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lulu24784 · 1 year

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washing machine heart | part 7

"I know who you pretend I am."

[AO3 Link] previous chapter | next chapter

synopsis: | You're absolutely infatuated with Stan Marsh and have even started dating him! It should be a dream come true, but the truth is, he's only with you to make Wendy Testaburger jealous. To help you work through your emotions, you turn to Kenny McCormick, your best friend.

pairings: | kenny mccormick x fem! reader ; stan marsh x fem! reader ; wendy testaburger x stan marsh

cws: | angst, drug use/drug mentions, explicit language, sexual content, unrequited love, mental health themes / sh

everyone is aged up to be 18+

A few hours went by since your conversation with Kenny. Even though he had helped you feel better about your predicament, there was still a thought that kept popping into your mind and demanding your attention. You forced it down and kept on getting ready for your date, picking up a towel and some clean clothing to change into after your shower.

As soon as you entered the shower and felt the hot water trickle down your body, you felt better. You just stood there, your shoulders slack, your head dipped in the water. As you started to wash your hair, your thoughts wandered.

When you told Stan how you really felt, what would he say...? What if he got angry and decided to leave you? Would he comfort you? Ideally, you wanted the latter. But, a gnawing thought kept repeating in your head: “He’s going to leave you!”

No one was ever there for you. You never saw your parents, and Kenny was pretty much the only one that stuck by your side. It was no wonder you clung to the affection Stan gave you. Sure, Kenny flirted with you sometimes, and yeah, it made you feel good.. But it didn’t mean anything. Furthermore, he was generally preoccupied with his normal group of friends, so he couldn’t be there at all times... And despite the fact that you were dating Stan as well, Kyle and Eric never seemed quite comfortable in your company. You figured Kyle just put up with you and Eric...? Yeah, right. You honestly didn’t think anybody felt comfortable being around you. Craig’s group, Wendy’s... Why on earth did Kenny even become your friend? You were a loser.

The more you reflected on it, the more alone you felt. There was an excruciating agony that wouldn’t go away, like a hole had been dug deep into your chest. You let out a long sigh, but it did little to alleviate your pain. Now, more than ever, you just wanted to disappear into nothingness. To free your mind of the ideas that continually assaulted you, no matter what you were doing. Physically, you felt drained and heavy, but emotionally, you were hollow.

You kept washing and rinsing yourself in a slow manner before getting out of the shower, grabbing your towel, and patting yourself dry before wrapping it over you. Feeling the chill of the air, you pulled on the clothes you had prepared. Nothing fancy, just a long skirt and a sweater. You wanted to feel comfortable, even though you felt that dressing up would win Stan’s adoration. You wanted to give him an honest portrayal of who you are as a person... despite the fact that you didn’t even know yourself.

You dried your hair and tied it into a messy braid.

In the mirror, you fixed your gaze on yourself as you meticulously studied every feature of your face. Your eyes, nose, hair, lips, chin, cheeks, and so on...

Disgusting.

You felt like you’d lost any sense of who you were. You glanced away from the mirror with a grimace and hurried into your room, terrified that you might lose your cool and break something. You sat down on your bed and checked the time on your phone. Stan would be there soon. A fleeting sensation of lightness swept through your chest, and it was as if everything you had been feeling had suddenly evaporated. The anticipation of his arrival had you feeling exhilarated and euphoric all of a sudden.

For the first time ever, he was going to be visiting, and you couldn’t contain your enthusiasm! Ah... But you had to speak to him about your thoughts... But, my God! He was going to be in your house! With you! Alone! Just the two of you!

What a dream!

You waited a little before hearing the doorbell ring and hurried downstairs to answer it. Swinging the door wide, you grinned broadly and glanced up at Stan. “Hey!”

“Hey..”

As you welcomed Stan inside, he returned a goofy grin. You saw him scan the room before his gaze locked on yours, and then, without warning, he was hugging you tight. Slightly, his whole body swayed. Your nose was immediately assaulted by the heavy aroma of booze.

Was he drunk?

What the fuck?

You separated from him softly, which prompted a whimper from him. His silly grin never left his face as you escorted him to the sofa and seated him.

“Stan? Were you drinking..? Before our date?”

You spoke quietly, trying your best to maintain your composure.

“Y-Yeah, I... Uh... Yeah,” He heaved an irritated sigh. His speech was slurred, making it difficult to understand him.

“I was just having fun with the boys, playing some video games and all that and well, I guess I lost track of how many drinks I had and now well...” A wide smile spread over his face as he laughed.

“I’m pretty smashed, I guess.”

A wave of that sickening hollowness in your chest swept over you. You had an overwhelming want to shout and cry out.

No.

Just relax! You can still have a good time on this date! You just... Wouldn’t be able to tell him tonight, right? But isn’t this incredibly disrespectful? In this circumstance, what were you even supposed to do?

Stan’s arms gently curled around your waist, and he pulled you close to him. A tiny sigh escaped your lips as you looked at him and gently brushed his face with your thumb.

“Seriously? It’s only 5 o’clock...”

As you stared, his body swayed ever-so-slightly. He most likely would have fallen off the sofa if he didn’t have his arms around you to hold him steady. With a smile on his lips, he pressed his cheek on your stomach.

“Y... Yeah... Only 5 o’clock. It’s only 5 o’clock?” This made him laugh heartily. “Damn, guess time flies, huh?”

“God, you’re really drunk. How did you even make it here?” You muttered as you pulled away from Stan’s hug once again. You helped him lie down on the sofa and kissed his forehead. “Just rest, okay? I’ll get you some water.”

This was ridiculous. This wasn’t how the night was supposed to go. Seeing him should have made you feel better. You sighed as you pressed the bridge of your nose with your index and middle fingers and shuffled out to the kitchen to bring him a glass of water.

“Don’t worry ‘bou me, babe! I am toootally fine!”

You heard him shout from the living room as you stood in the kitchen, nearly unable to move. You felt the sting of tears in your eyes, but fought them back. It was not the time to be emotional. You needed to look after him. He needed you. At least, that’s what you were telling yourself. Anything to lessen the distress that you were currently facing.

After pulling out your phone, you quickly sent Kenny a text message. He asked you to let him know how the date went before he left so that he could be there for you if things went south. For example, Stan dumping you. Who would have predicted that he would arrive piss-faced drunk? Most certainly not you.

After you finished typing out your message, you immediately went to grab Stan some water.

[Y/N]: He showed up drunk.

Returning to your boyfriend, you sat down next to him on the floor. He was totally out. How awesome. You let out a sigh, placed the cup on the table next to you, and pulled your knees against your chest. You sat there and watched Stan as he relaxed into a deep sleep, his dark hair falling over his face. You thought he was quite adorable like this. A little grin formed on your face, and you relaxed your head on the sofa cushion next to him. You pulled out your phone to send Kenny another text.

[Y/N]: And he passed out lmfao

You sighed, closing your eyes.

“Stupid. I had something important to talk to you about...” you muttered. This situation really sucked. It didn’t help that Kenny wasn’t responding to your texts right away and was instead making you feel even more despondent.

“I thought you were worried I’d leave you...? I wouldn’t, of course, but I mean... That doesn’t mean you can just show up drunk to our date...” You were speaking softly to yourself. You expected no response from him, and that was fine. You were merely making noise to distract yourself from the terrifying thought of being alone. Sadly, it didn’t work out.

“And... Who gets plastered on a fucking Sunday?”

You started crying and then laughed sadly as tears rolled down your face. You definitely have been crying a lot recently.

“Would you have done this to Wendy?”

You cried, watching as Stan stirred in his sleep.

“W... Wendy?”

His voice was low and weary sounding. His brows knit together and you stopped, unable to look away. It hadn’t even been a second before Stan sprung up and started searching the area in a panic.

“Wendy?!”

His eyes were wide for a moment before they relaxed and fixed on you. However, he seemed a bit hurt. You watched as his hand rubbed his temples.

“Shit... Fuck. I’m so sorry.”

It was obvious that he wasn’t quite sober yet because of the little slur in his speech. After pausing to observe him for a bit, you gently turned to collect the cup of water that you had previously brought for him. Without a word, you gave it to him. He thanked you briefly before sipping gently and avoiding eye contact.

Finally, you made the decision to speak.

“Stan, do you still love Wendy?”

He choked, dripping some water on the carpet. “Jesus.” He gasped.

You sat calmly, tears still streaming down your face, and watched. You already knew the answer. All you cared about was hearing it from his mouth. You needed him to tell you. At that particular moment, it felt as if your whole body was responding automatically. Your actions and words were completely out of your control.

“Do you still fucking love Wendy?!”

You clenched your eyes tight in order to avoid seeing his reactions as your hands clung to the fabric of your skirt. The movement of his body indicated that he was uncomfortable. The atmosphere was so tense, you could taste it. It was so strong that you could cut it with a knife. But while he talked, none of it was relevant. At that same instant, it felt as if the sky had fallen in on you and your whole universe. Your ears buzzed with static and your chest tightened with each breath.

“...Y... Yeah.”

You couldn’t look at him, your gaze fixated on your lap, terrified you’d lose it if you looked anywhere else. You started to hyperventilate, and the sobbing continued.

Say something. You need to say something.

You swallowed the knot in your throat and laughed through your tears. Stan’s worried gaze landed on you. You assumed he was looking at you like you had two heads. The tears and laughter. You made a terrible mess of things.

“[Name]... I’m really sorry. I just, y’know... Ah, it’s whatever.”

Still a bit unsteady, Stan stood up.

“It’s p... Probably best we split, hey? I fucked up.” He spoke so softly that you nearly missed it. And there you sat, wide-eyed, near the couch as he walked off to the door.

No.. No no no nononono!!! No! DON’T LEAVE!

“S-Stan!” you cried out, struggling to get to your feet before he could go. “I-It’s okay! I don’t mind! Please!” You wailed, but he ignored you, leaving while shutting the door behind him. “D... Don’t leave me!”

Oh God. Oh God. He actually dumped you. You knew this was going to happen! You knew it! Everyone always left!

You cried out in a loud wail while simultaneously finding hilarity in the situation. You couldn’t believe he showed up to your date drunk and then fucking dumped you like that. To be fair, you did yell at him... But who wouldn’t?! This was just so ridiculous. What the fuck just happened?! That all felt so out of nowhere!

You continued to sob and hyperventilate, reaching for your phone in a trembling attempt to text Kenny.

[Y/N]: he dumped me kenny kenny pls i need you please [1 missed call] [1 missed call] [1 missed call]

There was silence on his end. He wasn’t even picking up when you called. You sat on the ground sobbing uncontrollably, feeling totally defeated.

#south park x reader #kenny mccormick x reader #stan marsh x reader #lulu works

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horizon-verizon · 7 months

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The fact that before meeting Daenaera, Aegon III had another close companion, Gaemon Palehair, whom Aegon loved like a brother. Yet, Gaemon failed to lift his spirit. Daenaera did. And since she’s just a 6 years-old child, I don’t think she did that in a mental counselor way. Daenaera just being herself is enough. Because of her bright and sparkling personality, Aegon became much happier, more lively, and took a new interest in his studies and ruling.

Then about what happened next. People knows “even Queen Daenaera was neglected” after Viserys’ return. I think that’s very normal and didn’t diminished the previous affection for her. Because by then, Aegon and Daenaera only known each other for, at most, 3 months. It’s very understandable Aegon prefered the brother who grew up with him and lost for years (especially since Aegon always blamed himself for Viserys’ “death”) than a child whose company he enjoyed for only 3 months. But even being “neglected”, Daenaera wad still considered a part of Aegon’s intimate circle. He still often dined with her. And after the poisoning happened, despite his grief for Gaemon Palehair, he still stayed at her bedside over nights. So even being kinda neglected as the maesters stated, he never ignored her the way he ignored his first wife. It’s safe to say Daenaera is someone important to him and that he cared a lot about her.

Their adulthood life was not much written in the book. The only thing we knew is that Aegon “was long in calling her to his bed, but eventually they had five children”. The first part is not that true. Daeron was born in 143 AC while his mother was 16. Aegon and Daenaera probably consumated the marriage when Daenaera was 15, which was not considered late in Westeros when having offsprings. Concerning their age gap, it’s possible to believe that Aegon took time to overcome his touch aversion. But it’s also reasonable to comprehend it as Aegon caring about Daenaera’s health. For instance, Jaehaerys refused to consummate his marriage, believing Alysanne to still be too young.

Last but not the least, they had 5 children in a very short period of only 7 years. Some would just explain this as their duty. However, everything in the book suggests Aegon is not the kind of person who obsessed with heir of his own blood. In F&B, he even suggested Gaemon Palehair as his heir. His duty of having heirs is even gone after Viserys’ return and him having two trueborn sons with Larra Rogare. We know Aegon deeply loved his brother, certainly passing the throne to Viserys without having sons of his own wouldn’t have been a problem to Aegon. Yet, he still had five children with Daenaera. If it’s still for duty, two sons would be enough to secure the line. He could’ve stopped there and back to his undisturbed melancholy. Yet, they kept having children in a high frequency.

As for their family, it might be somewhat dysfunctional but definitely not loveless as some suggested. Daena was well-known for worshipping her father, always wore black to emulate him, and cherished the golden pendant he gave her for the rest of her life. She also adored and admired her eldest brother Daeron I. Aegon didn’t even let Viserys keep a dragon egg in the Red Keep, but he allowed his daughter Elaena to have a dragon egg. Elaena liked to dress in black to mimic Daena.

Furthermore, Aegon’s and Daenaera’s eldest son and daughter were named after Daenaera’s father and herself. These two are the future king and (possibly queen if they follow the tradition). It not hard to infer that Aegon cherished Daenaera enough to name his children after her and her family. I really think they eventually fell in love with each other.

P.S: Sorry for the grammatical errors, English is not my first language.

Anon, you definitely put more thought into Aegon & Daenaer's relationship than I did. (I have a post about Daenaera HERE, and a recent one about Aegon and Jaehaera HERE.)

I think it was a joined thing, Gaemon and Daenaera's roles, and an effect on Aegon's happiness. Aegon was very adamant about protecting Gaemon from his abusive "teaching" sword master Gareth Long. But I agree that he considered Daenaera part of that small circle. And you present a very strong case for Aegon and Daenaera actually coming to fall in love with each other and more, stay loving each other. What clinched it for me was:

Their adulthood life was not much written in the book. The only thing we knew is that Aegon “was long in calling her to his bed, but eventually they had five children”. The first part is not that true. Daeron was born in 143 AC while his mother was 16. [They married in 133 A.C. when Aegon was 12-13 and Daenaera was 6] Aegon and Daenaera probably consumated the marriage when Daenaera was 15, which was not considered late in Westeros when having offsprings. Concerning their age gap, it’s possible to believe that Aegon took time to overcome his touch aversion. But it’s also reasonable to comprehend it as Aegon caring about Daenaera’s health. For instance, Jaehaerys refused to consummate his marriage, believing Alysanne to still be too young. [...] Yet, he still had five children with Daenaera. If it’s still for duty, two sons would be enough to secure the line. He could’ve stopped there and back to his undisturbed melancholy. Yet, they kept having children in a high frequency.

#asoiaf asks to me #aegon iii #daenaera velaryon #fire and blood characters #aegon iii's characterization

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fullmetalpotterhead · 1 year

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Hey, I've read quite a few of your tcgf posts, and they're all so thought-provoking. So now I have to ask, what are your thoughts on HC's relationship with divinity? Like, we all know he descends basically immediately after he ascends, but I've seen that some people headcanon that he can still hear prayers because he does have worshipers, and the nature of descension is not particularly explicit in the novel. Ascension doesn't seem to be a voluntary process at all, and while it does imply that gods can choose to become fully mortal again, it seems odd to me that if they really could just "turn it off" - for lack of better phrasing - XL didn't do so at certain points, like when Ruoye was "born."

Sorry for the long-winded question! My brain's been stuck on this for a while.

Okay so spoilers for full novel and Fmph rambling below (glad you’ve been enjoying my rambles by the way!)

1- I do think HC can hear prayers, I also believe that’s separate from his ascension and descension? This is one of those points where I can really feel my lack of knowledge of Chinese folklore (for lack of a better term right now, I’m sleepy).

I have a very vague knowledge of Taoism having an idea about if you pray to something long enough you can kind of… create it? Like a thing will fill that energy space and start taking your prayers so be careful to actually dedicate your space so something nasty doesn’t take it kinda thing which carries over into various belief systems so I might be getting it confused but that sort of idea plus the ongoing “the people call me blank, so I am blank” that the book has going in the beginning had my understanding of how it worked being HC can hear prayers simply because enough people pray to him and he’s powerful enough. Also you can pray to your ancestors, why couldn’t you pray to some Ghost King if you wanted? Again, I feel like this is almost certainly leaning on some things that just come more obviously to the Chinese audience this novel was written for that I’m just lacking cultural understanding of there.

2- Yeah there does seem to be good indication gods can give up godhood! I’ve seen some argument about whether HC actually gave up godhood or just gave up HEAVEN but I tend to lean towards him giving up his godhood completely? More on that in second.

XL couldn’t have given up his godhood when Ruoye was born though, he didn’t have it. He was banished and forcibly stripped of his godhood, the reason he didn’t die is because JW gave him an immortal body completely separate from mortal-godhood dynamics.

Quote from chapter 181:

“Once banished to become a mortal, other than aging slower than normal humans, there weren’t many other privileges. However, when Jun Wu first fabricated Xie Lian’s cursed shackle, he still showed some mercy, and left him room for accommodations.

While this cursed shackle locked away his spiritual powers, it also sealed his age and flesh body at the same time, allowing him to neither age nor die. Furthermore, Jun Wu told him: if you manage to ascend again, then everything in your previous life shall be forgiven, and this thing will be removed.”

Which JW was almost definitely doing because he needed to torment XL in ways no mortal would be able to withstand in an effort to break him. So of course XL wouldn’t have any control over the shackle or the “gift” attached to it.

ANYWAYS you asked about HC’s feelings about divinity so back to the reason I tend to lean towards HC giving up not just Heaven but godhood when he jumped back down immediately after ascending.

Actually I guess for my thoughts I don’t necessarily require him to give up the intrinsic quality of godhood so much as I think he would not consider himself a god and I’m kind of equating those?

So because here’s the thing: XL is the only god to him. HC has met and fought many gods but to him, XL is The God. The man is inventing monotheism, love that for him, it’s very funny.

As a result of that though, I think HC wouldn’t see himself as a god even while doing godlike things? Which is a little bit I think he’s spent so many centuries playing into the dichotomy between Ghosts and Gods that others are pushing and he holds so little respect for the other “so called” gods that I just really don’t see him caring about his own potential divinity? I don’t think he’d be ashamed about it or anything, I just don’t think he finds it particularly noteworthy? He’s seen the other people who ascend, he’s not impressed. Being a Ghost has been more helpful to serving his god than the red tape in heaven could let him be.

Also while HC is worshipped and becomes someone you must worship with XL eventually post canon his root is decidedly ghost which might be sleepy nonsense but he’s just like. On purpose he’s the pinnacle of the Obsessed Female Ghost. On purpose he’s just so very full of longing and his fanatic devotion just means so much that godhood to him just would be XL so divinity is wonderful, god is what he lives for, but it’s not what he is. And I feel like part of the point of tgcf is there isn’t really the clear boundary between gods and ghosts that heaven wants to pretend there is?

That being said I really believe he has a very straightforward emotional energy towards his own godhood in the same way he has this straightforward emotional energy towards anyone besides XL’s godhood: he’s completely uninterested.

Divinity = Xie Lian

God = Xie Lian

Heaven = those annoying fuckers who didn’t deserve XL

Anyways post-canon I also think their auras rub off on each other so XL is a little ghostly (which… actually we know in canon that this part is true) and I think HC would eventually get a faint divine aura to him by proxy/prolonged contact. And possibly sex too I guess.

So yeah was that the answer to the question?

#oof it’s a Fmph rant #once again I will not reread that for any sort of coherency so hope it worked #HC loves divinity he’s very into godhood #kisses godhood every morning and falls asleep in a divine embrace #now I’m thinking about divinity the candy though and god those are good but a bitch to make #is this enough that it won’t appear in the main tag?#let’s hope so because I like this for my own purposes #tgcf

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cegantheayugipi · 2 years

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Eternally Weak Chapter 8 (Various Genshin x Reader)

Looking for the previous part? Read it here.

Lost? Here’s the Masterlist.

Summary: Remember that offer from Childe? The Fatui Harbinger?? Yeah, you should really turn it down. I mean it. But you've apparently got other ideas.

Pairings: Diluc, Kaeya, Childe x F!Reader

Word Count: 5.7k

You turned to reach for the handle to the front door, but just as your fingers were about to touch it, a voice called out from a few meters away.

“If you’re serious about the domain, meet me at dawn at the Northland bank.”

You knew the voice from earlier that day; it was none other than Childe, the mysterious young man who seemed interconnected with this entire mess in Liyue harbor.

You turned around to look for the source of the voice. However, by that point the young man had disappeared without a trace. There was only the soft buzz of civilians walking along the lamp-lit streets as you found yourself alone on the front steps.

~~~

You entered the townhouse owned by Dawn Wineries and closed the front door behind you. Looking up, you found yourself face-to-face with Kaeya Alberich. He was lounging on the couch, languidly swirling a glass of wine in one hand, his feet resting on a coffee table in such a way that you knew it would most certainly irritate Diluc.

Rather than welcome you to the house, or greet you, Kaeya presented you with a question.

“Just how do you know the former Geo Archon?“ he asked in such a casual manner, you hardly registered how serious it was to give information on this topic. Furthermore, you didn’t have a single clue just how important this information was to Kaeya himself.

“It’s… complicated.�� You spoke.

“I have time.” Kaeya shrugged. “Would you like a glass?” He raised his chalice of sanguine liquid, the near-imperceptible blush on his cheeks evident of how many he had consumed alone.

“…sure.” You nodded. Kaeya promptly got up from the couch, navigating through the room of lavish furniture and heading into the kitchenette as if he had lived in the townhouse. Unbeknownst to you, Kaeya actually had — the Ragnvindr family used to take vacations in this townhouse whenever Crepus had business trips in Liyue Harbor. He never liked to be separated from his boys, and he knew the two of them loved the food and entertainment offered to Liyuean children. When Diluc and Kaeya were both very young, they used to race from the townhouse down to the harbor every morning and watch the boats sail in for the day.

Kaeya returned with a second glass and a fresh bottle of wine, gently setting them down on the table as he settled onto the couch and gestured for you to sit with him.

You took a seat on the other side of the couch, relishing the soft and luxurious upholstery. You sipped the bright red wine delivered straight from the aging cellars of Dawn Winery, relishing the familiar flavor.

“Seeing the former Geo archon earlier seemed to give you quite the fright. Is everything okay?” Kaeya asked.

“Yes… it’s just hard to speak about, I guess.” You gazed down into your glass, watching the liquid ripple as you swirled it. “We were… companions. Once.”

“Oh?” Kaeya raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by your statement. So you and Rex Lapis were once lovers. However, you didn’t seem to be very fond of him anymore.

“How long ago did all of this happen?” Kaeya questioned, his voice gentle, afraid he would seem too harsh if he spoke normally.

“We were together for a long time… until about 500 years ago.” You sighed.

Another key piece of information fell into the puzzle. Kaeya knew all too well this was around the same time as the Cataclysm, when the Archons destroyed Khaenriah. This was forbidden knowledge in Teyvat, and he wouldn’t dare to speak of it to anyone.

“I’m not sure exactly what happened, actually…” You murmured. “Something just… changed.”

“It’s alright,” Kaeya’s voice was soothing. “You don’t have to talk about it if it’s too uncomfortable.” After all, Kaeya didn’t need to hear any more from you… He had gotten more than enough information from you for now.

You glanced up at the Favonius Knight, at his glittering blue eye.

“On another note, I explored Liyue Harbor a little today and talked to some locals. It really is a vibrant city.” Kaeya effortlessly changed the topic and lifted your spirits.

“It is. I hope you’ve been able to try some of the amazing food.” You responded.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, the food is delightful. Have you heard of Wanmin Restaurant?” He questioned.

“No, I haven’t…” You responded. It had been too long since you were last in the city. “I’ll be sure to check it out before we leave.”

“While I was talking to some of the locals, I discovered something you should know about that man you met today.” Kaeya spoke nonchalantly, yet he immediately piqued your interest.

“What is it?” You questioned.

“A darling young lady gushed about a certain wealthy man, with hair the color of sunsettia and eyes as blue and glimmerless as the deep sea, the prime bachelor of the city…” You paused, realizing Kaeya was referencing none other than Childe. “...who happened to also be the Eleventh Fatui Harbinger.” You froze in place at the last sentence he uttered. “I would be wary of him.” Kaeya’s words were cold and precise, shooting daggers of ice into your heart as you realized just how terrible this news was.

All you could do was stare as dread sank like a rock into your stomach. Your eyes flitted across Kaeya’s face, analyzing for any sign that he could be joking or lying.

“It’s only been a week since the Fatui were made aware of your presence.” Kaeya continued, his tone far calmer than how you were feeling at the moment. “It’s unbelievable how soon a Fatui harbinger had found us. In the wilderness, no less.”

You remained silent, your mouth going too dry to speak. The glass of wine sat limply in your hand – you were no longer thirsty.

“You said he had saved you from an Abyss Mage?”

“Y-yes,” You could only manage to stutter an answer. You realized he had asked you to meet him outside Northland Bank – a Snezhnayan organization. There was a sour taste that rose in your mouth, and you shakily raised the wine glass to your lips in an attempt to flush it down. You wondered how long he might have been watching you three; it sent a shiver down your spine. When your thoughts landed on his final words to you outside your house, you began to feel sick to your stomach. You pursed your lips, wondering if you should mention to Kaeya that he had offered to take you to a domain the next day.

“We need to be more careful.” Kaeya spoke firmly, keeping his voice low. He noticed your discomfort, and kept the conversation going. “I don’t know what he’s planning, but it seemed like he purposefully took us to Zhongli. Do the Fatui have any knowledge of your connection to him?”

“N-no… There’s no way any of them could have done that.” You parsed through your memories, trying to figure out if there was any single giveaway. “Not many people ever knew of my abilities… And those who did know of my abilities back then… are all dead.”

Kaeya’s icy gaze faltered for a second, his eyes softening as he felt sorry for you.

“I’m sorry.” Kaeya had no other words of consolation.

“It just comes with the territory.” You shrugged, letting your memories of those who have passed on slip away. “The passage of time is something that no one can change, no matter how powerful.” You gave a small smirk. “Besides, I prefer my friends nowadays.”

Kaeya chuckled lowly. “Speaking of friends,” He nodded towards the hallway in the back of the living room. “Diluc is upstairs. I’m sure he’d like to talk to you.”

“Oh, okay.” You nodded, realizing Kaeya was insinuating that the two of you really needed to talk. It was growing late in the evening, after all. The sun had long since set and the city was finally beginning to quiet down for the evening. On that realization, you set your half-full glass of wine onto the table and stood up. “I’ll head upstairs anyway, it’s growing late.”

“Have a good evening,” Kaeya responded, his voice soothing you after such a heavy conversation. As you left the room, Kaeya noticed you had left a significant amount of wine in your cup. Lest it go to waste, he picked up the glass and downed the sanguine liquid smoothly. As he set it back down, he noticed a smudge on the glass where it had met your lips as you had drank from it. He realized he had used the same part of the glass, and the pink hue on his cheeks deepened as he thought about the indirect kiss.

You made your way up the granite stairs, your footsteps softened by an ornate runner rug that cascaded down the stairs. All of the decorations in the house were deliberate and luxurious, lending to the wealth of Dawn Wineries.

At the top of the stairs was another hallway with several doors, but only one at the end had a flickering light that came from underneath. You approached the door, your feet shuffling across the polished tiles of the floor. You knocked gently, then opened the door to see a study on the other side. There were several bookshelves and drawers for paperwork, and you noticed the redhead sitting at a large and ornate desk crafted from stained oak. He was missing his usual jacket, wearing only the undershirt as he sat leaning over some paperwork. He turned around to see you entering the room, and immediately rose from his chair.

“Good evening,” He spoke, his eyes flitting back and forth across your face to try to discern how you were feeling. The guilt from hitting you earlier ate away at him for the entire day. He felt relieved to see that you were here.

“Are you doing work this late?” You questioned, looking over at the pile of papers that sat on his desk.

“There’s always work to be done at the winery.” Diluc brushed off your comment, desperate to be forgiven for hurting you as he changed the topic. “How was your evening? Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m doing fine. Just a little shocked to see an old friend.” You laughed awkwardly, bringing a hand up to the back of your neck.

“I’m so sorry.” Diluc spoke, catching you off guard.

“For what?” You asked, tilting your head to the side; you had completely forgotten what had happened in the woods earlier.

“For hurting you.” Diluc responded, his face showing guilt and remorse.

“Don’t worry.” You smiled. “I know it was an accident.”

Your words sent relief crashing through Diluc’s body, and you noticed his shoulders visibly relaxed.

“But I hope you worked out whatever was going on between the two of you.” You added, watching the way Diluc’s eyes shifted to meet yours.

“Yes.” he responded. “We did.”

You smiled.

“I’m glad.”

There was a tiredness in Diluc’s face that you couldn’t quite understand; as the owner of a prosperous wine company, you were certain that he had plenty of work to do. As a matter of fact, you realized that he must have been patrolling the countryside of Mondstadt when the two of you first met; otherwise, how else would you have encountered him twice in the wilderness? That would mean he also did vigilante work which only added to how busy he likely was.

“How are you feeling?” You asked, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder. You could feel him shift slightly underneath his shirt as you waited for an answer.

Diluc’s heart broke into a race as he felt your hand on his shoulder. He completely forgot what you had said, his eyes staring at your face.

“Is… everything okay?” You asked.

“Y-yes,” Diluc responded. “I’m probably just tired.” He tried to hide the fact that you had made him nervous, but you noticed the blush rising on the apples of his cheeks.

“You should rest for tonight, then.” You responded, removing your hand as Diluc let out a literal sigh of relief.

“Yes, and you too.” He added. “Today was a very long day.” He turned to extinguish the lamps beside the desk, then followed you out of the office and into the hallway.

“The second room on the left is prepared, if you’d like to use it for a bedroom.” He spoke, and as though he was reading your mind, he added “We only have a bathtub for now, but I’ve called some craftsmen to install a shower tomorrow.”

You smiled, although the hallway was too dim for Diluc to notice.

“Thank you.” You responded, shuffling towards the room. “See you tomorrow.”

As you entered the bedroom and closed the door behind you, you began to get ready for the evening. However, through your entire routine, your mind kept churning over and over about Childe. Even as you laid down to finally rest, your body remained awake and alert, too fixated on how he could have possibly found you and brought you to Rex Lapis as though he knew everything.

You tossed and turned in the luxurious bed; not even the expensive sheets and soft mattress could soothe you into sleep. You knew it was a terrible idea to take up Childe’s offer, but as dawn approached and you still remained awake, you knew it was the only thing that could give you answers.

~~~

The sky was only beginning to brighten as you found yourself trudging up the stairs to Northland Bank, the city feeling empty and dead – it was long before any businesses would open for the day. Everything was cast with a dim blue light as the sun had not yet breached the horizon. The front doors of the bank felt intimidating as they stood there in front of you… It felt like it was the only barrier between you and countless Fatui secrets.

“I’m glad you decided to come, Angel.” Childe’s voice came from behind you, making you nearly jump where you stood. You spun around quickly and narrowed your eyes at the Harbinger, analyzing his face for any clue to his motives. Any other emotion was rendered completely indiscernible by the cheerful facade he put on.

“Why the hell wouldn’t you tell me you were a Fatui Harbinger?” You narrowed your eyes at him. Childe was barely caught off guard by your angry questioning. He knew you would find out about him eventually, and merely didn’t mention it yesterday in order to befriend you more easily. He knew you were wary of Fatui; he also understood that you knew you were on their radar. You might not know what the Tsaritsa was planning for Teyvat, but you knew that the shady organization would want to take advantage of your abilities.

“Why, it was common knowledge.” Childe spoke smoothly, a smile growing across his face as he played the part of a dashing gentleman. “I wouldn’t want to begin any introduction with it, since I don’t want to seem self-absorbed.”

“Yeah, right.” You rolled your eyes. “You knew all along I could use all seven elements.”

“You can use all seven?” Childe’s eyes widened as he processed what you had said, but you knew he was exaggerating his surprise. “I only knew of a young girl with unnaturally low health who could use more than one element. And I know multiple people who can wield more than one, just none of them with the same predicament as you…” He gestured to the health bar visible above your head, displaying a diminutive ‘20/20’.

“But now you know I’m not actually young.” You rolled your eyes. “You must have also known I was friends with Rex Lapis centuries ago.”

“Actually, that one caught me off guard.” Childe responded, bringing a hand up to the back of his head. It did in fact surprise him, but it also interested him greatly how the former Geo Archon could be connected to a strange girl such as you. “And he goes by Zhongli now.”

“You’re just gonna go back and tell the Tsaritsa that I’m connected to Rex Lapis.” You spat. “And what of me after that? I wouldn’t be surprised if I became some Fatui test subject. Especially after hearing rumors about The Doctor.” Your words bit like venom into Childe. He knew you were right to feel this way; the Fatui have done several horrible things in the past, himself included. After all, he tried to resurrect an ancient god to destroy Liyue Harbor.

“That’s not going to happen.” Childe spoke, his voice stern and confident. “The Tsaritsa would never want to hurt someone as important as you.”

‘But she hurts others.’ You think, but you stop yourself before you say it.

“Why would you want to carry me through an ascension domain?” You questioned. “Isn’t that just extra work for you? And there’s no guarantee it’ll do anything. No artifacts or weapons have ever improved anything. I only tried a normal domain for the first time a couple of days ago, and none of the items from it helped me at all.”

“That’s part of what I’m curious about.” Childe suggested. “I’d like to see if it could change anything.” He purposefully left out the fact that he was craving a good fight, and knew a domain would provide an incredible one.

“Alright then, I suppose we should get going.” You responded. “Where is this domain we’re trying?”

“You’re gonna try it?” Childe was surprised at your alacrity. His glimmerless eyes brightened, a smile growing across his face as he grew excited. “I thought you didn’t trust me enough.”

“I’m assuming that if I’m important enough for the Fatui to send a Harbinger after me, I’m also too important to just die in a domain.”

Childe’s mouth dropped open. He didn't expect you to be so blunt about it, but yes. You were far too important to die in a domain where your body and soul would be lost between the planes of existence. He fell quiet for a second at your blatancy before clearing his voice awkwardly and pulling a teleporter crystal out of his pocket. The glittery primordial crystals were ludicrously expensive, but as a Harbinger he had more than enough Mora to use them as he pleased.

“Well, we can use these to get there with no problems.” Childe held up the crystal that glowed a dull blue in the early morning light. “I’m assuming you’ve used one of these before.”

“Yeah, yeah.” You reached out and touched a palm to the sleeve of his forearm, knowing that was enough contact to warp you along with him to whatever location the domain was. You didn’t want to touch him any more than that; he irritated you so much at the moment. However, you knew that this opportunity was once-in-a-lifetime. You had never entered a domain before, even when you were with Rex Lapis and his unyielding shields. He maintained it was simply too dangerous to bring you to one, despite being able to offer the best protection in both Teyvat and Celestia. The offer from Childe was such a big opportunity that you ignored the thought in the back of your head that he could be bringing you to anywhere he pleased with this teleporter crystal; even Snezhnaya.

~~~

The rainbow whirl of colors around you finally subsided, the balance in your head thrown off by the Celestial form of transport. You stumbled, struggling to find your footing despite being on flat ground.

“Woah there, Angel.” You felt a hand wrap around your upper arm as Childe tried to help you stay upright. His effort was far too little as you immediately ended up falling face-first into a soft wall; you had a sinking feeling that you had just fallen against Childe’s chest.

“Archons, why do I keep forgetting how awful these things are.” You muttered as you choked down the nausea. Childe stared down at the top of your head and prayed that you wouldn’t throw up on him.

“You’ll get used to it after a while.” Childe spoke, and you could feel his voice rumble through his chest as you continued to lean against him.

“I’m never going to stop hating this.” You grumbled, your nausea settling and your balance returning, and you finally pushed yourself away from Childe. You looked around you and realized you were standing at the bottom of Starsnatch Cliff, the viridescent fields of grass rippling as the wind blew over the rolling hills. You were more than a week’s worth of travel away from Liyue harbor. The domain stood in the shadow of the cliff, doors glowing blue, inviting yet simultaneously daunting to your inner adventurer.

“So, I suppose we should get started.” You sighed.

“This is an ascension domain.” Childe explained. “You need to open it yourself, otherwise if I open it it’ll become an ascension 6 domain, which nearly killed me when I attempted it.”

“You completed SIX ascensions?” You gaped, your eyes wide.

“Of course.” Childe responded, his grin becoming smug. “Do you think the Tsaritsa would employ anyone less as a Harbinger?”

“Aren’t you, like, the eleventh one? Which means you’re the weakest?” You joked.

“Hey! Don’t underestimate me, I’ll show you how strong I am.” Childe responded, straightening his back a little. “Now go open the doors, let’s get moving.”

You nodded, walking up the stairs towards the intimidating stone doors. Childe’s footsteps on the stone followed close behind you. When you reached the top, you glanced over at the young man momentarily before finally reaching out and touching the stone doors. With a gentle push, the doors swung inwards, and you could see the starry swirls of the abyss beyond them.

“Let’s do this.” You responded, stepping through the doors and finding yourself on a white marble platform that seemed to be suspended in the air and surrounded by nothingness. Intricate patterns seemed to be carved and gilded on the floor below your feet. In front of you were a series of short staircases, and vines wove themselves around the banisters of the stairs and lined the path that seemed to be the only way forwards in the domain. As you examined the patterns on the floor, you realized that the gold reflected light that wasn’t coming from anywhere. You looked upwards, and noticed that there was no source of light – only the same darkness that surrounded all other sides of you. This was completely different than the domain you had entered with Diluc and Kaeya – as a matter of fact, this one looked nothing like any architecture you had ever seen before.

“Wow…” you murmured, beginning to shuffle towards the stairs.

You and Childe proceeded to climb up several small sets of stairs, until you reached an area that seemed to turn like a corner at the top. There were tall walls surrounding what seemed like a large room on the other side, but where you stood seemed to be a platform that wrapped around such a room. You spotted several Hilichurls standing around some crates that were scattered around on this platform, and would get in your way if you wanted to proceed.

“Is this a part of the test?” You asked, the noise making the Hilichurls become aggressive. Some of them began to run towards you, and knowing Childe had a Hydro vision, you prepared a cryo attack.

“Yeah, I’ll take care of them.” Childe smirked, dashing forwards with his bow. Much to your disbelief, the bow began to change shape, becoming water that molded itself into dual blades. With only a couple of swift slashes, all of the Hilichurls were dead – you didn’t even have enough time to cast any of your skills… You began to feel that this domain would be a fast one.

“The next room is probably over here.” Childe spoke, the domain falling eerily quiet once again as he began to walk along the curved hall. “I didn’t believe it at first, but now that I’m in your domain, I finally understand.”

“Understand what?” You asked, stepping up to follow behind him.

“Every domain is unique to the person who activates it.” He explained. “Mine was… very different.” He turned to walk through an arched walkway into another room.

“That’s strange. How does it change? I’m sure loads of adventurers enter this domain every day to ascend their abilities.” You questioned.

“It’s a sub-dimensional space, I’m sure the laws of nature don’t really apply here.” Childe explained. “How else would these enemies appear here for us to defeat?” He gestured to the slimes and Abyss Mages that were scattered through the room, unaware of your presence yet.

“That makes sense.” You nodded, eyes scanning across the enemies in the room. “Do you wanna try vaporizing them? It’s two Electro mages and three Cryo slimes.”

“It depends on how fast you can apply pyro.” Childe responded, glancing down at you.

“I have no cooldown.” You responded. Childe’s eyes widened as he tilted his head down towards you.

“What do you mean, no cooldown?” He questioned.

“It’s an ironic compensation for doing no damage.” You responded, “I can never deal more than 1 damage.”

“That wasn’t in the report…” Childe muttered, immediately switching his gaze to the enemies in the distance. “This is far more dangerous than I had known…”

“No shit,” You rolled your eyes. “Why do you think I never do domains?”

The ginger sighed. “Okay, okay. If you start to get concerned for your safety, switch to hydro and cryo instead to freeze the enemy. Once you engage them, we can’t leave the area, so the best you’ll be able to do is repeatedly freeze until I get to them. And be careful with pyro, you’ll have to time it right to avoid getting blasted by an Overload reaction.”

“Got it.” You began to jog towards the mages and slimes, but Childe began to sprint and overtake you so he could attack first.

You found that far too much instruction – once you began to attack the Abyss Mages with your pyro-infused scythe, Childe had already broken their shields and knocked them away. They hadn’t even begun to fight back when they were already dead. The electro slimes didn’t do much besides send some sparks through the air when they were struck by one of Childe’s water blades. You jumped backwards to avoid getting zapped and losing a couple of HP, and watched as Childe beat them in seconds as well.

“We should only have a few more chambers left.” He explained once the final slime was defeated and the pathway to the next room was open. The two of you walked out the other side of the room to find a steep drop into water. The water filled the long corridor down below, and there was a platform at the end where you spotted two cryo hilichurl archers.

“Are we meant to go diving?” You asked, glancing up at Childe.

“No, no.” Childe took something out of his bag as it appeared out of gold glitter in his palm. It was a neatly folded piece of cloth. “We use gliders to get there faster, without getting wet.”

“Uhh, are you sure gliding is safe?” You asked. The last time you went gliding with someone else, you nearly fell to your death.

“Yeah, just hold on tight.” Childe smiled cheerfully, not wasting a moment as he wrapped an arm around your waist and jumped into the air to deploy his glider. You squeezed your eyes shut, then opened them to look down and see the ground rushing by quickly. You shut your eyes again and turned to bury your face into the fabric of his shirt again.

“This is scary!” You exclaimed.

“And fighting monsters that could kill you in one hit isn’t?” Childe responded, smirking. You glanced up at him, knowing he was only saying this because the monsters were less terrifying when he was fighting them for you. You looked up at his face, watching his eyes scan over the environment below. You watched how the wind ruffled his fluffy hair, and noticed a singular streak of silver fluttering amongst his bright orange hair. You recalled what Kaeya had told you the previous evening…

‘hair the color of sunsettia and eyes as blue and glimmerless as the deep sea, a prime bachelor of the city…’

He truly acted as though he were the ideal bachelor. He was handsome and charismatic, with wealth and status behind his name as well. It made sense for girls in Liyue Harbor to fawn over him. And with Kaeya being ever-the-flirt, he had easy access to such information from the young women of the city.

Your mind shifted to the other part of what the Favonius Knight had said. You looked up at Childe’s eyes, and noticed how starkly different they were when compared to anyone else. His eyes were completely dull and lacked any glitter that others would have.

Childe seemed to catch you staring at him as he glanced down at you. You immediately averted your gaze, hoping that the heat rising in your face wasn’t showing.

“Careful, Angel. We’re landing.” His words alerted you to the rapidly approaching floor. The hilichurl archers at the bottom shouted, finally noticing the two of you dropping in from above.

In an impossibly smooth move, Childe retracted his glider and shifted his hands to grab onto the sides of your waist. He spun in the air, placing himself between you and the Hilichurls as he set you gently onto the ground.

“You’re mine.” Childe spoke, drawing back the string of his bow and firing so quickly they didn’t have the time to fire off their first shots. He shot two arrows into each hilichurl, one into each eye. You gaped as the poor monsters fell to the floor dead. You felt a little useless standing there, watching him defeat all of the enemies for you, but you were thankful at the same time.

“Let’s keep going,” He spoke, putting his bow away, but still holding onto a single arrow. “The next chamber should be the final one.”

You nodded silently, picking up your pace to follow him. There was a sort of understanding between the two of you now; you’d let Childe do the fighting, and you were the one who would stand back and help where you could. He played with the arrow he was holding, twirling it in his fingers as the two of you walked towards the final challenge.

As you turned the next corner, a sleeping hilichurl awoke behind you two. You were startled as it shouted and scrambled to its feet, but before you could act, Childe was already on it. With the flick of a wrist he launched the arrow he was holding at the Hilichurl, landing it perfectly through one of its eyes.

“Holy fuck!” You exclaimed, your jaw falling open at the spectacle. “You can just throw arrows like that?”

“Yeah,” Chlde shrugged, turning around to continue up the stairs. You were still stunned by his sudden move.

“Why do you use two weapons in combat, if you can throw arrows with your bare hands like that?” You questioned.

“I usually use three.” Childe explained. “But I use bow and arrow the most because I’m the worst at it.”

His casual explanation sent shivers down your spine. You saw how good he was at using it earlier,

The next chamber held something you hadn’t seen in a long time. Immediately upon entering, you felt currents of air that swirled through the room. At the center was an array of geometric cubes, all glowing blue.

“It’s the Anemo Hypostasis.” Childe announced as the cubes began to rattle and come to life.

“Beth…” You muttered. “The second.”

“What was that?” Childe asked.

“Nothing.” You responded. “I’ll try vaporize this time.”

“Be careful.” Childe responded sharply, taking out his bow once again and notching a new arrow into place.

You side-stepped around the hypostasis as the cubes swirled around its core, Childe becoming the main focus of its attacks. It immediately began to move in its programmed attacks, the cubes leaving the core just long enough to attack Childe.

You dashed forwards, jumping over a cube to get to the core. You shot your measly pyro attack, a pitiful orange-colored ‘1’ floating into the air above the core. You rolled out of the fray, praying that your pyro application would last long enough for Childe to receive a damage bonus for attacking with hydro.

You skidded to your feet, watching as Childe moved fluidly. His twin daggers joined to form a polearm made of pure hydro, and he twirled it around himself before landing a singular brutal strike.

You nearly fell to your knees in shock as the hypostasis’s health bar turned completely yellow. You stared at the space directly above the core, where a yellow number grew in size as it rose into the air, displaying a terrifying 100,000.

This was the end of the hypostasis – its cubes began to rattle and then fell to the floor. The blue glow was extinguished, and Childe switched his polearm back to a bow and put it away.

You turned to where the Anemo Hypostasis had died, and a flower began to grow out of the ground. You simply stood there as you stared at the blooming flower; you had never seen something like it before.

“You need to go and touch it,” Childe explained. “It’ll give you the rewards.

“Okay…” You were a little wary, but decided to walk up to it and reach your hand out.

Some sort of primordial transaction took place, and you felt energy coursing through your body. You felt like you were connected to the entire world for the briefest of moments, before the flower closed up and withered away leaving you with only the memory of how the interaction felt.

“So, how do you feel?” Childe asked.

“Pretty… normal?” You shrugged, turning around to face the ginger Harbinger.

“Your HP…” Childe pointed at the air above your head, a toothy grin growing across his face. “It increased.”

“It did?” You gasped, looking at the air above your head. Instead of a ‘20’, it was now a ‘21’. “Oh my archons!” You squealed, jumping up and down. “It went up!”

“Now we know that these can help you.” Childe nodded pridefully.

“Let’s do this again!” You cheered.

“You can only enter an ascension domain once per day,” Childe explained. “But we finished pretty early today, do you want to try a regular domain? There’s one in dragonspine I really like.”

“Yes, yes!” You cheered, your smile seeming to brighten the entire domain up. “I’ve never felt this excited in decades!”

“I’m glad.” Childe responded.

“Onto the next one!” You cheered, then suddenly faltered as you became confused. “Uhh, how do we get out of here again?”

“It’s this portal here.” Childe pointed at the glowing blue door that had appeared behind the flower. He stifled a laugh, knowing that it was your first time doing an ascension domain and you didn’t know how it worked.

“Oh, that makes sense.” You laughed awkwardly.

~~~

Read the next chapter here!

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nameless-brand · 11 months

Text

Pinned Post:

Sato / 18 / she/her. I have moved on past an MS paint icon to a photo of myself.

Owner of an enterprise originating from New Jersey trying to get said company settled into where the Nameless City used to be, now called Gotham.

First thing that greeted me was some ugly Gothic tower from a big-shot company planted right where I died.

Rude.

Anyway, it's been an utter pain in the butt.

----

OOC:

Sato finally gets her own Tunglr blog. Only took the timeline to break to do so. This is the "A Lilium At the End of the World " timeline!

She's the only one that remembers the "Dream's Descent" timeline, given her identity as < Myriad Lights >.

The Dream doesn't exist here because in their first confrontation / the Dream's betrayal, Sato sacrifices her Spark of Godhood to banish it for good. She dies afterwards but not before she manages to set up contingences.

As a result, there's quite a few changes in the new timeline.

No gods, no masters.

-------

Law

No password.

Common decency applies. Don’t do something that you wouldn’t appreciate being done to yourself. We’re all here to have fun.

No sexual NSFW things here or any of my other blogs. Not really my thing.

Multi-fandom and crossover friendly. OC Friendly.

I am Hika / Lilac. I am an adult!

If you need things tagged, please tell me so I can do so. I will try to preemptively tag for common triggers, but I can’t account for everything.

Given this is an in-character blog, most posts will be short. However, face-to-face will likely be multi-para length.

As I'm double-downing on the Gotham setting, Sato will not know Bruce Wayne is Batman and in fact will be highly resistant to the idea. To her, it's like hearing Elon Musk declaring he's Batman (not to mention other rich people claiming to know or assist the superhero). She doesn't particularly care about supervillainry and superheroism beyond it hurting her bottom line as she's a mostly normal person now.

------

Name: Sato

Moniker: koi, Myriad Lights

Age: 18

Pronouns: She/her

Personality: Determined, she's always been determined. Sure, she's a bit of a ditz and a blabbermouth - okay, more than a bit, but she's always been sincere. Her desires, her dealings with people, her affection.

She still thinks people can be better and be happy, so long as they have the environment to do so.

Problem is she's living in a world in late-stage capitalism, where companies, now giant insatiable organisms of their own, try and grow uncontrollably with no one to check and balance them out. It was like that in the prior world too, but it was so much worse here.

Of course, she already has a lot going on like trying to find her friend who is off god knows where, not to mention the others who are probably living very different lives in this new timeline. And now she has to tackle an enormous societal problem that encompasses the world?

Well, she'd know Levant would want her to do it. And the other factor is that she maaaaay have accidentally blown herself up in a fit of fury against the Dream, so she isn't really a Goddess anymore. But she could still accumulate Faith - and with it, she'll be able to do something to help save Levant when the opportunity reveals itself.

Furthermore, she needs to find the rest of the Nameless Church somehow. Find Lillian - or is it Chi again - especially - Lev would want that. She suspects Mirielle and Sasha escaped the timeline. Well, she knows. She had to literally push Mirielle out of the timeline before she strained it further trying to save her.

In any case, the best way to achieve her goals was to make a massive company on her own - money and resources to find the Nameless Church and Faith to gain the power to find Levant. She knows what major stocks will get big - she also knows all the market trends like Crypto and NFTs - and knows what to avoid too like Mt. Gox and Enron. And while she's at it, she'll be doing something about that rampant capitalism destroying people's lives thing.

If she can't kill it from the outside (without inciting mass deaths anyway), she could try to do it from the inside instead. No, she doesn't have a plan. She doesn't even know how to run a company, but she can learn.

What better way to gather Faith is to have a whole bunch of people grateful to you for providing a decent livelihood in this world?

Appearance:

#my only picture of sato is a sketch of her in Levant's jacket asffaf #Visibly Lawful Good #More Chaotic Neutral with a side of breaking society and watching it go out in a controlled burn.

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aromanticbuck · 2 years

Photo

“Mouse” + the magic AU (absolutely inspired and influenced by my co-conspirator, @kitthekazoo)

“What do you mean you can find anything?” “Exactly what it sounds like. I can find anything, anywhere, any time.” “That’s not possible.” “I promise, it’s very possible. You just probably wouldn’t like how I do it.”

Magic wasn’t normal. It was a curse, an anomaly, an imperfection. And the Gerwitzes were anything but imperfect.

Furthermore, it was illegal. So, when the signs of it started showing in their son almost as soon as he started walking, they prepared themselves for the inevitable. It took years of preparation, and discreet nannies who wouldn’t go to the authorities while ensuring that their supposed heir wouldn’t leave the house. No one could know the truth, that one of the most powerful and influential families in the city was harboring a fugitive child . But it was only to buy them time. The years made it possible to sell a lie.

No, we couldn’t bring Gregory this evening. He’s still feeling unwell.

The doctors said he should be resting.

Yes, he’s still spending his days in bed. He’s very unhappy about it.

He had another appointment with his doctor last week. There’s been no change.

We can’t stay long tonight. We really should get home to check on Gregory’s fever.

And all it took was the right words at the right times, the right lies at the right events. And then everything went perfectly smoothly. There were more than enough magical children on the streets, struggling to get by, and no one was going to notice one more. With enough money, and a few theatrics, they could get confirmation from a doctor that the illness they made up really was as serious as everyone was led to believe, they could hold a false funeral, they could spread the news in all the major papers.

Gregory Gerwitz IV, beloved son to Thelma and Gregory III, was dead at the age of six. There was nothing anybody could have done for him, and the city would mourn the loss for years to come.

But there was still a boy, nameless and alone, hiding among the others without anywhere to go on the Chicago streets. He used his magic only out of desperation, starting small fires to keep warm when the weather got colder, creating just enough food to get by out of the air. He survived, and he kept to himself, and he learned how to use magic without the comfort and safety of a private space to practice, without any guidance.

He saw what happened to the other kids around him, to the ones who trusted the wrong people. Magic was wrong, something that needed to be wiped out before it could spread, that was something he heard around every corner. There were teams of police in plain clothes, watching the kids on the streets, gaining their trust and learning about their magic, only for them to be taken away and never seen or heard from again. So, he simply didn’t speak to anyone, not even the others who used magic in the alleys he frequented or slept in for a night.

Instead, his only company most of the time was something he only summoned when he was completely alone. It was a near replica of the creatures he saw on the streets around him, a shadow of the rodents in nearly every safe spot to get a few hours of sleep. It was barely there, something he could make disappear with a wave of his hand, something that blended in as easily as he did in the dark. If anyone saw it for even a second, they didn’t ask him about it, too blinded by their own fear to risk making trouble.

Except for one person.

The girl was tiny, even compared to him after living on the streets for over a year. She was at least two years younger than he was, if not more, and there was something about her magic that made him feel safe for the first time since he was driven away from the big house where he’d spent most of his childhood. For the first time, he had an ally, someone who could soothe the aches and pains from the cold while he made a fire to prevent them in her. It was a give and take, a partnership, and it helped that she spoke enough to fill the air when he couldn’t, and she didn’t try to huddle into his space except for on the coldest nights. He expected it to be a temporary arrangement, something that would end after a couple weeks when they moved on to different parts of the city to stay hidden from the undercovers looking for magic, and maybe he was a little bit relieved to be wrong.

“You don’t talk, do you?” “...” “It’s okay. Lots of people say I talk too much, enough for three people, so you don’t have to say anything at all.” “...” “You probably can’t tell me what to call you, huh?” “...” “Well, you’re my friend, so I have to call you something.” “...” “What about... you do that shadow thing a lot. With the mouse. I’m gonna call you Mouse, and if you wanna change it, we can figure something else out.”

They spent months together, Mouse and the girl. Kim was the name she settled on for herself after a few weeks - it was simple, so she could say it even while she was still going through baby teeth, but it could be short for Kimberly, which she decided she was going to use when she got bigger and had all of her teeth in the right spots. She became his best and only friend, the only person he willingly showed his magic to, and the only person he actually trusted.

It was supposed to be just them, fending for themselves and getting by their own way, forever. He even made silent promises to himself on the bad nights, the ones where he couldn’t sleep or didn’t want to sleep, staying alert and awake to make sure nothing happened. Kim was his family, and there was a set of rules for what that meant. One day, they would have a real home, somewhere safe where magic wasn’t bad and wouldn’t get them killed if they weren’t careful. He would find it for them himself if he had to, even if he couldn’t communicate that sentiment to her.

By the time they ended up in the wrong part of town, where there were no safe alleys to hide in to make fire and food without his magic being seen, the only memories they had were of each other. He’d tried to do the math a few times, looked at dates on newspapers on the stands around most corners, figured out his age had reached double digits without him realizing it. Kim’s age was harder to pin down, but she was younger than him, and could beg with big, round eyes, and he could watch from a safe distance while she knocked on the door of a house in the nicer neighborhood, just to ask for directions and maybe some food before they went on their way. An hour inside, where there would be heat instead of the puddles in the street that would freeze overnight, that was all she asked for.

And then a woman in a police uniform answered the door, and there was too much fear for him to move away from the sidewalk.

It took coaxing to even get him inside, more to eat the full plate of food set in front of him, and while Kim slept peacefully in the big bed they were offered for the night, Mouse was wide awake. The urge to watch over his family was stronger than his need to rest, especially with the risks around them. He couldn’t even ask for the soothing magic he craved, couldn’t conjure his shadowy mouse for comfort, not with an officer in the house. It would be too dangerous.

He didn’t fully understand how it happened, how one night turned into a week and then longer. All he knew was that the officer - Trudy, she said to call her, not that names were something he ever really had much use for - gave them warm food, and let them sleep in the spare bedroom, and got them warmer clothes than the thin things they’d been wearing for months. She was kind, but she was still dangerous, and opening up wasn’t something he wanted to do.

When the weather got warmer, he sat in the garden in the backyard, in view of the kitchen window and the sliding glass door near it. It wasn’t a safe spot, not really, but one of the flowers was wilting while the others were thriving, and it was so simple, just pushing a little bit of his magic through the soil until it grew a few inches and the yellow petals bloomed. He hadn’t even realized the glass door had slid open, or that he’d been watched the entire time, not until he was inside again, sat at the table with a sandwich for lunch.

“You know, I couldn’t get a sunflower to bloom at all last year. That was a pretty neat trick you did. Maybe next time you can do it with the tomatoes.”

That was all the acknowledgement his magic got, a comment and a wink. But he fed his energy into the tomatoes, and then the rest of the flowers in the garden, and then the bush next to the house so he could sneak a few blueberries without having to wait for them to ripen on their own. He made sure it was always little things, a flourishing garden that could be brushed off as care and a little luck, a bedroom that was always neatly picked up despite the fact that two children lived in it, a pot of spaghetti sauce that tasted just a little bit better than the batch the week before.

Slowly, Mouse let himself get comfortable, and he did things more openly. Summoning his little shadow pet happened more often in the bright, sunny living room than it did in the dim light of the moon. He heated mugs of water for tea with his hands instead of trying to stand on his toes to reach the microwave. There were chores around the house that got done on their own.

The big bed in the spare room turned into two smaller ones, pushed to opposite walls, and then moved to separate rooms. A single drawer of clothes for either of them turned into full dressers of things they got to pick out for themselves. Undocumented fugitives living on the street turned into paperwork and a woman in a suit making sure the house was an appropriate living space for two soon to be teenagers, and then, for the first time in over half a decade, he had a name again, one he knew he wasn’t going to forget like he did with the other one.

“You don’t normally stay up this late, Mouse. You should be in bed, getting some sleep.” “...” “I know you cheat to get your chores done every week, but using that much magic can’t be easy on you. I bet you’re tired. Finish up your tea and then we’ll get you off to bed.” “...” “Mouse...” “...the lady said you’re our mom now.” “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard your voice since you got here.” “Is that true? Are you our mom?” “It can be. Is that okay with you?” “...yeah. That’s okay.” “Good. Now, off to bed, kiddo. Goodnight.” “Goodnight, mom.”

Mouse and Kim Platt were enrolled in the nearby school, and they were careful to hide what they were from the general public. No one suspected a thing. Even when their magic surged in strength through puberty, they were outwardly normal, just the way they needed to be. They passed their classes, and worked on controlling their abilities at home where no one but Trudy could see, and it was a good life.

The changes in his abilities were something he learned to adapt to. He didn’t have the connection to healing that his sister did, and some of his chores couldn’t be done on their own anymore. But he could still make his shadow mouse, and grow the flowers, and pulled things from the back of the fridge that their mother insisted wasn’t in there before. There were things in his pockets that he didn’t remember ever owning, extra pens and pencils and paper in the depths of his backpack, things that he pulled from the air even easier than he used to pull food and fire.

When he pushed his luck and pulled a few bills of cash out of his pocket to buy snacks from the shop around the corner, only for them to be spotted as fakes almost immediately, the trouble started. Magic was something he could use, an inherent ability he’d had from before his oldest memories, but one he had to be very careful with. Their mother could only get him out of so many conversations with other officers before she got tired of it, before he was officially grounded, sequestered to the house and not allowed anywhere nearer to the garden and his flowers than the glass door. It was a silly punishment, not letting him even go into the backyard, but it did what it was intended to do, and he stopped trying to perfect the act of pulling counterfeit paper from his pockets.

Instead, he used his new skills in a different way. He didn’t pull paper and pencils out of the air as much as he did information, the correct answers for tests coming as easily as an extra eraser or paperclip. He kept his grades up by finding the right words out of the universe and pulling them to his hands, the visualization helping him make physical objects even easier. Everything from an extra few ounces of milk at the bottom of the gallon to sparks that turned into a small flame on his palm, it was all easy, like second nature.

“Stop making extra ice cream at the bottom of your bowl, Mouse.” “I’m not making it. I’m finding it.” “And how is that different?” “I find it, and I grab it, and I pull it. Making it would mean going into the kitchen and getting milk, and ice, and chocolate-” “Okay, smart guy. Stop using your magic to get extra dessert.” “You didn’t care when I used it to pass history last term.” “Stop cheating on your tests, too.” “I’m not cheating. I’m just finding the right answers.” “Using magic?” “Yeah, mom. Using magic.” “Then it’s cheating.”

It wasn’t cheating when he found the information that helped track a suspect in a case. It wasn’t even on purpose. They’d had the news on while he was helping with dinner, and the reporter on the screen mentioned a piece of evidence at the scene, and it was so natural, just saying the name that came to his mind. The item found next to the body that couldn’t be traced back to anyone with police resources was tied up in the threads of the universe, and one of those threads led back to the man it belonged to. He’d just tugged at the thread, and the name appeared in his head, and that was the start of something else.

It was the start of Mouse applying to colleges, leaving the threads of the universe alone while he checked the mail every day for letters. That would be cheating, manipulating things to make it into every school he wanted validation from. He just waited, let the universe decide his path for itself, and when the school in Boston said they wanted him, he jumped at the opportunity. Through six years of computer classes and up until the moment he officially had his degree in his hand, he tested the threads. He learned to play them like music, pulling what information he needed to himself and leaving everything else where it belonged. He could dismantle firewalls with the stroke of a few keys if he had the right information, get into any computer in the world from his own personal laptop. He could write code that manipulated the threads for him, more advanced than a search engine, bound and held with his own magic so that no one else would even be able to use the program.

When he moved back to Chicago after school, and after a few more years spent perfecting everything he’d taught himself while he was away, there was a way to put that to use. The building that Trudy worked in could use a tech consultant, someone to sit downstairs by the computers and research information for cases. It would pay well, and he’d have all of the insurance benefits that came with working for the city, and he could still stay in his old bedroom until he had enough money for a place of his own.

And it was incredibly easy to hide how he really got the information that the Intelligence unit needed when it could be disguised by computer code.

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parcequecestnotreprojeeeet · 1 year

Note

Hello! It's Winter! This is a sequel to the Husband story I wrote a few days ago! Please Enjoy!

Husband - The Sequel

Brigitte climbed into bed, waiting for her husband to join her. There was no doubt in her mind that he had been listening in on her phone call with Emmanuel. Their 3 children were sleeping soundly; furthermore, none of them had a phone in their bedroom.

She was almost asleep when he burst through their bedroom door. Brigitte had no idea what took him so long to come to bed. What could he have possibly been doing in his study?

He slid into bed next to her, tapping her shoulder. “So, are you going to tell me who you were on the phone with?”

She sat up, flicking on her lamp. “It was just a student. He needed some advice.” She lied, hoping he wouldn’t hear the uncertainty in her voice.

“I’m not dumb, Brigitte. What’s really going on between you and this student?” He asked. “Do I need to worry about my wife embarrassing me?”

She shrieked, “What are you insinuating?! I am his teacher, nothing more!”

“Is this the student you’re rewriting that stupid play with? Laurence mentioned some brilliant boy named Emmanuel and this kid tonight had the same name.” His tone was rude.

“Yes, it’s the same boy but nothing is going on. He’s a student - the same age as our daughter - for crying out loud! Please don’t let your imagination trick you into thinking something different is happening.” Brigitte touched his arm. “Trust me. He’s a nice kid with a rough home life. I’m just being nice to him. His best friend is his grandmother.”

“You seem to know a lot about this boy…Well, as long as he’s not after my wife. I know how these hormonal teenage boys act around beautiful women.” He laughed, easing up a bit.

“I am a professional. We have a normal teacher/student relationship.” Brigitte tried hard not to lose her temper, knowing that would only raise suspicion.

Reaching under the sheets, he squeezed her upper, bare thigh. He was so predictable. Once a week - and only on Saturdays - he did this. She knew what it meant and what he wanted. Usually, she gave in and closed her eyes until it was over, but things were different now. Tonight, she wasn’t going to play the “perfect” wife.

Brigitte pulled her body away and whispered, “I have a headache,” before turning away and closing her eyes.

Hellooo Winter! ❤️

Brigittaaaaa, those lies where almost convincing 😂

“I have a headache” 🤭 that’s my girl 😂 I’m sure André didn’t find it suspicious at all 😅

Thank you so much, Winter! ❤️❤️❤️

#fanfic #winter

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deathaureated · 1 year

Text

ABOUT MORI

Warning: This following character biography contains HEAVY subject matter including but not limited to — emotional & physical abuse, graphic murder, death, graphic descriptions of violence, medical malpractice, coercion, exploitation of children, emotional & physical abuse of children, torture, manipulation, mental health issues, suicide & suicidal ideation, non-consensual drug use, self mutilation, physical trauma, gaslighting, kidnapping, non-graphic mention of pregnancy ending in maternal death, terminal illness, human trafficking, & more. If any of these subjects are a trigger for you I HIGHLY suggest not following, but if you really want to but have one of these triggers feel free to DM me for a recap / summary of the info here if you think you will be unable to read it.

NAME: Mori Rintarō, M.D., Ph.D., M.A., B.S.

ALIASES / NICKNAMES: Mori Ōgai; Boss; Mori-Sensei; Doctor

SPECIES: Gifted Human

GENDER: Cis Male

AGE: 40 { Present }, 33-36 { Fifteen - Dark Era }, 32 { Mafia Boss Succession } 26-28 { Great War + Aftermath}

D.O.B: February 17th, 19XX

HOMETOWN / BIRTHPLACE: Tsuwano, Kanoshi District, Shimane Prefecture, Chūgoku Region, Japan

NATIONALITY: Japanese

APPEARANCE / STYLE: Standing at about 5’9”, Mori is a fairly tall man with a slender & elegant physique. He has a fair complexion, straight, chin-length black hair slicked back with bangs hanging down either side of his face, & wine-coloured violet eyes. Normally dressing as one might expect for somebody might expect for a man in his position, his usual outfits consist of a sharp suit comprised of white button-up dress shirts, a black pinstriped suit jacket, black dress shoes, black trousers & a purple & white striped tie. Over this, he wears a black trench coat & a long, almost knee-length maroon scarf he leaves hanging over his shoulders, untied. He also wears white gloves to avoid leaving his fingerprints anywhere unwanted. This also hides the wedding band ever present on the fourth finger of his left hand.

In public, Mori wears much less lavish attire, more typical of a "doctor". He wears a purple button-up shirt, black tie, black trousers, black shoes, and a long white coat. Furthermore, he leaves his hair loose, with a couple of strands falling over his forehead. During the Great War, he wore a military uniform of Army General Surgeon which included the badges & military accolades he procured pinned to his jacket.

As a result of his father’s wrath when he was young, Mori also has numerous scars across his back & shoulder blades from getting beaten by a leather belt when he was young.

PERSONALITY: Mori is a rather enigmatic person whose true intentions are rarely put on open display, as such it can be difficult to discern what he’s all about with ease. When meeting new people, he tends to put on a mask of an ordinary, somewhat awkward & even clumsy run of the mill doctor, though this façade can quickly slip if things aren’t going according to plan, revealing the calculating intensity that lurks just beneath the surface. An expert at keeping his composure in times of high stress, Mori is an excellent strategist & planner. Cruel, merciless, & downright terrifying when it’s required, there is almost nothing Mori wouldn’t do for the sake of achieving his most vital goals. However, it should be noted that he is not cruel for the pursuit of any form of twisted pleasure, though it can certainly appear that way; rather, Mori possesses a mind that is pragmatic to the extreme. If something needs doing, he will make sure it is done no matter the emotional or physical cost to those around him. In his eyes, if it’s for what he perceives is the greater good, any means is justified. This attitude makes him incredibly dangerous. Mori is incapable of emotional empathy on any level, but extremely well versed in cognitive empathy & a master of manipulation, both subtle & obvious. Mori always weighs the gains & losses of his decisions, choosing the optimal solutions for the Port Mafia as a whole. Consequently, these decisions leave a bloodstained path & have hurt & traumatized countless other people.

That said, his intelligence allows him to manipulate & abuse many people by appealing to their needs & wants. Emotional manipulation & abuse have gotten Mori far in his motives at the cost of many lives, & by the time someone's realized they've been used, it's often too late for them to turn back. He is not unaware of the damage he is capable of causing to people psychologically, however, again, Mori has such a warped sense of thinking that, if the benefits are ultimately more plentiful than the losses, he won’t hesitate. In his mind it’s a no brainer & he becomes genuinely perplexed when people he views as being of a similar intellectual capacity don’t agree with him. Because of his inability to empathize with someone’s emotions on a chemical level, Mori never takes emotions into full account, the epitome of logical thinking & strategy. To Mori, a 'heart' only gets in the way of victory, a belief leading to his irredeemable actions of using Yosano's ability & mentally breaking her during the Great War. While a largely logical person who knows how to use words to his advantage, Mori is not above threats & intimidation typical of a cold, experienced mafioso. Age & gender do not matter to Mori, but when it comes to his grander schemes, he has a history of manipulating children, as their inexperience makes it that much easier to control them due to their naïvety. Mori's use of manners & polite conduct mostly attribute to maintaining a sense of control & power in any situation. For the most part, acting like a 'normal' person makes those around him less wary, as when he's in public & needs to avoid suspicion. Otherwise, it creates a certain distance between him & others, as if nothing they say ever fazes him, this is due to his extremely limited range of emotions. Fukuzawa, his former ally, knows the depths of Mori's darkness; he & Dazai are most often the ones to see straight through Mori's many pretenses. Once this façade disappears, Mori's intensity & willingness to do anything, even kill, become apparent & unsettling. His intensity is so much that even Lucy is paralyzed with fear when Mori confronts her.

He does treat his subordinates with respect insofar as he knows they are of use to the organization, valuing their skills & contributions & acknowledging their power. As such, even when facing a certain degree of insubordination, Mori is willing to overlook some mistakes so long as the outcome benefits the Port Mafia in the end. This contributes to why he never punishes Akutagawa’s rash behavior. Even then, according to Mori, "effort is what matters, results come second", in the face of Akutagawa's previous failures. This also aligns with Mori's leeway towards the organization's most active, powerful members, allowing them a certain degree of 'freedom' & independence from his tight scrutiny. Generally, he usually only regularly speaks with his two most active executives, Kouyou Ozaki & Chuuya Nakahara, the former of which often the first to criticize Mori's eccentrics in the form of dry banter. He & Kouyou converse the most often, & their partnership leads to Mori agreeing to spare Kyouka after she defects. As a result of the Port Mafia's prosperous control in Yokohama, Mori enjoys being held in high regard, either by respect, fear, or a mix of both, by his many subordinates. Mori views the position of an organization's leader as both ruling them & being their slave. This belief drives Mori to his drastic and ruthless strategies. Furthermore, he is more than happy to use a common enemy to his advantage, as when revealing Naomi & Haruno’s hideout to the Guild in hopes of using the Agency to take care of them & alleviate the Port Mafia's own workload. He uses the same tactic when leaking the orphans' location to Gide, gettIng the orphans slaughtered & driving Oda to his own suicide mission in order to eliminate Mimic in exchange for the Port Mafia’s own Gifted Business Permit. In both cases, Mori makes it so his direct word never reaches its intended target, leaving the power of his actions to force their hand instead without ever dirtying his own hands directly. This manipulation & usage of knowledge is the core of Mori's decision-making and tactics, making him incredibly dangerous.

Losses & failure are Mori's worst enemies, such as a large number of subordinates & racketed collaborations dying during the Q incident or Kouyou being held at the ADA. Likewise, he detests "parasites" such as smugglers and the ilk, people he believes they suck Yokohama dry for their own gain & upset its delicate balance. Given Mori's respect for Natsume, he agreed to keep balance in Yokohama, & takes this seriously. For as cruel & cold Mori is, it's unmistakable that he's vital to Yokohama's balance. The only time Mori's acknowledged a major oversight in his decisions is when taking in & mentoring a young Dazai. He largely underestimated Dazai's own intelligence & shrewd, detached way of looking at the world, at least in the beginning. Ironically, their near-identical nature unsettled Mori. Nonetheless, Mori takes his mistake & molds it into a valuable discovery: a subordinate & right-hand that knew his way of rationalizing. Control over Dazai was crucial to Mori, considering Dazai's intelligence could one day be his undoing. This largely contributes to Mori's decision to use dear friend of Dazai, in eliminating Mimic & driving Dazai to defect. This was because, for all of their similarities, Mori neglected to take in account from the beginning that unlike himself, Dazai had the capability to form emotional attachments to people beyond their usefulness to him, & was thus willing to turn his back on Mori if there ever came a time that the needs of the Port Mafia, & the safety of those he cared for, came into conflict.

Though he’s never received an “official diagnosis” ( & most likely never will due to the persona he puts on in front of regular people ) before, he has run a few rudimentary self examinations & scans of his own brain that revealed some interesting things to him. Mori is not a sadistic man, though he often seems like it due to his merciless nature. The fact is, Mori is physiologically incapable of certain emotional processes due to the way his brain developed. He isn’t physically capable of taking pleasure from others’ suffering, because that would require him to be able to feel enough empathy to understand the pain of others in the first place from something other than an observational level. He cannot feel fear, at least not how humans typically experience it, nor can he feel things like bonding, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations, chemical love, sadness, self doubt, low self esteem, empathy, regret / remorse, hatred, resentment, stress, envy & chemical trust. Anything that requires the processing of oxytocin is unavailable, & these emotions are beyond him. He may be able to understand them to some degree, from a textbook definition & hearing about these first hand, but he will never experience them himself. It’s not how he’s wired. Things he can feel: anger ( in brief flashes mostly; he never experiences rage ), annoyance or irritation, amusement, boredom, contentment / satisfaction, curiosity, disapproval, awe, surprise / being startled, admiration, happiness ( an elevated state of contentment, really; he’s never going to feel an overwhelming amount of joy ), lust / desire. Truly, the only person privy to Mori's less menacing & controlling side is Elise, even though there's incredible irony in the fact that even Elise's demanding, harsh attitude against him is something he intentionally configured. Though beyond the typical forms of attachment & love, Mori does have an almost subconscious obsession with his deceased wife, & he moulded his ability’s appearance to her likeness. Not her personality though; Mori firmly believes if his wife had been less frail, less human, less good hearted, she would not have died nor left him, & in his own way, Elise is his attempt at keeping her alive despite denying he misses her in any capacity.

BIOGRAPHY: Mori’s childhood is not something that is remembered fondly by... well, pretty much anybody but himself. To say he was a nightmare growing up would be an understatement. The only child of a pair of physicians from very notable families, there was a lot of attention on him from the moment he was born. Independent as far back as he could recall, little Rintarō was an extremely willful, defiant boy who was both terribly dishonest & brutally honest at the same time. A child prodigy who scarcely found something he couldn’t succeed at, he was pretty much disconnected from the world, too caught up in doing things he felt like doing. Not only that, but he had absolutely no boundaries & would do whatever he felt like, when he felt like it. He stole, got caught, lied about it, was punished, & the punishment had no effect on him since he was immune to remorse or guilt in any capacity. His parents but especially his mother were beside themselves with frustration. Pretty much the only thing that could get him to do something he didn’t feel inclined towards doing was to offer something he would want more, providing an incentive for him to behave himself for even short amounts of time. Mori would tell you his mother had ‘the patience of a saint’, & while she did not understand him in the least, she did love him. His father on the other hand had a temper, especially when he felt he was being ignored & disrespected.

The rage-induced beatings didn’t have a lasting effect on Rintarō aside from the numerous scars on his back, the trauma did not have an emotional effect on him... instead it taught him something much more dangerous at a young age. That if you wanted something from somebody, & bartering did not work, nor did patience, that violence was an excellent way to make your feelings known to someone. He learned to manipulate his father quite early on - forcing himself to cry would sometimes cause him to cease with the punishments, but not always. He used his learned manipulation to control his father’s fierce temper & his mother’s gentleness, & with kids less of a physical threat...? Well, he certainly learned a lot about how ‘most’ kids experienced things like fear & pain when he was teaching them exactly what his father was so fond of dolling out. His artificial curiosity about inflicting pain to get what he wanted improved as he grew older, becoming more aware of the fact he was different from other people in some way & that children have an easier time getting away with bad behaviour than adults. So he learned how to get what he wanted in more subtle ways. Passive manipulation, bribing or bartering worked better than physical intimidation or harm. One would think he would resent his parents for going through so much effort just to mould him into a half-functioning human being, but no, he actually admired them quite a bit & has nothing but respect for the fact that they didn’t simply drown him when he was small to save themselves the headache. When they did die, however, in a car accident which he was also involved in at age 10, Rintarō quietly watched the funeral before leaving with his grandfather to his new home, only feeling a vague sense of dissatisfaction at the thought he would not see them again, nor taste his dear mother’s cooking.

Following the deaths of his parents, the young boy continued his vigorous studies in his grandfather’s household in Tokyo, Rintarō very quickly reached a level that surpassed even what the best tutors could match for him. By the time he was 14 he was admitted into the University of Tokyo, during which he spent two years studying the basics of medicine, the German, English & Latin languages, followed by two years of applied medicine & two years of medical clerkship that flew by. At the age of 19, he became the youngest person to ever earn a medical license in Japan, becoming a trauma surgeon & general physician much to his family’s delight. Rather than choosing to open his own clinical practice immediately, Mori enlisted in the Japanese Armed Forces, where he was promptly sent to several cities & villages in Germany to continue his medical & military training, in addition to law, physics, political science & more. On the travel between Munich & Berlin, a massive snowstorm hit that left him stranded in a small farming village in Bavaria. His family was extremely influential & had contacts everywhere, so he made arrangements to stay with a local family, the Reynolds, though he wasn’t pleased about the delay in his studies. Upon meeting them, however, he was introduced to their youngest daughter, Elisa, a 19-year-old farm girl who immediately struck Mori speechless with her beauty, a reaction he had never had in proximity to a single person before, male or female, no matter how attractive they objectively were.

She was a frail girl, physically, but her gaze & voice carried an assertiveness & strength that the young man didn’t understand why he found so appealing. The days turned into weeks & they began spending an inordinate amount of time together. Despite his at times brusque & detached way of speaking, she was also very kind, & he found himself impressed by her ability to see through his attempts at manipulation, always quick to see the truth of what he was saying despite his best attempts to conceal his intentions at all times, just as he’d always done. The storm ended up shutting down the most populated travel routes for the entirety of the winter season. Upon his time to depart, he found himself strangely... reluctant to leave. He did not care for the village despite its charms, but Elisa...

Evidently she felt the same way, because she visited him the night before she left to declare her feelings. If he were a normal man, he would have proposed to her on the spot, content with a beautiful wife & the quaint little town. But he had never been normal. It did not stop him from giving into his desires for her, & he left the next morning, determined to put those three months behind him. He was well into his studies in Berlin when she arrived on the doorstep of the home he was residing in, six months later, & clearly very pregnant. He was initially shocked; Mori had never found the idea of children appealing. They were loud, needy, unintelligent little beasts with disgusting behaviours. Even so, seeing Elisa there, carrying his child, a look in her eyes he couldn’t understand... it did things to him. He did wind up marrying her. It seemed like the next logical step. He expected her parents would be furious with him, but to his continued surprise they were thrilled - Elisa was such a temperamental & demanding girl they thought for sure she would scare off any potential suitors, the fact that the one who’d planted his child in her was willing to take her hand after was a major relief.

After corresponding with his grandfather back home, Mori asked Elisa if she would return to Japan with him once he fulfilled his military requirements, & she agreed without hesitation. In that moment, the man believes he chose to allow himself to love her.

Unfortunately, things would take a turn for the tragic not longer after.

Her health had always been delicate, & Elisa seemed to grow more & more pale & weak as the months passed, despite his best efforts to keep her healthy. Soon, she was housebound. By the end of her pregnancy, she could no longer get up out of the bed. While attending a late evening dinner with some of his tutors across town one night, Mori received a phone call that his wife had gone into labour. He immediately apologized & cut the dinner short, making his way back as quickly as he could. By the time he got there, things had already begun to go wrong. The baby was delivered safely but in spite of their intervention, Elisabet was actively bleeding to death in front of him. He made the decision to call for an ambulance, & she grabbed his hand & told him to stay, please. “You’re dying.” He told her. “I know.” She smiled & touched his face, so tenderly. “Sometimes things happen that aren’t fair. But I don’t regret a damn thing. Just make sure you take care of our little girl...” She passed in his arms even as he held her tight & encouraged her to hold on. The death passed over the room like a shadow snuffing the life from a candle.

Mori felt his first, genuine flash of anger ever & lurched for the baby, the foul creature that took his Elisa—

She was practically the mirror image of her mother; blue eyes, soft silvery blond hair, almost angelic as she lay contentedly in the nursemaid’s arms.

His anger fizzled in an instant, leaving a feeling of exhaustion & a hollow ache he could not identify. After cleaning up both mother & child, Mori had arrangements made for her burial. Her family was devastated, of course, & came right away. Mori... could not bring himself to hold the girl, nor gaze upon her directly. There was something sharp twisting in his gut each time he tried. It shouldn’t matter that she looked like Elisa, but somehow... it did. He knew then he could not raise her, & left her in the care of her grandparents. He kept a generous fund for them to take care of all her needs & expenses as she grew up, & despite his insistence that they stop doing so, they continued to send photographs of little Sara at each milestone. He did not delete them.

At age 21, Mori completed the required military training & was sent back to Japan, just as the Great War in Europe took a turn for the brutal. He was quickly drawn into the frontlines & became the head surgeon & medical expert where the troops were stationed at Tokyami Island. Realizing how vastly underprepared they were, Mori made the choice to move the Ability users to the front offensive lines, & ordered those back home to bring in as many as they could. It wasn’t enough. Recalling a young girl he had met upon his return home, working in a candy shop, he made a decision to have her called upon as well, despite the backlash he was met with. Age was just a number, & their men were dying at an unprecedented rate. In the meantime, he submitted the classified essay "The Immortal Regiment" to the emperor, which aimed to show ability users' usefulness to the government's top brass. To concretize this agenda, Mori left 11-year-old Yosano Akiko the task of healing any wounds that his corps soldiers sustained using her healing ability during the intense battles.

Despite his fierce determination & incredible intellect, Mori failed to account for the amount of trauma that seeing such brutal death up close would do to a young child, particularly when the troops began to crack themselves under the inability to leave the battlefield no matter how gruesome the injuries they sustained were, as Mori often forced them back out onto the field the moment they were healed enough to stand upright again. He succeeded in convincing his superiors that Abilities were valuable weapons in combat, but his overall goals ended in failure after Yosano was driven into suffering a traumatic breakdown. Mori had continued to force her hand when she no longer wanted to heal the maimed soldiers who wanted to simply go home.

When the soldier Yosano befriended got a minor wrist fracture that took him off the field, Mori insisted Yosano on healing him to have him return to the frontlines. Exhausted & scared, Yosano refused, but Mori coldly called her 'different' from ordinary little girls, & ordered her to use her ability. He then listed off histories of armies failing to adapt to evolving weaponry & strategy, leading to their downfalls. Now, ability users reshaped war, and Yosano's role was to make the military understand that shift. Regardless, Yosano defied him, so Mori shot the soldier in the chest, putting him on the brink of death & leaving Yosano no choice but to heal him. The constant violence, trauma & healing proved to be too much for several of the soldiers, including Yosano’s friend, who ended up hanging himself & indirectly blaming her, referring to her as an Angel of Death.

Following losing several more friends & even surviving an attempted assassination, Yosano suffered a severe mental breakdown towards the end of the War, leading her to attempt to blow up the army’s ship & everyone on it with explosives in an attempt to end the constant cycle of suffering. She was quickly removed from the frontlines & placed in a psychiatric hospital.

Upon the end of the War lifting restrictions on travel, Mori visited the small village in Germany upon realizing the account he’d set up for his daughter had not been touched in months. What he found disturbed him greatly. The village was not only abandoned, but had been for some time. According to locals in neighboring towns, they’d been hit hard during the War, & several raids for supplies on the community had left it barren. He found the graves of his in-laws, but absolutely no trace of his daughter. If she were dead, surely there would have been something to indicate such. Not having any clue of what to do about the situation, he reluctantly returned to Yokohama.

At age 25, Mori finally opened his own clinic. Though completely legitimate from the outside, he operated in neutral territory & took to treating all sorts of ‘tainted’ patients that could not be taken to normal hospitals: Mafia members, injured assassins, those hurt in gang wars, prostitutes who were injured on the job, even victims of child sex trafficking. He was utterly unfazed by all of it. By this time, the state of the city’s nightlife had become quite bloodthirsty, as the Port Mafia’s boss continued to mentally deteriorate for unknown reasons. At this point, Mori answered only to Sōseki Natsume.

Mori then met his "bodyguard" Yukichi Fukuzawa, who clarified to Mori that he acted on Natsume's orders. As the two exchanged banters, some gang members sought Mori; the latter ordered them not to start a fight, as he shall also treat the person who shot their comrade. Mori then left & assured Fukuzawa his clinic is neutral ground. Later that night, Mori was held hostage by men collecting intelligence on the Port Mafia's fortune. Despite being beaten & tied up by them, Mori remained indifferent & nonchalant, causing his captors to lash out on him. One of them told Mori of their plans on using the mafia's increased violence as scapegoats, going as far as to steal & use their firearms. Mori then concluded that they were illegal immigrants and, suddenly taking a sinister nature, condemned them as parasites leeching off his beloved city's resources. He then addressed Fukuzawa, who arrived after having killed over 20 of the group's men. Mori used Fukuzawa's arrival to distract his captors, freeing himself of his restraints and cutting open the men's throats with a medical scalpel.

With the enemy defeated, Mori informed Fukuzawa that his plan to feign capture worked. Knowing where the group's base is, he determined it's prime time to counterattack, revealing this to be all part of Natsume's own plan. This effectively marked the beginning of Mori's & Fukuzawa's partnership under Natsume's instruction. With his intellect & the latter’s strength, the two were seemingly unstoppable. Until... three years after the war's official end, Mori finally discovered Yosano's whereabouts. Ignoring her broken & near-catatonic state, Mori intended to use her Ability once more, but Fukuzawa learned of Mori's scheme & fought him. Mori argued that Yosano is vital for the Tripartite Framework & Yokohama's peace, claiming an 'immortal regiment' against Port Mafia's current boss would be the best way to ensure the city’s survival. As Fukuzawa condemned Mori's heartless strategy, the battle dissolved their alliance, after which Mori ultimately lost Yosano to the newly formed Armed Detective Agency.

Over the next several years, Mori eventually rose to a position of high standing the Port Mafia, acting as the Boss's primary physician & right-hand man even as his seemingly incurable physical illness began deteriorating his cognitive abilities rapidly. During this time, he eventually met a 14-year-old boy named Dazai Osamu, a shrewd, troubled child who found himself unwilling admitted to Mori’s clinic after a failed suicide attempt. Upon learning of Dazai's intelligence & that he had no family to speak of to go back to, Mori decided to use him as insurance in assassinating the ill Port Mafia boss, & the two worked as accomplices, albeit Dazai was more of a pawn than anything as Mori had promised to teach him a painless way to die in exchange for his cooperation. Dazai was to be Mori's 'witness' of the late Boss bestowing leadership upon Mori; he claimed the boy as his ‘ward’ & thus drew no suspicion when the teenager accompanied him everywhere, including to the Boss’ private quarters. However, Mori's intention was for Dazai to have committed suicide soon afterward, taking the truth of Mori's murder with him in death. Dazai's many failures proved both an obstacle & an advantage for Mori. This proved a rare miscalculation on Mori's part, as he failed to correctly read Dazai's intentions & nature. Mori denied Dazai's accusations, pointing out how simple it would've been to let Dazai die instead of treating him from failed suicide attempts. He reached the conclusion he could not let Dazai die, as the former boss' remaining supporters would quickly know that his death was, in fact, a murder conspiracy.

Although he largely underestimated Dazai's intelligence and dark nature, Mori also found the child disturbingly similar to him in nature, and, as a result, a competent future right-hand man. He was not a good ‘parent’, & had not learned much from his mistakes with Yosano. Instead of taking into account his tendency to push children far passed their mental capacity, he concluded a like-minded boy to himself would be the solution, & this caused him to further extend efforts to mould Dazai’s mindset as similar to his own as possible. After that, he began actively denying Dazai the death he wanted at every turn. In fact, Mori was more exasperated by his attempts than concerned. He would frequently lecture Dazai about his sloppy work while patching him up, in some cases showing him what he did wrong & how to improve. In doing so, he added quite a few of his own scars to Dazai’s collection. Dazai cut himself but failed to actually do much damage? He would show him the proper way to bleed somebody out. He took an incorrect mixture of medication trying to kill himself? Rather than give him anything to alleviate the symptoms, Mori simply restrained the boy to his hospital bed & forced him to writhe in agony & sickness for hours until the drugs were out of his system. These were only a few of the horrid things he put the child through. He wanted to eliminate all the emotions he saw as a potential weakness in the teenager, to prepare him for the necessarily cruel decisions he would need to make as the heir to the Port Mafia eventually.

About a year or so after the takeover, Mori issued him a silver oracle, which granted him considerable influence & power over the mafia in investigating the disturbing rumors of the former Boss 'returning' from the grave in Suribachi City. Just before Dazai left, Mori asked him why Dazai wanted to die so badly, but, as expected, received no clear answer. During Dazai's mission, Mori contacted him to receive affirmation that the Port Mafia's predecessor returned surrounded by black flames. Eventually, after Dazai and Ryūrō Hirotsu were confronted by Chuuya Nakahara of the Sheep, a mysterious black explosion knocked the group out. After retrieving them, Mori had Chuuya restrained in his office by sub-executive Randou. Impressed by the abilities the boy had that Dazai filled him in on, Mori asked Chuuya about the explosion & bluntly asked him if he'd like to join the Port Mafia. This infuriated the boy, which Mori anticipated given his resentment against the Port Mafia thanks to the late boss' mindless havoc over Yokohama. Though Mori noted he 'died from illness', Chuuya did not believe him, quick to note Mori's desire for power & the rumors that he assassinated the boss. In a calm, cold manner, Mori then frankly admitted killing his predecessor.

With this reveal, Mori retracted his invitation to Chuuya & instead arranged a deal to have him work alongside them to solve the rumors, as they could both benefit from the information the mysterious Arahabaki rumors. He warned Chuuya that if he refused, he'll kill the Sheep members; as proof, he held up a transmitter from which Sheep members called for Chuuya's help amidst mafioso surrounding them. Hence, Chuuya begrudgingly agreed to Mori's deal. To begin with, both parties thought that the dead could not be revived. However, Mori presented footage of the predecessor in the Port Mafia's highly guarded vaults, where the supposed specter mentioned Arahabaki's name. After Chuuya discussed Arahabaki's origins, Dazai theorized that someone might be using the previous boss's alleged resurrection to cause an uproar against the current boss, most likely an ability user's doing all in order to turn Mori's people against him. Mori ordered Dazai to uncover the truth, which Dazai reluctantly agreed to. When he pointed out that he could not accomplish anything alone, Mori decided to make Chuuya work with him, much to their dismay. Against their protests, Mori threatened Chuuya is in no position to refuse orders. Since the culprit was against the mafia, it'll be easier for an outsider to collect information, with Dazai to act as surveillance & his nullification ability as insurance to ensure Chuuya would not betray them.

As the two adolescents accepted his order, Mori dismissed them & looked forward to hearing good news. Once left alone, Mori mused a lesson from Sōseki Natsume: that only diamonds can polish diamonds, or only those with high potential can bring out another's high potential. Using Dazai & Chuuya, Mori intended to verify this claim for himself. Amidst their mission, Dazai contacted Mori after running into Shirase & two other Sheep members. He requested the ones held hostage by the Port Mafia to be released, which Mori approved. Months after Randō's reveal as a traitor & his burial left in a makeshift gravestone, Mori assigned Dazai – now an official mafioso – to head one of their troops as his first mission to eliminate the GSS & the Sheep, the Port Mafia's most active rivals thus far. However, the truth behind this task was to recruit Chuuya, knowing of the Sheep's resentment against him. Using the Sheep members' lives as leverage, Dazai successfully convinced Chuuya to join the Port Mafia. As the mafia's tradition, Mori offered Chuuya a black hat, previously found among Randō's personal effects. Mori also informed him about classified documents & confidential material they discovered that revealed intel about the research facility where Chuuya was found in; the main purpose was to combine abilities with existing beings, namely artificial abilities. Nonetheless, Mori asked Chuuya to rise through the ranks if he wished to access the documents only for executives.

Chuuya asked Mori what it meant to be a leader, and Mori returned to his belief of being both their leader & 'slave' who would place their subordinates where they're best suited, using & discarding them if needed. Mori admitted that he is willing to do anything inhumane for the sake of both the organization & Yokohama. His words inspired Chuuya, who pledged his life to the Port Mafia & city. Later, Mori walked down a corridor with an injured Dazai & the recently retrieved Q. During the conversation, Chuuya, alongside Kouyou, ran into them. As the boys instantly argued, she questioned Mori's decision to allow them both in the Port Mafia, but Mori insisted it shall be fine.

Following the King of Assassins incident, & the death of 'the Colonel', a former executive, during the Dragon's Head Conflict, Mori assigned Dazai & Chuuya as the newest Executives of the Port Mafia. He largely left the conflict to Dazai's discrepancy & noted this as the beginning of the infamous partnership Twin Dark, whose power, skill, & dynamic mirrored that of Mori's & Fukuzawa's former partnership. At least two years later, Mori orchestrated a grand scheme to acquire a skilled business permit. As such, he sent Ango Sakaguchi – a Special Division for Unusual Powers agent sent in to spy on the mafia – to Europe for a business trip. He learned of a guerrilla organization known as Mimic that way & figured they'd be the easiest way to set his plan into motion, having Ango contact them & illegally aiding in their entrance to Japan all to force the Special Division into issuing the mafia the permit. Sometime later, Mori summoned lowest-ranking mafioso Sakunosuke Oda to his office. After an initial exchange of pleasantries, Mori tasked Oda to find someone, particularly mafia informant as well as Oda's & Dazai's mutual friend, Ango. When Oda agreed to the assignment, Mori noted having heard of Oda's reputation. Formerly a teenaged assassin of unprecedented skill, his composure & level-headedness made him a valuable asset, and Mori expected great things from him. He soon handed Oda a silver oracle, granting him written permission to order any mafia member & even executives without question, including Dazai. Before Oda took his leave, Mori complimented his pistol and inquired about the rumors surrounding him as someone who refused to kill anyone, which Oda confirmed. Mori asked why, but after telling Oda he's only asking out of personal interest, Oda plainly stated he'd rather not tell him.

After Mimic established a hostility with the mafia & slaughtered the orphans Oda looked after, Mori attended a meeting on a ship facilitated by Ango between Mori and Santōka Taneda, the commander of the Special Division. As mafia boss, Mori was beseeched to wipe out Mimic, but Mori pointed out Mimic gave the Port Mafia its fair share of trouble. In exchange for the mafia's cooperation, Taneda issued him a skilled business permit. After Dazai failed to dissuade Oda from attacking Mimic on his own, he asked Mori to provide Oda some backup. Mori approved his request, but he wondered if it worth to send in executive-level men just to save one low-ranking member. Despite Dazai's insistence, Mori doubted that Oda wanted their help. He explained that being the Port Mafia's boss means being both its leader & a slave to it. He must be willing to perform any necessary and logically conceivable atrocity, all for the sake of ensuring their strength & defeating their enemies. His tone made it clear he had expected Dazai to have adapted this mindset by now, & was disappointed that he hadn’t. His explanation built up to a vital reveal upon sliding the mysterious black envelope to Dazai. The truth behind the war between Mimic and the Port Mafia finally came to light to Dazai, who abruptly dismissed himself, only for Mori to stop him. As Dazai deduced Mori as the one who orchestrated the entire elaborate scheme.

Mori claimed Dazai was giving him too much credit, pointing out it wasn't that easy to manipulate the Special Division, as they're much more powerful than they let on. Dazai acknowledged this, noting that even the Port Mafia must tread carefully or risk being snuffed out, arguing this was why Mori orchestrated such an elaborate scheme in the first place in exchange for a single black envelope. Ultimately, when Mimic became an issue in Yokohama, Mori took advantage of the situation & "offered" the Port Mafia's assistance in exchange for the envelope. Mori confirmed his accusations and asked if there's anything wrong with how he helped earn the mafia a victory at the expense of a single, low-ranking mafioso. From a logical standpoint, Dazai could not argue with Mori, though he soon realized that it was the boss who leaked the orphans' location to Mimic, which Mori considered would push Oda over the edge and thereby defeat Mimic as their best and only candidate to do so. Mori's response remained the same, explaining that the Port Mafia had & would have always committed the worst crimes to obtain their goals. Unable to debate any further, Dazai attempted to leave again, but Mori told him not to. Dazai knew Mori would not gain anything from killing him, with which Mori wondered what Dazai would gain from disobeying him. Dazai dismissed Mori's attempt to make sense of his intentions, simply pointing out that Oda was his friend; he finally left Mori, who watched him leave with a faint smile.

Two weeks after Oda's death and Mimic's defeat, Mori listlessly read over the silver oracle he bestowed Oda that was retrieved from Mimic's base. He was informed of Dazai's absence for two weeks and asked to discuss his executive successor, but Mori ordered to keep his position open. In the end, everything went according to Mori's plan, with their acquired skilled business permit making up for their losses, including Dazai's disappearance. Nonetheless, Mori lamented how things would get "boring" by then in the Port Mafia

That ‘boredom’ would go on to last for only four years or so before things in Yokohama finally become interesting again.

FAMILY: Mori Shizuo { Father; Deceased }, Mori Mineko { Mother; Deceased}, Elisabet Reynolds { Wife; Deceased }, Sara Schuyler / Kisara Kiyomizu { Daughter }, Yosano Akiko { Foster Daughter; Verse Dependent }, Dazai Osamu { Foster Son; Verse Dependent }, Yumeno Kyūsaku { Foster Child; Verse Dependent }.

SUPERNATURAL ABILITY: The manifestation of that which Mori desires, Vita Sexualis allows him to summon & configure a protector entity ( not entirely unlike Demon Snow or Golden Demon ), one which he can configure to have any personality or appearance he wills. Prior to his trip to Germany, this entity was emotionless & a rather generic looking Japanese woman as he knew vaguely or what he found attractive but never cared to examine it further, & whom he’d never bothered to actually name. Following his wife’s death, Mori named the manifestation Elise in his late Elisabet’s honour, & proceeded to mould it into her image. He can make Elise levitate, chase after an enemy at high speed, & make her save him from imminent peril. Moreover, he can notably summon Elise having a medical semblance and make her attack his opponents with a barrage of large medical equipment, with her typically taking on the appearance of a nurse in battle. Although Elise is powerful, Vita Sexualis requires Mori's strength and energy. As a result, when infected by Alexander Pushkin's virus, summoning Elise takes a toll on the ability herself. In their battle, when Fukuzawa cut her down, she gets dismembered & eventually dissipates. As Mori's ability, Elise does not die, but it takes time & energy for Mori to re-summon her. Elise has shown her displeasure in Mori's ability in which she stated he always gets to "set the scene" and make all the decisions.

STRENGTHS / TALENTS: Without a doubt, Mori’s strongest ability - possibly even stronger than his Gift - is his ability to flawlessly manipulate other people through a combination of bribes, threats, human psychology & superficial charm. He is able to easily see that which someone most desires, & will often use that as a bargaining chip. He’s extremely intelligent, arguably even a genius from a solely academic perceptive. Fluent in Japanese & Chinese from a young age, Mori additionally studied English, German, & Dutch during his upbringing, & later classical Greek & Latin as well. He became fluent in the French language after returning from Germany when he met a French priest during the Great War whom he took lessons with. With a very full repertoire of psychological tactics & being versed in warfare, Mori knows just how to spot an enemy’s potential weaknesses & exploit them fully. He’s also not above using a person’s fears against them if he believes it will get him something he wants. He is quite a frightening being when he wants to be, having taught Dazai quite a lot in terms of strategizing, observation, pain & exploiting the weaknesses of others. In essence, he moulded the already prodigal boy into the Demon Prodigy that would still be remembered with trepidation even four years later. He’s also a skilled surgeon that has undoubted saved more lives than he’s taken - directly at least - but it never comes without a price.

WEAKNESSES: Mori’s biggest failure as both a leader & a person in general is that he never takes emotions fully into account when calculating his higher risk decisions, because for someone like him, emotion often does not play a part in his day-to-day life. He is quick to sacrifice his people if he feels its worth the potential fallout, such as when he manipulated Oda into fighting Mimic to the death, resulting in him also losing his right hand man, Dazai. Which was a risk he was aware of, as Dazai later points out, he was wary that the boy might one day seek to take his place. However, it was also a calculation on his part that Dazai might react that way... but he had hopes still that Dazai would see the value in what Mori had done even at the cost of his friend’s life, as it ultimately benefited the organization. Or the time he released Q from their imprisonment to combat the Guild, & it ended up costing the lives of many Port Mafia members & nearly destroying the city when the Guild captured & used Q’s involuntary Ability to their advantage. Mori also finds it very difficult to do anything that would harm Elise, his ability manifestation, despite knowing she will live as long as he does, because of her resemblance to his late wife, he does not want to fight her during the events of the Shibusawa incident.

RELATIONSHIPS / ROMANTIC INTERESTS: Elisabeth Reynolds { Wife; Deceased }

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Aromantic Bisexual { Heterosexual Preference }

QUIRKS / HABITS: Has a tendency to gesture with his hands when he speaks as it tends to offer a flourish to his words. Also adjusting his hair frequently to mirror his current mindset.

HOBBIES / INTERESTS: Reading, writing, medicine & surgery, human psychology & mental health, the history of warfare & battle strategy / combat, studying foreign languages, philosophy, Chinese poetry, chess & other strategic games. He also enjoys spoiling Elise, much to her continued irritation. When he was younger he especially enjoyed the adrenaline of a good fight.

DISLIKES: Leeches & parasites who suck the life & resources out of Yokohama without contributing back in any way ( such as smugglers ). Dislikes raw foods, mackerel in miso, & those who make idle threats without any intention of following through as he considers them boring & a waste of his time.

SCHOOL: Attended the University of Tokyo & it’s Graduate School of Medicine, graduating summa cum laude with, initially, a pre-med Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology before applying for surgical clerkship While working on his M.D. { Doctor of Medicine }, he earned his Master’s Degree in Medical Science, his M.D. & a Ph.D. in Medical Psychology.

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Yokohama City, Japan

OCCUPATION: Boss of the Port Mafia; Army Surgeon General { Former }, Underground Physician { Former }

FRIENDS / AFFILIATION: The Port Mafia, Japan’s Armed Defense Force, 356th Infantry Division { Former }

RELIGION / BELIEFS: Having studied both Buddhism & Shintoism from a young age, Mori can fairly safely say he falls into the category of an Agnostic. He doesn’t discount the fact that Gods may exist, especially given the fact that Ability Users fly in the face of everything known to modern science, however... whether they do or do not exist is of little consequence to him. It’s not something he’s overly concerned with.

POSSESSIONS: Mori typically does not need to carry any plethora of weapons or tricks up his sleeves, his intelligence & Elise are usually all that he requires in potentially dire situations. He does, however, carry a surgical scalpel, the very same one that he used to slay the former Boss, in fact. Following meeting Dazai, he laments that fact he also started to require carrying first aid supplies once more, most notably surgical medical gauze & purgatives. Also, occasionally explosive defusing tools.

OTHERS: TBA.

#{ BLOG INFO }

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gonzalezleonardo · 6 months

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Preserving the Flow: A Water Conservation Crusade

Definition of: Story, tales, science fiction.

Story: connected series of events told through words (written or spoken), imagery (still and moving), body language, performance, music, or any other form of communication (Literary Terms, 2018). In a story you can talk about anything, be it real or imaginary; covering both fiction and nonfiction; and leaving no topic, genre, or style untouched.

Tales: A tale is a story, often involving magic or exciting events (Collins Dictionary, n.d.). The tale places more emphasis on actions and results than on character, which is the chief focus of a short story. Furthermore, tales are more casually constructed. consequently, tales are far looser in terms of plot and structure.

Science Fiction: Also known as SF or sci-fi, is a form of fiction that deals principally with the impact of actual or imagined science upon society or individuals (Sterling, 2023). The genre began in the West, where the innovations brought by the Industrial Revolution first led writers and intellectuals to imagine the future impact of technology.

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Literature for English

Former Memory: Fixing the present, saving our water

Drought, bleak, and dried trees, these were the normal things to see in Guayaquil in the year 2063. Every time someone tried to come up with questions or complaints, the government turned them down. As a result, people stopped caring about the water crisis that was my case as well, my name is Leonardo González, and in my 58 years of age I didn’t really care about conserving water.

However, that all changed when one day, when I was going to water some of the plants in my patio, the hose simply didn’t work. But it wasn’t just that my hose broke down, my faucet and everything related to water stopped working in my house. With this in mind, when after a week water still didn’t seem to appear anywhere, I knew something didn’t add up.

Therefore, it wasn’t long until people took notice. Factories, Restaurants, communities, even my favorite cafe could no longer work without water. Chaos sure ensued, and no longer after my best friend, a famous scientist called Carlos Lopez contacted me.

“Leo, I need your help! don’t ask questions just come to my house” Carlos texted

“What happened? Is it related to the water crisis? I asked

“Yes, I have no time to explain. Just come” He responded seriously

Following this, Carlos explained to me his solution to the problem that we were facing, a time machine. However, he had to be the one looking after the machine, so he needed me to be the one going back to the past to try to fix the problem.

Unquestionably, I accepted, and I went back to the past. I figured out that people wouldn’t just believe me with my words, but I had to show them proof of the consequences of not caring about water. For that reason, I brought a lot of photos of how Guayaquil looked now with the current water crisis.

Now in the past, I used the photos to make conscience of the aftermath of not caring about preserving water. I didn’t give up on the people that didn’t believe me, so to deal with them I showed proof that the images were not altered in any way and also pieces of news reports from the future. Consequently, people began to take my warning seriously, and the government began to take several actions in order to preserve water.

Finally, when I returned to my present, Guayaquil was as beautiful as when it was in 2023, because people treated water with the respect it deserves as our vital liquid. By taking action before letting the consequences happen, we saved our planet.

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References

(Collins Dictionary, n.d.) Collins Dictionary. (n.d.). Definition of Tales. Collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved October 17, 2023, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/tale#:~:text=A%20tale%20is%20a%20story,stories%2C%20poems%20and%20folk%20tales.

(Sterling, 2023) Sterling, B. (2023). science fiction. In Encyclopedia Britannica.

(Literary Terms, 2018)

Literary Terms. (2018, November 3). Story. https://literaryterms.net/story

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To make this image, I used the Ai Art Generator called Hotpot.ai, with the prompt of "Black male scientist with time machine".

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healthdedicate · 2 years

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The Benefits of Using Skin Whitening Cream

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How Skin Whitening Creams Can Help

One explanation individuals buy a skin whitening cream is to reestablish a more energetic coloring, as a way to upgrading individual magnificence. Because of social thoughts of youth and excellence, the vast majority of us want to make ourselves more young for all intents and purposes and utilizing a skin whitening cream can help. how to whiten skin overnight home remedies

Another explanation, in any case, is to assist with skinning sicknesses. Going from age spots, to other skin staining because of hyperpigmentation, eventually basically everybody creates some sickness. Furthermore, the primary spot individuals go to is a skin whitening cream to help them and reestablish even skin hue.

Skin inflammation scarring Lopsided pigmentation Age or liver spots Dark circles under the eyes Melasma, which is dim or brown staining of the skin Staining of the skin on the elbows, knuckles, or underarms Skin pigmentations Easing up a generally dull composition as a restorative decision Secondary effects and How to Avoid Them

Despite the fact that there are advantages to involving whitening creams there are risks too. The most ideal way to stay away from the conceivable secondary effects and wellbeing gambles with that can come about because of utilizing an item, you ought to constantly search for 100 percent generally regular items. These will attempt to help your skin, mend your skin, and not harm your skin.

Aftereffects can be possibly perilous, for example, malignant growth or kidney harm. The synthetically based whitening creams, after delayed use, can make aftereffects that far offset any conceivable valuable impacts for your skin. What's more, at the most exceedingly terrible finish of the range are the items that contain mercury, steroids, or hydroquinone. As may be obvious, staying away from these synthetic compounds in any item you are thinking about ought to be your need to safeguard your wellbeing.

Skin Whitening Cream - How Long Will It Take?

The main drawback to utilizing 100 percent regular home grown whitening items is the requirement for persistence. Compound items guarantee recognizable outcomes quicker, despite the fact that you ought to be extremely cautious about freakish short-term results or comparable cases. Then again, normal items take more time. Since they work with your skin type, they might take from a few months to get results. You might come by quicker results relying upon your skin type.

End

Going the regular course is eventually better for you. Utilizing more hazardous items however come by quicker results might be really fulfilling in the mirror yet the chance of a future serious medical issue brought about by utilizing a synthetic skin whitening item wouldn't merit the gamble.

Creator Ken Turner has been reading up and doing explore for more than 20 years on normal home grown cures and nourishment, including regular skin whitening creams. He claimed a home grown wellbeing and nutrient store and has assisted a large number of individuals with taking care of their medical issues in an exceptionally protected and normal manner. Write for us on health care tips

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harrywritingsbyme · 3 years

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A/N: I literally started writing like 5 fics trying to find something that sticks😭but im backkkk…and im back with you guys’ favorite coupleeeee🤪this is the 5th installment of Sneaking Around and i hope y’all like it…enjoy🙃

To sum it all up, your sex drive and need for Harry was on fire and a little out of control. You managed to be completely satisfied and unsatisfied all at the same time. While you felt so good after each and every round, you craved something more. You were needing round after round after round of pleasure from Harry. Whether it be from his cock, hands, or mouth, you could honestly care less if it meant that you’d be filled to the brim with the highly addictive pleasure Harry gave you. Your hormones only made it even more impossible to not want and crave more pleasure. They only intensified the already strong need had him and made the pleasure that much more seismic and addictive. Even though by the end of one round alone Harry had you completely shaking and numb, your mind and body still managed to cry out for more.

Now Harry thought this constant need of yours was incredibly hot and he absolutely loved having you wrapped around his finger and desperate for any physical touch from him. It was mind blowing to him that after a round of him consistently pounding into you over and over again, you’d still be sipping wet and waiting for more. But while all of that was the case, Harry also recognized that you in fact had him wrapped around your finger as well. While he loved making you beg and do anything he said in order for the mess between your legs to be taken care of, he knew that you also loved knowing that he wouldn’t not take care of you. If you hadn’t done anything warranting a punishment from him, Harry wasn’t going to let you suffer. But the problem with that though, is the fact that Harry was having a bit of a hard time keeping up with you.

See, whenever you two went at it, Harry strived to give you everything he had. He wanted every single time he pushed or licked into you to be the most pleasurable experience you’d ever felt until the next time. Well, more like the next round. Harry took your pleasure seriously, he felt like you deserved 110% all of the time and if it meant blowing his back out in the process of blowing yours out so that the experience could be beyond amazing, then so be it. However, the problem manifests itself after Harry gives the first 110%. Since there was quite an age gap between the two of you, while you were parting your legs or hopping on top of him for more, Harry was asking for at least 15 minuets to recover. Now he did have his moments where it seemed like he was unstoppable, but he also had moments where he needed a bit of an extended break in between.

But even though this was the case and you absolutely loved him for wanting to put your pleasure at the forefront, you were more than happy to take charge and pleasure the both of you, the same way Harry did because the same way he made sure you were taken care of, you wanted to do the same for him. And while Harry too appreciated that, he couldn’t help but make little jokes about how he was becoming your personal sex toy instead of the other way around. To which you would then remind him of the time when he took you in just about every way possible until he was done with you (which was amazing by the way). You were also more than willing to take control because you found that whenever you took over and pushed you both to your respective releases, Harry would cum a bit harder than he would if the roles were reversed.

Now at this point in you and Harry’s rendezvous, you were two for two with your releases. In the earlier part of your time together, the two of you were lying together in bed, with you on top and going in the opposite direction of Harry, giving you both the opportunity to completely mouth at each other. Harry had a firm hold on your hips to keep you right on his mouth as he sucked, licked, poked, and prodded at your center. As he did this, you were tugging at and sucking his cock, making sure to not forget about his warm and heavy balls in the process. You and Harry melted into each other as you both received and gave one another pleasure. The way Harry’s mouth engulfed and perfectly moved back and forth against you was indescribable. He knew exactly where to lick and suck and focus his movements, and knowing exactly how much pressure to apply. Harry made you feel so good that it was hard to even keep him in your mouth with the way you were constantly moaning. It just felt so good. It didn’t help that you could hear him going on and on about how good you tasted and even moaning against your pussy. But you weren’t the only enjoying the immense pleasure. Harry too was completely engulfed in the way your mouth and hands sent shockwaves and a feeling of euphoria through his body. He could feel every movement of your tongue and every contraction of your throat around him. Now if there was one thing that would always be his favorite when it came to your mouth on his cock, it’d be how sloppy you were with it. You’d slobber all over his shaft and balls, then take him as far down your throat as possible before gagging around his shaft and getting him even wetter. the same way Harry went on and on about your cunt, you did the same with his cock, going on about how big he was and how much you loved having him fill your mouth. Your moans as well sent shockwaves through his body, only pushing him closer and closer to the edge. And eventually, the two of you were catapulted off together, Harry released spurt after of his thick cum into your mouth as you squirted right against his mouth.

This was just you guys’ first pair of releases.

The second pair came around no more than 5 minuets ago. After using your mouths, the both of you were ready for more. It was not long before Harry was sinking his still rock hard cock into your soaked cunt. The both of you nearly came on the spot it felt so good. Once he’d fully sank into you, Harry wasted no time picking up the speed of his hips and pounding himself down into you. It felt so good that you couldn’t stop yourself from letting out strings of loud moans and cries. Your mind was completely jumbled as you took every last stroke from him. Your moans and his grunts, along with the sound of his cock drilling into your sopping wet cunt along with the sounds of your skin slapping against each others filled the room. As you two continued on, you’d flipped in between different positions. From Harry pinning you down from behind to having your legs practically pinned to your chest as Harry slammed into you over and over again. The two of you only made it through about three or so positions before coming around to you riding Harry and carrying you both through to your second releases.

While Harry was thinking the last round was the final one, you had other ideas.

“Can we go again daddy?” You ask sweetly, proceeding to bite your lip.

“I don’t think I can keep up with you.” He pants, not feeling any spurts of energy to get him through another round.

“You don’t have to lift a finger daddy, just let me do it!” You excitedly instruct him before leaning down to press a quick peck to his lips.

You then proceed to begin moving yourself up and down on his cock, forming a little rhythm with your movements. You quickly bounced yourself up and down in his lap, taking his cock all the way up into you as deep as possible over and over again. As you continued on, your moans were just as loud as before, and you continued to slur your speech as you went on and on about how full you were and how good you felt. Harry too let out strings of deep moans and grunts below you, enjoying the way you moved your warm and sticky cunt around him. When you started feeling a dull tingling sensation in your feet and legs, you knew that your lower half was almost numb. To push you and Harry to your third and final pair of releases, you started grinding down into his lap. You’d push your front down into his so that you could dig your tingling button into the coarse hairs surrounding his cock. The feeling was absolutely incredible and pushed you closer and closer to your final climax. To push Harry along with you, you start off by reaching back and tugging at his warm balls. When you do this, Harry lets out a loud and desperate moan below you. He was already beyond his normal sensitivity so a couple squeezes from you felt incredible and furthermore pushed him closer to the edge.

What did the trick for the two of you though was when you grabbed both of Harry’s hands and brought them up to your body. You brought one down to your clit, and the other up to your chest to squeeze at one of your bouncing breasts.

“Touch me daddy!” You cry out to him, feeling your release speeding towards you. “M’so close!” You whine, swiftly grinding against his cock and down into his hand.

“Me too doll!” Harry grunts, bucking up into you ever so slightly.

And in no time, you were squirting uncontrollably against him. Harry began to let go not too long after when he began to feel the warm liquid begin to run down his balls. He watched and listened to you whimper and thrash in his lap from the overstimulation as he completely emptied himself into you, giving everything he had left to give. Once you’ve rode the waves of your release, you collapse onto Harry’s chest, too tired to even hold yourself up anymore.

“Did you finally wear yourself out sweets?” Harry breathes, bringing his arms around your body and pressing a soft kiss to your neck.

“Mhm, felt so good.” You whisper dreamily, reminiscing on the immense pleasure that came from the last three rounds.

“I bet it did baby.” Harry hums, dragging his hand up and down your back, feeling you slightly clench up around him. “I remember when I was your age and my hormones were crazy too.” Harry chuckles.

“Yeah, and now you’re an old man. But it’s okay because you’re my old man.” You sigh, pressing a small kiss into his skin.

“M’not old!” Harry softly whines before lightly pinching your side. “You’re gonna get it in the morning.” Harry warns playfully.

“We’ll see, I don’t think you’ll be able to keep up.”

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