see if Alanna had made it down today. She pulled the wards back and turned down the main hallway.
It’s not like she hadn’t thought about it from time to time, having children with Eris. She was guilty of letting her mind wander as she drifted off at night in his arms, his warm heat at her back, what it might be like to raise a child, or children, with him one day. To the world, he was as cruel and calculating as Beron. But with her, his tender heart was always on display. Though they hadn’t spoken about it in depth–she wasn’t sure if he even wanted children–she knew he would be good at the job. Regardless, it was a conversation they would need to table until after Beron was taken care of, but it couldn’t hurt to dream.
As she turned the corner towards the final hall to the gardens, she was grabbed roughly from behind. Before she could even scream, she was being winnowed, the darkness between places pulling at her body until she was deposited into the other location, a hand at her back. She whirled around the second she could to find–
“Killian? What the fuck?” She pushed at his chest as he put a hand to her lips.
“Quiet! Quiet. I will explain everything. Come here.” He pulled her to stand near the line of trees with him. “I need a favor, but I need you to swear on your life that it stays between us.” She swatted his hand away from her.
“Could you not just–stop touching me–could you not have just asked like a normal person?” She was ready to whack him in the skull. “You scared me half to death,” she hissed. “I thought you were Beron!”
“Okay, well, I’m not, and you’re already here, and I really need you to help me, sister, so please can we–” He gestured broadly, and she noticed the small village on the other side of the clearing.
“Fine! Fine, Killian. What can I do for you?” The relief on his face almost made her worry more. He reached into the pocket realm and grabbed a deep maroon cloak, a blanket, and –a wooden doll? “What in the Cauldron’s name–?”
“It’s my mate. My mate and my daughter. They live here, and no one knows about them. I never get to see them, because if Beron were to find out…” Tilly’s heart caved in at the confession.
“Does Eris know?” She asked tentatively.
“No one knows.” He responded.
“Okay, yes. I’m in, what do I need to do?” His relief was so immense on his face that she could have cried for him.
“Thank you. Gods, Tilly, thank you. I will glamour you and then the doll. I just want a few hours. Just carry the fake baby around the house, do motherly things, maybe walk into the yard and wave to a neighbor from a distance. I just…I just need time with them.” She put a hand on his arm.
“Take whatever time you need, Killian. I will gladly do it. Eris is gone all day, and I have nowhere else to be” He nodded, and she didn’t fail to catch the silver lining his eyes. It was so harshly contrasted to the harsh scars and usual sneer on his face.
He lifted his hand and she felt the tang of a glamour run over her, shivering as it passed. He then sent the smallest flare of magic to the house closest to the woods. Within moments, the back door opened and a female with brown hair and big green eyes looked both ways and ran to the treeline with a bundle in her arms. The light in Killian’s eyes was almost too much to bear. Tilly winnowed to the step of the house before the female reached Killian. She turned as she reached the door, spinning just in time to see Killian sweep the female into his arms and twirl her around, being careful of the baby she was holding before all three winnowed off.
Yes, she would do this, because mate or not, she could not imagine the pain of being forcibly separated from Eris for her own good. Even thinking about it shot a pang of anguish through her heart. As she sat in a chair, visible through the front windows to anyone passing by with her “baby”, she thought about the joy she’d never before seen on Killian’s face, and she wondered what else she might have been wrong about in her original assumptions coming to the Forest House.
Eris
Eris was about to go to his least favorite place, and this time, he’d have to drag Tilly into it with him. But he was long past due for an update with the Night Court’s inner circle, and Beron expected an update from that slimy lecher Kier, so he would go.
Tilly seemed excited to travel to a court she’d never been to when he told her where they’d be going, but he still felt the need to warn her ad nauseam about the idiots she was about to endure. She wouldn’t be involved in his meeting with Kier–he didn’t like the idea of Kier even seeing his wife, let alone being in close proximity to her. But he’d keep her close to him when he met with the Night Court. He’d already explained to her the situation with his alliance–the terms and conditions that went along with it–but he had spent the morning laying in bed with her and telling her about the members of Rhysand’s inner circle, as he called it, and telling her all the details he had about each of them.
Tilly already knew some of the information–knew Cassian was the general of the Night Court’s armies and that Azriel was their spymaster. She knew Rhysand was a daemati, and that his wife and mate was, too. Tilly told Eris her father had spent a good deal of time teaching her how to shield her mind as a child, so she wasn’t particularly concerned. But Eris was also mostly certain that Rhys would never enter her mind without permission–he cautioned her to keep those walls up just in case, regardless.
Finally, he knew it would come up–it always did–so he knew he needed to explain to her the situation with Morrigan.
“Many centuries ago, I was engaged to a member of their inner circle, Morrigan. She is Kier’s daughter, though she doesn’t claim him. Neither of us particularly wanted the engagement, for our own reasons, but she slept with the General, and her family tortured her and dumped her on the border of Autumn. When I came upon her in the woods, I refused to touch her–wouldn’t let the guards–”
“--because by Autumn law it would have been declared sanctuary, and she would have been yours.”
“Yes. I knew her beloved friends wouldn’t be far behind. She could still have a life if I left her there. I had to claim that it was because I did not want a sullied female as a bride, lest Beron beat me to a pulp for showing compassion, but the honest truth is that I refused to condemn her to a life here where she would never be happy.”
“How could you have known she would never be happy with you?”
“Let’s say I’m not her type.” He raised a brow and Tilly nodded as though she caught his meaning.
“So, what does this have to do with now? They saved her, yes?”
“It’s complicated, but the short of it is that Morrigan refuses to tell the whole truth to her family. They will always see me as the villain who left her to die in the woods. I understand, partly, I do–I have been respectful of her choice in what she wants to tell them. But her reluctance to just be honest about herself has caused much unnecessary tension over the centuries. I regret how things needed to unfold then, and I regret how they have played out now, but she knew better than anyone how the situation needed to be handled.” He hated this story–hated the guilt and shame that wound through him every time he thought about it.
He wanted to hate Morrigan for her insistence that her truth was the only one that mattered, wanted to scream at everyone about the beating he’d still taken for what happened. It had resulted in the brands on his legs, in fact. Eris knew that Morrigan needed to be the one to tell her court her own secrets before his were brought to light, and if she hadn’t after four centuries, she likely never would.
“When we are there, as always, I will be the person you see me as with Beron. But they are, as much as it pains me to admit, relatively good people. You can present yourself however you see fit. With the alliance, they cannot report anything of consequence back to Beron, so I will let you determine how comfortable you feel.” He kissed her on the forehead as he moved to the couch to pull his boots on. He was more nervous than anything that Tilly would leave the Night Court thinking less of him once she saw the way they treated him.
With Beron, it was a given. He had to allow himself to be beaten, battered, torn apart because it was what allowed him to survive. But if she saw another group of strangers facing his cruel mask and still verbally abusing him? Would she think him weak? The brand on his thigh practically burned anew with the shame of it.
“Ready?” Tilly asked sweetly, dressed in a beautiful deep green dress with gold and maroon embroidered leaves trailing across the bodice. She was a vision of fall, and despite his nerves, he was filled with pride to be anywhere with her on his arm. He forced a smile to his face, rising and holding his arm out to her.
“Ready.” They walked to the edge of the wards, the day cool and gray, and winnowed quickly off, landing in a dark hallway made of stone. He hated how damp everything smelled here all the time. It was all he could do to force away the horrid trauma from his time under the mountain as the musty smell filled his nostrils and overwhelmed his senses. Instead, he leaned in and placed another kiss to Tilly’s head as she looked around, inhaling deeply and replacing the horrid smell of this place with the only smell he ever wanted anymore.
He went to take her hand and walk towards the meeting place, but she surprised him by stopping him and pulling him back to her. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered low, “I can tell you are nervous to be here. I just wanted to tell you that I love you, and nothing that happens here is going to change that, Eris.” He closed his eyes, fighting a prickling relief in the back of his throat.
Gods, what have I done to deserve her?
He took a few moments just to hold her and allow himself to be held in return before he pulled away, sniffing and straightening his clothes. He held out a hand again to her, and she took it without hesitation.
“To the Court of Nightmares, then.”
++++++
The meeting room, as always, was deserted when they arrived, the overly large table with enough chairs to seat at least fifteen. Eris walked to the furthest seats from the door, leading Tilly and pulling out a chair for her then sitting next to her. She scooted in, grabbing his hand beneath the cover of the table and giving it a firm squeeze. As nervous as he felt, the anxiety buzzing frantically through his veins, he was grateful she’d come with him.
The doors slammed open and, dramatic as always, Rhysand came stomping into the room, dark mists swirling around him like a cloud of flies. Eris fought to roll his eyes, and he felt Tilly stiffen next to him. Cassian and Azriel followed behind him, of course, but Eris was surprised to see Nesta and two females follow in before shutting the door behind them. One was an Illyrian like Cassian and Azriel, though his stomach turned to see the way her wings were shredded. You’d never guess it from her face, though–she looked like she could fight her way through any room she was in. On the other side of her was a female who looked–well–for lack of better descriptors–looked like him. Her scarlet hair pulled back into a braid away from her pale, freckled face. Her eyes, however, were a teal so deep they reminded him of the ocean.
Curious.
Nesta stalked over to stand in front of Cassian, and the two females joined Azriel on the other side of the two large chairs at the head of the table. He felt Tilly twitch beside him as though she thought to stand, but he placed a hand on her thigh to stop her before she could.
All part of the game here.
Rhysand spoke first, his typical bored drawl setting Eris’ teeth on edge immediately. “Eris, a pleasure, as always. I’m afraid we didn’t have the chance to be properly introduced to your bride at the wedding.” He shot a mocking smile across the table, and Eris willed the inferno starting to blaze within him to calm.
Why was this so much more difficult than usual?
“This is Matilda, my wife.” He could see her out of his periphery, and she sat up, spine straight as a queen, staring down her nose at them in practiced indifference. He could have kissed her on the mouth. She did not speak, but inclined her chin in their direction.
“A true pleasure to meet you, Matilda.” Eris felt the snarl ripping up his throat and choked the life out of it before it could take form. He hated the way her name sounded on his tongue. The spymaster, of course, caught the action and smirked, eyes boring into him. “Kier won’t be meeting with you today. Something has unexpectedly….come up. What news have you brought us, Eris?”
“Hmm.” He’d need to come up with a story for Beron about not meeting with him. “More deposits of faebane found in the mountain villa and reported by my personal guard. Again, no stores found, but the evidence had yet to be cleared. Perhaps Beron does not bother, as no one typically goes to these residences without him. We beheld Aradnus and Beron discussing something animatedly the other day. We were unable to glean any information, but it seemed as though they were planning something.”
“So, you’ve got no real information for us, then?” Eris hated this. He felt Tilly twitch beside him, beneath his hand on her thigh. Her face hadn’t changed, but he could feel the tension coiled within her.
“The information I have, I have shared. My guards and I are actively tracking the issue, but I will urge you again to keep your eyes and your generals aware. While I was inclined to believe that Beron is hoarding simply to keep them for himself, the plotting with his second in command makes me believe there may be more nefarious and pressing plans in motion.”
“But you haven’t actually figured anything out, Eris. Surely, you can’t expect me to take this meager report and station a guard at the border?” Eris tried again to push that mask of boredom and indifference back at Rhysand, but he was being more difficult than usual today. He went to respond, but Rhysand beat him to it.
“What do you think, Azriel? Would you waste your time sending spies to Autumn over this hunch the fireling has?” Azriel, the overgrown bat, simply sent a dark smile across the table. He heard Cassian chuckle.
“No, I would need much more evidence than this before I waste any more time than necessary in the Autumn court.” Cassian laughed again, and Rhys smiled.
“Perhaps, Eris, you can do a better job of finding information, then we can reopen this conversation. But if this is all you can give to us, I am starting to doubt the benefits of keeping you around.”
So this was the plan, then. Mortify him in front of his wife. He desperately fought to regain his mask of stone, fought tooth and nail to drag it back over his face and reply with the utmost nonchalance. But before he could, Tilly was on her feet, and Nesta had drawn a sword.
“You will not speak to him that way anymore. Enough.” Rhysand’s eyebrows shot sky high, and the look of shock on Cassian’s face would have been comical if the entire room hadn’t been holding their breath.
“Apologies, dear Matilda. I am simply stating–”
“You are simply posturing, you great peacock. Is this how you treat your allies? You should be ashamed.” She spit the words at him, and Eris did not miss the smirk Nesta tried to hide by pressing her lips together. Azriel’s brows furrowed and Cassian still looked as though someone had stepped on the great hooves he called feet. Rhysand made to speak again, but Tilly cut him off. “Speaking of the benefits of keeping you around, someone has done substantially less in this alliance than the other, and it isn’t Eris. What I see happening here is that Eris is providing you with valuable information to keep you, our court, and Prythian safe, but you’d rather engage in verbal sparring over semantics and berate him for fun. Pathetic behavior, especially for a High Lord.”
Eris was speechless. Tilly had read Rhysand to absolute filth, and truly, despite the amused look still firmly planted on his face, Rhysand looked almost deflated. Tilly looked him up and down like he was mud beneath her boot. She wasn’t done.
“When you’re done playing at High Lord and want to take a true threat seriously, perhaps then we can meet again if we deem it worthy of our time.”
“And if we deem it worthy of our time to tell Beron of your involvement with Night instead?” Rhysand was grasping at straws now, and Eris could tell. Everyone in the room could tell. Tilly did not back down.
“Then I will kill you and everyone you love. And I’ll rejoice in dancing around your funeral pyres.” A knife could cut through the air in the room as Rhysand narrowed his eyes on her, as though finally seeing a new opponent for what she was. “You know nothing of Beron or of what we endure. For us to even be here–” She cut herself off. “Do not speak of things which you have no knowledge of. It’s beneath even you.” She pushed her chair back, and Eris was smart enough to follow suit. She grabbed his hand and made for the door without so much as a parting word to the Night Court.
As they made it to the doors, though, Rhysand spoke again. “Wait.”
Tilly halted, only centuries of training allowed Eris to not slam into her back. “What?” She growled. Rhysand stood from his chair and approached them.
“I apologize, Matilda. It has become somewhat of a game between Eris and I over the years. I had not considered–”
“Had not considered what? How rude of you it might be to be a little extra cruel to him in front of his new wife? How you might try to belittle him in my eyes for the fun of it?” Rhysand had the dignity to cast his eyes down. “What sort of a male are you?”
“I apologize.” He turned to Eris. “I am sorry. We will have our spies in Autumn look into any suspicious activity on the borders.” Eris nodded. Rhysand turned back to Tilly. “I apologize for my actions today. I would never betray you to Beron.” Tilly nodded but did not back down, still lifting her chin to face Rhysand head on. Had anyone ever treated him so bluntly outside of his own family?
She had never been more beautiful to him; she commanded this entire room without a drop of magic used.
“And you will speak to Eris with respect. Brutish behavior does not suit you, Rhysand, and it’s unbecoming of someone in your position. I see the mask you wear, High Lord. Perhaps it would behoove you to see a bit of yourself in others, too.” With those final words, she turned on her heel and exited the room. Eris couldn’t help but turn over his shoulder and give his most stunning smile to the still gaping members of the inner circle as they departed.
Hands still grasped between them, they rapidly made their way through the dark tunnels to the deserted hall from which they came, not saying a word. Eris was a mess, his thoughts swimming all around in his mind, but in the forefront all he could see was his wife, his Tilly, standing up for him, standing against a High Lord on his behalf and scolding him as though he was a child.
He was giddy, he was emotional, he was more aroused than he had ever been in his life.
They rounded the final corner near the alcove where they could winnow out, and Eris pulled her hand back and slammed her against the wall closest to them, crashing his lips to hers. She made a whining sound into his mouth and he was gone. He dragged his lips from hers and pressed them hungrily across her jaw and down her neck, down her collarbone and across her chest. She wound her fingers through his hair and gods, he loved when she did that.
Eris dropped to his knees in front of her as her eyes shot wide. “What are you doing? Some will see!” She squealed, but the darkness in her eyes told Eris she wasn’t entirely concerned.
“Let them see.” He growled as he ran his hands up her legs beneath her skirts, ducking below and lifting one of her perfectly freckled thighs onto his shoulder. It was dark, and he was surrounded by nothing but the sweet smell of her–his wife, the love of his life, his defender, his partner in all things, his best friend.
Her pulled her undergarments to the side roughly and tasted her immediately, the need overcoming him before he could take even a moment to tease her. He could feel her already beginning to shake as he licked long, harsh strokes up and down her. He grabbed a handful of her lovely ass and pulled her even closer, smiling against her as the increased pressure caused her to buck against his face. He could feel her hands clawing through the skirts to unsuccessfully gain purchase on his hair as she spiraled out of control. He inserted a finger into her, then another.
Wet, she was so wet for him.
And he could hear her losing control of the noises she was making as he spun tight circles with his tongue around her clit as she fucked herself on his fingers.
With a strangled cry, she came hard, tightening around him and making him strain almost painfully against his trousers. There would be time for that later.
He slowed his movements and allowed her to ride out the waves of her orgasm, licking the last of her from his fingers as he emerged from her skirts to look up and find her blushed and heaving and undone, eyes looking feral and only at him.
He kissed her roughly on the mouth, but she grabbed his tunic at his hips and pulled his body roughly to hers.
“Mine.” She growled roughly, kissing him again.
And though they were still in the dark, horrid halls of the Hewn City, though Beron still held them beneath his thumb, Eris thought he might be the happiest he’d ever remembered being in his life.
Taglist: @cauldronblssd@queercontrarian@byyalady@thelovelymadone@clockwork-ashes@lovingkelj
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dotster001 · 1 year
Text
Leon Dompteur as a Yandere
Summary:Yan! Leon x gn!Reader how Leon's unhealthy tendencies start in your relationship.
CW: Yan! Content, unhealthy mindsets, mention of blood, major character death, takes place after his route, so minor spoilers
A/N: I woke up in the middle of the night with the series idea of writing the boys as their Yan arc, since I haven't seen a lot of Yan content from ikepri... Low key excited for this!
Other Versions: Yves
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It's like when you boil a frog. You fill the pot with cold water, then slowly turn the heat up. The frog never notices and then it's over.
Leon is delusional and protective, and it starts so slowly.
He's always been protective, sure. Considering how quick you seem to be to get yourself into trouble, he's definitely worried that if he takes his eyes off of you, you'll crumble into a million pieces.
At the beginning of your relationship, though, it's as simple as a hand on your lower back when he's worried about someone, or his hand on his sword, or sending Yves or Licht with you when you go out without him.
You can write it off as a new king, who grew up with nothing, wanting to take extra precautions for his future spouse.
One day, you sneak out in the morning to find him the perfect birthday gift. You know he's always a little tense on his birthday, considering it's not even his and is a reminder of how little he knows about himself, so you wanted him to have something special.
And you were in your clothes from your peasant days, Rio by your side, so you thought there would be no harm. You and Leon go out as peasants undisturbed all the time.
The ambush is so well planned, you doubt even Leon would have been ready for it. It's alarming how quickly they are able to grab you, finish Rio off, and knock you out before you can scream.
You wake up in a cellar. Every "morning" (you can't be sure since it's so dark, and no one speaks to you) someone comes to you, and wordlessly attempts to feed you porridge. You resist at first, but by day three you're starving, and starting to lose it after processing what happened. Luckily, they never put anything in the food.
You're down there for a week, before you're woken up to the sounds of shouts and clashing metal. You're soon greeted with a bloody Leon and Chevalier, both of whom seem relieved that you are alive (Chev in his own way).
Leon releases a choked sob after he unties you and scoops you into his arms, whispering to you about how scared he was, how he didn't know what he would do with himself if he'd never seen you again, and suddenly you feel a firm hand on your shoulder.
You turn to look at Chev, who is looking at Leon, and you miss the nod Leon gives him.
He cups your cheeks, and whispers to you that Chev is going to escort you home, don't worry about him, he just has to wrap things up here.
You nod dazedly, as Chev places his hands on your shoulders, and walks you out.
You must have fallen asleep in the carriage, because you wake up in Leon's bed, as Sariel bandages your wrists where the ropes cut you, and Leon watches you with a blank look on his face. When he notices you looking at him, he smiles in pure joy, telling you how everything is okay, and you're safe now.
He tells you how the group was an anti monarchy group that was hoping if they took you they could convince him and his brothers to step down, or kill him if he failed to cooperate.You tell him about Rio, and both him and Sariel express their sadness. They agree to throw a private funeral for him.
It's after the funeral, when you are starting to feel secure in yourself enough to move around again, when Leon calls you into his office. He lovingly takes your hands in his, and tell you how he would like to take some extra precautions. Just to be safe. 
You are to be escorted by Chev's men from now on. You're confused. The differences between Leon's men and Chev's men are essentially the differences between the two of them. Leon's men are trained to assess the situation, and proceed in a way that as little are killed and wounded as possible. Chev's men are trained to kill indiscriminately.
It doesn't seem like something Leon would do, so you express your confusion to him. He tells you he doesn't think it will even come up, but it's just in case the worst happens. After all, he can't be sure if that group plans to make a second strike, or if Obsidian will get back at him through you. And until you're married to him, you don't have enough of a title that killing you is treason.
It makes sense, and if it makes him feel better, you'll agree. He doesn't mean any harm by it. He's just as scared as you are. You get it. He's only human after all.
Despite what you knew about them, you didn't expect Chev's men to be so stifling. They stand much closer to you than you would expect, and everything you do is so closely observed. The only time they are lax, is when you are with Leon at the end of the day, and even then they are always right outside the door.
Oh, and that's another new thing. You used to go back and forth between his room and yours. If he was working late, you'd sleep alone in your room. But after the incident, he always wants you in his room. But when he tightly wraps his arms around you in his sleep, and whispers your name, you tell yourself you understand. He's scared. He thought he lost the only thing that has ever been his. Besides, you're engaged anyway. It's certainly alright for you to have one room.
But even if you were to wiggle yourself out of his arms, and get to the door without waking him up, Chev's men are at there waiting. Go back to sleep. It's too early to be up. If there's something you need, one of them can go get it for you.
The walk back to Leon's bed is the walk of shame from your childhood when your parents would yell at you about how it's only three in the morning. And he's always awake by the time you get back. He looks at you concerned, asking if you need anything, and if you're feeling okay, before telling you to just settle back into his arms. He'll protect you.
You decide to ask Chev about the excessive guards. At least maybe he can tell you how soon it will be before they can relax a little bit.
You secure a rare book from your old employer via letter (the guards saw no purpose in you going yourself) and meet up with him in his private library.
He gives you cryptic answers that don't make any sense to you, so you leave more confused than before. But one thing is clear. The guards aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
You don't know when it starts, but soon you are always with Leon. When he's working in his office, you'll either be sitting on his lap or in a chair next to him, depending on if he is meeting with someone. When you're walking from place to place, his hand is always on your lower back. When he's greeting subjects in his throne room, you are sitting in the throne next to him, as though you are already crowned.
Which you are not. For now. Before you know it, wedding plans have been fast tracked, and you're saying "I do." in front of the brothers and Sariel, and Chev's guards. Your family wasn't invited. They were under suspicion for anti-monarchy behavior.
The coronation is somehow even less attended. It's Leon, your guards, and Sariel, signing a document. The word is spread to the people via a proclamation.
Despite always being with him, it feels like you see little of your husband in the early days of your marriage. His mind is always elsewhere as he directs you from place to place. Sometimes his eyes will be with you, but often he's somewhere else, looking through document after document, and muttering a response if you ask him a question.
Despite how the protections on you have been amped up, he still seems to be a good king. Not that you ever go out anymore so that you can ask the people yourself. But you see the documents that cross his desk, and they all look like policies and letters that you expected from him when you chose him to be king. 
And it's looking at those that you realize how suffocated you've become. You're the only thing he thinks needs so heavily guarded. You barely have a private moment to yourself, and when you do it's not long before Leon's there.
You decide to talk to him about it. After all, he is your husband. Surely, you can have a rational conversation. And when you start the conversation, he appears to be listening and nodding along to your concerns.
And once you've said your piece, he sets aside whatever he was working with and gently explains that this is only temporary. There's still so much unknown right now, it would be irresponsible of him to loosen things up yet. But he promises soon things can go back to the way they were. 
The timing is either cruel or hilarious for Yves to run in and excitedly tell Leon they found the man who single handedly funded your kidnapping. You watch Leon's jaw clench and unclench, before he tells your guards, not you, your guards, to escort you to his room.
You and Yves share a confused glance as you are unceremoniously escorted from the office, and you see Leon collecting his things before going somewhere out of your line of sight.
It's the first time since before you were kidnapped that you are without Leon, and the time is spent alone in his room. Not for lack of trying though. You ask to have Sariel, or Yves, or Licht, or anyone come to keep you company, but the guards are even more stoic and silent than usual.
After three days, where you start to think you might be losing your mind, Leon comes in with a look that gives you dread. It's the look of someone who is about to deliver bad news.
He takes your hands in his, and keeps it simple.
"Things are going to have to stay like this for a little while…"
But…you understand. He's just scared. Him being a king means things have to be tighter. The man Yves said they caught was probably a decoy. You understand…..
Right?
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cookiepop-cat · 1 year
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Teraphobia AU [Sun character profile]
Cw: coulrophobia, teraphobia, blood, spooky
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(NOTE: Sun and Moon have separate bodies in this AU)
Nature
Sun is the diurnal twin brother of Moon who feeds on the emotional distress (fear) of humans
Sun typically chooses one target at a time, often choosing those who’d be described as “scaredy-cats”. He sustains himself with the fear of others, and induces this fear in his victims by taking the form of their deepest, darkest fears
He’ll stick with one victim as long as it suits, only leaving them if they become boring or desensitised
Sun strictly targets adults, as he believes that scaring young children is immoral. He’d hate to be responsible for someone’s childhood trauma
Once Sun has targeted you, its VERY difficult to get rid of him
Sun never kills anyone, as he has no reason to and finds no joy in hurting people
Personality
Sun is energetic and fun-loving! He enjoys annoying people and creating mischief. He’s also a little bit sassy 👀
Unlike his stealthy counterpart, Sun enjoys toying with his prey, often playing pranks and spooking them throughout the day
He rarely forms bonds with his targets. He believes that humans and monsters are incapable of coming to mutual understanding of one another
Abilities
Sun can smell fear. This helps him find potential targets. In fact, he overall has a great sense of smell in general, which allows him to have a great sense of his surroundings without even having to look!
Sun has the ability to sense your biggest fear, and change his appearance to match
When Sun’s rays retract, he becomes invisible. When invisible, he becomes phantom-like, and can phase through just about anything.
Strengths
Sun performs best in the daytime and dim-lit areas, Since this is the only time when he’s visible, and can scare his victims.
Weaknesses
Sun doesn’t perform well in the dark. He can’t be seen when in the dark. He can walk around and interact with his surroundings just fine, but can’t be seen, which makes it harder to scare people
Sun’s ability to shape-shift has its limits. Although he can resemble your fears, he’s restricted by his natural form, and cant stray far from it. Because of this, he can’t remove his rays or crescent face. No matter what form he takes, he’ll always resemble his original form to an extent.
Likes:
Daytime
Sunsets and sunrises
Television
Cooking
Pranks
Human foods
Dislikes:
Crowded areas
Mirrors
Abandonment
Halloween
Wolves
Extra trivia:
I always draw monster Sun as a clown. This is because my version of Y/N has a fear of clowns. But Sun can have all kinds of forms depending on your fears (So feel free to imagine and draw Sun however you like!)
When shapeshifting, Sun often unintentionally mimics Moons jester outfit. Reasons are unknown
Sun’s favourite movie is Hotel Transylvania
Sun basically has the time perception of a dog. One hour feels like ages for him. This explains why he gets bored so easily
Sun loves physical affection, and will gladly accept hugs and cuddles!
Although he rarely interacts with kids, Sun enjoys the idea of befriending them. He’s fascinated by their childlike wonder, and believes that if he were human, he’d probably be some kind of childcare worker. Maybe a daycare attendant perhaps?
Just like Moon, the crescent on Sun’s face isn’t his actual face, and is only an outer shell
In present time, Sun and Moon have a love-hate relationship for unspecified reasons. Sun doesn’t like to talk about it.
Sun has no reason to eat, since he lives off of fear. Despite this, he loves human food, and will eat just about anything you hand him!
————————————————————
Thank you guys for being patient! It took a long while for me to get this out cuz of a mixture of school and getting distracted with other drawings
My plans for this AU is to eventually make a separate blog and start making comics! I have a-lot of story thought out for these guys!
That will take quite a while though, so the blog probably wont be out for another while. Until then, I’ll just be posting little concepts and doodles :3
I’m so happy to see people enjoying my AU, so thank you so much!! Okok I’m rambling so imma leave it off here. Bye guys! 🫶
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ecoamerica · 1 month
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youtube
Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc
The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!
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melverie · 4 months
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Hi Melody! I hope you're having a lovely day/evening!
I am here because I want to know more about your OC Marchosias and to that end I have questions from your ask game! Hopefully these haven't already been sent to you lol but if so please ignore them.
02: Do they have a nickname? 12: What makes them soft? 08: Anything you heavily associate with them? A color, a word, a picture, or something else? 09: How close are they to falling? If they are a fallen angel, what made them fall? 08: Have they given anyone their grimoire?
I hope that's not too many but oh I am curious... also please take your time 💕
Heya CC! Today was a little stressful but overall it was nice. I hope your day is/was also great! 💚
So two of your questions have been asked by others as well, but I have a few more things to say about those, so I'll just answer them again >:)
Also, no amount of questions are too many if I get to talk about my girl Marchosias in return ♡ I'm suffering from brain rot, sent help
⸺ GENERAL INFO 02 ⸺ Do they have a nickname?
So I already answered it over here, but I have two more for her!
The first one is either 'Eden's Apple' or 'Arcadian Apple' (I'm not really sure which one to go with yet whoops). It's only really used in the Celestial Realm and the seraphs were the only ones that referred to Marchosias that way, though Lucifer and Simeon have put a conscious effort into not calling her that anymore. Raphael meanwhile is the only seraph that does not call her that at all
Also, we started calling her Mazey-baby in my friend group recently so uuhhh, yeah I guess that's another nickname of hers now lol
⸺ RELATIONSHIP & PERSONALITY 12 ⸺ What makes them soft?
Oh, there are a few things!
"""Kidnapping""" Mephisto's younger brother, taking him to Devil's Coast and seeing how his face lights up with pure joy every time. Cerberus's existence. When a friend of hers insisted on winning a zombie iguana plush for her from a crane game. Some of the silly little things humans do to show affection toward others (such as warming someone else's hands). First time seeing a firefly. Seeing Luke happy. That one time she and Mephisto wanted to get parfaits at their usual place and the owner rushed over to tell them they have created a new parfait in their honor. Staring at the stars for a while
⸺ CONCEPT AND DESIGN 08 ⸺ Anything you heavily associate with them? A color, a word, a picture, or something else?
One of things I associate with her is parfaits, because I one day randomly decided that she and Mephisto often get parfaits together and gossip talk about RAD News related stuff
The others are stars, because I decided pretty early on that I want her to be fascinated by the night sky which is also why star-related days have a little star on their banner over on @today-in-the-devildom >:) It's kind of ironic though. She is a wingless demon, so even when the stars shift close enough for demons to fly through them, all she can do is watch with longing in her eyes from the ground
⸺ ANGEL 09 ⸺ How close are they to falling? If they are a fallen angel, what made them fall?
Okay, this one is a little tricky to answer, because a) she didn't fall in the classic sense, and b) it requires a lot of background info about how I headcanon things to run in the Celestial Realm
But the short short version is that she was meant to be Raphael's first mission and therefore be killed by him, but he ultimately couldn't bring himself to go through with it and instead helped her escape. She obviously survived, and Raphael was able to avoid punishment
⸺ DEMON 08 ⸺ Have they given anyone their grimoire?
She tried to give it to Lucifer once shortly after the brothers fell, but Lucifer obviously refused to take it. I could explain the reason but it's....long 😭 Just know it's related to something that happened back in the Celestial Realm and she wasn't in the best headspace at the time
Anyway, Barbatos then took it to ensure she wouldn't do anything stupid with it or give it to the next best person and put herself in danger. It's been in his possession ever since and he'll continue to keep it safe until Marchosias decides she wants it back
Right now (aka in the OG timeline) she's considering giving it to my MC. But the idea of giving up so much control over herself is something she still struggles with immensely, despite knowing that my MC wouldn't ever really use it against her in the first place, so she's still debating if she should go through with it or not
-> to the ask game -> to all asks about Marchosias
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simplynotcapable · 8 months
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If Baelon just incarnated as Aemond properly, from Day 1, and he and Visenya were able to communicate this to each other, would that solve any of the issues? Just, any of them?
I just genuinely don't think the Dance would happen.
Aemond kicks off the Dance. He kills Luke in the storm and signs the death warrant of his entire family and all of the dragons. You can keep tracing the fuse back as far as you want, but Aemond is the one who strikes the match and lights the bitch up.
Aemond does this for several reasons:
He's a hothead with a little bit of that dragon brand madness
He's spent his entire life with his mother telling him that Rhaenyra is a threat to him, to Aegon and Daeron, to Helaena and her children. He has had it pounded into his head that Rhaenyra is going to kill him and all the people he cares about, and Rhaenyra has never given him any reason not to believe this.
He's also spent his whole life in her shadow, in Aegon's shadow, in Jace and Luke's shadow--and those last two chafe. In their shadow when he knows they're bastards, when they're not as good as him, when they never have been, and his father still looks right through him and into them. Always has and always will, doesn't matter what he does.
He's just got this raging need to make himself seen because he's never been seen before someone else. He's not the firstborn, not the firstborn son. He claimed a dragon last. He's the one with the missing eye, with the deformity. Aegon's the one deemed worthy to have a Targaryen wife and a crown, and Aemond's just there to shore up his brother and want. He exists to covet. That's all Aemond is: covet dipped in blood.
So he looks at Luke, who took his eye, who has been laughing at him all his life. Precious, perfect little Luke, the some day Lord of the Tides when he doesn't have any blood claim to the seat he's taking. A bastard staring back at him, a bastard with people who love him and see him and put him first, a bastard whose dragon hatched in his cradle and who will marry a woman with Valyrian blood singing in her veins, a bastard who cut his eye out and Aemond's father still protected him. This bastard born to a woman who is going to kill him and his brothers and his nephews, maybe his sister too. His family. His people. And he thinks of his mother who wept for him and fought for him like no one ever did, the danger she's facing if this all goes badly for the Greens, and he is angry.
If you look at things outside of morality, outside of "hey chasing a child through the rain and trying to scare him with a war dragon is stupid", outside of whether or not you think Aemond losing his eye was a tragedy or something he had coming--if you look at it through Aemond's eye and through who Aemond is, how do you think he's going to do anything but what he did?
Baelon and Aemond have a lot of similarities. They're both a little bit mad, and they both take this kind of peaceful joy in violence that Aemond hasn't really gotten a chance to explore beyond sparring at this point in the story. They're dicks! They like teasing Visenya, they like flying, they love their dragons, they're mama's boys.
But the chip Aemond has on his shoulder is completely different from Baelon's.
Visenya recognizing that Baelon is Aemond in this version and him recognizing her means that they both remember. He remembers another life and so does she, and that changes them. Visenya in silver and moonstone would not be the same person she is without remembering the dragonglass and gold universe, and Baelon isn't the same either.
So here's Baelon in Aemond's place. Who remembers loving Rhaenyra and being loved by Rhaenyra, who remembers Laena, who remembers Daemon, who remembers being firstborn and first pick and the way it weighed so heavy. Who doesn't...want to be seen, not really, doesn't covet the same way. All those things Aemond wants so bad--firstborn son, Viserys's favorite, a crown on his head, a dragon in the cradle. Being first and being special and being chosen? He had it already! He knows what it is. He knows he didn't get his happiness from that. He was happy in that life because of Visenya, because of their family.
He's got Alicent in one ear wailing about bastards and the threat of Rhaenyra, but Baelon has Visenya in the other saying "no, she's our Rhaenyra, still, she loves me and she'd love you too if she wasn't so afraid to love you, I swear, I swear"
Baelon doesn't care about Viserys's attention. He doesn't care if he loves Luke and Jace best, doesn't give a flying fuck about any of it, because he's been loved best already and didn't much care for it. Visenya loves him best, and he knows that, and that's all that matters. He doesn't care that Aegon is first born, that Aegon could be king, that Aegon is more special.
And when Baelon claims Vhagar, when he comes back to Rhaena and Baela and Jace and Luke, he knows what it's like to have a dead mother! He knows, he knows, he knows, and he knows what it is to love Laena, and so why would he be cruel? Why would he say anything at all to hurt them more when he understands why they're angry, when he knows he did something insensitive?
Baelon doesn't lose an eye at Driftmark.
Baelon doesn't stop Aegon from leaving, either, because who is he to stop him? Who is he to keep him from running away from a throne he doesn't want?
And Baelon looks at Visenya, looks at her with her eyes wide and her hands clasped, and he kneels to Rhaenyra because he doesn't want it and Visenya says it's safe. Visenya says they're safe, and Baelon trusts Visenya more than he can ever trust another soul.
("I won't forgive you," Visenya says, Rhaenyra's hand in hers, and she looks into a queen's eyes with her jaw set and her mind made up. "If you--if Daemon...I will not forgive you, Nyra, and I swear to whatever gods there are that I'll put your fucking kingdoms to light until someone shoots me down.")
And they are safe, really. Safe as a Targaryen can be, anyway, but Baelon wants to leave anyway. Just in case, his mother's whispers still in his head, and so he goes. Alicent won't, won't, won't, but Baelon goes and brings Visenya and Helaena with him. Pentos, no further.
They go home for visits and leave again, and Jaehaera marries Joffrey and Jaehaerys marries Jace and Baela's daughter, and Helaena falls in love with living a life beholden to no one, and Baelon and Visenya marry three times all over again. Daemon watches them with sharp eyes, listens for whispers, but the whispers never come because that's the fundamental difference between Baelon and Aemond.
Aemond wants everything. Baelon just wants the things that matter.
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heavenlyhoundoom · 2 months
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Blood Brothers.(part 9, remastered) The original version was too edgy so I changed it to be more tasteful.
(Sundrop and Moondrop enter the tent the other vampires were hiding.)
Moondrop: I wish I could help them.
Sundrop: I know...
(One of the other vampires reconizes their voices.)
?: Sundrop, Moondrop?
Sundrop: That voice...
Moondrop: Is that...
(They turn around and see that it was their mom.)
Moondrop: Mom?...
(Moondrop sheads silent tears of mixed emotions.)
Astra: I knew I recognized those voices,(joy) my boys!
Sundrop and Moondrop: (joy) Mom!
(The reunited family hug with tears in their eyes.)
The other vampires: Awww...
(It cuts to the entrance to the sanctuary, with Marceline and Jake confronting the mysterious person.)
Jake: Alright, who are you and what are you doing here!?
Finn: Woah, calm down, Jake, (takes off his cloak) it's just me.
Jake: Oh, sorry about that, Finn.
Finn: It's okay, anyway, I brought some more red produce from my parents' farm.
(Finn opens his bag, full of red peppers, tomatoes, beets, cherries, and strawberries.)
Jake: Thanks, Finn.
Finn: You're welcome.
Marceline: Alright, everyone, it's safe to come out of the safety tent.
(The vampires exit the tent, Astra walks up to the three.)
Astra: Finn, Jake, Marceline?
Jake: Yes, Astra?
Astra: Which one of you brought the new vampires here?
Jake: It was me.
(Astra gives Jake a hug.)
Astra: Thank you...
Jake: Huh?
Astra: Those vampires are my sons.
Jake, Oh, well in that, you're welcome.
(Moondrop walks up to Astra.)
Moondrop: Um, Mom, what happened?
Astra: Huh, what do you mean?
Moondrop: I mean, what happened to you, and why did you never contact us afterwards?
Astra: Well...
(It flashes back to the fateful night.)
Astra: (I was walking through the park when I was pounced on by a vampire.)
Astra:(scared) Sir, want are you doing?
Vampire swan: I'm going to feed...
Astra:(scared) But the convenience store is over there.
(I pointed to the convenience store.)
Vampire swan: But you're right here...
(He pulled down my shirt collar and revealed his fangs, that's when I realized he was a vampire.)
Astra: Somebody he-
(He bit me before I could fully cry for help, I tried to fight back, but the chemicals released from his fangs made the experience too soothing for me to make him stop. He licked my bite mark and I passed out, when I woke up, I was at his house.)
Vampire swan: Hey, I see that you're awake.
Astra: Why did you do that!?
Vampire swan: I'm so sorry, I hadn't fed in days and the bloodlust took over-
Astra: What are you saying!?
Vampire swan: I'm saying that you're a vampire now because of me!
Astra: That's it!
(I stormed out of his house and planned on going back home.)
Vampire swan:(Concerned) Hey, where are you going!?
Astra: I'm going back home and seeing my boys!
Vampire swan: You can't!
Astra: Why not!?
Vampire swan: Because you're a vampire and your sons are full of blood, so your bloodlust could make hurt them or even worse kill them!
(That hurt because he was right, now that I craved blood, I couldn't go back home our to any of my friends or family because the bloodlust might kick in and I might end up killing the people I loved, so I ran away.)
Vampire swan: Ma'am, don't go, I'm sorry!
(I eventually stumbled across this sanctuary, but even after I found a way to live blood free, I still isolated myself from my loved ones in fear of losing control and hurting or even killing them...)
(It cuts back to the present.)
Moondrop: Where does he live, I'm gonna punch him into orbit!
Astra: Moondrop?
Sundrop: Brother, that swan cleary wasn't in control when he bit mom!
Astra: What happened to the sweet pacifist I used to know?
Moondrop: I've changed since the day we thought you died...
(The end of part 9)
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So I have recently been doing flower associations/analysis/whatever these should be called for another fandom, and wanted to do this for a few other people. So now we have Sun Wukong! I will say this is going to be influenced by the Lego Monkey Kid version, but I am building off of JTTW too.
For the Great Sage I believe the best flowers are Marigolds, Hyacinth, Peach Blossoms, and this one is a bit of stretch but Bird of Paradise.
These flowers all have multiple meanings, some changing based on color. I will be picking the meanings for those based on what feels like the best fit for Wukong.
First up Marigolds. A beautiful yellow flower that is sometimes called the Herb of the Sun, which Wukong was compared to the sun in LMK. Marigolds symbolize Power/Strength, Chasing Away Evil Spirits, and Brings Positive Energy.
Wukong is obviously one of the strongest people we see in any medium involving him. He bested countless deities, demons, and more. Wukong also has several different abilities/powers, too many to honestly probably keep up with. He chased away demons during the journey from his fellow pilgrims, ran off hunters from his mountain, and more. His ability to see through illusions could potentially be an evidence point towards chasing out evil spirits, since he can identify a threat despite it's disguises and trickery. Wukong, at least in the LMK show, admits to playing a fool at times. He acts foolish and like a jokester to bring levity to situations and more positive emotions to the people he's with, even if it doesn't always land.
Marigolds do also have negative connotations as well. They symbolize Grief, Despair, and Mourning.
Wukong has lost a lot of people in his life. He lost the other monkeys from his mountain, likely the other demon kings minus DBK since they don't show up again, and his fellow pilgrims. Grief accompanies loss easily, and despair may be a stretch, but it is also a common feeling for a loss. I don't think it's a stretch to say he mourns. We see in the LMK show that he made a small shrine with origami figures of his friends/brothers from the journey for the New Year Fireworks.
Next Hyacinths! Hyacinths have multiple means depending on the color, but also often the connotation of tragedy. As a whole, they can depict Rashness, while Purple Hyacinths represent Forgiveness, and like most purple flowers, Royalty.
Wukong could be at times rash, but he did grow from it. Wukong took on the name "Handsome Monkey King" and was king of his fellow monkey demons on Flower Fruit Mountain. Part of the Wukong's story in the JTTW is learning compassion, which can lead to forgiveness. Some versions of the story have Wukong releasing the hunters that attacked his home rather than killing them, which could be interpreted as forgiveness. I think we have some of that in LMK with his willingness to work with DBK, if that's maybe a bit of speculation.
Red Hyacinths represent Recreation and Playfulness. Pink Hyacinths similarly mean Joy and Fresh Starts.
Monkeys are noted in JTTW as being somewhat mischievous and very active. Part of Wukong's introduction is even mentioning how he and his friends would play in their home. Wukong is a very happy and 'bouncy' demon. Getting so excited he jumps around and can no longer sit still when he realizes he's going to learn from his first master. Wukong also gets a fresh start so to speak after being released from the mountain to travel with Tang Sanzang.
The next flower is perhaps a little on the nose, but Peach Blossoms! The blossoms that turn into one of Wukong's favorite foods, Peaches! Peach Blossoms represent Longevity.
Wukong became a Guardian of the Heavenly Peach Garden, and some of the peaches of this garden grant immortality to whomever eat them. Wukong, while already immortal at this point, does eat all types of the peaches grown in the garden. He also drinks the heavenly wine, and takes the longevity pills, so he very easily has a long life.
Peach Blossoms also symbolize Protection against Misfortune/Bad Luck and Luck.
I've already touched on Wukong's connection to warding off evil with Marigolds,and I don't want to reiterate too much. Wukong does help bring in luck as well, though. There are plenty of stories where he and his fellow pilgrims bring change to villages, and people with the defeat of some the demons they face. We even see in LMK Wukong fighting off DBK, and protecting a village which leads to a long time of prosperity. One would consider that quite lucky, I would think.
Our final flower may be a bit of a stretch but I think it fits the Monkey King pretty well, the Bird of Paradise.
The Bird of Paradise is very lovely and unique looking flower that are pollinated by sunbirds. They get their name for looking like a bird in flight, and symbolize Glamor and Joy.
Like the misfortune I don't to linger on something I've already looked at once but it's included because I think it just solidifies the connection between the flower choice and Wukong. Now, glamor can mean both magic or to make certain things more appealing/attractive. One of Wukong's titles is "The Handsome Monkey King". Though I'd like to focus more on the magic aspect of glamor. Wukong does have the ability to make himself appear as other people or creatures, and as stated earlier, he has several abilities that he has access too including magic.
The Bird of Paradise also symbolizes Freedom.
Like I said the flower looks like a bird in flight, which would lend itself to looking like freedom. Part of Wukong going with Tang Sanzang was for freedom from his punishment, but I think Wukong is also just a free spirt as well. He's playful, he seems to like to travel, and in LMK he seems to like thinking outside the box. He also flies with his cloud, and can turn into a bird and I've seen many, many connections between feelings of freedom being related to flight. I also think a young Monkey King had plenty of freedom on Flower Fruit Mountain.
Sun Wukong is a very complex character, in any iteration, with many layers and possible interpretations to his acts. His story had many ups and downs, similar to any story relating to some that would be/is labeled a hero. There are probably more flowers that can easily be associated with Wukong or that just fit different aspects that I didn't touch on in this. I think these four flowers hit a lot of points, both individually and together.
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elxgantcaptain · 1 year
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My Peter and Wendy review :/
I didn't like the film >:c
But that was going to be obvious. I've not really enjoyed many of these 'live action' films of the OGs. I just found this version of Peter Pan very... Lackluster. It needed MORE, it felt like it was missing so much, it didn't explore what we wanted to see? It needed to EXPAND! Urg, it was just so frustrating. Not only that, but it felt like they took lines they knew did well in the older live action films thinking it will hold weight? NO. Do your own thing. Make something gd NEW already!
But there are SOME things I liked about the film.
Theres a lil breakdown of things I liked and didn't like under the cut. There ARE spoilers tho.
Things I LIKED
The transfer into neverland - that time stand-still thing, very interesting! Not seen that before in the transformation into neverland, I kinda liked it.
How Wendy couldn't 'see' sometimes - Such as seeing the pirates on the ocean and then the lost boys being like 'She's too grown up', it seems like an interesting concept but it wasn't really explored???
The Crocodile - NOW THATS a croc. Its huge and its eye shape and jaws are as I would have pictured a live action telling of Tick Tock, especially in the face.
Hook and Pan having a history - I'm not against the whole idea of 'Hook was once a lost boy' kinda deal, the idea of them knowing each other was pretty cool, about how he left and grew up and changed and Peter finding that growing up and evil are the same thing... And how he banished Hook because he missed his mother. Thats really sad.
Tigerlily - She's a good character and they handled the 'indians' quite well in this, down to the fact she speaks the language too. Idk but i really like how she referred to Pan as 'little brother'
Hook's explanation to Wendy - I like how Hook struggles with himself and Neverland, how he slowly started to forget his own mother and home, how he TRIED to leave Neverland after Pan banished him but couldn't get out. He was lost at sea until he was rescued by Smee. 'My time for joy is lost'
Pirates singing - I'm just a sucker for Shanties
Wendy's happy thoughts of the future - Thinking she could be happy when she starts to grow up, I found that kinda sweet.
Hook is known to be the best sword fighter - Just that.
"Do you know what really hurts about getting old? Its not the creaking bones, or the dashed dreams or even the sense of death drawing ever nearer... Its knowing that your best friend can look you in the eyes and not recognise you."
Things I DIDN'T LIKE
The acting felt so forced in places - WIth Hook it was 'I am sooo evil, don't mention hands because i have lost a hand, don't mention pan cause I want to kill him' and with the kids it was like, VERY overdramatic. 'Ohhh PEETTERRR~' yuck
Captain Hook's hook - Just... No... It literally just looks like a very bad fake hand that his hand is literally holding onto, covered by long sleeves
Wendy - Just... Wendy, she confuses me. She doesn't want to grow up but she continuously talks about growing up and sounds very mature. I suppose thats how its supposed to be? But she places blame, she calls tattletale and she just... She just doesn't seem like a believable character?
Costumes - Some of the costumes are just not... Good? I don't like Hook's overall look? Neither do I like some of the pirates and the lost boys? Its all very higgilty pigglity with the pirates outfits, which i can understand why, its stuff they may have stolen or found over the years in Neverland but it was very 'hey look I'm a pirate and I'm quirky!' and with the Lost Boys, I always thought it'd be better to wear real animal skins rather than all the fake cuddly toy looking ones?
The direction - Pick an angle, are you dark and serious or are you fun and goofy?
Neverland - Why can't it be brighter? Why does it looks so dull and boring? There are some interesting concepts there, the 'castle' they stay in along with the trees. As they enter Neverland it looks amazing and bright with the mermaids etc and then it just gets... BORING? I want to see bright colours, magic, the mysteries and beauty of an Island where things don't grow up! Where was that?
Timing felt off - The story feels rushed in some areas? Like, it didn't feel like a FAMILY at the very beginning? They didn't show Wendy's true conflict about leaving to go to boarding school, nor did they establish a good family dynamic? It felt like they rushed the croc scene and Hook's panic?
Transitions - Whats with some of these transitions between scenes? Like that random circle one after Wendy smacks Pan in the face????
The parents - Again a poke at how it didn't feel like a FAMILY? They just don't seem to react as you probably WOULD when a bunch of strange wild children enter your house without permission and trash your kid's room. And the look the mother gave towards Peter as he left, did she KNOW Peter???? Was she his sister? Descendant? IDK???
How it felt like Hook and Peter became 'friends' at the end - It wasn't fully revealed, but it felt like it was hinted at. NO.
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goji-pilled · 2 years
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MK-S: Another little story/scene.
“So anyway, that tree is where the basilisks come from,” Klarissa stated as her brother played the game. Anthony had since stopped pretending to pay attention trying to get pass those darn slime things that stuck to the ceiling. The two were seated on the living room couch. “Though I’m not sure if they’re supposed to be some sort of primordial life like dragons or-“
“Would you just tell me how to get past the ceiling mines?” Anthony interrupted, frustration from his latest reading of “YOU DIED” seeping slightly into his voice.
“Oh, just use a bow and hit them, they’ll drop like rocks.”
“Are you kidding me?! It’s that easy?”
“‘Fraid so. On the plus side, there’s a bonfire behind the door at the end of the hall.”
“Best news I’ve had in an hour.” Anthony sighed. “Wait, won’t that trap me in here with them blocking my only exit?”
“No, just run past them and they’ll drop behind you,” he heard Klarissa say while his eyes were glued to the screen as he took great joy in watching those green masses of muck fall with each wooden arrow. “It’s like they have eyes that are only focused towards one end of the hall.”
“Thanks sis!” Anthony said as he knocked down the last mob from the ceiling. He felt her tug on his sleeve. He turned and saw Klarissa staring wide-eyed over her shoulder, behind the couch. He followed Klarissa gaze and saw…Klarissa. Standing on the stairs.
There was an awkward silence as the two Klarissas stared at each other, while Anthony’s eyes moved back and forth between the two.
The other Klarissa walked up to the one standing up from the couch, and proceeded to slap her doppelgänger.
“Wow, I was right; it is weird to be the one doing the slapping.”
“What the heck are you on about?!” Klarissa yelled. “And, ow! That freaking stings!”
“It faded fast enough.”
“Uh, Klarissa?” Anthony inquired.
“Yes?” Both witches answered.
“Oh, this is going to get so confu-“
“Klarissa dash two,” the Klarissa from upstairs interrupted, pointing at herself. She then pointed to the sister that had been seated with Anthony. “Klarissa dash one.”
“…Right…” Anthony said slowly. “So anyway, is this a Phil thing?”
Both Klarissas took off their hats, and held them out, pointed tip facing downward.
“Cover your ears,” Klarissa-2 stated.
“Wha-?” Anthony started.
“And you don’t.” She said at the same time as Anthony had started his response.
It was then that a large pocket watch came out of Klarissa-2’s hat. The cover opened to reveal a human face, eyes closed, mouth opening. The watch then let out an ear piercing shriek, before diving into Klarissa-1’s hat. “Ugh, that’s even worse the second time around.”
“Second time arou-Ooohh…” Klarissa-1 started, before her expression lit up in realization. “So why did I-“
“Still don’t know!” Klarissa-2 said, throwing out her arms in a dramatic shrug. “I just did it because that’s what I did.” She let her arms drop, her expression shifting to one of clear annoyance. “Just go upstairs and do the thing.”
“Fine.” Klarissa-1 mumbled and started up the stairs. “So how do I-“
“You figure it out soon enough.” Klarissa-2 answered. “Some advice: don’t try to just remember our conversation like a script, just roll with it. If you don’t…Ugh, when you don’t, you’ll get this headache.”
“I won’t.”
“Already did.” Klarissa-2 sighed. She walked over to Anthony and took Klarissa-1’s seat at the couch. Anthony just stared at her.
“So when will my sister be back?”
“I’ve been back for the past two minutes.” Klarissa stated, holding her head in her hands as she sat back down on the couch. “Mom was right; time travel is a pain.” She looked up at the screen. Her eyes widened. “You forgot to kill the slimes when you knocked them down!”
“Oh snap!” Anthony said as he hastily returned to the game.
MK-S: I’ve said in the past I’m against the notion of using Phil multiverse shenanigans to have Klarissa interact with alternative versions of herself. I think that would get too confusing, way too quickly. However, I’ve said nothing about being against her using her own time travel abilities to potentially interact with her own dimensional version of herself from the past/future…yeah, time travel gives her a headache. Multi-dimensional variance she can wrap her head around. Time paradoxes, doing things because that’s what you know you already did, those just make her brain hurt. Hope this was an enjoyable read!
And the watch from Phil was his way of saying “This is your time travel shenanigans, I’m not involved in this.”
Klarissa has the pleasure of regular time travel AND trans dimensional shenanigans, and now she suffers for it
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carolap53 · 2 years
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Acts 16:22-40
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”
37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”
38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.
New International Version
(NIV)
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The big long lore post
This post contains summaries of all of my character lore, and will remain on the pinned post on the blog for easy access!
PLEASE NOTE - THIS WILL HAVE TRIGGERING CONTENT WITHIN IT. CREEPS WITH ABUSE MENTIONS ARE MARKED.
Obvious disclaimer! Some of these are VERY different from their original canon, and that’s the point for me. I understand not everyone likes or wants to follow my lore, but my writing follows this lore.
Putting them under a keep reading because this is so long
Jeff (Mentions of abuse):
The second-born son to a family that didn't want him, born weaker but more intelligent than his older brother, Jeff was physically, verbally, and emotionally abused by his mother his entire life. The only kindness Jeff ever knew was from his older brother Liu, the attributed golden child of the family. Used to being a victim of bullying, his luck took a turn for the worst when he was escorted to an open field, tied up, and lit on fire by the worst of his bullies, only making it out alive due to Jane saving him. On the night that he snapped, he murdered his parents in cold blood before trying to escape, harming his brother in the process. To disguise himself easier and cause a distraction, Jeff in a break of panic and insanity started several house fires as a diversion. Jeff now lives life through a facade, presenting himself as a strong and capable person, hiding the weak, scared version of himself inside.
Liu (Mentions of abuse):
The first-born son to a family that originally treasured him, life started off good for Liu, until Jeff came into the mixture. While Liu will never tell Jeff, and will never shatter his reality, Liu was not as loved and treasured as Jeff thought. Their mother constantly pushed Liu to be the best, better than Jeff, and would beat him and scream at him as well whenever he disappointed her, however, Liu was better at hiding the bruises. Sully developed in his early adolescence as a way for him to cope with the trauma of his mother, Sully taking the brunt of the abuse and Liu trying to save his brother from the same fate. On the night that Jeff attacked him while fleeing, Liu ended up wandering into the woods, and in a state of half-death, ended up in a state of limbo. He ended up stumbling through a hidden area to access the Underworld from the human world, and in his state of limbo transformed into a self-aware zombie. Liu now spends his days trying to reconcile with his sibling.
Jane:
Jane grew up a normal child in a loving household. However, her fate was changed when the Masters family moved in across the street. While Jane had always shown the boys kindness, often helping Jeff in secret, telling off his bullies, and protecting him from the shadows, she felt ultimately betrayed when in his spark of insanity he lit her house on fire in the wake of his path. Jane suffered severe injuries trying to navigate inside to her parents who ultimately ended up dying in the fire. She vowed to seek revenge upon Jeff, but upon learning they both contracted with Slender and were not allowed to fatally harm each other was forced to form a truce with him. She's learning to give him ounces of forgiveness these days and finds hating him to be too exhausting as she tries to move on. They're neither friends nor enemies.
Nina:
Involved with the above three, Nina often followed in her older brother's footsteps and took great joy in terrorizing Jeff, hating him from an early age. She ended up developing a crush on the older brother, Liu, although he never returned her affections due to the age difference and her treatment of his sibling. After learning that Liu still loves Jeff even after the incident, Nina now holds that same hatred for him as well. After Jeff ended up seeking revenge and killing his bullies, he accidentally left Nina alive, and she viewed this as him mocking her and getting back at her for the years of abuse. She is now devoted to trying to kill him. She also has an issue with Jane who no longer has any drive to kill Jeff, viewing Jane as a traitor and an idiot for giving up on her vengeance. She is currently employed under Zalgo and works as one of his highest-ranking workers.
BEN (Mentions of abuse):
An only child born to a happy household, BEN was well-loved until his mother passed away when he was still a child from an illness that had been plaguing him for years. His father turned to alcohol and violence to cope, and while his mother would protect BEN when he was younger, once she passed BEN was forced to endure years of abuse alone, obtaining his fear of water from his father mock drowning him as an abusive punishment. After saving up cash and trying to escape, BEN's father discovered his hiding space and in a fit of rage and betrayal, intentionally drowned BEN in their bathtub. Now a mess of hollowness and fear, BEN drowns (pun I didn’t notice until beta reading) himself in work and games to distract himself from his trauma, trying to prevent himself from attempting to actually drown himself again from the emotional high it had given him. Working as the trusted, intelligent informant under Slender, he does whatever he can to hide his past from others.
Toby (Mentions of abuse):
Born as the second child to an influential CEO who was insanely fixated on having the perfect family, Toby, his sister, and his mother lived in an abusive hellhole for a very long time. He was rapidly punished once he started developing his Tourette's, as his father viewed it as an imperfection, and so all of their punishments would continue growing worse. Strict education and strict rules must be followed, and if you break them, endless suffering follow. Toby, unable to feel the pain of punishment, was forced to watch his sister and mother be tortured, serving as a much more effective punishment for Toby. Mock execution, starvation, isolation, sensory deprivation/assault, anything that would terrify his family, his father would do. After his father accidentally murdered his sister in a punishment gone wrong, Toby snapped and murdered him, escaping and running away while his mother covered for him. His mother still loves him and cares for him today while he recovers from all the abuse in hiding at Slender's mansion.
Tim and Brian:
Friends from a young age, Tim was the quiet loner, and Brian was the anxious boy who couldn't make friends. Brian was drawn to Tim like a moth to a flame, and the two of them were always side by side. They lived perfectly normal and happy lives until Brian got the interesting idea for them to try and be ghost hunters. It started off as an innocent and stupid hobby until they actually ended up stumbling upon truly cursed items, leaving the two of them to become possessed by entities that we now call Masky and Hoodie. The two of them searched everywhere to try and get help but no exorcism could expel the spirits from them. They eventually stumbled upon Slender in the woods near Brian's house, and he took them in, offering assistance with the entities now residing in them.
Kate:
A girl with a penchant for exploration, Kate had a habit of escaping from the free world and spent most of her time in the woods located behind her house. She liked the exploration and would try and visit cursed areas around her town, and one she had discovered online wasn't too far from her, at the very edge of the woods. It was an old shut down mining facility, however, it was shut down for a reason. There was a cursed monster lurking in the depths, and it ended up casting its curse upon her, invading her senses and causing her to leak a dark, wet, ashy substance when in her cursed and transformed state. She ended up being saved by Slender, attracted to the commotion as he keeps tabs on some of the entities residing in the human world. He gave her a place to live in his mansion and helps her cope with the curse residing in her veins. Due to the effect the curse has on her eyes, Kate was even originally unaware of Slender's true appearance. 
Natalie (Mentions of abuse):
A daughter born in a family hoping for only boys. With a misogynistic father looking for a son to pass his business down to, Natalie was the opposite of what he wanted. Their next child, Natalie's younger brother, would go on to be the favored child, while Natalie was forced to behave like a boy and not allowed to own anything remotely feminine, and she was even referred to as "Nathan" instead of Natalie in the house. Natalie and her mother were routinely beaten by their father due to his hatred of their existence. After her younger brother grew close to her, treasuring Natalie as his older sister, this made her father even angrier and the abuse ended up escalating. As Natalie grew older, she tried harder and harder to become more feminine, and her father in a fit of rage started to sexually assault her as it was the only thing women were good for in his mind. Eventually, after dealing with all of this for so long, her younger brother snuck Natalie a knife, giving her the means to murder their father while he covered for her, allowing her to escape. The two are still in touch to this day and have made lots of progress in recovering.
Helen (Mentions of abuse):
The only son born to rich and influential parents who were hoping for a daughter. Helen lived two lives, one as a studious young boy in the public, forced to get the highest possible education, and in private nothing more than a toy for his parents to dress up as a girl, forcing him to act feminine and portray himself as a girl behind closed doors. Helen found escape in art and wished to grow up and pursue it, however, his parents ridiculed him for this, destroying any art supplies they would find and physically abusing, degrading, and humiliating him constantly as punishment. One of Helen's duties behind closed doors would be to dress up as a woman and cook dinner for them every night, and one day after finally snapping he poisoned their dinner, effectively killing them before escaping and running away, discovering Slender a few years later. Helen doesn't remember doing so and will dodge questions about it if asked, but his parent's corpses were discovered heavily mutilated and posed artistically. Helen still retains this habit today, although he always claims he never remembers doing so.
Dr. Smiley:
A completely normal man on the outside, Smiley always had a flair for the more inhumane sides of science on the inside. He liked pushing experiments a bit too far, doing things a little bit too monstrous for what would be considered safe. He lived as a well-respected doctor during the day and a sadistic experimenter at night. He was eventually outed for his crimes and went to escape. He lived on the run for a few years before Slender chose him specifically for his medical knowledge, scouting him as the first official doctor for the mansion residents, so long as he kept his experiments on their targets rather than those that lived within the mansion. 
Sally (Mentions of abuse):
A child that was raised in an orphanage that was actually used as a human trafficking organization. Sally was a frequently used target within the organization, one of the more popular children. Constantly abused and assaulted, Sally never knew peace for the entirety of her life within that hellhole. Eventually, the organization was discovered, and in a last-ditch effort, all of the children within it were murdered and disposed of. Sally went on to wander around in the Underworld as a tormented spirit until Slender found her and took pity on her, giving her a place to finally rest. She still carries her severe hatred and mistrust of men but is making progress in recovering in the safety of the mansion.
Eyeless Jack (Mentions of abuse):
Another child brought up in an orphanage as his parents died in an accident when he was still a child, Jack ended up getting adopted into what he hoped would be a loving family. He was instead taken into a cult that only picked him due to his heterochromatic eyes. Forced to study, become nocturnal, and isolate themselves from each other, the children of the cult had to follow all of the various rules within it. Those that disobeyed rules would serve as human experiments as punishment, and despite being perfectly good, other kids would pin things on Jack so he had to suffer. After reaching a certain age, Jack would also be forced to consume human flesh. They went through all these lengths to prepare a vessel for a demon they wished to summon, and Jack would go on to become that vessel, the vessel for Ambrosa, the demon of scholars. Carved with symbols, branded and mutilated, eyes removed as an offering for the demon, in his final rebellion, rather than having the demon summoned, it fused its own soul with Jack's by accident, turning Jack himself into a demon that slaughtered all remaining humans in the organization and lost his memories in the process. He was eventually discovered and rescued by Slender, taken on as a second doctor. He views himself as a monster, containing feline ears, a tail, claws, teeth, and instincts, tormented by the glimpses of horrid memories he possesses and prefers to live alone.
Laughing Jack (Mentions of abuse):
Designed as a toy for Isaac by the Overworld, Jack was sent to him as a gift. Whoever possesses Jack's box has complete control over him and can command him at their will. This would have served no issue, had Jack not suffered an immediate glitch in his system after being received, becoming self-aware, however, he was unable to speak or move without commands from Isaac. Jack would grow traumatized, being forced to watch as Isaac was abused by his parents and unable to help him, left for years staring ahead and unable to move. Jack began to grow bitter and spiteful towards Isaac, for Isaac could do everything that Jack couldn't, could live however he wanted while Jack had to follow commands, and the more bitter he grew, the duller his once bright colors would become, now dull and washed out. Jack, unaware of the fact that his emotions were leaking into Isaac, ended up influencing Isaac to become as bitter and spiteful as himself. Isaac would begin to use Jack to kill animals, destroy houses, and set them ablaze to torment those he hated. It wasn't until Isaac brought home a girl and tried to assault her, ordering Jack to restrain her so he could that Jack finally snapped and gained control, denying Isaac's demands, although Isaac forced him into his box, and forced him to watch Isaac's crime, taunting him all the while. Isaac made the mistake of calling him back out, and Jack acted on impulse, torturing and murdering him, causing him to fall and truly become demonic, gaining claws and fanged teeth in the change, possessing darker magic. Eventually taken in my Slender, he now harbors a fear of children due to their cruelty and lack of empathy and views himself as a monster.
Jason:
Originally designed as a mechanical life-size toy for a magical toy shop in the Overworld powered by a music box "heart", Jason carried out his days as a caretaker and assistant in said shop. He was beloved by children and soaked up the attention like a sponge, however, envy is a hell of a drug. Eventually, the children would begin paying attention to newer models more than Jason, and he soon became ignored and forgotten. After becoming too self-aware, and too jealous, he suffered a system glitch and mutation. No longer the favored toy and beginning to become possessed by his jealousy, Jason snapped, slaughtering all those in the shop at the time and being cast into the Underworld. He now harbors a severe fear and distrust of people, especially children, and he fears everyone will take advantage of him and abandon him. He's built up a powerful facade for himself in the Underworld and garnered himself high standing, doing whatever he can to manipulate and keep the spotlight on himself so he can keep soaking up the attention.
Candy Pop:
In Candy's original lore, he fused with Night Terrors upon accidentally glancing into the mirror he was trapped in by Candy, but I take a different stance on this in my lore, saying Candy never trapped him in the first place. The other main difference, instead of Candy/Night slaughtering the rest of the Genyrs together, Night had come to slaughter them himself to absorb their souls. After witnessing all of his people having been killed, Candy in a last-ditch effort fused his soul with Night's, trapping them together and forcing them to share a body. This might be subject to fluctuation in the future as I don't have all of his lore completely meshed out, but this is a general idea. 
Hobo Heart:
Hobo's main lore could be followed by the OG for my blog if you wished, although I have one key difference in my own lore. In the original, it was C.C that ended up causing him to break free, but in my lore, it was someone else. Hobo, one night when wandering around, stumbled upon a nice old witch outside of her hut, unaffected by the aura he gave off, she was the first to ever show him kindness. She took him in where he had nowhere else to go and would help him in his tasks while teaching him things like simple spells as well. She was the one that eventually gave him the power to fight for what he truly wanted and to live his life, and upon her passing, he decided to take charge of his own fate, abandoning the tree he had served and choosing a life of his own, left only with the treasured necklace she always wore that she had left him. While traveling in the Underworld, he happened upon Slender's mansion, asking for employment, as the witch had actually informed him of "the tall man in the world of death", the one who would look out for him. Slender was happy to welcome him on as part of the crew.
Puppeteer:
Originally a boy with a normal life, he was cruising along and living the high life. For lore reasons I haven't completely fleshed out yet, he would go on to become haunted by a spirit. It began to slowly drive him insane, and he would do whatever he could to escape the spirit that kept tormenting him, leading him to end up committing suicide, however, that allowed the spirit to mesh into him, causing Puppeteer to become the poltergeist he is today, although no longer the cheerful, happy boy he was, and now the narcissistic and demanding person that the spirit possessing him used to be. While not a full possession, Pup still retains his memories from human life but finds it hard to let down his guard and allow his true self to come out. He ended up accepting a job offer from Slender as he had nothing else to do with his afterlife. 
Slender:
The oldest son of the Mann family, Slender has always had high expectations on his shoulders and was the most educated, forced to follow along in his father's footsteps. In an act of teenage rebellion, Slender decided to instead take after his mother and fulfill his own life in the meantime. He founded his own assassination company as a way to further spite his father, now competing with him for the better company, founding the mansion as a place to take in employees and help them to recover from their trauma, being especially drawn to wandering, lost souls. When the time comes and his mother steps down, he will take after her and become the head grim reaper in the Underworld, in charge of harvesting and guiding souls.
Trender:
The second oldest son in the Mann family, trender was always closest to his mother who works part-time as a model and has an affinity for fashion. He always accompanied her, making many acquaintances early on in life, devoting himself to becoming a fashion designer when he grows up, and he ended up succeeding. He is a renowned stylist, respected in both the Underworld and Overworld for his designs, and he's an extremely sought after designer. 
Offender:
The third born son, and the one that struggles the most. While all of his other brothers always had clear aspirations, praise, and attention placed on them by their parents, Offender often drifted around, unsure of what to do with himself. With a passion for entertaining people, he would go on to found the Underworld's most popular club and bar, although he finds it hard to feel fulfilled with this when his brothers have done so much for. He often puts himself down and wishes he could have done something better with his life.
Splendor:
The final born son, and the most surprising one. Extremely eager, bubbly, and friendly on the outside, Splendor has a dark and sinister side to himself, almost like a split personality (but not quite as it's still "him", it's just triggered by certain reactions), and he does his best to keep it hidden as he hates it and hates how it brings fear to people. Splendor travels the three worlds helping children in need and getting them the care and support that they need. 
Zalgo:
Zalgo was the only son and heir to the king and queen of the Underworld. He was never allowed friends or any source of entertainment and only had studying and work to occupy his time, harshly punished by his parents if he strayed from the path they made for him. He has a deep distrust of others due to the fact that many are eager to take advantage of him due to his status as the current king of the Underworld. He has a side company, an assassination one like Slender's that he uses to occupy himself and more diplomatically wipe out the scum of the Underworld. He has a deep affinity for plants, literature, and magic, and pursues them in his free time.
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tickletricky · 2 years
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Mishap with the Accident Prevention Measures!
A/N; I accidentally forgot to post this because i posted the version that I HADN’”T SPELLCHECKED YET and got so embarrassed i temporarily perished. so in return i used my best “novel” style for the fic. help it literally took days to edit. 
Summary: @tsuruyasonozaki said the remote idea was too short to make a fic out of. I took that as a challenge. 
Content: lee!Moon, ler!Sun, Sun and Moon are brothers but like not from a technological standpoint, more like a found family standpoint? Minor angst, the Vanny incident happened but nobody ever got killed. 
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Just when Sun’s shift was almost over, there was a precious half-hour between the time that his shift was ending and Moon’s began. 
The incident with the bunny-clothed terrorist seemingly changed the very air of the ‘Plex. The Glamrocks never quite felt right with their rehearsals, often feeling bummed-out (as Chica might call it) and opting to wing it when the shows would come. Sun and Moon’s dynamic remained damaged, the two feeling a certain type of fear towards one another. Like a hare on the run from a coyote, like walking the thin line of perfection for those who don’t accept mistakes.
Moon had been located, repaired, and stopped before what was identified as a strange sort of virus or glitch could have caused him to truly harm anyone, but despite having been ‘cured,’ he still felt as though something was wrong. 
Even so, as the click and whooshing of the hydraulics in Moon’s charging pad opening echoed out in the hollow staircase that dared to give it a stinging drone, Sun could not help his own excitement — not only to see his brother, but to see another person after closing hours. Such joy manifested itself in a brief, but tight, hug for what he saw as none other than his brother — they were not technologically capable of being related, but Sun could not help himself. 
A creaking, fond chuckle purred out of Moon’s voicebox, wrapping an arm around his would-be younger brother.
The brighter attendant pulled away, suddenly trying to make himself very serious even if he could not be taken in such a way. “You overslept, mister.”
A prod at Moon’s chest earned a ‘ficial huff from the darker counterpart. With a weary smile, he spoke a ‘sorry’ just above mumbling volume, just now beginning to feel sober from the leftover drowsiness plaguing his systems. As such, his processors began to piece together bits of things that he considered off; puzzle pieces of Sun’s anxious behaviors. The way he had seemed apprehensive of releasing Moon from the hug, how he wrinkled the silky fabric of his striped skirt between his fingers even now as Moon looked him briefly in the eyes; no, this was not something he had done. 
“Rough day?” Carefully speaking, a sort of rarely-seen gentleness hidden in the staticky undertones set in his voice, easily missed. 
“Yeah, you could say that. I… I need to talk to you about something.” Sun admitted, his sun rays giving in under the pressure; withdrawing for fear alone.
“Ohh, boy,” Moon sighed dejectedly, physically drawling as he took a couple of steps back to sit against a beanbag, practically collapsing into it without much care. 
As much as he would’ve liked to try to sleep through Sun’s following ramble, he knew by his behavior that it was more than some minor glitch or error, or a misbehaving child. The tense silence that gripped the air shanked his core with a sort of terror that only someone with a strict parent or boss would be able to understand. 
Was it a relapse he hadn’t remembered, perhaps? Something he said? 
He felt as though no matter how many times the Parts and Services’ programming crew told him, he would never believe that his code was completely clean. 
The same peace and contentment from before the incident never came quite so easily any more, especially not with others, when he didn’t trust himself not to snap even though an outsider could tell he was acting more polite and obedient than ever before. 
Call of the void, the humans had named it. The fear of stepping off the edge on purpose, the fear that you’ll use the easy opportunity to do something absolutely horrible. 
“... it is about you.” Sun monitored his tone as he spoke this a bit slowly, eying his brother’s expression like a fawn to a hunting-gun. 
“I figured,” Moon’s voice was greatly lethargic; rivaling a feline’s afternoon nap but threatening to succumb to his own creeping anxiety. “What is it this time?” 
“It is… a remote.” “What for?” Moon raised a nonexistent brow towards the thought. Regret slowly creeped up on his systems for letting Parts and Services install that last update. Leaning forward in a slump and entwining the fingers of his hands together lazily, the darker robot let off a huff.
“In case you start… ‘acting problematically’... Th-their words! Not mine!” 
Sun quickly found himself scrambling purposelessly, raising his hands in perhaps not-so-mock surrender. “I believe you,” Moon assured, maintaining much the same tone. “Oh- that… is a relief. That’s good, because, well… to be honest with you, I don’t like this at all.” His tone whined towards the end, a grimace showing up on his expression before he could force it away. “Hey, hey. Hey. it’s not your fault they felt like you needed it. Right? I’m not mad, Sunny.” He watched as Sun’s expression remained just the same no matter how he tried to comfort him. “If I’m being honest, too, I’m just… scared about what it’s supposed to do.” 
“Oh.” Sun sighed. “I don’t know what it does. They didn’t tell me. Just…” He fiddled with it in his hands, his fingers gripping it as far away from any of the strange buttons embedded into it as possible, toying with the joking thought of it being an evil-looking television remote in his head. “Just to use it if you start getting violent, or something.”
“I’m not going to.” He responded just a bit too quickly, not being able to decide whether he was telling that to himself or Sun, who smiled ever so faintly. “Um… we should get to cleaning,” he suggested, forcing his own smile upon his expression. “I cleaned most of it up myself already, so it shouldn’t take too long… the- the kids were very well-behaved today,” Sun remissed briefly, sounding quite more comfortable.
Moon’s hydraulics groaned as he stood up from where he was sitting. “I’m glad. They used to be like little gremlins,” he chuckled softly, to Sun’s lighthearted chagrin. 
And yet they still found their sync; a lilo of celestial twins. Sun would vehemently deny if asked, but his thoughts were not focused on anything he was doing while he was working. Moreso on the remote in his pocket, the sort of thoughts that made him pluck it out himself and contemplate locking it away somewhere. Sure. He was scared. But the chance of hurting someone else, his own brother, was much more terrifying.
“Sunny.” His brother prodded him suddenly. “Eep! Oh, Moon, you gave me a scare- Moon?” Examining him more closely with fear, he noticed he seemed to be artificially choking. His body lightly thrashed around and he looked as though he might be malfunctioning, and yet he was still attached to the acrobat wire he used.
“Moony! Oh god, oh no, oh god-” Sun dropped the remote in an instant, fingers scrambling and shaking as they tried to find some way to detach the hook, helping Moon down to the play mat below.
His thoughts were running in every single different direction right now. Contemplating taking him to Parts and Services to tell them to shut the damn thing off, or picking the remote up back again and trying to turn it off, or-
“mmMM… mhmhm! EhehEE!!” 
Did Moon just…? Sun’s systems nearly tripped over themselves in a mixture of shock, relief, and confusion. “You’re… laughing?” Sun looked back towards Moon to see him gripping his own arms, a wide smile on his face and strained giggles tumbling out every so often. And then it dawned on him. 
“It’s- it’s tickling you!” Sun himself began to laugh, again, from relief, but this time mixed with a mischievous amusement. “Oh- that’s- that’s too good! And, and, and! After last week’s incident, too? Me, oh, my, this is such a perfect opportunity…” 
A devious smile made its way to Sun’s expression, kneeling down beside Moon. “No no! No no nohoho!” Moon squirmed about, kicking his legs lightly and hiccuping, a noise that made his circuits heat up with embarrassment. “Yes yes! What a cute sound that was! Make it again!” 
As if this wasn’t already bad enough, Sun began lightly spidering around the seam between Moon’s neck and the back of his collarbone. “YEEHEHEHAHA! N-nohohoho!” Moon let off a snort, and decided he ‘hated’ this already. “Not the sound I was looking for, but, I think that’s just as good, don’t you?” 
“Suhuhuhun! Turn- <hic> the damned thihihing ohohohoff!” “I actually don’t know how,” chirped Sun with an innocent tone. “They never told me how to turn it off.”
The thought of being tickled until they had to take him to Parts and Services to force-stop the program embarrassed him to no end, making his laughter pitch an octave higher for a few seconds. “Don’t worry! I won’t let it tickle you FOREVER, silly! We can figure out how to switch it off later. But for now, I’m getting revenge for last week.” Sun stated matter-of-factly, making his way towards Moon’s feet and settling down to remove his slippers. “Nnn- no! Don’t you dahahare!” “Don’t I dare? Moony, Moony, Moony! You’ve had this coming! Now, where should I start first…?” He wondered aloud, grabbing Moon’s ankle so he couldn’t escape. “N-Nowhehehere! Get off!” “Sorry! Not taking suggestions!” Sun smiled. “How about… here?” He poked a finger square to the center of Moon’s sole, then began to glide his finger up and down the middle. “AAAH- HAHAHAHA! SUUUHUHUHUHUN! CUT IT OUHUHUT!” His other foot kicked in protest. 
“Nah, I don’t think so! Ooh, maybe I should go get the brushes and feathers from arts ‘n crafts like YOU did!” Sun crooned demeaningly, continuing his endeavor and reaching his arm around to hold back Moon’s toes to run his fingers underneath them; that was when Moon squealed out for the first time that evening. “EEEHEEK! GOD- FUCKING DAMMIHIHIHIT! YOU JERK!” “Oh my. Cursing in the daycare? This JUST isn’t like you. I think I’ll have to use that remote,” Sun made a mock-lecture, leaning to grab the remote and Moon began to try and push Sun off, hoping to perhaps kick the remote out of his hands. “Jeez, you really ARE being violent! I’ll just-” “EEEEHEHEHEEK! C-CUT IT OUHUHUHUT, TUHUHUHURN IT OHOHOHOOOOFFF!” Moon was going crazy with laughter, and Sun wasn’t even touching him any more! All because he’d started toying with the controls. He couldn’t help the miniature power rush he was experiencing, tracing circles on Moon’s sole. “I think you need the smiles anyway, mister. You’ve been very grouchy and tired lately!” 
One thing Moon noticed, much to his annoyance, was that the controls that Sun toyed with not only sent ticklish shocks through his body, but it also made him feel more ticklish, somehow. He didn’t even know that was a setting they had, and he internally cursed it through the thoughts that hadn’t been eaten up by his loud laughter. 
“Ooh, hold on a second! I’m gonna go get a surprise!” With his brother still cackling hysterically on the floor, Sun got up and hummed a little tune, heading off to the arts and crafts corner of the daycare and searching through the supplies, stuffing a couple things in his pockets that Moon was too busy laughing to see — although, what he could see very plainly was the brightly-dyed feather he’d retrieved, and he sat down at Moon’s feet. “WAIT! WAIHIHIHIHIT I NEVER- EEEEHEEEHEEEEK!” Moon squealed again with ticklish distress. “Oh, this is perfect!” 
The feather was soft enough to slip through and between Moon’s toes no matter how much he tried to curl them to block out the feelings, and it tickled horribly so. If that wasn’t already enough to make Moon break down with laughter, the feather also happened to be long enough to make every single stroke ticklish agony. “EEEEHEHEHEK! EEHEEHEHEE- EEEEEK! YOU’RE GONNA- KIHIHILL MEHEHEHEEE! STA-HAAHAHAHAHAP!” Moon’s laughter was frequently interrupted by squeaks, and he helplessly hit his fist against the floor of the daycare while Sun held back his toes to thread underneath them.  “Oh, silly! You can’t die from laughter! Besides, I’m not finished yet!” Moon’s head swirled with fresh, warm dizziness as Sun figured out how to work the remote in some vague way, giving him a bit of mercy from the full-body tickling that the program had been subjecting him to. “Plehehehease… oohohoh god,” Moon whined, shifting about. “Please what? Stop?” Sun acted as though he were wildly bewildered by the idea that Moon would say that. “I could. But gosh, you’ve been so stressed lately. And frowny. And grouchy.” Sun continued on for a moment. “I want to make sure that smile won’t leave for a VEERRRYYY long time. Okay?” 
Sun sat down next to Moon’s torso, smiling innocently and tracing silly, swirly imaginary shapes into his tummy with his fingers. “Keehehehehe! Y… you… naahahaha!” Moon’s laughter picked up for just a half-second as Sun ghosted over the dent in his belly. Oh, Sun was playing a dirty game. 
The darker counterpart could never admit that he particularly enjoyed the feeling of light, loving tickling, and it caused his fans to kick up even though he was no longer laughing so much. Sun simply cooed at him. “Aww, Moony~ You’re blushing!” “NNn… nahah! Don’t tease…” He pulled his nightcap over his face slightly and continued to twitch and squirm, occasionally halfheartedly telling him to stop out of sheer embarrassment that he found the sensation pleasant. But right when Moon let his guard down was when Sun took full advantage of his relaxed state, appearing to give him a break when he suddenly bent down and blew a raspberry. “AAAHAHAHAHA! N-nO SUhuhuhHUNNYY!” Sunny giggled mischievously in turn, only blowing another one to watch Moon squirm and cackle and kick his legs viciously. “Kitchy kitchy koo! Aww, listen to those giggles! You needed this, huh?” Sun smiled, letting Moon giggle away for a bit as he lightly tickled a little spot in the side of his neck, a tiny crook that made his darker brother hiccup and squeak. 
“Okay, okay. I’ll stop being mean. Come on, let’s get you to Parts and Services.” Sun offered a smile, his expression warm as he gave effort to help his brother stand, continuing to let him lean on him as he walked on shaky legs, down to Parts and Services while Sun offered little reassurances to him. “That’s it, we’re almost there, Moon.” He helped him sit down on a nearby bench while he ran inside, insisting for a worker. That was all Moon remembered before he woke up in the protective chamber of Parts and Services. Fear ran its course through its circuits again before he was able to process his situation — no more tickly feelings, a warmly smiling Sun and the customer-service smile of a Parts and Services worker who was doing their best to offer such a welcoming smile in front of his crimson eyes. “Oh…” “So? How is it? Is the feeling gone?” Moon nodded, feeling a speck of guilt as he watched the worker tense up at a movement to stand on the floor of the maintenance room seemed just a bit too quick for their liking — he watched their heart rate shoot up, all just for a few seconds.
“Yeah. It’s gone. Uh- thanks,” he smiled, trying to ease their anxiety but only ended with feeling awkward as he scratched at his own arms and avoided eye-contact. “No problem. You guys do have another update soon, though.” Sun and Moon shared a glance, before snickering between themselves at the screw-up of the employees. “What do you think, Moony? Maybe they’ll accidentally switch us around next time!” 
188 notes · View notes
yanderecrazysie · 3 years
Note
I have a very weird au request but this just came up to me suddenly. Okay so this is kind of like cinderella au but you have a yandere prince and a little brother.
Okay so your father dies so you are in the hands of you stepmother and sisters. They hate you but they don’t hate your little brother. In fact, they love him, they say he will bring joy in the family because he’s smart and attractive. However, your little brother only adores you. He is civil to them but bery lovely to you. You, of course, got treated like a maid, you wer supposed to be shun away however your little brother pleaded to them to make you stay. He’s well loved but he doesn’t have that power to control the family yet anyway. They treated you as a maid and even made you live in the maid/ quarter’s in the other side of the land. In here, one of the stepsisters was set to marry the prince. There was no ball or anything and they were just set to marry and have the grandest of wedding. But the prince of course was yandere to you. He knew you when you were a child. Ypu were bestfriends. He knew that you were meeting with your little brother every single night in the bushes to just havea moment with him not incest or anything. Your little brother was ordered not to interact with you anymore if he wants you to still live here. The prince knew that so he blackmails you date him or fuck him secretly. You don’t want that. You don’t even like him and you’ll be damned if you got caught. You’ll be dead. 1/2
This literally took so long, I'm so sorry! I had to split it into at least two parts, because my writer's block is killing me hardcore! Also because it's turning into a very long story! When I make part 2, I'll do it by responding to the 2nd part of your ask!
The rest of this ask can be seen as a teaser for things to come, lol!
This is such a detailed idea oh my goodness! I’ll do my best to follow the storyline, but there might be a few changes along the way for my writer’s block! This is SUCH A GOOD IDEA, thank you for blessing me with it! Mwah!!!
Note: Part two is here: https://yanderecrazysie.tumblr.com/post/667458774470148096/so-ofcourse-the-prince-doesnt-care-and-still
Part three is here: https://yanderecrazysie.tumblr.com/post/716483628755042304/hello-i-just-read-coercion-and-was-wondering-if
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Title: Coercion (PART 1)
Pairings: Iwaizumi x Reader
WARNINGS: Yandere themes, emotional/verbal abuse from family members, Iwaizumi is going to be an awful person in the next part ngl
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a little girl named (Y/n), who was treated horribly by her step-family. A prince fell in love with her but she didn’t feel the same. And only he lived happily ever after.
Note(s): Your stepmother is Madoka (Yachi’s mom). Your stepsisters are Mao (the sassiest Karasuno girl’s team member) and Hana (the manager from Johzenji). Obviously, they’ll be a bit OOC, but I felt like they were the closest I could get. Also your little brother is basically a younger version of Koganegawa Kanji, simply because of the S2 scene with him and Iwaizumi.
I’m sorry I used canon characters but I was tired, please bear with me.
coercion
/noun/
the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats.
The death of your father left you and your little brother, Kanji, in the hands of your stepmother. You had never talked much with her, but she seemed nice enough, if not a bit standoffish.
The moment your father passed, with your tears still falling on the blankets of his death bed, your stepmother stood up, smiled, and briskly walked away. Kanji cried into your shoulder, distracting you from that worrying feeling caused by your stepmother’s smile.
You should have been more worried. Within a week, your life had been turned completely upside down.
Your stepmother completely redecorated the house. It was gaudy and expensive, a costly style your father would have never allowed while alive. You knew your family was wealthy but watching your stepmother buy such pricey items still shocked you.
Originally, you had the largest bedroom, but you were forced to trade bedrooms with your eldest stepsister and move into the smallest bedroom instead. Kanji got to keep his bedroom only because it was “too masculine and boyish for my precious daughter to step foot in” according to your stepmother.
As much as you didn’t like your stepmother, you hated your stepsisters more. Hana, the eldest, was pretty enough, but the haughty and vain attitude she had ruined the image you had of her. As typical as it was for your kingdom’s culture for a mother to be proud of her firstborn daughter, your stepmother took that pride much too far.
She offered backhanded compliments and passive-aggressive comments to you on a daily basis, constantly comparing you to your older stepsister. As much as Kanji tried to stand up for you and console you, your stepmother never apologized or seemed even the slightest bit ashamed of her behavior.
Your other stepsister, Mao, just a bit younger than you, was even worse. She hurled insults at you and did her best to break down your self-esteem, bit by bit. Kanji’s consoling was more welcome than ever after these interactions, Mao’s snarky comments always hitting far too close to home and preying on your insecurities.
On the other side of the spectrum was Kanji. Your stepmother showered him with gifts and your stepsisters always fawned over him, telling him how adorable he was. It made Kanji visibly uncomfortable, as fourteen-year-old boys rarely liked being told those sorts of babying things.
He always seemed to feel so guilty, to see you hated however much you tried to please your stepfamily, while he did nothing and was drowning in their adoration. You loved your little brother, and reminded him that it wasn’t his fault he was so loveable.
But deep down, it hurt you. And you were sure Kanji could tell, no matter how much you tried to hide it.
It all came to a head on one night’s dinner, when your stepmother was talking about the future of her daughters. Not including you, of course.
“Hana, you’ll need to be married off soon, you’re more than old enough. All the village boys are throwing themselves at her, but we’ll only take the best, won’t we Hana?”
Hana made a noise of assent, her mouth stuffed so full with chicken that crumbs dropped down across the table and her lap. You couldn’t help but think it wasn’t very ladylike of her and wondered what poor man would end up with her self-absorbed ass walking down the aisle to him.
“And then you, Mao,” Your stepmother commented, looking at her other daughter, who was using a bone to pick at her teeth, “We’ll find you a handsome, rich man as well.”
“Pardon me, Stepmother?” You piped up, your voice soft and uncertain, “I’m a bit older than Mao, won’t I be married before her?”
She gave you a withering glare, “I don’t care if you get married or not. We don’t need another daughter in this house. We’d be better off if you found a street rat and left us all.”
Your breath hitched in your throat and you looked down at your hands as they fiddled in your lap. To say something like that… It wasn’t that you particularly wanted to be married, but it was tradition. To deny you of that pretty much bordered on the line of disowning you.
Kanji tried to speak up in your defense, but he was quickly cut off by your stepmother.
“It may be quite a few years, but I’m sure Kanji will bring us plenty of fortune. He’s handsome, smart, and talented so, as long as I’m raising him, I’m sure he’ll marry into a rich family as well.” She suddenly rounded on you, “And you? You offer nothing to our family. It’s about time you earned your share.”
Confused and hurt, you asked, “What do you mean?”
“I said it’s about time you earned your share.” Your stepmother talked slowly, as though you were stupid. “One of our maids quit, so you can take their spot. You have no use for this family, so make use of yourself for once.”
“But I’m your daughter!” You insisted, horrified.
“Stepdaughter,” She clarified as Hana snickered at you, “I already have two daughters, I don’t need a third one weighing them down with her stupidity.”
The words stabbed deep into your heart, causing your eyes to water and a sniffle to escape you.
Hana laughed, “Is she really surprised? What a pathetic crybaby!” That comment caused the tears to fall, only egging on Hana’s mocking laughter.
Kanji’s hand slipped into yours and squeezed tightly. As much as you appreciated his consolation, it didn’t help the situation in the least.
You knew that your stepmother would put you to work, but you never could have predicted the extent to which she did so. In a rage, she’d fired several maids, which meant you were expected to take on the jobs of five women. Cooking, cleaning, fixing things… that was just a small portion of what you were expected to do.
Kanji, your precious little angel of a brother, often joined you in your chores. He did his best to help, even if he couldn’t reach any high spots and got tired easily. The extra pair of hands and company meant the world to you, not to mention his shameless ranting about how horrible your stepfamily was made you smile.
Despite hating the obscene amount of chores dumped on you, it didn’t hold a candle to preparing meals. The manor’s chef only worked on weekdays, leaving you to handle food on weekends.
It wasn’t that you were a particularly bad cook, it was the fact that you couldn’t hope to match up to the chef’s talent and years of practice. The flawless gourmet meals weren’t something you could replicate, even if you tried your very hardest, and your stepfamily made sure to drill this into your head.
The combination of a lack of sleep and frustration led to a slipup in the kitchen. You were left staring at a charred dish, one beyond repair. The burned scent attracted your stepmother to the kitchen, and the woman shrieked in fury.
“It’s dinnertime and you’ve screwed it up! Can’t you do anything right? You’ve ruined everything!” Your stepmother raged at you, and, although you shrank away from her anger, you couldn’t help but feel she was being dramatic, “Now we’ll all starve! And it’s all your fault, you useless excuse for a daughter!”
Her words cut deeper than they should and you felt your lip begin to quiver.
“I should just throw you out now!” She screamed, “Shun you from the (L/n) family like you deserve!”
Your heart plummeted and you let out a desperate, “No!” Shunning you from your own family… not only would you be on the streets, but you’d be a disgrace to the kingdom. You’d never get married and you’d be lucky to find a job to take you.
You clasped your hands together, begging through desperate sobs, “Please don’t! I’ll remake the meal, I’ll do anything! Just please-”
“It was my fault.” Kanji stepped into the kitchen, his face serious, “I wanted to try to make a meal for everyone, and I accidentally burned it.
Your stepmother raised a dubious eyebrow, “Then why weren’t you in the kitchen?”
“I went to find you to apologize,” Kanji lied, looking down at his feet, “It was an accident.”
Immediately, your stepmother’s attitude took a 180, “Aww, it’s okay, my son! It was so sweet of you to try! We can wait a little longer for dinner!”
Still, she glared at you, “You should have helped him better. You can stay in the maids' quarters like you deserve.”
You bit your tongue, deciding it was a much better punishment than being shunned and thrown out. You sent a grateful look to Kanji, relieved tears spilling down your cheeks. Your stepmother left you both to retry the meal together.
Your sleep was miserable. Tossing and turning on the stiff mattress left behind by a fired maid. The maids had all stared at you when you entered their quarters, but no one bothered to question your presence.
They all knew how you were treated. Logically, this was just the next step in your torture.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of your punishment.
When you approached the manor in the morning, your stepmother told you the newest rule she had created for you.
“Your failures have obviously affected my son. Therefore, you are not to see him anymore. You can clean the house when he is away at school, but that is the only time you’re allowed inside.”
“What?” You stared at her in horror, searching her gaze for some sort of mercy, “But he’s my brother! You can’t just do this to-”
“Yes, I can,” your stepmother snapped, “and I will. Now head back to your new quarters and do whatever you’d like until I call for you.”
You ran back to the maids' quarters, barely able to see the path through your tears. When you arrived, you collapsed on your bed and sobbed loudly into the pillow. It seemed like the one good thing in your life, your little brother, was now no longer there for you after all.
It seemed that your stepmother’s own rule made her angry at you as well. With you hidden away from the house during the majority of the days and the entire weekends, the house wasn’t as shiny and squeaky-clean as before, when you were doing more work than all of the maids combined.
You worried that your little brother was suffering without you and found yourself wondering if he’d be better off without you. After all, he had to watch you being treated badly by your stepfamily- that couldn’t have been good for the poor boy’s mental wellbeing.
Still, you were secretly pleased when he came knocking on the maids' quarters near midnight.
“What are you doing out here?” You gasped upon seeing him, “Our stepmother will kill you!”
“I don’t care!” Kanji’s voice was filled with bravery and his eyes were steely with determination.
You attempted to whisper to him, only to be called out by one of the elderly maids, “Oh, come in dear. It’s cold out and none of us will tell that wretched woman anything about your visit.”
Kanji happily chatted away to you about his life outside the estate: school, friends, and even his crush. You teased him and he lightheartedly shoved your shoulder, the two of you talking in a carefree way you hadn’t been able to experience in months.
This started a pattern, one that you grew to love. Kanji would sneak over in the dead of night to talk. Although you worried about his lack of sleep, he assured you that he was getting sleep before and after visiting you.
Beyond just talking about each other’s days, you both brainstormed a way to escape the hellhole you once called home. You were an adult- old enough to get a job, despite women being less likely to be employed in most places. However, you were unable to leave the estate.
Kanji reassured you, talking to every place that was hiring on your behalf. He remained optimistic, despite the lack of positive responses. You were grateful to him, but you doubted any employer would take the word of a young boy trying to get his older sister a job.
And even if you were to get a job, how would you get there? How could you work there every day without your stepfamily knowing? Ideally, you would earn enough to move out and get a place of your own, but it was unlikely you could last that long on what was sure to be a meager salary.
“Wake up, you useless cow!” Hana was practically screaming in your ear, prompting you to leap to your feet in alarm.
You stared at her, wondering if you were simply imagining your stepsister standing there. You’d never imagine her to lower herself enough to step foot in the maids’ quarters, especially not in the ball gown she was currently wearing.
“Hurry up! You’re helping the other maids with the feast!”
“I’m not allowed inside. Kanji is home, isn’t he?” You questioned, “And what feast?”
As you tried to think of what holiday or birthday you must have been forgetting, Hana boasted about the special occasion, “Prince Iwaizumi has picked me out of all of the girls in the entire kingdom! We will marry in about a month!”
You weren’t sure what to say, so you settled on a simple “Congratulations.”
The kitchen was abuzz, the maids running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
“Where’s the chef?” You asked.
One of the younger maids nibbled at her nails nervously, “She’s on vacation. That’s why Mistress Madoka called for you. She doesn’t trust us to cook well enough for the prince’s visit.”
You nodded, swallowing back the lump of fear that caught in your throat. Cooking for your stepfamily was difficult enough, when they seemed so impossible to please. To cook for a prince, who probably had a dozen gourmet chefs at his beck and call for the smallest of snacks, was downright terrifying.
If he was displeased with your meal, would he want your head served on a platter instead? Suddenly, you understood why the maid was destroying her fingernails. They were probably under a similar amount of pressure when they were expected to clean every inch of the mansion until it sparkled.
What am I even supposed to cook? What is fitting for a prince? I would stick with a meal I’m best at making, but none are especially fancy. Damn it all, if he doesn’t execute me, Stepmother probably will.
You settled for a simple, yet distinguished meal of spaghetti served with a side of salad. Was it particularly fancy? No. But it was a dish surely everyone liked and it was one you knew you couldn’t mess up. At least, it’d be hard to mess up a simple salad.
You could hear the sound of a carriage pulling up outside, the regal horses snorting as footsteps made their way to the house. Your heart was pounding in your chest, and you couldn’t bring yourself to look out the window to see the visitors. Seeing the prince expecting your dinner would probably kill you.
Thankfully, you weren’t expected to serve the meal, a couple maids scooping up the salads and scurrying, pale-faced and trembling, into the dining hall. You couldn’t help but press your ear to the wall to eavesdrop on the conversation.
Your stepmother’s voice was sickeningly sweet, “It’s such an honor for our family, to have such an esteemed and honored young man take an interest in my beautiful daughter.”
“Well, of course he would choose me,” Hana’s voice was laced with vanity, “I’m the most beautiful in the land, of course.”
You heard a noncommittal noise of assent, an unfamiliar, masculine voice. You bit back a giggle as you pictured a wide-eyed prince charming looking desperate to escape the table, regretting his decision entirely. You couldn’t picture any sane prince, or any man at all, standing the very thought of being married to such an egotistical young woman.
“This will, of course, bring honor to both of our family names,” Your stepmother went on, “Our surname, (L/n), has quite an influence to it, you know.”
Nauseous, you nearly pulled yourself away from the wall entirely. It’s not your surname at all. You thought, seething. It’s my father’s. Not yours, you filthy imposter.
“And the riches, of course!” Your stepmother seemed so pleased, ranting on about the future. You couldn’t help but think it was foolish of her to talk about such things in front of the prince, who was planning to marry for “love”.
“Yeah, well…” The man, who you assumed was Prince Iwaizumi, sounded uncomfortable, “I’ve been meaning to ask, may I thank the cook? The meal was splendid.”
Your heart stopped in your chest. It was likely an excuse to get away from your stepfamily (specifically from your raving stepmother), but you weren’t sure you could handle interacting with royalty.
“Oh, I’m sure you don’t need to do that!” Your stepmother tried, but the prince cut in.
“I can do whatever I please.”
Chills rolled down your spine and you considered your options. The only door in the kitchen led to the dining hall, as the staff was meant to stay there until all dinner guests had left, in case they wanted more food prepared.
There was the window, of course, but that was two stories from the ground. If you didn’t land wrong and snap your spine, you’d be badly hurt anyways. Before you could even attempt to jump, the door to the kitchen opened.
Dreading the eye contact, you turned slowly, reluctantly.
The prince was even more handsome than you had anticipated, despite being nothing like the innocent and sweet-looking prince charming you had pictured.
Prince Iwaizumi was ruggedly handsome and looked tough as hell. His muscles rippled under his suit and you had to force yourself not to let your eyes wander across his figure. His deep olive eyes stared at you with such intensity that you felt like he was looking straight into your very soul.
Finally, he opened his mouth, and that deep rumbling voice of his addressed you for the first time.
“(Y/n), it’s nice to finally talk to you in person. I have a deal I’d like to make with you,” A dark smile spread across his lips, “One you won’t be able to refuse.”
254 notes · View notes