#this community is mad wicked and is capable of great things

[naly1109]

Your Lovely Wicked Soul

Witch au, Reader X Bang Chan feat. Stray Kids (Narrator's POV)

Summary: Y/N is well known and beloved amongst the people of her home village. Being a powerful Witch, she helps the people using her Gifts to increase crops, heal the sick, and protect the townsfolk and other favors. When her Grandfather sends her away to save her from the misfortune of becoming the awful King’s bride, he sends her across worlds into the hands of a man bearing an uncanny resemblance to the tyrant King.

Dhornna= Familiar of a Witch that manifests from the Witches powers in the form of an animal. They speak only when they deem necessary.

~Prologue~

“Take this twice daily to increase your vitamin intake. You’re with a child, so it's important that you stay healthy for the baby as well. I know it does not taste to your liking, but you cannot keep ‘forgetting’ to take it just because you don’t like it.” Y/N hands the mother-to-be the herbal mix with a stern look as she walks her to the exit of the small clinic that has doubled as her’s and her Grandfather’s home for the last nearly 21 years. On Y/N’s first birthday, her parents were killed by bandits while traveling to visit a neighboring village. Her Grandfather then took her in to raise her in her parents stead, training her to become the amazing Witch she is today.

“Thank you so much, Y/N! I feel so much more at ease knowing that you’re here to help me through these trying times.” The woman, named Gailee, responds with absolute relief. She is only two years older than Y/N, but she is already married and expecting her third child. She turns to put down Y/N’s Cat Dhornna, Nolai, and grabs the medicine pouch from her hands.

“I’m glad that you find comfort in my care this time around as well,” Y/N smiles, “I can’t wait to meet this little one! Something tells me you’ll be getting that little girl you’ve wanted.” Y/N giggles at the older woman’s reaction, her eyes going wide with glee and excitement. Being a Witch ment Y/N’s gender predictions were always correct, so the woman knows there is truth to the statement.

“REALLY!” Gailee exclaims. “Oh thank the stars! My little Ramson and Lornick are so rambunctious! I was worried I would be stuck with another boy just like them! Now I’ll have a little girl who will be soft with me!” Gaile embraces Y/N with appreciation, then turns to stroke Nolai’s head, and leaves.

Y/N sighs as she closes the door behind the pregnant woman. She turns and looks at her Cat Dhornna with a small smile and asks him, “Do you think I’ll be married soon, Nolai?” The Dhornna simply blinks at his master and gives a small, uninterested meow. Y/N shakes her head at the Cat, not surprised by his response, and heads to the kitchen to begin preparing for dinner. 

Y/N is grinding up some herbs for the chicken when she hears her Grandfather coming in from the back garden. “I’m here in the kitchen, Gaba!” she calls out.

“How was the appointment?” he asks with a conversational tone, walking into the kitchen sink to clean the dirt off his arms.

“Gailee is doing great, and her baby is healthy also, you can feel her kick in there!” Y/N says with a small smile on her face. Her Grandfather watches her happily as she goes on about how soon the village will see the joy of yet another baby this year. He absolutely adores his Granddaughter, for she is all he has left. He watches the light of the setting Sunstar from the window play with her eyes, her unusually colored eyes, the only visible indication of how powerful a Witch she really is.

“You do such a great job, Y/N. I’m sure your parents are beaming with pride amongst the stars at how wonderfully you’ve grown.” He steps forward to embrace her. Y/N never knew her parents, but according to her Grandfather, they were very powerful Witches as well, and held great standing amongst the Witch community. Witches are not common but are well known, and villages often rely on the help of a Witch’s Gifts for crops, medicine, protection, and other favors they may be inclined to request, although some Witches powers can go above and beyond those capabilities. “I have received a letter from the Royal Circle to inform us that someone from the Circle will be visiting us tomorrow at evetime. I think they are coming here to seek you out to be part of the Witch Society.” he finishes before stepping back and placing his hands on Y/N’s shoulders with a distraught look on his face.

The Witch Society is a group of the seven most influential and powerful Witches in the Kingdom, assigned by the King when he is crowned. The current King, unfortunately, is a tyrant who finds enjoyment in taking lands for himself and killing anyone who denies him anything he wants. Despite knowing this, many Witches still covet the positions of the Witch Society. Y/N is not one who is willing to follow the malicious King, for she knows that the King is demanding that the Witches of the Society use their Gifts to practice in the Dark Spells. The Dark Spells are a dangerous thing to practice, and each Spell casted from the Dark Spells shortens a Witch's lifespan, if it doesn’t kill them right then. Which is why King Talmas is looking for his fourth replacement since the start of his reign eight years ago.

Y/N shakes her head in denial, defiance in her features, “No! I will never work for that nasty tyrant who is unworthy of being called King!” Y/N’s Grandfather knows she hates the idea of working for a man willing to hurt his own subjects for his own personal gain, but he still convinces her to be cordial with their guest for tomorrow evening. Even so, he already has an idea for if things go as bad as he had foreseen for tomorrow.

~

The next morning, Y/N and her Grandfather wake with the rising Sunstar, and begin to prepare for the expected guest to arrive. While Y/N leaves to get what will be needed for dinner, her Grandfather stays behind to “tidy up the clutter of their home”. What he is really doing is preparing for what he knows is to come. Y/N’s 22nd birthday is in only 89 days, and on that day, a truth will be revealed to her that will put into motion a grand change to their world. He knows that she will be mad at him for a while, but she will come to forgive him when she understands the necessity of his actions. 

Y/N’s Grandfather, Lessio, is a rarity amongst his kind, a male Witch. Of the small population in the Kingdom of Trysolia, only six percent are Witch, and of that six percent, less than about one percent is male. And Lessio’s son, Alstar, was also a Witch. Alstar fell in love with Y/N’s mother, Ailynn, another Witch, who possessed vast power and knowledge of Spells. The pairing was rare due to the sheer number of female Witches to the small number of male Witches, and most, like Lessio, married regular human women in hopes to increase the chances of a son, even a non-Gifted one. Lessio was one of the lucky few. As a result of the pairing, Y/N was born to become one of the most powerful Witches in history, although she has yet to fully come into her powers, Lessio knows it’s only a matter of time. So he knew this day was coming. The day when members of the Royal Circle would seek her out. Lessio tried his best to postpone this inevitable event by moving Y/N to the small village called Old Stone Village, on the outskirts of the Kingdom, and raising her incognito. Being a Foreseer Witch, he knew what was to come, just like with his son and daughter-in-law. But this time he wasn’t going to be too late.

Y/N arrives back from town with what she needs for dinner, and a light lunch for her and her Grandfather, a little before noontime. She calls her Grandfather to come in from the back entrance to eat. After eating, they finish up the house work and Y/N goes out to meet her best friend since they were toddlers. Ember is a Witch as well, her mother is Witch and her father a human.

“Y/N!” Ember calls out when she sees her approaching the makeshift shelter they made using the trees when they were eight. Truthfully, Y/N did most of the hard work, much to Ember’s disdain.

“Ember!” Y/N runs up to her friend, Nolai running ahead to greet Ember’s Rabbit Dhornna, Makil. Y/N always loves spending time with her only friend growing up. Being the only Witch children in the village, they could understand each other how no one else could. So many memories made here in the trees they grew together. They had used their Gifts to intertwine the branches together well above their heads and around them, to shield from the Sun and harsh weather. Y/N hugs her friend and stands back with a smile. “I brought some of the herbal fruit tea blend your mother loves. I know your parents anniversary is in a few days, so your mother can make this for your father.” Y/N finishes with a bright look in her eyes, handing her the large jar of ground up, dried herbs and fruits she pulled from her Storage Cloak. The Autumn weather is cold so both girls have on cloaks and fur boots over their lady pants.

“Oh, Y/N,” she giggles, “you’re always so thoughtful! I’m so thankful to have you as my friend!” Ember pulls Y/N in for another hug. The girls then walk into the shelter to sit and converse comfortably, while their Dhornnas play together.

“How are you enjoying working with children?” Y/N asks her friend. Ember began working in the school to help nurture the minds of the children by making learning more entertaining for them using Spells. It was an idea presented by Ember at the community meet earlier this year to improve the learning rate of the children who seemed to be having trouble focusing. Many of the community members agreed instantly, but a plan needed to be established on how to use Spells to aid in the learning process for the children.

“It's going great! Now that we finally got our plan into motion, we are seeing great results!” She beams.

“Our plan?” Y/N’s brow raises questionably at her friend.

“Oh. Um... Erinnek and myself. He’s a brilliant man with revolutionary ideas. We’ve been working hard to get this idea in motion and we’re both really proud!” Ember finishes quickly with a slight blush on her cheeks.

“Uh-huh. And could the reason my best friend is getting flustered over mentioning this ‘Erinnek’ man be because she has developed somewhat of a liking for said man?” Y/N asks, her voice going up in octaves at the end to taunt her friend. Ember’s violet eyes go wide, and her face and neck flush scarlet at the mention of her possible feelings towards the older man she has been working closely with these last several weeks. Ember blushing was always Y/N's favorite Ember face, because it always highlighted the freckles on her face, lighter in color now due to the Autumn season. Y/N always envied Ember her freckles.

“I’ve told you! It's not like that! I simply have a deep respect for his intellectual outlook on matters!” Y/N can’t help but laugh out at her friend's reaction, making her friend chant a quick Spell to send a brief gust of wind just strong enough to ruffle up Y/N’s long, silky tresses.

“Hey!” Y/N laughs, wordlessly returning the gesture in kind. Y/N’s Gifts advanced beyond needing to use a chant to cast Spells a few years back. An astonishing feat which few Witches accomplish, and it gathered the attention of some of the Witches from the neighboring villages.

Ember laughs, and asks, “Is there anyone you like, Y/N?”

Y/N stops to consider her friend’s question. As she thinks about it, she realises that she has never really developed that sort of relationship with anyone of the opposite sex. She was always so busy helping with the sick and tending to the lands with the villagers and helping her Grandfather with any crazy, new Spells he wanted to try. And of course training. Y/N was already very powerful by any standards, but her Grandfather always told her that she has so much more potential than even he could imagine. She went along with it, even though she thought he lost his mind while trying to count the stars.

“No.” Y/N finally answers after a few moments of silence had passed while she pondered her answer. “I haven’t really interacted with anyone in that manner so I can’t say that I see myself with anyone in that sort of setting.”

Ember watches her friend and feels sad for her that her life has not been her own. “Well, I’m sure there is some handsome man out there waiting to capture your heart, Y/N. Look at you! You’re Stunning!” Ember arms gesture towards her friend in a wordless attempt to help her see her beauty. Y/N is tall for their kind, but still small by normal human standards. Her curvy body is slim and toned in all the right places from the multiple jobs she takes on, working her body in different ways. She has long, thick, flowy hair that reaches her hips and frames her form wonderfully. She has beautifully shaped lips, and delicately arched brows set above striking and unusually colored eyes. Ember sometimes envied Y/N for her eyes.

Y/N lets out a snort. She was always told that she is beautiful, that she looks exactly like her mother but with different eyes. “We’ll see how your theory plays out after tonight.” Y/N then turns to her friend with a serious face, “Gaba received a letter yesterday informing him that we are to be welcoming members of the Royal Circle. It does not state specifically who we are to be expecting or for what reason they come, simply that they will be here this eve.” Y/N finishes when she sees the questioning look on her friend's face.

Ember inhales and exhales audibly. She knows her best friend’s views on how the Royal Circle is currently operating. And Y/N would rather take her own life than to be forced to work for the awful and selfish King. “What are you going to do?” she asks, “You can’t decline him. Everyone knows what happens when he is denied what he wants.”

Y/N hangs her head, her heart feeling heavy. “I don’t know.” she states, sounding slightly defeated. “I know of all the things he has done, but I fear what will happen to Gaba if I run away. He is too old to go on the run and go into hiding.”

Ember hugs her friend in an attempt to comfort her, her heart reaching out to her best friend. She cannot imagine the turmoil Y/N is feeling at this moment, nor did she envy her in this instant, for she shares Y/N’s views on the corrupt Members and their King.

Ember finally releases Y/N and looks her in the eye, “I’m absolutely positive that your Gaba has something planned so you don’t have to live that awful fate.” she states reassuringly, stroking back some of Y/N’s hair. “Your Grandfather cherishes you too much to allow you to burden yourself with the weight of someone else’s malicious will.” Y/N looks up and smiles at her friend. Before she has the chance to respond to her encouraging words, the sound of a horn pierces the early evening air, indicating that the members of the Royal Circle have arrived in the village.

“Well that’s my sign telling me to head home before the Members arrive at my door.” Y/N stands and readjusts her cloak around her. Ember stands up to embrace her friend, then it dawns on Y/N. “This may be the last time I see you for a while,” She whispers to her friend. Both their hearts clench in pain at the idea and they tighten the embrace.

Ember is the first to reluctantly break the hug. With teary eyes, she looks at the greatest friend in the world and says, “I don’t think so. You’ve been stuck with me for almost 20 years, you’re not getting rid of me that easily.” She attempts to laugh but it comes out as a soft sob.

Y/N strokes her friend’s cheek and smiles warmly. “I’m absolutely sure about that as well. You’re my Star Mate.” With that, the girls say their farewells and head to their respective homes. Y/N runs all the way and makes it in time for the Members to arrive.

Y/N and her Grandfather both wait in their front lawn walkway while the carriage comes to a complete stop and is prepared for the members of the Royal Circle to exit. While it is being prepared, a man on a black stallion rides up to them and dismounts.

“Where shall we store our horses?” the man asks Lessio. Y/N’s Grandfather guides the man and a few others with horses to the small stalls that housed your horse and Grandfather’s Horse Dhornna, Maize, and helps them get their animals situated and returns in just in time for the Announcer to make the introductions.

“Announcing the King of Trysolia, His Royal Highness Talmas!” the man in royal red announces as the King descends the steps of the coach. Y/N eyes widen at the announcer's words.

‘What is the King doing here himself? Just for me?’ Y/N thinks to herself. It was almost never heard of for the King to leave his castle. It's unnerving for Y/N to see the King here himself, and it is her first time meeting him. He is young, only having been 15 when he ascended the throne, and undoubtedly, very handsome, with thick, curly locks of dark hair styled back to reveal a strong brow over piercing, brown eyes. He has a sharp, prominent nose and full lips with a perfect Cupid’s bow. Y/N may have fallen for him based on looks alone if she wasn’t already aware of his horrid personality.

The King steps away from the coach to allow three other persons to exit, three women. The man in red announces that they were Members of the Witches Society, Y/N forgets their names as soon as they are spoken. She is too focused on trying to keep her mind from wondering and thinking up worst-case scenarios.

After the Announcer finishes the introductions of each person in the coach, Y/N’s Grandfather steps forward to speak, “Welcome, Your Highness. This is quite the unexpected visit, to what do we owe the honor?” Y/N’s Grandfather speaks the question circling her head as well.

“Well, I heard that there was an extremely powerful Witch living on the outskirts of my kingdom and decided to have a look myself.” he says in an irritably attractive voice. He turns his head toward Y/N and looks her up and down. “And I’m glad I did. This little Witch is quite stunning.” he finishes with a dimpled smirk that Y/N would’ve found attractive if it were not for the words that accompanied it or the man who wore it. “I see the tales I’ve heard about your eyes are true. Although seeing them for myself, I’m still in disbelief at how strikingly beautiful they are to behold. You must be a very powerful Witch indeed to have eyes this rare in color.” His voice laced with something Y/N could not identify.

Y/N clears her throat to speak, “Thank you. I have dinner prepared for you and your party if you would like to eat. I made duck with potatoes, carrots, and onions with an autumn themed sauce.” She tries her hardest to hide the discomfort the King gives her with his leering eyes.

“I would be more than honored to eat your home cooked meal. We have been on the road now for three days to reach this village. I’m sure our stomachs will be appreciative.” The King states. Y/N nods and ushers the King and his entourage into her small home followed by her Grandfather.

Y/N’s Grandfather allows for the King to take his seat at the head of the table and takes the one on the other end. His party takes seats around the table, a guard on either side of the King, two of the females on one side and the other on the other side. Y/N is thankful that there is enough seating, with eight people to seat, one more person and someone would be stuck standing while eating. Y/N takes the duck and vegetables out to the table and goes back for the bread rolls and chilled tea she made earlier that day, then takes her seat on her Grandfather’s right. After dinner, the King requests that the business they came for be conducted in the sitting room. Everyone follows Y/N’s Grandfather out of the dining hall and into the sitting room. 

Once everyone is seated, one of the members of the Witch Society begins to explain their reasoning for their visit so far out from the comforts of the capitol. “We came here today to recruit Y/N into the Witch Society. We’ve heard many stories about what she has accomplished and, knowing her lineage, we know she would make a great addition to the Society in serving the King to better our Kingdom.”

“How would you know if I would be a great addition if you are not even certain of what Gifts I possess? For all you know, I could simply be able to communicate with animals or make plants grow.” Y/N states with purpose, her stubborn streak showing. “And in what ways, pray tell, are you and the King improving our kingdom? By denying the people the medicine that they need? By demanding they turn over all their crops and animals and leaving them starving through the winter?” Y/N finishes with heavy sarcasm lacing her tone and a fake smile on her face.

The King simply smiles at Y/N’s display at stubbornness, seeing it as a challenge he will gladly accept. “Y/N, I’m simply doing what I see fit to make sure my kingdom profits.” he states nonchalantly, like he is making a comment on the weather, then adds with more interest, “Plus, anyone could tell just by looking at the unusual color of your eyes that you’re no ordinary Witch, but one who possesses tremendous power. And I fully intend on having you as part of the Society,” King Talmas smirks upon seeing Y/N’s glare fully focus on him, “or as my wife.” he adds before she can respond, chuckling when her expression changes to one of complete shock.

“Your Highness, is that an offer?” one of the Members asks, a hint of disappointment in her tone.

“Oh, I never say what I don’t mean and always want what I say, especially on my birthday.” King Talmas says, his eyes never leaving Y/N’s face as she throws mental daggers at him. “The Kingdom doesn’t have a Queen, why shouldn’t it be a powerful Witch like Y/N? With a Witch like you by my side, I could expand my rule beyond the current borders with little resistance. And you could help me further by expanding my life span.” He finishes with a cocky tone.

“I do believe I will have to decline your offer. I have no interest in being a member of your corrupt Witch Society, nor do I desire to be married to a tyrant that plays with the well being of his people for his own personal gain. And lastly, I will not allow you to stay in my home and continue to speak to me as though I am an object to be used at your disposal. So I suggest you leave while I am asking kindly.” Y/N manages to maintain a steady tone despite her inner fury.

Everyone in the room is taken aback at Y/N tone towards the King. There are murmured responses from the other guest like “Is she stupid?” or “The audacity to deny the King in such a manner!”

The King narrows his eyes at Y/N, clenching his jaw and flexing it to show his distaste with her response. “Very well. I have no second thoughts on doing this the hard way. Forcing you should be easy enough. Take her.” the King demands of the guards.

Before they can complete their first step toward Y/N, her Grandfather casts a Spell to bring everyone in the room to a stand still to buy time to get his granddaughter out of there. “Hurry, Y/N! It won't take long for the Members to break the Spell and come after us!” He grabs her arm and leads her out the back door, Nolai following close behind. Lessio is one of the other few Witches of their time that is able to cast Spells without the use of a chant.

“Gaba? Where are we going?” Y/N questions when she sees her Grandfather leading them into the woods. The cold air makes their breaths visible in the waning light of the LunarEarth. Y/N is thankful she remembered to grab her Cloak before being led out the back door.

“Just trust me, Y/N. I’ve planned for this.” is all he responds. Y/N is slightly shocked at his response but doesn’t press further while he leads her through the woods. They walk for several minutes before coming to a clearing. The clearing seems to have an odd pattern at the center of it. “Take this book.” Lessio hands her a large book wrapped in elk skin. Y/N’s eyes widen when she realizes that it is his Grimoire. “Please stand in the center of the clearing, and grab your Dhornna.” Y/N places the Grimoire in her Storage Cloak and does as he asks. Picking up Nolai, she quickly walks to the center of the odd patterns. As she walks through, she attempts to make out the patterns she sees on the ground, but in all her studies, she’s never seen this combination.

Once at the center, she turns to face her Grandfather. As soon as she makes eye contact with his steel grey eyes, he puts up a barrier around her to keep her there. 

“What?!” Y/N exclaims, reaching her hand out towards the barrier, only to have it push her hand back. “What are you doing, Gaba? I’m scared!”

“I’m sorry, Y/N!” her Grandfather calls from the edge of the circular pattern, “I have to do this. This is the only way I can protect you and put you on the right path. I’ve always known you were destined for great and amazing things, but not here while that tyrant is after you. I hope you know I’ll always love you.”

Y/N eyes begin tearing up as realization dawns on her. He is sending her away. Away from her home, from her friends, from her life, and, worst of all, from him. Her only living kin. The one person she could always rely on. She fights back her tears and asks, “Where are you sending me to?”

Her Grandfather shakes his head, “I cannot say, only two people have travelled there before but didn’t live to tell of what was there. But I know I'm sending you to someone I know can help you.” Before Y/N could ask more questions, they heard the voices of the guards and Members approaching them. “We’re out of time! I’m going to begin the Spell!” Her Grandfather begins the Spell and light starts to come out of the patterns, which, unfortunately, helps lead the King and his entourage to find them.

“HERE THEY ARE!” One of the guards shouts. Soon the whole squad is surrounding them, followed by the Members and, lastly, the King.

“Thought you could get away did you, little Witch?” the King says with disdain in his voice. “You’re not being as obedient as I had originally hoped you’d be, but that's fine, I like a challenge.” King Talmas then instructs the head of the guard to command them to shoot down Y/N’s Grandfather.

Y/N sees the guards all raise their bows with arrows and aim them towards her Grandfather. “NO!” she exclaims, then wordlessly casts a protection barrier around her Grandfather, just in time to deflect the arrows already flying at him. “Gaba, let down the barrier! I’ll go with him!” Lessio ignores her and continues the Spell, even as arrows hit the barrier Y/N has up. “GABA! DON’T! HE’LL KILL YOU! I WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!” Y/N shouts out, tears beginning to overflow freely. The pattern begins to glow brighter, indicating that the Spell has been initiated.

Lessio turns to his beloved Granddaughter to look at her one last time, giving her a smile filled with all the love and warmth he holds for her, “I will always love you, Y/N. I’m proud of who you have become. And I know you’ll change the world.” Y/N feels her barrier falter as the Spell begins to pull her away, giving out just before it can stop an arrow from hitting her Grandfather in the chest. The Spell finally pulls her through with great force, but not before she witnesses two more arrows hit her beloved Grandfather.

“NO! GABA!” Y/N yells just as everything goes black.

Only a brief moment passes before Y/N feels her body thrown down onto a hard surface, it gives out and collapses beneath her, causing her body to hit another surface just as hard. Y/N groans and sits up, rubbing her backside. She opens her eyes to be met with eight curious faces staring at her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Hi! I really hope you all enjoyed this Prologue to my first fanfic! There is so much more to look forward to, so I hope you all stay until the end!

#witch au #supernatural au #stray kids #stray kids bang chan #stray kids changbin #stray kids hwang hyunjin #stray kids lee minho #stray kids lee felix #stray kids han jisung #stray kids yang jeongin #stray kids kim seungmin #stray kids imagines #skz

[militant-holy-knight]

American Founder and second U.S. president John Adams once extolled his era. Some called it The Age of Reason. It was a time in which people were beginning to know more about their world than they ever had before. Knowledge was increasing at an exponential rate, and this filled the air with excitement. The Old World – Christendom, led by the Catholic Church – was on its way out. The Enlightenment was well underway to shape the West forever. Adams, a Unitarian, was greatly pleased that men would be able to lead their lives and their own society on the basis of their own conscience.

He then less than halfway joked that, just maybe, something bad might arise from the movement of his day:

“The world grows more enlightened. Knowledge is more equally diffused. Newspapers, magazines, and circulating libraries have made mankind wiser. Titles and distinctions, ranks and orders, parade and ceremony, are all going out of fashion. This is roundly and frequently asserted in the streets, and sometimes on theatres of higher rank. Some truth there is in it; and if the opportunity were temperately improved, to the reformation of abuses, the rectification of errors, and the dissipation of pernicious prejudices, a great advantage it might be. But, on the other hand, false inferences may be drawn from it, which may make mankind wish for the age of dragons, giants, and fairies.”

Indeed, a great many false inferences were drawn from the Enlightenment. This period in history, which shaped America herself, started a downward spiral for the West that appears to have no end. Adams was right. In spite of himself and everything he achieved for the United States, times have definitely grown darker, and the cause for our empire’s downfall can be traced to its own blueprints.

As a result, the people in our day have a great need for escape. Over two centuries later, men find themselves at odds in a hateful world ruled by principalities and powers that are insurmountable. The people have been force-fed “the progress of civilization.” So now there are vast entertainment industries that produce escapist literature, film, music, and games to help people flee from the madness of their overlords. Over the centuries, they’ve carried the label of Romantics, Decadents, Symbolists, Counter-Culturists – they all run from the oppressive boot that shoves them onward to a destiny they didn’t ask for. They seek to escape from forced rationalism into something mystical.

Our Imaginations Must Be Free, Not Trapped

The mind can tolerate a wasteland for only so long. Men require a pilgrimage and retreat. Otherwise, one settles for vice and debasement. Experiencing wonder is necessary for a mature mind. It is not enough to be raised in a plain fashion, learning good moral habits to live by as if it’s all a simple matter of hygiene. Becoming a lawyer for “what’s good and what’s bad” does not securely instill the Faith in children, who, above all, are in the business of make-believe. No, we must leave the districts and subdivisions gerrymandered in our brains. We must fly above the rooftops from our suburban bobo communities. We’ve got to run for our lives into something fresh, new, and perhaps even dangerous:

“At first they had passed through hobbit-lands, a wide respectable country inhabited by decent folk, with good roads, an inn or two, and now and then a dwarf or a farmer ambling by on business. Then they came to lands where people spoke strangely, and sang songs Bilbo had never heard before. Now they had gone on far into the Lone-lands, where there were no people left, no inns, and the roads grew steadily worse. Not far ahead were dreary hills, rising higher and higher, dark with trees. On some of them were old castles with an evil look, as if they had been built by wicked people. Everything seemed gloomy, for the weather that day had taken a nasty turn. Mostly it had been as good as May can be, can be, even in merry tales, but now it was cold and wet. In the Lone-lands they had been obliged to camp when they could, but at least it had been dry.”

–From The Hobbit

Perhaps it is true that people are considered respectable when they “never have adventures or do anything unexpected.” Maybe it is true that the majority of people value someone who never breaks a taboo and can be counted on to be consistent and predictable. And, after all, even Puritan-loving John Adams will tell you that obscure men are hardly ever honored. Conformity and monotony are what the world tells you it wants. But this mode of dry, uninspiring, Dudley-Do-Right, unimaginative thinking is like planting seeds in depleted soil:

“[T]he seminal ideas of Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, St. Thomas, only properly grow in an imaginative ground saturated with fables, fairy tales, stories, rhymes, romances, adventures–the thousand good books of Grimm, Andersen, Stevenson, Dickens, Scott, Dumas and the rest. Western tradition, taking all that was the best of the Greco-Roman world into itself, has given us a culture in which the Faith properly grows; and since the conversion of Constantine that culture has become Christian. It is the seedbed of intelligence and will, the ground for all studies in the arts and sciences, including theology, without which they are inhumane and destructive. The brutal athlete and the aesthetic fop suffer vices opposed to the virtues of what Newman called the “gentleman.” Anyone working in any art or science, whether “pure” or “practical,” will discover he has made a quantum leap when he gets even a small amount of cultural ground under him; he will grow like an undernourished plant suddenly fertilized and watered.”

–Ryan Topping, Renewing the Mind

There has been a war against fantasy, a war against wonder. And yet, those who wonder and philosophize are superior to those who despair cluelessly. And only someone who does not know everything has the capability to wonder. Therefore, what better place is there to explore than fantasy? The realm of fantasy is a place accessible to all, and as it is ever changing, we can never hope to know everything about it. The Land of Faerie, as Tolkien called it, transports and uplifts us. It renews us. It waters the soil of our minds, and it serves as a much needed respite from the godless demands of the world.

Fantasy’s Ultimate Effect

John Adams ridiculed imagination. He joked that Shakespeare could have been an electioneering agent. In his view, “superstition, prejudices, passions, fancies, and senses” were weaknesses to be manipulated, preventing you from ever having what he considered liberty. Adams believed that fantastical thinking was forced upon the West in order to control the people. This is all a grievous error. “For God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

It is the imagination that enables us to survive in today’s wicked world. We have a sense of wonder that rationalists like Adams cannot understand. This sense of wonder is what prepares us for understanding the wider world and what it means. The vast majority of people who fall away from the Faith or refuse to consider it lack wonder. As a result, you have a large portion of people in the West who fall into hedonism. They try to numb their own senses as they struggle to follow the crowd – as though they were swimming among a school of fish.

“Fantasy, horror, and science fiction, apart from allowing an author to comment on things in a way he normally could not in mainstream writing (so much of which is garbage anyway) – it breeds a sense of wonder. And ladies and gentlemen, if you do not have a sense of wonder, you cannot really understand the Catholic faith. You’ll just be ‘Oh well, the bread and wine turn into the body and blood of Christ.’ You may actually believe that, but if you don’t have a sense of wonder?

“Listen, ladies and gentlemen, what is more amazing? The idea that with a wand I could wave, everything would start dancing around the room? Or that Christ Himself comes down onto the altar and becomes bread and wine that we are able to receive into ourselves? Which is more wondrous?

“If I already have a sense of wonder, then I can look at this incredible gift that God has given us. And the fact [is] that every single Mass that has ever been, or ever will be, or is being said at this moment across the globe is one with every other – and with the Crucifixion, and with the Last Supper. That’s astonishing. That’s absolutely amazing. And I have a sense of wonder that prepared me for that – to make it go from a mere set of things I learned in school and home to being a living reality that dominates my life. …

“[U]nless we approach our faith with that wondrous quality, it will grow old and tired. That is not a fault of the Faith. That’s our fault.”

–Charles Coulombe, “Off the Menu,” July 16, 2018

Being good “to be good” is not enough. John Adams thought so, but his Puritanical sensibility was mistaken. Man lives his life on a quest. He is not meant to run from his imagination and all that is mystical. He is meant to explore with awe and curiosity. His heart is meant to be lifted, not shackled.

A strange and exciting land lies before man when it comes to fantasy. We go to that place because it presages the Land Beyond we all hope to emigrate to, Heaven itself. “And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them, and said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:2-3).

#Christianity #catholic #catholicism #advice

[thelastpilot]

The Monster in the Room- Chapter 13

Okay holy crud, I capped it at just below 16k. I was GOING to do everything all at once but decided against it, so believe it or not this is actually cut in half. I hope its okay, I had to do a lot of work shopping but hopefully it hits the right notes. Let me know what you think! 

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9 , Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12

“Okay, everything seems to be in order then. Please remember what I’ve asked, you and your friends are welcome to the campus but please don’t go causing any trouble. Remember that this is still a school, alright?”

Ms. Bustier folded her arms in an attempt to be serious but she couldn’t help the smile on her face, her tone far from scathing. She just couldn’t manage it as she looked down on her newest and most in-need student, practically glowing with relief to see him standing readily out in the open with his tail thumping steadily on the tile. Even as she spoke he scrabbled a little in place impatiently, something almost like a wolfish smile on his face as she looked over the last of what she had brought him.

A positively derelict television was left in the corner on an equally as dated cart that still moved easily enough. She was mostly unfamiliar with human technology but had used and experimented with some of their simpler contraptions out of curiosity before. She had a great long-standing appreciation for the complexity of human story-telling and their recorded programs were among her favorites, even if she always did struggle to get them working. She was hoping Marinette would be able to live up to her promise to oversee all the more intricate needs of their proposed ‘movie night’, trusting her to see to it that it all went smoothly.

She was glad the empathic witch was not there in a moment to detect the slight worry that rattled through her, knowing that the children would be alone for the night.

Really there was no threat… the moon was ages away and the children were all capable of critical thinking and self-defense, not that any of them would need it of course but…

She shook her head a little, attempting to rid herself of her anxieties and just be happy for them all that they were boldly making progress in the earnest, open way that children do. If any of the other teachers found out that she had allowed this… she wasn’t sure what would happen. She had refused to admit to the children at the time that no one else would have ever let this happen, siteing a thousand ways it could go poorly and how the school would be held liable for anything that took place.

In truth… Ms. Bustier had broken perhaps a dozen very serious regulations in the way that she cared for Nino. If her superiors discovered even a single thread of what she had waved or overlooked then she wasn’t sure Mr. Damocles could or would protect her in the slightest. Perhaps he’d sympathize with her decisions, surely no one would morally disagree, but that didn’t mean that it was sanctioned or supported. If her peers were simply turning a blind eye then she was grateful, but she had urged the students not to advertise their intentions regardless.

She would take all responsibility, in the event of an incident.

The cervitaur took a deep breath as she quickly overlooked the extra mats and blankets taken from the abandoned nurses office on site. They were far from perfect, but hopefully no one would mind too much.

When she was satisfied she looked back to Nino to see him nod, standing and crossing over to her to nudge her foreleg gently in a gesture she was sure meant ‘thank you’. She leaned down to press the weight of her hand on the space between his ears as an approximation of the gesture in return, glad to see his eyes close in contentment instead of seeming uncomfortable with it like he might have been a week ago. He really was coming so far… and her decision to allow the sleepover in hopes that it would help him seemed suddenly all the stronger.

She knew she was doing the right thing here.

“If that’s everything you need from me I should probably be leaving then, don’t want to ‘cramp your style’ or anything like that,” she giggled a little at herself, laughing again as Carter reappeared from his scouting mission out in the hallway and demanded her affection before she left. The wolf rolled his eyes, but whether it was at what she had said or Carter’s eager dance on his hind legs she wasn’t sure. “Remember,” she reiterated, “don’t leave campus, don’t make a mess, and don’t be too loud. You’re all pretty far from the other live-in students but if you all decide to wander around then I don’t want a noise complaint, it would leave me with a lot of explaining to do. Oh and if there’s an emergency-,”

Despite the wolf’s uncharacteristic good mood Nino finally groaned, sighing as audibly as possible and interrupting her.

“Okay okay fine I get it, I’ll leave you to it, but please remember to reach out to me if you need me. I taught you how remember? The others can do it for you too.”

Nino groaned again, nodding moodily… but he didn’t fool her. Despite his increasing range of comfort with his new form he still hadn’t gotten the hang of controlling when his tail was wagging, always managing to give himself away.

Madame Bustier took a moment, and smiled. She nodded once and said, “Alright then, I hope you have fun Nino I really do. I know it will be great, I hope to hear all about it on Monday so please enjoy your weekend, alright?”

He barked at that and jumped forward, nudging Carter out of the way and sending him skittering backwards a little so he could lean his full weight into her legs. His weight and strength forced her to shift her footing but she knew to interpret this as both a friendly gesture and as a goodbye, until next time. She returned it as best as she could and said her final goodbye, holding her hope in her heart as she went.

  Nino watched Ms. B as she left, relishing in the surge of gratefulness he always felt in her presence and prayed that he had been able to communicate how much he appreciated her while also having a little bit of a back and forth. He still hadn’t gotten to a place where he could communicate in this form the way Alya did, but regardless he was still leagues better at expressing himself then he had been a week ago. The animalistic body language and motions were still stiff and awkward but… it was coming more naturally to him by this point. It wasn’t so repulsive to indulge at least, and it made him more easily understood.

Friday had come again and it found Nino in a much better place then the last one had. He wasn’t… perfect. He honestly wouldn’t even go so far as to say good but… it was Friday. The only real major change his mood had undergone was the fact that he was looking forward to something, which was a new development in his numb, ambling routine. Poor Carter was going mad from sheer boredom and lack of exercise, but as always he was faultlessly patient. Well mostly faultless, he did complain a little but it wasn’t something he blamed Nino for, he genuinely considered the circumstances and Nino’s condition to be completely unrelated things.

But Nino was going to make it up to him, tonight. He had made up his mind as soon as his friends had started to make plans, Adrien having been eager to run back to him after school on Wednesday to tell him that their ideas had been approved. Nino knew that they probably wouldn’t mind playing with Carter if he asked them too, and that maybe this sleepover could be something for Carter to look forward to as well, not that the Shepherd needed any prompting. Even after Ms. B had left Carter was energetically pacing the room, zipping back and forth to sniff all the new cushions.

‘Gross!’ he proclaimed, sneezing at one of the bigger ones but sounding pretty happy about it for whatever reason, just glad for some new stimuli maybe. Nino felt a wave of guilt at that, but shook it off, trotting over himself to investigate a little.

‘Yikes, these do smell really bad… I hope they won’t be able to tell. Is there anything we can do to make it better you think?’

‘We can do this,’ Carter stated, climbing onto it and getting nice and settled before leaning down to start rubbing his face all over it.

He was already on his back rolling around on the sterile, chemical smelling cushion before Nino could say anything, the wolf barking out a laugh as he charged forward to push Carter off of it.

‘Dog smell is not a better smell!’ he growled playfully, laughing again as Carter wiggled out from underneath him to finish what he started. Nino shoved him off at least twice more before giving up, shaking his head as Carter got good and committed to rubbing dog hair over literally everything. ‘Ah yes… thank you Carter.’

‘I’m here to help.’

‘Thanks buddy.’

‘Is the cat coming? Where will he sit?’

Nino paused, looking down his muzzle to glare slightly at the mischievous looking dog, perched readily above the largest of the cushions.

‘…I don’t know what you’re gonna do with that information, so I’m not going to give it to you.’

‘I’ll wait then.’

Nino gave him a solid warning glare but his dog seemed unperturbed, tail wagging happily as he jumped from spot to spot trying to pick his favorite. After a moment Nino huffed, sitting in place and hoping that Adrien would have a good sense of humor about whatever antics Carter might indulge in over the course of the night.

School had ended about three hours ago, the massive crowd of weird and wicked leaving to wherever it is they all went when the bell dismissed them. Nino had gotten used to passing the time by sticking his head out in the gap in the door, listening to the school as it swelled and bowed and quieted, until he was seemingly alone again with his dog. This time however he was listening for something slightly different, hoping to pick out the footsteps of his friends before too much more time passed away.

Adrien was the only one who had stopped by briefly before running home, checking in to let him know that everyone would be back in a few hours after they picked up some things. They couldn’t bring all their stuff to school without people asking a lot of questions, so for his sake they decided to be subtle about the whole thing. Still though he had hoped that Marinette might arrive first, since she apparently lived very nearby. He wasn’t sure what they would do on their own but… he would try and encourage her to talk so he could listen, as was usually his method when Adrien came by himself. For the thousandth time since Wednesday it occurred to him again that he really wasn’t sure how this was going to go, knowing he was going to be slightly on the outside just because he couldn’t speak as easily as they could. Still though… if they had fun and he was allowed to sit and listen then that would be nice too.

He sank into himself a little as he continued to reflect, and he settled down to wait. He had been fending off his nerves all day and was genuinely really trying to just be excited and not worry about anything at all. What was the worst that would happen? He had spent enough time in this form to know that he wasn’t going to lash out at anyone and hurt them, not unless something entirely new overcame him. And if that were to happen, what could he possibly do regardless? No… it was comforting to him that the idea seemed paranoid, even considering the circumstance. No, it was much more likely that a dark mood would overtake him rather than anything else, and his friends had taken great pains to assure him that if that were to happen that he had every permission in the world to excuse himself. No one was expecting miracles or leaps and bounds. No one was trying to fix something that couldn’t be fixed. They just wanted to spend time getting to know him as best as they could… and he wanted to give them something to know. Something other than this…

Something to know him by. That was all.

He sighed deeply, pushing out the huge huff of air and using it as a physical que to get over himself. He promised he wasn’t going to ruin it, so he needed to keep it together.

 He jumped a little when Carter unexpectedly slumped down next to him, the Shepard rolling into his side and sighing a little as well if only because it seemed like the thing they were doing right now. Carter rolled his eyes up to look at him to check that yes indeed this is what we’re doing right now, just to make sure, and the action made Nino chuckle a little despite his swelling of nerves.

‘How are we doing?’ Carter asked him gently, rolling his head a little to make eye contact a bit easier and looking pretty adorable in the process.

‘I’m a bit nervous for my new friends to come over,’ Nino admitted after a while, deciding to be honest. ‘I’m not sure how it’s going to go…’

‘It’s okay! I’m here. And the fox and the girl and the cat will be here soon. Does that make you nervous?’

Nino considered the question, not sure how to phrase it in a way that Carter would understand and still trying to keep an ear out for their approach. It wouldn’t be too long now.

‘I just…,’ Nino laid his head down on the ground. ‘I want them to like me. I want them to know me a little better and I don’t know how to do that.’

‘I can help! I know a lot of things about you, the things that matter. I can tell them, if you want. But I think they already know.’

Nino paused, rolling his own head to the side to look at Carter after a moment. He felt that familiar fondness for his dog creeping up on him again and he couldn’t help it as his tail wagged just a little.

‘Oh yeah? What kinds of things.’

‘The important things. You like the rain and staying up late, and food that makes me sneeze. You don’t like it when I get your bed wet but you never get too mad even if you pretend to be. You’re good and kind and lonely, and you let me help even if I don’t know how. You try really hard. And you’re very brave.’

Carter’s own tail was thumping as he looked at his boy, muzzle parted in a happy grin while relaying his list. He had many more things he could think of, but he was trying to think of the most important ones that his new friends might need to know if they didn’t already.

The wolf was staring at him in shock, something undeniably soft present in his eyes.

‘You laugh a lot! And you’re laughing more, again. You take care of me even when you don’t feel well and you try and make other people happy even when you’re not very happy-,’

‘Carter…’

‘You share your food and keep me safe, you like cats which is fine. You like me more, which is good-‘

‘Carter, stop. I can’t handle it when you do this.’

The dog made to speak again but Nino elected instead to roll on top of him, squishing him down in a desperate attempt to get him to stop. Carter yipped in surprised and started trying to wiggle his way out but Nino effortlessly prevented it, looking down at him and quickly stooping his head to nudge him gently. He took the time to say what he should always say more.

‘I love you. You know that right?’

Carter paused instantly in his struggle, seeming to consider the question for a moment from his position at the bottom of the dog pile.

‘… of course I know that!’ The Shepherd barked and leapt back into his struggle with earnest, seemingly outraged at the suggestion that he didn’t and Nino pretended to be thrown by it, when in reality the canine didn’t stand a chance against him. Nino allowed himself to be pinned instead by an indignant Carter, who stood over him to say. ‘I love you! You know that right?’

‘Of course I know buddy. I know.’

‘I love you!’ he reiterated, just to be sure. ‘So don’t be nervous, alright? I know you and I love you. And they’ll know you and they’ll love you too. And maybe you’ll get to know them too. Or maybe not. It’s just one night, they’ll come back for lunch and you can try then too.’

Nino let out a breath he had been holding, focusing on what his dog was saying and letting it fill him with warmth, nodding his head awkwardly after a moment in an attempt to curb his unease. Carter was right, he was usually at least sort of right… it was just one night. He couldn’t put the weight of the world on one night in, he had more time… so long as they kept coming by and he kept up the strength to go and meet them.

That was something that kept popping up, something in his darkest moments he had distantly been resigned to never feeling again.

Just a vague kind of assurance that there was some sort of future out there. Something even small to look forward to. Like lunch or friends, or school. It was okay to feel scared and hopeless now… maybe it would be better soon.

He just had to keep moving forward to find out.

 Carter looked like he was going to keep on with his list of important things given the opportunity when he abruptly became aware of Nino’s distraction, the wolf angling towards the door and growing still in a way that Carter knew to copy as soon as he saw it.

Sure enough, his boy had heard something he hadn’t right away.

‘I think that’s them, off boy!’ Nino said in a hurry, shooing Carter off of him and scrambling to his feet. Nino gave himself a quick and nervous shake, trying to dislodge some of the dust from his fur. He fussed for a second, trying to sort out how many of them there were and focusing on the sound.

It was easiest to sort out their voices, still indistinct and far away but they all had different tones. Adrien was the easiest to separate quickly, and Marinette’s high bouncing words second. Alya didn’t seem to be speaking much in that exact second, but the moment she spoke up at all her more alto oriented range was clear to him, directly in the middle.

He couldn’t help that his tail was wagging, his anxious discomfort surprisingly not enough to quell his eagerness, in the moment. His room was unpleasant and the cushions were… kind of a mess and sure it was about as dusty and crappy as always in here but… his tail slowed, just a little, embarrassment taking its place in his mind. As they got closer the feeling grew, and he hung his head a little as he absorbed his poor attempt at having tried to be ready for them. But after a moment he shook his head again, letting the shake spread through his whole body once more and stood firmly on his paws, forcing himself to hold his head high.

He was going to have a sleepover. He was going to watch a movie with his friends and he was going to have fun doing it, and nobody not even himself was going to ruin it. He let his natural born stubbornness burn in his chest and stood with as much power as he could muster, facing the door and prepared for it. And although Carter would never say it to him for fear that it might upset him somehow, in that moment Nino looked very much like a wolf.

And his dog was very proud of the boy he knew was inside.

 Nino and Carter waited together in the middle of the room as their friends finally arrived, the trio still chatting amongst themselves as Adrien knocked on the door politely, calling out ahead.

“Nino! It’s us, we’re gonna come in okay?”

Adrien waited a beat for a deep bark to answer, and when it did he stepped inside with the biggest smile he could offer, barely managing to hold on to all the stuff he had in his arms.

Nino perked up in instant curiosity, looking away for a moment as Alya came in second bearing a box full of something (food, he imagined, based on the smell) and Marinette came in third, seemingly holding nothing.

Marinette actually had less on her than she normally would have, her bag she used for school presumably left at home and only a very small clutch bag hanging on her side. Despite its miniscule size however, she seemed to be struggling with it, flashing Nino a somewhat strained yet warm smile as she hefted it onto one of their dragged out desks they often sat in. The thunk it made on the desktop seemed ridiculously out of place, and it took Adrien running up to him to finally distract him from the oddity.

“Hey man! Sorry we took so long, I was the one who was taking forever and then Marinette and Alya were waiting for me cause I said I’d be right there and- uh, sorry,” Adrien cut off his rambling awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly as if he really had something to apologize for. Adrien knelt down next to him to be more on his level, laying a hand on Nino’s back as he said it and starting in surprise when the massive animal leaned into him, abruptly turning the motion into a hug of sorts. Adrien was shocked by the sudden affection, but rushed to reciprocate as quickly as he could, a laugh slipping out as he wrapped his arms around the creature and ruffled the fur slightly, reassured by the wolf’s wagging tail.

Adrien figured he could safely take that as an apology accepted, and he was beaming when he stood up again.

“I brought a bunch of blankets from home and some stuff for myself, and also a few other things I thought you might think are cool!” he continued brightly, gesturing to the big ball of stuff he had dropped unceremoniously off to the side, too eager to greet his friend to find a proper place for it just yet. Nino started to head over towards it to investigate, but suddenly remembered his manners and turned back to face his other friends.

Alya was standing near her preferred lunch desk with her box of assorted things left discarded on its tabletop, the kitsune too distracted by Carter’s energetic greeting to unpack it. The Shepherd was bouncing around Marinette’s legs, woofing at her happily as she stooped down to return his enthusiasm. Even as she did though she looked over Carter’s shoulder and made eye contact with Nino, laughing as she battled the dog just to say “Hello Nino! Sorry we’re- oh Carter PLEASE- sorry we’re a little behind! It took me forever to pack up everything I wanted to bring.”

“Girl seriously you’ve practically got a whole building in there,” Alya spoke up. “I TOLD you you didn’t need all that! You could literally just go home for anything you forgot anyways!”

“I had a lot I wanted to bring!” Marinette defended herself, about to say something more before Carter knocked her off balance, sending her sprawling on her back in a fit of giggles.

Alya burst into laughter at that but tried to smother her budding laughter, chuckling as she turned at gave Nino a friendly wave. “Hey Nino, I was on time, for the record, I was just trying to get this menagerie moving.”

In one motion she put her hands on the desk in front of her and seemed to sort of leap, forcing herself up and shifting forms as she did it. Her hands shifted instantly into paws and she was suddenly a fox vaulting clear over the box and the desk and landing agilely in front of him, her two tails swishing out behind her and swaying in greeting.

He reacted this this naturally and lowered his head to her level, tail wagging happily as she sauntered up to him, unafraid of their difference in size. She prodded him once with her angled snout and headbutted his chin and he reciprocated as best as he could without squishing her, the actions making him happy in that weird, unfamiliar way that some things did.

He first felt it when Ms. B had found him in the alleyway, the teacher able to use her body language to get something across to him that he might not have understood normally. And he felt it again, much more potently in Mr. Damocles’ office when he mimicked Nino’s instinctual bow of respect. Every once in a while, there was just a movement or a gesture that appealed directly to this other part of him and though at first it brought him a lot of discomfort Alya had been carefully working with him throughout the week to not mind those things so much. She triggered those odd animalistic responses all the time from him, and he was slowly starting to get used to it.

‘Hi Alya,’ he said finally, though it wasn’t needed. ‘Thanks for coming, sorry the rooms sort of-,’

‘Your rooms fine,’ Alya quickly interrupted him, opening her muzzle in that big foxy grin. ‘It’s gonna be something else by the time Marinette’s through with it, seriously you’ve got no idea how much stuff she’s got in her bag.’

Nino paused, titling his head before looking up at the clutch that had confused him before. ‘Does she have a different bag? Or just that one? Cause uh, that one’s tiny. And heavy I guess.’

He looked down when the fox visibly brightened, the creature running off towards Marinette and laughing out loud. Before Nino could ask Marinette was suddenly struggling to her feet, passing Carter off to the kitsune that came to say hi.

She ran her hands over her dress in an attempt to straighten it out a little as she laughed, putting a hand out towards Nino who gladly came towards her. When he did she placed her hand flat on his head and looked him in the eye, patting her bag with her free hand as she smiled.

“Okay! We’re all here finally so first things first! This is gonna take the most work so I wanted to start right away, if that’s okay with you Nino.” She beamed at him sweetly and he swore you could just feel the kindness that radiated off of her sometimes. She only looked away to open her bag, reaching into it as she continued to talk and ignoring the fact that Nino was openly gaping at her as she did.

Marinette was still leaning into it as she talked excitedly about her ideas, her entire arm lost inside this completely tiny completely ordinary looking bag, and Nino was suddenly reminded that oh yeah. This girl was a witch. He only just remembered.

“So! I know how much you hate your room and how it’s not the most accommodating place ever. It’s fine really, but it can be better and much more comfortable I bet! So I asked my mom about it and she was saying that the first thing to do was to get to cleaning it and then start working with the space! Soooo- oh where is it- ah yes!”

She seemed to struggle with something for a second before getting a grip on whatever it was inside, holding the brim of the bag with one hand as she pulled out the very beginnings of what looked like a long wooden stick.

Nino scrambled backwards and watched in awe (very aware of the fact that Alya was openly laughing at him) as Marinette pulled out an entire broom from her clutch bag, leaning it against the seat and immediately reaching back in for something else, producing what looked like a purple velvet bag and then finally a little duster, attached with its own little purple velvet bag.

Aside from the glamours he had seen and the enchantments around the school, this was the first example of actual magic he had seen up close. Like not the spooky supernatural kind with monsters and beasts, just the sort of…

Mary Poppin’s kind.

Marinette held up her items triumphantly, grinning at him and acknowledging full well that she was showing him something he’d never seen before. She was just hoping she was erring on the side of ‘cool’ as opposed to ‘scary’. So far the wolf’s shocked expression seemed to be favoring the former.

She held the broom out to him so he could see it, letting him investigate it thoroughly and giggling a little when he sneezed. Sometimes enchantments could do that to people, the misplaced static is exuded sometimes tickling the nose. Or maybe it was the fact that it probably had a lot of dust on it, that too.

“This is my moms!” Marinette explained, clipping her bag shut with one hand until she would need it again. “The cleaning stuff that is, the bag is actually mine. I made it myself and then wove in all the enchantments over the summer, it’s one of the most useful kind of bags a witch can have. It’s called a ‘Bottomless Bag’. I’m sure you can guess what it does,” she giggled, enjoying Nino’s slow rise in interest and excitement and the radiating humor and energy that was present all throughout the room. She could sense Nino’s slight caution too however and thought it would be best to explain.

“You see, my family lives in a bakery and it can get really messy all the time in there, flour settles on everything like you wouldn’t believe, especially if you’re as big handed about it as my father is. And my mom’s workshop can get really out of sorts too. The bakery part of our house is just actually a bakery if you can believe it, I mean my mom puts a little enchantment on the bread sometimes just to be nice but… don’t tell anyone though, that’s actually against the rules, even if it’s usually just good luck charms and other nice things.” She paused for a second, her face screwing up as she attempted to regain her train of thought. “Oh! But my mom has a workshop too where she makes charms and magic objects and repairs stuff for other people, and that gets so torn up when she’s really busy. So, ages ago my mom made this broom to clean around the house for us and she’s letting me borrow it for now so long as I bring it back. And she lent me the duster too for the little spots, I charged them both before I came.”

“That’s great Marinette!” Adrien exclaimed, crossing over to the desk to examine them curiously. He turned the duster over in his hands before seeming to realize something, putting it down quickly and backing away. “Oops, uh I’ll let you do that one.” And Marinette giggled a little.

Nino was sitting now, looking between the two in confusion when Alya leapt to his side (followed by a panting Carter), helpfully explained ‘Adrien’s got a feather allergy. Combine that with dust and he’d probably be miserable before too long.’

‘Wait so, are they seriously just going to clean the room themselves? Like, the objects? They just magically move around and clean it all up?’

“Yeah you got it,” Alya answered out loud now, attempting to keep everyone involved. “Witches can enchant all kinds of things, this is just one of those household spells that magic users have to make their lives easier. Some assembly required, but no labor needed. Pretty handy.”

‘That’s so cool!’ Nino barked, bouncing up on his paws to stand against the desk, sniffing at her bag curiously. ‘Tell her I think that’s really cool. What else does she have in here?’

“Nino says that that’s awesome,” Alya relayed, smiling at his eagerness and glad to see that he was in a good mood so far. “He also wants to know what else is in the bag.”

“Oh gosh everything,” Marinette said, sounding a little exasperated with herself, which made everyone laugh. “I was trying to think about stuff that you might need so I’ve got a whole bunch of stuff my mom gave me, stuff to help clean the room and decorate it a little, stuff for Carter, a DVD player, like 40 DVDs.”

The wolf grew still for a second, his large ears swiveling up at her voice and were eventually followed by his eyes, looking at her as if he hadn’t quite heard her right. Then after a moment, his ears swiveled back on his head and she could feel an abrupt flood of emotion. Guilt, gratitude, shock, embarrassment. Something warm and hard to name, something cold and hard to beat.

A whine slipped out as he looked between her and the bag, and Marinette didn’t wait for Alya to translate, already shaking her head.

“Nino I want to give you these things. They’re old and my family doesn’t need them anymore, my mother set all these things aside so we could give them to you, they want to help. I told them how barren your room was and it was everything I could do to keep my parents from charging over here themselves. Trust me it’s nothing grand really but, I hope they’ll be useful to you.”

“I brought you some things too! I’m not sure that you’ll like them or need them for anything but I wanted to share some of what I had.” Adrien walked back towards his things and pulled out a large woven bag that was of a style that Nino couldn’t say he had ever seen before. From it though he pulled out a handful of normal looking clothes for Nino to see, smiling at him softly. He packed them away and also patted the side of the bag, taping something solid and metal sounding. “I also have some uh, Never Never things, if you’d like to see them at some point. I think you’ll like them but I’d understand if you didn’t.”

“I didn’t have much to bring I’m sorry,” Alya said genuinely, gesturing with her head at the food she brought. “Kitsunes don’t really own a lot of physical things, so I brought some food.”

‘No one had to bring anything!’ Nino interjected, Carter tense and on alert now at the sound of Nino’s distress. But… it wasn’t quite angry. No, there was still something stunned about it that told Carter that perhaps this wasn’t a bad thing. ‘I- I appreciate it so much but please, I have no way to pay any of you back. I’ve got nothing to give I just-,’

“It’s not a loan that needs repaying Nino,” Alya answered immediately, her voice soft but gaze unyielding in that intense way of hers. “There is nothing to pay back. You don’t pay people back for gifts.”

Adrien nodded quickly in agreement, seeming very firm on this but still smiling gently. “You don’t owe us anything Nino I promise, we just want to help.”

There was a sudden and great silence that fell over them then. Adrien and Marinette looked nervously to Alya but she had nothing to translate, the fox waiting in as much suspense as anyone else as the wolf fell silent.

Nino fell back onto all fours and took an uncertain step backwards towards his bed… and everyone waited. Waited to see if he would retreat, or argue, or anything at all. Marinette reached out into the web of emotions that colored her life and tried to make sense of what she saw there, and it was so confusing.

The boy was overwhelmed, emoting through the body of a wolf whose head hung low not in anger but in deep thought. He shifted on uncertain paws and inside himself he was grappling with a concept that confused him. How kindness for the sake of kindness could have any place here. In this borrowed, mismatched room.

Eventually, the animal seemed the sway, a deep sound getting lost in its chest as it cast about for a moment as if it were lost. Marinette looked at Alya in the corner of her eye, hoping for something to go off of but the foxes head was tilted, struggling herself to grasp what he must be saying.  

Nino looked a little helplessly between Alya and Marinette, a whine escaping him again as Alya fretted a little in place.

“I- just slow down a little that didn’t… I don’t quite understand.” Alya suddenly sounded in the silence, apologetic as she tried to focus.

Abruptly though Nino huffed in frustration, casting around a little bit more for help before dropping to all fours. Marinette gasped when he pushed his weight gently against her, bumping her legs with his head and whining again. It prompted her to quickly stoop down and hold him almost sheerly out of instinct, the creature pushing against her in a desperate bid to communicate.

“It’s okay,” Marinette suddenly assured him, her heart aching with sympathy as she boldly wrapped her arms into the thick fur around his neck. It was so warm and dense, Nino pushing his head into the space of her neck to be as close to her as he could manage. “I think I understand… It’s okay.”

“I- um, Marinette,” Alya interjected, padding quietly alongside and firmly fixed on reading whatever Nino must be saying. “He wants you to try and feel what he’s feeling. He knows you can do that, he just, wants you to focus on it. He doesn’t know how to say it.”

Marinette stiffened a little at that, mentally preparing herself for it. After a moment she nodded into his fur, growing still as she allowed herself to fall into that web that no one else could see.

 It was nearly physical, condensed into the space the animal occupied and having a kind of color to it when she closed her eyes. It was green and dark, inky blue, pearls of moonlight white trapped beneath dark spreading fingers. She found the things that she had seen before, that something cold and hard to beat… and something warm that had no name.

It was the color of gold.

 Nino could feel it as Marinette leaned into him, doing as he asked as he did everything he could to pour what he was feeling into his mind. He didn’t know how to say it, or if there were even words for it. And he knew too that this must be so overwhelming for her, but that’s how it was for him. He thought about the forest and finding Carter. He thought about the alleyway and that day at lunch, where a monster flinched and he lost his grip. He knew that maybe it was too much, but he needed to show her that so he could show her this.

So he could show her how much better she was making it, how much better they were all making this.

He held on to that warm, impossibly grateful feeling and let it overstep any shame or weakness. He just leaned into her… and did what he could to say thank you.

 When he pulled away Marinette had a hand to her mouth, and she nodded once. He felt guilty that she looked like she was going to cry, but when she dropped her hand she was smiling.

Nino was partially worried that he had shared too much… but sometimes it felt like there were only extremes these days. Maybe that’s why he had been so excited about a normal movie night, but here he was making everything heavy again…

He just wanted to be understood.  

Marinette seemed to get that, on some level at least. She looked around a little embarrassed, trying to collect herself but still absently holding onto him with one hand.

“Oh, Nino…” she finally spoke, laughing a bit though it sounded breathless. She smiled, her entire expression soft. “You’re welcome.”

 His tail wagged even if his ears drooped, looking a little exhausted by the effort. For a time it seemed like no one knew what to do, the emotional moment slipping slowly into awkwardness, before abruptly and a little bit clumsily Marinette stood up, laughing weirdly and fumbling for her broom.

“Well, I um, I didn’t bring these gifts for nothing! It’s probably going to take them awhile to do their job so I should probably set them going. There’s a lot of dust to, uh… dust!”

“Yeah, for sure!” Adrien chimed in for the first time in seemingly ages, smiling in a picture-perfect way in an attempt to deflect the weirdness in the room. “Uh, I bet you’ve never seen anything like this before Nino, it’s really cool!”

The wolf was still a little wilted in on himself, his tail thumping slowly but lacking energy. Marinette and Adrien traded a quick glance, coming towards each other in mutual understanding. Despite her best efforts to do so in the past, Marinette could not completely disregard the fact that her and Adrien did tend to make a good team, when it counted. They weren’t as flawless as he claimed and there was a lot that got in the way but… that was a story for another time.

In this moment though, they didn’t need to say it to know that they needed to work together. For Nino’s sake.

 Nino was somewhat jarringly thrown into an in-depth magic lesson, a combination of equal parts awkwardness and good intentions leading to a slightly ungraceful effort to change the subject. It was weird, and sudden, and clumsy… but it was earnest.

Marinette was still a little thrown off from the encounter so Adrien took over at first, explaining briefly how magic things like brooms got made. He appeared to be pretty knowledgeable on the subject, but Nino was not retaining much of anything, and that didn’t seem to be the point of it. He gratefully took the cover it offered him, using the lecture as an opportunity to get his act together.

He hadn’t meant to make everything so serious. He just got so frustrated. It was horrible, not being able to say what he was thinking, not like he was ever particularly good at that even when he could talk. Still though, he didn’t even have the chance to get it wrong, and it had gotten the best of him.

At the thought he briefly glanced behind him, looking for Alya who was laying on the ground a short distance away with Carter. The two of them were waiting, Alya allowing the conversation to move on without her and Carter nervously keeping an eye on his boy, a little lost but trying not to intrude.

Nino waited to try and catch Alya’s eyes, but she didn’t look at him in time and Nino was forced to turn back around in order to be polite, Adrien still explaining something. He didn’t want too much time to pass before he had the chance to apologize for getting frustrated with her, it hadn’t been her fault that he couldn’t get it out. She was doing something great for him, it wasn’t fair to only use her as a vehicle to talk to the others.

“-it might be easier just to show you!” Marinette said pointedly all of a sudden, Nino snapping to attention with a little anxiety, afraid he had been asked a question when he hadn’t been listening. Luckily though that didn’t seem to be it, Marinette taking her broom and holding it out in front of her.

“So this here,” Marinette lectured smartly, tapping a nearly invisible band of marks set into the wood around the middle of the handle, “is the enchantment line Adrien mentioned! And it holds all the power needed to make it work. So now, with all the enchantments set and prepared for all I have to do is activate it!”

“Which,” Adrien chimed in, “can be customized by the witch or wizard who enchanted it the first time!”

Nino nodded, totally confused but pretending like he hadn’t been absorbed in his own thoughts. Blah blah Mary Poppins, Fantasia, Harry Potter. Yup yeah totally got it. Please don’t quiz me.

“In the case of these ones, my mom always sets similar items to activate with the same signal, so that all the cleaning stuff cleans and all the baking stuff bakes. For these two guys, it’s the same activation. A snap!”

To prove her point Marinette cheerily raised her hand, looking at Nino excitedly as she did exactly that, and snapped her fingers.

Instantly the broom quaked in place, shaking only briefly before sitting up from its position in Marinette’s hand with an air of duty and intention about it. Carter was on his feet immediately as the broom ghosted across the floor, too busy with itself to notice that it was being fervently tailed by a very unhappy canine.

‘Don’t like that!’ he barked very pointedly, ‘No no no, I don’t like that!’

Carter inserted himself into the situation all at once after a long period of sitting patiently on the outside, letting the others do as they liked but he had to put a paw down on whatever it was exactly that was happening right now. He was content to sit out and let Nino have his time but somebody had to see to this situation, and it only occurred to him that perhaps he shouldn’t when he felt the full weight of Nino holding him down.

‘Stop! No don’t touch it it’s okay, I know it’s weird dude but it’s fine!’

Carter twisted underneath the hold somewhat indignantly, once again frustrated that he and Nino didn’t ever seem to be on the same page about what was and wasn’t a priority. ‘That is not something I like, I don’t like it.’ Carter looked away to see the culprit moving about the place busily, starting to kick up an awful lot of dust that got quickly sorted away into another thing that Carter didn’t like, a limp sack of cloth that gathered whatever the broom thought fit. Something else moved over head and a bundle of feathers started getting awfully busy with itself doing nearly the same thing and he was not having that at all, aware of the fact that the others were laughing but deciding that he was the only reasonable one.

‘Carter please! I said no! This is not something we bark at, Marinette brought them it’s okay! It’s actually kind of cool!’

‘It is not!’

Nino was at a slight loss for what to do, looking up at the things Marinette had thought to bring and feeling something weirdly giddy in his chest, somehow distracted enough from his funk to laugh a little. It- they really just snapped to! He had watched her do it! Just like that she snapped her fingers and they sat up and got to business! Even right that second the broom and duster were lazily whizzing about, not even particularly rushed as they got about doing their jobs and drifting purposefully though the air like they floated on strings he couldn’t see or touch. They both had that weird static about them that magic seemed to have, only just barely perceptible and making that giddiness he felt swell.

But here he had Carter, who had always to this point managed to follow Nino’s orders no matter how much he disagreed with him. It seemed though that this was some kind of line that he was very firm on.

Nino tried not to laugh at his loyal canine friend as he continued to postulate about why this time he was definitely right, knowing that this almost definitely had everything to do with Carter’s dislike of brooms in general. And mops, he’d had a very firm stance on the issue since he was a puppy so Nino was made abruptly aware of the fact that he might not actually win this argument.

Alya was giving a play by play of the situation as Nino argued with his dog, the trio laughing into their hands and trying not to draw attention to themselves as Nino attempted diplomacy. But seeing as he couldn’t give a very convincing reason as to why the broom was moving, he seemed to be getting nowhere fast.

‘Okay Carter listen! I’ll make you a deal okay, I will let you watch the broom and the duster. You’re in charge of them okay, how about that? If you really think they’re a big deal then you can be on guard duty and make sure they don’t come after anybody. Yeah, that’s your job, okay?’ Nino looked his dog in the eye, the German Shepherd struggling less as he came to the conclusion that Nino might be taking him seriously. And, despite how funny it was, Nino was actually trying to take him seriously.

After everything that this wonderful dog had put up with to this point the least Nino could do was validate his concerns.

‘Okay bud, you keep an eye on these guys. If they smack somebody or leave the room you let me know and we’ll take ‘em down, but until they do that then please leave them alone and let them do what they’re doing okay? We got a deal?’

Nino waited until Carter was completely still, the dog still locked on target but at least hearing him out. After awhile Carter finally said, ‘Okay. I will watch them.’

The wolf sighed audibly, signaling to everyone that some peace had been brokered as he finally let Carter out from underneath him. The dog gave himself a pointed shake but wasted no time getting into position, looking to all the world like a police dog ready to go should anyone make an unexpected move.

 “Oh man,” Alya snickered, the fox sitting up high on a desk now with a paw to her muzzle and mirth in her eyes. “That was so funny.”

“I guess I should have checked in with Carter before I did that huh?” Marinette tried to sympathize but giggled a little anyways. “I shouldn’t forget that he’s here that’s not fair to him.”

“Oh dogs are like that, you probably couldn’t have convinced him to like it even if you tried,” Adrien shrugged, surprised when Nino came up next to him but looking away at Alya and failing to notice that Nino was shaking his head

‘Don’t tease him please,’ Nino came to Carter’s defense, even if it was pretty funny. ‘How is he, supposed to know? He’s never seen it.’

He waited for a beat before looking at Alya, who was laughing still and had once again missed what he said. He felt a spark of irritation at that as everyone continued to giggle… but on second thought he smothered the feeling, reminding himself of his earlier sentiment. It wasn’t her job to be official translator, it was up to him to try and make himself clear. So after a second he just let it slide, giving everyone the same grace they always gave him and let it go with a sigh.

 Nino had watched the magical items work for a while, doing his best to let them distract him from more complicated thoughts and just trying to enjoy himself. After only a handful of moments though there was just too much dust in the air for him to handle, soon enough all the critters in the room were sneezing.

“Okay guys maybe let’s step out for a sec and let the broom do it’s thing?” Alya suggested before long, already edging towards the door with her snout all wrinkled in distaste.

“That might be a good idea,” Marinette agreed, Adrien already out the door and letting out a mighty sneeze that echoed down the hallway, rousing a giggle from the girls. Nino hesitated a little, looking over his shoulder at Carter.

‘Carter, we’re going to be leaving the room cause it’s too dusty in here. I think it’s really okay if you just leave them to it, doesn’t it bother your nose? Come out with us.’

‘No, I don’t want them wandering off,’ Carter announced simply, his guarded position a lot closer to the door then before for the sake of some sort of clean air, but the dog not looking keen on leaving.

‘I don’t really want to leave you here by yourself, what if we walk around? I don’t know if they’ll need to go to the restroom or something. Do you promise you’re okay with it if I leave for a second?’

Carter didn’t answer right away, looking back over his shoulder at his boy and then farther back still at the fox who stood waiting in the doorway, considering the question.

After a moment he looked back to Nino, tail thumping a handful of times. ‘I trust them with you. I’ll watch our stuff, and howl if I need you.’

‘Promise you’re good?’

‘Promise.’

Nino decided that this final sentiment was good enough, trusting the school enough by this point to be comfortable leaving him on his own. Plus, Carter had wandered off on a few scouting missions of his own since their arrival, so it wasn’t unreasonable to separate for a while.

The wolf turned and headed for the wide-open door, the two-tailed fox agilely turning as well and padding out into the hallway with him. Nino was distracted briefly by her presence next to him, looking down at her and feeling that slight pang of guilt. Before he could stop himself he nudged her slightly, ducking his face to manage it and prodding her shoulder with his snout. She turned and looked up at him as soon as he did, but found no reason in his expression or words offered. It was just a touch, and after a moment she returned it, having to pop up on her back paws to do it and making him laugh.

‘You good?’ she asked subtly, only to him as they joined their friends and made a circle, the others talking amongst themselves already and gesturing to the hallway.

‘Yeah I’m good. Thanks for translating, I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate it… I shouldn’t have snapped at you back there. I’m sorry.’

Unsurprisingly she rolled her eyes, and he at least had the good humor to be pleased that he had seen that coming. ‘Oh please, that was nothing. I’m the middle child of three other siblings, that was not what snapping at someone is.’ She snickered, ‘You’re good Wolfie.’

‘Wolfie?’ he scoffed instantly, the fox making a high pitched and very odd chittering sound that mixed perfectly with his mental imagining of her laughter, the two completing each other somehow in his head. ‘You can’t be serious.’ He put as much disbelief into it as he could, huffing even. ‘That’s rich coming from you Tails.’

‘Oooh,’ she cooed, swishing her two tails at him and chuckling again, ‘Very creative.’

He scoffed again but laughed too, allowing a chuckle at it and shaking his head. Whatever, he supposed, he was surprised he had made it this far without a nickname anyways. And it was a relief to know that she wasn’t angry with him.

Their little moment ended when Adrien suddenly referred to the entire group, leaning against the hallway wall with his arms crossed and gesturing down one way with his head. “Interested in looking around at all Nino? I don’t know how much you’ve gone and seen, would give us something to do until we can get back to setting up your room. Marinette says it should only take like twenty minutes, but we can just wait here if you’re more comfortable with that.”

The group waited on his response, and it didn’t take Nino very long to decide. Sure he hesitated but… the sun was nearly set and he had his friends with him, it was a little different then looking around with Carter would have been. Neither of them knew what was what when it was the two of them, at least with this group he had a little more information. It didn’t make him entirely comfortable but… he was trying to branch out a little today.

After a moment’s consideration Nino nodded, and was happy to receive Adrien’s encouraging smile. “Cool! I’ve never been here after dark before, and the only non-used classroom I’ve ever seen is yours. Do you think we could get into any of the other human ones?”

“Adrien!” Marinette wasted no time in scolding him, the Cat Sidhe already pushing off from his lounging position and starting down the hall further into the wing. “We said look around not break in.”

“What are we breaking? I just want to look! They’re all unused, aren’t they? Maybe we could find some cool human stuff!” Adrien looked over his shoulder to grin at her, beckoning her to follow as Nino and Alya had already started to. She opened and closed her mouth once as if to protest, but he could see her curiosity starting to take over slightly.

“Well… I mean if they’re open they’re open I guess.”

“That’s the spirit! Come on let’s go look.”

With Adrien’s exuberant cheer the troop started off down the hall, thankfully going further into unused territory rather than closer to the active center. As far as Nino was capable of sensing there was nobody in this wing but him, and while he had looked down the hall at the line of doors and gone off to find a bathroom in the past he hadn’t looked much further than that. If they were all truly human classrooms before getting taken over by the other realms then he had a somewhat reasonable expectation of what they would see anyways, but if it was interesting to them then he’d tag along.

They trotted off down the hall, Nino unable to keep himself from always keeping an ear out but trying to stay engaged in Adrien’s commentary as well. Being out in the open put him on edge… but he was giving it his best effort.

They all came to a stop in front of a rather large classroom, Adrien peeking around through the windows that looked inside like a fishbowl and announcing what he could see, Marinette curiously joining him. But for the animals low to the ground who didn’t feel like expending the energy to try and look, it was a little less interesting.

‘Um, so uh,’ Nino spoke after a while, keeping an ear in Adrien’s direction for keywords that might mean he needed to listen but facing towards Alya. ‘You’ve got sisters?’

‘Mhm,’ Alya answered, somehow still looking entertained at his poor attempt at small talk despite the fact that surely no fox could be that expressive. ‘Three of them, one older and two younger. The younger ones are twins.’

‘Oh cool! That’s cool. Um, what are their names?’

‘Nora is my older sister, and then my twin sisters are called Etta and Ella. My mom’s name is Marlena, she is a very, very strong Kitsune, everybody respects her. My father’s name is Otis,’ she suddenly parted her muzzle in a foxy smile. ‘He’s human.’

‘H- wait what?!’ Nino barked in shock, Adrien about jumping out of his skin in surprise and clinging to the wall.

“Nino come on, warn a guy!” Adrien whined crossly, but it took one look down to realize that Nino wasn’t listening, gaping openly at a snickering fox.

‘How can your father be human!? Are you serious?’

‘It’s true! He’s as human as they come, only one in the family, obviously.’

‘Wait so you’re… part… human?’

‘Well, no.’ The fox paused, leaning down to scratch at her ear in sudden thought. ‘I guess you wouldn’t know but, Kitsunes marry human men all the time. Well not all the time, but it does happen. My mom is pretty old and has been knocking around the human world for a really long time, but one day she found a human man and fell completely in love with him. Any children born from a kitsune are a kitsune, so me and all my sisters are like my mother. My dad is still just a regular human, but he loves my mother very much. It doesn’t matter to him that they aren’t the same.’

She watched his face carefully, still finding it funny but understanding that it was probably a big deal to him.

‘I- so, your father is just a totally normal human, how did he meet a kitsune? Does he know? Like, he must know right?’

‘Of course he knows! My family is honest, no matter what anyone says,’ Alya huffed, her tone suddenly a little sharper. ‘Maybe some kitsunes don’t tell their husbands the truth but not my mother. She pretended to be human for a little while when they were dating but that’s not the same and she didn’t like doing it she just wanted to get to know him better. When she decided she was in love with him she told him the truth.’

‘… how did he take it?’

Alya didn’t respond right away, looking off down the hall and aware of the fact that Marinette and Adrien were watching them closely, obviously interested but not wanting to interrupt. Eventually, as they started moving on to look at other rooms she said, ‘Not well, at first. My mom said he panicked and ran away and it broke her heart. She knew that could happen, but she didn’t think it would. When she tells the story she says that she wandered the human world lost and heartbroken. She lost her ability to shapeshift too, she was so distraught. She was locked in her fox form for a year.’

The wolf blanched at that, and Alya suddenly regretted saying it. ‘An entire year?!’ Nino barked, and Marinette recoiled at the sudden fear she felt in the air though she couldn’t hear what was being said. ‘A whole year? Are you serious, really an entire year?’

‘She wasn’t trying to get better! She wasn’t trying to move forward or pull it together, she was devastated. She didn’t want to find herself again, and you have to understand how short a year is to her Nino. My moms over a hundred and twenty years old, I know that seems extreme to you, but to her it was probably like nursing a breakup for a few months.’

Nino paused in his fretting, distracted slightly by the whole 120 years thing so Alya leapt on the opportunity, trying to cover up her faux pas. ‘The way she tells it she says that she was so bitter about human men that a year later she found herself being tracked by a foolish human hunter who didn’t realize what he was really following. She outran him effortlessly for ages, but he never gave up and never stopped tracking her, so finally one day she said she just turned around and headed straight for him, wanting to terrify him and drive him away for good. But you know who she found when she got there?’

The fox paused, tilting her head and waiting. She gestured with her paw impatiently, twirling it in that kind of gesture that urged Nino to participate.

‘Was it, your father?’

‘Yup!’ Alya yipped, grinning again. ‘Can you believe it? A year later he left home and dedicated himself to tracking her down. He had spent that entire time trying to learn about the things that are secret from most humans, and by the end of it decided that he wanted to find her. He hunted everywhere for her, and stayed on her trail no matter what, and when she finally ran at him to confront him he told her he was in love with her and that he wanted to know her, the real her. That it didn’t matter to him that she wasn’t human, that he didn’t believe the lies he had uncovered about Kitsunes when he investigated. He knew my mother was an honest soul and asked her if she would let a human love her.’ Alya narrowed her eyes happily, her tails swaying behind her. ‘And they’ve been together ever since. Pretty amazing right?’

‘I can’t believe it… he just, loved her so much that he gave up his normal life and married her?’

‘Well he didn’t really give up anything, he might live in the Farlands now but he still goes home for the holidays and keeps up with his family. My mom goes too sometimes but no one knows about us, their children. They decided a long time ago that they didn’t want us to have to pretend, so I’ve never met any of my human family. Maybe one day when I can pretend convincingly enough that I’m human, but for now I’d give myself away I think.’

‘Well whats so bad about them knowing? Like, your dads human and he knows, maybe they’d understand.’

‘Or maybe they wouldn’t. My mom told my dad the truth because she loved him and trusts him, but my cousins? My aunts? It would be a big decision to tell them anything, and probably against the law. There are a lot of rules about exposing humans to the other realms, but it’s honestly a little hard to discipline anyone for. My mom gets away with it because she married the guy, and that places HIM under a lot of laws too. It’s a little taboo maybe, but Kitsunes are kind of taboo anyways.’ She shrugged, stopping as Adrien found a new room to investigate.

Nino lapsed into silence at that, the creature abruptly in very deep thought. Alya padded alongside him and couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable, worried now that her attempts to relate to him had just gone south. He was so quiet and serious sometimes that it was hard to tell, but he didn’t keep her waiting for too long. Eventually he turned to look at her again.

‘That’s a cool story. I didn’t know that humans could… get involved in anything. I just- I thought that… humans being near things that aren’t human like, wouldn’t that put them in danger? I’m not trying to be offensive I’m sorry, I’m just trying to understand.’

‘You’re fine, and that’s what my mom is for, obviously.’ Alya snickered, talking through a light argument that had broken out between Marinette and Adrien off to the side. ‘Trust me, you’ve never seen a Century Kitsune, that’s what my mom is, and what I’ll be one day when I’m old enough. Nobody messes with a Century Kitsune, nobody ever. He’s her mate so he’s safe just by association, plus with my mom’s illusions and how well protected our territory is, nothing bad would ever happen to him. He can walk around the Farlands no problem. People notice that he’s married and they just leave him be, because if a human is happily married to something that holds territory in the area then odds are they don’t want to risk making anyone angry.’

‘She sounds kind of scary.’

‘Oh yeah! The scariest, and the best. I love my mom; you’d probably really like her. I bet she’d like you too.’

‘Yeah, for sure…’

Nino fell quiet again, looking off towards where Marinette and Adrien where bantering about something but not really paying attention.

After a while Alya sat next to him and poked him lightly in the side.

‘You okay?’

‘Yeah,’ he answered, surprisingly. Smiling wolfishly even, but his tone seemed… sad. ‘Just thinking about something, is all.’

 Alya was on the verge of deciding whether or not it was just best to let that go, when a very audible click hit her ears. Her and Nino both looked up at the source, Marinette doing a deliberately poor job of keeping Adrien from opening the door he had found.

“Adrien I’m not sure we should go in here,” Marinette warned halfheartedly, clearly looking over his shoulder anyways into the windowless room. “We could get in trouble…”

“Come on Mari I know you want to look, and you said!” Adrien argued, opening the door all the way now. “You said if it was open it’s open, you said that. And it’s unlocked so it’s clearly not off limits. It doesn’t count as breaking and entering if all you’re doing is entering.”

Adrien looked around the group for support, Alya and Nino seemingly done with whatever they had been talking about and looking into the room curiously. Adrien tried not to notice that Nino seemed to have lost energy again, lost in thought but temporarily distracted by the unlocked room.

That was all the justification Adrien needed to do something arguably mischievous, stepping inside without any more deliberation. Marinette gave another hollow complaint but followed right after him so he knew it was all for show, the witch immediately looking for a light switch so they could start looking around, and he rolled his eyes.  

‘Uh oh, Adrien found an unlocked one,’ Nino muttered to Alya, changing the subject in a way that brooked no argument, so even if it made her huff a bit she allowed it. It was his business, she supposed.

‘Mhm. Ms. B said we could walk around didn’t she? And it’s not like anyone even uses these rooms.’ Alya was going to enter but Nino walked in first, forcing her to move along behind him. He looked around once inside but didn’t seem terribly interested in it. She on the other hand was a little more intrigued.

Nino knew without having to look too hard that this was clearly some kind of side conference room meant for faculty, probably even used as a break room for teachers who didn’t want to walk clear across campus to eat their lunch. It was stale and dusty and boring like his room was, the tile and wall paneling pretty much identical but there were a whole lot of cabinets that he didn’t have, implying that this space was probably also used as storage.

There was a low counter along one side that Adrien was investigating while the girls headed towards the cabinets, and Adrien was pleased to see that Nino electing to join him instead of the others. He had been right in the middle of investigating a very weird smelling spot on the counter, the whole thing coated in an old bitter smell, when Marinette suddenly gasped.

“Oooh guys! There’s stuff in here!”

Adrien immediately whipped around at the mention of random human objects, leaving Nino to sniff at the counter alone as he charged off to take a look.

“Nino come on! Look at this stuff, maybe you know what it is.”

The wolf didn’t come right away, letting everyone bicker between themselves and drag out a few of the more interesting looking boxes. He only left when he concluded that this must have been where a coffee maker used to be, all the useful utensils having been cleared out a long time ago which was a shame. It might have been nice to find a microwave he could come use.

By the time he finally sauntered over Marinette was elbow deep in a massive nest of wires and bulbs, giggling excitedly to herself as she struggled to explain.

“Oh my gosh this is perfect! It’s exactly what Nino needs, its perfect for you! You know what these are right?” She suddenly addressed him, pulling up a large handful of what he easily recognized to be string lights. It was the white and yellow kinds that buildings usually used to decorate for dances or office parties, and by the look of the massive tangle she was holding it was quite a few of them.

Nino nodded in confirmation, sniffing at them curiously when she held them down for him.

“Wouldn’t this be great for your room? I mean I know these are in the school but, I mean they were left here after the school was abandoned so… people don’t need them. We shouldn’t take things but, I mean think about it! You said the overhead lights in your room bug you because of the noise they make right? So you always keep your room dark, but maybe if you wanted to have some lights on anyways that these might not be so noisy! And on top of that they look super cute!”

“Oh, so they’re lights?” Adrien asked, pinching one of the plastic bulbs gently in his fingers. “That’s so cool! I’ve never seen little lights like this, how do they work?”

“You just plug them in! They have to be powered but human buildings have these little spots where you can connect stuff like this to give them energy. Then when they’re activated they have the power needed to give off light. It’s sort of like a luminous charm actually, just with electricity instead of magic.”

Adrien glanced down at Nino for some indication that she was right, not because he particularly doubted her but more so because he wanted to keep him involved. Nino nodded briskly in confirmation again, his tail starting to wag as he looked at the odd bundle of wires Marinette was holding.

“We should take them!” Alya asserted out loud, jumping up onto the table they rested on and tapping the cardboard with her paw. “No one would even notice but we can just tell Ms. B about it on Monday. If she says no we can put them back but I bet you anything she’ll say it’s okay. It’s not stealing if you tell somebody.”

‘Well usually you ask ahead of time,’ Nino said in response, mostly to himself since Alya was busy again and missed it. ‘I don’t know guys, I don’t want you to get in trouble, Alya tell them I don’t want them to get in trouble.’

The fox didn’t hear him, busy discussing why it was fine to do it when she felt something poking her leg, looking down into Nino’s eyes.

‘Alya.’

‘Oh, sorry I’m sorry. What?’

He bit back a sigh and repeated himself, the others already picking the box up with all it’s contents before Alya managed to get it across. By then they had all pretty firmly convinced themselves it was okay, Adrien addressing him directly.

“We won’t get in trouble! Like Alya said we can just bring them back if Ms. B says we can’t use them and I’m almost positive she won’t care. I want to see how they work they sound pretty.”

Nino for the most part was also almost positive that no one would care one way or the other, since the human part of the school was essentially superfluous anyways but still. He couldn’t help but feel like he would have made a more convincing argument himself if he could just…

He sat out as everyone loosely looked through the rest of the cabinets, finding nothing else nearly as interesting and deciding to head back anyways. As they finally left Nino trailed behind, just a little, Alya jumping into conversation with Marinette.

This was almost perfect. He was having a lot of highs and lows as he had expected, but he was for the most part keeping his head up. Okay well maybe he wasn’t, but had he been left to his own devices it would be way worse. He was having fun, he was, and he didn’t actually care about taking the lights, in fact he thought once again that it was very sweet of Marinette to think of how it might help him.

He just felt like he was always a little bit on the outside. Not that they weren’t trying really hard, he knew they were. It’s just that there was only so much to be done. He wanted to jump in and tell Adrien how the lights worked, maybe amaze him a bit with other seemingly mundane human knowledge. If he thought string lights were cool maybe he could tell him about video games or something else but, to do so through Alya would take so much time.  

He was stewing in his frustration by the time they arrived back at his room, sure that Marinette was starting to pick up on it from the way that she kept looking over her shoulder at him. Whenever they made eye contact though he would open his muzzle and smile, trying to assure her he was fine. Thankfully she didn’t call it out, but she seemed relieved to have a new angle for distraction.

“Oh great! It looks like they’re done, oooh this looks so much better!”

Marinette darted inside, dashing over to where her cleaning utensils now sat dormant. She was patting them nicely and thanking them for their hard work as everyone else came inside as well, Adrien stowing the lights off to the side and looking around with his hands on his hips.

“Alright this looks great! It’s sparkling clean now, this is so much better. Right Nino?”

Nino barked once, looking around at everything as Carter came trotting up to him smugly with a report.

‘Nothing bad! They kept on moving stuff around and getting under everything but I kept an eye on them and they never made for the door. It went on for awhile but then they just stopped all of a sudden. I kept watching them anyways just to be sure, but I think they’re done now.’

‘Great job buddy, thanks for holding down the fort. This is nicer right? No more dust!”’

Sure enough Nino figured he would be hard pressed to find even a single speck of anything out of place right now. All the cushions he had scattered around were stacked neatly in a pile (carefully cleaned of all dog hair it seemed) and even his bed was made. The desks were organized like tetris pieces and looking a lot more stable and even their used approximated counter space had been pushed smartly off to the side and left together with their contents. The scraps of clothes he had left behind and pushed into a corner had been gathered up and disposed of and every trace of food trash, dust, lint or loose fur was completely gone from every single nook and cranny. The cold tile no longer felt grainy underneath his thick paw pads, and as he moved further into the room the air was finally clear. The dim failing light from the windows with no dust motes to illuminate, just weak beams of uninterrupted light as the outside world descended into twilight.

It was a huge improvement, the room as a whole still deeply clinical but at least it was clean. In the time he’d been living there he had really made a mess of the place, so this was a nice change.

Nino made a show of darting up to Marinette to gently headbutt her legs as a thank you, the witch patting him once on a head and giving him a friendly wink. “Oh we’re not done yet! It’s gonna be even better! If it’s okay with you can we start putting some other things around? Then once that’s all finished we can set up the movie!”

“And eat!” Alya added, shooting a hopeful glance at her unused box of food.

“Yes, and eat! This is gonna be so fun Nino, we’ll show you everything we have and you can pick where to put it all! Sound good?”

Marinette waited until Nino barked again, the wolf running towards her bag expectantly with his claws clicking on the tile.  He looked back at her with a goofy smile, and she was deeply relieved to feel the wave of his emotions start to shift in their momentum. That frustration was still there, but now running side by side with gratefulness and anticipation.

 The following series of events was a great old mix of things. It was partly ridiculous, just the never ending depths of Marinette’s tiny clutch bag looking increasingly bizarre and hilarious like a clown car gag that just didn’t stop. He was legitimately frightened that Marinette was going to fall straight into it, Adrien having to help once or twice for a longer reach to grab whatever it was and Alya cheerfully offering to just dive inside to see if she could find it.

He felt so guilty, but also just so… warm. Marinette dragged her bag into the center of the room and started to fumble for books, blankets, pillows, towels, sheets, and rugs. She had so many rugs, some of them so large and colorful that he couldn’t even IMAGINE where she’d gotten it from. They were a ruffled on the edges and weirdly burned in some places but the pattern was stunning, woven so complexly that he really didn’t feel like the burns were enough justification to get rid of them. They were thick and far more inviting then the tile, Alya shifting back into her human form for awhile to give Adrien a hand laying them down. By the time Marinette stopped pulling them out the only space without one was the underneath of his bed and the cluster of desk in the back. She had explained as she pulled them out like handkerchiefs that her family had a billion of these things, given to them as payment by a regular fae customer who never seemed to have money but was always weaving beautiful things.

They really didn’t match each other but he loved them, already grateful for their much more comfortable padding. The mismatched explosion of color continued as Marinette stretched out the bed set she had brought, a size too big for his mattress but he kept pointing at his bed insistently until she understood that he still wanted them anyways. He gladly sank his teeth into the crappy, grating awful nurses office sheets he currently had and ripped them off himself, feeling silly but allowing himself to feel giddy again, dragging them out into the hallway so he didn’t even have to look at them as Adrien hopped to putting on the new ones. It was a loose fit and bound to fall off but whatever, probably infinitely better still.

The comforter came from Adrien, surprisingly, the boy darting over to his (now neatly folded) pile of stuff. It was arguably the thickest and softest looking blanket Nino had ever seen in his life, and weirdly made. It didn’t look like any kind of cloth or material Nino had ever seen, one side something almost like fleece but much, much finer and not nearly as hot. The other side was a deep, dark green and looked woven together, but even through the spaces he could not see the bright white almost-fleece on the other side. Adrien confirmed as he settled it on top that it had been made in the NeverNever, so Nino just assumed that the materials probably weren’t available on earth.

Carter leapt up onto his bed once it was all set up, making everyone laugh as he got good and cozy, loudly announced to his boy how everything smelled. Carter’s smell commentary was nearly constant, vacillating between ‘Nice’ and ‘soft’ and ‘weird’ and ‘cat!’

He wasn’t wrong, some things smelt like a- well, like a bakery, and some other things smelled wild as heck and he had no name for it.

Marinette and Alya tag teamed folding and putting away all the linens, Adrien taking the opportunity to go through all the clothes he had brought for Nino for when he changed back. There wasn’t too many, but it certainly bolstered his meager collection and added more variety. A lot of it looked like regular cotton but some of it was a bit old looking, like something a nomad might wear.

Adrien sheepishly apologized for the wear and tear, saying that they were all his personal hand-me-downs. He promised him though that they had always been a bit baggy on him so it was his hope that they would all at least loosely fit him. Regardless of how often Nino would ever use them, it was a very kind gesture.

After that they went through the books and supplies Marinette had thought to bring, some of it reassuringly human and some of it very not human at all.

His very favorite thing of all was the best possible gift he could have ever been given. Everything was kind, everything was great, from the rugs and the towels to Carter’s brand-new dog bed and the huge array of treats. Every gesture, and action and kindness was so much more than he ever could have asked for… but it was the music player that did it.

“It’s really old,” Marinette immediately defended it, the small black box with speakers and a cd slot making a slight clatter as she set it on the ground for him to see. “It’s one of the very first human devices I ever bought and a favorite of mine. Don’t worry though! I’ve got a new one my dad bought me so you can have this one. I only have a few CDs but, maybe if you could tell us what you like we can find some more for you. It’s hard to find discs now but that means they are always really cheap! I’ve tried to figure out how to get music online but… computers don’t like me.”

Nino just stared, his tail starting to thump slowly against the rug covered floor. It thumped, and thumped, and picked up its pace, getting faster and faster until his whole body was moving with it. He on his feet suddenly, and the wave of emotion that hit her made Marinette just start laughing, the feeling so warm she couldn’t contain it.

He couldn’t help it. He felt like such a dog but it seemed like the final straw, like he just couldn’t handle that huge nameless feeling that dominated his chest. It got so big that his body couldn’t contain it all, having to move to get some of it out.

He had been excited as they decorated, explaining everything that had been given to him for Carter just to tell somebody since no one could hear him at the time. He had felt warm, and grateful, and guilty and relieved, all wrapped up together with no where to go, no outlet. He kept saying to Carter how grateful he was but it wasn’t right, he couldn’t say it. Once again it was just too big, he never stood a chance at making it clear.

The rugs, the blankets, the clothes, the help. The conversations, just… the company, the effort, the attempt to bridge that gap he couldn’t stand.

The good nature of the boy in the lunchroom. The show of faith from a fox in a borrowed space… And the generosity of a witch and her family, who gave all that they could.

The exuberance he felt was quickly punctuated by something else, his relief and gratitude growing heavy and huge. It had been building up for so long now… and he kept thanking them but no one could hear. Maybe there weren’t names to the emotions, which is why he could find none. It was something sad… but something warm. Something grateful, and something just too huge.

It was hopeful when so much hadn’t been.

 “Nino, Nino it’s okay, I understand. It’s okay,” Marinette was suddenly speaking, and she wrapped his arms around him quickly, no doubt drowning in it with him as the others hovered helplessly, Alya quickly shifting forms hoping to help. The witch sounded startled, like she was trying not to cry…

Ah.

He had spiraled so fast, getting lost in it, making it hard again. No matter how happy he was there was still that risk, that pit fall. He hadn’t thought he was losing it but… he realized too late that he was shaking, Carter suddenly pressing his face into his back. Nino looked around over Marinette’s shoulder, wanting to tell them everything was okay, to apologize. But everywhere he looked his eyes landed on another of their gifts, on their faces laced with empathy. Too kind, every one of them. And he couldn’t say anything. Again.

A whine wracked through him as he leaned into Marinette, the sound weird and strained. He made another odd, misplaced sound and Adrien found himself looking to Alya, trying to find anything. But once again she had nothing to say, not understanding.

“I think he- maybe this is too much,” Adrien was suddenly saying, getting nervous as he looked around. He looked clear over Nino, trying to come up with some kind of game plan. “Maybe we should step outside or, or give him some space?”

‘Nino talk to me’ Alya urged him with a yip, reaching out to him another way as Marinette and Adrien started to quickly talk above them. ‘Are you okay? We can-,’

No. They didn’t understand, he couldn’t explain.

It happened then, quite suddenly, quite literally out of nowhere, all at once as some things do.

Nino said,

 “Thank you.”

 He forced it out and felt it leave him, like a sound that hung above everything else. The words shook and were barely there, as if they were said on the very last dredge of air in someone’s lungs.

The wolf inhaled sharply, shaking still as he felt everyone around him gasp, except for perhaps Carter who never noticed such things. Marinette drew back instantly, looking him in the eyes with a look of complete shock.

“Did you just-,” she gasped.

“He DID!” Adrien suddenly cheered, laughing in disbelief and drawing back himself, looking him over before laughing again, the sound of it triumphant

“You- Nino!” Alya cheered, mimicking the same tone he had finally just managed, those disembodied words that hung around them and allowed her to be heard, no matter what her form. “You did it!! You spoke out loud! You did it!!”

“… did I?”

“YES!” everyone cheered, so loud that it hurt his ears and stunned him a little. They all watched as the wolf looked around a little bit blearily, like he was pulling himself out of a well of thoughts and a little disassociated from the climb. Marinette released him so he could back away a little, getting a little distance as he tried to access what was going on.

He was so deep in his own head that he had just said it, rambling the sentiment as he must have done a thousand times by now. His frustration at not being understood had reached a breaking point, where even he couldn’t make sense of anything he said. Just a little on the outside from the incredible people who reached so far. He just-

… he just wanted to be heard, to have some hope of being known.

“Can I- can you still?” Nino looked between them urgently, shifting in place. “You can hear me?”

“Yes! It’s just like you’re talking out loud, I can hear it clear as day!” Adrien assured him, still giggling in giddy relief. “Oh my gosh, this is so great! This is really, really good Nino!”

“But… why?” Nino asked slowly, too nervous to be hopeful but his ears swiveled at the sound, trying to decide whether or not it had really come from him. “Why now? What happened?”

“I have no idea! I wasn’t even sure werewolves could project out loud,” Marinette said after a moment, laughing through her words like she was glad that she was wrong. “My dad said you should have been able to right away, when you couldn’t I just assumed something was wrong.”

“I said he could!” Alya yipped pointedly. “All shifters can do it, but you just- your transformation was really bad. You lost your grip on everything, you couldn’t even talk.” The fox tilted her head curiously, but she was clearly excited too. “If you can suddenly do it now then, it must be a good sign! You’re getting your grip back.”

Nino hesitated, feeling slightly frantic and afraid every time he said something, like it was going to fade and he’d be right back where he started. He didn’t think he could stand it if it did, he couldn’t just go back to square one.

… but he wasn’t. He realized.

At square one.

 His friends were gathered in front of him with eager expressions shared between them, relief so real in that moment that he might as well have returned from sea. And maybe he had, in a way, or perhaps he was just a bobbing head found treading water above a sinking ship.

The ship sank steadily down into darkness and had taken him with it, for a time. And though he might still be drowning… he was treading water, and others were coming to help.

He could almost sense the gaping darkness underneath his bed watching him, looking for a monster to hide inside it. But it found none here, not right now. Not when friends were here and things were better.

Nino’s tail began to wag again, a shaky laugh slipping out as he took a deep breath,

And spoke.

 “I guess it’s progress, huh?”

#miraculous ladybug #nino lahiffe #adrien agreste #alya cesaire #marinette dupain cheng #spooky ml au #the monster in the room #tmitr #tmitr fic #the monster in the room fic #thelastpilot writes #tlp writes #chapter 13 #tmitr chapter 13 #werewolf!nino #fic is at 86.5 k now

[boarix]

Wraith in the Ruins: A Fallout 4 Story Part XVIII

Lighthouse

Trigger warnings: canon violence/language/gun, alcohol and drug use. Mature/sexual content - not explicit  

Bloody Mess warning!

Please Enjoy!

 Marie stood in the doorway, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. After about five minutes or so, she began tapping her foot in a staccato of irritation, “Did you want something or not? I’m very busy.”

Atom’s Assassin didn’t bother to turn around, “You are massing in Crater House, yes? We had agreed to wait.”

“My followers are impatient.” Despite not having been invited, she briskly walked around the chair the ghoul was lounging in to fold her arms and glare down at them, “This is taking too long. You are taking too long.”

Infamy’s leader was toying with their favorite weapon: a combat knife with a serrated, wicked-looking blade. Flipping it around the back of their hand and thumb with remarkable speed, they locked eyes with her, “You have no followers. Those with you follow Atom. Atom rewards patience.”

“Yes, well, while you sit here and patiently wait for this church’s roof to cave in, my followers and I will take back Kingsport Lighthouse!”

“You will be annihilated.”

Anger caused her to react without thinking; swatting the knife out of the ghoul’s hand and sending it spinning to a dark corner. In the space of a heartbeat the ghoul was out of their chair and lashing out with a backhand that sent the young woman crashing to the floor.

“You will bring those Children back to this church. You will all wait.”

As the glowing one moved to retrieve the knife, their radiance illuminated the room which revealed a large number of ferals, standing perfectly still, in arcing rows around the chair. Marie hadn’t even noticed their presence and felt the whole thing to be incredibly unnerving.  

“But, what are we waiting for?!”

Turning, the ghoul went to the doorway just as an Infamy runner stepped through. There was a brief, whispered conversation before Atom’s Assassin turned back to her.

Cackling madly, they brandished their knife and spun in a circle, “They are here! Ahahaa!”  

“Who? What’s happening?!”

The mad ghoul roughly pulled Marie to her feet and shook her, “It won’t be long now; the Pretender’s doom has arrived in the Commonwealth!”

  “Did you make those pants?”

Shaun looked up from the workbench, “Yeah why, are they weird?”

“No, I like the color. Green is a good color on you. They look like they fit nice…”

He favored her with an indulgent smile, “Grandma, do you want me to make you a pair of green slacks?”

“Oh ho, not pants but slacks?” Her smile broadened when he rolled his eyes, “Yes, please make me a pair of slacks.”

“Are you coming back home after ghoul training?”

Wraith didn’t answer at first. She wanted to but since she had no idea how long learning to influence feral ghouls would take, let alone if she was even capable, she didn’t want to make promises she couldn’t keep.

She had intended the past week to be a vacation of sorts, but found herself elbow deep in reports and meetings instead. In addition to the seemingly random attacks, Infamy had taken to raising radiation levels in some of the southern settlements.

She also spent as much time as possible with Danse; helping Curie with his rehab and his occasional skips in memory. Now, with it being her last day, she was spending it with Shaun and found that she really didn’t want to leave at all.

“Oh, honey… I don’t know… There are too many variables to give you a definitive answer.”

“You’re using lawyer-general speak again,” He stuck his lip out and nodded, “I could go with you…”

“No. Absolutely not.”

His caramel complexion couldn’t hide his flush, “Why not. Is it because I couldn’t defeat Infamy? Do you think that I’ll be a burden?” He had balled up his fists, “I know I screwed that up but…”

“I don’t find you to be burdensome. You didn’t screw anything up! I need you to stay and help Mac…”

“That’s brahmin shit! That’s what YOU TELL LITTLE KIDS WHEN THEY WANT TO HELP YOU BUT YOU THINK THEY’LL BE IN THE WAY!” When Wraith didn’t cut him off and start yelling back he lost some of his momentum, “I’m sorry I let Danse and RJ get hurt!”

“You three were a team. Not one of you failed to fulfill… ugh… Okay, no more lawyer speak.” She got up from her stool, “I can’t lose you. And it’s not just you! I’m keeping Mac, Danse… I’m being completely selfish, I know… If I can keep all you strong fighters together, you will be able to keep each other safe, when I’m… gone.”

“Are you going to let the Valentines leave?” Her honesty had taken the wind out of his anger, “I’m surprised you let Grandpa John go.”

She furrowed her brow, “For the last time; I’m not a tyrant! I’m not going to hold innocent people against their will! I want them to stay and I already made my case, plus Curie wants to study Ellie’s pregnancy… wait… Grandpa John?”

Shaun’s blush deepened, “Cause you two… you know… he asked you to marry him. What the heck am I supposed to call him?!”

“I’m sorry, you’re right. Are you going to start calling Mac ‘grandpa’ too?”

“No, that’s weird.”

She nodded after a couple seconds of rapid blinking, “Okay, I guess that tracks.”

MacCready opened the door and stuck his head through, “Hey guys, Danse, Curie, the Valentines and dinner are here so stop yelling at each other and come in the house.”

“Technically speaking, RJ, the workshop is still in the house.”

“Who’s ‘Dinner’, they sound nice.”

MacCready sighed and slumped his shoulders, “Hilarious. You two done?”

“Did Dinner walk here on their own?”

Shaun started giggling, “How many legs do they have?”

 Dinner was very nice and the conversation pleasant. Although space was limited the group squeezed together amicably and Valentine, a wonderful story teller, was regaling them with child-friendly versions of the behemoth and alien artifact cases.

“… climb the whole way up with me tied to her back! Of course, I told her she’d do just as well building castles in the air…”

“Mr. Colonel Garvey Minuteman has a castle! He said that grandma Wraith fought a monster there this one time and it was really big!” Duncan threw his arms out wide, knocking his cup off the table. His father neatly caught it however, and not even a drop was spilt. His excitement turned to dismay at the near loss of juice and he hung his head, “Sorry, daddy.”

MacCready tousled his hair, “Don’t be sad, Dunk. Spilt drink never hurt anybody; just work on your aim.”

“I still say I could’ve pulled us up and out with no problem.”

Valentine smiled and shook his head at her, “You are aware of a distinction between could and should.”

Wraith stuck her lip out in much the same way Shaun had, “You never know unless you try.”

“I tried cheese today!” Duncan’s confidence had returned.  

Danse grimaced, “You’re a braver man than I. The smell reminds me of the training mats in the Citadel…”

As Valentine finished his tale, with he the unfortunate ending of Imogene, Curie leaned slightly forward and her eyes tracked his mouth with a hungry intensity.

“And this alien artifact, where has it gone?”

“Well… I’m not sure, actually. I was in and out at the time.”

“It’s put away.” There was a warning edge to Wraith’s voice. “I’d have destroyed it if I could.”

“Oh, but why? Surly this item would be of great use, not only to the scientific community, but to the studies of medical…”

“No!” Wraith gentled her tone, “No, Baby Bird. It is evil and cannot be used for anything but.”

“It’s like the One Ring!” Shaun deliberately directed his comment at MacCready.

“Oh, jeez. Not you too! I’m surrounded by nerds.”

“What’s this now?”

“Oh, Danse, it’s from this great book grandpa John let me borrow. You hav’ta read it!”

MacCready smirked, “Yeah, just when you’re finally starting to feel better…”

Shaun took the snide remark rather personally and so his retort had real venom, “You’re face looks better, now that you shaved that beard!”

Danse’s eyes snapped up to lock with the sniper’s, “You grew a beard? A full beard?”

“Yeah, so what?” His shrug was meant to be nonchalant.

Danse expression was unreadable, “Nothing, just surprised.”

“You’re surprised that I grew a beard? I’ve had a goatee…”

“Surprised that you’re physically capable of growing more than those rat whiskers you normally sport.”

Normally such banter would quickly degrade into actual bickering, but after giving Danse the One Finger Salute, (making sure Duncan didn’t see) MacCready laughed and flashed a bright smile.

After dinner, the group settled in to play cards: the children, Danse and MacCready playing Go Fish while the other four grown-ups indulged in Euchre. After a couple of hands, Wraith began making a conscious effort to memorize the evening. She planned on using bright-spot memories like these to battle against future bouts of her berserker rage.

Acknowledging her addiction to Buffout was only a small step in combating her tendency to slide toward madness. She had publicly denied, on more than one occasion, that she was a tyrannical monster but didn’t want to fall into the trap of declaring yourself a savor to the people whose house you’re burning.

  “I’m sorry I scolded you, Curie.” Wraith had followed Danse and Curie out the door and across the yard. Watching Danse use a cane made her feel all the more guilty over the decision to keep the artifact’s location secret. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like you’re a kid…”

“Ah, Madame, please don’t worry about it. Forgive me for saying so, but I feel you have been treating me as your daughter since almost the first time we met.” She arched her arms out to mimic her Miss. Nanny silhouette, “Even when I was just a metal egg.”

Wraith chuckled, “Well I guess it’s reassuring to know that I have at least some maternal instinct.” She took her by the shoulders, “I know why you would want to study it. I don’t blame you but… it has a way of… pulling at you. Shaun’s analogy wasn’t that far off.”

“I… understand. I was only, so excited! Here was a thing from another world! A… a science beyond the capabilities of the one I am only barely familiar with. One with an almost unlimited capacity for healing…” She looked at the clinic door that Danse had just struggled to open, “He gets lost in his memories and he’s still, so very thin…”

“Time, Baby Bird. With you caring for him, maybe not as much as you think.”

“It was a group effort that saved mon amour. Even Monsieur MacCready, with his Beard of Solidarity…”

“His… what?”

She laughed, “Danse had told me a story of how, when a member of your unit is badly damaged, so that they cannot shave their chins, the rest of the group stops this as well. This is done regardless of the team member’s gender, of course. Those who cannot grow a beard will sometimes shave their head… the focus on hair in this instance is rather fascinating, don’t you agree?”

Wraith felt a surge of pride in MacCready, “He takes such care with his goatee. They bicker so much I had no idea that they were that close.”

“Perhaps it is like siblings, oui?”

“How did Mac find out about the hair thing?”

“He came to me and asked what he could do. For some reason telling him the story that mon ours told me made me feel a little better. And when I saw that he was honoring him this way, why, I felt… I’m not sure how to put it…” Curie’s face lit up, “Robert is a protector, and this act was very much him shielding and bolstering my resolve. Which, is what I believe, it is meant to do.”

  She could feel the heat of climax pooling below her navel even as MacCready began to shake beneath her. Bearing down as he thrust upward, the breath was driven from them both each time their hips came together.

Their lovemaking would appear a desperate, clinging act; exciting and needful as their first. Yet, it was practiced and refined with each moving in concert toward and against the other. They fought to hush their moans and gasps of pleasure, as to not disturb the sleeping household.

The realization that they might finish together heightened the anticipation of release and Wraith couldn’t stop her cry of passion at the mere thought.

Pushing himself to an almost seated position, MacCready attempted to silence both their cries by kissing her fiercely. Head swimming, he came almost as soon as he felt her muscles contract, somehow maintaining enough control to last until she finished.

Collapsing back to the bed, he kept his arms around her, holding her to him to feel that wonderful sensation of oneness that was almost better than the orgasm.

Almost.

“Shit, Wraith… That was amazing!”

“Ah ah ah, potty mouth. You’re lucky Hancock isn’t here to punish you. Not that you’d mind.”

“Not that I’d mind.”

Wraith nuzzled his chest, “I wish the three of us could be together more. Not that I mind havin’ a bedfellow at every port…”

“Every port?!” He raised his pitch in mock indignity, “Are you sleeping with jabber-jaw?”

She pushed him playfully as she rolled away, “That’s not nice!”

“Ha ha! Doesn’t change to fact that you knew who I meant!”

“I’m gonna tell Piper on you!”

After a bit of cleanup, a check on the children and MacCready settled in her arms, Wraith let her perpetual exhaustion take hold and settled into a light doze.  She entered a dream almost immediately.

The cave was dark and full of the echoes of dripping water. At first random and natural, it swiftly changed to a rhythmic percussion.

Voices. No longer was it mere water. A multitude of vaguely familiar voices, chanting her name.

“Wraith! Wraith! Wraith! WRAITH!”

Then, like smaller streams coming together to form a great river, the cries became a defining torrent.

“WRAITH! WRAITH!”

It was cold! And the voices swirled around and through her. She desperately tried to ask them what they needed but when she opened her mouth, their chant poured forth.

“WRAITH! WRAITH! WRAITH!”

Then, with a flash of light, the voices ceased. The darkness returned, this time heavy and oppressively hot. There was a sizzling noise, like a burning fuse. The outline of a figure materialized from the inky black.

“Pippa…” Deacon lifted his face; glasses gone, his eyes shone, as if from within, “Pippa please…”

“Yes! Tell me! Anything. I’ll give you anything! Please, tell me what…”

“Please…” The light from his eyes spread until his whole body glowed.

“DEACON!”

“Please, don’t; you’re killing us.”

  The following morning dawned grey and the clouds in the east were leaden with the promise of rain. Wraith didn’t want announce her departure to anyone who may be watching and so planned to use the settlements back, secret door. She had extended a tunnel she found in the basement of one of the original houses, so that it led further into the hills north of Sanctuary. Doubling as Bear’s tannery, it was rarely used by the community due to the odor and its true purpose known by only a select few. After saying her final goodbyes in the kitchen, Wraith, dressed as a male settler, left by the office door and walked briskly to the last northern house on the left.

“I still say this is crazy,” Bear’s deep, rasping baritone rolled like thunder from a dark corner, “like something from Astoundingly Awesome Stories.”

“It’s ‘Tales’, Bear. I thought you were just going to drop off my kit, whatcha need?”

“I never gave ya yer present. Catch!”

Wraith easily caught the object the large ghoul tossed to her. Turning it over in her hands, she gasped in appreciation of the artistry: using the pale hide of the albino deathclaw she had slain on her way to D.C, he had created a helmet in the likeness of her defeated foe. There were a pair of horns, beautifully intricate scales and a visor sporting a pair of faux eyes outlined in blackened steel.

“Oh, Bear! This is the coolest thing I think I’ve ever seen! It’s so light!”

“Light in weight but super heavy-duty, thanks in part to the ballistic weave. There’s some in the suit too.”

“You made a whole suit?!”

“Yeah, I wanna see you in it before you leave. I couldn’t do a final fitting cause it was a surprise, so haveta make sure it fits ya.”

It fit perfectly, of course. It came in four pieces: a vest, jacket, pants and over-the-knee boots. And it wore exactly like her modified wet suit; allowing her a range of motion as if she wore nothing at all.

“I suppose it’s fine.” Bear’s overly critical eye scanned her from toe to crown, “Ya lost weight again.”

“Tch. It’s your imagination. This is so awesome!”

“One more thing,” Not wanting to risk injury, he passed her a wrapped bundle. “I found this in the armory. It was a little bit beat up so I replaced the fittings for ya.”

When Wraith returned the stolen egg to a distraught deathclaw parent, she had found a gauntlet festooned with the sharp, blade-like claws of a deathclaw near the nest. Picking it up, she considered it a consolation prize, but had never once used it. Now, she slipped it over her hand and struck a dramatic fighting pose.

“How do I look?”

“Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Start calling you General Deathclaw.”

“Ugh, don’t I have enough nicknames?” She embraced him carefully.

“There’s throwing knife pockets throughout, even in the boots, a belt with clips and compartments for extra storage and the jacket should fit over your shoulder holster… are you wearing it out?”

“I sure am! This is perfect; I’ve used Phil the Settler too many times anyway. And if anyone should happen to see me, they’ll probably think I’m a raider boss.”

“Well, I’m happy if yer happy, Wolf.”

 The midmorning rain beaded on the armor and rolled into the channels that Bear had strategically crafted; wicking the water away from her eyes and face. She had greatly lamented the loss of her original custom Marine helmet to the ruin of Gunner Plaza, but found that the range of peripheral vision in this new one to be far superior then even its replacement. With the horror of the previous night’s dream forgotten and delighted by the sense of freedom, she flew through the bush unimpeded by the weather and almost completely invisible to any of the Wasteland’s people or fauna.

Just as the warehouse and fence of Wicked Shipping came into view, she felt an odd prickling sensation and instinctively dodged to her left.

A trio of feral ghouls rose from the underbrush.

“Well, Zen time’s cancelled.” She crouched slightly and waited for them to rush her.

“Not to worry, General,” The echoing and otherworldly voice belonged to a glowing one. Dressed in the humble robes of the Children of Atom, he beckoned to her from the shop roof, “come along inside, sister. They surely will not harm their friend.”

Harkness yawned and waved at her by way of greeting. He was sitting in an office chair with his feet up on the desk of one of the former Flynn brothers. “Those are some fancy duds there, General Dragon-Lady.”

She removed the helm and wrinkled her nose at him, “Nice. You two just get here?”

“Nope.” Groaning, he stood, stretched and removed a pot of steaming water from a hotplate, “We headed out from Goodneighbor as soon as I got back. Sun called ferals to him the entire way; it was pretty surreal.” He waved a mug at her, “Tea?”

“Actually, yes, thanks.” She accepted the mug and idly played with the steeper. “You said he called to them?”

“Not very many and not out loud. He says that when you’re done, he will lead them to the Glowing Sea.”

“Like a Pied Piper, huh?”

“I actually think I know that reference.”

“As do I. And I approve.”

Sun of Atom swept into the room with a floating grace that left Wraith green with envy. Almost immediately the prickling sensation returned and she outwardly flinched away from the ghoul.

“Apologies, Mother’s Chosen One; I’ll turn down my intensity.” He smiled warmly at her, “It is extremely gratifying to learn that you are so receptive. Perhaps this training will go swiftly and we each can return to our chosen paths.”

She forced a smile of her own, “I’ll bank on your optimism, but please refrain from using that title,” The forced grin had started to make her cheek twitch, “if you must be formal, please call me General Wraith. Although, I’d prefer you refer to me as…”

“Wraith the Undying?” Harkness had a stole-the-last-cookie grin, “Or maybe, Death in the Shadow?”

Determined not to let him nettle her, she continued as if he hadn’t spoke, “as Wraith. Just ‘Wraith’ is perfect. How may I call you?”

“You may use ‘brother’ or ‘Sun’ as you are comfortable, sister Wraith.” He accepted a mug from Harkness, “Will you be leaving us, brother? I know you are resistant to rads, but it may yet be too dangerous for you to stay.”

“Oh no. I’m not going anywhere. I haven’t finished fixing the fencing and besides I’m going to stay and make sure things don’t get out of hand.”

The ghoul laughed, “I am well practiced, and I can assure you that no harm will come to your friend.”

He leveled a stern gaze at Wraith, “I’m not worried about you harming anyone, Sunny.”

She wanted to argue, but considering their past encounter, felt she couldn’t blame him. Her guilt must have made a clear mark on her face because Harkness’s softened almost immediately and he brought a hand up and rubbed the back of his head.

“I’m sorry. I’m really tired and it’s made me a grouch. Are you two going to start right away? I kind of wanted to watch.”

“I’m afraid there won’t be much to see until the fence is done. I’m holding them here for now but as soon as I let go they’ll either attack or wander off.”

“What about the glowing one in the warehouse?”

“She’s pushed me away every time I’ve asked her. She is very strong and I may be unable to hold her.”

“Was she here already?”

Harkness frowned and shook his head at her, “She came yesterday; just sort of appeared in the yard outside. We left the warehouse doors open and she went in by herself.”

“I believe she heard me and was curious. And now I am feeling that she’s waiting for something.”

Harkness washed his face with his hands, “That sounds really ominous.” Letting his hands fall to his sides, he shook his head to crack his neck, “I guess I’ll go finish up the fence.”

“It’s still raining…”

“The wet fence, then.”

Wraith frowned at his back, “How many ferals are out there?”

Sun crouched over a pack in the corner and began rummaging through it, “I managed to call twelve on the way here…”

“And Our Lady of Perpetual Radiance makes thirteen.” Harkness’s shoulders sagged as he stepped out into the drizzle.

“Lucky thirteen.”

Having found what he was looking for, the ghoul waved Wraith over to him, “We can use this to sit on…” He spread a woven, padded mat on the floor, not unlike a picnic blanket, “no sense in being uncomfortable, any more than we have to.” In one fluid movement, he descended to a seated, cross-legged position and motion for her to sit across from him.

Wraith set her jacket over the back of the chair and removed her boots before joining him. “It’s been a while since I’ve meditated. Over two hundred years, in fact.”

Probably something that would have helped me. I could teach Shaun and we could make mats!

“I think that you will find this to be a very similar practice.” He looked into her eyes, his omnipresent smile warm and disarming, “Why don’t we start with your overall impression of feral ghouls. What was your first reaction?”

She frowned, “Unfortunately the first ferals I came across were some of my neighbors from before… Ms. Rosa and… and her son. They rushed me and… well… I honestly didn’t know it was them until after. Her dress… I recognized her dress.”

“I’m sure, at the time, you had no alternative.”

“I didn’t understand what they were at first. And now; as much as folks think they’re mindless… sometimes I can see a glimmer… when they pick up a teddy or even a pencil, and put it in their pocket,” She lifted her hand and closing it, made a fist around an imagined object, “I can see the flash of memory, of a time when they were people, and not monsters.”

Sun’s smile faltered but he held up his hands when, assuming she had offended him, Wraith attempted to apologize.

“It is alright, sister. I myself am no longer human and because of my glow, am considered to be a monster, even amongst non-feral ghouls. But, having witnessed horrific calamities that those still yet named human have done; I count myself instead as, not a monster, but closer to Atom. And there is a domain that I happily occupy, no matter what others deem me as.”

“If you and Infamy are closer to Atom and doing his bidding, then I say you are well within the realm of monsterhood.”

His smile went out like a candle, “I cannot abide Infamy’s tactics. Their use of ferals as fodder is unforgivable! I would rather see them mercifully slain than used as soulless killing machines.” He steepled his fingers, “When Brother Harkness came to me for help and described who you were, I took it as a sign. I came without hesitation because I knew that it was His will.”

“I can admire your conviction to your beliefs, but they aren’t mine. I’m having a real hard time with this whole plan. I question the idea of assuming the identity of a religious figure. No matter what good I might do, it’s still a lie.”

“I’m not here to convert you. But, I know that you are part of Atom’s plan.” His smile had returned, “Ask me anything. I embrace questioning my faith. After all, what credibility would it maintain if it couldn’t stand up to scrutiny?”

She narrowed her eyes, “Give me one truth.” She leaned away and folded her arms, “Let’s start there.”

“I too have traveled to the Sacred Spring, drank from its waters, seen visions provided by the Mother. Among some that were terrifying I was struck by a singular image,” He abruptly stood up and went to his pack. “I made a sketch as soon as I was able to hold a pencil.” He handed her a piece of paper as he sat down, “The Mother spoke to me; she named them ‘Harbinger’.”

The crude drawing was of an upright, humanoid deathclaw.

“The Mother showed me you.”

“Hmm. That… does look a little like my armor.” She wrestled with the fact that she had just received her gift that morning and no one apart from Bear had seen her in it.

“I left the Capital Ruins because Harkness is a good, trustworthy friend. I had a suspicion of your significance but wasn’t sure until I saw you today. You and the Harbinger are one and the same. I came here to help him, but it has been revealed that I am meant to help you!”

“Okay, Sun. I will agree that you came here with good intentions. And whether or not that,” She tapped the drawing gently, “is me, shall remain to be seen.”

“It is a place to start.” He returned his sketch to his pack and returned himself to the mat. “When you are ready, I’m going to reach out to you, and I want you to describe how it feels.”

Telling herself not to flinch, Wraith closed her eyes and nodded, “A little like a static charge; doesn’t hurt but it feels a little… zappy.”

“Do you feel any impressions? See any images?”

“Nope.”

“Very well. This time I want you to try and push back. I want you to imagine a wall or shield, blocking the zappy feeling. It may help you to think of it as an attack. Find where it is hitting you, and try to stop it.”

For several minutes the two sat across from each other, quietly waging war.

“We should stop for now.”

“Oh, thank god. I have to pee so bad…”

Sun tilted back his head and laughed, “Is that what it is? Your attention was very strong up until about fifteen minutes ago, ha!”

“You mean I’m actually doing something?”

“Certainly. Your light is very bright, even at rest. It is no wonder you’ve been able to ask them for help without any training.”

“My light?” She shifted her weight, uncomfortable but stubborn in her excitement for knowledge.

He laughed again, “Go to the latrine!”

On her way back, she spotted Harkness. At that moment he happened to pull his arms up over his head, stretching and yawning, affording her an opportunity to size him up and watch him move in the light of day.

He really is a big one. At least as big as Danse… he moves a little lighter though…

“You know, General Death in the Shadow, most people would get pretty excited, having someone as important as you, eye them up and down like that.”

“And what? You’re not most people?”

Jeez! He irks my very soul!

“I don’t see wanton eyes filled with lustful assessment. It’s not flattering; it’s scary.” He came to stand directly in front of her. Almost toe to toe, “I see you deciding how best to kill me.” He folded his large arms and glared down at her, “How did you put it? Ah, yes; ‘rip me in half’.”

“Ouch.” Reminding herself that he came a very long way to help and that she did in fact threaten to kill him, Wraith tried hard to be peaceable, “I truly apologize for both my actions and demeanor when we first met.”

He tilted his head to the side and squinted, “That’s it?”

“I’m sure that I would find ripping you in half to be… at least half again as difficult as I may have suggested.”

Letting his arms fall to his sides, his blue eyes widened before he erupted in bombastic laughter. Shaking his head, he patted her none-to-gently on the bicep, “Harley’s right; you are the scariest person ever!”

He had no idea how much those words hurt her.

“Yeah, that’s me; the Commonwealth Monster.”

“Tell Sunny I’m just about done with the fence. I’ll come in and make food when I’m finished.”

Noting the grim line of Wraith’s mouth, Sun turned up his glow and literally gave her his brightest smile, “Harkness is a moody sort of person. He fusses at me a great deal as well.”

“It’s not all on him. I just wish… nope… We need to focus on the ‘here and now’.” She forced a smile of her own, “Tell me about lights.”

“The lights of the soul,” He settled back to the mat, “you may see them in your mind. You’ll call out to them, guide them and push them.”

“So, when you’re pushing at me, my light is where you… aim?”

“If that analogy helps you, then yes.”

“So if I can see your light, can I talk to you? Make you do stuff?” A horrible thought had crept through her mind, “Even if you don’t want to?”

“Ah, yes. This brings us to something very important. Wraith, you must always be the brightest light.” He set his hands together and briefly touched their tips to his scarred lips, “Most sentient beings carry a light inside them and most of those are strong enough to withstand any attempts at manipulation. It is possible to be overwhelmed however, so think of yourself as a lighthouse. Your radiance is a strong beacon of hope and you gather the smaller lights to you. You offer them peace, direction, safety and tranquility.” Separating his hands he waved them in a gesture of dismissal, “You do not ever go to them. Don’t follow the lights!”

“I’m sorry, but why? I know that they aren’t just…”

“Infamy and I are not the only Children who have herded feral ghouls.” Sun’s eyes filled with pain and sorrow, “Some of the other parishioners started to call us The Necromancers.” His smile was sad, “I’ll admit, I thought it was very cool and along with our friends, I began to act like… well, rather high and mighty. Some of us, rather than simply move ferals to more convenient and safe locations, started aiming our small collections at wastelanders who might have offered us some slight.” Now his eyes filled with guilt, “It went too far, of course. People died; people who didn’t deserve that level of admonishment.”

“So, the Necromancers became infamous… then Infamy?”

“Yes. At this point I was still a member, but I was having problems reconciling the deaths… and I wasn’t the only one.” He leaned toward her, “There was a power struggle within the group; those who wanted to return to The Necromancers and those who chose Infamy. Each faction had a leader and when the two faced off, Atom’s Assassin came out on top. Multiple ferals were used in their attack, and once their opponent was lost in a sea of overwhelming lights, Infamy took hold of what little of their mind was left and bent them to their will.”

Brow furrowed, Wraith stuck out her lip, “Wait… and you… you all think I’ll somehow be able to…”

Leaning back, Sun waved his hands dismissively, “Oh, no. This isn’t a coup d’état; it should be sufficient for you to simply demonstrate your ability to herd fearls. We are seeking to establish credibility to the claim that you are Chosen and therefore not a pretender as Marie has claimed.”

Suddenly overwhelmed, Wraith surged to her feet and bolted for the door. At that moment Harkness was heading inside to prepare a meal and so the two nearly collided. Near tears, she muttered an apology as she ducked under his arm and twisted away.

She didn’t get very far. Just past the remains of the semi-trucks were the three feral ghouls she had seen that morning. She stopped and crouched, instinctively preparing for battle. They all but ignored her, continuing to pick unknown detritus from the grass and putting it their mouths. As she watched them she patted herself down, stopping when she realized what she was searching for.

“Need a cigarette?” Harkness, seeming to appear from midair, leaned against a truck cab and offered her a pack.

“No, thanks. I’m after something a little stronger.”

“Oh, yeah. Buffout, right?”

“Christ! Does everybody know?!”

Pushing himself away from the vehicle, he folded his arms and gave her a pitying smile, “Hancock didn’t tell me, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Let me guess…”

“No, it wasn’t Harley either.” He watched as the ferals shuffled away toward the warehouse, “I figured it out on my own. When we met you acted so out of character from what I was expecting that I knew something had to be off. That and the ability to lift me off the ground with one hand…”

“It’s been getting steadily worse; every time I got scared, or even nervous, I’d pop a Buffout ‘just in case’.” It was easier to watch the ferals then meet his eye, “I’d take one and I’d calm down because then I was strong enough to handle what was coming. The times that I’ve lost control… I didn’t take it because I wanted to… no matter who they are or what they’ve done the people I’ve killed are, well, people. When I go berserk there is a good chance I won’t remember the little details of the murders I’m committing. Curie has warned me that it was all psychosomatic; I thought I was controlling myself with the chem when it was actually all in my head.”

“Let’s fight.”

“I don’t wanna fight with both myself and you.”

“No, I mean spar.” He widened his stance, bent his knees slightly and raised his fists, “Harley says you used martial arts to help Cait overcome her lingering cravings. Maybe it’ll help you too.”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.”

Plus, I might get to sock you one - guilt free.

They spent the next few moments testing each other with quick jabs and minor kicks. Nothing connected as they each skillfully deflected the others probing attacks. Wraith found herself thoroughly enjoying the exchange and let herself relax and focus on the movements of her opponent.

He’s really quick! He may have Danse’s frame but he moves like Deacon. I wish the two of us could’ve done some exercises like this. Although, if it was anything like sparing with Hancock then other things would have… No, he never thought of me that way… What a thing to think about now!

Sensing her distraction and hoping to capitalize, Harley stepped in close and aimed a knee at her midsection. Dropping her hips to guard, she wrapped her arms around his torso and hefted him into the air while swinging him slightly forward. On the backswing she used his body’s momentum to pop him up and over her back and slam him to the ground.

“OOOFFFHA!” Utterly defeated he made the time-out signal with his hands and attempted to gain air into his lungs.

“Ooo! Gotcha good that time.” She hoped her smile wasn’t too obvious, “You let me know when you’re ready for round two.”

Wheezing, the large man took her offered hand and let her pull him to his feet, “No thanks! I don’t want to wrestle anymore today.”

She held on to his hand, “Thanks for this, really. I was freaking out and… you made me feel better.”

Laughing ruefully he placed his other hand atop hers and gave it a pat, “I’m glad you tossing me around made one of us feel better.”

Sun had come to look for Wraith and was confused by the juxtaposition of fighting and laughter, “Are the two of you… well?”

“She’s better and I’m going inside to cook because my ego and I need to prove that there is something I’m capable of being successful at.”

“The… fence looks… complete…”

“Thank you, Sunny. I can always count on you to be mildly complementary.” He lifted a cautionary finger, “Don’t let go of the ferals just yet, I want to make another circuit before you do.”

As the three of them headed back to the office, Wraith felt the now familiar sensation of a mental intrusion. Sun, who was slightly ahead of her, felt it as well and he stopped and turned toward the warehouse. The three feral ghouls had stopped feeding and were standing perfectly still; staring intently at the building that contained the feral glowing one.

“She’s calling us… she… ah, she’s lost interest.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to keep her in there? If she’s that powerful…”

“Not to worry, sister Wraith. I am quite proficient in my craft. Even if I cannot move her as I like; I’m confident I can keep her in a state of peacefulness.”

Wraith’s tone was grim, “And if that fails, I am confident in my proficiency of my craft.”

  After they ate, (Sun more out of polite interest than necessity) Harkness asked the other two to clean while he made a final check of the fence, “I’m going to circumambulate one last time before you take off their mental leashes. It would be less than polite to let them wander off into someone’s tato plot.”

Wraith and Sun spent the remainder of the day cross-legged on the mat, quietly sparing until the sun made the western hills its grave.

Exhausted from the training, Wraith fell asleep almost as soon as she lay down for the night.

She was back in the cave.

“I have to find the source!”

The dripping water proved directionless; echoing through her ears and reverberating from the rough, pitted walls. She spun in a circle: searching, searching, searching… Drawn to the faint light cast by glowing fungus she moved as though floating. A faint flicker at the corner of her vision caused her to flinch and spin away.

“Pippa, you need to stop.”

Deacon phased in and out of focus, as if he was using a glitching Stealth-Boy, and no matter how she twisted and turned, she couldn’t see him but from the corner of her eye.

“Please stop or we’ll die.”

His voice came from directly behind her. She spun around; putting her back to the mushrooms to see him fully. His tear-streaked face was a pallid green from their illumination.  

“Stop what?!” She tried to go to him but could no longer move, “Stop how?!”

As before his eyes began to glow, brighter and brighter it spread until his whole body shone. It created a strobe-like effect when combined with his flickering in and out of sight. Then, ever so slowly, he raised a hand. Clutched in his fist was a single glowing fungus and he offered it to her as if it were a rose.

“This one is yours.”

  Wraith’s next three days followed a pattern: breakfast, meditative combat, lunch, meditative combat, sparing with Harkness, dinner, meditative combat then bedroll. Thankful that the cave dream didn’t manifest again, she got some much-needed sleep each night.

On the fourth day she had a breakthrough.

“HA!” Her forceful shout corresponded to a particularly successful mental push. The result of which knocked Atom’s Sun over and made Harkness jump out of his chair.

“What?! What’s happening?!”

Scooping the ghoul from the floor, Wraith spun them round, “Eeeeeeeee! That was awesome!”

“Please!” The glowing one somehow managed to look even more green, “I’m about to be sick!”

“I take this to mean that progress has been made.”

“Yes, very much so.” Grateful to have his feet touching the floor, he wobbled slightly but was smiling, “Congratulations, sister Wraith. Now we will work on refin…”

As if in response to their celebration, there came an incredible psionic pulse from the warehouse’s glowing resident. It was so powerful in fact, that Harkness turned along with the other two to stare toward the building next door.

“Whoa!” Wraith’s voice was hushed in awe, “Radiance just threw down the gauntlet.” She pointed toward the ceiling, “Let’s go check up on her.”

On one of her previous ghoul-problem checks, Wraith had created a makeshift bridge between the roofs of the two main buildings. Once the trio crossed over they quietly moved around the catwalk until they could see the feral glowing one.  

And what a sight she was: bathed in light of her own making, Our Lady of Perpetual Radiance stood perfectly upright with her arms slightly raised and palms facing her hips. Sensing them, she turned and took several elegant steps in their direction. Her poise and grace called to mind an expert ballerina. Further, rather than the normal growths, welts and malformed lumps caused by ghoulification, she was adorned in glowing funguses of varying pastel hues. There was a large concentration trailing up her spine to encircle her scalp which made it look as if she had been crowned by luminescent jewels.

“She’s a queen.” Breathless, Wraith couldn’t take her eyes off her.

Tilting her chin slightly downward, Radiance gave the other woman an intensely scrutinizing look while sending out another powerful mental challenge.

“She’s here… for me…”

“Wraith!” Harkness stepped between them, “Hey! Snap out of it.”

“Sister Wraith, we should return…”

Nodding wordlessly she followed behind them in a haze.

 The next 3 days passed with much the same routine. The difference being that after her sparing with Harkness, Sun would take her to the warehouse roof where they would alternate trying to connect with Radiance and the other feral ghouls.

This made Harkness very nervous and he made several comments to that effect. When asked “why” he couldn’t properly articulate his forbearance, “It’s dangerous. The other ferals… that is what you came here to learn but her… I don’t know. We didn’t bring her, she brought herself.”

  On the ninth day, Wraith awoke with a start and leaped to her feet. She could hear voices, raised in anger, coming from outside. One of them was Marie’s. Quickly donning her new armor, she slipped out a window while activating a Stealth-Boy.

Once outside, the early dawn light shown over a grim scene: the bodies of several ghouls, both feral and clad in Infamy’s darkened Children’s robes, lay across the grass in between two of the semi-truck trailers. A few living members ringed a kneeling, and obviously injured Harkness while Marie held Sun of Atom at gunpoint. A glowing one, whom Wraith presumed to be Atom’s Assassin, sat on the top of one of the trailers, letting their feet swing in and out of the opening.

Marie’s voice was shrill, “How could you?! How dare you kill your own people?!”

“Tch. Don’t waste words on that foolish, old Necromancer.” Infamy’s leader had their dagger out and was playing with it in a way that was clearly meant to be menacing. Pitching forward, they did a perfect flip and landed lightly on their feet. Purposely bypassing Marie and her hostage, they held their blade under Harness’s chin, forcing his eyes up slightly to meet their own, “Where is the Pretender, hmm? Where is Death in the Shadow?”

“She’s no pretender, Infamy. I promise you; Wraith’s the real deal.”

Infamy was intrigued.

“Don’t listen to this… blasphemous lout! He himself aided Morningstar in infiltrating the Apostles of the Holy Light by acting as a member! He is no less an enemy than she is!”

Marie had taken to waving her pipe pistol around as if it was a visual aid. Distracted by her wrath, she was easily disarmed by Sun who, in turn, put her in a headlock with the muzzle at her temple.

“Oh! Unhand me you… bastard!”

Infamy was amused.

“Hear us out. Please, my… please.”

Arching a hairless brow, Atom’s Assassin sheathed their weapon and folded their arms, “I’m all ears. Oh, hahaha; that’s funny cause I haven’t any! Ha ha heeee!” They gave Sun a dismissive wave, “By all means, kill that obnoxious psychotic. Ha! We only need one in our party and I am more than sufficient! Hahaha!”

Instead, Sun released her and backed away with his hands in the air, “She’s barely more than a child.” He directed his emphatic smile at her, “You have your whole life in front of you. You can be anyone and do anything. You can stop this right now; by telling the truth!”  

She spit in his face.

Wraith flinched. She was unwilling to act because she couldn’t figure an attack pattern that would guarantee the survival of her friends. At war with herself, her patient side was winning, but the berserker would not be silent.

In a gesture of good faith, Sun returned the pistol to Marie. Raising his hands he turned back to Infamy’s leader. “Wraith is by no means a false profit. In fact she makes no claims of prophecy herself. High Confessor Tektus proclaimed her Chosen because she, being granted the Mother of the Fog’s holy Icon, aided in the preservation of our sect in Far Harbor.” He placed his palms together as in prayer and brought his hands to the ruin of his nose. “I too have made the pilgrimage to the Sacred Spring. Atom has not yet granted me the clarity to fully understand the visions I received, but ultimately, I believe Wraith to be our friend and ally.”

“Lies!” Marie returned to waving her weapon, “She is the destroyer of Crater House! She has slain countless of our brothers and sisters! She is no friend; she is a heartless killer!”

Infamy fixed her with a withering glare, “Be quiet for now or I will silence you forever.” They set a finger to their lips and shushed her. Then bringing the digit away from their face they shook it back and forth in the air, “Ah ah ahhh, Sunny boy. I myself have heard the settlers speak of their leader as a ‘master over ghouls’ and they call her ‘priestess of Atom’ awayyyy up north. If she didn’t start this herself, as you claim, then she certainly didn’t stop it, as I know.” They put their hands on their hips and leaned toward their fellow glowing one, “Infamy doesn’t care much for those to garner fame at Atom’s expense!”

“She is no self-proclaimed priestess, and is prepared to denounce this publicly over Radio Freedom.” Sun smile was sly, “As for her ghoul mastery; we are prepared to give you a demonstration of her abilities… as a Necromancer.”

Marie, in an attempt to hybridize scoffing and laughter, ended up chocking and coughing instead.

Infamy was confused.

“How? Unless my mother was right and I’ve finally gone blind, she is no glowing one; feral or otherwise.” They folded their arms and turned to where Wraith was hiding, “Please, by all means, show me your power.”

Wraith deactivated her Stealth-Boy and walked out to them with her hands in the air, “I’d say you’re far from blind.”  

Marie hissed.

“I don’t know how you put up with her.” She gave Harkness a searching look, “How bad are you?”

“I’m fixing to live.”

Atom’s Assassin closed the distance between them remarkably quickly, “Take off your helmet, if you would, General. I’d very much like to see your eyes as we speak.”

Wraith refused to flinch away from the heat as the ghoul placed their face less than an inch from her own. She couldn’t prevent the involuntary gasp of air however, and was once again amazed that a being capable of generating that much heat and light would do so with a complete lack of body odor.

“You’re defiant of Marie’s claim that you are a heretic of the Church of Atom? That these rumors of your prestige are in fact, the propaganda of others and not of your making or design? Do you have the ability to call and control feral ghouls? Did you lay waste to the settlement of Crater House and slay the Holy Guardian at Kingsport Lighthouse?”

The rapid-fire questions put Wraith back on her heels, “Yes.” She lifted her chin defiantly, “I didn’t know that Kingsport was a claimed site. Outside of the… guardian, there wasn’t anyone there when I scouted it for a settlement. I destroyed the war camp at Crater House due to repeated attacks of the established Minutemen settlement, and only after my attempts at diplomacy…”

“I care not for your reasons.” They leaned away and waved Sun over to them, “What exactly did you see on your pilgrimage?”

“A figure with a remarkable resemblance to General Wraith, named as ‘Harbinger’. I know not of what she proceeds.”

“All Atom’s knowledge is granted to the patiently devout.”

The now familiar sensation of a glowing one’s summoning buzzed in Wraith’s mind. Shortly, a quartet of feral ghouls shambled their way over to stand in a row in front of the group.

“Now, I shall release them…”

“Wait! She is but a novice…”

Infamy’s eyes blazed at the interruption, “Atom will protect her, if that is his will. That being said; you have five minutes or I’ll kill you all.” They clapped their hands, “Isn’t this fun?! Wheeeee!”  

Marie snorted.

“You can do this, Wraith.” In pain, Harkness’s voice was strained and horse.

Almost immediately the ferals rushed her. This fostered suspicion that they had been ordered to attack rather than simply “let go”. She stayed ahead of them; happy to move them away from her friends.

During her training she had found that tapping into her berserker side had actually helped her when connecting to the ghouls.

Two sides of the same coin, it seems.

Donning her helmet and relaxing her mental self-restraint, she sent out a tentative greeting to her pursuers. As soon as she saw their lights she knew that these were reavers. Atom’s Assassin had deliberately chosen some of the most powerful of his arsenal to test her. Little did Infamy’s leader know that she had been practicing with a feral of Radiance’s caliber.

Come to think of it; why hasn’t she been throwing challenges at Infamy? Maybe I just piss her off…

As she wooed the ferals she felt what could only be an attack from Infamy. Distracted, she stumbled and was hit hard on the side of the head by one of the feral ghouls. Thankful for her armor, she spun away from the reaver unhurt.

Infamy’s attack made her angry, but she channeled it into an attack of her own and broke through to two of her assailants. These immediately rounded on their allies and pinned them to the ground.

Infamy was shocked.

“Well… well...” They snapped their fingers and the guards surrounding Harkness immediately broke away and retreated through the hole the group had cut in the fence. “It seems as though Atom has seen fit to grant you special abilities. We will be returning to the Capital Wasteland now. Once there, I shall meditate long and hard on this Holy Lesson…”

“You CANNOT BE FUCKING SERIOUS!” Spittle flew from Marie’s mouth as she shrieked, “YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULD DESTROY HER! SHE IS A MONSTER! I WILL NOT LET HER GET AWAY WITH THIS…”

She shot Atom’s Sun, point blank, in the temple.

Infamy, Harkness and Wraith all ran to them but Wraith, already lost in her berserker’s rage, reached them first.

She ripped Marie in half.

At that exact moment the garage door of the warehouse burst open in a white-green blast of radiation. Surrounded in a nimbus of prismatic light, Our Lady of Perpetual Radiance seemed to float across the grass as she came to Wraith’s side. The two of them together was an image out of the darkest of nightmares: Wraith in her blood and intestine draped deathclaw armor and the apparent queen of all radioactive monsters.

The others could only stand back and watch as Radiance reached forward and grabbed Wraith’s head in her scorched and twisted fingers. She pulled her forward until their foreheads met, then spun away toward the south east. Not even slowing down when she met the fence; she simply melted her way through and continued on at a swift pace. All the remaining feral ghouls followed her through.

And Wraith followed with them.    

  Thank you so much for reading! Like what you’ve read? Looking for more? Please see my master link post in my tags under Wraith in the Ruins. As always, my ask is open for questions/comment/concerns. More to come! =^..^=

#wraith in the ruins #fallout 4 companions #fallout fan fiction #fallout fanfic #fallout companions #rj maccready #maccready #nick valentine #fallout 3 harkness #fallout curie #danse

[evolutionsvoid]

It turns out victories are not as quick and clean as people think they are. When the enemy is defeated and the day is won, everyone thinks it just ends there and we all live happily ever after. That was what we thought when we finally toppled that leviathan, believing that our troubles were over the second that beast breathed its last. After all the cheering, celebrating and partying, though, everyone kind of realized that it wasn't over. We all looked at the aftermath and noticed there is a 100,000 ton corpse still sprawled all over downtown. Rivers of blood and debris were flowing through the streets and the holes we blasted into its hide were now leaking the foul stench of decay. After all the efforts and sacrifice, the heroes now had to play the role of cleanup crew. Even in death, the great beast proved to be a daunting opponent. With such a size and weight, you couldn't exactly toss a rope around it and tow it to the dump. Our only option was to take it out in pieces, and that wasn't easy either. Bunker busting bombs were the only thing that had penetrated its armored hide, and even then multiple runs had to be performed to reach its vulnerable flesh. Saws and blades were useless against the massive carcass, and drills only succeeded in poking extra holes. Controlled demolition was our only option, which made the scientific community practically foam at the mouth with rage. Even as the beast trampled over the city, they had talked of studying the beast and learning how such an impossible being even existed. When it perished under a hail of bombs and missiles, they assumed that they would get free reign over the carcass, to use it as they saw fit. When said corpse is draped over dozens of businesses and corporations, though, people with money tend to complain. It didn't help that the thing reeked to the high heavens, and rebuilding the city was impossible with it there. So the choice was made to blow the thing into manageable chunks, which would then be hauled to some facility so that research could be done on what remained. Crazy to think that such a decision led to so much misery. If we had given the scientists time to study the beast and learn more about its biology, then maybe we could have avoided the whole mess. On the first day of demolition, we targeted the weaker underbelly for the first charges. We had intended to relieve the build up of internal gases, and also to get access to the creature's fleshy inside for easier demolition. We armed the charges and stood back in our splatter suits, hoping that we were far enough away from the splash zone. With the press of a button, a chunk of the underbelly popped open in a fountain of gore. A great wave of gas, blood and rot shot out like a geyser, and with it came the worms. Pale squirming things the size of anacondas burst from the flowing wound and poured into the streets and crowd. Panic and chaos immediately took hold, as no one had been expecting a second battle. Soldiers scrambled for their weapons as the worms thrashed about in the open air. Over two dozen people were injured during the incident, as the flailing, slithering things ended up wrapping around the nearest warm body. Due to their size and strength, this snaky hug wound up snapping bone and cracking rib cages. Guns and flamethrowers were pulled out and the army moved to destroy these vile parasites. Once they were scorched, everyone went back to the drawing board. Moving this corpse was now a greater challenge, as we now had angry residents who did not agree with our relocation plans. Unfortunately, as the head honchos argued over strategies and ideas, something slipped our notice. It is believed that one or more worms escaped the destruction, and wound up in the city's sewer system. While we focused our attention on the massive carcass, it bathed in a nutrient rich stew of waste, kaiju blood and other crap. No one really knows what triggered its growth and mutation, but weeks after the worm incident, it came back for revenge. 

After reports of workers and soldiers disappearing throughout the city, we performed a search of the sewer system. Our presence and machines must have agitated it, as it burst from the pipes and shredded three different squads. Efforts to flush it out wound up driving it upwards, and it made its appearance to the surface world. While it was nowhere near the size and bulk of the leviathan, it was still a 300 meter long worm. And it was mad. The army immediately moved to kill it, but it proved to be a completely different beast to fight. It was fast, agile and it didn't have any of the delicate organs that its host had. Bullets and piercing missiles simply passed through its flesh, like stabbing a knife through a cake. Even when we blew its "head" off, it just slithered back into the depths and disappeared. Efforts were made to pursue it, but after fifteen people disappeared, everyone pulled back. Sadly, this battle would not end on that day. Or any day after that, as it still remains alive and dangerous. After multiple skirmishes and incidents, the terrible worm has mutated and grown into a monstrous form. Its regeneration and adaptive body has turned it into a parasitic hydra. Its new appearance inspired its new name, "Bitoso." A rather fitting name, as this horrible thing lives to bring misery to mankind. With these mutations and changes, it has become an even deadlier opponent than before. So far we have found that it can grow five different types of heads, and more may come in the future. Before, these were probably simple tools it used to feed on its host, but now they have mutated into powerful weapons. The "Anchor Head" is one that is petaled like a flower and barbed like a rose. While it was probably used to anchor itself to organs and tissue, it now serves as a piercing drill and thorny mace. The "Cutter Head" is a tendril covered thing that ends in a single wicked blade. Such a tool must have been grossly overpowered when it came to slicing through flesh, as it seems quite capable of cleaving through concrete and steel. The "Acid Head" is coated in boils filled with digestive fluids, and it can spray these caustic fluids with reckless abandon. Its lipped mouth parts can also serve as suction cups, latching on so that it can pump acid into a foe or structure. We have no idea how many have perished to this horrible head, as it sucks onto buildings and floods them with digestive fluid. "Spitter Heads" are a nasty one for our soldiers and weapons, as it fires streams of adhesive fluid with ridiculous accuracy. Perhaps it was once used to coat its body in a protective sheath, but now it serves to gunk up our vehicles and drown our fighters. The "Egg Heads" are probably the ones most feared and reviled. These plain clumps of eggs and bulbs can only explode when it comes to battle, but it also releases dozens of tiny larvae. More terrible worms will rain from the heavens, filling the streets with these horrible little things. Once they hit the ground, they desperately seek out a host, as the open air is painful to them. Unfortunately, humans are the only viable bodies nearby, which are a bit small for a parasite the size of your arm. Regardless of how poorly suited our flesh is, they slither to a victim with lightening speed and immediately seek out an open orifice. They will jam their bodies into any available hole and force themselves into the abdominal cavity. Due to their size and desperation, they tend to rip through the throat and internal organs, pulverizing the internal anatomy into soup. Those infected by these worms suffer a quick, but painful, death. Though the "Egg Heads" are destroyed with each use, it won't be long before a new head replaces it. Bitoso seems to have powerful regenerative properties, allowing it to grow new heads and sprout new appendages with each new injury. So much so, that it can actually detonate the bulbous parts of its neck to launch its head at a target, knowing that a new one will grow back in time. No matter how many times we fill it with lead and rip it to pieces, it just slithers off our radar and heals back up. Then we can only search and wait, not knowing which city or town it will attack next. While its healing powers seem to make it indestructible, there is something we fear even more. What if Bitoso is not as powerful as we thought? What if we actually killed during a few of our encounters? The great beast before it was filled with worms, and it is foolish to think only one made it so far. What if Bitoso is not one but many, and each new encounter is just another monstrosity rearing its head? We pray it is not so...   ----------------------------------------- And here is the last I got for Kaijune, which I think is my favorite of the bunch. If kaijus are animals, than they got to have parasites. And these little critters are not so small when compared to us...

#worm #parasite #tapeworm #kaiju #kaijune #monster #creature #bitoso #art #drawing

[claudinei-de-jesus]

Consequences of sin

Sin is both an act and a state. As a rebellion against the law of God, it is an act of man's will; as separation from God, it becomes a sinful state. There follows a double consequence: the sinner brings evil upon himself for his evil deeds, and incurs guilt in the eyes of God. Two things, therefore, must be distinguished; the bad consequences that follow the acts of sin, and the punishment that will come in the judgment. This can be illustrated as follows: A father forbids his young son to smoke cigarettes, and makes him see a double consequence: first, smoking will make him feel sick; second, to be punished for his disobedience. The boy disobeys and smokes for the first time. The nausea that comes to him represents the bad consequences of his sin, and the subsequent corporal punishment represents the positive punishment for guilt. In the same way the Scriptures describe two effects of sin on the guilty: first, it is followed by disastrous consequences for his soul; second, it will bring from God a positive decree of condemnation.

1. Spiritual weakness.

(a) Disfigurement of the divine image. Man has not completely lost the divine image, because still in his fallen position he is considered a creature in the image of God (Gen. 9: 6; Aunt. 3: 9) - a truth expressed in the popular proverb: "There is something good in worst of men. " Maudesley, the great English psychiatrist, maintains that the inherent majesty of the human mind is evident even in the ruin caused by madness. Although not entirely lost, the divine image in man is very disfigured. Jesus Christ came into the world to make it possible for man to fully recover the divine likeness by being recreated in the image of God. (Gal. 3:10.)

(b) Inherent sin, or "original sin". The effect of the fall was so deeply ingrained in human nature that Adam, as the father of the race, transmitted to his descendants the tendency or inclination to sin. (Ps. 51: 5.) This spiritual and moral impediment, under which men are born, is known as original sin. The sinful acts that follow during man's age of full responsibility are known as "actual sin". Christ, the second Adam, came into the world to rescue us from all the effects of the fall. (Rom. 5: 12-21.) This moral condition of the soul is described in many ways: all have sinned (Rom. 3: 9); everyone is under the curse (Gal. 3:10); the natural man is alien to the things of God (1 Cor. 2:14); the natural heart is deceitful and perverse (Jer. 17: 9); the mental and moral nature is corrupt (Gen. 6: 5, 12; 8:21; Rom. 1: 19-31); the carnal mind is enmity against God (Rom. 8: 7, 8); the sinner is a slave to sin (Rom. 6:17; 7: 5); it is controlled by the prince of the powers of the air (Ephesians 2: 2); he is dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2: 1); and he is a son of wrath (Eph. 2: 3).

(c) Internal discord. In the beginning God made man's body out of dust, thereby endowing it with a physical or inferior nature; then the breath of life blew into his nose, thus communicating a higher nature to him, uniting him to God. It was God's purpose for the harmony of the human being, to have the body subordinated to the soul. But sin interrupted the relationship in such a way that man found himself divided in himself; the "me" as opposed to the "me" in a war between the higher and the lower nature. Its inferior nature, fragile in itself, rebelled against the superior and opened the doors of its being to the enemy.

In the intensity of the conflict, the man exclaims: "Miserable man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom. 7:24.) The "God of peace" (1 Thess. 5:23) subdues the belligerent elements of man's nature and sanctifies him in spirit, soul and body. The result is internal bliss - "justice, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 14:17).

2. Positive punishment.

"The day you eat of it you will surely die" (Gen. 2:17) "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). Man was created capable of living eternally; that is, he would not die if he obeyed the law of God. So that he could "make use" of immortality and eternal life, he was placed under a pact of works, figured by the two trees - the tree of the science of good and evil and the tree of life. In this way, life was conditioned to obedience; as long as Adam observed the law of life he would be entitled to the tree of life. But he disobeyed; he broke the covenant of life, and was separated from God, the Source of life.

Since that moment, death had its beginning and was consummated in physical death with the separation of the soul and the body. But we noticed that the punishment included more than a physical death; physical dissolution was an indication of God's displeasure, of the fact that man was out of touch with the Source of life. Even if Adam was later reconciled to his Creator, physical death would continue according to the divine decree: "The day you eat of it you will surely die." Only by an act of redemption and recreation would man again have the right to the tree of life that is in the midst of God's paradise.

Through Christ justice is restored to the soul, which, at the resurrection, is reunited with a glorified body. We see, then, that physical death came into the world as a punishment, and, in Scripture, whenever man is threatened with death as a punishment for sin, it means first of all the loss of God's favor. Thus, the sinner is already "dead in trespasses and sins" and at the moment of physical death he enters the invisible world in the same condition.

Then in the great Judgment the Judge will pronounce the second death sentence, which involves "indignation and anger, tribulation and anguish" (Rom. 2: 7-12). So that "death", as a punishment, is not the extinction of the personality, but the means of separation from God. There are three phases of this death: spiritual death, while man lives (Eph. 2: 1; 1 Tim. 5: 6); physical death (Heb. 9:27); and the second or eternal death (Rev. 21: 8; John 5:28, 29; 2 Thess. 1: 9; Matt. 25:41). On the other hand, when the Scriptures speak of life as a reward for justice, it means more than existence, for the wicked exist in hell.

Life means to live in communion with God and in favor of God - a communion that death cannot interrupt or destroy. (John 11:25, 26.) it is a life that provides conscious union with God, the Source of life. "And this is eternal life: that they may know you only (in experience and fellowship) as the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent" (John 17: 3). Eternal life is a perfect existence; eternal death is a bad, miserable and degraded existence.

Note that the word "destruction", used as to the fate of the wicked (Matt. 7:13; John 17:12; 2 Thess. 2: 3), does not mean extinction. According to the Greek, perishing or being destroyed does not mean extinction, but ruin. For example, that wineskins "spoil" (Matt. 9:17) means that they no longer serve as wineskins, not that they have ceased to exist. In the same way, the sinner who perishes, or who is destroyed, is not reduced to nothing, but experiences ruin in terms of enjoying fellowship with God and eternal life. The same usage still exists today; when we say: "your life is in order", we do not mean that the man is dead, but that he has lost the true aim or objective of life. ... Conseqüências do pecado

O pecado é tanto um ato como um estado. Como rebelião contra a lei de Deus, é um ato da vontade do homem; como separação de Deus, vem a ser um estado pecaminoso. Segue-se uma dupla consequência: o pecador traz o mal sobre si mesmo por suas más ações, e incorre em culpa aos olhos de Deus. Duas coisas, portanto, devem se distinguir; como más consequências que seguem os atos do pecado, e o castigo que virá no juízo. Isto pode ser ilustrado da seguinte maneira: Um pai proíbe ao filho pequeno o fumar cigarros, e fá-lo ver uma dupla consequência: primeira, o fumar fá-lo-á sentir-se doente; segunda, ser castigado pela sua desobediência. O menino desobedece e fuma pela primeira vez. As náuseas que lhe sobrevêm representam as más consequências do seu pecado, e o castigo corporal subseqüente representa o castigo positivo pela culpa. Da maneira mesma como Escrituras descreverem dois efeitos do pecado sobre o culpado: primeiro, é seguido por consequências desastrosas para sua alma; segundo, trará da parte de Deus o positivo decreto de condenação.

1. Fraqueza espiritual.

(a) Desfiguração da imagem divina. O homem não perdeu completamente a imagem divina, porque ainda em sua posição decaída é considerado uma criatura à imagem de Deus (Gên. 9: 6; Tia. 3: 9) - uma verdade expressa no provérbio popular: "Há algo de bom no pior dos homens. " Maudesley, o grande psiquiatra inglês, sustenta que a majestade inerente da mente humana evidencia-se até mesmo na ruína causada pela loucura. Apesar de não estar inteiramente perdida, a imagem divina no homem encontra-se muito desfigurada. Jesus Cristo veio ao mundo tornar possível ao homem a recuperação completa da semelhança divina por ser recriado à imagem de Deus. (Gál. 3:10.)

(b) Pecado inerente, ou "pecado original". O efeito da queda arraigou-se tão profunda na natureza humana que Adão, como pai da raça, transmitiu a seus descendentes a tendência ou inclinada para pecar. (Sal. 51: 5.) Esse impedimento espiritual e moral, sob o qual os homens nascem, é conhecido como pecado original. Os atos pecaminosos que se processam durante a idade de plena responsabilidade do homem são conhecidos como "pecado atual". Cristo, o segundo Adão, ao mundo resgatar-nos de todos os efeitos da queda. (Rom. 5: 12-21.) Esta condição moral da alma é expressa de muitas maneiras: todos pecaram (Rom. 3: 9); todos estão debaixo da maldição (Gál. 3:10); o homem natural é estranho às coisas de Deus (1 Cor. 2:14); o coração natural é enganoso e perverso (Jer. 17: 9); a natureza mental e moral é corrupta (Gên. 6: 5, 12; 8:21; Rom. 1: 19-31); a mente carnal é inimizade contra Deus (Rom. 8: 7, 8); o pecador é escravo do pecado (Rom. 6:17; 7: 5); controlado é pelo príncipe das potestades do ar (Efés. 2: 2); está morto em ofensas e pecados (Efés. 2: 1); e é filho da ira (Efés. 2: 3).

(c) Discórdia interna. No princípio Deus fez o corpo do homem do pó, dotando-o, desse modo, de uma natureza física ou inferior; depois soprou em seu nariz o fôlego da vida, comunicando-lhe assim uma natureza mais elevada, unindo-o a Deus. Era o propósito de Deus a harmonia do ser humano, ter o corpo subordinado à alma. Mas o pecado interrompeu a relação de tal maneira que o homem se dividiu em si mesmo; o "eu" oposto ao "eu" em uma guerra entre a natureza superior e a inferior. Sua natureza inferior, frágil em si mesma, rebelou-se contra a superior e abriu como portas de seu ser ao inimigo.

Na intensidade do conflito, o homem exclama: "Miserável homem que eu sou! Quem me livrará do corpo desta morte?" (Rom. 7:24.) O "Deus de paz" (1 Tess. 5:23) subjuga os elementos beligerantes da natureza do homem e santifica-o no espírito, alma e corpo. O resultado é a bem-aventurança interna - "justiça, e paz, e alegria no Espírito Santo" (Rom. 14:17).

2. Castigo positivo.

"No dia em que dela comeres certamente morrerás" (Gên. 2:17) "O salário do pecado é a morte" (Rom. 6:23). O homem foi criado capaz de viver eternamente; isto é, não morreria se obedecesse à lei de Deus. Para que pudesse "lançar mão" da imortalidade e da vida eterna, foi colocado sob um pacto de obras, figurado pelas duas árvores - uma árvore da ciência do bem e do mal e a árvore da vida. Desse modo, a vida estava condicionada à obediência; enquanto Adão observasse a lei da vida teria direito à árvore da vida. Mas desobedeceu; quebrou o pacto de vida, e ficou separado de Deus, a Fonte da vida.

Desde esse momento, teve a morte o seu inicio e foi consumada na morte física com a separação da alma e do corpo. Mas notamos que o castigo incluía mais do que uma morte física; a dissolução física era uma indicação do desagrado de Deus, do fato que o homem estava sem contato com a Fonte da vida. Ainda que Adão se tenha reconciliado mais tarde com o seu Criador, a morte física continuaria de acordo com o decreto divino: "No dia em que dela comeres certamente morrerás." Somente por um ato de redenção e de recriação o homem teria outra vez direito à árvore da vida que está no meio do paraíso de Deus.

Por meio de Cristo a justiça é restaurada à alma, a qual, na ressurreição, é reunida a um corpo glorificado. Vemos, então, que a morte física veio ao mundo como castigo, e, nas Escrituras, sempre que o homem é ameaçado com a morte como castigo pelo pecado, significa necessariamente a perda do favor de Deus. Assim, o pecador já está "morto em ofensas e pecados" e no momento da morte física ele entra no mundo invisível na mesma condição.

Então no grande Julgamento o Juiz pronunciar a sentença da segunda morte, que envolve "indignação e ira, tribulação e angústia" (Rom. 2: 7-12). De maneira que "a morte", como castigo, não é a extinção da personalidade, e, sim, o meio de separação de Deus. Há três fases desta morte: morte espiritual, enquanto o homem vive (Efés. 2: 1; l Tim. 5: 6); morte física (Heb. 9:27); e a segunda ou morte eterna (Apoc. 21: 8; João 5:28, 29; 2 Tess. 1: 9; Mat. 25:41). Por outro lado, quando as Escrituras falam da vida como recompensa pela justiça, isso significa mais que a existência, pois os ímpios existem no inferno.

Vida significa viver em comunhão com Deus e no seu favor - comunhão que a morte não pode interromper ou destruir. (João 11:25, 26.) é uma vida que oferece união consciente com Deus, a Fonte da vida. "E a vida eterna é esta: que te conheçam a ti só (em experiência e comunhão) por único Deus verdadeiro, e a Jesus Cristo, a quem enviaste" (João 17: 3). A vida eterna é uma existência perfeita; a morte eterna é uma existência má, miserável e degradada.

Notemos que a palavra "destruição", usada quanto à sorte dos ímpios (Mat. 7:13; João 17:12; 2 Tess. 2: 3), não significa extinção. De acordo com o grego, perecer ou ser destruído, não significa extinção e sim ruína. Por exemplo: que os odres "estragam-se" (Mat. 9:17) significa que já não servem como odres, e não que devem existir de existir. Da mesma maneira, o pecador que perece, ou que é destruído, não é reduzido ao nada, mas experimenta uma ruína não que se preocupe a desfrutar comunhão com Deus e a vida eterna. O mesmo uso ainda existe hoje; quando dizemos: "sua vida está arrumada", não queremos dizer que o homem está morto, e, sim, que perdeu o verdadeiro alvo ou objetivo da vida.

[sprinkleofhappinessuniverse]

Bets Are A Dish Best Served Cold - Part 1 (Bucky x Reader)

Synopsis - (Sort of) Enemies to Lovers AU Based on Amy and Jake from Brooklyn 99. You and Bucky are two of Brooklyn’s best detectives, however its known throughout the precinct that you two are as good as nemesises as far as petty jabs and insults are concerned. After being partnered up on a case the two of you make a bet to see who can make the most arrests before the end of summer. Both tensions and feelings are riled. Are the two of you destined to be enemies or something else? 

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader 

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of robberies, vandalism and graffiti, petty arguing, Bucky being a smug ass 

Word Count: 2,880

A/N: First and foremost, I dedicate this Fic to @poe-also-bucky because Michelle is awesome and always so kind 💙

So I love Brooklyn 99 and Jake and Amy are one of my OTPs and yesterday whilst washing up the dishes I came up with this idea based on their bet is Season one! This idea was literally nagging me so I just had to write it despite needing to finish and write other fics, This won't be a majorly long series, maybe only 6 parts? But if you'd like to be tagged, let me know! 

"So how's work life with your temporary partner?" Natasha said, smirking a little as she walked over to your desk holding two cups of coffees.

"Ugh, don't remind me." You groaned rubbing your forehead. "Bucky is insufferable."

"Well, I've got to say, you've surprised me, I really thought one of you would have killed the other by now." She chuckled, taking a sip from one of the cups.

It was pretty much known throughout the precinct that you and Bucky couldn't go more than ten minutes without some snarky remark, petty jab or insults that may or not lead to an argument and you threatening to throw your stapler at his head.

It wasn't that you hated Bucky, in fact you actually felt a small admiration for the man. He was intelligent and extremely athletic making him a more than capable detective, despite one of his arms being a prosthetic. When you first met him you were actually impressed by his determination and talents. Any fondness you felt for the man then soon dissolved as the two of you were met with a personality clash. 

You would be the last person to admit that both you and Bucky were extremely similar despite the contrast of your personalities. Where he possessed the emotional maturity of a ten year old, discovering playboy magazines for the first time you were prudent and serious - minded. Clint had joked that you were the "mother" of the police force.

When he wasn't on the field and making arrests, Bucky's focus plummeted from 10 to zero. It seemed his focus was replaced with the ability to be the most obnoxiously unbearable man in Brooklyn. His locker stunk as though something had died, the same as his desk drawers which just had to be situated next to yours. He was constantly playing around with things on his desk, flicking pen lids and paper clips at you, singing out of key or making references to Tom Cruise movies. 

Yes, James Buchanan Barnes was utterly infuriating and unfortunately your captain - Nick Fury - had partnered the two of you up on a recent case involving a robbery from a small family, The Wicks. Both you and Bucky had come to some sort of conclusion that it was most probably an inside job. A large amount of jewellery and a thousand dollars that was tucked away in a safe were stolen and from the statements you received from the family, they seems somewhat private, reserved, nobody knew too much about them. You were convinced it was the father, Frank Wicks, his alibi didn't match up to the witness reports at a diner which he said he was the time of the robbery and overall was a fishy guy, like many other criminals you have dealt with.

“Morning, what's up.” Clint greeted you and Natasha. He took the unoccupied cup of coffee from Natasha before leaning against your desk and taking a sip.

“Y/N’s telling me how delightful Bucky is to work with.” Natasha chuckled.

“I didn't know it was possible to be that...infuriating. I'm this close to wrangling the man myself.” You groaned earning an amused smirk from Clint.

“Yeah, Bucky’ll do that to you.” Clint replied.

“Anyway,” you began, now sounding a little more upbeat. “I think I've cracked the case. I think--” before you could finish your sentence the doors to the interrogation room opened up. You didn't know anyone was occupying it and when you saw who walked out with a triumphant grin on his face you couldn't help but roll your eyes.

“Guess who just solved their latest case!” He exclaimed. You and Natasha exchanged a look. Why had Bucky interrogated a suspect without you? You were supposed to be partners, not that you wanted to be.

“What? You arrested Frank Wicks?” You asked.

“Nope. Try Dalia, the nanny.”

“What? But Frank--”

“The only crime Frank Wicks is guilty of is having affair with his wife. While it's sleazy and immoral it's not exactly illegal.”

“But how did you find out it was Dalia? You didn't bring her in just to spite me did you?” You frowned, crossing your arms..

“Not everything's about you, doll.” He said condescendingly. “No. I realised something didn't quite add up. You see, when Dalia went to steal the jewellery and money she stole a nanny-cam teddy bear with her. Of course, Frank and Harriet Wicks were so caught up in having their money and jewellery stolen they didn't even realise the bear until a phone call from Harriet. I took it upon myself to chase up Dalia and sure enough caught her trying to destroy the bear. Checked out the footage and boom! Found our culprit. That and she confessed.”

He never wiped the smug grin off his face on his face. This and the small crowd that had gathered around Bucky to hear his fascinating story and were now clapping made you roll your eyes.

“Sorry you weren't there to witness my victory, doll.” Bucky winked.

“I could've sworn it Frank Wicks and why couldn't you have run this by me first?”

“There was no time! If I had waited for you to iron your pantsuits and carefully cut up your breakfast I would never have caught Dalia in time. And have you ever considered that maybe I'm just a better detective?” He teased. You glared at him.

Within moments, Peter Parker, one of the police officers, was guiding a guilty looking Dalia out of the interrogation room.

“Book her Peter!” Bucky shouted, doing his best movie-police-detective voice.

“Um, detective Barnes, I've kinda already arrested her.” Peter mumbled back, looking a little uncertain.

“Peter buddy, just go along with it okay? Don't ruin the moment.” He said before putting his sunglasses on his face. “That's how we do it in Brooklyn.”

“Wow.” You said, rolling you eyes, which you were sure was the hundredth time.

“Doll, Don't pretend you don't love this,” he said making an exaggerated gesture to himself.

Your morning was going great. You couldn't help but feel irritated. If there was one thing you hated, it was being wrong. Especially at the expense of Bucky Barnes. That man just knew how to ruin your day.

Eventually the hype died down and Nick Fury walked out of his office.

“Captain!” Bucky called, raising his hand. “I just solved the Wicks case, all by myself.” He looked at you, smirking. Nick Fury however, didn't look as impressed much to your amusement.

“Barnes, why are you wearing sunglasses inside?” Nick Fury asked, swooning at him.

“Because he's trying to achieve The title of ‘World’s Biggest Douchebag’ and trust me he's well on his way.” You said. Nick Fury didn't say anything. He just glared both of you before motioning for the two of you to come into his office.

“What's up Cap? Is Y/N in trouble? Do I finally get to see what she's like when faced with the disapproval of her boss?” Bucky teased.

“Ugh, I cannot wait for Wilson to get back.” You said.

“Ouch. Hurtful.” Bucky deadpanned.

“Can you too shut up be quiet and act like professionals?” Nick Fury said, glowering at the both of you. You pursed your lips and nodded quickly, hating the fact that your boss could be even a little mad with you. “I have a new case for you, there have been multiple reports of vandalism at the community centre. Not only that but just last night a few windows were smashed. We have reason to believe it was committed by just one person. I want you two to go out interview a couple of people, see what you can find. Do you think you can do that?”

“Yes sir.” Both you and Bucky said in unison. 

“Good and try not to kill each other.” He said. The two of you nodded and headed out the door. “Oh, and Barnes, good job on the Wicks case today.” Yep, Bucky was the most infuriating man in Brooklyn.

You had interviewed a couple of people and didn't seem to have any luck identifying the culprit. As the two of you walked down the street to interview another person a boy - most likely the age of nineteen and wearing a green hoodie with red backpack and black water bottle in the side - bumped into you.

“Ouch!” You exclaimed, unable to bite down your annoyance.

“Watch where you're going, jackass!” The boy shouted at you. Anger boiled inside you and you whipped around to face the boy.

“Hey, you better--”

“Hey, hey hey. We’re on a job remember?” Bucky said grabbing your arm. The boy waved you off before stalking off. You took a deep breath trying to calm yourself before shrugging Bucky’s arm of you. “Not very professional, detective.” He said, humour in his voice. You rolled your eyes before walking towards the next house.

“I know that look, don't go jumping to conclusions Y/N.’ Bucky said as the two of you made your way down the steps after interviewing the person at the last house.

She was an elderly woman, very kind and friendly, who had informed you that her suspicions were on Craig Harris, a nineteen year old “troubled boy”. According to her he was often extremely rude and had been known for graffiting. She noted that he often graffitied his initials CH, in a very specific way. You had noticed this on the sidewalk floor a little way away. She also said that he almost always wore a green hoodie and red backpack.

“What he carries around, I can't tell you - help yourself to some more lemonade dear!” She had said to the two of you. The description seemed to fit the boy who bumped into you earlier that day and you were more than happy to catch him.

“Well the boy who hurt me earlier seems to fit the description.” You said, sternly.

“Oh please, it was barely a scrape.” Bucky replied. You chose not to argue back with him knowing he was only saying it to wind you up.

“Let's check out the community centre, see if we can spot anything.” You said “sniff out some clues.” He said, half joking.

“Okay Velma.” You snorted.

“Seriously? I'm definitely more of a Daphne.” He grinned.

The two of you made your way to the community centre. Your intuition was telling you to check out the back, so that's where you made your way first, Bucky scurrying behind. Sure enough crouched down, spray can in hand was Craig Harris. You quietly walked closer and could see a CH Painted on. You looked at Bucky.

“Y/N wait. This still doesn't mean he's behind it all.” Bucky said. You ignored him and continued walking over to him. “If you're wrong, you owe me a drink!”

“Are you Craig Harris?” You said once you reached him.

“What's it to you?” He said before looking up at you. “You're the chick who got in my way earlier!”

“You bumped into me,” you said, stopping yourself before you ranted on further, “I see you've been...decorating. Tell me Craig Harris, you hear about the smashed window?”

“Who are you the police?”

“Actually I am.” You said, flashing your badge, smiling once you saw the unmistakable look of guilt on his face. “Tell me where were you yesterday evening?”

“I ain't telling you nothing.” He barked, putting the spray can in his bag before quickly putting it on.

“Really? You see, we have reason to believe you may be connected. Pretty fishy, you graffiting the same place that got damaged. And you will be punished for this by the way so you got anything to hide, it might be best you confess.” You said. This kid had pissed you off so you were paying bad cop. Well your version anyway.

Craig hesitated and glanced between the two of you before sighing.

“Alright I did it. But it's only because those guys are dicks!” He exclaimed. You gave pLucky your best “told you so” look and got out your handcuffs and reached out for his arm.

“Not a good enough reason Craig.” You said. Bucky stepped forward.

“Craig Harris you're under arrest--” he began.

“Bucky, it's okay.” You said. Bucky stopped and cocked his head in confusion. You smiled before turning back to Craig.

“Craig Harris you're under arrest…” you began listing out his offence and Miranda rights. Bucky rolled his eyes once he realised you only stopped him from talking so you could carry out the arrest, getting back at him for Wicks case.

“Y/N!” Natasha called to you at the end of the day. “Clint’s invited me and few other for drinks, you up for it?”

“I've been dealing with Bucky Barnes all day. I'm more than up for it.” You said, shutting down your computer and getting your bag and jacket.

As you sat down with Clint and Natasha in the bar down the road from the precinct, you sighed in relief that you no longer had to work with Bucky for one day. You were exhausted and a drink is just what you needed. 

“Get this down you.” Clint said sliding you over a glass. You smiled gratefully as you began to take sip. You almost choked when you saw Bucky walk over, sunglasses pushed to the top of his head with a cocky smile. There was no escaping him...

The good news was Sam and Steve followed behind him and you were glad to see your best friend and work partner again. 

“I didnt miss the party did I.” Bucky said sitting down next to Natasha. Ignoring him you got up and hugged Sam. 

"Sam! I've missed you! Save me from this...douchenozzle.” You said. Sam laughed. 

“Yeah I missed you too, partner, thankfully me and Steve finished our case but I think Fury wants us to work another one together.” He said. You groaned. 

“Why you're supposed to be my partner. If I work with Bucky anymore I might end up murdering him.” You grumbled. 

“Well, you lasted longer than I would have.” He joked.

“You know I'm right here, right?” Bucky said, though he didn't look offended. “You're just pissy, Y/N, because I solved the Wicks case this morning.” 

“"Well, I arrested Craig Harris, wich by the way you owe me a drink seeing as I was right.” 

“Nope I only said you owe me a drink if you were wrong.” He said shrugging. “And it doesn't matter anyway, I'm still the better detective.” 

“In your dreams. We all know I make more arrests and solve more cases than you do.” You argued. Bucky snorted before standing up. He paused and a sly smile crept on his face. You knew whatever he was thinking wouldn't be good, 

“You sure about that sweetheart?” 

“Uh-huh.” You stubbornly replied, despite being wary of him. He walked over to the bar and got himself a drink. He walked over to you and made you hold your drink before lifting his up. 

“Why don't we make a bet?” He said. You raised an eyebrow. “"you heard me. A bet. Whoever makes the most arrests by...let's say...the end of August, so two months for now, wins. They get to take the loser on a date.” You paused, considering it for a moment. You knew it was petty and borderline ridiculous but you couldn't help but give in to your competitive side. Besides you really wanted to win and okay the worst date imaginable just to get back at Bucky. 

You raised your glass and smiled.

“Okay, let's do this.” You said. 

"Good. Let's drink on it.” He said before taking a swig from his glass. You obliged and all your friend around you erupted into a chorus of cheers “ooohs”.

“Better prepare for the date now Y/N because I will win and you will fall in love with me.” He said smugly.

“You wish “ 

Tags: @poe-also-bucky @lilasiannerd @thegenderqueerbatman

#Bucky x reader #Bucky barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes #bucky Barnes drabble #bucky Barnes fanfic #marvel #MCU #Marvel fic #detective!bucky #detective!reader #brooklyn 99 AU

[new2otomelol]

SCM - The Hybrid - a Zyglavis Fanfic

I don’t own the rights to SCM - this is a fanfic. Nyx is the MC in this story. Feel free to leave any Feedback! Hope you enjoy!!!

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Nyx’s POV

I’m falling fast, only darkness surrounds me.  I try to scream, but my voice won’t come out.  I try to move, but nothing happens.  I snap out of my nightmare and take a deep breath. I’m back to my other torment, my life.

I had a great childhood, until the day I started getting weird dreams and nightmares.  They always seemed like memories to me.  My parents worried about my situation and had me evaluated by a group of doctors and specialists.

Dr. Rithguard was the person assigned to me after copious amounts of testing. He would intently listen to all my stories and convinced my parents to give me a certain type of medication, supposedly to correct my “hormonal imbalances” and be normal once again.  Over time, the medication caused me much debility.

I was barely 13 years of age when my parents suddenly died in a plane crash; not having any other living relatives, I was placed in an orphanage. My psychologist, Dr. Rithguard, decided to adopt me.  I never liked the man, there was something about him that made my intuitive bells ring without end.  Over time he would teach me that Gods never truly existed and that any wishes made were never heard; too weak to argue, he would slowly brainwash me of this. Even though this went against my cultural up-bringing.

When I was 16, we relocated to a new city where Dr. Rithguard had found a new job.  We never really communicated, so I was never in tune with his goals or aspirations.  Basically, I never knew what he did since he had stopped practicing psychology.

One night, after dinner, Dr. Rithguard crossed the line of guardian to that of my abductor.  While washing dishes I felt a small pain at the back of my neck, when I looked back, he was standing behind me, holding a needle and donning a wicked smile.

When I came to, I was in a very simple room.  There were no windows, only a small bed, a large mirror on the wall, a sink and a small bathroom.  The door to the room was made of metal and almost resembled that of a prison door. This was the beginning of my long and torturous confinement.

That was then, today, I’m 24 years old and have been held captive for 8 years.  My “guardian” runs experiments on me at his leisure.  His usual routine is to release a gas into my cell and once I’m incapacitated, he injects me and runs tests on me.

At first, I was unaware of what medications or chemicals were being injected into my system; however, one day, my eyesight changed.  I could focus on objects distant from my view and read them.  It is during that time that I discovered Dr. Rithguard was manipulating my genes.  Some of the medications were designed to heighten my brain activity and physical strength, others were designed to replace the nutrients I was lacking due to my imprisonment.  

Some of these drugs caused adverse reactions and I suffered from chronic pain and malnutrition for two years. After that, my body seemed to adjust and changes began to occur. My eyes that once were honey brown, changed into a combination of yellow, magenta, turquoise and green.  I had night-time vision capabilities as well as magnification; I could see through the pores of my skin. My ability to mentally process data changed as I could now access commonly inactive areas of the brain.  This also meant I could telekinetically move objects as well as read minds.  Although, I made sure Dr. Rithguard never became aware that Iast fact.  I learned much from his thought process; however, I could never pick up on emotional thoughts, he would always think of work.

Another changed aspect of my appearance was that of my hair color which had slowly turned from a dark brown to a silver hue. No matter what, the doctor did not want to cut my hair, he wanted it long.  He controlled everything about me, I was never allowed to make a choice. During the past two years, his thoughts began turning darker and I could hardly stand to look at him.

From what I could read from Dr. Rithguard’s notes, my changes were going along smoothly; however, one unexpected change occurred that shook him to his core. I stopped aging at 21.  My body heals on its own and my cells remain in a constant regenerative rate.  To him, this meant he had found the “fountain of youth.”

He worked furiously to see if he could recreate what he had done to make that happen; however, he remained unsuccessful to the very end.

It was hard to come up with a good escape plan, even with my abilities.  He kept me tired and drugged so that I wouldn’t attempt anything. I had to patiently wait for the right time to break free.

Today, as I lie awake after another nightmare, I decide to take action. My guardian had been forgetful lately and thus slipped in giving me the medication to sedate me. I braid my long hair and twirl it around into a bun, I couldn’t have any obstacles to hinder my escape since my hair is so long that it reaches right below my knees.  I begin to prepare myself, emotionally and mentally for it all and then strike.

I bang my head hard against the glass of my room and fall backwards, pretending to have a psychotic episode.  He couldn’t afford to brake his test subject.  Within seconds I hear the door to my room unlock and I feel his hand slide under my head to try and lift my head up for a closer inspection.  I sit up with all my strength successfully headbutting him.

I drag him and lift him to my bed to use the restraints he always used to contain me. “Alright you son of a bitch… it’s time for answers, why did you do this to me?” He begins to laugh “my dear, you’re unique and you don’t even know it!” I let out a growl, “TELL me WHY!” He kept laughing and suddenly began to shake.  I tried to help him, but he seemed to be suffering from an attack of some sort. I wanted him to talk to me… he never once did after being placed in this hell hole.  I was going to find some medicine, something, but he shakingly began to talk “I… I… sorry… you’ll find out… loved you… but you were rare… spec… specimen…” those were his last dying words.  I couldn’t feel sadness or hate.  All I knew was that I had to leave.  I cleaned up my bloodied face and changed my shirt, grabbed one of Mr. Rithguard’s many hats to cover my silver hair, took the money from his wallet and set fire to the place.

Once outside, I wandered around the streets and noticed how big the city had gotten.  I pass by a news stand and I look at the local paper to discover that today is July the 6th.  I remember my parents use to take me to a star gazing festival when we would visit this city.  I miss them so much. “Hey Miss, you gonna buy that?” I smile at the seller and grab a pair of sunglasses from the stand and purchase them instead of the publication.

I walk around aimlessly taking in the sites, feeling the sunlight on my pale skin.  I feel dizzy as I once again re-adjust to being outside, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Evening begins to set in and I wonder into a park.  As I stroll along I see an older man a few feet away from me attempt to take a child.  I try to move to save the child, but a flash of light distracts me for a second and a man with long blue hair in a ponytail wearing a uniform appears out of nowhere and snaps his fingers. The older man falls to the ground in agony as the child runs to his mother.

“Nnn… No… No way!” the words escape me and I turn to look at the man once again.  To my horror, nobody else can see him.  Have I truly gone mad? It’s a possibility! None the less, I begin to turn around in an effort to run; my sunglasses drop as I take a couple of steps forward when I feel someone hold my wrist and pull me backward.  I fight with all my strength; my hat falls and my long braid becomes undone; I hear a gasp come from the man holding me and he suddenly releases me. I take advantage of his distraction and force a trashcan to fly across the sidewalk hitting my captor, these telekinetic abilities come in handy.  

I take my chance to flee, but my accomplishment is short-lived as I begin to feel dizzier than before “damn… it” I whisper as I begin to fall, but a pair of arms hold me by the waist and turn me over.  The man with the pony tail begins to inch closer to my face… “please, let me go…” he intently studies my eyes and gasps. Tears of fear begin to fill my vision “My dear former goddess, I’ve finally found you!”  

I’m not sure what he’s talking about, but I place a hand to his chest and mentally push him away from me with such strength that I send him rolling across the sidewalk.  I begin to run away once again.  I make it out of the park to where the street is when I hear someone snap their fingers.  Suddenly I can’t move, it feels as if I’m restrained by something invisible. “Please stop running away, I’m not going to hurt you” I begin to hyperventilate, all of this is too overwhelming.  I want to be free!

I start to fall to the ground, but he catches me before I could hit the pavement and carries me. “What has happened to you? Your eyes, your hair…” I begin to feel my consciousness fade. “hold on…” the man snaps his fingers and my world changes before me. I pass out from the experience.

I begin to wake and I see so much bright light surrounding me.  I feel a very comfortable mattress beneath me lined with silk sheets.  I get up to walk around the room and notice that things are very neat and organized.  The door opens as I stand in the middle and the man with the ponytail walks in and smiles at me “you’re awake, good! We can take you to see the king soon.” He takes a step towards me and I move back.  I can’t trust anybody right now.

“I’m not here to hurt you.” I start to shake a little, but hold it in… “but you brought me here. Where am I? Never mind that… let me go please…” He extends a hand towards me and I jump backwards. “I’m not letting anybody take me ever again, I’ve suffered enough…” I put my hand towards him and push him against the wall with my mind.  He looks at me shocked, but with a curious gaze.  I make sure to hold his fingers in place so that he doesn’t snap them. I walk past him and open the door.  

I begin to run down a long corridor and my mental hold on the man breaks.  “Stop! Come back!” I run faster and open a huge door in front of me.  I make it inside and I am overwhelmed with the radiance of it all.  This looks like a throne room.  I quickly scan the room to find a way out. “Oh ho… looks like we have a little runaway!”  A man with long blond hair and an aura of regality appears before me.  I fall backwards and begin to pull myself away from him. However, with a wave of his hands I’m standing once again, and this time I’m pulled so close to him that our noses could meet.  

He gazes at me deeply with his eyes and I stare back, they were beautiful; it was as if you could see the universe in them. “My child, I can’t even read your mind and that’s impossible. What happened to you? Speak!”  He lets me go and I walk backwards putting distance between us. I just want to be free, I want to live some sort of semblance of a normal life.  

“Let me go please, I… I… can’t  be held prisoner again, please let me go!” He looks at me with a frown on his face when we’re interrupted by a knock on the door. “Your highness, may I come in?” The man with the ponytail comes in.  I begin to back away from both men. I can’t be taken.  I’m too scared I can’t think straight.  

“Minister Zyglavis, please come in.  Do you know what’s going on with the former goddess?” Why do they keep calling me that?  The man called Zyglavis walks up to the other one and both stare at me “I’m not sure your highness, I’ve tried speaking to her, but she keeps running away, she looks extremely frightened.” He slowly steps forward “I promise not to hurt you or get any closer, but you need to talk to us.”

I try to control my breathing and confusion… but everything is too overwhelming. I hold my head with both of my hands as if to pacify my mind and sit on the floor bending my knees to meet my head.  I feel a hand run through my hair, “my child, what have you been through?” I take a deep breath and find the man that minister referred to as the King kneeling in front of me. “I… was taken as a child and experimented on for many years… I… I” The tears begin to fall and I can’t seem to stop them.  The king looks at me with a sad gaze and I feel the minister’s arms surround me in an embrace “Shhh… you’re not there anymore… you’re safe…”  I let go of my head and wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly… “I haven’t felt a warm…hiccup…embrace from a person in more than 11 years” I continue to sob onto his shoulder and I begin to lose consciousness once again.

ZYGLAVIS POV I can’t even begin to imagine what the former goddess has been through. I hug her to help calm her down and she in turn hugs me tighter, putting her arms around my neck.  When she tells me she hasn’t felt another person’s embrace in 11 years, I couldn’t even begin to fathom what other things she must have gone through. I stare at the king, who is looking quite furious, something I haven’t seen in centuries.  

I feel her cry harder as she nuzzles her head on my shoulder and slowly she begins to lose her strength and fall asleep.  I carry her and face the king. “Your highness, she seems to have powers, they are not godly in nature.” The king nods at me and touches the former goddess’s face. “My child, what have they done to you?...” his eyes look sad. “Zyglavis, take her to your room and watch her.  When she comes to, we’ll have to work slowly to get any information we can from her.  She’s been hurt for too long, and so far, seems to trust you more.” I nod to the king and leave with the former goddess in my arms.  She looks beautiful sleeping peacefully.  Her eyes are so many shades of colors and her stars shone brightly when I first saw them.

Nyx’s POV I’m falling again… the darkness is suffocating me… I feel warm arms surround me and I begin to slow down and slowly wake up, this is different. “Nnnggh…” I see a bit of blue hair in my peripheral vision… this must be the minister… “Zyglavis?” The minister immediately pulls back and holds my face with both of his hands… “Are you alright former goddess?” I nod. “Why do you keep calling me ‘former goddess’?” He lets go of my face and smiles “the stars in your eyes; you are the reincarnation of a former goddess.” I’m what? “but there are no Gods, Dr. Rithguard told me never to wish and not to believe.” Zyglavis stares at me with a shocked face… “We are real, we’ve always been here and you were one of us.  Was Dr. Rithguard your captor?”

It can’t be, Gods are real?  I mean, I’ve seen what this man can do, but, I don’t know. “G.. Gods are real?” he smiles, “Yes we are and we’ve been looking for you; now, was that man your captor? I take a deep breath, “yes, he took me after my parents’ death. He adopted me, but he… he had other plans for me. He’s the reason I’m a freak. In fact, I’m not alright, please let me go. Maybe I’m crazy and this is all a figment of my imagination? Am I dreaming? Am I still a captive?” I begin to breathe rapidly as I feel fear and darkness surround me once again.

Zyglavis looks at me sadly and holds my shoulders… “you are not a freak and you are here with me, I will protect you. None of this was your fault!  I just don’t understand why we can’t sense you or him? I don’t even know your name.”  I look down, I feel ashamed, scared, unsure, but, maybe I can trust Zyglavis a little. “My name is Nyx.”  Zyglavis smiles and releases my shoulders. “Well Nyx, it’s nice to finally meet you.  Now, when was the last time you ate?” I think hard on this “four days ago.” Zyglavis’ jaw drops and frantically begins to feel my forehead and observe my figure. “Oh my, this is bad! What would you like to eat? Say the word and I’ll snap up some food for you.”  I begin to laugh “I typically eat once or twice weekly… I really don’t need to eat often like humans do.”  He looks at me sadly once again.

“I mean, am I still human? What is wrong with me? Please don’t lock me up!”  Zyglavis hugs me once again. “Shhhh… you’re going through something that I can’t explain very well until I learn your story. But it seems that you’ve been kept hidden for a long time. It’s only natural for you to feel this way.  Please calm down, no harm will come to you.”

I take in a deep breath and try to tell my story.  “Dr. Rithguard took me a long time ago…” I stop, scared to speak. “What did this man do to you?”  I look down and begin to play with my hair, a nervous tick of mine. “He tested drugs he created on me and changed me over time.  I was locked in a laboratory for 8 years.  He would release a gas in my room often to subdue me in order to medicate me, run tests or provide medical care when… when…” I trail off, this part is too painful. Zyglavis looks at me and quickly holds my hands “when?” I cry “I would try to take my own life. I couldn’t handle it anymore.  The pain of the medicines, unable to set food outside for so long, my parents’ death, everything… I wanted to escape.  Even hell sounded like a vacation for me.  But then, my body quickly healed itself in one attempt, my flesh sealed on its own… I could no longer die… even that right was taken from me…” Zyglavis looks at me in shock “I… I’m so sorry Nyx.  I almost don’t know what to say. No one should take their own life, ever; but I know you went through a horrible experience.” He looks at me sadly and hugs me once again.  I take shelter in his arms and feel my worries slip away.  “Is it okay if I take a bath?” Zyglavis nods and with a snap of his fingers a white dress, bath supplies and other necessities appear beside me on the bed.  “I’ll take you to the baths, follow me…”

Zyglavis leads me down a long beautifully ornate corridor and opens two golden doors.  The sight of the beautiful circular bath took my breath away.  There were intricate statues of gods and goddesses all around.  Zyglavis snapped his fingers once more and provided me with towels.  “Nyx, I will be gone for a few minutes and then I’ll come back to stand guard outside, please take your time.”  I bow to Zyglavis as he leaves.

I get ready fast, I’ve always wanted to take a bath again!  When I was held captive, I had to take a shower, and it was always under Dr. Rithguard’s watchful stare.

I enter the bath and I begin to relax.  My long hair encircles my body as it floats and glistens under the water, I should at least cut it waist high one of these days.  Since the bath was almost as big as a pool, I dive under for a few seconds and then return to the surface. “Oooooh, what do we have heeeeere?” A man with a mischievous smile stands on the side of the bath looking down at me.  He has half of his hear up and a uniform almost like Zyglavis’.  I begin to panic and swim away from him. “You’re a beautiful fish, aren’t you?”  My heart races and I begin to scream.  The man begins to panic and shakes his hands “No, no, no, I’m not going to hurt you, please relax!” But then, Zyglavis comes running in to check on me and I climb out quickly and stand behind him.  My wet hair clinging to my body covers me. “Icthys, what are you doing in here!” he asks the other man with a commanding tone. “I thought I heard a noise and I came to check it out.  Who is this beautiful and unusual fishy?”  He begins to look at my face and his eyes widen. “Zyg, is she?” Zyglavis lowers his head as if he’s annoyed. “Yes Icthys, she’s the former goddess…” Zyglavis snaps his fingers and a towel is suddenly wrapped around my body. “Have more respect, will you? You can visit her after she’s ready, for now, we’re leaving.” Zyglavis snaps his fingers and we’re transported back to his room along with everything I had taken with me to the bath.

“Apologies Nyx, he’s a most troublesome god, but he means well.  Please get dressed.”  I begin to take off my towel and his face turns bright red “NO, not here, not in front of me, let me at least turn my back to you.”  I laugh “I’m sorry, I just got used to always being watched that it doesn’t bother me anymore.” His face cools down and he becomes sad once again. “You poor child… let me know when you’re done and I’ll help you with your long hair.”  He turns around and I begin to put on the clothes he provided me with.  The dress he made is a long, white empire waist cut style drafted from a very soft silky material. The bust line was a bit revealing to me, but it was elegant and the straps had pearls sown in to them.

“Zyglavis, I’m done.” He turns around and gives me the warmest smile; he snaps his fingers and my hair instantly dries. “Can I brush your hair Nyx?”  I nod and he grabs a brush and begins to gently work on my hair; it feels so good that I could fall asleep on the spot. “Your hair is so long and beautiful.” I laugh “It’s also a pain to manage, but Dr. Rithguard would never let me cut it.”  He continues to brush my hair and then makes a French braid.  I laugh a little… “I never thought a man knew how to do this!” He smiles and blushes “I love taking care of my hair, so, I’ve picked up a few things.”  When he’s done he brings the long braid to the front.  “Icthys wasn’t lying Nyx, you really are beautiful.” I smile at Zyglavis “thank you for that, I’m just scared about what will happen to me? Don’t people in my situation normally lose their minds? I mean, am I crazy?” He smiles sadly at me. “the fact that you question your sanity and worry about it means you understand things the way they are.  You are not crazy, believe me. I have friends that can help you, but you need to be willing to meet them.” I begin to cry. “You’re the only one I have spoken to in so long, I’m afraid to be without you!”  He gently holds me… “I will always be with you, plus, you’ll make new friends.”

I nod in agreement into his chest. “Alright Nyx, it’s time to go and meet the King again.  Let me talk to him first while you wait outside for a bit. Is it okay if Icthys stays with you?” I think about the god from earlier again, he didn’t seem to be bad… “yes, that’ll be fine, but can you talk to him before you leave me with him?” Zyglavis smiles, “yes, of course.”

We stand by the King’s door and Zyglavis addresses Icthys. “Be sure to take care of her and stay by her side. She’s in a delicate state right now.”  Icthys smiles at me “Zyg, I’ll take good care of her for you!”  Zyglavis gives Icthys one last stare and then looks my way “I’ll be back in a few minutes okay, stay here.” I smile at him as he walks into the room.  I have to be strong. “Sooooo… Nyx is i?… can I see your eyes again?!”

ZYGLAVIS POV I inform the King of what I have learned.  His concern is evident, a rare sight. “Zyglavis, this isn’t right. I never sensed her again after she turned 13.  I haven’t been able to read her mind and no wishes were ever made.”  

“Your highness, the man that held her captive, this Dr. Rithguard, do you know of him?”  The King looks confused, “no, not at all. Have Leon and Scorpio investigate the matter.  Let the other gods study Nyx to see how far this man changed her.  She is now enigma, no longer a goddess, yet she still has her stars, and no longer human.” I bow to the King and make my way back to Nyx.

NYX’S POV “Can I play with your braid? Pleeeaaaaasseee?” I sigh, “for the thousandth time NO! Icthys!” He pouts as he looks at me when another god walks up to both of us, I quickly try to hide behind Icthys. “My, my… what gorgeous specimen do you have hiding behind you Icthys?” This man doesn’t feel right to me, something is off. “Partheno!!! This is the former goddess! Zyg found her!!!”

TO BE CONTINUED

#star crossed myth #zyglavis #icthys #voltage inc

[mdpikachu]

VIRTUES AND FLAWS

Have you ever needed a list of descriptors for a character bio? I have.

Absent-minded

 - Preoccupied to the extent of being unaware of one’s immediate surroundings. Abstracted, daydreaming, inattentive, oblivious, forgetful.

Abusive

 - Characterized by improper infliction of physical or psychological maltreatment towards another. Insulting and violent, cruel. good at manipulating people

Accepting

 – Tolerating. too accepting; willing to excuse extreme behavior

Adaptable

 – Able to adjust easily. used to traveling from situation to situation; may not be able to fully adapt/live in a permanent situation

Addict

 - One who is addicted to a compulsive activity. Examples: gambling, drugs, sex.

Affable

 – Easy to talk to, friendly.accidentally befriends the wrong sort of people; pushes to befriend everyone

Affectionate

 –Very fond and tender. inappropriate affection

Afraid

 – Fearful. knows how to create traps

Aimless

 - Devoid of direction or purpose.

Alert

 – Quick to notice unusual things. constantly on edge; paranoid

Altruistic

 – Cares about others but not themselves. self-destructive behavior for the sake of their Cause; refuses to think of self; suicidal. Selfless.

Ambitious

 – Zealous, committed. willing to do anything for their success

Anxious

 - Full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried; solicitous.

Apologetic

 – Regretful. apologizes too much; is a doormat; guilt-ridden

Arrogant

 – Egotistic, haughty. confident

Ashamed

 – Sheepish, guilty. attempts to change, destroy, or get over what they are ashamed of

Aspiring

 – Can direct hopes and ambitions. becomes very ambitious; ruthless in their attempts to reach goals

Assertive

 – Confident, forceful. misunderstood as aggressive; actually aggressive; others react negatively when they take command all the time

Athletic

 – Physically strong, fit, and active. joints weakened from exercise; performance-enhancing drug abuse; competitive

Audacious

 - Recklessly bold in defiance of convention, propriety, law, or the like; insolent; braze, disobedient.

Avoidant

 – … Self explanatory? an expert in indirect communication (i.e. internet); keeps secrets

Bigoted

 – Biased, prejudiced. probably has a group to support their bigoted world view, is intolerant of those who differ.

Blunt

 – Straightforward, frank. honest, callous, insensitive, brusque.

Boastful

 – A bragger, prideful. confident; high self-worth; not easily belittled

Bold

 - In a bad sense, too forward; taking undue liberties; over assuming or confident; lacking proper modesty or restraint; rude; impudent. Abrupt, brazen, cheeky, brassy, audacious.

Boring

 – Dull, plain. blend into the background; unnoticeable

Brave

 – Can face danger and pain. engages in risky behavior; exposes others to risky situations

Busy

 – Occupied. overworked; no time for play

Callous

 - They are hardened to emotions, rarely showing any form of it in expression. Unfeeling. Cold.

Calm

 – Tranquil, quiet, hiding emotions. do not want their sense of security disturbed; turn a blind eye

Carefree

 – Free from anxiety. apathetic about life; naïve

Careful

 – Cautious, wary. paranoid

Charismatic

 – Compelling. uses their charm for evil; convinces people to do questionable things; gains an unexpected cult following

Childish

 - Marked by or indicating a lack of maturity; puerile.

Competitive

 – Combative, fierce. always gives their all to win

Complex

 – Complicated, intricate, hard to understand. difficult for others to understand and/or get close to

Confident

 – Self-assured, positive. arrogant

Conservative

 – Cautious, reasonable. plays to not to lose before playing to win

Contradictory

 – Contrary, opposing. true intentions always unknown

Controlling

 – Seme-ish, in-charge. excellent organizer; observant

Cooperative

 – Helpful. submissive

Cowardly

 – Timid, fearful. survivalist

Crafty

 – Sly, tricky, cunning. intelligent; manipulative; evasive

Creative

 – Imaginative. lazy; procrastinator

Critical

 – Negative, disapproving. good at spotting errors; opinionated; strong-willed, judgmental

Cruel

 – Savage, sadistic. everyone fears them; few enemies

Cultured

 – Discriminating, enlightened. elegant; stylish

Curious

 – Eager to learn. sticks their nose where it doesn’t belong

Dainty

 – Small, pretty. delicate; easily broken

Decisive

 – strong-willed, makes quick decisions. refuses to change their mind

Delusional

 – Misunderstanding, mistaken. thinks original thoughts

Demanding

 – Nagging, insistent. knows what they want

Dependent

 – Reliant on someone else. protective of the thing they’re dependent on; emotionally linked to object of dependence (capable of love). Unable to exist, sustain oneself, or act appropriately or normally without the assistance or direction of another.

Detached

 – Aloof, uninvolved. won’t worry about empathy, sympathy; no emotional connections to slow them down. Mentally decayed. Insane. Crazy. Mad. Psychotic.

Determined

 – Firm, resolved. refuses to recognize a no-win scenario

Diligent

 – Hard-working. perfectionist; neat freak; works too hard; doesn’t get enough credit for their work; taken advantage of; forgets to take care of self

Dirty

 – Vile, low, unfair. can work well in chaos

Disciplined

 – Controlled. by-the-book; need standards

Dishonest

 – Given to or using fraud, cheating; deceitful, deceptive, crooked, underhanded, corrupt

Disloyal

 - Lacking loyalty. Unfaithful, perfidious, traitorous, treasonable, Fickle, faithless. self-serving; always looks out for Number 1

Disrespectful

 – Rude, impolite. challenges ideas that others haven’t out of fear

Disturbed

 - Showing some or a few signs or symptoms of mental or emotional illness. Confused, disordered, neurotic, troubled.

Dramatic

 – Intends to make an effect, theatrical. overdramatic; no one takes them seriously; see life as a game

Dreamy

 – Not practical, a daydreamer. cannot focus on the present; thinks only in abstract; cannot see evil motives or fault in others; naïve

Dry

 – Unemotional, dull. negative; smartass

Dubious

 - Fraught with uncertainty or doubt. Undecided, doubtful, unsure.

Eager

 – Enthusiastic. hyperactive; refuse to follow through; blindly rushes through actions

Eccentric

 – Strange, odd. not understood by others; strange; cannot socialize; cannot read body language

Egotistical

 - Characteristic of those having an inflated idea of their own importance. Boastful, pompous.

Embarrassing

 – Humiliating. outspoken; rebellious

Empathetic

 – Easily comprehends others. bleeding heart; try to humanize everything

Envious

 - Showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another’s advantages; covetous, jealous.

Erratic

 - Deviating from the customary course in conduct or opinion; eccentric: erratic behaviour. Eccentric, bizarre, outlandish, strange.

Extravagant

 – Spendthrift, wasteful. appreciates the finer things in life; probably rich

Fair

 – Honorable. value justice over mercy

Fanatical

 - Fanatic outlook or behaviour especially as exhibited by excessive enthusiasm, unreasoning zeal, or wild and extravagant notions on some subject. Extreme, eager

Fickle

 – Erratic, changeable, unstable - especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious.

Fierce

 – Intensely aggressive. violent

Finicky

 - Excessively particular or fastidious; difficult to please; fussy. Too much concerned with detail. Meticulous, fastidious, choosy, critical, picky, prissy, pernickety.

Fixated

 – Obsessive. motivated, possess a goal they will pursue until the end. Fetish, quirk, obsession, infatuation.

Flirty

 – A tease. flirts with the wrong people; make unwanted advances. Minx. Tease.

Forgiving

 – Softhearted. forgives everyone, no matter how bad they are

Frightful

 – Horrific, nasty, grim, dire. few enemies; not actually frightening on the inside

Funny

 – Humorous, amusing. not taken seriously; sad on the inside (several famous comedians have been suicidal); eager to please

Generous

 – Kind, giving. gives everything away; thinks nothing for themselves

Gentle

 – Mild, considerate. patronizing; over-forgiving; naïve; cannot make hard choices; bleeding heart; unwilling to injure or hurt others, tender

Gifted

 – Talented. fear others will surpass their abilities; arrogant; ambitious

Gloomy

 – Downcast, dejected. can always think of (and plan for) the worst case scenario

Gluttonous

 - Given to excess in consumption of especially food or drink. Voracious, ravenous, wolfish, piggish, insatiable.

Greedy

 – Possessive, covetous. opportunist; great at using situations for maximum profit

Gruff

 - Brusque or stern in manner or appearance. Crusty, rough, surly.

Gullible

 - Will believe any information given, regardless of how valid or truthful it is, easily deceived or duped.

Hedonistic

 – Pleasure-seeking. likes a good time; appreciates a good party

Hoity-toity

- Given to flights of fancy; capricious; frivolous. Prone to giddy behaviour, flighty.

Honest

 – Sincere, virtuous. blunt; tells truths that hurt others; cannot keep secrets

Honorable

 – Moral, right-minded. honors all promises, even the stupid ones; by-the-book; studious

Humble

 – Modest. refuses to take credit for work; dislikes attention

Hypocritical

 - One who is always contradicting their own beliefs, actions or sayings. A person who professes beliefs and opinions for others that he does not hold. Being a hypocrite.

Idealist

 - One whose conduct is influenced by ideals that often conflict with practical considerations. One who is unrealistic and impractical, guided more by ideals than by practical considerations.

Idiotic

 - Marked by a lack of intelligence or care; foolish or careless.

Ignorant

 - Lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact. Showing or arising from a lack of education or knowledge.

Immature

 - Emotionally undeveloped; juvenile; childish.

Immoral

 – Wrong, wicked, corrupt. nothing holds them back

Impartial

 – Neutral. fair

Impatient

 - Unable to wait patiently or tolerate delay; restless. Unable to endure irritation or opposition; intolerant.

Impious

 - Lacking piety and reverence for a god/gods and their followers.

Impish

 - Naughtily or annoyingly playful.

Incompetent

 – Inept, clumsy, unskilled. good at compensating for inadequacy; good at masking disabilities

Indecisive

 – Hesitant, undecided. impossible to predict

Independent

 – Individualistic, free. does not play well with others; withdrawn; dislikes authority

Indifferent

 - The trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally, remaining calm and seeming not to care; a casual lack of concern. Having or showing little or no interest in anything; languid; spiritless.

Infamous

 - Having an extremely bad reputation, public reproach, or strong condemnation as the result of a shameful, criminal, or outrageous act that affects how others view them.

Insensitive

 – Heartless, inconsiderate. impossible to criticize or demean

Insulting

 – Disrespectful, mean. don’t care about anything

Intelligent

 – Brilliant, smart. arrogant; does not listen to others’ ideas; depressed

Intolerant

 - Unwilling to tolerate difference of opinion and narrow-minded about cherished opinions.

Judgmental

 - Inclined to make and form judgments, especially moral or personal ones, based on one’s own opinions or impressions towards others/ practices/ groups/ religions based on appearance, reputation, occupation, etc.

Klutz

 - Clumsy. Blunderer.

Lazy

 – Slothful, lethargic. works in quick spurts of inspiration

Lewd

 - Inclined to, characterized by, or inciting to lust or lechery; lascivious. Obscene or indecent, as language or songs; salacious.

Liar

 - Compulsively and purposefully tells false truths more often than not. A person who has lied or who lies repeatedly.

Loyal

 – Devoted. overwhelmed with responsibilities they feel they need to honor; does not see faults in what or who they are loyal to; taken advantage of; dogmatic

Lucky

 – Blessed. relies on their luck to get them through situations instead of working it out themselves

Lustful

 - Driven by lust; preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires.

Manipulative

 - Calculating, devious. makes people do what they want; size up situations well; long-range planning abilities

Masochistic

 - The deriving of sexual gratification, or the tendency to derive sexual gratification, from being physically or emotionally abused. A willingness or tendency to subject oneself to unpleasant or trying experiences.

Mature

 - Adult, responsible. arrogant; condescending; patronizing

Meddlesome

 - Intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner, given to meddling; interfering.

Meek

 - Evidencing little spirit or courage; overly submissive or compliant; humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness.

Megalomaniac

 - A psycho pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth, power, or omnipotence.

Miserable

 – Sad, downcast, glum. accustomed to working with mental handicaps; motivated to destroy source of misery or overcome it; perfect for hurt/comfort fics

Morbid

 – Macabre, gruesome. accepts death is inevitable

Mysterious

 – Puzzling, evasive. unknowable; isolated; unsociable

Naïve

 - Lacking worldly experience and understanding, simple and guileless; showing or characterized by a lack of sophistication and critical judgement.

Narcissistic

 – Vain, self-obsessed, concieted. praises those who praise them; high value of self-worth

Narrow-minded

 – Intolerant, bigoted. opinionated; strong-willed; righteous

Nervous

 – Anxious, edgy, jumpy. plans for everything; survivalist

Nosey

 – Prying, inquisitive. curious; discovers things before others

Obedient

 – Compliant. obeys stupid commands

Observant

 – Sharp-eyed. pick up on negative body and language cues faster than others; perceives others to have extreme emotions

Obsessive

 – Neurotic, fanatical. single-minded; driven

Offensive

 – Insulting, hostile. down with the establishment; rebellious; free-thinker

Opinionated

 – speaks at inappropriate times; alienates others with radical views

Oppressive

 – Harsh, Tyrannical. commanding

Optimistic

 – Dogmatic, pompous. refuses to acknowledge defeat

Organized

 –Neat. perfectionist; neat freak; cannot function amidst disorder

Overambitious

 - Having a strong excessive desire for success or achievement.

Overconfident

 - Excessively confident; presumptuous.

Overemotional

 - Excessively or abnormally emotional. Sensitive about themselves and others, more so than the average person.

Overprotective

 - To protect too much; coddle.

Overzealous

 - Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea.

Pacifistic

 - Opposition to war or violence as a means of resolving disputes back

Paranoid

 – Fearful, suspicious. prepared for anything

Patient

 – Tolerant. waits too long; inactive; passive

Patronizing

 – Condescending. unintentionally patronizing

Peevish

 - Expressing fretfulness and discontent, or unjustifiable dissatisfaction. Cantankerous, cross, ill-tempered, testy, captious, discontented, crotchety, cranky, ornery.

Perfectionist

 – Purist. obsessive disorders; take a long time; never satisfied with their work

Pessimist

 - A tendency to stress the negative or unfavourable or to take the gloomiest possible view.

Pest

 - One that pesters or annoys, with or without realizing it. Nuisance. Annoying. Nag.

Playful

 – Fond of games, jolly. don’t take life seriously; inappropriately try to make light of a serious situation; not taken seriously

Possessive

 – Overprotective, clingy. attached to something; has something they value

Powerful

 – Dominant, forceful. absolute power corrupts absolutely

Practical

 - Level-headed, efficient, and unspeculative. No-nonsense.

Predatory

 – Wolfish, exploitative. good at spotting weaknesses; opportunist; patient

Predictable

 - Easily seen through and assessable, where almost anyone can predict reactions and actions of said person by having met or known them even for a short time.

Productive

 – Gets work done, inventive. rushes through things; envied by coworkers; nerdy; perceived as sucking up to the boss

Protective

 – Defensive, gallant. over-protective; paranoid; possessive

Proud

 – Conceited. arrogant; unwilling to accept help; headstrong

Rebellious

 – Defiant, disobedient. resents authority; uncooperative; temperamental; represents a defunct or incorrect ideal

Reckless

 - Heedless. Headstrong. Foolhardy. Unthinking boldness, wild carelessness and disregard for consequences.

Regretful

 – Ashamed, remorseful. spends too much time in the past; sad; avoids situations like the one they regret

Remorseless

 - Without remorse; merciless; pitiless; relentless.

Reserved

 – Slow to show emotions, aloof. bottles up feelings; unsociable; difficult to understand; reluctant to tell secrets

Restless

 – Edgy, tense, nervous. unfocused; cannot follow through; has a history of moving and/or many short relationships

Romantic

 – Passionate. cheesy; enslaved to their partner

Sadistic

 - The deriving of sexual gratification or the tendency to derive sexual gratification from inflicting pain or emotional abuse on others. Deriving of pleasure, or the tendency to derive pleasure, from cruelty.

Sadomasochistic

 - Both sadist and masochist combined.

Sarcastic

 - A subtle form of mockery in which an intended meaning is conveyed obliquely.

Secretive

 – Silent, reserved. unknowable

Seducer

 - To lead others astray, as from duty, rectitude, or the like; corrupt. To attempt to lead or draw someone away, as from principles, faith, or allegiance.

Self-Martyr

 - One who purposely makes a great show of suffering in order to arouse sympathy from others, as a form of manipulation, and always for a selfish cause or reason.

Self-righteous

 – Smug, preachy. high self-confidence; unshakable belief

Selfish

 – Egocentric. self-interested; survivalist

Senile

 - Showing a decline or deterioration of physical strength or mental functioning, esp. short-term memory and alertness, as a result of old age or disease.

Sensitive

 – Responsive, touchy. over analytical; perceives things that aren’t there

Sentimental

 – Emotional. saves everything; vomits emotions; tells everyone, even when in appropriate, about the object of their sentiment

Shallow

 - Lacking depth of intellect or knowledge; concerned only with what is obvious.

Simple

 – Plain, straightforward. want yes/no answers; turn away from complex problems; passive

Skeptic

 - One who instinctively or habitually doubts, questions, or disagrees with assertions or generally accepted conclusions.

Smart Ass

 - Thinks they know it all, and in some ways they may, but they can be greatly annoying and difficult to deal with at times, especially in arguments.

Soft-hearted

 - Having softness or tenderness of heart that can lead them into trouble; susceptible of pity or other kindly affection. They cannot resist helping someone they see in trouble, suffering or in need, and often don’t think of the repercussions or situation before doing so.

Solemn

 - Deeply earnest, serious, and sober.

Spineless

 - Lacking courage. Cowardly, wimp, lily-livered, gutless.

Spiteful

 - Showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite; vindictive person who will look for occasions for resentment. Vengeful.

Spoiled

 - Treated with excessive indulgence and pampering from earliest childhood, and has no notion of hard work, self-care or money management; coddled, pampered. Having the character or disposition harmed by pampering or over-solicitous attention.

Squeamish

 - Excessively fastidious and easily disgusted.

Strong

 – Physically powerful. fears being seen as weak; bullying; compensates for or hides weaknesses; refuses to acknowledge weaknesses

Stubborn

 - Unreasonably, often perversely unyielding; bull-headed. Firmly resolved or determined; resolute.

Suave

 – Charming, sophisticated. manipulative; untrustworthy

Successful

 – Rich. fears losing success; paranoid; ruthless; hates or fears competitors; arrogant; descends into self-aggrandizement; decadent

Superstitious

 - An irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear from an irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome.

Suspicious

 – Wary, doubtful. quick to sniff out problems

Tactful

 – Discreet, perceptive. tells white lies; despises revealing information; unwilling to give up secrets; waits for the appropriate moment

Tactless

 - Lacking or showing a lack of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others.

Temperamental

 - Moody, irritable, or sensitive. Excitable, volatile, emotional.

Theatrical

 - Having a flair for over dramatizing situations, doing things in a ‘big way’ and love to be ‘centre stage’.

Thoughtful

 – Reflective, philosophical. under-appreciation can make them bitter; sensitive; over-attentive

Timid

 -Tends to be shy and/or quiet, shrinking away from offering opinions or from strangers and newcomers, fearing confrontations and violence.

Tongue-tied

 - Speechless or confused in expression, as from shyness, embarrassment, or astonishment.

Troublemaker

 - Someone who deliberately stirs up trouble, intentionally or unintentionally.

Unforgiving

 – Harsh. just

Unlucky

 - Marked by or causing misfortune; ill-fated. Destined for misfortune; doomed.

Unpredictable

 - Difficult to foretell or foresee, their actions are so chaotic it’s impossible to know what they are going to do next.

Untrustworthy

 - Not worthy of trust or belief. Backstabber.

Vain

 - Holding or characterized by an unduly high opinion of their physical appearance. Lovers of themselves. Conceited, egotistic, narcissistic.

Vengeful

 – Revengeful. justified in revenge; driven; vigilante

Violent

 – Threatening, wild. passionate; reactive

Weak-willed

 - Lacking willpower, strength of will to carry out one’s decisions, wishes, or plans. Easily swayed.

Wise

 – Enlightened, clever. perfectionists; people expect them to be right always; fears giving the wrong advice; have doubts

Withdrawn

 - Not friendly or Sociable. Aloof.

Witty

 – Comical. cannot take things seriously; offends others; thinks they are funnier than they actually are

Zealous

 - A fanatic.

#references #i've had tthis in my drafts forever #im gonn post it so it helps people that arent me #i've been building this since... a year and a half ago?

[allies-of-allies]

Run after the information, Not the IT

I . T .-'IT'-is costly. Every single Chief executive officer, CFO, COO-virtually every director at every level of each and every organization around the world sees that irrefutable reality. It's normally a serious lines product in most firm budget.

For that IT dept, handling the business specialised capability suggests primary getting a merchandise that matches regardless of what have to have the organization has come up with (and sometimes the odd whim of the sole manager), then this invest in, setting up, education, and maintenance of the hardware components, software program, systems, and directories which are with the resource. Then you get to keep worrying about interfaces between the applications, reports, security (the two external and internal), as well as amazing, irrepressible, eccentric, and typically devastation practices in the users despite you've presented full last part-to-finish training about the cool product.

Then anybody changes their head and you get to do it all over for a second time.

I personally trust any urban place need to have a personal asylum for IT staff. This area must occur filled with regions for the briefly insane to execute individual and violent deterioration of computing devices, provide you with them a create of punching luggage built to resemble ignorant (not stupid, just unlikely) organization officers, plus an even more stomping terrain loaded with dummies designed to resemble an assortment of knuckle-headed end users. Plus a unique host to heck for online hackers...

Such a establishment could be loaded to potential at all times.

The madness doesn't halt with the IT dept. For other enterprise professionals, IT changes signifies several hours or days of training, down time and loss in productivity that accompanies IT challenges, problems, or process upgrades.

For sales people, an IT glitch could mean lost possibility, loss in profits, together with a less than stellar picture of the provider that can be in a customer's brain for a long time. Salesmen may in no way conquer an undesirable shopper encounter created by was unsuccessful IT. The saying "your computer is your friend" is simply not commonly spoken concerning sales agents.

But IT is a necessary bad, isn't it? What enterprise could purpose without this?

Nicely, it can be important. Even an resourceful young male or female going into the workforce the very first time mowing gardens requires a means for buyers to reach him/her, methods to manage a routine, possibly even a method to path who may have paid off their charge.

But can it must be satanic?

Imagine if the wicked-ness arrives because we're looking to resolve the incorrect disadvantage in the IT? We're aiming to power a circular peg to a sq . hole, imagining It could clear up our difficulty without the need of really pinpointing what the catch is? We purchase computers, networks, communications, and many types of things you can do another thing-take and take care of info. A basic simple fact that we inherently all know but gloss about-it isn't the IT that's essential, it's what's traversing that it really.

It's concerning the details. Those people modest bits and bytes that define characters that make up details elements that coalesce into information that delivers us knowledge that even more transforms into knowledge that can be used and acted when.

It's regarding the info. Nevertheless we run after the knowhow traveling the info.

But hold on (you say)! We now have our databases. That's aspect of the IT. That's the place our details are placed. We must have the IT to access our information. It's OUR details.

Perfectly, absolutely yes... type of.

Yet not actually. Your small business does store data in to the directories connected with your organization, usually in a proprietary database which can be aspect and parcel with the application you've ordered. Most-or at a minimum a great deal-of the data is replicated in other methods, some inner in your firm, but most clearly in certain other outward strategy. And starting a data bank is hard operate, what with getting things uncovered, parsed, moved into your correct career fields, approved, and the like. It takes time as well as manpower which means money spent.

As well as how simple would it be to get it back again from that data base one time you've wanted to start working on another neat IT product or service? The quantity of IT administrators operate an get out of method concurrently they're establishing their investment technique? If you opt for a exclusive solution, do you realize what facts protection under the law one has and just how you'll get rid of that product whenever the time is offered? Mainly because it will. (Moreover, the correct answer is often 'no'-it's hard enough to acquire the solution all set while revealing your vendor and business control that you're actually organizing (and shelling out resources on) its demise.)

Alright, so who may have the information (exactly where can be your data bank essentially positioned and who controls it? Having entry? Who possesses it (don't make an presumption here))? How might it be provided lower back allowing you to transfer it towards a competitor's system? Must you invest in a amazing (meaning, overpriced) method to draw out the info? Who handles challenges? Who preserves the documentation over time so you essentially know what that repository appears to be and exactly what each one element means that (since that changes way too)? This edges over the geeky but X may well not continually and for good imply X, or perhaps now its X 2. Probably X is already alpha-numeric whilst it began as numeric only. This information is completely essential-what improved when? With out that documents, you have not a way of understanding when your info is comprehensive, whether its actually appropriate or maybe its been damaged.

Really enjoy your data base executives.

So, back in who genuinely has the info. Regardless of whether your imminently clever IT director provides the bases dealt with in terms of database acquisition and everything, does one really unique the details features?

No. You own the intelligence which comes while using the information, or any subsequent storage containers and retrieval of this cleverness, but the truth is don't really are able to decide the details factors that make up that cleverness.

For example, the US Interpersonal Security and safety number. The US Administration holds it-its design and guidelines, as well as the information allocated each specific. Your business has no say with the subject. It will, yet, supply in a variety of methods. Some IT products use all nine personas-with or without the dashes-although some only maintain your previous 4, 6, or 7. Other places have very own detection quantities that look absolutely nothing like the US SSN. What to do now?

Just how long is actually a 'name' and who extends to determine what it really resembles (no system I'm aware about could grab the image Prince made use of for a time)? How long can a name be? What exceptional figures are made it possible for? What number of labels can a person have (primary/final/mid or 6-7 labels, Aliases, Beforehand Referred To As)?

Inside locations, some will say the administration manages a great deal of the opposite individually recognizable facts (often abbreviated to "PII") with the nation (most likely the US among them). There could be also some foreign consortium that trust they 'own' records associated with their subject of expertise (but I wager there's other consortium which would disagree with this spot).

We could go on. The idea is that none of us 'owns' a facts element, at least nothing at all that's arranged internationally, and that's a difficulty.

Why?

For the reason that we have been world-wide beings life as people in a global natural environment. No male (or land) happens to be an tropical island. Details moves around our world in the velocity of consideration as a result of social media marketing and interconnected solutions. It's perpetual-once a 'thought' is out there, it's available on the market completely since somewhere it's been caught by an IT 'system'.

Info is available from almost anywhere and then we can find out one thing about nearly anything with some vital cerebral vascular accidents (despite the fact that we have now no way of knowing the veracity of the items we find).

So, goods has gone out there in various varieties, most of it really is perfect, some of it isn't, and you also demand particular equipment to get most of it.

Just how can we realize whatever we know? Actually, I feel this period could eventually be referred to as the 2nd Darker Age range because we don't figure out what we recognize and possess not a chance to grab (into perpetuity) our information. Or trail of e-mail, remarks, memos, and so forth that instructs how you came to that information, why we created that final decision, why that specific pathway was picked, for example.

Personal computers, computers, cellular phones include an abundance of info that is part of someone or usually, an organization or group. When that machine will go to the truly great Recycling Container from the Sky, often through a fried harddrive which will make the info it contains hard to get at, all that details are lost. Reduce to black color.

I attended a lecture one time regardless in 1900 our information was increasing almost every 50 yrs. In 1950 it was actually each and every 25 yrs, in 1998 (as soon as i observed this) it absolutely was just about every 10 years, and also by 2020 it might be almost every 72 times. Say what? Just how do we take that? How can we recognize everything you know when it's all caught in disparate databases, disparate tools, in numerous develops?

How that is known do we cope with all of this records/data/know-how/intelligence?

We require help. We need the laptops or computers that will help us. Like in, Synthetic Intelligence (AI). AI might help us seems sensible of everything, excluding the 'all of it' is dispersed and parsed all over the world without having any standard kind or organizational construction.

So-can you imagine if we discontinued operating the IT and as a substitute drove the details (which can be whatever we want anyways)? Just imagine we have control over our info, controlled it, and standardized it all over the world?

Envision it-information element X looks like this, indicates this, is utilized by this nomenclature, owned (operated) with that firm and (perhaps) even up-to-date this way. It may do what ever it sought for it so long as it didn't affect the shape from the element!

It wouldn't matter just what it resource we employed-any fitted our demands and budget-due to the fact our data was remain-on their own and controlled such as Borg-collective. IT can not change the shape or concept of the data. Resistance is futile. Companies wouldn't need to shell out huge amounts of money determining and documenting their data source given that it may be standardized. They will only need to identify the info things they're serious about. A provider having a new IT device wouldn't need to customize their device for each and every shopper-your data sessions can be conventional (believe Products and services Focused Architecture on steroids).

Omg! But exactly how? How would be begin locking downward data?

It can get a worldwide endeavor, quite possibly a specific thing below the United Nations.

Presume there is a group that had good care of anything affiliated with Individually Recognizable Material, yet another for knowledge, one more for health and fitness, another for data processing, etcetera and many others etc...

It's imagination-boggling. There'd ought to a team in order to choose which crew a bit of facts ought to be brought to for managing (is 'checking account' part of bank, bookkeeping, private, or business facts?)

There will be disputes.

It's been attempted in advance of naturally, on smaller scales by small companies. None are actually thriving predominantly since the group of people didn't basically individual the info. You can't handle what you don't very own.

I disagree on this site, nevertheless, that it must be no more dependent on option. When we are to keep away from becoming that Secondary Dimly lit Age groups, we have to try to get power over our records and it must be a standard endeavor.

Start small, imagine significant, step rapidly...

Why not focus on a team devoted to individual qualities? Identify these factors. Create the information framework. Outline the equipment to reach, up-date, and terminate that details. Then switch from there.

Think about a society where by firms or individuals can purchase any IT solution off the shelf-minus the recent bureaucracy affiliated with key buys-should they want, with no matter what features they would like, considering that the data it makes use of is widely organised. It might preserve vast amounts of money (right after the Fantastic Info Shape with the Heavens was set up anyways).

Consider a entire world in which information and facts are outside of the IT operating it. You could have a databases however you can't affect the system or interpretation. Some aspects may very well be un-updateable with the exception of by an authorized party (e.g., provider facts like birth date) along with a get good at variant taken at what ever amount considered suitable-maybe nationwide then synchronized along with a community-huge repository. You possibly can coalesce the details into data and knowledge that (could possibly) come to be a different part of data and caught it its own appropriate but you will NOT up-date the 'truth' files element.

Indeed, I understand-get two aspirin and think it by means of... it would hurt the gray issue. It's better to chase the IT than receive a take care of on the files, this is why we go that way. But we will need to begin.

Content Resource: http://EzineArticles.com/9766302

#pc #driver

[josephgsanchez]

Brand Architecture And The Parent Brand Threat

One of the great transformational experiences of my lifetime has been drinking beer in American bars. As a man who spent more of his 20s in America (and mostly in bars) than in the UK there is no-one who can testify better to just how disappointing American beer once was. Somehow Americans, and me along with them, accepted the idea that the variants offered by Budweiser, Miller and (if you really wanted to push the boat out) Coors were enough to satiate all your drinking needs.

And then it all started to change. Tiny independent brewers began to spring up all over the USA. They started brewing distinctive, beautiful ales of every possible variation and inclination. These beers first appeared around the periphery of American liquor stores and independent beer shops. Then they started to pick up distribution in local bars. American palates that had been raised on watery, indistinct, mass-produced tedium suddenly started to get a taste of local, diverse, fresh, brilliantly made beer – and they liked it.

I will say this and you can shoot me later. A typical bar in any major American town is now going to offer you a wider array of better local ale than the equivalent location in England, Germany or even (deep breath) the Czech Republic.

The age of making jokes about American beer is long over. A typical bar in Chicago, San Diego or Boston now offers a mesmerizing selection of different local ales. I sat recently in a small dive bar in Deerfield, Illinois, gazing in wonder at the dozen different draft beers before me with a look that blended admiration, incomprehension and the absolute and inevitable realization that there was too much good beer in this small bar to get through in the evening ahead.

AB InBev is rapaciously acquiring its independent rivals to ensure that, while it keeps one hand in the big beer business, the other increasingly works on the boutique side of things.

The man sitting next to me at the bar was struck by my countenance and we started a conversation. Despite being half my age he taught me about a dozen things about hops and yeast I did not know in the 60 minutes that we sat there and – in the age-old tradition of American bars – had a few.

This is all great news for consumers of beer but not such a wonderful development for AB InBev – the world’s largest beer company. Created from a merger of the behemoths that once owned Budweiser, Miller and a host of other mass-manufactured global beers, AB InBev still owns 45% of the entire American beer market. But that proportion is now in free-fall as American drinkers switch from big to boutique beer and imported alternatives in their millions.

AB InBev has a solution to this problem, one that probably will not surprise you. It is rapaciously acquiring its independent rivals to ensure that, while it keeps one hand in the big beer business, the other increasingly works on the boutique side of things. In true big corporate style AB InBev has housed its newly acquired craft beers in a newly created ‘High End’ division. So far, that division encompasses 10 much loved, formerly independent beer brands and includes such iconic names as Goose Island, 10 Barrel, Elysian Brewing and – its most recent acquisition – Wicked Weed Brewing from North Carolina.

With this growing stable of High End brands in place, AB InBev is understandably now investing in them. The company recently announced a massive $2bn investment – much of which will be devoted to its long term goal of growing its presence in the craft brew sector. Funds will almost certainly be used to acquire more craft breweries but also to scale up production and allow AB InBev to manufacture much greater amounts of its newly acquired beer brands, presumably from centralized production facilities.

The Issue Of Brand Architecture

Experienced marketers will begin to spot a potential problem in all of this: brand architecture. If target consumers become aware of the parentage of AB InBev’s growing stable of former craft beer brands, it could undermine the brand image of the brews and result in their widespread rejection in the market.

Before we go any further let’s make it abundantly clear that this is a very rare event. Typically, customers do not have the faintest clue about the organizational parentage of brands they may have had an enduring purchase history with.

Very few customers realize that Lamborghini is owned by VW or that Fiat owns Ferrari (along with Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Jeep too). Consumers spend hours reviewing prices for their next holiday by switching between Expedia, Trivago and Hotels.com entirely ignorant of the fact that all three belong to the same company. Standing in Boots they compare Pantene shampoo with Head & Shoulders and Vidal Sassoon unaware that all three options are manufactured by Procter & Gamble. At a bar they order a Baileys on the rocks and a Guinness for their partner, oblivious to the common link back to Diageo. And at the end of the night they debate whether to order from Pizza Hut or KFC, ignorant of the fact that the two brands are both part of the Yum! Brands group.

Brand architecture is a magic trick that allows big companies to proffer the illusion of choice to customers, constrain competitors’ access to all-important distribution channels and position different brands in a portfolio that can cover every corner of the segment map.

But there is a catch. Brand architecture only works if the magic trick remains a secret. Usually the combination of consumer indolence and competitor equivalency means no-one draws attention to the secret connections and shared parentage of brands. But there are special factors at work in the beer market that make this situation far riskier for AB InBev than most might anticipate.

The consumers who buy craft beer buy it because of its craft. They prefer their beer local and independent and made by a slightly mad bloke who takes his beer far too seriously. If I whisper into the ear of the woman in boots holding Pantene in one hand and Vidal Sassoon in the other that they are both made by the same company she is likely to shrug and then call security. But if I tell craft beer loving patrons that the Goose Island ale they are lovingly imbibing is actually made by the same company that brought you Bud Light, you are likely to humiliate these drinkers in a manner that ensures they don’t buy it again. When much of what you are buying is independence and craft, a parent that stands for the opposite is a killer of a brand association.

Second, the brands in question that AB InBev has purchased were positioned on their absolute and total revulsion for AB InBev and everything it stood for. That might sound like an overstatement but, trust me, it’s not. Prior to its acquisition, for example, Seattle-based Elysian Brewing used the slogan ‘Corporate Beer Still Sucks’. They emblazoned it across their six packs. Clearly, the biggest corporate beer company of them all buying an independent beer brand that positions itself as hating corporate beer companies is the kind of conundrum that will keep your marketing department up at night.

Clash Of Cultures

Then there is AB InBev and its own marketing strategy. The company has positioned its own brands aggressively against craft beers in the past by openly making fun of the precious and involved manner in which craft beer lovers consume their ale. Their infamous, and rather well executed, TV spot for Budweiser during the 2015 Super Bowl for example, is exactly the right corporate approach if you want to position big beer against craft beer, and exactly the wrong approach if your company is about to go on a craft beer acquisition spree.

Already there are signals that the craft beer industry is not taking AB InBev’s incursion into craft beer lying down. Industry bible Brew Studs has listed 14 formerly independent craft beers that it now recommends consumers boycott because of their big beer acquisition. Independent distributors have begun to delist any formerly independent beer brand now owned by the big beer companies.

Formerly friendly beer brands have moved fast to isolate and abandon any links with their newly acquired peers. In the month after its acquisition was announced, for example, Wicked Weed was banned and uninvited from a series of different craft brewing events. The brand had its local membership of the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild revoked almost immediately and has been widely shunned by the local beer making community.

What emerges from all this is inarguably one of the great brand challenges of recent years. Can AB InBev pull off the dual marketing feat of maintaining its big brands while nurturing its newly acquired craft labels at the same time? The company certainly has the brand strategy capabilities but it will require an exceptional period of careful planning and execution to pull it off.

There is always the potential danger that a company famed for its economies of scale and mass production does the unthinkable and starts mass-producing and mass-marketing their growing stable of craft beers with unthinkable consequences. That might sounds like a ridiculously dumb thing to do but most big companies tend to keep doing things the way they’ve done things in the past. Acquiring a boutique brand does not always mean you also accept their approach to marketing and manufacturing.

American beer quality has improved dramatically over the past decade and with it the knowledge and discernment of American beer consumers. Maybe it’s time for brand management to follow suit in America and raise its game too.

This thought piece is featured courtesy of Marketing Week, the United Kingdom’s leading marketing publication.

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[v-venenaarchive-blog]

you not agreeing with someone’s opinion: 101% okay.

you making things personal when they don’t need to be: 101% not okay.

#this community is mad wicked and is capable of great things #so let's NOT ruin it #don't get sassy at /each other/ in the tags. don't make vague little digs at people. #most of us here are considered to be adults or very nearly adults so? we should act like it yes? #let's all just be nice. #and not nasty. #and with that i leave. #ooc #drama #just in case lol

[claudinei-de-jesus]

Consequences of sin

Sin is both an act and a state. As a rebellion against the law of God, it is an act of man's will; as separation from God, it becomes a sinful state. There follows a double consequence: the sinner brings evil upon himself for his evil deeds, and incurs guilt in the eyes of God. Two things, therefore, must be distinguished; the bad consequences that follow the acts of sin, and the punishment that will come in the judgment. This can be illustrated as follows: A father forbids his young son to smoke cigarettes, and makes him see a double consequence: first, smoking will make him feel sick; second, to be punished for his disobedience. The boy disobeys and smokes for the first time. The nausea that comes to him represents the bad consequences of his sin, and the subsequent corporal punishment represents the positive punishment for guilt. In the same way the Scriptures describe two effects of sin on the guilty: first, it is followed by disastrous consequences for his soul; second, it will bring from God a positive decree of condemnation.

1. Spiritual weakness.

(a) Disfigurement of the divine image. Man has not completely lost the divine image, because still in his fallen position he is considered a creature in the image of God (Gen. 9: 6; Aunt. 3: 9) - a truth expressed in the popular proverb: "There is something good in worst of men. " Maudesley, the great English psychiatrist, maintains that the inherent majesty of the human mind is evident even in the ruin caused by madness. Although not entirely lost, the divine image in man is very disfigured. Jesus Christ came into the world to make it possible for man to fully recover the divine likeness by being recreated in the image of God. (Gal. 3:10.)

(b) Inherent sin, or "original sin". The effect of the fall was so deeply ingrained in human nature that Adam, as the father of the race, transmitted to his descendants the tendency or inclination to sin. (Ps. 51: 5.) This spiritual and moral impediment, under which men are born, is known as original sin. The sinful acts that follow during man's age of full responsibility are known as "actual sin". Christ, the second Adam, came into the world to rescue us from all the effects of the fall. (Rom. 5: 12-21.) This moral condition of the soul is described in many ways: all have sinned (Rom. 3: 9); everyone is under the curse (Gal. 3:10); the natural man is alien to the things of God (1 Cor. 2:14); the natural heart is deceitful and perverse (Jer. 17: 9); the mental and moral nature is corrupt (Gen. 6: 5, 12; 8:21; Rom. 1: 19-31); the carnal mind is enmity against God (Rom. 8: 7, 8); the sinner is a slave to sin (Rom. 6:17; 7: 5); it is controlled by the prince of the powers of the air (Ephesians 2: 2); he is dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2: 1); and he is a son of wrath (Eph. 2: 3).

(c) Internal discord. In the beginning God made man's body out of dust, thereby endowing it with a physical or inferior nature; then the breath of life blew into his nose, thus communicating a higher nature to him, uniting him to God. It was God's purpose for the harmony of the human being, to have the body subordinated to the soul. But sin interrupted the relationship in such a way that man found himself divided in himself; the "me" as opposed to the "me" in a war between the higher and the lower nature. Its inferior nature, fragile in itself, rebelled against the superior and opened the doors of its being to the enemy.

In the intensity of the conflict, the man exclaims: "Miserable man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom. 7:24.) The "God of peace" (1 Thess. 5:23) subdues the belligerent elements of man's nature and sanctifies him in spirit, soul and body. The result is internal bliss - "justice, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 14:17).

2. Positive punishment.

"The day you eat of it you will surely die" (Gen. 2:17) "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). Man was created capable of living eternally; that is, he would not die if he obeyed the law of God. So that he could "make use" of immortality and eternal life, he was placed under a pact of works, figured by the two trees - the tree of the science of good and evil and the tree of life. In this way, life was conditioned to obedience; as long as Adam observed the law of life he would be entitled to the tree of life. But he disobeyed; he broke the covenant of life, and was separated from God, the Source of life.

Since that moment, death had its beginning and was consummated in physical death with the separation of the soul and the body. But we noticed that the punishment included more than a physical death; physical dissolution was an indication of God's displeasure, of the fact that man was out of touch with the Source of life. Even if Adam was later reconciled to his Creator, physical death would continue according to the divine decree: "The day you eat of it you will surely die." Only by an act of redemption and recreation would man again have the right to the tree of life that is in the midst of God's paradise.

Through Christ justice is restored to the soul, which, at the resurrection, is reunited with a glorified body. We see, then, that physical death came into the world as a punishment, and, in Scripture, whenever man is threatened with death as a punishment for sin, it means first of all the loss of God's favor. Thus, the sinner is already "dead in trespasses and sins" and at the moment of physical death he enters the invisible world in the same condition.

Then in the great Judgment the Judge will pronounce the second death sentence, which involves "indignation and anger, tribulation and anguish" (Rom. 2: 7-12). So that "death", as a punishment, is not the extinction of the personality, but the means of separation from God. There are three phases of this death: spiritual death, while man lives (Eph. 2: 1; 1 Tim. 5: 6); physical death (Heb. 9:27); and the second or eternal death (Rev. 21: 8; John 5:28, 29; 2 Thess. 1: 9; Matt. 25:41). On the other hand, when the Scriptures speak of life as a reward for justice, it means more than existence, for the wicked exist in hell.

Life means to live in communion with God and in favor of God - a communion that death cannot interrupt or destroy. (John 11:25, 26.) it is a life that provides conscious union with God, the Source of life. "And this is eternal life: that they may know you only (in experience and fellowship) as the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent" (John 17: 3). Eternal life is a perfect existence; eternal death is a bad, miserable and degraded existence.

Note that the word "destruction", used as to the fate of the wicked (Matt. 7:13; John 17:12; 2 Thess. 2: 3), does not mean extinction. According to the Greek, perishing or being destroyed does not mean extinction, but ruin. For example, that wineskins "spoil" (Matt. 9:17) means that they no longer serve as wineskins, not that they have ceased to exist. In the same way, the sinner who perishes, or who is destroyed, is not reduced to nothing, but experiences ruin in terms of enjoying fellowship with God and eternal life. The same usage still exists today; when we say: "your life is in order", we do not mean that the man is dead, but that he has lost the true aim or objective of life.