Tumgik
#siblings not bonded by blood
cthoniccompanion · 8 days
Text
there are two wolves inside of me. one wants to hc ichor as being golden because i want the chthonic gods to be able to blush gold. the other part of me wants to give eris blood that's black as ink for the flair
86 notes · View notes
wonderlandcrown · 7 months
Text
"Real Boy" and Vil.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
This means a lot coming frm Vil, reason 1 is that I literally admire Vil a lot(like how you would admire a real life person), reason 2 is the fact that Vil is a only child.
Most only child's often make assumptions abt siblings that they are 'always together' or 'similar interests' etc.
Vil probably had to take the role of a 'spoiled only child' at some point in his acting career :( And he puts a shit lot of effort into stuff he does, so he probably did some research on how actual siblings interact w/ each other.
Anyways onto the actual topic I'm supposed to be talking abt (everytime i see vil i act like a victorian gentleman seeing ankles for the 1st time and the problem is vil isn't even wearing anything revealing lol)
Vil saying 'Ortho has his own life' is actually really damn important. 1st of all, it's bc in book 6 the robot Ortho & real Ortho's souls merge together, making BOTH Ortho's 'real' in some way or another.
2nd of all, he says this in the Pinocchio inspired event ToT, with the end of the story being Pinocchio becoming a real boy, and in GloMas Idia also gets some sort of development ToTT, I'm interested to see what kind of things will Ortho go through.
185 notes · View notes
secretnameu9 · 3 months
Text
Illusion
“Hi, Tails! It’s just me Amy again! If you get this could give me a call back!”
“Tails, hi It’s me Amy again…uhm could you give me a call back when you can? I’m starting to get a bit worried. Thanks!”
“I haven’t heard from either of them in quite a while, I’m worried. Have you heard from either one?”
“No I have not.”
“Sometimes…Sonic can be a bit harder to get a hold of, but Tails? I…I…”
=========
“Smile!”
Click
A photo revealing two individuals standing close to each-other, trying their best to pose appears on an electronic screen. Miles “Tails” Prower and Sonic the Hedgehog were the ones who inhabited that photo. The background easily revealing that this photo was taken in Tails’ workshop.
After being sure the device had captured the photo the two broke away from each-other giving each a bit of distance between the other.
Tails stared at the screen for a moment, his face neutral and observant before that said face started to rapidly turn into a very pleased smile. Seemingly very happy with his handywork.
“Sooo? How’d it turn out?” Sonic questions, allowing his face to break out into a grin upon seeing his little bro’s face break out into a smile.
“Awesome! I just upgraded the Miles Electric’s camera the other day and this…is great!” Tails starts, his iconic two tails wagging behind him as he observes the photograph his device just captured. “I’m going get this one printed out and framed later. I like how it turned out” the fox continues seemingly very pleased with the outcome of it all. Tails turns the screen off for the device before laying it off to the side in order to focus on Sonic for the time being.
Sonic had been out and about, adventuring for the past several days, so the two haven’t seen each other in a decent amount of time. So when Sonic so happened to show up and not too long after Tails upgraded several aspects of the Miles Electric, he figured why not get a photo? It’s been a long time since he got a picture of himself and Sonic anyways.
“Well, I’m glad you like it so much, little buddy” Sonic starts shooting the kit a little thumbs up in approval. Just simply glad that his little bro is glad. “So now, that we went through the photoshoot and all, we still doing chilidogs? I’m starvvving” Sonic whines, as if he had not ate all day.
A chuckle emanates from Tails as he can’t help but roll his eyes a bit from Sonic’s slightly overdramatic show of how hungry he was. The fox kit knowing full well Sonic ate earlier that day in particular. So he wasn’t THAT hungry. Yet, it was around lunch-time and honestly chili-dogs didn’t so too bad at all. Actually chilidogs sounded great, they’re always better when Sonic’s around.
“Yep, we’re having ourselves some chilidogs! I specifically stocked up…had a feeling you’d be coming by soon.” Tails comments as he begins to walk through the house, making his way to the kitchen.
Upon reaching the said kitchen Tails goes ahead begins to get everything ready, pot, pan, cooking oil, turn on the stove, can of chili, and a package of Sonic Approved franks. A process the young fox is at this point in his incredibly short life very used to. The sheer number of repeats of this procedure likely being in the hundreds.
“So, whatcha been up to while I’ve been going around?” Sonic asks. Already knowing the answer of the general question. He knows full well Tails had been tinkering about in his workshop. Working on one of his 2bajillion projects he has going on at any given moment. But the hedgehog hoped to maybe here about some of the things the Fox had been working on.
“Lately I’ve been tinkering around with the Miles Electric and the Tornado recently. I upgraded the specs of the Miles Electric, so now it has significantly more memory space and processing power. I also enhanced the camera. I got the tornado’s booster enhanced as well! According to my calculations it should give at least a 20% speed boost!” tails comments. Seemingly very happy to talk about his projects with his best friend. Tails didn’t always get to talk about all the things he works on, so when he gets the chance it’s always a pleasure to speak about them.
“I almost forgot how compact everything in the Miles electric was! It was a fun little challenge to get everything to fit just right” Tails adds. The small fox comments on a couple of other things he worked on as well, like optimizing the houses refrigerator, it now only needing 75% of the power it originally needed to run. Briefly mentioning how he managed to hack into Eggman’s network, but not getting super into the details of what he was snooping around there for. Just lots of things the fox found fun to do.
“Well- sounds like you’ve been busy! I’m happy to hear my little buddy is able to keep doing the things he enjoys” Sonic chirps in. Very content and happy his little bro is able to keep doing his passion. “You’ve been getting the proper amount of sleep though, right?” Sonic questions. Hoping that his little bro might have had a change of heart and started to prioritize his sleep a bit more. That kid…he got so into his projects sometimes he’d just forget to sleep entirely.
Sonic didn’t get all that much of a response out of the kit. Tails simply humming to himself seemingly ignoring the question. Sonic knew full well Tails heard him. He was just dodging the question.
“Tails…” Sonic shakes his head at the youngers response or lack their of. When they were younger, Sonic would always try and help get Tails to sleep. He was rather successful in that endeavor, but as Tails grew older and started to pick up new things and the two of them branched out to do their own things, Tails sleeping issues have grown worse over the years. That’ll have to be a topic he talks to his best friend about at a later time.
Not too long after the cooking was completed, Tails bringing a plate of chilidogs to the dinner table. One plate for himself to boot. At this point Tails had figured out on average how many chilidogs each of the brother’s ate. His success rate at getting the perfect amount for each at this point was around 95%, but he always made one extra for himself…just in-case. It was usually too much for himself, but if Sonic wanted an extra he could have it and if he couldn’t eat it, Sonic would happily take it. It all worked out in the end.
The two indulged in the delicious meal. They both are quiet while they ate, focusing more on eating than talking. They didn’t want their food to go cold after all! Plus, honestly they were both a bit hungrier than they both actually thought they were. It was nice to have company to eat with, however. Always made for a good mood.
The seconds on the clock kept moving forward until the two finished their meal together, Sonic picking up and doing the dishes, lighting quick of course! Figuring it was the least he could do since Tails was kind enough to cook him up something warm to eat.
The two took some time to hang out, they played some video games together, watched one of the their movies, and just in general took the time to enjoy each others presence. Being sure to make the most of the time they spent together. At the end of the day, both Sonic and Tails truly cared for each other. So it was quite obvious that the two just liked to do things together.
In due time the ever present star that gave light and life to Mobius began to make it’s descent to the other side of the world. Things were starting to die down. The two had their dinner and more than likely were going to call it a night, but something had been on Tails’ mind for a while. It was not something he couldn’t just simply let fly, it was important.
Tails made his way downstairs, from his workshop a bit relieved seeing that Sonic was still awake, sprawled out on the couch. Seeming to be reading a book of some form. The hedgehog’s ear flicking upon hearing the fox making his way down the stairs. Sonic’s attention mainly remained on the book, until he was certain Tails’ was wanting his attention specifically. Which that became evident rather quickly when the fox came over to the couch, Sonic quick to pick a spot in his book that he could remember to pick up on later on down the line.
“What’s up, little bro?” Sonic questions. Now giving his full attention to the little fox that now stood in-front of him. The small foxes luxurious tails swaying behind him from side to side as he awaited to get his older brother’s attention.
“Can I talk to you about something?” Tails asks. His face remaining rather neutral his voice a bit unsure, he didn’t want to bother Sonic, but this was something that needed to be talked about. “I’ll make it quick, so you can get back to reading.” He adds quickly.  
Sonic removes his legs from the couch, patting right next to himself. A signal to his best friend that he’s more than welcome to take a seat. “Sure thing. What’s on that cunning fox brain of yours?”
Tails takes a seat right next to Sonic, looking forward staring at the television straight ahead not making eye contact with Sonic just yet, trying to figure out the best way to go about communicating this. It wasn’t that it was hard, but it was Tails trying to make sure Sonic takes this 100% seriously.
“Do you remember earlier, when I said I hacked into Eggman’s network?” Tails references back to a small passing statement he made earlier when both Sonic and himself were catching up. At the time Tails didn’t bring it up as it just wasn’t the right moment, but now, now was the right time.
“I think I do remember you mentioning it earlier. Why? What’s up?” Sonic questions, cocking an eye brow. Wondering what Tails managed to dig up.
“Uhm…well…” Tails starts, trying to figure out the best way to talk about this, before sighing and figuring it was time to just drop it and let spill it. “Looks like Eggman has the Phantom Ruby again. Somehow.”
There was a light pause between the two, before Tails continued “I checked the dates of the documentation, to make sure I wasn’t getting into old details. All of it is new, he’s doing testing in a new base…I think it’s something we’re going to have to look into. Quickly.”
“Quickly? Do you know who you’re talking to? We’ll have that whole situation sorted out before Eggman even knows what hit him!” Sonic says, his voice oozing with confidence. No matter what scheme Eggface comes up with, Sonic always stops him. This time it won’t be any different.
A smile was quick to break on Tails’ face. At the end of the day, he knew things were going to be fine. He knows he and Sonic take care of Eggman on a regular basis, this isn’t going to be any different. But the phantom ruby…”Yeah…you’re right. I just-you know how much trouble it caused last time around, it’s dangerous you know that. We need to be careful.” Tails mentions as he turns to Sonic, crossing his legs so he can fully sit on the couch.
“It’s okay, we got this. How about this, we go tomorrow, we’ll go to Eggman’s base wreck his little scheme before it gets going, and we’ll be back by evening and we’ll have ourselves a second serving of chilidogs? Deal?” Sonic says. Not seeming too worried all things considered. This won’t be the first time he’s had a tough battle with egghead after all.
“I’m serious Sonic, we got to be careful. We don’t-“ Tails cuts himself off as a absolutely massive, yet incredibly adorable yawn escapes. His lack of sleep finally seeming to catch-up to his body.
“Somebodies tired, now aren’t they?” Sonic grins. “Looks like somebody has to finally get to bed at a reasonable hour.” Sonic looks at his wrist at his fake watch that he’s not wearing. “Go ahead, get yourself some rest kiddo, wanna make sure that brain is well rested for the butt kicking we’re gonna give eggface tomorrow.”
“Yeah, yeah. All right. Fine.” Tails gets up, wiping away a tear, his very aggressive yawn causing his eyes to water a bit. “I already have the coordinates to the base. So we’ll get that figured out tomorrow. Goodnight, Sonic.” Tails leaves off as he begins to make his way to his bed room. Another yawn escaping  on his way back. “Goodnight, Tails!” Sonic wishes to his little brother. Now having the whole room himself.
“The phantom ruby…?” Sonic murmurs to himself. “But how?”
=========
This was a bad idea, this was a really bad idea. Tails internally thinks to himself, trying to get through corridor after corridor. He knew they needed prep time, he knew they should have called for back-up. This was just all bad. Nearly every worst case scenario has arrived.
As promised both Tails and Sonic did make their way to Eggman’s new base. Tails had brought some extra fire power, bringing his newly upgraded arm blaster. In the back of his mind he hoped that maybe this wouldn’t be so hard, since they were striking so early, but hope…is not a very scientific word. Hope doesn’t account for things going wrong and hope doesn’t rewrite history.
The operation itself didn’t go too bad at first. If anything, by all accounts it seemed this would just be a quick, enter base, wreck the plans, go home, and not have to worry about it after a while. But, this was the Phantom Ruby being talked about here.
Practically upon a false sense of security setting in, Sonic and Tails were both separated. It began to become more difficult to determine what was real and what was fake. So it wasn’t much surprise that, that were to have happened. Luckily Tails accounted for this and had himself and Sonic bring their communication devices. Unluckily there seemed to be a rather large amount of interference when attempting to communicate. So long distance communication was not much of an option.
“We’ll have to wait to regroup.” Tails murmurs to himself as he keeps going forward. He knew the layout of this base, it wasn’t very convoluted compared to some of Eggman’s previous designs, but something was off. He couldn’t figure out where point a was or point b. Which was strange because he did specifically take the time to remember the layout.
Tails made sure to put his arm blaster to good use. There was badniks loitered through the building as he went on. They didn’t really stand much of a chance against the upgraded weapon, he thanked his past self for doing those upgrades. There numbers weren’t impressive at first, but over time they seemed to begin growing. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was getting closer to important details of the base or…was this all in his mind?
Then suddenly there were only occasional amounts of the robots. Just one. Or maybe two at most. Just scattered about. Strange. None of this was making any logical sense. The young fox turned around to see the path behind him. It seemed like the way he just came, nothing out of the ordinary.
Forward. Keep going forward and don’t look back. You’ll run into Sonic that way, right?
So Tails kept going forward, he took care of whatever robots that remained in his path.
Tails was getting into a rhythm, see robot shoot. See robot shoot. See robot shoot. See robo-
Wait…wait why did that robot just scream out in pain? Why is that robot screaming out in agony? Why does that voice sound so familiar…oh no…
“No…no, no” Tails closed his eyes and shook his head violently. Trying to make these illusions stop for just a moment. He should have known better he was just seeing things this whole time. But when he opened his eyes, his heart dropped. The fox dropped his weapon to the floor as he stepped forward.
“Sonic…SONIC!” Tails ran forward kneeling down before his brother, the hedgehog clutching the wound know inhabiting his chest. “Sonic, oh my- chaos…I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry-“ Tails was panicking. He just shot his own brother, he just blasted his own family.
“Gotta say…you’re a killer shot, little bro, heh…” Sonic manages. His body doing it’s best to focus mostly on surviving and less on talking.
“Sonic, I’m gonna get you out of here, please just hold on, let me…I just need to find a way to…I just-“ Tails looks around trying to find anything to help in this situation. Something to temporarily, yet useless dress the wound. Something to use as a support to help carry his injured best friend out of this cursed base. Anything. But in his state of panic, he didn’t notice that Sonic had reached out to him. He did notice when a hand gently cuffed around the side of his head.
Tails turned to look at Sonic. And Sonic looked at Tails, staring into his sky blue eyes…eyes that were now stained with tears, worry, and panic.
Sonic took his hand and moved it to where Tails ear was and cupped his hand, rubbing behind the kit’s ears. Tails wasn’t sure if Sonic was just so out of it right now that he didn’t know what he was doing or if the hedgehog was just trying to show his affection at such a dangerous moment. No…Sonic didn’t think he was dying, right? Sonic’s not going to die…he can’t die.
“Come-on Sonic, help-help me apply pressure to your wound, please…I just need to buy sometime so I can figure-figure…figure-“ Tails hiccups trying his best to finish his statement.
“Tails buddy…” Sonic reaches and gingerly holds one of Tails’ arms with one of his free hands. Using his other to help Tails apply pressure to the wound. Despite how futile it seemed. Both of their hands covered in red. “Tails look at me.”
Tails looks at Sonic, directly into his eyes. Staring into those ever green emerald eyes, that he always looked up to. Those eyes that always brought hope and light to any situation they were in. Those some eyes that the universe seemed so headstrong to take away from him.
“Tails…”
“Tails, I love you, little bro. More than you’d ever know…” Sonic coughs a bit, his voice growing weaker, his body feeling lighter by the minute.
“Can you promise me something?” Sonic asks. Tails quickly nods. “Anything, Sonic. What is it?”
“Promise to take care of yourself…live your best life, be free. I know it’s going to be hard for you bud, but-“ cough “but, do it for me will you?”
Tails swallows a lump that had been in his throat since the moment this went down. He only now noticed how little he himself was breathing. The fox shook his head a bit “Don’t, don’t be saying stuff like that. You’re going to be here. This…” Tails inhales deeply “But I promise, just please…hang in there just a little longer.”
“Thanks, little bro. I knew…I could…count on you. I lov u” Sonic smiles. His breaths growing shorter and shorter. Time was running out. Quickly.
“I love you, too Sonic.” Tails says quickly. The small fox looking around again to see anything that would help them out, but there was nothing. Just empty corridor. Why…just why.
When Tails turned around, he could feel whatever spirit was left in his soul vanish. Sonic’s eyes were open still, yet they were so empty. Like there was nothing there.
“Sonic?” Tails questions panic in his voice. “Sonic?!” Tails releases his hands from the wound they were covering. The small fox shaking his big brother, lightly at first praying it would get some form of response. He quickly moved his hands to the hedgehogs wrist. Pulse? No…was he…breathing? Tails looked to see just any form of movement. Was Sonic breathing? No…he was not.
The fox moved his hands back to Sonic’s shoulders “SONIC?! PLEASE! WAKE UP!” he shook Sonic violently. Maybe just maybe it would be enough to get Sonic’s body to cooperate…yet nothing.
The young fox lies down next Sonic, cuddling up next to his best friend, his brother, his…family. Lies next to him and sobs. This was all his own fault. He should have done a better job at emphasizing how dangerous this place was, he should have had a better plan, he should have called for back-up, he should have…Tails looked at his discard arm blaster. He then slowly and scarily looked at his own red foiled gloves.
“It was me…” Tails chokes. “I killed Sonic.”
He laid there in silence, snuggling close to his brother. The tears never stopped, not until everything went dark. =================
@nixoon-again @tornado1992 @myyla-x @tornado1992 @000marie198 Am I cool yet? I did the thing. II want y'all to know y'all single handedly got me back into writing. With your stories. Hope you know that. This is inspired by y'alls work <3
59 notes · View notes
blue-rose-soul · 3 months
Note
For Bastard child au. Assuming that Lucifer finds out before the finale how would he respond to knowing Alastor got hurt fighting Adam? How would Charlie?
I've been waiting for an excuse to talk about this! Well, not this exactly, just...
Okay, so the general consensus is that Lucifer couldn't step in sooner with the extermination because he had an agreement with Heaven, and that Adam broke that agreement by targeting Charlie, a hellborn. Alastor may be Lucifer's son, but he was born on Earth to a human mother. He has a human soul and came to Hell as a sinner. An extremely powerful sinner, but a sinner nonetheless.
In other words, he's not protected under the same agreement.
But! But but but, I figure Lucifer must have been keeping an eye on the battle from somewhere, so he could know when to step in. So he saw Adam and Alastor fight, saw Alastor nearly die, and saw him barely escape with his life. In the end, Niffty doesn't need to step in to finish Adam.
"You come at me, and my family!?"
Lucifer does it himself.
They know Alastor isn't dead thanks to Husk (and possibly Niffty) but are still concerned when they can't find him in the ruins of the old hotel. Lucifer does make an attempt to look for Alastor, but he doesn't know Alastor well enough to know where to look. But his daughter is still here and still needs him, so Lucifer puts the search aside and helps Charlie rebuild her hotel.
And in the end, Alastor returns. Alastor would shove Lucifer off when he joins in the group hug, but he doesn't want to aggravate the wound he's pretending not to have*.
I think that, whether or not she knew Alastor was her brother, Charlie would show the same amount of concern for him. Wanting to know what happened after Adam broke through his shield, why he disappeared from the battle. Just, wanting to know if he's okay. Alastor just brushes off her questions and keeps her at a distance. The biggest change is really between Lucifer and Alastor, and later between Lucifer and Charlie.
The guilt is crushing Lucifer. He knows how badly hurt Alastor was, and knows that instead of coming back to the people who would help him, he hid away somewhere to heal alone. Lucifer tries to be subtle about it, but he's constantly checking in on Alastor, asking if there's anything he needs, or anything Lucifer can do for him. He's not subtle at all.
And Alastor is not at all amused. He doesn't care that Lucifer was late to the battle! He didn't ask for or want Lucifer's help! It was his own fault for getting sloppy and letting Adam get a hit in (not to mention a disadvantageous deal but he's not saying that bit), and he doesn't need Lucifer coddling him. Unfortunately, with his cane broken and his body healing slowly, Alastor is uniquely vulnerable for the first time in a long time. But Lucifer's awkward hovering and Charlie's concern is only serving to make Alastor all the more agitated. So he sticks the needle where it hurts; Lucifer's guilt.
He accuses Lucifer of waiting until after Adam had mortally wounded Alastor specifically so his 'mistake' would be erased. Of wanting him deader than dead.
Then he coldly tells Lucifer that if he can't be bothered to show up when it matters, he shouldn't show up at all.
Later, he assures Charlie he doesn't hold any negative feelings towards her even though Lucifer came running to her rescue while he was willing to let Adam nearly eviscerate Alastor. After all, it stands to reason that Lucifer would choose his real child over a bastard. The King of Hell has made it perfectly clear he doesn't need a 'busboy.' Charlie tries to speak in Lucifer's defense, but, Alastor is pleased to note, her heart isn't in it.
Afterwards, he listens from the shadows and grins as he hears Charlie asking Lucifer why he saved her but not Alastor. Lucifer telling her the terms of the agreement he made with Heaven doesn't satisfy her. Alastor's her brother, they're both Lucifer's children! Lucifer should have stepped in, agreement be damned! The recently repaired cracks in their relationship begin to widen once again and Alastor is pleased.
(*I'm going to cackle if season 2 drops and it turns out we were all wrong and Alastor's completely fine.)
45 notes · View notes
mmelolabelle · 1 month
Text
laws of sibling dynamics dictate that in some slightly healthier universes that Rhaenyra and Aegon may not like each other, they would definitely default to being on the same side in family conflicts because they’re the Oldest and the shared experience “lol remember that time dad actually tried to parent us then gave up? wild” of it all
39 notes · View notes
skipppppy · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Look at what you did.
215 notes · View notes
spacedace · 1 year
Text
Here, have a snippet of the Jason & Steph sibling bonding portion of the DP x DC AU I wrote 10k words for since last night in a haze of post sickness/burnout creative burst, featuring some Anger Management because of course it does lol
(I call it a snippet but it’s like...3k words lol)
Trigger Warnings because most of this snippet focuses on them running around Crime Alley and shit that goes down in it: references to drugs, overdoses, domestic abuse, child endangerment (if I miss anything let me know and I’ll add it). Nothing expliciet or details but they are things mentioned as happening because, well, Crime Alley.
-
Spoiler shifts subtly from foot to foot on the rooftop, hands open and ready at her side as she split her attention from watching him and checking the street below for signs of trouble. Her gaze was sharp on the girls working the corner, tracking for any hint that the man talking them up was making any of them uncomfortable even as she made sure Jason didn’t suddenly dart across the ten feet between them to strike out at her.
“George Conrad.” He said, satisfied that his sudden breaking of the silence didn’t make her jump though did catch her attention fully, fingers twitching warningly towards her belt. He nodded his head down to the street and the large man rummaging through the bag he brought with him. More of the girls had huddled up around him. “Not a john. Not even from Gotham.” He explained, shifting to walk over to the edge of the roof, giving her his back as he did. “His son Kyle ran away from home while George was oversees and ended up working the streets. George tracked him down once he was back in the states a few years ago but by the time he made it here Kyle had been killed.”
She moved to join him at the ledge, still leaving space between them but not enough for his guns to be as effective. Smart, vigilant, but still with a soft enough heart to stop and listen to one of the many tragedies that played out in Gotham’s darkest streets.
“What happened?” She asked, eyes softening on the big man in question as he started handing out ziploc bags. Jason knew very well what they held, and wondered if Spoiler could make out the finer details from the distance they were at. Sandwiches, granola bars, water bottles, condoms, clean needles, wet-wipes, little travel sewing kits, over the counter pain meds. Anything and everything George had ever been told would be appreciated or useful by the sex workers he spoke to.
“Overdose.” Jason answered, grateful that the distorter built into his helmet disguised the tightness of his voice. Memories of a cold body on the floor, stiff and waxy with distant glassy eyes. “Got mixed up with the wrong person. Boyfriend. Not a big player but,” He shrugged and knew that Spoiler would understand. It was how a lot of people got mixed up in sex work when they wouldn’t have normally. Boyfriend that promised the world, the painful fall into being pressured to sleep with said boyfriend’s friend, then another, then another. “One of Daisy’s boys was a neighbor and figured out what was going on, Daisy helped get him out but it was too late by then.”
Below one of the girls, younger than the rest - an adult, because he wouldn’t allow anything else in his territory, but still new to the scene - surged forward to wrap her arms around the old man. George gave her a gentle pat on the back, pushing her back gentle to dig out a card from his pocket. A list of numbers for her to call, shelters and organizations that could help, his own number in case she ever needed anything. “They chipped in for a funeral for him. Gave George somewhere to go and mourn. He’s been here ever since, trying to look after them all. He works as a bouncer at Daisy’s these days but he always does the rounds when he isn’t working.”
“People never get this part.” Spoiler mused, voice going soft and distant. “They always think the Alley is just…” She waved a gloved hand, “Trash and monsters. They can’t seem to get that there’s more. Just…people. Some really good ones even.”
He smiled behind his mask. There was a reason she was the one of the whole Bat Clan he’d decided to trust with this.
“Come on.” He said, waving her after him as he began an easy run that’d let them both move easily from rooftop to rooftop. Spoiler hesitated a moment, but at length followed, quick and quiet as she darted from shadow to shadow in his wake.
They spent the following couple of hours meandering around Crime Alley at an easy clip. Squat roofs and rusted fire escapes, narrow streets and dark corners. Pausing to jump in and handle anything that popped up or at particular spots of interest where he’d point out places and people. The chop shop run by the ragged gang of teens and children some of the gangs had been angling towards that needed looking after. The homeless encampment nestled between the grimy apartment building Daisy O’Neil had taken over to run her business out of and the tiny, almost forgotten pauper’s cemetery. The usual roosting spots for the drug dealers, the gambling dens, the little family owned cafe that had the best Tantuni at midnight and even better Turkish coffee at the crack of dawn.
It was as they perched on top of this last one, tucked back in the shadows away from view as Spoiler devoured the freshly made Lokma that Mrs. Solak insisted on making fresh for them when they stopped by that the question finally came.
“So what exactly is all this?” Spoiler asked, popping another of the sugary, honey covered Lokma in her mouth. He’d shoved the container Mrs. Solak had given to him over to her after eating only a few, knowing she was going to try to steal them anyway if he didn’t. “When you said you needed my help with something in Crime Alley, I was expecting…I don’t know, drug runners or something.” She popped another golden dough ball in her mouth, cheeks round as a chipmunk and voice muffled as she said, “Not a tour of the place.”
Jason let his head fall back on the brick of the rooftop entrance behind them, eyes scanning the glittering horizon of the Gotham skyline, trying to sort out his answer. He had talked about how he was going to do this with Jazz, practicing what he was going to say, what he wanted to reveal, what outcomes he could expect from the whole thing. When he left he’d felt confident about it all, riding high on the warmth of Jazz’s kiss and the fluttering thumps of little legs kicking against his hand. Now that he was here though he felt lost as to how to begin.
“I’m hanging up the mask.” He finally said. It wasn’t quite like the first time he’d said it out loud, in the privacy of his apartment, curled in bed with Jazz, only brave enough to whisper it in the dark. There wasn’t that rush of anxiety and relief that had hit him at finally saying what had twisted over and over in his head for weeks leading up to that moment. Now there was just the settled feeling, the certainty, the surety of being on the path he wanted to be on. “I wanted to ask if you’d look after my territory me when I do.”
Spoiler gaped at him. “Wait, seriously?”
He almost laughed, he settled on giving her a lazy smile. “Seriously.”
With her masked pulled down so she could eat her treats he could see her wide eyed, disbelief on her face easily. “Why?”
He gave a shrug, aiming for nonchalant. “This used to be your territory for awhile, right? You’re from here, you know the Alley and the people and how it all works.” He felt his smile go softer, “I trust you to be able to keep it safe.”
Spoiler’s - Steph’s - expression softened at that. “That’s…thank you.” She glanced out the same way he had before, face caught in something bittersweet. “I…I hated this place growing up. I still do, kinda. I think everyone that lives here does. But I still missed it, it’s still…still home.”
“Yeah,” He agreed, mind turning over his childhood. The constant fear and hardship. Living rough even when he did have a roof over his head. His father’s heavy hands. His mother’s slow wasting. Crime Alley was a complete shit hole, one where the worst of the worst tended to gather. But it wasn’t all monsters. There were good people too, just trying to scrape by. Old George wandering the streets handing out necessities to working girls and boys. The Solak family and their little shop, giving out the left overs to the street kids and homeless. The Nightingales, crammed into their two bedroom apartment, just trying to get by. “I knew you’d get it.”
They sat in silence for awhile. Steph chewing over his request and her Lokma, Jason lost in memories of the past and wistful dreams of the future. At length the blond next to him bumped his shoulder with hers, head tilting at a questioning angle. “I…I really appreciate what you said, about why me.” She said, awkward and touched in equal measure. “But…I was actually wondering why you were stepping back.”
He was ready for that question, he was. He’d initially just wanted to leave it at none of your fucking business but Jazz had - wise as ever - pointed out that he was asking her a favor, and a big one at that. He might not be comfortable with the rest of his family knowing everything - or anything - but Steph at least deserved an explanation as to why he was asking her to take over his territory.
“You tell anyone this, and I will kill you.” He started and then cringed internally because that had not at any point been something that had come up in his practice conversations with Jazz. Oh well, any more ooie-gooey feelings talk and Steph probably would have thought he was replaced by a pod person or something. “I’m seeing someone.”
The faintly alarmed look the blond vigilante beside him had melted away in an instant, replaced by a sly, mischievous grin. Hellion. One whiff of gossip and that’s all it took. “Ooooh, Big Bad Red Hood has a heart after all.” She crooned, ignoring her earlier reticence to get too close and leaning dramatically against his side. “Who is it huh? Anyone I know? Ooh, is it someone in the Outlaws?”
He was reminded of before he died, suddenly. Of teasing Dick over his latest crush over a beautiful red head that could kick his ass like a proper annoying little brother. In an echo of that moment so many years ago, he shoved Spoiler off in the same way Dick had done to him, rolling his eyes at her dramatic squawking as she nearly dropped her treat to disguise the small smile that wanted to curl at his lip. He swiped at the container lazily, a feint at stealing it back that resulted in a brief scuffle that ended with him popped a few of the Lokma in his mouth as she tore the container - that he had given to her in the first place - away, holding it close to her chest like a precious treasure.
“No, no one you know.” He answered at last they finally settled down. He paused for a beat, gaze turning back to the city as he added. “She’s a civilian.”
Spoiler looked considering at that, chewing at one of the last of the Lokma thoughtfully. “So what’s going on then? You do a face reveal and she asked you to quit the vigilante business?”
“No.” He said, taking a small, steadying breath. Better to just rip off the bandaid. “She’s pregnant.”
Spoiler went still beside him, laughing eyes shuttering and face falling into a neutral mask as she stared at him. After a long, long moment she gave a small, unreadable little, “Oh.”
Jason fought the urge to fidget. Oh. It could mean so many things. Oh shit. Oh no. Oh how nice. Oh boy I can’t wait to tell Bruce about this. That last one, admittedly, was unlikely. Spoiler was on good terms with most of the Bats and Birds but she and Bruce had long had something of a rocky relationship. No where near as bad as what he and the old man had, but still enough that she was probably the very last person to willingly go hunt Bruce down to share all the details of Jason’s private life unless she thought it particularly necessary.
The silence stretched on. And Jason knows what silence does to a human brain. Four seconds of quiet during a conversation after saying something registers as rejection, caused feelings of anxiety and apprehension, even caused the same signals in the brain as physical pain. Prolonged silence and steady attention at the same time caused an urge to fill the quiet, to speak and keep speaking until the other person says something. It was something Bruce taught him, guiding him along in his Robin days on how to perform interrogation and get the person they were questioning to spill their guts.
He was taught too how to outlast that silence in situations where he was being questioned. Both by Bruce and by the League - though the interrogations that he was meant to resist under their teachings had far more than long awkward silences to contend with. He knew how to clamp down on that instinctive drive to keep talking when faced with stillness like this.
And yet, somehow he could stop himself.
“I just…I think about being a kid and my dad going to work,” He said the word with appropriate amount of vitrol, “And then never coming back. Him dying in jail and it just being me and my mom trying to scrape by. Or…or with Bruce. Knowing that I was always going to place second to the Rogues and the city. I just…” His head dropped back on the brick behind him, eyes closed and throat tight. “I can’t do that to my kid. I’m going to be there. I’m going to make sure they’re safe and happy and that they don’t ever have to worry about if their old man is coming home or not.”
It was a nightmare he’d been having, since the morning he and Jazz crowded over a couple of pregnancy tests and saw the results. Dying out in the gutter and shambling home as a ghost to see the grief he left behind. Jazz crying, a child who’s features he could never make out standing in the doorway the way he would stand at the entrance of the cave when he was too injured to go out with Batman. Waiting in painful silence and burning tears to find out that his father was dead.
“I’m not…I’m not cutting out of the life completely.” He said, trying to focus past the squeezing in his chest, trying to force the conversation back into a conversation rather than him just pouring his bleeding heart out to a blank wall. “I’m going to talk to Babs, see if she’d be alright with me helping with some of what she does, or get something similar setup solely for the Alley. I’m going to keep tabs with my guys on what’s going on and work with them that way. And if there’s anything big, obviously you guys can call me in, I’m not just going to sit back if there’s a city wide threat or worse, I just - “
There were arms around him, suddenly. Warm and strong as they wrapped around him, a face pressed into his shoulder, his nose tickled by blond hair.
He sat there, frozen for a long moment before slowly, lifting his own arms to return the hug. Steph gave him an encouraging squeeze. “I get it.” She said, voice whisper soft and almost lost as she spoke into the leather of his jacket. “I think…I think if I’d been older, if I was more able to keep her…I think I would have done the same thing.” There was a faint sniff as she finally pulled away. She wasn’t crying, but her eyes were bright with tears. “I’m happy for you.” She moved to gently head butt him, “And I’m honored to take over watching over this shithole of ours.”
Jason gave a watery laugh, not even caring that he was crying as he scrubbed away some of the tears that had burned down his cheek. “Thanks Blondie. Steph.”
She rocked back on her heels, arms crossed as her expression turned suddenly serious. “I do have one condition though.” At his look the seriousness melted away into an exuberant grin. “I want to meet this mystery woman of yours. Wait!” She brightened, “Two conditions! I want to be there when you finally tell B and the rest! I am not missing the look on their faces when you tell them!”
He rolled his eyes and shoved her, sending her tumbling into the container of Lokma and sending the remaining fried dough balls rolling across the grungy roof. Steph squawked, dropping to her knees before the thoroughly ruined sweets as dramatic as if it was her one true love laying dead before her. “They were so young, so innocent!” She wailed, throwing her head back as if to howl at the sky in mourning before snapping back to him, finger pointing at him accusatory. “You! This is your fault! I will have my vengeance!”
The rest of the night was spent darting from rooftop to rooftop in an echo of the game of tag he used to play with Dick and Babs years ago. Tackling each other and fighting without actually aiming to do real damage. Only pausing to jump down to the street or through a window here and there to knock some heads together.
By the time he was heading to the Dead Man’s Hand so he could walk Jazz home - or whisk her off to his safehouse, if he was lucky and she was able to duck her siblings for the day - he felt lighter. Steph would look after the Alley, the people he protected. He’d work with her over the next few months, get her integrated with his lieutenants and make sure she was familiar with the ins and outs of his little slice of Gotham, make sure she was as ready as she could be to take over for him.
121 notes · View notes
ficsofabotchedmind · 2 months
Text
Family that slays together, stays together
Tumblr media
Summary? Nope.
Warnings? Hell yeah!: Blood, murder, disposal, knives, sibling bonding over murder, just a lot.
——————————————————————————
Every single person always overlooked Martin and Jessica Whitly’s youngest except Ainsley, their sister. 
You see while Ainsley had Malcolm, Y/n had Ainsley and while it had faltered as they got older, Ainsley and Y/n still protected one another no matter what, even helping cover up a murder. 
It was late when Y/n’s cellphone rung, looking at the phone it was Malcolm, “Ugh, what does he want? Hello?” 
Malcolm was out of breath, and he had a wild tinge to his tone, “Y/n, I need your help, it’s Ainsley.” 
Y/n’s breath caught in their throat at the thought of something happening to their big sister and as they shot up and flew around the house, they asked, “What happened?” 
Malcolm stopped for a second and then responded, “Not over the phone, just get here now.” 
With that, the siblings hung up and Y/n flew out of their house and over to their mothers. 
Letting themselves in, Y/n did a survey of everything as they walked through the house. 
Things didn’t look different, but they felt different something was off and as they walked into the dining/living area, it became clear. 
Nicholas Endicott lay on the floor with blood surrounding him and as Y/n got closer, they saw the deep slit on his throat and multiple stab wounds to his torso. 
While anyone else would balk at the sight of a dead body, especially one with so much blood and violence involved, Y/n did not. 
When you are a Whitly you’re not like others, and your father’s genetics made sure of that. 
Y/n took in every detail, and after what seemed like hours taking in every stab wound and the slit across his neck, Malcolm spoke, “We don’t have time, we need to get Endicott's body out of here before morning, hurry!” 
Y/n would ask what happened later but right now, the Surgeons children did what they do best, murder and disposal. 
Y/n went around gathering everything that was caught in the aftermath and set it aside so it could be taken care of later and once that was done, they focused on what their brother was doing, “Malcolm, let me get the next part while you finish the clean-up.” 
Malcolm was about to protest before Y/n made an obvious show of missing certain items, of course it was only a show though, Y/n was more of Martin than Malcolm or Ainsley ever would be and then you add Jessica’s issues on top and you have the perfect killing machine. 
Malcolm moved aside and gave Y/n the saw, and as the saw sunk into the flesh and worked its way through the bone all Y/n could do was smile. 
Just like their big sister, Y/n preferred a knife. It was more satisfying, anger dissipating as the knife would sink in repeatedly, blood casting into your face, spreading onto your hands, dripping. 
Malcolm observed Y/n, he saw the smile spread wide, the calm in their eyes, the precise cuts Y/n made along Endicott's body to dispose of him, he saw someone he would have to watch and make sure no one found out. Malcolm wasn’t stupid, he had a feeling this may not be Y/n’s first time, they’re a Whitly. 
Hurrying up and getting the body dissected, put into bags, and the bags into suitcases, Malcolm handed the rest of the clean-up off to Y/n, “I’m not stupid, finish the clean up, get yourself clean and then dispose of everything, we meet back here. Oh, if Ainsley asks, I did it. Go it?” 
Y/n cocked their brown along with their head, “Yeah, got it. And Malcolm, what did Ainsley do?” 
Taking a breath, Malcolm spoke, “I’ll explain when this is done, we just need to hurry up.” 
Y/n took the supplies once again and set to work, after a bit longer of scrubbing and missing a spot on a book for the hell of it because let’s be honest, it will be easier for all of them for their mother to learn that way. 
After getting everything cleaned up, Y/n went to go shower but decided to check in Ainsley first.  
Looking inside the room, Y/n could clearly see their big sister still sleeping and Y/n carefully made their way back out, into the hall and continued to their bathroom. 
Once in, they took a black trash bag, stripped, and shoved the clothes in the bag to burn with everything else. 
Setting the water to the hottest temperature, Y/n got in and took their time.  
Standing there with their head down, watching with a smile as the blood mixed with the water and swirled down the drain. 
After 15 minutes of standing there, Y/n heard the door open and rushed through the rest of the shower. 
Once done and dressed Y/n took everything and with Malcolm’s help, disposed of the other half of the evidence. 
Going back to their childhood home they finally were able to sit, and Y/n could finally get some answers, “Malcolm, what happened with Endicott?” 
Malcolm sighed and looked to Y/n debating on telling the truth or not, but he decided it would be best to tell them the truth, “I’ll tell you the condensed version. Endicott came over and Ainsley…I…Y/n, Ainsley blacked out and killed him.” 
Y/n suppressed the urge to roll their eyes at him, and asked, “Does she recall anything?” 
Malcolm grew quiet and thought back and the answered, “Not that I could tell, she asked what happened, I told her it was me, and then I sent her to clean up.” 
Y/n already knowing that Ainsley had a bit more of Martin in her than Malcolm did but less than them asked, “Is it possible she does but she’s lying about it?” 
Malcolm sighed and was about to answer when the two heard Ainsley get up and quickly rushed out, “Let’s hope not.” 
Making her way in the dining/living area, Ainsley did a once over of the area and asked in a slight whisper, “Is it all done?”  
Y/n took the initiative and stepped forward, “It’s all done and over, we don’t have to worry about Nicholas Endicott any longer.” 
Ainsley produced a small smile and collapsed in Y/n’s arms, “Thank God!” 
Staying there for a minute but then retreating, Ainsley looked Y/n in the eye and in that moment, they knew that Ainsley wasn’t lying. 
Malcolm motioned that he was going in the kitchen for food so they could all eat and after the night that was just had, they certainly needed it. 
Sitting on the couch, Ainsley patted the seat beside her motioning for the youngest out of the 3 to sit and once they did, she dropped her head on their shoulder, “Thank you for helping Malcolm, I know you two don’t necessarily get along but you did tonight to protect the family, so thank you.” 
Y/n took a breath and laid their head on top of Ainsley’s, “Of course. We need to stick together, or we will all fall. We are now all complicit in this, Ainsley and we must stick together.” 
After staying quiet for a few minutes, Ainsley spoke as Malcolm walked in the room, “I know, and we will.” 
Taking the food from Malcolm, they all ate in silence but after an hour, Y/n spoke calmly before taking a bite from their sandwich, “Just to be clear with both of you, if anyone gets too close to the truth and threatens this family in anyway, I am going to kill them with no hesitation.” 
Both Ainsley and Malcolm observed Y/n, they knew in that moment that their sibling was speaking the truth, they knew no matter who it was, Y/n would kill them to protect the family secrets. 
All three looked at each other and made a silent pact that if anyone gets close, they had to go. 
Most would think that this calm would seem eerie, but they are Whitly’s after all and murder is what they do best.  
—————————————————————————— 
Bonus: After the reveal and learning that Ainsley knew 
“Sooooo, how many have you killed?” Ainsley asked with a side eye 
Malcolm gaped and Y/n laughed, “Enough.” 
Malcolm’s eyes got wider, “When??” 
Y/n casually asked, “Before or after Ainsley killed Endicott?” 
Malcolm had had it, they were going to drive him further up the wall than he already was, “Enough, I need sleep. You two clean, I’m going to my room.” 
The two youngest snickered, the murder had helped them grow closer once again but before Malcolm could leave the room, Y/n asked, “Does it help to know they were all bad?” 
Malcolm sighed and thought with a shake of his head as he left behind the giggling pair, “So that’s who’s been killing those people who have been released, not surprised.” 
Both Jessica and Malcolm could hear them cackling and Y/n shout, “The family that slays together, stays together.” 
Jessica groaned and downed her wine but smiled slightly at the fact they had at least bonded over something and went back to her writing; Malcolm shook his head with a soft smile and made his way up to his room. 
9 notes · View notes
blankfairy · 3 months
Text
the fire spread throughout my bones and stayed
Summary: She knows. Larys never told her of his very first dream, but when his feet found the weirwood he found her, too, dark hair braided over her shoulder, cotton dress stained with smudges of grass and dirt. She’d smiled at him, the way an older sibling should, the way ten-year-old Harwin never did to his crippled nine-year-old brother, and offered to pray to the old gods with him.
Her very presence had been prayer enough.
Or, nine-year-old Larys Strong and his fourteen-year-old half-sister, Alys, have more in common than just a father.
Characters: Young Larys Strong, Young Alys Rivers.
Warnings: Internalized ableism, ableism, ableist language.
read on ao3!
The dreams come in the blackest nights, in a flash of fire and smoke and a spreading pain behind his eyes, thrumming in tandem with his tempest of a heartbeat.
A flash of marbled silver, and two dragons dancing above Gods Eye; Harrenhal consumed by flame. Choking ash and blood spilling blood and blood spilling blood —
When Larys wakes, his skin sheened with sweat, a black bird with three beady eyes bears down upon him, crooning to him in the crackling voice of the Stranger. The only breath that can fill his lungs is thick and dark and acrid.
He does not realize the dream has ended until he feels the grass beneath his bare feet, his cane sinking into the mud, and the bleeding eyes of the weirwood boring into him. The summer air is warm, but he shivers anyways, because the Old Gods have only ever looked through him, never at him.
I’m still dreaming, Larys thinks, but the words pass through him like wind through stalks of ghost grass. The pale light of the full moon filters through the weirwood’s amber leaves, rustling in the wind; their shadows dance upon the earth. He falls splay-kneed in front of the tree.
Alys is behind him.
The old gods tell him. In the muffled footfalls in dirt, in the sound of grass brushing at the hem of her dress. She treads carefully in the godswood; Larys can only think of his brute of a big brother crashing through the trees as if the very land was made for him to desecrate.
She slips beneath the gnarled branches of the weirwood and sits beside him, sparing him no peace. “It happened again, didn’t it?”
Larys glances at her. It must be the hour of the wolf, but Alys’ eyes are bright, as if she hasn’t been sleeping at all; she’s only fourteen, tall and lean, but seems so much older and wiser in the dark.
“No,” he answers in a quiet, low voice.. He gnaws at his lip, even though the maester and his father have told him off for it more times than he can count. He feels the tips of his ears fluster fire-hot.
She knows. Larys never told her of his very first dream, but when his feet found the weirwood he found her, too, dark hair braided over her shoulder, cotton dress stained with smudges of grass and dirt. She’d smiled at him, the way an older sibling should, the way ten-year-old Harwin never did to his crippled nine-year-old brother, and offered to pray to the old gods with him.
Her very presence had been prayer enough.
Alys kneads her fingers into the white roots protruding from the ground, tilting her head. She looks more like him than Harwin does, all bone and willow-thin limbs that seem too long for her body. If he didn’t know any better, if his father hadn’t clout him on the ear the first and only time he’d suggested Alys was his full-blooded sister, he could have believed they had the same mother.
“What did you see this time?”
Her voice pulls at the words lodged in his throat, willing them free, when all Larys wants to do is sit in silence and pretend he’s the normal, no-name second son of Lyonel Strong, who has no clubfoot and doesn’t dream of the future’s fires.
“Harrenhal was…” Larys frowns. If his dreams are true, past and future, as Alys once said, what kind of power does he grant them by speaking them aloud? He rolls his lip between his teeth, harder, and the taste of iron spreads across his tongue.
Alys watches, but doesn’t scold; she only smiles, like he imagines their mother would have, and takes his hand. “We’ll strike a deal. I’ll tell you of my last green dream. You tell me yours.”
Through the darkness Larys sees her eyes, the same shade as sage and pine needles, lined with something black. A streak runs down her lips. She’s staring the same way the weirwood does; the same way the three-eyed raven did each time Larys awoke.
Witch, they call her, the same way they call him Clubfoot, but in front of him he only sees his half-sister, not quite his flesh and blood, but more than a stranger. He and Harwin share parents, but with Alys, Larys shares dreams, and shouldn’t that mean more than having the same mother?
“Okay,” he says tentatively, sighing, trying to ease the weight pressing down upon his shoulders. His breath comes heavy and thick. “You first.”
Alys nearly grins, canine teeth poking into the flesh of her lower lip. “A prince.” The words come from her lips quicker than lightning. “Silver-haired, with sapphire eyes. His great dragon danced above the Gods Eye. Her shadow swallowed the Riverlands whole.”
“I saw our home burn,” Larys sputters, not allowing the air between them breath for a single second. “The flames rose so high they touched the clouds. And— And I saw your dragon, too. I think. There were two. One was red, and…”
“Harrenhal hasn’t burned since Aegon’s Conquest,” Alys cuts in sharply. “We see the past too sometimes, you know.”
“It wasn’t Balerion who burned it, it was…” Larys rubs his fingers together and feels soot between them, mixed with something sticky and wet. The flush spreads to his cheeks “It doesn’t matter. You don’t believe me.”
“I will always believe you, little brother. You saw the past, that’s all.” Alys squeezes his hand. Her smile quivers. He thinks some of the ash rubs off on to her, but when she draws her hands back, the only thing they’re stained with is smudges of dirt. “We must stick together, you and I.”
“I know, sister.” The word is cloyingly sweet on his tongue. Only here, in witness of the gods, are they allowed to share blood and bone and dreams.
“The world will fear us some day, as they did the greenseers of old. You and me and my silver dragon prince.”
Larys nods, but mouth is full of cotton and his eyes heavy. He can only bring himself to look up at the eyes of the weirwood, twisted and scorned, glaring into him. He wipes his hands on his tunic and heaves himself onto his feet without waiting for Alys. Night melts into dawn across the godswood, at the corner of his eye; he wonders if his father would even care if he was found missing from his bed. Alys could go disappear for a moon and no one would bat an eye. He leans on his cane, legs aching and back burning. He tells himself it’s from sitting improperly, but everything has begun hurting more and more as of late.
Alys stands after him, takes his free hand again, and wordlessly they begin the walk through the godswood, back to Harrenhal. Her nails dig into his skin.
If she feels the blood dripping from his palms, or smells the ash clinging to his frame, she says nothing of it.
9 notes · View notes
gaytranszoro · 5 months
Text
sorry okay im rewatching whole cake w a friend and got obsessed with the vinsmokes this time around okay. sorry. however i am a liker of themes and motifs and doomed characters. sorrey.
#i just looovvee the ways the different families this arc are portrayed. big moms as an empire to be expanded.#beges as a loyal bond and structured organization#and ofcourse the vinsmokes as an army bound only by blood and not by love. and a commodity to be used/force to be strengthened#like sure they're all related but like. they do not act like a family even in the slightest. they don't even seem to really like each other#LOL just even w the charlottes you get the feeling they care about each other to an extent (ie katakuri and brulee or chiffon and lola)#but we rarely see any of the vinsmokes hold a conversation with each other let alone act like siblings.#(unless you count them like. abusing sanji as sibling bonding)#which i why i OBSESSSS over when reiju gets hurt you see one of them call out in concern.#n the (admittedly anime only) scene of yonji like helping a little. bear guy get a fruit off a tree. that shit cute as hell.#you get these like. moments of humanity with them that seep through the cracks of the carefully-constructed image of the Evil Germa Army yk#the way all the siblings turned out and the ways they compliment and contrast each other makes me think ab what could have been you know.#iirc reiju wound up how she is because her mother encourgaged her emptions and instilled a sense of humanity in her. proving they are all#capable of having that sense of morality the others just...didnt get it 1) bc sora died when they were so young and#2) bc judge had a VICE GRIP on them.#so they were doomed from the start.#their father wanted a perfect unfeeling obedient army of soldiers and he was going to get it by any means necessary#even if said soldiers are supposed to be his children#i do think the vinsmokes are deeply unforgivable but i also recognize tht like...they were victims of circumstance.#smthn smthn nature vs nurture#in another life i think they would have kicked ass together#idk im fuuucked upp off the green tea rn yk how it goes.....#.txt#idk how to be coherent abt them they just make me feel like pacing around my room with my head in my hands#its been said better by ppl with better grasps on character analysis than me but. abuse victims who suck. and are also assholes.#you mean everything to meeee
10 notes · View notes
stargazerlillian · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
PAIN AND PANIC + CARRYING EACH OTHER
(Don't tag as ship)
27 notes · View notes
panncakes · 2 months
Text
how heavy is the brothers dynamic in the new taiwanese bl?
6 notes · View notes
corneliaavenue-ao3 · 1 year
Text
I Go On Too Many Dates (It's Miserable and Magical)
Of all people Lavender forces Ron to go on a double date with, it has to be his baby sister and her stupid boyfriend?
Read on AO3 Here!
-----
It was all Lavender’s fault.
“Sorry, mate,” Ron grumbled to Harry as they were putting away the practice balls after a Saturday afternoon Quidditch practice, “Can’t join you for dinner tonight because Lavender’s making me go on a date.” Harry’s face grimaced in sympathy. “A double date, with Ginny and Dean.” Harry’s eyes widened at this. 
“Oh,” coughed Harry, “I’ll find Hermione then. You guys have fun.”
So now instead of eating dinner with his best mate after a successful Quidditch practice and stuff his face with chicken pot pie, he was headed down to the kitchen to fill a picnic basket with cold turkey sandwiches so he, his girlfriend, his little sister, and her stupid boyfriend could all pretend this was better than eating a warm dinner at the Great Hall. Lavender had the rather stupid, but in her mind brilliant idea during a Transfiguration lesson that they should go on a double date with his sister of all people. And his sister’s stupid boyfriend happened to be sitting next to Lavender when she had this idea and enthusiastically agreed.
He watched as Ginny fervently talked with Dean, probably reenacting one of them many goals she scored on him today in practice. Ron wished he could talk to Lavender about Quidditch, but she thinks it's boring to talk about. She was only interested in the personal lives of Quidditch players. 
Lavender was going on and on all about the latest scandal that was reported in this morning’s edition of Witch Weekly. Some famous singer was seen leaving the Leaky Cauldron with the guitarist of the Weird Sisters when just last week she was seen at a bar in Holyhead with the seeker of the Harpies. 
Ron liked Lavender’s mouth best when it was used for snogging, not gossip.
The two couples made their way to the kitchens, and Ron tried his best to ignore the warm, inviting smell of dinner in the Great Hall as they passed the main entrance, going down the stairs that lead to the Hufflepuff Common Room. 
“And how exactly did you know how to sneak into the kitchens?” Dean asked Ginny.
“Ah, a lady never tells her secrets.”
“Was it Fred and George?”
“I believe I just told you that a lady never tells her secrets,” Ginny said as she tickled the pear at the entrance of the kitchens. 
If Ron thought the smell of dinner was strong, it was nothing compared to the aroma that was coming from the tiny ovens the house elves were cooking at. 
This was an awful date idea.
“Alright!” Lavender said, rallying the group, “Ginny and Dean, can you make some sandwiches for all of us, Won-Won, can you go get a picnic basket, and I will be in charge of dessert!”
A picnic basket. Easy. He could do that. Maybe he could also find a bottle of Winky’s firewhiskey if he was lucky as well. 
Ron looked around the kitchen for a sign of any type of basket he could use. He saw a crate that could possibly work in the back by the sinks, but then he recognized Kreacher washing the dishes, so he decided that he could find a different option.
“Harry’s Wheezy!” Ron turned around to see Dobby wearing a sweater that he assumed Hermione must have knitted running up to him. “You look like you need some assistance. How can I help?”
“Do you have a basket by chance?” Ron asked the eager elf.
After obtaining a perfect picnic basket and dropping it off at the table Ginny and Dean were at, Ron slowly sauntered his way back to the free house elf.
“Hey, Dobby”
“Yes, Harry’s Wheezy?”
Ron was proud of himself for resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
“Do you happen to have any more of the chicken pot pie that is served tonight?”
“Yes! Anything for Harry’s Wheezy!”
Dobby led Ron back further into the kitchen where there was just one pot left. With a talent that only a Weasley could have, Ron attempted to scarf down the hot dinner before anyone took notice of his absence. 
“Where did you get that?” Ron heard his sister ask from behind him.
“Dohhby” muffled Ron, as his mouth was currently full.
“Do you think there is more? We had a 2 hour Quidditch practice today. A cold turkey sandwich isn’t exactly going to cut it for me.”
“Nope,” Ron swallowed the food in his mouth. “There was only one left. And he said he would only get it for, and I quote, “Harry’s Wheezy”. And since I am Harry’s Wheezy, not you, I get the chicken pot pie.”
Ginny gave Ron a look of confusion, “I don’t think I want to know what that even means.” Ginny turned on her heel and went back to Dean and Lavender who were finishing up packing the homemade sandwiches up at the front of the kitchen.
“You’re just jealous that I am Harry’s Wheezy not you!” Ron shout-whispered after her. Ginny waved her middle finger at him as she walked away.
By the time Ron finished his good dinner for the night, Lavender was just closing up the picnic basket.
“Perfect timing Won-Won! Let’s go find a place to eat!”
The group found an alcove near the Hufflepuff Common Room with a small table to sit at. They ate their dinner (or Ron’s second dinner) of cold turkey and cheese sandwiches and luke-warm pumpkin juice. Ron ignored Ginny’s glare at him when he said he was full after his meal.
“But we are not done yet!” Lavender said, pulling a box from inside the picnic basket. “I got some sugar cookies and frosting! I thought it would be fun for us to decorate cookies!”
Kill me. Ron thought. 
“Tadaa!” Ginny said, brandishing her cookie 20 minutes later. Her cookie was decorated with the three Quidditch rings with a snitch floating between them.
“Fantastic artistry, Miss Weasley,” Dean critiqued. “But you do realize you currently play chaser not seeker?”
“Yes, yes. But a quaffle is just a giant brown blob, I wanted something with a little more artistry.”
“You want to see some real artistry?” Dean challenged, pulling out his own cookie. It was a realistic golden Gryffindor Lion on a scarlet background. Ron looked around, swearing they did not even have that color of red frosting with them. 
Ron looked down at his own cookie. He had just frosted it bright orange and wrote CHUDLEY CANNONS in big font. Or he attempted to. He misjudged the amount of letters in comparison to the amount of space on the cookie, so the C’s were hilariously large compared to the skinny, curled Y and S he had to make to fit it all on the cookie. 
At least Lavender’s cookie was a simple drawing of the night sky.
“It’s a depiction of the night sky from the night I was born. Professor Trewlawney says that it is important to memorize the stars from important dates because they will foresee the future,” Lavender explained. Pausing, she turned to Ron next to her, batting her blue eyes up at him, “Do you know when my birthday is, Won-Won?”
Shit, no.
“Uh -”
“Do you guys want to play a game of Exploding Snap?” Ginny asked. “I am sure that the Hufflepuff’s keep a deck around here somewhere.” 
Merlin Bless little sisters. Ron made a mental note to himself to get Ginny a nice present from Honeydukes the next time he makes a trip to Hogsmeade. 
“You aren’t going to get too competitive are you, Ginny?” Dean asked. “Last time we played you just got super angry at me for not playing correctly.”
“I got mad at you because we were on a team and you took way too long to place a card down, Dean. We kept losing to Seamus of all people.” Ginny got up from the bench and crossed over to a cabinet in the back nook, pulling drawers open at random and digging through them, searching for a deck of cards. 
“Isn’t it Seamus’s thing to have things blow up in his face?” asked Lavender.
“He doesn’t do it on purpose!” Dean defended his best friend. 
“I never said he did. But just last week in Charms, we were working on making water go through all of the phases of the water cycle, and he somehow turned snow into fire.”
Lavender and Dean’s bickering was interrupted by a terrified screech that came from Ginny behind them. Ron turned and found a tall, dark haired man standing over Ginny. 
“Hello Ginny,” the man said slowly walking his way towards her, “I know you have missed me.”
Ginny stood frozen in her spot, gaping up at the man. Eyes widened in fear. Ron stood up, hand gripping his wand from within his pocket. Looking around, Ron noticed that Ginny’s wand lay across him on the table. She was defenseless against this stranger.
“I know I missed you,” the man continued, reaching a hand forward to brush back a lock of Ginny’s hair. “I wish you still wrote to me. We used to talk everyday. Granted you always said the most stupid of things.”
Oh Shit. This random person was a boggart. This was Tom Riddle.
Ginny slowly backed herself away from Tom, but doing so backed her into a corner. Tom continued to walk towards his sister, mocking her.
“Tom, you’re my only friend. Tom, you are the only one that truly gets me. Tell me, Ginny, are all the friends and boyfriends you have had throughout the years filled the hole in your soul that I left? Or are you still just as alone as you were at the age of 11? Because I am the only one that truly gets you, remember? I know just how unloveable, irritating, and lonely you are,” Tom said, punching each word in emphasis. 
Ron sprung up into action. He pulled his wand out from his front pocket of his robes, knocking his cookie on Lavender’s lap in the process. Ignoring his girlfriend’s shriek, Ron shot forward. He wasn’t sure if boggarts could enact the same harm as the real thing, he wasn’t all that focused on Professor Lupin’s lesson, but the first Tom was only a memory shoved inside a diary. If that thing could possess his little sister, who's to say that the boggart couldn’t do the same thing?
“Oi, dick head!” Ron shouted at the boggart. Tom spared a glance back at him before turning back to Ginny. 
“Little Ginevra, still so weak she needs someone else to fight her battles for her?” Tom grinned down at her. “Is Harry not here to save the day? The best you can do is one of your many older brothers? Pathetic.” 
Ron did not take well to being called pathetic by his sister’s own boggart. He stepped in front of Ginny, blocking her from Tom. Tom’s face gave one final smirk before shifting into something more hairy with beady eyes. An Arogog sized spider replaced the spot where the young Dark Lord used to stand. Ron may have known it was coming, but still facing your greatest fear is still scary. 
Taking a deep breath, Ron cast a quick spell. 
Riddikulus.
The giant spider’s legs folded into itself, forming a pretzel. Ron didn’t have the energy to laugh at the comical spider in front of him. He just shoved it back into the cupboard that it came from. Some random Hufflepuff can deal with it, any luck and it would be Zacharius Smith’s problem. 
Ron turned back to his sister. Ginny just stared at the spot that the giant spider disappeared from, Ron saw a look in Ginny’s eyes that he hadn’t seen since Egypt. 
“Are you okay? Do you want me to get someone? Hermione? Luna? Harry?” Ron asked.
Ginny shook her head no. “Can we just go to Madam Pomprey and get some Dreamless Sleep Potion?” Ginny asked in a small voice.
“Of course,” Ron said without hesitating. Ron turned to Lavender and Dean. “Can you guys clean up, I’m going to take Gin to the hospital wing.” And without waiting for a response, Ron wrapped his arms around his baby sister and led her away from the boggart in the cabinet. Dean called after Ginny, but she did not look back, eyes locked on the ground in front of her.
Quietly, the two siblings walked up to the hospital wing. Ron kept wracking his brain for something comforting to say to her, but he knew whatever he said was probably going to be stupid and not helpful. Hermione did tell him he had the emotional range of a teaspoon. 
Ginny was the one to break the silence as they rounded the corner to the hospital wing.
“Thanks for getting rid of him,” Ginny mumbled.
“Hey,” Ron responded, “You’ve always called me an overprotective git, it’s finally time I did something to earn that title.” Ginny didn’t laugh like he was expecting her to. Instead she was looking down at the ground, rather fascinated with a speck of dirt on her shoe. 
“I just froze.” Ginny eventually said, “I froze and then I just ran away.”
“Ginny, no one expects Lord Voldemort to pop out of the cupboard when they are on a double date. And those that do either belong at Saint Mungos or in Azkaban. And sometimes running is the brave thing.”
“Thanks Ron. I really owe you.”
“Nah, you saved me from Lavender for not knowing her birthday, and I saved you from a boggart of Voldemort, I’d say we are pretty even,” Ron said, bumping into her.
“Prat,” Ginny responded, smiling for the first time since they left the alcove. “Can you just wait here, I will be out in just a moment.” 
Ron swayed awkwardly outside the giant oak doors of the Hospital Wing. He hated this part of the hospital because he was never here for a good reason. He had spent many hours pacing this hallway waiting for access to visit Harry after one of his many injuries or in his second year waiting for Madame Pomfrey to finally let him visit a petrified Hermione. He subconsciously rubbed the scars along his arms, remembering last year when he had to spend quite some time in the hospital wing as well. And now he is here because his sister was retraumatized by Lord fucking Voldemort.
Ron’s thoughts were interrupted by Ginny bursting through the doors and storming right past him. 
“Wait! Ginny, slow down!” Running to catch up with her. For someone so short she should not be able to walk that fast. “What happened?”
Ginny turned quickly on her heel to face him, fire in her eyes. Ron took a step back in fear that his own snot was about to attack him. “She!” Ginny stabbed a finger in the direction of the Hospital Wing, “Won’t give me any. Because apparently there is a risk for dependence on the damn Dreamless Sleep Draught and I have exceeded my limits. So unless I want to spend the night in the hospital wing, I can’t have any more. I can’t imagine anything more mortifying than having to spend the night in the Hospital Wing because of the possibility of some fucking nightmares.”
Ron had seen Ginny at all stages of her life, watched various temper tantrums, seen her cry tears of joy, sadness, and frustration, but he had never seen her so frustrated and yet so fragile. 
“Ginny, how many nightmares have you been having?”
“Ugh,” Ginny groaned, flinging her red hair over her shoulders, “O.W.L.s just have me stressed! So I take it to help me sleep! It’s really no big deal, okay?” Giving Ron a very pointed look that if he followed up with more questions, his boogers were going to attack his face. 
Ron took a deep breath, and contemplated his next words. He was always told he never thinks before he talks, but he is trying to work on it. “If,” Ron cleared his throat, “If you do want to ever talk about it, I will be all ears. ‘Kay?” He gave his little sister a look to say please don’t hex me. 
Ginny took a big, slightly overdramatic in Ron’s opinion, sigh. “Okay,” Ginny agreed. “Let’s go back to the common room, and um, hopefully avoid Dean. Not exactly looking forward to explaining this one,” Ginny said quietly, fingers running through her hair with frustration. A habit, Ron noted, that both she and Harry shared. Ginny turned to Ron, eyes wide, “Please don’t say anything to him.”
The last thing Ron wanted to do was talk to Dean Thomas about his relationship with his sister, so that was not going to be a problem for him. “Promise.”
The two made the rest of the way back to the common room making jabs at each other’s decorating abilities. Ginny’s spirit improved slightly after Ron’s joke about the balls on Ginny’s cookie she decorated.
“Look who's talking! Your Chudley Cannons cookie was almost as bad as the Chudley Cannons themselves.” 
Ginny quickly gave The Fat Lady the password and stumbled into the common room. “There is a step there, Dumbass!” Ron called after her. 
Ginny threw up her middle finger back at him, “Night, Asshole!” 
Ron waved his sister goodnight, happy she appeared much happier, and started to head up the stairs to his own dormitory. All in all, Tom Riddle may have crashed date night, but it honestly was not the worst date Ron has had with Lavender.  
52 notes · View notes
mortellanarts · 2 years
Text
Tumblr media
Zero Sum Game
#zero escape#zero time dilemma#ztd#akane kurashiki#zero escape spoilers#just in case#blood cw#I am so obsessed with this rewrite you guys have no idea#so much work was clearly put into it and it's the author's main project atm so please check it out and support them!#but okay so coolest things about this fic for me is how it's structured just like the game with fragments and it's interactive!#there's voting every other week on what fragment to go next or what decision to make#other awesome stuff is Akane being the pov and teams rotating instead of it being only the same fixed three that can interact w each other#it's pretty cool to see interactions that we all sort of expected to happen from vlr like akane and sigma that just. never did#also Aoi's there :3 and I'm loving everyone's characterization so far it's really down to how I imagine them too like super close#the sibling bonding stuff absolutely kills me it's so genuine and cute#but also it's just as brutal as ztd already is so that's. what inspired this I guess#but I like this though like there is Such weight to it when it happens and there's some lines that absolutely never leaving my brain#Akane also actually Has issues™ with stuff that she should have issues with. i.e fire and doctors#oh and they actually explore the thing about the Kurashikis parents too#and oh yeah there's some cast changes. Mira still there but Eric's not Sean's nowhere to be seen#jury is still out on zero being Delta tbh? it's ongoing and there's a lot of build up to this also this zero's got a masked assistant too#maria is there too which is really nice it makes carlos so much more tolerable#there's so much going on and my brain latched on Really Hard so I'll cut myself off here for now but I'm sure I'll make more fanart akdhjs#but yeah check it out tho! and support he author they really deserve it :3#fanfic#horror art
79 notes · View notes
thedeadthree · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
IOVANNA DAYNE (hotd) | VISENAERA TARGARYEN (hotd)
UNA ULLER (hotd) | LIOSLAITH MAC RUAIDHRI (dnd)
VINDAMEA VERENIM (tesv) | VIKTORIYA VAYS (cp2077)
ADDA DE TRASTAMARA (p:km) | EIRINI DIMITRIOU (twc)
TAGGED BY the darlings @risingsh0t, @leviiackrman, @denerims, @aartyom, @queennymeria, @shellibisshe, @morvaris, @kingsroad, @chuckhansen, @jendoe, @shadowglens and @dihardys to make the girls in this cutest picrew! ty ty so much dears! <3
TAGGING: @feystepped, @griffin-wood, @marivenah, @unholymilf, @prometheas, @leonscottskennedy, @leondaltons, @thee-morrigan, @arklay, @adelaidedrubman, @florbelles, @belorage, @swordcoasts, @jacobseed, @themysteriouslou, @inkrys, @pearlcscent, @hoesephseed and you!
#only if you want to! 🤍🕊#oc: iovanna dayne#oc: visenaera targaryen#oc: una nathaira uller#oc: lioslaith mac ruaidhri#oc: vindamea verenim#oc: viktoriya vays#oc: adda de trastamara#oc: eirini dimitriou#a purple dress and the stars for iovanna im screaming this did so well for her ✨🥹🔮😌 AND HER YOUNGEST DAUGHTER HER AND HER BABY BABY ✨😖#the ✨🤨 likely directed @ daemy akzjxjzj and he does it on ✨purpose✨ skzjxjx ✨😌🥴#NO WONDER WHY YOUR THEN FIVE YEAR OLD SON CALLED YOU A STUPID MAN DAEMY sjzjjzjs but i love him and them both and she finds it endearing so!#GODD vizzy looking like both vanna + daemy truly she really is the amalgamation of both of her parents both in personality + in resemblance!#and her cutest little sword of the morning outfit <3 baelor didn’t have tears in his eyes at all naming her his title ✨🥹#proud older brother moment! proud older sibling moment! calla was BAWLING too btw ajzjhzhz#una giving the impression of she having never done a wrong thing in her life aozjzjjz and u know what? i believe her!#the blood ritual in the undercroft of the red keep was already there trust her <3#congrats aeggy on the goth gf akzjjzjx <3#AND I GOT TO ADD HER LITTLE GREEN ELEMENTS FROM AFTER SHE BONDS WITH THE CANNIBAL AHHH 🌿🖤🕷 my little angel!#RETURN OF THE QUEEN RETURN OF THE QUEEN with the new trailer vika has returned to the fold hehe <3 its what she deserves!#lioslaith trying to convince the party she totally knows the direction and is only in the back bc it’s customary of nobility 🌿🖤😵‍💫 sosjxjx#aksjzjch vinny in markarth realizing the jerkwad who she keeps running into all the time is the prince of the Aldmeri dominion ksjzhz#(and is rather pretty kajzjzj ✨🤡 BUT SHE’LL ADMIT TO THAT ON HER DEATHBED)#leg.tagged#leg.ocs#t: picrews#TY TY my health has been kicking me in the pants lately and this came in just in time ✨🥹 it was so cute to do! <3#SPEAKING OF RETURN OF THE QUEENS rini baby ✨😌🕷🖤 likely at the onset though of her ✨feelings✨ for mason or something aksxjhx#seeing the halo and KNOWING i had to make adda in this ✨😌😇 I’ll prob do more in this bc it was too cute (maybe dhampir queenie ademarta 🖤🥀)
39 notes · View notes
vanityangel · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Hina checking on her older sister Hanan after their victory STARDOM New Blood 8 (May 12, 2023)
15 notes · View notes