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#sure i can swirl if there is a fire source but if there isn't...
starburstgalexies · 1 year
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Repetitive thoughts when playing on lore-accurate-Lumine-only account:
wow both twins are hot. no wonder they get so much ass holy shit.
i wish natlan was out i wish natlan was out i wiSH NATLAN WAS OUT I WISH-
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telleroftime · 10 months
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This is me projecting but...
Yknow how lightning storms can happen with volcanic activity? Well, imagine a reader who's terrified of storms, just the clap of thunder makes them slip into panic, it paralyzes them, living in the castle when one of the Koopa Kingdom's regular storms hit.
Just how would Bowser react to that?
This was perfect timing because I actually started answering this during a thunderstorm where there was lightning every other second (not at all what I'm used to). Probably would have gotten this out sooner if I wasn't writing on data at the time.
Anyways! Angst my beloved -
Bowser isn't one to fear things. He never has been. He's always the source of the fear. From scaring people just to get his way, to moments when fear was truthfully not his intention, he knows he's frightening. It's why he was so enamoured by you. You were never really afraid of him. Sure, you had flinched away occasionally, but anyone startled would do so. You weren't afraid of him.
You were also not afraid of his kingdom and you voiced just that. The Koopa Kingdom? Beautiful? Bowser was certain he misheard you when you said it the first time. And the second time. But you meant every word you said and that had his tail wagging for days.
Naturally, you were cautious around fire. Even more so around the lava rivers that replaced where water would normally flow. However, you adapted to his kingdom. You adapted to the Darklands. It was like a second home to you and it made a warmth spread within Bowser's chest every time he thought of it.
So, when a thunderstorm rolls in, something that Bowser is very used to with how 'hostile' of an environment his land offers, he doesn't so much as bat an eye.
You, on the other hand, are handling it so much worse.
You had been planning on getting some work done when the sky turned dark a lot sooner than what you knew of the day-night cycle. It wasn't supposed to be night for a couple of hours still, and yet you were forced to turn on the magic lamps just to see what was in the room. This was certainly new, and checking your watch made no light of what was going on.
You only realised what was happing a moment too late when the sudden pitter-patter of afternoon rain turned to a downpour. It was a sudden whiplash, and the flash of light coming in from the window did little for your already rushing mind.
The thunder that hit next was all too deafening.
It hadn't taken long for your hands to start trembling and your blood ran cold long before the following flashes. The adrenaline followed quick and it set thick within your veins as you rushed out and away from the study.
You had no goal, walking aimlessly through the castle. Your eyes were watery, your vision hazy. Each crash of thunder felt all the more amplified by the wide hallways and corridors.
You never fully register the castle staff looking at you in worry, a few rushing to fetch the king, the rest getting out of your way.
When Bowser does find you he's all but panting. He was told that something was wrong with you and he dropped everything to rush in search of you. You have this twisted sort of smile you're putting up for him - the forced sort to try and ease his worry and achieving the opposite.
You see him talk but you don't quite hear anything. If you had it your way you would force your eyes shut and forget about the storm raging outside. Everything you've seen of thunderstorms - every warning about them in swirling in your mind like the rain pouring outside.
It only takes you flinching at the sound of thunder to let Bowser know what the issue is.
He's not the best at comforting people. He knows that. You know that. He's also never seen you like this. He knows the expression from other people - that fear-stained look that will definitely haunt him in the future. He doesn't know what to do.
Though it's not like he needs to know when you walk up to him and into his embrace. He can feel you quaking against his chest. He can feel your hands shake against his scales.
He would have long since barked orders at the staff staring at you if he wasn't for the fact he wasn't sure whether his booming voice would make it better or worse.
You barely register him picking you up and pulling you into him. You feel his hand cup the side of your face, pulling you that little bit closer. That's when the next snap of thunder is muffled. It's quieter. Between hearing Bowser's heartbeat with one ear against his chest, the other pressed to his hand, and your own shaky breaths, the sound of the storm is quieter.
If only by a little bit.
Bowser gives you time to cry. He hates to see you like this. If he could, he would have ordered the storm to be locked up in the dungeons. Of course, he's smarter than that.
It doesn't stop him from grumbling at it.
He's never hated the thunderstorms as much as he does now.
When you do eventually calm down, almost parallel to the storm's own quieting, Bowser will make sure you have fully calmed down.
Naturally, he wouldn't trust your own judgement. If you say that you are okay he will not believe it. He will not allow you out of his sight until a day after the storm. He'd nuzzle into you, huff and puff to get your expression to lighten. Anything to hear you laugh and that much more to ease the marks of worry from your face.
He'd disregard his duties if he had to, and he'd spend hours simply covering your ears and sheltering you from the thunderstorm.
Bonus headacanon:
I feel like Bowser wouldn't be that good at comforting, but he's be exceptional at distracting. He'd take you to the deepest part of the castle where the noise of thunder barely reaches and sit you there. He'd drag his piano if he had to. He'd sing for you. He'd play for you. He'd do anything to keep your mind from the storm.
And a final little tidbit because I love science and this counts as science:
Lightning near volcanoes tends to happen exclusively during eruptions, at least that's the most common form of it. With the Darklands being covered and - well - dark, I like to interpret that as pillars of eruption clouds layered over the sky. With the geography being how it is, lava rivers constantly in a molten state, I don't doubt the Koopa Kingdom experiences multiple eruptions a day. I love interpreting the thunderstorms coming from a collection of volcanoes errupting, sending waves of static-filled clouds in the form of potent thunderstorms.
(Also, fantasy aside, a fun fact about eruptions is that right before they happen - as volcanoes release moisture and ash into the air - there's a chance of mud rain which I love to assume is the Koopa Kingdom's version of hail. Well, that's not to say they wouldn't experience hailstorms, because they would. Those happen too.)
Apologies for the very messy answer to the ask. I know full well I changed tenses a few times within this post. I'm too tired to edit this at the moment and I don't want to reread it. I will later, maybe.
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Adventure Poll!
Previous Poll
Though plagued with many questions about today, what nags at your mind most is the person you left behind. In the strangeness of the fae realm you hadn't really noticed too much about them; thoughts and details had been slippery. Now though, thinking back, your memories solidify. Long, lithe limbs covered in pale birch-like bark, bright amber eyes with no irises. You remember a laurel of branches crowning their head, and hair like willow vines. You can't say you know much about denizens of fey realms... but maybe they were some kind of dryad?
You glance down at your wrist, remembering their crushing strength. The bruise left behind by their long fingers is darkening into an odd shape. You squint in the flickering light, and move over to the fireside for a better look. Mottled purple and brownish-yellows are blooming on your skin, but buried beneath them is something else. Your brow furrows as you twist your arm around. There's something like... a tattoo? It looks like a thorny vine wrapped around your wrist like a bracelet.
More questions spring to mind. You remember the emphasis of their words, how carefully they held your gaze when they grabbed your wrist. Who were they? What had they put on your wrist? Unbidden the image of them standing in front of the threshold peeking over their shoulder at you comes to mind. You're sure they had been smiling. You didn't see their mouth, but you can feel it in your bones somehow.
As your thoughts swirl around this topic, you suddenly notice that little heartbeat in your mind has... changed? There's no way for you to know how you know this, but it feels as though that tiny presence has... lifted its head to look at you? You have the distinct impression of being watched, but the sense isn't sinister. It feels more like someone heard a familiar name from across the room and is searching for the speaker. Upon this realization the feeling changes to something else: a beckoning.
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refriedrambles · 2 months
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There's so much and it's so tangled and it's needlessly fucked up. The cannibalism is baked so deeply into the world building it can't be removed.
And the story itself, water = drowning = death & blood. Yet it doesn't start with water. It starts with fire. With the village burning, but drowning in blood is the heart of that scene and that ties drowning and cannibalism together throughout the story. And why is the start in particular so fucking intense? It levels out after that for a good chunk and yeah most of the story is painted in blood, and it does ramp back up to that level at some point, but I don't know man.
Maliph isn't afraid of fire. Maliph is terrified of drowning. But I think the burning village fits more than a down pour. The Blood Witch may be unable to use magic, but she's viewed as a natural disaster. Unknowably ancient and leaving a trail of corpses in her wake. She's the source of his fear and it's deep. She killed his mother and yet Maliph doesn't remember anything before Korokay arrived at his village. When he tries to think of his real mom it's her face that appears instead. Either holding the mutilated corpse of what he's pretty sure is his mother or whispering in his ear things he couldn't hear over the fear or prancing through the forest stained in blood singing about the birth of heroes.
In a way she made him. She forced her prophecy into reality after countless failed attempts. But not really. Yes, the witch is dead, but he didn't slay her. She simply turned to dust in his hands, her body finally giving out. His knife was left without a speck of red.
It wasn't an experience he wanted to live through again. He was a knight commander and a great sage, a force to be reckoned with. Yet when he was faced with her once more he was just as helpless as when he was a child. His weapons and spells drew blood, but she continued to move like they were nothing. And when she was upon him he simply froze.
The dust covered him, coated his mouth, some of it swirled in the wind and scattered away. A sickeningly familiar taste of iron was left in his throat. A non-existent hand pressed his mouth shut. He coughed and sputtered, the dust formed a cloud as it spilled out. Clumps of muddy spit splattered the ground.
I got distracted. But yeah dark fantasy. Water might = Drowning, but Drowning only = Blood & Death. There's something behind this and I couldn't tell you what it is yet. Disempowerment maybe. It's definitely a show of dominance whenever it happens. Here it's not necessarily intentional on Korokay's part she was just going to kill him this time, but she was the first one to drown him in any sort of way and definitely the most fucked case of doing so cause she fully intended him to live. She was making him eat. It's kinda fitting it's her first and last scene with him. A sign she'll always haunt him. He ate her, like he ate his mother. This isn't the world building I was referring to though.
Mailph is drowning when he "reborn". He goes from bleeding out on the palace floors to sputtering to being held under by someone impossibly big. And it's not a rebirth it's a death. Maliph died. The body he woke up in was a corpse. And he nearly tears it apart blasting the man off of him. His first memory was Korokay drowning him. Her first memory was a man he never got to see drowning her.
I don't know what it means. I don't know what it means when Colere forces her under the surface of the river Styx out of curiosity and learns that she can breathe in it, leaving her only with the sensation of drowning with none of the danger aside from the many hands trying to pull her further down either.
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pinkachire · 3 years
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Sinister Motives
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kenma x fem!reader
synopsis: a slew of hidden sinister motives from the innocent secretary y/n for her one and only boss kenma, knowing that playing with fire isn’t such a bad thing, right? until he eventually found out and it turrned into pleasure and ecstasy all night long.
cw: +18 nsfw mdni pls! teasing. provoking kenma. spitting in the mouth with wine. begging. reader fucked in front of the glass window on the 50 stories building. praise. degradation. mentions of use your words and stuff idk.
a/n: this is a scene from my book!!!
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╰┈➤ ❝ [sinister motives.]
Third Person POV
You knocked into Kenma's room before you opened the door.
"Excuse me, sir Kozume?" He was standing near the big glass window, he turned his head and motioned you to come to sit on the couch.
You took a look at his room, even his own room in a hotel is clean, everything was organized, only the room was dim and only the city lights was the only source of light in the room, it smelled grape fruit-like in his room, while you were looking he offered you a glass of wine.
"Anything bothering you?" He asked in a raspy voice as you shook your head in denial.
"I'm fine, thank you for the wine." You said as you took a sip while he also poured the wine in his glass.
"About the—" You were cut off as you noticed that he was staring deeply at you while he was leaning back at the couch with his arms crossed.
"Umm." You gulped as you got intimidated, but then you noticed that Kenma was surely planning something.
You laughed it off and shook your head as you moved forward to pour more wine into your glass, you lifted the bottle up, you could feel Kenma's stare following your every move, it was apparent that both of you understood what was going on despite the tension and heavy air.
"Something funny? Ms. L/n?" Kenma asked you with a raised brow as he noticed you chuckling.
"Oh please, still on last name basis?" You teased as you leaned back, crossed your legs, and swirls the glass of wine.
"You never do fail to impress me."
"Mhm, it's quite funny why'd you invite me here, aren't I receiving my reward, sir?"
You were teasing him, and he knew it, even if you were both ready to press each other's button, and neither of you had any idea what was going on in your heads, who knows.
"Promotion reward, by the way." You added as his eyes darkened, irked by your teasing.
"You can get another reward from me though." He teased you back, his hands moving slowly around the glass, indicating that you should pay attention to how his slender fingers glided around it.
"Mind if I test it out, sir?"
"Oh? A slew of sinister motives from a woman who stands for terms such as dignity." He mocked with a smirk plastered on his lips and darkened eyes.
"Yet who knew, that the oh-so-known ideal perfect CEO will succumb to my nefarious schemes?" With a smug grin, I mocked back as I took a sip from my wine glass.
"You're playing with fire, secretary."
"Well, isn't it a shame that I'll let myself miss the chance?" You teased as the tension between you grew.
"Prove it to me then, darling." Kenma slyly said as he stood up from the couch, he went to you and lifted your chin.
While he was gripping your chin, he had a devious grin on his face, ready to take what's rightfully his, his eyes blatantly displaying a dark desire, a hunger to devour, and you fell for his trap, the oh-so-known ideal perfect CEO that you just said just a second before.
"You'll better prepare yourself, you've angered me enough for me to even hold myself back." He said as he caressed your cheeks, his tone suddenly dropped that sent you chills.
He held your jaw and forced your mouth open, causing you to widen your eyes to what he's doing; he drank the wine while still holding your jaw; and then he spat it on your mouth, causing you to gladly accept the wine from his mouth.
"Brace yourself."
He then leaned in to kiss you as you returned it not wanting to miss a single chance. A kiss that felt passionate and genuine, as you fought the urge to just grab the back of his head and make the kiss deep and much long.
Continue to move your lips gently, but Kenma was different; it was more desperate, and the feeling of hunger was just felt within the kiss. As Kenma noticed it, your breath ran out, and you both came to a halt as you desperately gasped for air and caught your breath, while he did the same.
"Fuck, you look so beautiful."
He whispered in your ear as it made you shiver and sensitive. He kissed the side of your jaw, a purplish mark appeared on them as he went down to your neck, a moan escape in your throat as you tried to cover your mouth, only for Kenma to grab your wrist and pin you to the nearest wall, pinning your hands above your head.
"Don't cover your mouth, I want to hear every pretty noise you make." He said in a low raspy voice as he continues to suck your skin.
He lifted you and laid you on the bed, stroking the back of your head. A sensation was felt, a sense of desperation and a desire for more. He began kissing you and making you feel good in any way he could.
"Can I?" He asked before taking your shirt off, you nodded as you consented and he wasted no time lifting it and taking it off but your panty. Taking off the strap, he pulled it as he admired your naked body, he then continued to kiss you, taking his time to fulfill his desires, your desires.
He was kissing your neck and then to your chest while caressing your thighs in a delicate but firm manner. He then put another kiss on your lips, while you moaned in response, and you rubbed your thighs together for friction but Kenma notices it instantly, he held your other thigh and opens them roughly, you gasped at his rough action but he only continues more.
He was kissing your breast up to your stomach until it reached your thighs, he crouched down to lift and spread your legs wide open, only for him to see and put on a show, he was putting dark purple kiss marks into your thighs, like really owning you as his, every touch he made, every kiss he marked has a big effect on you.
He lifted your legs as he rubbed your clothed pussy, a wet spot immediately occurred as you whimpered under his control, he smirked at your reaction. "So wet for me already." He even rubbed quickly as he kissed your breast and rubbed your nipples, you were biting and covering your lips, stopping you from making any lewd sounds from the sensation as he raised his brows and looked at you.
"Didn't I say to not cover your fucking mouth?" The sudden drop in his voice sent you chills, your heart began to rapidly beat, you didn't know if it's because of fear or arousal, but you know that Kenma will devour you in this night as his prey.
"Cover your mouth once again or I'll tie those filthy hands of yours." He said in a low voice, you immediately responded, not wanting to anger him more, you gasped at his actions since a while ago, you didn't expect a new side of Kenma like this, after all these years, especially in high school, you didn't know that he has this side of him that he's been hiding, not that you're complaining, but you secretly loved this side of him more.
After rubbing your wet pussy, he removed your panty and tossed it somewhere, slowly, he inserted his one finger into your entrance, you whimpered as he thrusted his middle finger into you.
"Is it your first time?" His tone suddenly went to stern and soft at an instant, he looked at you as he was brushing your hair gently, while still rubbing you. You nodded as he smiled at you and kissed you on the cheeks.
"Don't worry I'll be gentle." He whispered as he kissed you in the lips as he inserted another finger, in this moment, his pace got slowly but deep.
He used his thumb to rub your clit while his two fingers were inside, thrusting into you. "F-fuck." You cursed under your breath as he even got more riled up just by using his fingers.  You felt a knot on your stomach as you felt that your close, you moaned loudly as you came in his fingers, he smirked at your state, your eyes rolled up while you had a lewd face in you, Kenma loved this sight and side of you.
"Already came just by using my fingers, that's my good girl." He deeply chuckled as he lifted his fingers and brought them to his mouth, he licked his fingers, tasting your juices while his lustful gaze was on you.
He then went to grab your chin and put his fingers into your mouth, you licked his fingers as juices and saliva went drooling down your mouth, you were a mess and all, and Kenma loved it.
He positioned himself at your entrance, but he had an idea in his head that made him much more superior to everyone else. He bent down to kiss your forehead and lips, and as he did so, he hooked your legs into his arms, leaving your legs wide open for him and him alone.
Before entering his cock to you, he rubbed his tip into your entrance, you were desperately whimpering and moaning for him, you pushed your hips into him for more but he held and stopped you.
"My baby is so desperate." He chuckled in a provoking tone. "Do you want it so bad?"
You nodded your head frantically as your eyes screamed for please and desperate begging.
"Use your words." He said as his face went serious, he leaned and went closer to your face as he was clearly humiliating you.
"Y-yes! I want i-it so bad!" You forced yourself to say it despite your embarrassment, swallowing your dignity and pride as Kenma watches you, he liked your state, he loved the fact that you were completely at his mercy.
"Beg more." He said as he was rubbing his tip into your entrance while he was also rubbing your clit with his thumb, his actions right now took a big effect on you, you felt so hasty, and your sight was blurry as tears began to form into your eyes from the words and action from Kenma.
"P-please...! F...fuck me already." You moaned as he finally smirked and inserted his cock into your pussy; his pace was slow at first, plainly gentle after all the humiliation he had inflicted on you.
His thrust was slow but heavy and deep, he was admiring this view, he wants you, even more, his thrust showed that he will completely take all of you, not even a crumb left, he will own you, take you as his prey.
And completely break under his mercy.
"You." He breathed as he pulled his dick out. "Fucking." He inserted it again as he spoke another word. "Love this." He pulled out. "Don't you?" He thrust deep and hard as your eyes formed tears and you were already crying from pain and pleasure.
His thrust is from slow to feral, and he was slamming into you so hard that you were afraid you'd break. He thrust deeper into you as he raised your leg onto his shoulder; his movement was unexpected, and you were taken aback; it hurt, and you were cramping.
You were shouting, wailing, and moaning from the sensation, your face was in a lewd expression, your eyes were rolling up, your mouth was drooling, and you couldn't say anything except incoherent noises and words.
"Answer me, slut." He said as he put his hand into your neck and gripped it, while you gasped from shock.
"I- l..love it! I do...!" You cried with ecstasy as he continued to grip your neck; he pushed his head back and groaned as well; the room was filled with filthy noises and heavy breaths, the dimly lighted space illuminating both of you.
You felt like crying, your eyes were swollen and red, your throat was sore from the screaming and moaning, Kenma notices you as his pace went slow, he pulled out as he noticed your state.
"Does it hurt, baby?" He caresses your cheeks with his hands and kissed your forehead passionately. "Do you want to stop for a while?"
You bit your lip as you shook your head and he smirked at your reaction. "It's fine." He kissed you deeply.
"Y-you can continue..." You whispered as he raised his brows and you noticed a devious expression from him.
"Hmm?" He hummed as he only continues kissing you.
"Y-you..." You bit your lower lip as he pretended not to hear you; his intention was clear; he wanted you to speak those obscene and lustful things from your filthy lips; he wanted you to be vulnerable just for him and show him everything, including this part of yourself.
"Oh darling, you look so pathetic yet pretty." He slyly said as you pouted and your eyes formed tears again.
He suddenly lifted you in a bridal style off to bed, you didn't know what he was doing, so you just went with it. He then puts you down, but you noticed that it was beside the large window glass that shows the city night view in Chicago.
You widened your eyes as you returned your gaze to Kenma, who was wearing a smirk, a raised brow, and was staring intently at you while his arms were crossed, he was leaning against the glass, his head was tilted, his hair was a mess, as was yours, hair strands falling in his face that filled with dark secrets and a desire for more.
"Face the window." You flinched at his sudden strict request. You obediently followed his order as he smirked at you, oh how you were so obedient and follow everything he says.
You were facing the window as he went behind you, you widened your eyes from what he was doing, you knew what he was doing.
He's going to fuck you in front of the huge glass window.
"Ass up." He sternly said as you immediately did what he said. You lifted your ass up, he had a perfect view of it, you suddenly felt a spank on your ass, you screamed but covered your mouth and closed your eyes as tears fell.
"What did I say about covering your mouth, hm?" He spoke as he hit your ass harder, you felt that your skin was red now, he loved the sight of it even more. You immediately removed your hand from your mouth and placed both of your hands at the glass window.
He then held your hips as he slowly went inside you, you moaned and your hips shook uncontrollably as you felt how big again he was, you were already tiptoeing at this point and your legs felt like giving up, your knees were shaking as the only thing that you were seeing was the night view at the window that is now foggy.
"Who knows if this glass is tinted?" He chuckled as he thrust into you deeper. "You got a show to begin, baby." You widened your eyes from it as the whole dignity left your body, you were exposed, but not for them, but for Kenma.
"P-please, I-I can't... Ah--! F-fuck, I-" You was stuttering between your moans, your mouth only filled with moans and more than you could think of, you looked at the window and you can see Kenma's reflection from behind, he was looking at you, a predator look from him, his eyes screamed no mercy and dark lustful desires.
"Oh?" He pulled your hair as you leaned back a bit. "Put on a show for them, show them who you belong to, show them that you're my good girl." He whispered raspily and deeply.
He thrusted quickly into you, he was slamming heavily and deep as you felt nothing but his cock inside you, you were clenching every second and hugging his dick inside you, you can't count how many times you came at this point.
"Fuck, I'm also close." He whispered under his breath as he went quickly once again, he was ramming into you like there was no tomorrow, and there, you felt another knot in your stomach, not even a second you already came, and Kenma also did the same.
You were breathing heavily as you tried to stand straight and walk, but you failed and your legs wobbled, luckily Kenma caught you in his arms and he chuckled at you. He lifted you and brought you to the bed.
"Are you okay?" He asked as you nodded your head, he got up and brought you a glass of water. You drank as he smiled and laid beside you.
"You almost broke me." You spat as he only laughed and hugged you.
"Sorry if I went too much, I couldn't hold back."
"You even said you'll be gentle." You jokingly said as you went to face him.
You were looking at the ceiling when suddenly deep thoughts flooded your head; you hadn't expected any of this to happen, but you were pleased it did; aside from being surprised, you felt joyful; oh how you wished time would slow down.
In an instant, you quickly fell asleep in Kenma's chest, he noticed it and looked at you, he put your hair behind your ears as he admired your face.
I don't regret a single thing in these 7 years.
He thought as he kissed your forehead, his other hand was behind his head and the other was hugging you while you were sleeping in his chest, he was staring at the ceiling while his thoughts brought him deeply.
"You're really my desire."
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read full story on wattpad and ao3 here (if the link doesn’t work just search kiwitoooth)
this scene is from my fanfic book! descried desire ➵  kenma kozume
story is completed
<3
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chocolatecakecas · 3 years
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Rockin' the Suburbs: Chapter 4
chp1 chp2 chp3 or read on ao3
After an afternoon of failed research attempts, Dean found himself carrying an excited Jack in his arms, walking up the sidewalk, hand in hand with Cas. Which didn't immediately send Dean's mind running wild because it honestly was starting to feel natural. Which of course is what sent Dean's mind running, but at least the act of Cas grabbing his hand wasn't the real source of the freak out anymore.
Dean's fine by the way. Totally cool and normal and under control.
"You ready?" Dean asks as they come to a stop at the back gate.
"As I'll ever be" Cas quips, giving Dean's hand a squeeze, which he gratefully returns.
"Holy shit" Dean gasps, jaw-dropping, head quickly snapping towards Cas.
"I agree completely...." Cas trails off, as he drags Dean further into the backyard.
There were people, food, drinks, tents, music blasting, and lights strung up everywhere. And a giant fire pit in the center, with crowds of people hovering around it, roasting marshmallows and hotdogs.
How many people lived in this damn neighborhood?
"So see any fugly faces?"
"If you're talking about demons, then no-"
"Well, what about that lad-"
"No she's no-"
"What about that group, those guys seem kinda-"
"No Dea-"
"Okay well, what about th-"
"Dean if I see a demon I'll be sure to let you know, promptly" Cas sighs, clearly exasperated, which only causes Dean to smile wider.
(read the rest under the cut)
"Okay.....but what abo-"
"Hi guys! Oh my god, we're so glad you decided to come!"
Their heads snap over to see Molly and Jason making their way towards them.
"Time to schmooze with the capitalists" Dean whispers to Cas, earning an elbow jack to the rib, but when he looks over, he sees amusement in Cas' eyes.
"Your home is lovely" Cas gushes when they're within earshot.
"Yeah, this is quite the rager you've got going on back here" Dean muses, earning bright smiles from the pair.
"Thank you! But Amanda's already managed to find at least ten things wrong with the decor, or the lights, or the food" Molly grumbles, as Jason gently rests his arm around her waist.
"Seriously, and Bill picked up every bottle of wine and inspected the year. As if these people aren't drunk enough to even care about the aged taste" Jason continues with an eye roll.
"Oh! Speaking of drinks what can we get you? We've got beer, wine from the wrong years, whiskey, scotch? You name it we've got it"
Shit. Dean hasn't had to talk about this with anyone outside of his family, but his dumbass should have thought about it. He is a party after all.
"Oh um..." Dean starts, but trails off realizing he didn't actually think through what he was going to say. His mouth has been doing that a lot lately.
"Oh we actually don-"Cas rushes in, giving Dean's hand a squeeze, which makes Dean's breath hitch.
Dean was floundering like an idiot and Cas cut in to help. That stupid, undiscussed swirling feeling dancing in his stomach, and he also can't help the dopey grin that spreads across his lips.
"I actually don't drink anymore, not since this little bug came around. But Cas here will definitely take a beer" Dean smiles, giving Jack a little bounce in his arms.
"Dean are you sur-"
"Yeah babe, it's good. I promise. Have a beer, you dork" Dean says turning to fully look at Cas so he gets that he means it. And he must because Cas gives a small smile back, which definitely doesn't make his stomach flip.
They turn back to the pair, praying they get the memo so Dean doesn't have to explain any further.
"Oh! So we have water, seltzer soda. We've got sprite, rootbeer-" Molly quickly moves to offer.
"A coke is good if you have it" Dean interrupts before Molly lists every single brand of soda they've got. And with a nod, Jason jogs off to get their drinks.
"Oh! Jack's probably itching to play with the rest of the kids. There's a whole section set up on the far side of a yard, keeping them far away from that fire pit! But don't worry, a handful of the parents are taking shifts" Molly rushes to add, as she points them in the right direction.
The two turn to follow her finger, Dean's eyes blowing wide at the sight. Four different size bounce houses, two jungle gyms, a huge sandbox, and pretty much every toy you can imagine. And yeah there's things definitely for toddlers, but Dean can only focus on the height of the slides and the amount of kids jumping inside that inflatable nightmare.
His hold only tightens around Jack, as he glances down hurriedly at Cas. But to his surprise Cas isn't gazing horrified at kid-sized deathtraps, he's smiling brightly, eyes shining.
Dean's gotta put his foot down. There's no way, it's too dangerous
"I don't know Jack's neve-"
"Exactly, why he should. There is more than enough equipment his size, and looks like there's plenty of kids around his age. And we both agreed it would be good for him to play with more children his own age, remember?" Cas supplies calmly, resting a hand over his shoulder. The heat radiating through Dean's jacket is doing nothing to put him at ease.
"Yeah but that fire-"
"Is perfectly safe. See, there's at least six parents over there right now. We can even take a shift watching the kids soon if you'd like?" Cas offers in the same tone, eyes shining with sincerity. And Dean manages to pull his gaze away long enough to glance over at the kids' party zone again.
There's a sort of gate squared off in the corner of the yard, with a large and small bouncy house, and what looks like a group of parents watching every move intently.
Cas is right. Jack will be fine. Of course, he will be. And if he's not, they'll just kill whoever's responsible. Stupid angels and their stupid sound logic.
"Alright, you're right" Dean sighs in defeat, as he gears up to walk across the yard. Besides Dean can probably use this as a chance to talk to some of the other paren-
And it happens so fast Dean almost misses it.
But he sure as hell feels it.
There's a heat on his cheek that quickly comes and goes, but there's a lingering warmth that blossoms in its place, spreading across his entire face and down his neck. Lighting shooting through his veins with a jolt, and of course that swirling feeling is back.
What the hell?
Dean's slowly turns towards the source and sees Cas smiling up at him. There's a nervousness dancing behind his features, the kind that's only visible to the trained eye. His hand his still on his shoulder, but he's closer now-wait.
Dean's entire brain short circuits as it works to catch up with the rest of his body, most importantly with his face and that whole lightning thing going on.
Then his brain finally snaps back into action, sending his stomach flipping, that swirling thing looping right along with it.
Because Cas kissed him.
Cas kissed him. On the cheek. Like it was nothing.
And the culprit refocuses in his vision, still smiling up at him anxiously, blue eyes searching his features. And Dean without even thinking, smiles back, which seems to settle Cas.
"I'm very proud of you for making the mature fatherly decision, now go! I'm sure Jack's dying for a turn on that bouncy thing" Cas teases, shoving Dean away, and he vaguely hears Molly giggling behind him. Dean doesn't even have time to process what he said before he's walking across the grass.
Actually, Dean isn't processing anything at the moment.
Because Cas just kissed him on the cheek like it was nothing, and Dean's face is on fire while his heart does its damnedest to pound its way out of his chest. Because now Dean Winchester is having a flustered meltdown over a friggin kiss on the cheek like he's thirteen again?
But it was more than that. Because he sure as hell didn't think Cas would go for it first so what i-
Dean almost stalls, but quickly forces his feet to keep moving as his stomach twists.
Because that feeling, the feeling Dean doesn't talk about is swirling in his stomach, bubbling upwards, trying t-nope.
Dean clenches the hand, that isn't currently supporting Jack, into a fist, nails digging into his palm. It was just a peck on the cheek it didn't mean shit. They had talked all about PDA, and both agreed to it, so that's all it was. It was a kiss for the sake of the case, all for the act.
So Dean tries to shove it from his mind, but failing to get rid of the warmth still radiating through his body and the tingling on his cheek. But hey, he isn't perfect.
He thankfully makes it over to the kid's section in one piece, but unfortunately, an over-excited mom immediately spots him.
"Hi I'm Maria, I don't recognize you, so must be one of our new neighbors!" Maria practically cheers, and Dean doesn't buy her false enthusiasm for a second, but he plasters a smile on his face ready to play the part.
"Yeah I'm-"
"I spotted you and your husband carrying boxes in yesterday! Didn't look like you had very much hmm?" Maria continues as if she hadn't heard him. And Dean didn't miss that little dig and he definitely didn't miss the way she emphasized husband.
"Yup that's me, Dean Richardson, and this is my son Jack" Dean says before she has a chance to cut him off again.
"Pleasure to meet you two! Now I assure you Jack is in good hands, you've got some of the best parents on duty right now!" Maria jokes and Dean has a feeling she's a little tipsy, which only increases his nerves. At least there's some other capable-looking parents standing around.
Maria continues to chatter loudly about god knows what, so he ignores her opting to carefully stand Jack on the ground, crouching to his level.
"Alright Squish, you're gonna hang out over here and have some fun with the rest of the kids! Me and your Dad are going to be right over there" Dean says excitedly, which only makes Jack even more excited.
"So if you need us, you tell one of the other grown-ups, and we'll come right over. And remember the rules kiddo? No mojo, capiche?" Dean reminds, whispering the last part.
"Capeesh!" Jack promises and Dean can't help but smile. So reluctantly, he presses a kiss to Jack's hair, and gently nudges him towards the other kids, watching as he runs away laughing.
"He's such a little cutie! Oh look he's playing with my Ella" Maria gushes while Dean silently prays Jack will drop that kid so he doesn't have to Maria and her false sweetness, ever again.
"Yeah, adorable. Anyway, my husband and I will gladly take a shift watching the little rugrats a-"Dean starts trying his best to sound like he doesn't want to strangle her.
"Oh no I wouldn't dream of it! It's your first party in the neighborhood, we have more than enough capable parents on duty tonight! Get back to your husband, drink, mingle!" Maria interrupts shoving him away, and Dean has no choice but to obey, unless he wanted to cause a scene. Which he did want to, because he was practically fuming from that subtle dig at capabilities at a parent, but he couldn't he had the damn case to think about.
And with a final glance to assure Jack was okay, Dean quickly surveys the crowd, easily spotting Cas' leather. He begins to make his way over, but suddenly the memories from five minutes ago come rushing back leaving him frozen.
Cas had kissed him-yeah it was on the cheek, but it was a kiss nonetheless. And that stupid swirling feeling began to bubble up in his stomach, unable to move as the-
"Dean, over here man!" Jason calls from across the yard, effectively kicking Dean's back into gear, as he made his way over to them.
Stuff it Winchester, focus on the case. It's all for the case.
So Dean jogs, over stopping next to Cas, who was lightly laughing along with Jason and Molly. Jason hands him a bottle, an honest-to-god glass bottle of Coke. They probably had to buy hundreds of these, must have cost a fortune.
"Is Jack all settled?" Cas asks, the slight worry on his face. And so without thinking, Dean takes his hand giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Yeah babe, kiddo is having the time of his life over there," Dean says with a sweet smile, pet name rolling off his tongue like nothing as he meets his eyes. Cas only responds with a smug smirk that says "I told you so", which definitely didn't make Dean's stomach flip.
"So, new neighbors let's get the good gossip out of the way before the bitch squad corners us. Tell us about yourselves! What do you guys do for a living?" Molly teases, effectively snapping them out of their staring contest.
Showtime
"Well I'm a mechanic, still looking for a good space in the area to set up shop, but Cas here is all set with a position at Amherst College in the sprin-" Dean begins, gushing about Cas like a proud husband.
"Dean, of course, is wildly underselling himself. He specializes in classic car restoration" Cas cuts in also like a proud husband, but there's a hint of sincerity in his voice that twists Dean's heart.
"Wow! So that gorgeous Impala really is your's after all?" Molly asks in awe.
"Yeah that's my Baby, rebuilt her after a crash a while back, she's been in the family for years" Dean shrugs, hand instinctively reaching for the back of his neck, but he can't help the little sense of pride that swells in his chest. He feels Cas squeeze his hand, but before he can glance over Jason starts talking.
"And Cas, Amherst that's impressive! What course do you teach?"
"English literature, and global history" Cas answers. They decided to tack on the history on account of Cas knowing pretty much all of history, and that it might be an in seeing as weirdo rich people are often weirdo history buffs.
"Oh I actually teach history over at the high school" Jason reveals, and Dean has to hold back a laugh.
Weirdo rich people, weirdo history buffs. Score.
"Well looks like we're surrounded by academics! Amherst, an incredible school, but that's a bit of a commute from here, isn't it?
"Oh it's not too bad, and the drive is all worth it if we get to live in this beautiful neighborhood. But what about you, Molly?" Cas deflects smoothly shooting them a charming smile-that Dean definitely didn't find charming.
"Oh, I'm a real estate lawyer. That's how we're in this gorgeous neighborhood" Molly jokes, Jason laughing along.
Real estate law, Dean tucks away that info for later because maybe that's how they got their house on the market and sold so quickly.
"Hey everyone, sorry to interrupt but we just wanted to introduce ourselves to the new neighbors," A shorter man says as he appears on the other side of Cas, with another man in tow.
"Oh come join the real party, anything to stay away from those vultures" Molly snorts with an eye roll, earning a laugh from everyone.
"I'm Tom, and this is my husband Stephen" The man, Tom, supplies as they each stretch out a hand. Dean reluctantly lets go of Cas' hand, and as they each shake their's, exchanging greetings.
Turns out Tom and Stephen live right across the street from them. Great, they're gonna have to get in extra good with them, because they might have seen something the night of the murders.
"So, we were giving these two the rundown on our lives, before Amanda and Bill start circling" Molly groans, and Tom and Stephen launch into discussing what they do for a living. Dean, of course, listens very intently, as he tries not to think about the sudden loss of warmth in his hand.
But he really doesn't have to think too long because he finds Cas' arm is curling around friggin waist.
Dean's eyes instantly snap up, as he tries to keep his expressions in check, but he can feel the heat creeping over his cheeks. Cas only gives him a nervous look, which makes Dean's chest tighten at the sight. Damnit.
Because yeah Cas keeps taking the lead, but he's never actually done this before, he's just doing what he thinks he should do. Cas must be anxious as fuck. And Dean's general "lets never talk about emotion or affection" attitude, probably isn't helping. He's the one who knows what to do, he should be helping ease Cas into this more, not having breakdowns every time they make eye contact.
So without really thinking, Dean slightly leans into Cas, causing him to wrap his arm around him tighter. It clearly settles Cas' nerves, because that worried look is gone, replaced with a smile, before he turns his head back to the conversation.
And Dean figures since Cas is listening, it's okay to tap out for a moment. Because excuse him, but Cas' arm is around his fucking waist, not even 20 minutes after he kissed him. Dean's just surprised he isn't passed out on the ground yet.
And that feeling-the feeling Dean of course doesn't talk-about is back and swirling around his stomach, threatening to bubble up his throat. It's making him feel nauseous, as his heart thumps against his chest.
But he can't exactly bring himself to care because there's a warmth washing over his body in waves. The heat of Cas' arm around his waist and shoulder resting against his own, radiates through his jacket. Dean can smell the worn leather mixing with Cas' cologne as he tries to focus back in on the conversation-what is he doing.
He's supposed to be getting info about the neighbors, and all he can think about is Cas' arm around his waist. Which is only there to keep up the act, and it doesn't matter that it fee-nope not even gonna go there.
Focus Winchester.
"-but enough about work, how did you two meet?" Dean catches Molly asking, and thank god he chose that moment to pull it together.
So Dean quickly meets Cas' eye. Both knowing they have to nail this part if they plan to gain anyone's trust. They hadn't exactly rehearsed it, but they are best friends who've spent over a decade lying for a living. They've got this.
Dean takes a steadying breath, ignoring the swirling and the warmth and the heart rate.
"Well, it was back in 2008. I was sort of going through a bit of a rough patch at work and was frequenting the local bar a bit too much. But maybe the hangovers were worth it, because one night this guy with wild hair and baby blues strolled in and happened to sit at the other end of the bar. And just my luck he looked about just as much of a mess as I did-no offense babe" Dean began putting on a show, and Cas rolled his eyes.
"Oh please, you didn't look half the mess that I did" Cas teases dramatically. Cas then gave him a look, leveling Dean with an arched eyebrow, causing laughter to bubble around them.
"Yeah yeah Casanova, we both looked a wreck okay? So much of a wreck that we apparently felt so sorry for each other, that we unknowingly bought one another a drink"
"After the bartender pointed out who bought me the beer, I looked up to see it was the person I had just bought a drink. So I figured he was worth a little conversation, and I moved to sit on the stool next to him" Cas continues, throwing a wink at Dean.
Damn they were good at this.
"And it turned out we were both walking disasters. I was out of a job, and Cas here had just gone through the world's worst breakup-"
"We had been together for years, and I had decided I'd had it. It was a mess, his whole family got involved. But I guess it was a good thing it was such a disaster, or I never would have gotten a drink from the gorgeous man at the end of the bar" Cas cuts back in, which definitely didn't make Dean's cheeks flare.
"Anyway, we got to talking, probably overshared way too much with a complete stranger, and called it a night. But I thought I'd be crazy to let him get away, so I practically chased him down on the street to get his number. And god was I lucky he didn't think I was a creep-"
"Actually I thought it was very romantic. Like a movie, too bad it wasn't raining. But honestly, I was just lucky he didn't think I was a creep when I called to ask him on a date the next morning" Cas jokes, earning another laugh from the group. Dean quickly surveys their faces to see that they're hooked. Time for the grande finale.
"And really the rest is history, we just sorta clicked. It sounds like bullshit, but it was like we were made for each other ya know? Cas just always knew what to say, always knew what to do to, understands me better than anyone else, helps me through every obstacle. I guess you could say he basically pulled me out of hell. And he still does, every day. There's no one else in the world I'd rather have by my side" Dean gushes, tacking on the hell line as a joke, but it didn't exactly sound like one. No, it sounded like the most sincere thing Dean's ever said, and he quickly realizes that it's not part of the act. He really means it.
He glances back over at Cas to see him slightly slack-jawed, gazing at him in soft wonder. Dean's heart picks up again, stomach swirling as he makes a little fist to ground himself.
Because of course, he means it Cas is his best friend, he's family that's nothing new. But it's more than that and yo-nope. Focus. Cas is only looking at him like that as part of the act, he's playing up.
Dean quickly tries to wrack his brain for something to say, but thankfully Molly cuts in.
"God aren't you two just the cutest, sappiest couple in the entire world! Oh my god, you're like a romcom. The perfect couple" Molly practically shouts earning a laugh from everyone and nods of agreement.
"Trust me, it wasn't as simple as a romcom. We fight, and we scream, but we always come back to each other" Cas says earnestly, looking right into Dean's eyes.
And Dean's pretty sure his heart is gonna burst through his chest because Cas' heart eyes look pretty damn convincing and it's sending his thoughts running. But thankfully, Tom and Stephen start telling the story of how they met, so Dean can thankfully push those thoughts aside. For now.
And after an hour of small talk, Dean and Cas have got a pretty good grasp on the people they're dealing with.
They learn that Stephen and Tom are both doctors at the same hospital, they have three-year-old daughter named Elizabeth. And with a glance over at the kids' section, they see that she and Jack are playing together. Another couple, Emma and Rachel come and join them all about halfway through. Emma is a cardiologist, and Rachel is a biomedical engineer, and they're in the process of adopting. They also learn that this entire week is the "Annual Autumn Festival", and there's a different event hosted by a different family each night, ending with a huge block party on Saturday night. Apparently, the school in town gives the kids a whole week off for some "district convention" with the higher ups, so they've been doing this for years.
And honestly, despite everything, Dean's actually having a good time. Yeah, these people's careers are insane, but Dean thinks they're pretty normal, and he's genuinely enjoying talking to them. And they seem to have warmed up to them, so with a slight nod from Cas, Dean goes in for the kill.
"So, we have to ask. We saw some crazy stuff in the news about this neighborhood, of course, it was after we bought the place. But we couldn't find much info about it" Dean begins gently to ease them into the conversation.
"Oh you must be talking about Carol and Mike" Rachel supplies with a frown, and a silence settles over the group.
"We're sorry, we didn't mean to pry. We were just curious sin-"Cas begins to apologize
"No, it's okay. You've got a right to know since it is about your house and all. Not your fault someone paid to keep it out of the news" Ton sighs heavily, and Stephen comfortingly presses his kiss to his temple.
"Carol and Mike were our best friends before they we-before everything" Stephen chokes out.
"We're so sorry for your loss" Dean offers, Cas nodding along.
"The night it happened, we were actually all supposed to go out to dinner. The four of us and the kids, it's a monthy tradition. But when we walked across the street to meet them, Carol answered. We should have known something was off bu-"
"Hello! I'm seeing frowns which is never a sign of a good party!" A shrill voice calls, which earns a groan from the group.
Damnit. They were so close.
Suddenly there's a shorter woman with platinum blonde hair, and a man with enough goop in his hair to grease a pan, who've both clearly had some work done.
"Hi I'm Amanda, and this is my husband Bill. You two must be our new neighbors" Amanda smiles with her too-white teeth, extending a hand with perfectly manicured nails. Of course, they are.
Dean resists the urge to roll his eyes, but with a squeeze on his side from Cas, he's reaching out his hand to shake theirs'.
"Bill, a pleasure to meet you! Nice to see you've already found your people. I know how you guys like to group up" Bill laughs with an equally blinding, white smile.
A pit drops in Dean's stomach. "Your people", who does this guy think he is? And these aren't Dean's people he's stra-
Give it a rest Winchester, you can only lie to yourself about so many things at once.
Fine so maybe they are "Dean's people", but this homophobic assclown has no right to say it, especially not like that.
"Well, not as much as your people lik-"Dean starts, only to be cut off by a pinch to his side and he whips his head towards Cas.
"Just let it go, he isn't worth it" Cas softly whispers in his ear, while he gently pulls him closer. With a huff, Dean begrudgingly lets it go.
He turns back to the conversation to see Bill and Amanda completely ignoring them, as they ramble on about nonsense. Dean quickly locks eyes with each couple, they throw him an eye roll, or a face when Amanda and Bill aren't looking.
"Oh Amanda and Bill, looks like you found the new neighbors" Molly calls slightly strained as she and Jason practically run back over.
"Yes, but sadly we don't have much time to chat with them tonight. There are still some people we must say hello to" Amanda informs, and honestly, Dean could cheer from relief.
"But you two must stop by sometime this week so we can get you properly acquainted with the neighborhood. Maybe widen the variety of your social groups" Bill snarks and Dean opens his mouth to retort but is silenced by a sharp tug from Cas.
"Thank you for the offer, bu-" Cas answers cooly before Dean even thinks about reopening his mouth.
"Perfect! Stop by Tuesday around two, we'll have lunch! But like I said we must be going, try to have a pleasant evening. Oh and Molly, that chicken looked a bit dry, might want to check on that" Amanda proclaims, and then she and Bill are disappearing into the crowd.
Dean turns to glare at Cas, who only gives him a look that reads "we'll talk about it later".
"I'm so sorry you got trapped by them. God, they're the fucking worst" Molly groans in apology
"Yeah can't argue with that" Dean grits out, still fuming from Bill's words and Amanda's stupid smirk.
"And Bill's such a homophobic bastard, thinks he's so subtle. God, what I'd give to shove a-" Emma rants, only to be cut off by a gentle shove from her wife.
"We can try to get you out of the lunch with them, we can sa-"Jason offers, but Cas of all people shuts him down.
"It's okay, if we go once and make them hate us, maybe they'll never bother us again. Oh and I'm sorry, but we really better get going. It's almost Jack's bedtime. Thank you for everything" Cas explains with a smile, shooting a look at Dean.
"Yeah, this was a killer party. So great to meet you guys, hope we see you all soon!" Dean says plastering on a smile despite his bubbling anger.
And with quick goodbyes, Cas' arm unsnakes itself from around Dean's waist. But before he can mourn the loss, he feels his hand in his dragging him silently towards the kids' section. They scoop up an exhausted, but ecstatic Jack, and carefully avoid running into Maria, as they make their way through the gate.
Now that they're alone, walking down the cold, dark sidewalk, Dean can hold it in anymore.
"God we were so damn close then, Barbie and Ken had to show up and shut the whole thing down! And now you want us to have lunch with them?" Dean rages, pointedly ignoring the way Cas' hand that isn't holding a sleeping Jack, squeezes his own. And of course, the fact that they're still holding hands.
"I know they were dicks, but I noticed them circling us for at least ten minutes, and they only rushed over as soon as we started asking about the murders. Isn't that suspicious?" Cas questions.
"Yeah I guess, but wh-"
"So I think they might be the thing we're hunting. I only agreed to lunch so we could check them out, and scope out their house" Cas continues, amusement dancing in his voice
Of course. God, it's so obvious how could Dean miss it? This whole thing is really fucking with his head.
"Alright, no need to be smug about it. But I still don't understand why you wouldn't let me tear that assclown a new one" Dean grumbles, anger quickly returning as they climb their porch steps.
Cas sighs dropping his hand, turning to look at Dean fully. Dean's heart starts up, as Cas levels him with an intense, unreadable stare.
"Because he's just some rich, homophobic asshole, who believes he's better than everyone. But he's not, because he isn't even worth your energy or thought. He doesn't know anything about us" Cas speaks, softly, as he rests a hand on Dean's shoulder. Dean suddenly realizes they're standing almost nose to nose.
"And I certainly don't care what he thinks of me or you, and I certainly don't care what he thinks of us. Because all that matters is how we think about ourselves." Cas continues purposefully, and Dean's throat constricts at the words. Dean of course knows Cas is "indifferent to sexual orientation", but he doesn't know that he-wait is Cas-
"And besides, if he's the monster. We'll get to kill him, slowly" Cas says in a mock-serious tone, which startles a laugh from Dean's throat. He's so close he can feel Cas's breath on his face, and Cas can probably hear Dean's heart racing.
But thankfully the logical part of Dean's brain is still somewhat running because it reminds him that it's all for the act. "He doesn't know anything about us", Cas was talking about the act. These people don't know they're pretending.
Because none of this is rea-
And it happens so fast that Dean almost misses it, again. But now he's watching Cas' retreating form walk through the doorway, and up the stairs. Leaving Dean, standing alone in the cold night air, his hand moving to his cheek without consent.
Cas kissed him on the cheek, again.
But this time. Nobody was around. They were completely alone, nobody to put on an act for.
That swirling feeling his back and wreaking havoc on his stomach again, while that lightning thing courses through his veins, and his mind races a mile a minute.
Dean lets out a breath, aggressively running his hands through his hair, as he stares out onto the empty street.
Because what the fuck is happening.
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demons-fanatic · 3 years
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Rosaria: Our Lady, Holy Mother
So, I've been replaying Dark Souls 3 and during so, I've honestly been realizing way more about some characters and really indulging in them. One of them is Rosaria, Mother of Rebirth.
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Warning: Spoilers for Dark Souls 3 for the ENTIRE post below!
In Dark Souls 3, there's a particularly interesting character named Rosaria. She leads a covenant called "Rosaria's Fingers" which are directly opposed to the Way of Blue and Blades of the Darkmoon. Which leads us to our first major point; Who is Rosaria and why does she hate the Gods?
At first glance at her character, Rosaria is really dark. As in literally dark, her black clothes, black hair... etc. Opposed to the Gods who are usually represented by White or Divine Colors(See Gwyn's Family) and I'm not sure if it's really intentional but it is something that is obvious. Next, what exactly does Rosaria represent or what is her place in the Dark Souls world? For this, we must look at a Japanese Myth.
The Story of Izanami(伊弉冉尊) and Izanagi(イザナギ) is the basic creation Myth for Japan. They were both the first Man and Woman, they created the first land. They did so with a Spear that was gifted to them and then created the Great Sea. They birthed two children, Hiruko(蛭子) and Awashima(粟島), Hiruko in particular meaning "Leech Child". After giving birth to Kaga-tsuchi(火之迦具土, Literally "Shrine of Flame"), Izanami dies and is sent to the Underworld, becoming the Goddess of Death. Izanagi comes to look for her and while going there, Izanami tells Izanagi not to look at her. However, he does anyways revealing the Underworld has permanently obstructed her form. This terrified Izanagi and he left her in the Underworld. After this, Izanami proclaimed she would kill one thousand people a day but Izanagi said he would father a thousand and five hundred more a day. They were officially divorced in this event.
As we can tell, there are a lot of interesting things we can gather once we connect Izanami to Rosaria. And you might be asking... can we even do that? Well, yes. Rosaria is connected to divinity in some way. Only large people are seen to be deific and once we get Rosaria's Soul(I'll get to that later) we can acquire Gwynevere's Miracles meaning even if she wasn't a god, she was heavily connected to the Gods in such a way she knew and or used these Miracles. It is also worth mentioning that Leonhard calls her a Goddess, but that could be due to his adoration. The other connection is that in some way, Rosaria was betrayed by the Gods so badly she now garners followers in the hopes they will kill members of Royal Covenants and steal something taken from her, tongues. Another connection is Hiruko and the Slug in Rosaria's lap, Hiruko was considered inadequate as a Child and deformed, as you can tell the creature that lays on Rosaria is definitely a deformed creature, similar to the Man Grubs, possibly her Child as it is the biggest(this has no evidence what-so-ever). The last connection is also something pretty interesting; The Deep and the concept of "Kegare(穢れ)".
This leads into a lot, so be wary of this part if you want to read it. So, in Shintoism, water is a very important part of the entire thing. Along with this is the concept of purity through flowing water or "Harae(祓)". Flowing things, especially water, is clear and clean unlike still water which collects grime and impurities. Of course, you want to be clean, right? Well, this is the concept. Flow is good, stagnation is bad. While we are stagnant, whether spiritually or physically, we collect impurities and do not really do anything. You may ask... How does this relate to Rosaria, specifically the connection of her and Izanami? Well, let's look at the place she's at. I don't even mean her room but the entire location. The Cathedral of the Deep is full of Kegare, absolutely full of it. All of the water is disgusting and muddy and mucky, poison comes out of the faucets and the foundation of the Cathedral is sinking. The entirety of the Deep is also just Kegare, but I plan on making a post just on that. So, yes, Rosaria is surrounded by Kegare and so was Izanami. The Underworld filled her with impurities and deformed her entire body. Rosaria seems to be very dirty herself, in her hair is slime and she lacks a tongue, which was stolen from her. Both Women are considered deformed and dirty and are surrounded by stagnation. Rosaria herself does not move and only sits in her Chamber, same with Izanami only staying in the Underworld, stagnating, in a way. Now, this is not extremely high evidence but it is an interesting connection that could explain Rosaria's role and some of her inspiration.
Next is another connection but this time it's in the Universe. This one is quite obvious if you've played Dark Souls 1 and this is Rosaria and Anastacia. Both scenarios play out very similarly. Their Souls are stolen by Men who bring their Souls to Anor Londo but for different reasons. Lautrec's is actually never stated and thusly is unrelated. But Leonhard's is because he wishes for no one else to have her. Claiming that you and most likely everyone else will just steal it too. Why they have similar plotlines, I have no idea and it doesn't really make sense. Though, it is possible that Rosaria is a Firekeeper of some sort as she can Respec(reset skill points) the Player Character and the only other Character's in the series who can do that are Firekeepers. However, her Soul doesn't look like a Firekeeper's(reference below)
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(Rosariaiis's Soul)
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(Fire Keeper Soul)
Admittedly, it does look like a bit of Humanity is swirling in her Soul, compared to others but, who knows. She probably is a Firekeeper but we'll probably never get an answer on that. And by the end, Anastasia does have her tongue back but for some reason Rosaria does not and it is absolutely not clear why this is the case.
Next, let's talk about the bit of lore she does have. It's said that her tongue was stolen from her First Born and that could be a lot of people. First off, it does imply more Children and that does fit with something later. So, who is this first Child? Well, most signs point to Aldrich, whose Bodily slime is actually near the doors of Rosaria's Chamber, this proves not a lot but given the fact Aldrich is a cannibal, he definitely did something to her whether or not it be he stole her tongue. But of course, why wouldn't he eat all of her? It's kind of confusing and this part of the lore is extremely lackluster and even if you think about it you can't get anywhere.
Next, let's talk about her Covenant, but before we do that let's ask another question. Is Rosaria someone we have seen before? Well, if you're telling yourself "Hm, she sounds like she could definitely be Gwynevere" you'd be right. Not that she is Gwynevere confirmed but more signs point to yes than no... Let's go over the evidence:
Is a Goddess
Connections to Miracles about Gwynevere
Connections to the Old Gods in some form
Has Children(Amazing point, I know)
Have Magical Abilities
GNow, I know this isn't much but all together it is pretty telling evidence that something is afoot with the connections. Your first thought of it being against is "Oh, well yes it's possible but isn't Gwynevere like 40 feet tall" and well, no, not really. Even in DS1 this can be debunked in the same room(sorta). We all know Gwynevere is an illusion, so how do we know her real size? Well, in the Ornstein and Smough Boss Room we see these statues .
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As we can see, Gwynevere is almost as tall as the Gwyn statue which is basically built to scale. Presumably, anyways. And as we can see, Gwynevere is not as big but she is pretty tall. Now, let's compare it to Rosaria(with Player scale too):
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(Source)
As we can see, this height is actually plausible. Rosaria isn't actually that much taller or bigger. Her legs are long and torso about the same size. The next point against it though is the names... Rosaria is obviously not the same as Gwynevere. But, assuming that if you're running away from your family, you'd change your name too. And the Miracle she gives with her Soul, Bountiful Sunlight, which mentions Gwynevere's occupation as a Mother and Wife. This obviously fits in with Rosaria's mentioned child and children, assumedly. But, it's never said that she was married. But, Gwynevere is married, to the God, Flann. They could be hinting at the fact that either Rosaria is Gwynevere's daughter or her, herself.
Another suspect of who she could be is the Queen of Lothric. We know the Queen left after her Husband became mad with the power of the Dragon. There is also evidence for this. Gertrude, the Heavenly Daughter, is said to be the Daughter of the Queen, Rosaria is surrounded by Man-Grubs that are reborn via her and there is actually a Man-Grub near Gertrude's cage. The Queen is said to have several Heavenly Children and the Queen is also compared to a Goddess of Fertility and Bounty(Gwynevere). Rosaria is considered a Goddess and the Queen was worshipped as a Goddess for sure. Another Child of the Queen is the Dancer of the Boreal Valley, how do we know this? Well, the Dancer's Soul gives another of Gwynevere's Miracles, Soothing Sunlight which explicitly states the Dancer is a member of the Old Royal Family, at least for the most part as in it's in her tree. So, how does this connect back the the Queen and Rosaria? Well, it's very much told this way with Miracles the Queen is the Daughter of Gwynevere, who was also her Maiden and carried on the stories of her Mother to her Children. This does make the most sense in comparison to her actually being Gwynevere, but, options. Rosaria's tongue though is still a mystery, I have no idea if her firstborn(presumably Lorian or Aldrich but... that has no evidence) stole her tongue and if that's the case, why. It could just be apart of the hellscape that is Dark Souls 3's lore.
So let's talk about the covenant, Rosaria's Fingers. As to why they are called as such, I am actually not sure and it honestly seems to hold no important to what I see. The member's of this Covenant have a prefix regarding names of specific finger's, somewhat. Yellowfinger is not really a finger. There's also the symbol for the covenant which is actually the Papal Cross of the Christian Religion and is the Emblem of the Pope, there is actually a Pope in Dark Souls 3 in the form of Sulyvahn but there seems to be no connection other than Aldrich being connected to Sulyvahn and that's really it. Rosaria's Fingers collect the tongues of their foes, which are the Way of Blue and Blades of the Darkmoon, two covenants that are explicitly connected to the Old Gods. Obviously, this tells us that Rosaria not only hates the Old Gods but it's possibly they are the ones that stole her tongue from her. Meaning her firstborn is most likely connected to the Old Gods, but as given before, that was obvious. It is either that or the Old Gods have disrupted her in some other way. In other aspects of the Covenant, Rosaria gives the option of Rebirth(or Respec'ing) which basically lets someone reallocate their skills, what implications this has in the universe is completely unknown and is probably just a way to make yourself stronger. You can rebirth yourself in-universe until you become a Man-Grub, and it's basically literally what the name implies. But the descriptions imply it might not be that simple. Some of them wield staffs that cast holy spear spells to protect Rosaria. Why she can do this is not clear, nor why it happens is not clear either. It doesn't seem that she hates her subjects or anything of the sort, so it could just be a curse she has given her abilities.
Rosaria doesn't really have a lot to her character, along with that she barely has lore, unfortunately and all that can be gathered aside from the only clearly stated things is guesswork and it's not that much fun. The only cut things that have come from her is a cut Boss Track related to her(interesting to note this track IS similar to the Dancer's who is interestingly not a Boss at first), whether she was the boss or not, is not clear.
Unfortunately, this seems to be all that Rosaria has to her but if you know anything else or want to correct some information for me please do so! I'll gladly edit something things and I might add more. My next post is hopefully going to be the Angelic Faith of Lothric and the Primordial Serpents.
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Divided I Fall
IT'S FINALLY DONE! I am so sorry this took so fucking long, it took me like a year to write because my art brain forcibly took over my body for a stupid amount of time but now it is DONE and you can SEE it with your EYEBALLS. Anyway... This, This is a project I have been planning for YEARS but took some stuff lining up just right for it to sift to the top of my oneshot backlog. It is, to keep it simple and not spoil too much, an origin story for a character that's shown up in my stuff before.
As one important note before I begin... This fic stars a character of a fakemon species known as Vahirom, created by @kynimdraws on Tumblr/kyleenim on Twitter, used with permission. If you steal it I will be offended on her behalf and personally boil your toes. Got it?
ANYWAY:
Divided I Fall
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Zygarde had a dilemma.
Unova had too many humans and they had it too good. But there was nothing they could do to thwart them without letting the other Legends in on his game. What to do?
As they stewed on this, lurking on the edge of civilization, they looked up, and there they saw it.
A meteor, careening down toward the nearby hills. It crashed, sending out sparks of light and a shockwave, which Zygarde weathered easily. They were a god, after all.
"Lots of those since AZ broke the sky," they muttered.
They slithered through the earth until they got to the impact crater, emerging in its center to find, surprise surprise, a meteor. However, it was one they could tell was a Metionite, a kind made of an extremely rare, alien ore.
It was then they got an idea.
An awful idea.
Zygarde got a wonderful, awful idea.
They started burrowing their own cells into the Metionite, pumping it full of energy. Godly energy. Draconic energy. The Meteonite contracted and curved until it turned into a small gray orb.
Zygarde tapped it.
And it burst to life.
--------
What am I?
What is this place?
Those were my first thoughts as I gazed around, wide-eyed, until my eyes fell on a strange green and black titan.
"Who are you? Who am I?"
"I am Zygarde, the guardian of order, and you are my creation!" the titan said in a booming voice.
"You created me?"
"Yes! For one purpose!"
The titan pointred a claw to the southwest. "There's an infestation of these pests called humans around thataway. Deal with them for me."
I looked in that direction. Seemed simple enough.... But something didn't feel right.
"...Very well."
Tubes extended from my shoulders and attached to my tail as my wings flared. I took off.
-------
I arrived to find strange structures,domes, blocks and pyramids, and walking among them strange creatures. Were these the humans Zygarde mentioned? "Deal with them." What did that even mean?
I got closer and as I did they started acting strangely. They seemed... Afraid?
"You creatures! What are you?"
They were making loud screams now. They didn't seem less afraid. Maybe they couldn't understand me? How DO I talk to them then? Come on, think think think-
~-Think!~
Thehumans stopped, gazed up. I had communicated by... Thinking really hard?
~Uh... Humans! I mean you no harm! I just wish to... Deal with you!~
The humans started murmuring among each other before a more elaborate-looking human came forth.
"You, great dragon! What do you propose as a deal?"
Oh, I can understand THEM fine. But good question...
~Let me think.~
What do I even tell this person? I guess... If they were afraid of me, they had other things to be afraid of. That wasn't good. Maybe...
"If you give me shelter and a home, I will aid you however I can. Is that a satisfactory deal?"
The elaborate human slowly blinked several times slowly before rapidly nodding.
":We will accept your offer... B=but my warriors will keep an eye on you."
I looked to the "warrior" humans he spoke of. They were trembling. Everyone was looking at me with unease,
This would take some adjusting.
-------------
I was in my own corner of the city, surrounded by more of these warriors. They were taking shifts watching me, but they all seemed scared. Almost as if they felt if I tried anything they couldn't stop me.
I didn't feel like doing anything that needed stopping... but then I wasn't sure WHAT to do. I had made the deal with the humans but I wasn't sure how to enact i-
Just then I heard a roar, in the distance. The warriors looked to me, then to the source of the sound. They seemed confused that it wasn't me. Soon another warrior rushed up to them.
"T-there's a Scolipede trying to take over the farmland!"
"O-one of those? Why?"
"They're immensely territorial! It claimed the farms as its own!"
What was this beast? The humans needed help. But they wouldn't let me help...
...Then again they couldn't stop me.
I activated my tail turbine and lifted off as the warriors panicked, and I jetted off to where the other warrior had came from.
---------
When I arrived there was indeed a large, purple, insectoid Pokémon rampaging about. Several warriors and their Pokémon were trying to pierce its chitinous armor, to no avail. It was much bigger than the humans, that's for sure.
...But it was much smaller than me.
I flew ove4r to and landed right in front of it. It looked up but seemed unphased.
"What do YOU want?"
"I want you to stop bothering these humans."
"Why should I? This is MY turf." "No it's not. As far as I can tell the humans were here first." "Well it's mine now."
I narrowed my eyes. "Leave. Now."
The Scolipede scoffed. "Make me."
"If you insist."
I flicked him with a claw.
He went sailing back into a tree with a very loud thud and collapsed, unconscious.
Humans started gathering around, looking on in awe. Then they started cheering. It was only then I realized the magnitude of what I'd done.
-------------
Things changed after that rather quickly. Or, they did from my perspective anyway.
The humans, after that, regarded me as a protector. Not only that, they gave me authority. It wasn't much at first, I started as captain of the warrior, but as time went on and I helped the humans more and more I ascended to the right-hand mon of their rulers.
They called me Vahirom, or more commonly, the Iron Arbiter.
They adored me. And I grew to adore them. They cared for me and I cared for them back. And after time things changed. I learned how to alter my form to be like them.
It started simply, firsty with mimicking their speech, but then I started to learn how to alter my physical form, this way and that way, until I had come to resemble them in my own way. It was at that point the Iron Arbiter was both a dragon Pokémon and a human.
And someone didn't like that at all.
One day they returned, while I was alone, sitting on the throne the humans built for me. I looked up into their glowing green eyes as they glared down into mine.
"What is THIS? This isn't what you were supposed to be doing! And why do you LOOK like them?" They stomped a foot on the ground.
I sighed. "It is less intimidating to them than my natural draconic form. And why do YOU look like them? Don't you have forms that are oh so superior?" They winced, and in an instant cells swirled around them to return them to a more traditional serpentine form. "Only to subvert them, manipulate them. You do it for sick kicks! You were supposed to DESTROY them, not help them!"
"There is no need to destroy them. They are flawed yes, but have kindness and charity in their hearts if you know where to find it. I seek to bring that out in them. "You're wrong! All humans are a sin against the natural order! MY order! They need to be purged!"
"Your view is dangerous. And I will not have you threaten my people."
I grew and stretched and bent into my true, draconic form.
"You may have given me life, but I am not yours. They are not yours. Leave, or I will force you to."
Zygarde hesitated, then let out a long, pronounced hisss before disintegrating into cells and vanishing.
I sighed again, then resumed my post.
-----------
Decades passed, that turned into centuries. I saw many humans and their Pokémon come and go, and cherished them all dearly while they lasted.
But then one day two were born that would change my life forever, for better and for worse.
They were twins, born to the current queen and king. They were shown to me soon after they were born. They were lumpy and chubby as human babies were but they had fire and lightning in their eyes from the start.
And thus their parents named them Tentay and Pethakhon, Ancient Unova's words for fire and lightning. As usual, I was assigned to be their guardian. I did not realize then how special they would be to me - and how that would be my downfall.
-------------
The children grew quickly. Their tiny grasping hands grew inquisitive, groping for anything they could reach. At first, I let them pull and tug at my human form, but as they grew older and nimbler I allowed them to play on my dragon form as well.
Eventually they started to talk.
"Say mama!" "Say dada!" their parents clamored. But every time they both pointed at me and said "va va!"
They didn't care. They just laughed.
When they got old enough to learn, I was their teacher. I taught them.... Well, not everything I knew, I was too ancient and powerful for that, but I tried to teach them a good amount. And I definitely tried to answer their many questions.
"How old are you?" asked Tentay. "Older than you can comprehend."
"What's your favorite food?" asked Pethakhon.
"I do love corn cakes."
"Do your parents let you stay up past bedtime?" asked Tentay.
I had to pause and think about that one. My only "parents" were Zygarde and the stars, so...
"I don't listen to my parents. I do what I want."
The twins gasped and looked at each other eagerly. "You can DO that?" they said. I chuckled. "I can. You probably shouldn't until you get older."
The two visibly deflated.
"Not fair..." said Pethakhon.
"I guess we have to listen..." said Tentay.
"No way! We can't!" said Pethakhon. "But we gotta! Or we'll get in trouble!"
"Nuh-uh! We can do it!
I chuckled. By all means this was amusing.
And yet. Something deep inside felt off.
------------
It came suddenly, swiftly.
The king and queen fell ill, from a terrible disease. They were isolated, only taken care of by a select few.
It was too little, too late.
A grand funeral was held, several ceremonies, a feast, a fitting sendoff. But none of it filled the hole in all our hearts.
Especially not the twins'.
I visited their room afterwards., They were huddled in a corner together, curled up, sitting only a few inches apart. In human form to fit in the room, I pulled them into an embrace.
"I know better than to say it's all right, but... I am here for you."
"But... Mom and dad... They're gone forever," said Tentay.
"They're never coming back... What's gonna happen to us?" said Pethakhon.
I sighed. "I have seen many leave forever just as they did. I can escape it, it is both a gift and a curse, but for your kind it is inevitable. But it is not truly the end. You two will grow to be great, and your children, and your children's children, and so on. I assure you of this. You can pick up the pieces and carry on in their stead. They would want you to."
"...Okay, Va." said Pethakon.
"...I guess so, Va," said Tentay.
They nestled into my arms further. I patted their heads.
We stayed that way a while.
--------------
The two started to near adulthood for their kind, and thus I started teaching them how to rule. . ~Now, you two, I have a question.~
They both shifted in their seats in the courtyard we were in. Teenagers were antsy about being taught. Especially when their teacher was an ancient and powerful dragon.
~Say that there is a famine. What are your main options for dealing with such a thing?~
"Simple," said Tentay. "You spend the royal budget on improving the crops."
~Ah, but such a solution would be expensive... And could be unsustainable."~
"Then we improve the harvest infrastructure over time!" said Pethakhon enthusiastically.
~Yet that could take a long time. Too long. People could starve.~
"Well my method is clearly better!" said Tentay. "It gets more immediate results!"
"You're wrong!" said Pethakhon. "MY plan won't doom us all later!" "It MIGHT not. It will definitely make people starve."
"We have to consider the future!" "The future is NOW, Pethakhon."
"Moron!"
"Imbecile!"
The two continued arguing like this until they finally noticed me waggling a claw mockingly.
~Now now now. Have you considered these solutions aren't mutually exclusive?"
The two of them stared at me. Then started sheepishly rubbing their heads.
"You have a point..." said Tentay. "That could work.." said Pethakhon.
~See?" I said. "If you work against each other nothing gets done. But if you work together...~
"Yes, we understand the moral, well done," said Pethakhon. "Why must we learn things we know already?" said Tentay.
~Because with you two it bears repeating.~
The two blinked and staredbefore rubbing their heads sheepishly again.
"...You have a point," said Tentay.
"We'll. We'll work on it.." said Pethakhon.
I simply smirked.
------------
They quickly became adults, true kings of Unova, and soon their first test was upon them. The ruler of a desert kingdom smack dab in the middle of Unova was a Volcarona by the name of Heliana. Shee was called before them for a diplomatic meeting, and we all assembled on the border between the desert and greener land.
"Why hello there!" said Heliana, floating before us.
Tentay and Pethakhon stared then turned to me, each whispering.
"She, uh, is a little hard to--" Pethakhon started to say.
"She's a Pokémon, but she can't speak telepathically, so we can't understand her," said Tentay.
"...That." said Pethakhon.
I chuckled. ~Don't worry, I can translate. She just says hi.~
The two nodded and turned back to Heliana.
"Right, hello," said Pethakhon.
"Shall we get down to business?" said Tentay.
"Oh, yes, yes!" said Heliana. "There was a matter of grave importance I wished to speak of with you! It was... Oh, hm, what was it..."
"She isn't very professional," Tentay whispered.
"Shhh!" said Pethakhon, nudging him.
"Oh! I remember now! It was wood!" said Heliana.
"Wood?" said Pethakhon. "My kingdom doesn't exactly have many trees," said Heliana. "I want cedar in particular! I'll offer you our finest textiles and minerals in return!":
"Hmmm. But we need the cedar for-"
"Shhh!" said Pethakhon. "She's making us a great offer!"
"More like a ridiculous one. We can't give her all that cedar!" "But we need the minerals and textiles!"
"She hasn't even specified WHAT minerals and textiles! Think before you leap!" "Well ask her!"
"Fine!"
Tentay took a deep breath and looked Heliana straight in the compound eyes. "You're being awfully vague about what those "minerals" and "textiles" are... Could you be more specific?"
"Oh! Lots of iron, copper... and Silk! Me and my babies spun the silk ourselves!"
"Wait, the silk comes from-" Tentay started to say.
"Sounds great!" said Pethakhon. We'll-"
"No. We need that cedar."
~Now now you two.~ I said. ~Put your heads together. Your wants and needs aren't mutually exclusive.~
They stared. And blinked. And... Well they didn't literally put their heads together but they did start mutually putting their hands to their chins thinking.
"There's some places we could grow... Cedar groves?" said Tentay.
"Yes! And we could loan those groves out to you!" said Pethakhon.
"They would take a while to grow normally but our Grass-types can make them grow faster!" said Tentay.
"Excellent!" said Heliana. "It's a deal! And Hekla and Katla will get started on the silk straight away!"
"Hekla and Katla?" said Pethakhon.
"Who?" said Tentay.
It was then two Larvesta emerged from Heliana's fuzz and divetackled Tentay and Pethakhon each with cries of "Friend! Friend! Friend!"
"My children!" said Heliana. "They spin the finest silk in all the land!"
"Well they sure are cute," said Pethakhon, holding up Hekla to get a good look at her.
"Easy little one," said Tentay, cradling Katla.
I just smiled.
---------------
I was in my throne room, and human again. I was alone, and it was quiet... until I heard a telltale slithering again.
"...Hello Zygarde."
The serpent congeals in a flash from their cells before me.
"You're still doing this. Why are you still doing this."
"They appreciate my help. And they are clearly better in my hands than yours."
The snake withed, their form rippling.
"Look, if you can't stop yourself from messing MY order up, I WILL."
I scoffed. "How?"
"You're awfully fond of those two humans, aren't you?"
My eyes widened. I clenched my fingers on my seat. "...Petty threats will get you nowhere."
"Oooh, I struck a nerve, didn't I? Don't worry, I won't do anything to them... Physically anyway. Unless you try to warn them that is, in which case I can always arrange an accident...."
I shifted to dragon form, knocking several things over in the process. "What are you planning, Zygarde?"
"How does the saying go, something something for me to know and you to find out?"
I roared and slashed at them with a claw, but before I made contact they scattered into cells and disappeared from whence they came. Guards rushed into the room shortly after. "Arbiter! Is everything all right?"
I panted heavily, looking at where Zygarde had gone, before turning to the guard.
~It's... It's fine. Just spooked by a shadow.~
--------------
From there it became apparent something was very quickly going wrong.
It started small at first. The brothers being more snippy with each other than they were before. But it soon blew up into full-on arguments, and everything I had raised them to do was falling apart before my eyes.
I knew exactly why.
I stalked the halls of the castle until I found a hound, ducking and weaving through the corridors.
"You!"
The hound stopped, looking smug. "What is it?"
"What are you doing to them?"
"Oh nothing much. A lie about one here, a rumor about the other there, did you realize exactly how easy it is to turn them against each other?"
"How... How dare you!"
I fired a metallic burst, a small-scale version of my Origin Flare, but they were already gone, and the brilliant beams of light only sank into the corridor, reducing chunks of it to rubble.
It was then I panicked. As long as Zygarde could keep spreading their lies...
...There was nothing I could do.
------------
Soon enough came a day that would come down in history as a fateful one.
The two of them were having a particularly heated, particularly philosophical argument about the future of the kingdom. Said argument was happening in the throne room, right in front of me, a dragon silently watching as their two human charges escalated to potential civil war right before their eyes.
"Do you really think your deluded visions would ever lead this kingdom to greatness?" said Tentay, "Your ideals will only bring ruin!"
"Your plan is built on a flawed foundation," said Pethakhon, "and faulty delusions of truth!"
It was becoming all too clear for me.
They would not reconcile this time.
I would have to choose one.
...But I couldn't.
I couldn't possibly-
One side of me wanted one. Another wanted the other.
But I couldn't choose.
I couldn't I couldn't I couldn't I couldn-
CRACK
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When I awoke, I could not move. I had reverted to the God Stone I use to sleep and could not get out.
But I could see everything. I could see Tentay and Pethakhon beholding two dragons that I quickly realized had split off from me, by sheer will to leave neither one behind. I could also see I had rolled off to the side, where no one could see me.
But if those two pieces of me were out there... What was the rest of me doing in here?
As I wondered this I witnessed the argument between the two brothers escalate further, and eventually they stormed out of the room.
Time passed. Day turned into night. Then the serpent came.
"Well well well, that was an entertaining show. I knew your powers were unstable but I never expected them to do THAT. Oh well, it works out for me plenty - those two idiots you were so protective of will decimate humanity by their actions, and those bits of you that spawned for them will only help.
I wriggled in my prison, trying desperately to escape and put Zygarde in their place. They noticed and chuckled.
"Oh how foolish. Don't try too hard to escape dear. You don't know what schisming off so much of your power has done to you."
Their form rippled.
"And besides. It's too late for you. I've already won."
He gave a hearty, echoing laugh as he dissipated into cells and disappeared.
----------
Throughout the night, I continued to wriggle and squirm. I HAD to fix this, I HAD to prove Zygarde wrong, I HAD to-
And then I broke free.
And then I felt it.
I could tell I was not the being I used to be. I felt weak. I felt empty. There was a gnawing hunger and emptiness at the bottom of my soul that I could not overcome.
I staggered through the hallways of the castle, in confusion and pain, when I came upon two guards, who recoiled at my approach.
"H-Halt! What monstrous kind of P-Pokémon are you?" said one.
I looked at that guard. And I hungered. The emptiness gnawed at me as I yearned for something to fill it.
I lunged.
The other guard screamed as my fangs sunk into his compatriot. I started devouring him, purely by instinct, rending flesh from bones.
"M-Monster! Monster!"
It is then I snapped back to my senses and realized exactly what I was doing.
I tried to say, "Wait, no, you don't understand!" but all it came out as was staticky buzzing. Then the guard fled.
Overwhelmed with grief, shock, and horror, it was then I did the same, leaving the tall pyramid castle I had called my home for centuries and never turning back.
-----------
I holed up in the crater I had first crash-landed in from thereon out, never emerging. Still, I saw many things.
I saw Unova burnt by a deluge of fire and electricity.
I saw Unova rebuild, become more technologically advanced, more close totheir Pokémon, then further away, then closer again.
I saw people settle the area where I lived, and grow to fear me as others had.
I saw one bit of kindness from a boy from those people.
I saw the white dragon that split from me return, join with me once more, filling my emptiness but causing her unbearable pain that racked me with guilt.
I saw all this, but one thing remained the same, for the most part.
I was alone. And I was unsure if that would ever truly change.
So all I could do was mourn all I had lost.
***
Bit of a downer, huh. But I hope you enjoyed it! WILL Kyurem's situation get better? We'll have to find out later - I've got other shit I've really got to get to writing.
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